UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C.  20549

 


 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 


 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  November 21, 2008

 


 

NORTHERN TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware

 

001-11038

 

41-0857886

(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)

 

(Commission File Number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer Identification
Number)

 

 

 

 

 

4201 Woodland Road
P.O. Box 69
Circle Pines, Minnesota

 

55014

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

(Zip Code)

 

(763) 225-6600

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

o    Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o    Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 



 

Item 5.02.              Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

 

On November 21, 2008, the Board of Directors of Northern Technologies International Corporation approved a form of indemnification agreement to be entered into with each of NTIC’s current and future directors and officers (each, the “Indemnitee”). The indemnification agreements provide, among other things, subject to the procedures set forth in the indemnification agreements: (i) that NTIC will indemnify the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by NTIC’s Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and the Delaware General Corporation Law in the event the Indemnitee was or is a party to or involved with an action, suit or proceeding by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was serving as one of NTIC’s directors or officers; (ii) that NTIC will advance expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in any such proceeding, including attorneys’ fees, to the Indemnitee in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding; (iii) that the rights of the Indemnitees under the indemnification agreements are in addition to any other rights the Indemnitees may have under NTIC’s Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws, the Delaware General Corporation Law or otherwise; and (iv) for certain exclusions from NTIC’s obligations under the agreements.  Pursuant to the indemnification agreements, NTIC has agreed to refrain from amending NTIC’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws to diminish the Indemnitees’ rights to indemnification under the indemnification agreements. NTIC also has agreed to maintain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance coverage for NTIC’s directors and officers, so long as such insurance is available on a commercially reasonable basis.

 

The summary of the indemnification agreements set forth above is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the form of indemnification agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this report and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 5.03.              Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year

 

On November 21, 2008, the Board of Directors of NTIC approved and adopted amendments to NTIC’s Bylaws, effective immediately, to, among other things, change the notice period and expand the information required to be provided by a stockholder who submits a nomination for election to NTIC’s Board of Directors or other proposal for business to be brought before a meeting of NTIC’s stockholders, other than a proposal properly made pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and included in NTIC’s notice of meeting.  The amendments change the standard advance notice period for stockholder nominations of directors or other proposals to not less than 90 days and not more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders, as compared to the prior advance notice period of not less than 90 days and not more than 120 days prior to the annual meeting of stockholders.  In addition, the amendments require a stockholder who submits a director nomination or other proposal to disclose, among other things, information about the proposed nominee and his or her relationships with the stockholder submitting the nomination, information about any agreements, arrangements or understandings the stockholder may have with the proposed nominee or other parties relating to the nomination or other proposal, and information about the interests that the stockholder has related to NTIC and its shares, including as a result of, among other things, derivative securities, voting arrangements, short positions or other interests.  A stockholder who submits a nomination or proposal is required to update the information previously disclosed as of the record date for the meeting of stockholders.  NTIC’s Board of Directors also made several other more minor amendments to NTIC’s Bylaws, including revisions to update certain provisions to conform with amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law permitting NTIC to take advantage of technological advances in the conduct of its corporate affairs, including stockholder communications and the conduct of stockholder meetings and Board proceedings.

 

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The summary of the amendments to NTIC’s Bylaws set forth above is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of NTIC’s Amended and Restated Bylaws, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 3.1 this report and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 8.01.              Other Events

 

On November 21, 2008, the Board of Directors of NTIC set the date, time and place for its 2009 annual meeting of stockholders as January 29, 2009 at 4:00 p.m., Central time, at NTIC’s principal executive offices located at 4201 Woodland Road, Circle Pines, Minnesota 55014.  NTIC stockholders of record at the close of business on December 1, 2008 will be entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting or any adjournment of the meeting.

 

Also on November 21, 2008, the NTIC Board of Directors nominated the following nine individuals, all of whom are current directors of NTIC, to serve as NTIC’s directors until the next annual meeting of NTIC’s stockholders or until their successors are elected and qualified:  Pierre Chenu, Tilman B. Frank, M.D., Soo-Keong Koh, Donald A. Kubik, Ph.D., Sunggyu Lee, Ph.D., G. Patrick Lynch, Mark M. Mayers, Ramani Narayan, Ph.D. and Mark J. Stone.

 

The items of business expected to be acted upon at the 2009 annual meeting of NTIC’s stockholders will be the election of directors, two proposed amendments to NTIC’s Certificate of Incorporation and the ratification of the selection of Virchow Krause & Company LLP as NTIC’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2009.  The two proposed amendments to NTIC’s Certificate of Incorporation are: (1) to add a new provision, Article IX, which in accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law would eliminate the personal liability of a director to NTIC or NTIC’s stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty by such director as a director of NTIC except under certain circumstances as provided in the Delaware statute; and (2) to amend Article III of NTIC’s Certificate of Incorporation to authorize the Board of Directors to issue NTIC’s currently authorized 10,000 shares of preferred stock from time to time in one or more series, with such rights, preferences and restrictions as shall be fixed by the Board of Directors.

 

Item 9.01               Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)   Exhibits.

 

Exhibit
No.

 

Description

3.1

 

Amended and Restated Bylaws of Northern Technologies International Corporation (filed herewith)

 

 

 

10.1

 

Form of Indemnification Agreement between Northern Technologies International Corporation and each of NTIC’s Directors and Officers (filed herewith)

 

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SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

NORTHERN TECHNOLOGIES

 

INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Matthew C. Wolsfeld

 

 

Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary

 

 

 

Dated:   November 24, 2008

 

 

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NORTHERN TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION

 

CURRENT REPORT ON FORM 8-K

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

 

Description

 

Method of Filing

3.1

 

Amended and Restated Bylaws of Northern Technologies International Corporation

 

Filed herewith

 

 

 

 

 

10.1

 

Form of Indemnification Agreement between Northern Technologies International Corporation and each of NTIC’s Directors and Officers

 

Filed herewith

 

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Exhibit 3.1

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED

BYLAWS

OF

NORTHERN TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION

A Delaware corporation

 

(As amended through November 21, 2008)

 

ARTICLE I
OFFICES

 

Section 1.               Registered Office.  The registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware shall be in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, State of Delaware.  The name of The Corporation’s registered agent at such address shall be The Corporation Trust Company.

 

Section 2.               Other Offices.  The Corporation may also have offices at such other places, both within and without the State of Delaware, as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or the business of the Corporation may require.

 

ARTICLE II
MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS

 

Section 1.               Place of Meetings.  Meetings of the stockholders shall be held at any place within or without the State of Delaware as determined by the Board of Directors.  The Board may, in its sole discretion, determine that a meeting shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely be means of remote communication as authorized by Section 211(a)(2) of the Delaware General Corporation Law.  In the absence of any such designation or determination, meetings of stockholders shall be held at the Corporation’s principal executive offices.

 

Section 2.               Annual Meetings.  The annual meeting of the stockholders shall be held for the purpose of electing directors and conducting such other business as may properly come before the meeting each year on a date and at a time designated by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 3.               Special Meetings.  Special meetings of the stockholders, for any purpose or purposes, unless otherwise prescribed by statute or by the Certificate of Incorporation, may be called by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President and shall be called by the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Secretary at the request in writing of stockholders owning a majority in the amount of the entire capital stock of the Corporation issued and outstanding and entitled to vote.  Such request shall state the purpose or purposes of the proposed meeting.  At such meetings, the only business which may be transacted is that relating to the purpose or purposes set forth in the notice or waivers of notice thereof.

