Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Section 102 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the
“DGCL”) permits a corporation to eliminate the personal
liability of directors of a corporation to the corporation or its
stockholders for monetary damages for a breach of fiduciary duty as
a director, except where the director breached his duty of loyalty,
failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or
knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or
approved a stock repurchase in violation of Delaware corporate law
or obtained an improper personal benefit. The Registrant’s
certificate of incorporation provides that no director of the
Registrant shall be personally liable to it or its stockholders for
monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director,
notwithstanding any provision of law imposing such liability,
except to the extent that the DGCL prohibits the elimination or
limitation of liability of directors for breaches of fiduciary
duty.
Section 145 of the DGCL provides that a corporation has the
power to indemnify a director, officer, employee, or agent of the
corporation, or a person serving at the request of the corporation
for another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other
enterprise in related capacities against expenses (including
attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement
actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with
an action, suit or proceeding to which he was or is a party or is
threatened to be made a party to any threatened, ending or
completed action, suit or proceeding by reason of such position, if
such person acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably
believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the
corporation, and, in any criminal action or proceeding, had no
reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful, except that,
in the case of actions brought by or in the right of the
corporation, no indemnification shall be made with respect to any
claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been
adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the
extent that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court
determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view
of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and
reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court
of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper. The Registrant’s
certificate of incorporation provides that the Registrant will
indemnify each person who was or is a party or threatened to be
made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit
or proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of the
Registrant) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was, or has
agreed to become, a director or officer, or is or was serving, or
has agreed to serve, at the Registrant’s request as a director,
officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity
with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or
other enterprise (all such persons being referred to as an
“Indemnitee”), or by reason of any action alleged to have
been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses
(including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in
settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such
action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if such
Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably
believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the
Registrant, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding,
he or she had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was
unlawful.
The Registrant’s certificate of incorporation provides that the
Registrant will indemnify any Indemnitee who was or is a party to
an action or suit by or in the right of the Registrant to procure a
judgment in the Registrant’s favor by reason of the fact that the
Indemnitee is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or
officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at the
Registrant’s request as a director, officer, partner, employee or
trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation,
partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason
of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such
capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) and, to
the extent permitted by law, amounts paid in settlement actually
and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or
proceeding, and any appeal therefrom, if the Indemnitee acted in
good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in,
or not opposed to, the Registrant’s best interests, except that no
indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or
matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be
liable to us, unless a court determines that, despite such
adjudication but in view of all of the circumstances, he or she is
entitled to indemnification of such expenses. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, to the extent that any Indemnitee has been successful,
on the merits or otherwise, he or she will be indemnified by the
Registrant against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees)
actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith. Expenses
must be advanced to an Indemnitee under certain circumstances.
The Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with
each of the Registrant’s directors and officers. These
indemnification agreements may require the Registrant, among other
things, to indemnify Registrant’s directors and officers for some
expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and
settlement amounts incurred by a director or officer in any action
or proceeding arising out of his or her service as one of the
Registrant’s directors or officers, or any of the Registrant’s
subsidiaries or any other company or enterprise to which the person
provides services at the Registrant’s request. The Registrant
maintains a general liability insurance policy that covers certain
liabilities of directors and officers of the Registrant arising out
of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as
directors or officers.