EX-10.4 10 p66273ex10-4.txt EXHIBIT 10.4 EXHIBIT 10.4 INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT THIS INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT (this "Agreement") is made as of ______________________ by and between LIPID SCIENCES, INC., an Arizona corporation (the "Company"), and _____________ ("Indemnitee"). RECITALS: A. The Company and Indemnitee recognize the increasing difficulty in obtaining and/or maintaining directors' and officers' liability insurance, the significant increases in the cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the coverage of such insurance; B. The Company and Indemnitee further recognize the substantial increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting officers and directors to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and coverage of liability insurance may be severely limited; C. 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; D. Sections 10-851, 10-852 and 10-856 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, under which the Company is organized, requires and/or empowers the Company to indemnify its directors and officers and to indemnify directors and officers who serve, at the request of the Company, as the directors, officers, employees or agents of other corporations or enterprises; and E. The Board of Directors of the Company has determined that, in order to retain and attract talented and experienced individuals to serve as directors and officers of the Company, it is reasonable and prudent for the Company to contractually indemnify its directors and certain of its officers against the risk of judgments, settlements and other expenses which may occur as a result of their service to the Company, and to assume for itself liability for expenses and damages in connection with claims against such directors and officers in connection with their service to the Company. NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth below, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows: 1. INDEMNIFICATION. (a) Third Party Proceedings. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee if Indemnitee is or was a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Company), by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if Indemnitee acted 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, suit or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe Indemnitee's conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that (i) 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, or (ii) with respect to any criminal action, suit or proceeding, Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that Indemnitee's conduct was unlawful. (b) Proceedings By or in the Right of the Company. 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 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 by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses, including amounts paid in settlement and attorneys' fees, actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or proceeding 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. 2. EXPENSES; INDEMNIFICATION PROCEDURE. (a) Advancement of Expenses. The Company shall advance all expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the investigation, defense, settlement or appeal of any civil or criminal action or proceeding referenced in Section 1(a) or (b) hereof. Indemnitee hereby undertakes to repay such amounts advanced only if, and to the extent that, it shall ultimately be determined by a court of competent jurisdiction that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company as authorized hereby. The advances to be made hereunder shall be paid by the Company to Indemnitee within thirty (30) days following delivery of a written request therefor by Indemnitee to the Company. (b) Notice/Cooperation by Indemnitee. Indemnitee shall, as a condition precedent to his right to be indemnified under this Agreement, give the Company notice in writing as soon as practicable of any claim made against Indemnitee for which indemnification will or could be sought under this Agreement. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company at the address of the Company's principal executive offices (or such other address as the Company shall designate in writing to Indemnitee). Notice shall be deemed received three (3) business days after the date postmarked if sent by domestic certified or registered mail, properly addressed; otherwise notice shall be deemed received when such notice shall actually be received by the Company. In addition, Indemnitee shall give the Company such information and cooperation as it may reasonably require and as shall be within Indemnitee's power without undue hardship to provide. 2 (c) Procedure. Any indemnification provided for in Section 1 shall be made no later than forty-five (45) days after receipt of the written request of Indemnitee. If a claim under this Agreement, under any statute, or under any provision of the Company's Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws providing for indemnification, is not paid in full by the Company within forty-five (45) days after a written request for payment thereof has first been received by the Company, Indemnitee may, but need not, at any time thereafter bring an action against the Company to recover the unpaid amount of the claim and, subject to Section 13 of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall also be entitled to be paid for the expenses (including attorneys' fees) of bringing such action. It shall be a defense to any such action (other than an action brought to enforce a claim for expenses incurred in connection with any action or proceeding in advance of its final disposition) that Indemnitee has not met the standards of conduct which make it permissible under applicable law for the Company to indemnify Indemnitee for the amount claimed, and Indemnitee shall be entitled to receive interim payments of expenses pursuant to Section 2(a) unless and until such defense may be finally adjudicated by court order or judgment from which no further right of appeal exists. It is the parties' intention that if the Company contests Indemnitee's right to indemnification, the question of Indemnitee's right to indemnification shall be for the court to decide, and neither the failure of the Company (including its Board of Directors, any committee of the Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its shareholders) to have made a determination that indemnification of Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct required by applicable law, nor an actual determination by the Company (including its Board of Directors, any committee of the Board of Directors, independent legal counsel or its shareholders) that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall create a presumption that Indemnitee has or has not met the applicable standard of conduct. (d) Notice to Insurers. If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of claim pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, 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 such policies. (e) Selection of Counsel. In the event the Company shall be obligated under Section 2(a) hereof to pay the expenses of any proceeding against Indemnitee, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the defense of such proceeding, with counsel approved by Indemnitee, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld, upon the delivery to Indemnitee of written notice of its election so to do. 