 

Section 4.               Notice of Meetings.  Except as otherwise required by law, written, printed or electronic notice stating the place, if any, date and hour of the meeting, the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present

 



 

in person and vote at such meeting, and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called, shall be prepared and delivered by the Corporation not less than ten (10) days nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting, either personally, by mail, or in the case of stockholders who have consented to such delivery, by electronic transmission (as such term is defined in the Delaware General Corporation Law), to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be delivered when deposited in the U.S. mail with postage thereon prepaid, addressed to the stockholder at such stockholder’s address as it appears on the stock transfer books of the Corporation. Notice given by electronic transmission shall be effective (a) if by facsimile, when faxed to a number where the stockholder has consented to receive notice; (b) if by electronic mail, when mailed electronically to an electronic mail address at which the stockholder has consented to receive such notice; (c) if by posting on an electronic network together with a separate notice of such posting, upon the later to occur of (i) the posting or (ii) the giving of separate notice of the posting; or (d) if by other form of electronic communication, when directed to the stockholder in the manner consented to by the stockholder. Meetings may be held without notice if all stockholders entitled to vote are present (except as otherwise provided by law), or if notice is waived by those not present. Any previously scheduled meeting of the stockholders may be postponed and (unless the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation otherwise provides) any special meeting of the stockholders may be cancelled, by resolution of the Board of Directors upon public notice given prior to the time previously scheduled for such meeting of stockholders.  An affidavit of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary or of the transfer agent or other agent of the Corporation that the notice has been given shall, in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein.

 

Section 5.               Waiver of Notice.  Whenever any notice is required to be given under any provisions of law, by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws, a waiver thereof in writing or by telecopy or any other means of communication permissible by law, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to such notice.  In addition, any stockholder attending a meeting of stockholders in person or by proxy without protesting prior to the conclusion of the meeting the lack of notice thereof to such stockholder, shall be conclusively deemed to have waived notice of such meeting.

 

Section 6.               Stockholders List.  The officer having charge of the stock ledger of the Corporation shall make, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of the stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting or any adjournment thereof, arranged in alphabetical order, specifying the address of and the number and class or series, if any, of shares registered in the name of each stockholder.  The Corporation shall not be required to include electronic mail addresses or other electronic contact information on such list.  Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting, during ordinary business hours, for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided that the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of the meeting or during ordinary business hours, at the Corporation’s principal place of business.  In the event that the Corporation determines to make the list available on an electronic network, the Corporation may take reasonable steps to ensure that such information is available only to stockholders of the Corporation. If the meeting is to be held at a place, then the list shall be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting

 

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during the whole time thereof, and may be inspected by any stockholder who is present. If the meeting is to be held solely by means of remote communication, then the list shall also be open to the examination of any stockholder during the whole time of the meeting on a reasonably accessible electronic network, and the information required to access such list shall be provided with the notice of the meeting. Such list shall presumptively determine the identity of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and the number of shares held by each of them.

 

Section 7.               Quorum and Adjournment.  The holders of a majority of the stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the stockholders except as otherwise provided by law or by the Certificate of Incorporation.  If a quorum is not present, the holders of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting, and entitled to vote thereat, shall have the power, by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of such shares, to adjourn the meeting to another time and/or place.  Unless the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days or unless a new record date is set for the adjourned meeting, no notice of the adjourned meeting need be given to any stockholder provided that the time, place, if any, thereof, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting were announced at the meeting at which the adjournment was taken.  At the adjourned meeting the Corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting.

 

Section 8.               Vote Required.  In all matters, other than the election of directors and except as otherwise required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of the shares present or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter shall be the act of the stockholders. Directors shall be elected by a plurality of the voting power of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the election of directors.

 

Section 9.               Voting Rights.  At each meeting of stockholders, each holder of record of shares of stock entitled to vote shall be entitled to vote in person or by proxy, and each such holder shall be entitled to one vote for every share standing in such holder’s name on the books of the Corporation as of the record date fixed by the Board of Directors or prescribed by law.

 

Section 10.             Proxies.  At all meetings of stockholders, a stockholder may vote by proxy executed in writing by the stockholder or as may be permitted by law, or by the stockholder’s duly authorized attorney-in-fact. Such proxy must be filed with the Secretary of the Corporation or his or her representative, or otherwise delivered telephonically or electronically as set forth in the applicable proxy statement, at or before the time of the meeting.  No proxy shall be valid after the expiration of three (3) years from its date, unless a longer period is provided for in the proxy. Unless and until voted, every proxy shall be revocable at the pleasure of the person who executed it, or his or her legal representatives or assigns except in those cases where an irrevocable proxy permitted by statute has been given.

 

Section 11.             Consents in Lieu of Meeting.  Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or by the laws of the State of Delaware, any action required by the laws of the State of Delaware to be taken at any annual or special meeting of stockholders, or any action

 

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which may be taken at any annual or special meeting of such stockholders, may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if: (a) a consent in writing, or by facsimile, telegram, cablegram or other electronic transmission, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed or, in the case of a facsimile, telegram, cablegram or other electronic submission, authorized by the holders of outstanding stock having not less than a minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted; and (b) prompt notice of the taking of such action by less than unanimous written consent is given to the other stockholders to the extent and in the manner required by the laws of Delaware. Consents delivered by facsimile, telegram, cablegram or other electronic transmission shall be deemed to be signed and dated on the date on which such consent is transmitted to the Corporation or the agent specified by the Corporation to receive such facsimile, telegram, cablegram or other electronic transmission.

 

Section 12.             Notice of Stockholder Proposed Business.  At any annual meeting of stockholders, only such business shall be conducted, and only such proposals shall be acted on, as are properly brought before the meeting.  In order for business to be properly brought before the meeting, the business must be either (a) specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors; (b) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (c) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by any stockholder of record of the Corporation who (i) was a stockholder of record at the time of the giving of the notice provided for in this Section 12 of Article II and at the time of the annual meeting, (ii) is entitled to vote at such meeting and (iii) has complied with the procedures set forth in this Section 12 of Article II as to such business.  Except for proposals properly made pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and included in the Corporation’s notice of meeting, the foregoing clause (c) shall be exclusive means for a stockholder to propose business to be considered by the stockholders at an annual meeting of stockholders.  For business to be properly brought before an annual meeting of stockholders by a stockholder, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation.  To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the annual meeting with respect to which such notice is to be tendered is not held within thirty (30) days before or after such anniversary date, to be timely, notice by the stockholder must be received not later than the close of business on the 10th day following the day on which notice of the date of the annual meeting or public disclosure thereof was given or made, whichever first occurs.  In no event shall the adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the public disclosure thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

 

To be in proper written form, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must set forth as to each matter such stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting, the text of any resolution proposed to be adopted at the annual meeting and the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting and as to the stockholder giving the notice and any Stockholder Associated Person (as defined below) (i) the name and record address of such person, (ii) the class or series and number

 

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of shares of capital stock of the Corporation which are owned beneficially or of record by such person, (iii) the nominee holder for, and number of, shares owned beneficially but not of record by such person, (iv) whether and the extent to which any hedging or other transaction or series of transactions has been entered into by or on behalf of, or any other agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any derivative or short positions, profit interests, options or borrowed or loaned shares) has been made, the effect or intent of which is to mitigate loss to or manage risk or benefit of share price changes for, or to increase or decrease the voting power of, such person with respect to any share of stock of the Corporation, (v) to the extent known by the stockholder giving the notice, the name and address of any other stockholder supporting the proposal of other business on the date of such stockholder’s notice, (vi) a description of all arrangements or understandings between or among such persons in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder and any material interest in such business and (vii) a representation that the stockholder giving the notice intends to appear in person or by proxy at the annual meeting to bring such business before the meeting.  Any ownership information shall be supplemented by the stockholder giving the notice not later than ten (10) days after the record date for the meeting as of the record date.

