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 Earliest Event Reported: February 7, 2007
National CineMedia, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 001-33296 | 20-5665602 | ||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(Commission file number) | (IRS employer identification no.) |
9110 E. Nichols Ave., Suite 200
Centennial, Colorado 80112-3405
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
(303) 792-3600
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
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 (see General Instruction A.2 below):
| ¨ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| ¨ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| ¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 210.14d-2(b)) |
| ¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
| Item 1.01 | Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement |
Effective February 7, 2007, National CineMedia, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into Indemnification Agreements with each of its directors and officers. The Indemnification Agreements require the Company to indemnify its directors and officers against liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers. They also require the Company to advance any expenses incurred by the directors or officers as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified and to obtain directors’ and officers’ insurance, if available on reasonable terms.
A form of the Indemnification Agreement is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference herein.
| Item 5.02 | Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers |
Effective February 8, 2007, the Company’s board of directors appointed David R. Haas as a Class II director. Mr. Haas will serve as the chair of the Company’s audit committee. The Company has determined that Mr. Haas qualifies as “independent” under the rules of the Nasdaq Global Market and as an “audit committee financial expert” under the federal securities laws and regulations.
Mr. Haas has been a private investor and financial consultant since January 1995. Mr. Haas was a Senior Vice President and Controller for Time Warner, Inc. from January 1990 through December 1994. Prior thereto, Mr. Haas was at Warner Communications for 14 years and held several positions at the company. Mr. Haas served as a director of Information Holdings, Inc. from July 1988 through December 2004. Mr. Haas currently serves as a director and chair of the audit committee of Armor Holdings, Inc.
Mr. Haas will be compensated for his service as a director and as a member and chair of the audit committee in accordance with the Company’s standard director compensation program.
Mr. Haas is not a party to any related person transactions with the Company.
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits |
| (d) | Exhibits |
| Exhibit No. | Description | |
| 10.1 | Form of Indemnification Agreement. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Company has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| NATIONAL CINEMEDIA, INC. | ||||
| Dated: February 12, 2007 | By: | /s/ Gary W. Ferrera | ||
| Gary W. Ferrera | ||||
| Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||||
Exhibit 10.1
FORM OF INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
THIS INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT, dated as of February , 2007, is made by and between National CineMedia, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and (the “Indemnitee”).
RECITALS
A. The Company recognizes that competent and experienced persons are increasingly reluctant to serve or to continue to serve as directors or officers of corporations unless they are protected by comprehensive liability insurance or indemnification, or both, due to increased exposure to litigation costs and risks resulting from their service to such corporations, and due to the fact that the exposure frequently bears no reasonable relationship to the compensation of such directors and officers.
B. The statutes and judicial decisions regarding the duties of directors and officers are often difficult to apply, ambiguous, or conflicting, and therefore fail to provide such directors and officers with adequate, reliable knowledge of legal risks to which they are exposed or information regarding the proper course of action to take.
C. The Company and Indemnitee recognize that plaintiffs often seek damages in such large amounts and the costs of litigation may be so enormous (whether or not the case is meritorious), that the defense and/or settlement of such litigation is often beyond the personal resources of directors and officers.
D. The Company believes that it is unfair for its directors and officers and the directors and officers of its subsidiaries to assume the risk of huge judgments and other expenses which may occur in cases in which the director or officer received no personal profit and in cases where the director or officer was not culpable.
E. The Company, after reasonable investigation, has determined that the liability insurance coverage presently available to the Company or its subsidiaries may be inadequate in certain circumstances to cover all possible exposure for which Indemnitee should be protected. The Company believes that the interests of the Company and its stockholders would best be served by a combination of such insurance and the indemnification by the Company of the directors and officers of the Company.
F. The Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) requires the Company to indemnify its directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”). The Certificate of Incorporation expressly provides that the indemnification provisions set forth therein are not exclusive, and contemplates that contracts may be entered into between the Company and its directors and officers with respect to indemnification.
G. Section 145 of the DGCL (“Section 145”), under which the Company is organized, empowers the Company to indemnify its officers, directors, employees and agents by agreement and to indemnify persons who serve, at the request of the Company, as the directors, officers, employees or agents of other corporations or enterprises, and expressly provides that the indemnification provided by Section 145 is not exclusive.
H. Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL allows a corporation to include in its certificate of incorporation a provision limiting or eliminating the personal liability of a director for monetary damages in respect of claims by shareholders and corporations for breach of certain fiduciary duties, and the Company has so provided in its Certificate of Incorporation that each director shall be exculpated from such liability to the maximum extent permitted by law.
