本赔偿协议 (本协议 “本协议”) is entered into as of the ______ day of ___________, 20___, by and between Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “公司”)和____________________(受益人”).
前言
A. 公司意识到,背负起对公司服务带来的法律风险和责任的董事和高管越来越不愿意担任或继续担任董事或高管,除非他们受到全面的责任保险和充分的赔偿保护,由于参与这些公司服务而导致的诉讼成本和风险日益增加,通常与这些董事或高管的报酬无关。
b. 关于董事和高管职责的法规和司法裁决通常不能为董事和高管提供有关他们所面临的法律风险或他们应当履行受托责任和义务的方式的充分而可靠的知识。
C. 公司和受赔偿人认识到,原告通常以极高金额索赔,诉讼费用可能如此之高(无论索赔是否有正当理由),以至于为董事和高管的个人资源施行辩护和/或和解可能对其构成非同寻常的负担。
D. 公司董事会得出结论,为了吸引和留住背负起对公司服务的胜任和经验丰富的人担任公司的董事和高管,推动公司利益和股东最大化,公司在合同上为其董事和部分高管提供如下赔偿是合理、慎重且必要的, 并承担与针对该等董事和高管提出的要求有关的费用和损害赔偿责任。
E. Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware (the “特拉华州公司法”) permits the Company to indemnify and advance defense costs to its officers and directors and to indemnify and advance expenses to persons who serve at the request of the Company as directors, officers, employees, or agents of other corporations or enterprises.
F. The Company desires and has requested the Indemnitee to serve or continue to serve as a director and/or officer of the Company, and the Indemnitee is willing to serve, or to continue to serve, as a director and/or officer of the Company if the Indemnitee is furnished the indemnity provided for herein by the Company.
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因此, in consideration of the foregoing premises and the mutual covenants and agreements set forth below, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:
1.定义. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the corresponding meanings set forth below.
“Independent Legal Counsel” means an attorney or firm of attorneys that is experienced in matters of corporate law and neither presently is, nor in the thirty-six (36) months prior to such designation has been, retained to represent: (i) the Company or Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party, or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder.
“损失” means any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, judgments, fines, penalties, settlement payments, awards and amounts of any type whatsoever incurred by
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Indemnitee in connection with or arising from an Indemnification Event. For purposes of clarification, Losses shall not include Expenses.
“组织文件” means any and all organizational documents, charters or similar agreements or governing documents, including, without limitation, (i) with respect to a corporation, its certificate of incorporation and bylaws, (ii) with respect to a limited liability company, its operating agreement, and (iii) with respect to a limited partnership, its partnership agreement.
(b)其他程序. In the event that 第4条(a)款 如果不适用,则公司应按照提供的方式对受益人进行赔偿 第2(a)条款 或者 2(b), 如适用,则根据提供的方式向受益人提供捐款 Section 2(d)由审查方判断的范围内。如果受益人参与的任何诉讼以对受益人不利的判决解决,不得推定受益人未符合适用的行为标准并且无权获得赔偿。
(c)审查方判断. A Reviewing Party chosen by the Company’s board of directors shall determine whether Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, subject to the following:
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(i)A Reviewing Party so chosen shall act in the utmost good faith to assure Indemnitee a complete opportunity to present to such Reviewing Party Indemnitee’s case that Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct.
(ii)Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith if Indemnitee’s action is based on the records or books of account of a Covered Entity, including, without limitation, its financial statements, or on information supplied to Indemnitee by the officers or employees of a Covered Entity in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for a Covered Entity or on information or records given, or reports made, to a Covered Entity by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected with reasonable care by a Covered Entity. In addition, the knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any director, officer, agent or employee of a Covered Entity shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement. Whether or not the foregoing provisions of this 第4(c)(ii)节 are satisfied, it shall in any event be presumed that Indemnitee has at all times acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company. Any Person seeking to overcome this presumption shall have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion, by clear and convincing evidence.
(iii)If a Reviewing Party chosen pursuant to this 第4(c)部分 shall not have made a determination whether Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Company of the request therefor, the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall be deemed to have been made and Indemnitee shall be entitled to such indemnification, absent (A) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (B) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law; provided, however, that such 30 day period may be extended for a reasonable time, not to exceed an additional fifteen (15) days, if the Reviewing Party in good faith requires such additional time for obtaining or evaluating documentation and/or information relating thereto; and provided, further, that the foregoing provisions of this 第4(c)(iii)节 如果(I)公司股东需判断是否有资格获得赔偿,(II)公司董事会在股东被选为评审方后的三十(30)天内召开特别股东大会以此目的,(III)在被召开后六十(60)天内为此目的举行此类会议,(IV)并在会议中作出判断,则第4(c)(iii)节不适用。
(a)相关方. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.
(b)约束效力;继承人和受让人. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns (including with respect to the Company, any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company) and with respect to Indemnitee, his or her spouse, heirs, and personal and legal representatives. The Company shall require and cause any successor or assign (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all, or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, 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. This Agreement shall continue in effect with respect to Claims relating to Indemnification Events regardless of whether Indemnitee continues to serve as a director, officer, employee, controlling person, agent or fiduciary of any Covered Entity.
(c)提供姓名全称、身份证号或公司注册号、地址、白天的电话号码以及代表、代理人和助手的信息。 助手的数量不得超过两个。为便于进入年度股东大会,通知应在适当的情况下附有授权书、注册证书和其他授权文件。. All notices and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing, shall be effective when given, and shall in any event be deemed to be given (a) five (5) days after deposit with the U.S. Postal Service or other applicable postal
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service, if delivered by first class mail, postage prepaid, (b) upon delivery, if delivered by hand, (c) one (1) business day after the business day of deposit with Federal Express or similar, nationally recognized overnight courier, freight prepaid, or (d) one (1) business day after the business day of delivery by confirmed facsimile transmission, if deliverable by facsimile transmission, with copy by other means permitted hereunder, and addressed, if to Indemnitee, to the Indemnitee’s address or facsimile number (as applicable) as set forth beneath the Indemnitee’s signature to this Agreement, or, if to the Company, at the address or facsimile number (as applicable) of its principal corporate offices (attention: 秘书),或者其他地址或传真号码(视适用情况),如当事方指定的。