 

Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, no business shall be conducted at the annual meeting of stockholders except business brought before the annual meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 12 of Article II; provided, however, that once business has been properly brought before the annual meeting in accordance with such procedures, nothing in this Section 12 of Article II shall be deemed to preclude discussion by any stockholder of any such business. The chairman of the annual meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that business was not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with the provisions of this Section 12 of Article II, and if the chairman should so determine, he or she shall so declare to the meeting and any such business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted.

 

“Stockholder Associated Person” of any stockholder shall mean (i) any person acting in concert, directly or indirectly, with such stockholder and (ii) any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person.

 

At any special meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 12 of Article II, (i) a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 12 of Article II; provided, however, that any reference in this Section 12 of Article II to the Exchange Act or the rules promulgated thereunder are not intended to and shall not limit the requirements applicable to proposals of business to be considered pursuant to clause (c) of Section 12 of Article II and nothing in this Section 12 of Article II shall be deemed to affect any rights of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act and (ii) stockholder nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors shall be governed by Section 13 of Article II of these Bylaws.

 

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Section 13.             Stockholder Nomination of Directors.  Only persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 13 of Article II shall be eligible to serve as directors of the Corporation, except as may be otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation with respect to the rights of holders of preferred stock of the Corporation to nominate and elect a specified number of directors, if any. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors of the Corporation to be made at any annual meeting of stockholders or any special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting must be made (a) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, or (b) provided that the Board of Directors has determined that directors shall be elected at such meeting, as indicated in the notice, by any stockholder of the Corporation who (i) is a stockholder of record at the time of giving the notice provided for in this Section 13 of Article II and at the time of the meeting, (ii) is entitled to vote for the election of directors at the meeting and (iii) complies with the procedures set forth in this Section 13 of Article II as to such nominations.  Except for proposals properly made pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act, and included in the Corporation’s notice of meeting, the foregoing clause (b) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors at an annual meeting of stockholders or a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting. Any such nominations (other than those made by or at the direction of the Board of Directors) must be made pursuant to timely notice in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice in the case of a special meeting of stockholders called for the purpose of electing directors, must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which notice of the date of the special meeting was mailed or public disclosure of the date of the special meeting was made, whichever first occurs, and, in the case of any annual meeting, must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the annual meeting with respect to which such notice is to be tendered is not held within thirty (30) days before or after such anniversary date, to be timely, notice by the stockholder must be received no later than the close of business on the 10th day following the day on which notice of the meeting or public disclosure thereof was given or made, whichever first occurs. In no event shall the adjournment or postponement of an annual or special meeting or the public disclosure thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

 

To be in proper written form, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must set forth as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election as a director and as to the stockholder giving the notice and any Stockholder Associated Person (as defined in Section 12 of Article II of these Bylaws) (i) the name, age, business address, residence address and record address of such person, (ii) the principal occupation or employment of such person, (iii) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation which are owned beneficially or of record by such person, (iv) any information relating to such person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder,  (v) the nominee holder for, and number of,

 

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shares owned beneficially but not of record by such person, (vi) whether and the extent to which any hedging or other transaction or series of transactions has been entered into by or on behalf of, or any other agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any derivative or short positions, profit interests, options or borrowed or loaned shares) has been made, the effect or intent of which is to mitigate loss to or manage risk or benefit of share price changes for, or to increase or decrease the voting power of, such person with respect to any share of stock of the Corporation, (vii) to the extent known by the stockholder giving the notice, the name and address of any other stockholder supporting the nominee for election or reelection as a director on the date of such stockholder’s notice, (viii) a description of all arrangements or understandings between or among such persons pursuant to which the nomination(s) are to be made by the stockholder and (ix) a representation that such stockholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate the persons named in its notice.  Any ownership information shall be supplemented by the stockholder giving the notice not later than ten (10) days after the record date for the meeting as of the record date.  Such notice must be accompanied by a written consent of each proposed nominee to being named as a nominee and to serve as a director if elected.  The Corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as may reasonably be required by the Corporation to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as an independent director of the Corporation or that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such nominee.

 

No person shall be eligible for election as a director of the Corporation unless nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 13 of Article II.  If the chairman of the meeting determines that a nomination was not made in accordance with the foregoing procedures, the chairman shall declare to the meeting that the nomination was defective and such defective nomination shall be disregarded.

 

Notwithstanding anything in the first paragraph of this Section 13 of Article II to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors of the Corporation is increased and there is no public disclosure by the Corporation naming all of the nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased Board of Directors at least one hundred (100) days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s notice required by this Bylaw shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the 10th day following the day on which such public disclosure is first made by the Corporation.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 13 of Article II, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 13 of Article II; provided, however, that any reference in this Section 13 of Article II to the Exchange Act or the rules promulgated thereunder are not intended to and shall not limit the requirements applicable to nominations to be considered pursuant to clause (b) of this Section 13 of Article II and nothing in this Section 13 of Article II shall be deemed to affect any rights of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act.

 

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ARTICLE III
DIRECTORS

 

Section 1.               Number, Election and Term of Office.  Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock to elect additional directors under specified circumstances, the Board of Directors shall consist of one or more directors, the number thereof to be determined from time to time by resolution of the Board of Directors.  The directors shall be elected at the annual meeting of the stockholders, except as provided in Section 5 of this Article III, and each director elected shall hold office until the next annual meeting of stockholders or until a successor is duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal as hereinafter provided.

 

Section 2.               Management By Board of Directors.  The business of the Corporation shall be managed by its Board of Directors, which may exercise all such powers of the Corporation and do all such lawful acts and things as are not by statute or by Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws directed or required to be exercised or done by the stockholders.

 

Section 3.               Resignation.  Any director may resign at any time upon notice given in writing or by electronic transmission to the Corporation. A resignation is effective when the resignation is delivered unless the resignation specifies a later effective date or an effective date determined upon the happening of an event or events. A resignation which is conditioned upon the director failing to receive a specified vote for reelection as a director may provide that it is irrevocable.

 

Section 4.               Removal.  Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock then outstanding, any director or the entire Board of Directors may be removed at any time, with or without cause, by the holders of a majority of the shares of stock of the Corporation then entitled to vote at an election of directors, except as otherwise provided by statute.

 

Section 5.               Vacancies.  Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock then outstanding, vacancies and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors may be filled by a majority of the directors then in office though less than a quorum, and each director so chosen shall hold office until the next annual election or until a successor is duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal as hereinafter provided.

 

Section 6.               Place of Meetings; Meetings by Telephone.  The Board of Directors may hold meetings, both regular and special, either within or outside the State of Delaware.  Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, members of the Board of the Directors, or any committee designated by the Board of Directors, may participate in a meeting of the Board of Directors, or any committee, by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation in a meeting shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

 

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Section 7.               Regular Meetings.  Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held without notice at such time and at such place as shall from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 8.               Special Meetings; Notice.  Special meetings of the Board of Directors for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Secretary or a majority of the Board of Directors. The person(s) authorized to call special meetings of the Board may fix the time and place of the meeting.  Notice of the time and place of special meetings shall be: (a) delivered personally by hand, by courier or by telephone, (b) sent by United States first-class mail, postage prepaid, (c) sent by facsimile or (d) sent by electronic mail, directed to each director at that director’s address, telephone number, facsimile number or electronic mail address, as the case may be, as shown on the Corporation’s records.  If the notice is (i) delivered personally by hand, by courier or by telephone, (ii) sent by facsimile or (iii) sent by electronic mail, it shall be delivered or sent at least twenty-four (24) hours before the time of the holding of the meeting. If the notice is sent by United States mail, it shall be deposited in the United States mail at least four (4) days before the time of the holding of the meeting. Any oral notice may be communicated either to the director or to a person at the office of the director who the person giving notice has reason to believe will promptly communicate such notice to the director. The notice need not specify the place of the meeting if the meeting is to be held at the Corporation’s principal executive office nor the purpose of the meeting.