I. The Board of Directors has determined that contractual indemnification as set forth herein is not only reasonable and prudent but also promotes the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.
J. The Company desires and has requested Indemnitee to serve or continue to serve as a director or officer of the Company and/or one or more subsidiaries of the Company free from undue concern for unwarranted claims for damages arising out of or related to such services to the Company and/or one or more subsidiaries of the Company.
K. Indemnitee is willing to serve, continue to serve or to provide additional service for or on behalf of the Company and/or one or more subsidiaries of the Company on the condition that Indemnitee is furnished the indemnity provided for herein.
AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth below, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:
1. Right to Indemnification. To the fullest extent permitted by the laws of the State of Delaware:
(a) The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee if Indemnitee was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed proceeding by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was or has agreed to serve at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent (which for purposes
5
hereof, shall include a trustee, partner or manager or similar capacity) of the Company, or while serving as a director or officer of the Company, is or was serving or has agreed to serve at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent (which, for purposes hereof, shall include a trustee, partner or manager or similar capacity) of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing indemnification obligation includes, without limitation, claims for monetary damages against Indemnitee in respect of an alleged breach of fiduciary duties, to the fullest extent permitted under Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL as in existence on the date hereof.
(b) The indemnification provided by this Section 1 shall be from and against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with such proceeding and any appeal therefrom, but shall only be provided if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 1, in the case of any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or while serving as a director or officer of the Company, is or was serving or has agreed to serve at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, Indemnitee shall be entitled to the rights of indemnification provided for herein in connection with such action or suit 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, if applicable law so provides, no indemnification shall be made in respect of any such claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been finally adjudged to be liable to the Company unless, and only to the extent that, the Delaware Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Delaware Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.
(d) The termination of any proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not create a presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which 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 reasonable cause to believe that Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful. In addition, neither the failure of the party making
6
the determination as specified in Section 3 below (the “reviewing party”) to have made a determination as to whether Indemnitee has met any particular standard of conduct or had any particular belief, nor an actual determination by the reviewing party that Indemnitee has not met such standard of conduct or did not have such belief, prior to the commencement of legal proceedings by Indemnitee to secure a judicial determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, shall be a defense in such legal proceedings to Indemnitee’s claim or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met any particular standard of conduct or did not have any particular belief. In connection with any determination by the reviewing party or otherwise as to whether Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified hereunder, the burden of proof shall be on the Company to establish by clear and convincing evidence that Indemnitee is not so entitled.
(e) The indemnification and contribution provided for herein will remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of Indemnitee or any officer, director, employee, agent or controlling person of Indemnitee.
2. Successful Defense: Partial Indemnification.
(a) To the extent that Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any proceeding referred to in Section 1 hereof or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith. For purposes of this Agreement and without limiting the foregoing, if any proceeding is disposed of, on the merits or otherwise (including a disposition without prejudice), without:
(i) the disposition being adverse to Indemnitee;
(ii) an adjudication that Indemnitee was liable to the Company;
(iii) a plea of guilty or nolo contendere by Indemnitee;
(iv) an adjudication that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company; and
(v) with respect to any criminal proceeding, an adjudication that Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful,
Indemnitee shall be considered for the purposes hereof to have been wholly successful with respect thereto.
7
(b) If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of the expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines or amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with any action, suit, proceeding or investigation, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, and any appeal therefrom but not, however, for the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines or amounts paid in settlement to which Indemnitee is entitled.
3. Determination That Indemnification Is Proper. Any indemnification hereunder shall (unless otherwise ordered by a court) be made by the Company unless a determination is made that indemnification of such person is not proper in the circumstances because he or she has not met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 1(b) hereof. Any such determination shall be made:
(i) by a majority vote of the directors who are not parties to the proceeding in question (“disinterested directors”), even if less than a quorum;
(ii) by a majority vote of a committee of disinterested directors designated by majority vote of disinterested directors, even if less than a quorum;
(iii) by a majority vote of a quorum of the outstanding shares of stock of all classes entitled to vote on the matter, voting as a single class, which quorum shall consist of stockholders who are not at that time parties to the proceeding in question;
(iv) by independent legal counsel; or
(v) by a court of competent jurisdiction.
4. Advance Payment of Expenses: Notification and Defense of Claim.
(a) Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by Indemnitee in defending a threatened or pending proceeding, or in connection with an enforcement action pursuant to Section 5(b) or Section 7(b), shall be paid by the Company in advance of the final disposition of such proceeding within twenty (20) days after receipt by the Company of (i) a statement or statements from Indemnitee requesting such advance or advances from time to time, and (ii) an undertaking by or on behalf of Indemnitee to repay such amount or amounts, only if, and to the extent that, it shall ultimately be determined that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company as authorized by this Agreement or otherwise. Such undertaking shall be accepted without reference to the financial ability of Indemnitee to make such repayment. Advances shall be unsecured and interest-free.