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 his counsel in any such proceeding at Indemnitee's expense; and (ii) if (A) the employment of counsel by Indemnitee has been previously authorized by the Company, (B) Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and Indemnitee in the conduct of such defense or (C) the Company shall not, in fact, have employed 3 counsel to assume the defense of such proceeding, then the fees and expenses of Indemnitee's counsel shall be at the expense of the Company. 3. ADDITIONAL INDEMNIFICATION RIGHTS; NONEXCLUSIVITY. (a) Scope. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company hereby agrees to indemnify the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law, notwithstanding that such indemnification is not specifically authorized by the other provisions of this Agreement, the Company's Articles of Incorporation, the Company's Bylaws or by statute. In the event of any change, after the date of this Agreement, in any applicable law, statute or rule which expands the right of an Arizona corporation to indemnify a member of its board of directors, an officer or other corporate agent, such changes shall be, ipso facto, within the purview of Indemnitee's rights and Company's obligations, under this Agreement. In the event of any change in any applicable law, statute or rule which narrows the right of an Arizona corporation to indemnify a member of its Board of Directors, an officer or other corporate agent, such changes, to the extent required by such law, statute or rule to be applied to this Agreement, shall have the effect on this Agreement and the parties' rights and obligations hereunder as is required by such law, statute or rule. (b) Nonexclusivity. The indemnification provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any rights to which Indemnitee may be entitled under the Company's Articles of Incorporation, its Bylaws, any agreement, any vote of shareholders or disinterested directors, the Arizona Revised Statutes, or otherwise, both as to action in Indemnitee's official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office. The indemnification provided under this Agreement shall continue as to Indemnitee for any action taken while serving in an indemnified capacity even though he may have ceased to serve in such capacity at the time of any action or other covered proceeding. 4. PARTIAL INDEMNIFICATION. If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of the expenses, judgment, fines or penalties actually or reasonably incurred by him in the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding, but not, however, for the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such expenses, judgments, fines or penalties to which Indemnitee is entitled. 5. PUBLIC POLICY LIMITATIONS; CONTRIBUTION. Indemnitee understands and acknowledges that the Company may be required in the future to undertake with the Securities and Exchange Commission to submit the question of indemnification with respect to certain federal securities law claims to a court in certain circumstances for a determination of the Company's right under public policy to indemnify Indemnitee. In the event that the indemnification provided to Indemnitee by this Agreement is unavailable to Indemnitee for reasons of public policy, then the Company shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by Indemnitee, with respect to which Indemnitee otherwise would have been entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative economic interests of the Company on the one hand, and Indemnitee on the other hand, in the 4 matters giving rise to such indemnification claim, as well as the relative fault of the Company and Indemnitee with respect to such matters and any other relevant equitable considerations. 6. DIRECTORS' AND OFFICERS' LIABILITY INSURANCE. The Company shall, from time to time, make the good faith determination whether or not it is practicable for the Company to obtain and maintain a policy or policies of insurance with reputable insurance companies providing the officers and directors of the Company with coverage for losses from wrongful acts, or to ensure the Company's performance of its indemnification obligations under this Agreement. Among other considerations, the Company will weigh the costs of obtaining such insurance coverage against the protection afforded by such coverage. In all policies of directors' and officers' liability insurance, Indemnitee shall be named as an insured in such a manner as to provide Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company directors, if Indemnitee is a director, or of the Company's key employees, if Indemnitee is not an officer or director but is a key employee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall have no obligation to obtain or maintain such insurance if the Company determines in good faith that such insurance is not reasonably available, if the premium costs for such insurance are disproportionate to the amount of coverage provided, if the coverage provided by such insurance is limited by exclusions so as to provide an insufficient benefit, or if Indemnitee is covered by similar insurance maintained by a subsidiary or parent of the Company. 7. SEVERABILITY. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to require or shall be construed as requiring the Company to do or fail to do any act in violation of applicable law. The Company's inability, pursuant to court order, to perform its obligations under this Agreement shall not constitute a breach of this Agreement. The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable as provided in this Section 7. If this Agreement or any portion hereof shall be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee to the full extent permitted by any applicable portion of this Agreement that shall not have been invalidated, and the balance of this Agreement not so invalidated shall be enforceable in accordance with its terms. 