 

Section 9.               Waiver of Notice.  Whenever any notice is required to be given under any provisions of law, by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws, a waiver thereof in writing, or by telecopy or any other means of communication permissible by law, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to such notice.  In addition, any director attending a meeting of the Board of directors without protesting prior to the meeting or at its commencement such lack of notice, shall be conclusively deemed to have waived notice of such meeting.

 

Section 10.             Quorum and Voting.  At all meetings of the Board of Directors, a majority of the whole Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, unless otherwise provided by any applicable provision of law, by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws.  The vote of a majority of directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Directors, unless otherwise provided by any applicable provision of law, by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws.  If a quorum shall not be present at any meeting of the Board of Directors, the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum shall be present.

 

Section 11.             Committees.  The Board of Directors may, by resolution passed by a majority of the whole Board of Directors, designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the Corporation which to the extent provided in such resolution shall have and may exercise the powers of the Board of Directors in the management and affairs of the Corporation except as otherwise limited by statute.  The Board of Directors may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee.  Such committee or

 

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committees shall have such name or names as may be determined from time to time by resolution adopted by the Board of Directors.  Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the Board of Directors when required.

 

Section 12.             Committee Rules.  Each committee of the Board of Directors may fix its own rules of procedure and shall hold its meetings as provided by such rules, except as may otherwise be provided by the resolution of the Board of Directors designating such committee, but in all cases the presence of at least a majority of the members of such committee shall be necessary to constitute a quorum.  In the event that a member and that member’s alternate, if alternates are designated by the Board of Directors as provided in Section 11 of this Article III, of such committee is/are absent or disqualified, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such member or members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in place of any such absent or disqualified members.

 

Section 13.             Consent in Lieu of Meeting.  Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Board of Directors, or of any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board of Directors or committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing, or by electronic transmission and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors or committee, as the case may be. Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form and shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form

 

Section 14.             Compensation.  The directors shall have authority to fix the compensation, including fees and reimbursement of expenses, of directors for services to the Corporation in any capacity and no such payment shall preclude any director from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.

 

ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS

 

Section 1.               Number.  The officers of the Corporation shall be chosen by the Board of Directors and shall consist of a Chairman of the Board, President, a Secretary, a Chief Financial Officer, a Treasurer, and such other officers and assistant officers as may be deemed necessary or desirable by the Board of Directors.  In its discretion, the Board of Directors may choose not to fill any office for any period as it may deem advisable, except the offices of President and Secretary.  The Board of Directors may also designate from such officers (a) a Chief Executive Officer who shall have general supervision and authority over the business and affairs of the Corporation subject to the control of the Board of Directors, (b) a Chief Operating Officer who shall have general supervision and authority over the operations of the Corporation subject to the control of the Chief Executive Officer, if that designation has been made, and subject to the control of the Board of Directors or (c) both a Chief Executive Officer and a Chief Operating Officer.  Any two or more offices may be held by the same person.

 

Section 2.               Election and Term of Office.  The officers of the Corporation shall be elected annually by the Board of Directors at the first meeting of the Board of Directors held after

 

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each annual meeting of stockholders.  If the election of officers shall not be held at such meeting, such election shall be held as soon thereafter as conveniently may be.  Vacancies may be filled or new offices created and filled at any meeting of the Board of Directors.  Each officer shall hold office until a successor is duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal as hereinafter provided.

 

Section 3.               Resignation.  Any officer may resign at any time upon notice given in writing or by electronic transmission to the Corporation. A resignation is effective when the resignation is delivered unless the resignation specifies a later effective date or an effective date determined upon the happening of an event or events.

 

Section 4.               Removal.  Any officer or agent elected or appointed by the Board of Directors may be removed either with or without cause by the Board of Directors, but such removal shall be without prejudice of the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed.

 

Section 5.               Vacancies.  A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification or otherwise, may be filled by the Board of Directors for the unexpired portion of the term by a majority vote of the directors then in office.

 

Section 6.               Compensation.  Compensation of all officers shall be fixed by the Board of Directors or by such officers or a committee of the Board of Directors to which the Board of Directors has delegated such authority, and no officer shall be prevented from receiving such compensation by virtue of the fact that such officer is also a director of the Corporation.

 

Section 7.               Chairman of the Board.  The Chairman of the Board shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and Board of Directors and shall have such other power and perform such additional duties as may from time to time be assigned to the him or her by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 8.               The Chief Executive Officer.  The Chief Executive Officer shall be the senior officer of the Corporation and shall, in the absence of the Chairman of the Board, preside at all meetings of the stockholders; shall have general and active management of the business of the Corporation; and shall see that all orders and resolutions of the Board of Directors are carried into effect.  The Chief Executive Officer shall execute bonds, mortgages and other contracts in the name of the Corporation, except where required or permitted by law to be otherwise signed and executed, except where the signing and execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors to some other officer or agent of the Corporation.

 

Section 9.               The President.  In the absence of a Chief Executive Officer or if there be none, the President shall be the senior officer of the Corporation and perform all such other duties as are incident to such office or are properly required by the Board of Directors.  If there is a Chief Executive Officer, the President shall be the chief operating officer of the Corporation and shall be subject to the general supervision, direction and control of the Chief Executive Officer unless the Board of Directors provides otherwise.  One person may hold both the Chief Executive Officer and the President offices.

 

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Section 10.             The Secretary and Assistant Secretaries.  The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the Board of Directors and all meetings of the stockholders and record all the proceedings of the meetings of the Corporation and of the Board of Directors in a book to be kept for that purpose and shall perform like duties for the standing committees when required.  The Secretary shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of the stockholders and special meetings of the Board of Directors and shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer or the President, under whose supervision he or she shall be.  The Assistant Secretary, if there be one or if there be more than one, the Assistant Secretaries in the order determined by the Board of Directors, shall, in the absence or disability of the Secretary, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Secretary and shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe.

 

Section 11.             The Chief Financial Officer.  The Chief Financial Officer shall keep accurate financial records for the Corporation; render to the Chief Executive Officer, the President and the Board of Directors, whenever requested, an account of all transactions by the Chief Financial Officer and of the financial condition of the Corporation; and prepare and sign, where required, reports of the financial condition of the Corporation submitted from time to time to the stockholders and such financial reports as may be required to be filed under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission or any securities exchange upon which shares of the Corporation’s capital stock may be listed.

 

Section 12.             The Treasurer and Assistant Treasurers.  The Treasurer shall have charge and custody of and be responsible for all funds and securities of the Corporation; receive and give receipts for monies due and payable to the Corporation from any source whatsoever; deposit all such monies in the name of the Corporation for safekeeping in appropriate banks, trust companies and or other depositories; and in general perform all of the duties incident to the office of the Treasurer and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned by the Board of Directors or by the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Chief Financial Officer.  The Assistant Treasurer, if there be one or if there be more than one, the Assistant Treasurers shall have such powers and shall perform such duties as may be assigned by the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Treasurer from time to time.

 

Section 13.             Other Officers, Assistant Officers and Agents.  Officers, assistant officers and agents, if any, other than those whose duties are provided for in these Bylaws, shall have such authority and perform such duties as may from time to time be prescribed by resolution of the Board of Directors.