8
(b) Within thirty (30) days after receipt by Indemnitee of notice of the commencement of any proceeding, Indemnitee shall, if a claim thereof is to be made against the Company hereunder, notify the Company of the commencement thereof. The failure timely to notify the Company of the commencement of the proceeding, or Indemnitee’s request for indemnification, will not relieve the Company from any liability that it may have to Indemnitee hereunder, except to the extent the Company is prejudiced in its defense of such proceeding as a result of such failure.
(c) In the event the Company shall be obligated to pay the expenses of Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding, as provided in this Agreement, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the defense of such proceeding, with counsel reasonably acceptable to Indemnitee, upon the delivery to Indemnitee of written notice of its election to do so. After delivery of such notice, approval of such counsel by Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the Company will not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of counsel subsequently incurred by Indemnitee with respect to the same proceeding, provided that:
(i) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ Indemnitee’s own counsel in such proceeding at Indemnitee’s expense; and
(ii) if (A) the employment of counsel by Indemnitee has been previously authorized in writing by the Company, (B) counsel to the Company or Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest or position, or reasonably believes that a conflict is likely to arise, on any significant issue between the Company and Indemnitee in the conduct of any such defense or (C) the Company shall not, in fact, have employed counsel to assume the defense of such proceeding, then (in each case) the fees and expenses of Indemnitee’s counsel shall be at the expense of the Company, except as otherwise expressly provided by this Agreement.
The Company shall not be entitled, without the consent of Indemnitee, to assume the defense of any claim brought by or in the right of the Company or as to which counsel for the Company or Indemnitee shall have reasonably made the conclusion provided for in clause (B) above.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of Indemnitee’s corporate status with respect to the Company or any corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise which Indemnitee is or was serving or has agreed to serve
9
at the request of the Company, a witness or otherwise participates in any proceeding at a time when Indemnitee is not a party in the proceeding, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection therewith.
5. Procedure for Indemnification.
(a) To obtain indemnification, Indemnitee shall promptly submit to the Company a written request, including therein or therewith such documentation and information as is reasonably available to Indemnitee and is reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification. The Company shall, promptly upon receipt of such a request for indemnification, advise the Board of Directors in writing that Indemnitee has requested indemnification.
(b) The Company’s determination whether to grant Indemnitee’s indemnification request shall be made promptly, and in any event within 45 days following receipt of a request for indemnification pursuant to Section 5(a). The right to indemnification as granted by Section 1 of this Agreement shall be enforceable by Indemnitee in any court of competent jurisdiction if the Company denies such request, in whole or in part, or fails to respond within such 45-day period. It shall be a defense to any such action (other than an action brought to enforce a claim for the advance of costs, charges and expenses under Section 4 hereof where the required undertaking, if any, has been received by the Company) that Indemnitee has not met the standard of conduct set forth in Section 1 hereof, but the burden of proving such defense by clear and convincing evidence shall be on the Company. Neither the failure of the Company (including its Board of Directors or one of its committees, its independent legal counsel, and its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that indemnification of Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 1 hereof, nor the fact that there has been an actual determination by the Company (including its Board of Directors or one of its committees, its independent legal counsel, and its stockholders) that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that Indemnitee has or has not met the applicable standard of conduct. The Indemnitee’s expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred in connection with successfully establishing Indemnitee’s right to indemnification, in whole or in part, in any such proceeding or otherwise shall also be indemnified by the Company.
(c) The Indemnitee shall be presumed to be entitled to indemnification under this Agreement upon submission of a request for indemnification pursuant to this Section 5, and the Company shall have the burden of proof in overcoming that presumption in reaching a determination contrary to that presumption. Such presumption shall be used as a basis for a determination of entitlement to indemnification unless the Company overcomes such presumption by clear and convincing evidence.
10
6. Insurance and Subrogation.
(a) The Company shall purchase and maintain insurance in reasonable amounts from established and reputable insurers on behalf of Indemnitee (which shall include so called “tail” coverage) who is or was or has agreed to serve at the request of the Company as a director or officer of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise against any liability asserted against, and incurred by, Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in any such capacity, or arising out of Indemnitee’s status as such, whether or not the Company would have the power to indemnify Indemnitee against such liability under the provisions of this Agreement; provided, that the Company shall have no obligation to maintain such insurance if the Board of Directors determines in good faith that the premium costs for such insurance are disproportionate to the amount of coverage provided. If the Company has such insurance in effect at the time the Company receives from Indemnitee any notice of the commencement of a proceeding, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the policy. 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 such policy.