8. EXCEPTIONS. Any other provision herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement: (a) Excluded Acts. To indemnify Indemnitee for any acts or omissions or transactions from which a director may not be relieved of liability under the Arizona Revised Statutes, or, if the Indemnitee is or at the determinative time was a director of the Company, in connection with any proceeding in which the Indemnitee was adjudged liable to the Company or was adjudged liable on the basis that financial benefit was improperly received by the Indemnitee; or (b) Claims Initiated by Indemnitee. To indemnify or advance expenses to Indemnitee with respect to proceedings or claims initiated or brought voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except with respect to proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under this Agreement or any other statute or law, but such indemnification or advancement of expenses may be provided by the Company in specific cases if the Board of Directors has approved the initiation or bringing of such suit; or 5 (c) Lack of Good Faith. To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses incurred by the Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding instituted by Indemnitee to enforce or interpret this Agreement, if a court of competent jurisdiction determines that each of the material assertions made by the Indemnitee in such proceeding was not made in good faith or was frivolous; or (d) Insured Claims. To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses or liabilities of any type whatsoever (including, but not limited to, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties, and amounts paid in settlement) which have been paid directly to Indemnitee by an insurance carrier under a policy of directors' and officers' liability insurance maintained by the Company; or (e) Claims Under Section 16(b). To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses and the payment of profits arising from the purchase and 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; or (f) Unauthorized Settlements. To indemnify Indemnitee for any amount paid in settlement of an action, suit or proceeding without the prior written consent of the Company. 9. EFFECTIVENESS OF AGREEMENT. To the extent that the indemnification permitted under the terms of certain provisions of this Agreement exceeds the scope of the indemnification expressly permitted by the Arizona Revised Statutes, such provisions shall not be effective unless and until the Company's Articles of Incorporation authorize such additional rights of indemnification. In all other respects, the balance of this Agreement shall be effective as of the date set forth on the first page and may apply to acts or omissions of Indemnitee which occurred prior to such date if Indemnitee was an officer, director, employee or other agent of the Company, or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, at the time such act or omission occurred. 10. CONSTRUCTION OF CERTAIN PHRASES. (a) For purposes of this Agreement, references to the "Company" shall also include, 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, employees or agents, so that if Indemnitee 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 or other enterprise, Indemnitee shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Agreement with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as Indemnitee would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued. (b) For purposes of this Agreement, references to "other enterprises" shall include employee benefit plans; references to "fines" shall include any excise taxes assessed on 6 Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to "serving at the request of the Company" shall include 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. 11. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original. 12. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Company and its successors and assigns, and shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and Indemnitee's estate, heirs, legal representatives and assigns. 13. ATTORNEYS' FEES. In the event that any action is instituted by Indemnitee under this Agreement to enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by Indemnitee with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action, a court of competent jurisdiction determines that each of the material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such action were not made in good faith or were frivolous. In the event of an action instituted by or in the name of the Company under this Agreement or to enforce or interpret any of the terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by Indemnitee in defense of such action (including with respect to Indemnitee's counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), unless as a part of such action the court determines that each of Indemnitee's material defenses to such action were made in bad faith or were frivolous. 14. NOTICES. All notices, demands, consents, requests, approvals and other communications between the parties pursuant to this Agreement must be in writing and will be deemed given when delivered in person, one (1) business day after being dispatched by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, three (3) business days after being deposited in the U.S. Mail, registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or one (1) business day after being sent by facsimile (with receipt acknowledged), to the Company at the address of its principal offices and to Indemnitee at his address as shown on the Company's records. Indemnitee may change his address for notice purposes by delivering notice to the Company in accordance with this Section 14. 15. CONSENT TO JURISDICTION. The Company and Indemnitee each hereby irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Arizona for all purposes in connection with any action or proceeding which arises out of or relates to this Agreement and agree that any action instituted under this Agreement shall be brought only in the state courts of the State of Arizona. 16. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Arizona, without giving effect to conflicts of laws principles. 7 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written. LIPID SCIENCES, INC. By: ------------------------------------- Name: ---------------------------------- Title: ---------------------------------- ACCEPTED AND AGREED TO: ---------------------- INDEMNITEE: ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- (address) 8