 

ARTICLE V
CERTIFICATES OF STOCK

 

Section 1.               Form.  Unless the Board of Directors has determined that some or all of any or all classes or series of stock shall be uncertificated shares, the interest of each stockholder of the Corporation shall be evidenced by certificates for shares of stock.  Notwithstanding the adoption of any resolution of the Board of Directors providing for uncertificated shares, every holder of stock theretofore represented by certificates and, upon request, every holder of

 

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uncertificated shares, shall be entitled to have a certificate, signed by, or in the name of the Corporation by the Chairman of the Board or the President and the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer, or the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Corporation, certifying the number of shares owned by him or her in the Corporation.  Where a certificate is signed (a) by a transfer agent or an assistant transfer agent other than the Corporation or its employee or (b) by a registrar, other than the Corporation or its employee, the signature of the Chairman of the Board, President, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Secretary or Assistant Secretary may be facsimile.  In case any officer or officers who have signed, or whose facsimile signature or signatures have been used on, any such certificate or certificates shall cease to be such officer or officers of the Corporation whether because of death, resignation or otherwise before such certificate or certificates have been delivered by the Corporation, such certificate or certificates may nevertheless be issued and delivered as though the person or persons who signed such certificate or certificates or whose facsimile signature or signatures have been used thereon had not ceased to be such officer or officers of the Corporation.

 

Section 2.               Lost Certificates.  The Board of Directors may direct a new certificate or certificates or uncertificated shares to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate of stock to be lost, stolen or destroyed.  When authorizing such issue of a new certificate or certificates or uncertificated shares, the Board of Directors may, in its discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, require the owner of such lost, stolen or destroyed certificate or certificates, or his or her legal representative, to give the Corporation a bond in such sum as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the Corporation with respect to the certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed.

 

Section 3.               Fixing a Record Date.  The Board of Directors may fix in advance a date, not more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days preceding the date of any meeting of stockholders, or the date for the payment of any dividend, or the date for the allotment of rights, or the date when any change or conversion or exchange of capital stock shall go into effect, or a date in connection with obtaining such consent, as a record date for the determination of the stockholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, any such meeting, and any adjournment thereof, or entitled to receive payment of any such dividend, or to any such allotment of rights, or to exercise the rights in respect to any such change, conversion, or exchange of capital stock, or to give such consent, and in such case such stockholders and only such stockholders as shall be stockholders of record on the date so fixed shall be entitled to such notice of, and to vote at, such meeting and any adjournment thereof, or to receive payments of such dividend, or to receive such allotment or rights, or to exercise such rights, or to give such consents, as the case may be notwithstanding any transfer of any stock on the books of the Corporation after any such record date fixed as aforesaid.  If no record date is fixed, the time for determining stockholders shall be at the close of business, on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held.  The time for determining stockholders for any other purpose shall be at the close of business on the date on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.  A determination of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.

 

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Section 4.               Registered Stockholders.  The Corporation shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares to receive dividends, and to vote as such owner, and to hold liable for calls and assessments a person registered on its books as the owner of shares, and shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of the other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of Delaware.

 

Section 5.               Stock Certificates and Legend.  If the Corporation shall be authorized to issue more than one class of stock or more than one series of any class, the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights shall be set forth in full or summarized on the face or back of the certificate which the Corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock, provided that, except as otherwise provided in Section 202 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, there may be set forth on the face or back of the certificate which the Corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock, a statement that the Corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.

 

ARTICLE VI
GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

Section 1.               Dividends.  Dividends upon the capital stock of the Corporation, subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, if any, may be declared by the Board of Directors at any regular or special meeting, pursuant to law.  Dividends may be paid in cash, in property, or in shares of the capital stock, subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation.  Before payment of any dividend, there may be set aside out of any funds of the Corporation available for dividends such sum or sums as the directors from time to time, in their absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve or reserves to meet contingencies, or for equalizing dividends, or for repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation, or for such other purpose as the directors shall think in the best interest of the Corporation, and the directors may modify or abolish any such reserve in the manner in which it was created.

 

Section 2.               Checks.  All checks or demands for money and notes of the Corporation shall be signed by such officer or officers or such other person or persons as the Board of Directors may from time to time designate.

 

Section 3.               Fiscal Year.  The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 4.               Seal.  The Corporation will not have a corporate seal.

 

Section 5.               Securities Owned By Corporation.  Voting securities in any other Corporation held by the Corporation shall be voted by the Chief Executive Officer, the President or any Vice President, unless the Board of Directors specifically confers authority to vote with

 

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respect thereto, which may be general or confined to specific instances, upon some other person or officer.  Any person authorized to vote securities shall have the power to appoint proxies, with general power of substitution.

 

ARTICLE VII
INDEMNITY

 

Section 1.               Indemnification Rights.  To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Corporation shall indemnify any Eligible Person (as defined below) (including such person’s heirs, executors and personal representatives) against any and all Amounts (as defined below) incurred or imposed in connection with, or which result from, any Proceeding (as defined below) (other than a proceeding initiated by such person) in which such person is or may become involved by reason of being an Eligible Person.

 

Section 2.               Advancement of Expenses.  In connection with any Proceeding, the Corporation may advance Expenses (as defined below) to any Eligible Person upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such person to repay such advance if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to indemnification by the Corporation.

 

Section 3.               Rights Not Exclusive.  The rights provided in this Article may not be determined exclusive of any other right or rights to which any Eligible Person may be entitled under any agreement, vote of stockholders or otherwise.

 

Section 4.               Definitions.  For purposes of this Article:

 

(a)           “Amounts” shall include judgments, penalties, fines, amounts paid in settlement and Expenses.

 

(b)           “Corporation” shall mean the Corporation and any Corporation at least a majority of whose voting securities have ordinary voting power for the election of directors (other than securities having such voting power only by reason of the occurrence of a contingency) which is, at the time of alleged events giving rise to the Proceeding, owned by the Corporation and/or one or more of its majority-owed subsidiaries.

 

(c)           “Eligible Person” shall mean:

 

(i)            A director, officer or employee of the Corporation; or

 

(ii)           A director, officer or employee of the Corporation who at the specific written request or resolution of the Board of Directors of the Corporation is, at the time either of the Proceeding and/or the alleged events giving rise to the Proceeding, serving as a director, officer or employee of any other company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise; or

 

(iii)          A fiduciary or co-fiduciary of an employee benefit plan of the Corporation as those terms are defined in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.

 

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(d)           “Expenses” shall mean all reasonable attorneys’ fees and all other disbursements or expenses of the types customarily incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating or preparing to be a witness in a Proceeding.

 

(e)           “Proceeding” shall include any actual, threatened or completed action, suit, arbitration, alternative dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, administrative hearing or other formal claim that could result or has resulted in personal liability, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative.

 

ARTICLE VIII
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENTS

 

The Corporation shall have the express authority to enter into such agreements as the Board of Directors deems appropriate for the indemnification of present of future directors and officers of the Corporation, entity or enterprise with whom such person is serving at the express written request of the Corporation.

 

ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENTS

 

These Bylaws may be adopted, amended, altered or repealed at any meeting of the Board of Directors by majority vote.  The fact that the power to adopt, amend, alter or repeal the Bylaws has been conferred upon the Board of Directors shall not divest the stockholders of the same powers.