(b) In the event of any payment by the Company under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee with respect to any insurance policy, who shall execute all papers required and take all action necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents as are necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights in accordance with the terms of such insurance policy. The Company shall pay or reimburse all expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with such subrogation.
(c) The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment of amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder (including, but not limited to, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties, and amounts paid in settlement) if and to the extent that Indemnitee has otherwise actually received such payment under this Agreement or any insurance policy, contract, agreement or otherwise.
7. Limitation on Indemnification. Notwithstanding any other provision herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to this Agreement:
(a) Claims Initiated by Indemnitee. To indemnify or advance expenses to Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by Indemnitee, except with respect to a proceeding brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification (which shall be governed by the provisions of Section 7(b) of this Agreement), unless such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized or consented to by the Board of Directors of the Company.
11
(b) Action for Indemnification. To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses incurred by Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding instituted by Indemnitee to enforce or interpret this Agreement, unless Indemnitee is successful in establishing Indemnitee’s right to indemnification in such proceeding, in whole or in part, or unless and to the extent that the court in such proceeding shall determine that, despite Indemnitee’s failure to establish their right to indemnification, Indemnitee is entitled to indemnity for such expenses; provided, however, that nothing in this Section 7(b) is intended to limit the Company’s obligation with respect to the advancement of expenses to Indemnitee in connection with any such proceeding instituted by Indemnitee to enforce or interpret this Agreement, as provided in Section 4 hereof.
(c) Section 16 Violations. To indemnify Indemnitee on account of any proceeding with respect to which final judgment is rendered against Indemnitee for payment or an accounting of profits arising from the purchase or sale by Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any similar successor statute.
(d) Certain Settlement Provisions. To indemnify Indemnitee for amounts paid in settlement of any proceeding without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Company shall not settle any proceeding in any manner that would impose any fine or other obligation on Indemnitee without Indemnitee’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.
8. Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for herein is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unavailable to Indemnitee in whole or in part, it is agreed that, in such event, the Company shall (whether or not it is jointly liable with Indemnitee or would be joined in any proceeding), to the fullest extent permitted by law, contribute to the payment of Indemnitee’s costs, charges and expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement with respect to any proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, in an amount that is just and equitable in the circumstances, taking into account, among other things, contributions by other directors and officers of the Company or others pursuant to indemnification agreements or otherwise; provided, that, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, such contribution shall not be required where such holding by the court is due to (i) the failure of Indemnitee to meet the standard of conduct set forth in Section 1 hereof, or (ii) any limitation on indemnification set forth in Section 6(c) or 7 hereof.
9. Non-Exclusivity. The provisions for indemnification and advancement of expenses set forth in this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights
12
which Indemnitee may have under any provision of law, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, in any court in which a proceeding is brought, the vote of the Company’s stockholders or disinterested directors, other agreements or otherwise, and Indemnitee’s rights hereunder shall continue after Indemnitee has ceased acting as an agent of the Company and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of Indemnitee. However, no amendment or alteration of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws or any other agreement shall adversely affect the rights provided to Indemnitee under this Agreement.
10. Enforcement. The Company shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable. The Company agrees that its execution of this Agreement shall constitute a stipulation by which it shall be irrevocably bound in any court of competent jurisdiction in which a proceeding by Indemnitee for enforcement of his rights hereunder shall have been commenced, continued or appealed, that its obligations set forth in this Agreement are unique and special, and that failure of the Company to comply with the provisions of this Agreement will cause irreparable and irremediable injury to Indemnitee, for which a remedy at law will be inadequate. As a result, in addition to any other right or remedy Indemnitee may have at law or in equity with respect to breach of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to injunctive or mandatory relief directing specific performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement.
11. Interpretation of Agreement.
(a) It is understood that the parties hereto intend this Agreement to be interpreted and enforced so as to provide indemnification to Indemnitee to the fullest extent now or hereafter permitted by law, including in those circumstances in which indemnification would otherwise be discretionary.
(b) If the DGCL is amended after adoption of this Agreement to expand further the indemnification permitted to directors or officers, then the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.
12. No Employment Rights. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to create in Indemnitee any right to employment or continued employment.
13. Survival of Rights.
(a) All agreements and obligations of the Company contained herein shall continue during the period Indemnitee is a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company and shall continue thereafter so long as Indemnitee shall be subject to any possible claim or threatened, pending or completed proceeding by reason of the fact that Indemnitee was serving in the capacity referred to herein.