 

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Exhibit 10.1

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

THIS INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT, made and executed this        day of                                 , 2008, by and between Northern Technologies International Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and                                                             , an individual resident of the State of                                        (the “Indemnitee”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company is aware that, in order to induce highly competent persons to serve the Company as directors or officers or in other capacities, the Company must provide such persons with adequate protection through insurance and indemnification against inordinate risks of claims and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of the Company;

 

WHEREAS, the Company recognizes that the increasing difficulty in obtaining directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, the increases in the cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the coverage of such insurance have increased the difficulty of attracting and retaining such persons;

 

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has determined that it is essential to the best interests of the Company’s stockholders that the Company act to assure such persons that there will be increased certainty of such protection in the future;

 

WHEREAS, it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate itself to indemnify such persons to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law so that they will continue to serve the Company free from undue concern that they will not be so indemnified; and

 

WHEREAS, the Indemnitee is willing to serve, continue to serve, and take on additional service for or on behalf of the Company or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries on the condition that he/she be so indemnified.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual promises and covenants contained herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Indemnitee do hereby agree as follows:

 

1.             Service by the Indemnitee.  The Indemnitee agrees to serve and/or continue to serve as a director, officer, employee or other agent of the Company faithfully and will discharge his/her duties and responsibilities to the best of his/her ability so long as the Indemnitee is duly elected or qualified in accordance with the provisions of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as amended or restated from time to time (the “Certificate”) or the Company’s Bylaws, as amended or restated from time to time (the “Bylaws”) and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as amended from time to time (the “DGCL”), or until his/her earlier death, resignation or removal. The Indemnitee may at any time and for any reason resign from such position (subject to any other contractual obligation or other obligation imposed by operation by law), in which event the Company shall have no obligation under this Agreement to

 



 

continue to retain the Indemnitee in any such position. Nothing in this Agreement shall confer upon the Indemnitee the right to continue in the employ of the Company or as a director of the Company or affect the right of the Company to terminate the Indemnitee’s employment or service at any time in the sole discretion of the Company, with or without cause, subject to any contract rights of the Indemnitee created or existing otherwise than under this Agreement.

 

2.             Indemnification.  The Company shall indemnify the Indemnitee against all Expenses (as defined below), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee as provided in this Agreement to the fullest extent permitted by the Certificate, Bylaws and DGCL or other applicable law in effect on the date of this Agreement and to any greater extent that applicable law may in the future from time to time permit. Without diminishing the scope of the indemnification provided by this Section 2, the rights of indemnification of the Indemnitee provided hereunder shall include, but shall not be limited to, those rights hereinafter set forth, except that no indemnification shall be paid to the Indemnitee:

 

(a)           on account of any action, suit or proceeding in which judgment is rendered against the Indemnitee for disgorgement of profits made from the purchase or sale by the Indemnitee of securities of the Company pursuant to the provisions of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or similar provisions of any federal, state or local statutory law;

 

(b)           on account of conduct of the Indemnitee which is finally adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction to have been knowingly fraudulent or to constitute willful misconduct;

 

(c)           in any circumstance where such indemnification is expressly prohibited by applicable law;

 

(d)           with respect to liability for which payment is actually made to the Indemnitee under a valid and collectible insurance policy of the Company or under a valid and enforceable indemnity clause, Bylaw or agreement (other than this Agreement) of the Company, except in respect of any liability in excess of payment under such insurance, clause, Bylaw or agreement;

 

(e)           if a final decision by a court having jurisdiction in the matter shall determine that such indemnification is not lawful (and, in this respect, both the Company and the Indemnitee have been advised that it is the position of the Securities and Exchange Commission that indemnification for liabilities arising under the federal securities laws is against public policy and is, therefore, unenforceable, and that claims for indemnification should be submitted to the appropriate court for adjudication); or

 

(f)            in connection with any action, suit or proceeding by the Indemnitee against the Company or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries or the directors, officers, employees or other Indemnitees of the Company or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries, (i) unless such indemnification is expressly required to be made by law, (ii) unless the proceeding was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Company,

 

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(iii) unless such indemnification is provided by the Company, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Company under applicable law, or (iv) except as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof.

 

3.             Actions or Proceedings Other Than an Action by or in the Right of the Company.  The Indemnitee shall be entitled to the indemnification rights provided in this Section 3 if the Indemnitee was or is a party or witness or is threatened to be a party or witness to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative in nature, other than an action by or in the right of the Company, by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company, or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries, or is or was serving at the request of the Company, or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries, as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of any other entity, including, but not limited to, another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, employee benefit plan, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any act or omission by him/her in such capacity. Pursuant to this Section 3, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses, judgments, penalties (including excise and similar taxes), fines and amounts paid in settlement which were actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with such action, suit or proceeding (including, but not limited to, the investigation, defense or appeal thereof), if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his/her conduct was unlawful.

 

4.             Actions by or in the Right of the Company.  The Indemnitee shall be entitled to the indemnification rights provided in this Section 4 if the Indemnitee was or is a party or witness or is threatened to be made a party or witness to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding brought by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company, or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries, or is or was serving at the request of the Company, or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries, as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another entity, including, but not limited to, another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, employee benefit plan, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any act or omission by him/her in any such capacity. Pursuant to this Section 4, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him/her in connection with the defense or settlement of such action, suit or proceeding (including, but not limited to the investigation, defense or appeal thereof), if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company; provided however, that no such indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue, or matter as to which the Indemnitee shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Company, unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the court in which such action, suit or proceeding was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, the Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to be indemnified against such Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him/her which such court shall deem proper.

 

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5.             Good Faith Definition.  For purposes of this Agreement, the Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith and in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, or, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding to have had no reasonable cause to believe the Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful, if such action was based on (i) the records or books of the account of the Company or other enterprise, including financial statements; (ii) information supplied to the Indemnitee by the officers of the Company or other enterprise in the course of their duties; (iii) the advice of legal counsel for the Company or other enterprise; or (iv) information or records given in reports made to the Company or other enterprise by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected with reasonable care by the Company or other enterprise.

 

6.             Indemnification for Expenses of Successful Party.  Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Agreement, to the extent that the Indemnitee has served on behalf of the Company, or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries, as a witness or other participant in any class action or proceeding, or has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in Section 3 and 4 hereof, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, including, but not limited to, the dismissal of any action without prejudice, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection therewith, regardless of whether or not the Indemnitee has met the applicable standards of Section 3 or 4 and without any determination pursuant to Section 8.

 

7.             Partial Indemnification.  If the Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of the Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of such suit, action, investigation or proceeding described in Section 3 or 4 hereof, but is not entitled to indemnification for the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify the Indemnitee for the portion of such Expenses, judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee to which the Indemnitee is entitled.

 

8.             Procedure for Determination of Entitlement to Indemnification.

 

(a)           To obtain indemnification under this Agreement, the Indemnitee shall submit to the Company a written request, including documentation and information which is reasonably available to the Indemnitee and is reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification. The Secretary of the Company shall, promptly upon receipt of a request for indemnification, advise the Board of Directors in writing that the Indemnitee has requested indemnification. Any Expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with the Indemnitee’s request for indemnification hereunder shall be borne by the Company. The Company hereby indemnifies and agrees to hold the Indemnitee harmless for any Expenses incurred by the Indemnitee under the immediately preceding sentence irrespective of the outcome of the determination of the Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification.

 

(b)           Upon written request by the Indemnitee for indemnification pursuant to Section 3 or 4 hereof, the entitlement of the Indemnitee to indemnification pursuant to the

 

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terms of this Agreement shall be determined by the following person or persons, who shall be empowered to make such determination: (i) if a Change in Control (as hereinafter defined) shall have occurred, by Independent Counsel (as hereinafter defined) (unless the Indemnitee shall request in writing that such determination be made by the Board of Directors (or a committee thereof) in the manner provided for in clause (ii) of this Section 8(b)) in a written opinion to the Board of Directors, a copy of which shall be delivered to the Indemnitee; or (ii) if a Change in Control shall not have occurred, (A)(1) by the Board of Directors of the Company, by a majority vote of Disinterested Directors (as hereinafter defined) even though less than a quorum, or (2) by a committee of Disinterested Directors designated by majority vote of Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum, or (B) if there are no such Disinterested Directors or, even if there are such Disinterested Directors, if the Board of Directors, by the majority vote of Disinterested Directors, so directs, by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board of Directors, a copy of which shall be delivered to the Indemnitee. Such Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Board of Directors and approved by the Indemnitee. Upon failure of the Board of Directors to so select, or upon failure of the Indemnitee to so approve, such Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Chancellor of the State of Delaware or such other person as the Chancellor shall designate to make such selection. Such determination of entitlement to indemnification shall be made not later than 45 days after receipt by the Company of a written request for indemnification. If the person making such determination shall determine that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification as to part (but not all) of the application for indemnification, such person shall reasonably prorate such part of indemnification among such claims, issues or matters. If it is so determined that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, payment to the Indemnitee shall be made within ten days after such determination.

 

9.             Presumptions and Effect of Certain Proceedings.

 

(a)           In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification, the Indemnitee shall be presumed to be entitled to indemnification hereunder and the Company shall have the burden of proof in the making of any determination contrary to such presumption.

 

(b)           If the Board of Directors, or such other person or persons empowered pursuant to Section 8 to make the determination of whether the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, shall have failed to make a determination as to entitlement to indemnification within 45 days after receipt by the Company of such request, the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall be deemed to have been made and the Indemnitee shall be absolutely entitled to such indemnification, absent actual and material fraud in the request for indemnification or a prohibition of indemnification under applicable law. The termination of any action, suit, investigation or proceeding described in Section 3 or 4 hereof by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself: (i) create a presumption that the Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which he/she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, that the Indemnitee has reasonable cause to believe that the Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful; or (ii) otherwise

 

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adversely affect the rights of the Indemnitee to indemnification, except as may be provided herein.

 

10.           Advancement of Expenses.  All reasonable Expenses actually incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with any threatened or pending action, suit or proceeding shall be paid by the Company in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding, if so requested by the Indemnitee, within 20 days after the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements from the Indemnitee requesting such advance or advances. The Indemnitee may submit such statements from time to time. The Indemnitee’s entitlement to such Expenses shall include those incurred in connection with any proceeding by the Indemnitee seeking an adjudication or award in arbitration pursuant to this Agreement. Such statement or statements shall reasonably evidence the Expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in connection therewith and shall include or be accompanied by a written affirmation by the Indemnitee of the Indemnitee’s good faith belief that the Indemnitee has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification under this Agreement and an undertaking by or on behalf of the Indemnitee to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified against such Expenses by the Company pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise. Each written undertaking to pay amounts advanced must be an unlimited general obligation but need not be secured, and shall be accepted without reference to financial ability to make repayment.

 

11.           Remedies of the Indemnitee in Cases of Determination not to Indemnify or to Advance Expenses.  In the event that a determination is made that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification hereunder or if the payment has not been timely made following a determination of entitlement to indemnification pursuant to Sections 8 and 9, or if Expenses are not advanced pursuant to Section 10, the Indemnitee shall be entitled to a final adjudication in an appropriate court of the State of Delaware or any other court of competent jurisdiction of the Indemnitee’s entitlement to such indemnification or advance. Alternatively, the Indemnitee may, at the Indemnitee’s option, seek an award in arbitration to be conducted by a single arbitrator pursuant to the rules of the American Arbitration Association, such award to be made within 60 days following the filing of the demand for arbitration. The Company shall not oppose the Indemnitee’s right to seek any such adjudication or award in arbitration or any other claim. Such judicial proceeding or arbitration shall be made de novo, and the Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by reason of a determination (if so made) that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification. If a determination is made or deemed to have been made pursuant to the terms of Section 8 or Section 9 hereof that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination and shall be precluded from asserting that such determination has not been made or that the procedure by which such determination was made is not valid, binding and enforceable. The Company further agrees to stipulate in any such court or before any such arbitrator that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement and is precluded from making any assertions to the contrary. If the court or arbitrator shall determine that the Indemnitee is entitled to any indemnification hereunder, the Company shall pay all reasonable Expenses actually incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with such adjudication or award in arbitration (including, but not limited to, any appellate proceedings).

 

12.           Notification and Defense of Claim.  Promptly after receipt by the Indemnitee of notice of the commencement of any action, suit or proceeding, the Indemnitee will, if a claim in

 

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respect thereof is to be made against the Company under this Agreement, notify the Company in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission to so notify the Company will not relieve the Company from any liability that it may have to the Indemnitee otherwise than under this Agreement or otherwise, except to the extent that the Company may suffer material prejudice by reason of such failure. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, with respect to any such action, suit or proceeding as to which the Indemnitee gives notice to the Company of the commencement thereof:

 

(a)           The Company will be entitled to participate therein at its own expense.

 

(b)           Except as otherwise provided in this Section 12(b), to the extent that it may wish, the Company, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnitee. After notice from the Company to the Indemnitee of its election to so assume the defense thereof, the Company shall not be liable to the Indemnitee under this Agreement for any legal or other Expenses subsequently incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation or as otherwise provided below. The Indemnitee shall have the right to employ the Indemnitee’s own counsel in such action or lawsuit, but the fees and Expenses of such counsel incurred after notice from the Company of its assumption of the defense thereof shall be at the expense of the Indemnitee unless (i) the employment of counsel by the Indemnitee has been authorized by the Company, (ii) the Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and the Indemnitee in the conduct of the defense of such action and such determination by the Indemnitee shall be supported by an opinion of counsel, which opinion shall be reasonably acceptable to the Company, or (iii) the Company shall not in fact have employed counsel to assume the defense of the action, in each of which cases the fees and Expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the Company. The Company shall not be entitled to assume the defense of any action, suit or proceeding brought by or on behalf of the Company or as to which the Indemnitee shall have reached the conclusion provided for in clause (ii) above.

 

(c)           The Company shall not be liable to indemnify the Indemnitee under this Agreement for any amounts paid in settlement of any action, suit or proceeding effected without its written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Company shall not be required to obtain the consent of the Indemnitee to settle any action, suit or proceeding which the Company has undertaken to defend if the Company assumes full and sole responsibility for such settlement and such settlement grants the Indemnitee a complete and unqualified release in respect of any potential liability.

 

(d)           If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of a claim pursuant to this Section 12, the Company has director and officer liability insurance in effect, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such proceeding in accordance with the terms of the policies.

 

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13.           Other Right to Indemnification.  The indemnification and advancement of Expenses provided by this Agreement are cumulative, and not exclusive, and are in addition to any other rights to which the Indemnitee may now or in the future be entitled under any provision of the Bylaws or Certificate of the Company, any vote of stockholders or Disinterested Directors, any provision of law or otherwise. Except as required by applicable law, the Company shall not adopt any amendment to its Bylaws or Certificate the effect of which would be to deny, diminish or encumber the Indemnitee’s right to indemnification under this Agreement.

 

14.           Director and Officer Liability Insurance.  The Company shall maintain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance for so long as the Indemnitee’s services are covered hereunder, provided and to the extent that such insurance is available on a commercially reasonable basis. In the event the Company maintains directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, the Indemnitee shall be named as an insured in such manner as to provide the Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s officers or directors. However, the Company agrees that the provisions hereof shall remain in effect regardless of whether liability or other insurance coverage is at any time obtained or retained by the Company, except that any payments made to, or on behalf of, the Indemnitee under an insurance policy shall reduce the obligations of the Company hereunder.