13
(b) The Company shall require any successor to the Company (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) or to all, substantially all or a substantial part of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to 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 had taken place.
(c) All of the terms and provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon, shall inure to the benefit of and shall be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors (including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company), assigns, heirs, executors, administrators and legal representatives.
14. Savings Clause. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee as to costs, charges and expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement with respect to any proceeding, including an action by or in the right of the Company, to the full extent permitted by any applicable portion of this Agreement that shall not have been invalidated and to the full extent permitted by applicable law.
15. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following definitions shall apply:
(a) The term “by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or while serving as a director or officer of the Company, is or was serving or has agreed to serve at the request of the Company as a director, officer employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise” shall be broadly construed and shall include, without limitation, any actual or alleged act or omission to act.
(b) The term “Company” shall include, without limitation and in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Agreement with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as he or she would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.
14
(c) The term “expenses” shall be broadly and reasonably construed and shall include, without limitation, all direct and indirect costs of any type or nature whatsoever (including, without limitation, all attorneys’ fees and related disbursements, appeal bonds, other out-of-pocket costs and reasonable compensation for time spent by Indemnitee for which Indemnitee is not otherwise compensated by the Company or any third party, provided that the rate of compensation and estimated time involved is approved by the Board, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld), actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with either the investigation, defense or appeal of a proceeding or establishing or enforcing a right to indemnification under this Agreement, Section 145 or otherwise.
(d) The term “independent legal counsel” shall mean an attorney or firm of attorneys, selected in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(iv) hereof, who shall not have otherwise performed services for the Company or any Indemnitee within the last five years (other than with respect to matters concerning the right of any Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnity agreements). Any such independent legal counsel shall be selected by the Board, unless the Board shall request that the Indemnitee shall make such selection. The party selecting the Independent Counsel shall promptly provide written notice to the other party of its selection. Indemnitee or the Company, as the case may be, may, within 10 days after such written notice of selection shall have been given, deliver to the Company or the Indemnitee, as the case may be, a written objection to such selection; provided, however, that such objection may be asserted only on the ground that the independent legal counsel so selected does not meet the requirements hereof.
(e) The term “judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement” shall be broadly construed and shall include, without limitation, all direct and indirect payments of any type or nature whatsoever (including, without limitation, all penalties and amounts required to be forfeited or reimbursed to the Company), as well as any penalties or excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan).
(f) The term “not opposed to the best interests of the Company” shall include action taken by a person in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan.
(g) The term “other enterprises” shall include, without limitation, employee benefit plans.
(h) The term “proceeding” shall be broadly construed and shall include, without limitation, the investigation, preparation, prosecution, defense, settlement, arbitration and appeal of, and the giving of testimony in, any threatened, pending or completed claim, action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative.
15
(i) The term “serving at the request of the Company” shall include, without limitation, any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries.
16. Notices. Any notice, request or other communication required or permitted to be given to the parties under this Agreement shall be in writing and either delivered in person or sent by telecopy, telex, telegram, overnight mail or courier service, or certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, to the parties at the following addresses (or at such other addresses for a party as shall be specified by like notice):
| If to the Company: |
| 9110 E. Nichols Ave., Suite 200 |
| Centennial, Colorado 80112-3405 |
| Attn: Executive Vice President and General Counsel |
| Facsimile: (303) 792-8649 |
| If to Indemnitee: |
||||
|
|
||||
| Facsimile: | ||||
17. Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the documents expressly referred to herein constitute the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the matters covered hereby, and any other prior or contemporaneous oral or written understandings or agreements between Indemnitee and the Company or its predecessors with respect to the matters covered hereby are expressly superseded by this Agreement.
18. Modification and Waiver. No supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by both of the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provision hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.
19. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed exclusively by and construed according to the laws of the State of Delaware, as applied to contracts between Delaware residents entered into and to be performed entirely within Delaware. If a court of competent jurisdiction shall make a final determination that the provisions of the law
16
of any state other than Delaware govern indemnification by the Company of its officers and directors, then the indemnification provided under this Agreement shall in all instances be enforceable to the fullest extent permitted under such law, notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary.
20. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original and all of which together shall be deemed to be one and the same instrument, notwithstanding that both parties are not signatories to the original or same counterpart.
21. Headings. The section and subsection headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]
17
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered to be effective as of the date first above written.
| NATIONAL CINEMEDIA, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| INDEMNITEE | ||
| [Name] | ||