 

15.           Spousal Indemnification.  The Company will indemnify the Indemnitee’s spouse to whom the Indemnitee is legally married at any time the Indemnitee is covered under the indemnification provided in this Agreement (even if the Indemnitee did not remain married to him or her during the entire period of coverage) against any pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or investigation for the same period, to the same extent and subject to the same standards, limitations, obligations and conditions under which the Indemnitee is provided indemnification herein, if the Indemnitee’s spouse (or former spouse) becomes involved in a pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or investigation solely by reason of his or her status as the Indemnitee’s spouse, including, without limitation, any pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or investigation that seeks damages recoverable from marital community property, jointly-owned property or property purported to have been transferred from the Indemnitee to his/her spouse (or former spouse). The Indemnitee’s spouse or former spouse also may be entitled to advancement of Expenses to the same extent that the Indemnitee is entitled to advancement of Expenses herein. The Company may maintain insurance to cover its obligation hereunder with respect to the Indemnitee’s spouse (or former spouse) or set aside assets in a trust or escrow fund for that purpose.

 

16.           Intent.  This Agreement is intended to be broader than any statutory indemnification rights applicable in the State of Delaware and shall be in addition to any other rights the Indemnitee may have under the Company’s Certificate, Bylaws, applicable law or otherwise. To the extent that a change in applicable law (whether by statute or judicial decision) permits greater indemnification by agreement than would be afforded currently under the Company’s Certificate, Bylaws, applicable law or this Agreement, it is the intent of the parties that the Indemnitee enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by such change. In the event of any change in applicable law, statute or rule which narrows the right of a Delaware corporation to indemnify a member of its Board of Directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, such change, to the extent not otherwise required by such law, statute or rule to be

 

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applied to this Agreement, shall have no effect on this Agreement or the parties’ rights and obligations hereunder.

 

17.           Attorney’s Fees and Other Expenses to Enforce Agreement.  In the event that the Indemnitee is subject to or intervenes in any action, suit or proceeding in which the validity or enforceability of this Agreement is at issue or seeks an adjudication or award in arbitration to enforce the Indemnitee’s rights under, or to recover damages for breach of, this Agreement the Indemnitee, if he/she prevails in whole or in part in such action, shall be entitled to recover from the Company and shall be indemnified by the Company against any actual expenses for attorneys’ fees and disbursements reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee.

 

18.           Effective Date.  The provisions of this Agreement shall cover claims, actions, suits or proceedings whether now pending or hereafter commenced and shall be retroactive to cover acts or omissions or alleged acts or omissions which heretofore have taken place. The Company shall be liable under this Agreement, pursuant to Sections 3 and 4 hereof, for all acts of the Indemnitee while serving as a director and/or officer, notwithstanding the termination of the Indemnitee’s service, if such act was performed or omitted to be performed during the term of the Indemnitee’s service to the Company.

 

19.           Duration of Agreement.  This Agreement shall survive and continue even though the Indemnitee may have terminated his/her service as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company or as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of any other entity, including, but not limited to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, employee benefit plan, joint venture, trust or other enterprise or by reason of any act or omission by the Indemnitee in any such capacity. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Company and its successors and assigns, including, without limitation, any corporation or other entity which may have acquired all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or business or into which the Company may be consolidated or merged, and shall inure to the benefit of the Indemnitee and his/her spouse, successors, assigns, heirs, devisees, executors, administrators or other legal representations. The Company shall require any successor or assignee (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company and the Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession or assignment had taken place.

 

20.           Disclosure of Payments.  Except as expressly required by any Federal or state securities laws or other Federal or state law, neither party shall disclose any payments under this Agreement unless prior approval of the other party is obtained.

 

21.           Severability.  If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever, (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including, but not limited to, all portions of any Sections of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and (b) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, but not limited to, all portions of any paragraph of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that are not themselves invalid,

 

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illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifest by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.

 

22.           Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed by one or more counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same Agreement. Only one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability is sought shall be required to be produced to evidence the existence of this Agreement.

 

23.           Captions.  The captions and headings used in this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction thereof.

 

24.           Definitions.  For purposes of this Agreement:

 

(a)           “Change in Control” shall mean the occurrence of any one of the following:

 

(i)            the sale, lease, exchange or other transfer, directly or indirectly, of substantially all of the assets of the Company (in one transaction or in a series of related transactions) to a person or entity that is not controlled directly or indirectly by the Company;

 

(ii)           the approval by the stockholders of the Company of any plan or proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of the Company;

 

(iii)          any person becomes after the effective date of this Agreement the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of (A) 20% or more, but not 50% or more, of the combined voting power of the Company’s outstanding securities ordinarily having the right to vote at elections of directors, unless the transaction resulting in such ownership has been approved in advance by the Continuity Directors, or (B) 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s outstanding securities ordinarily having the right to vote at elections of directors (regardless of any approval by the Continuity Directors);

 

(iv)          a merger or consolidation to which the Company is a party if the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to effective date of such merger or consolidation have “beneficial ownership” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), immediately following the effective date of such merger or consolidation, of securities of the surviving corporation representing (A) more than 50%, but less than 80%, of the combined voting power of the surviving corporation’s then outstanding securities ordinarily having the right to vote at elections of directors, unless such merger or consolidation has been approved in advance by the Continuity Directors, or (B) 50% or less of the combined voting power of the surviving corporation’s then outstanding securities ordinarily having

 

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the right to vote at elections of directors (regardless of any approval by the Continuity Directors);

 

(v)           the Continuity Directors cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; or

 

(vi)          any other change in control of the Company of a nature that would be required to be reported pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, whether or not the Company is then subject to such reporting requirement.

 

(b)           “Continuity Directors” shall mean any individuals who are members of the Board on the effective date of this Agreement and any individual who subsequently becomes a member of the Board whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the Continuity Directors (either by specific vote or by approval of the Company’s proxy statement in which such individual is named as a nominee for director without objection to such nomination).

 

(c)           “Disinterested Director” shall mean a director of the Company who is not or was not a party to the action, suit, investigation or proceeding in respect of which indemnification is being sought by the Indemnitee.

 

(d)           “Expenses” shall include all attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, and all other disbursements or expenses incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating or being or preparing to be a witness in any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative in nature.

 

(e)           “Independent Counsel” shall mean a law firm or a member of a law firm that neither is presently nor in the past five years has been retained to represent (i) the Company or the Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party or (ii) any other party to the action, suit, investigation or proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or the Indemnitee in an action to determine the Indemnitee’s right to indemnification under this Agreement.

 

25.           Entire Agreement, Modification and Waiver.  This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto regarding the subject matter hereof, and no supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by both parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver. No supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement shall limit or restrict any right of the Indemnitee under this Agreement in respect

 

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of any act or omission of the Indemnitee prior to the effective date of such supplement, modification or amendment unless expressly provided therein.

 

26.           Notices.  All notices, requests, demands or other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if (a) delivered by hand with receipt acknowledged by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed, (b) mailed by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested with postage prepaid, on the date shown on the return receipt, (c) sent by a recognized next-day courier service on the first business day following the date of dispatch or (d) delivered by facsimile transmission on the date shown on the facsimile machine report:

 

(i)             If to the Indemnitee to:

 

 

 

 

(ii)            If to the Company, to:

 

Northern Technologies International Corporation

4201 Woodland Road

Circle Pines, Minnesota 55014

Attn: Chief Executive Officer

Fax:  (763) 225-6645

 

with a copy to:

 

Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly LLP

3300 Plaza VII

45 South Seventh Street

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402

Attn:       Amy E. Culbert, Esq.

Fax:         (612) 607-7100

 

or to such other address as may be furnished to the Indemnitee by the Company or to the Company by the Indemnitee, as the case may be.

 

27.           Governing Law.  The parties hereto agree that this Agreement shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, applied without giving effect to any conflicts-of-law principles.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the day and year first above written.

 

 

NORTHERN TECHNOLOGIES
INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

INDEMNITEE:

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Name:

 

 

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