Exhibit 10.31
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
This Agreement, made and entered into as of [insert date] (“Agreement”), by and between zSpace, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Company”), and [insert name] (“Indemnitee”):
WHEREAS, highly competent persons may be reluctant to serve as directors, officers, employees, fiduciaries and other agents (“Representatives”) of corporations unless they are provided with adequate protection through insurance or adequate indemnification against risks of claims and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of such corporations; and
WHEREAS, it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate itself to indemnify such persons as set forth herein so that they will serve or continue to serve the Company free from undue concern that they will not be so indemnified; and
WHEREAS, the Board has determined that the increased difficulty in attracting and retaining such persons is detrimental to the best interests of the Company’s stockholders and that the Company should act to assure such persons that there will be increased certainty of such protection in the future; and
WHEREAS, this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the Charter and Bylaws of the Company and any resolutions adopted pursuant thereto, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder; and
WHEREAS, Indemnitee is willing to serve, continue to serve and/or to take on additional service for or on behalf of the Company on the condition that Indemnitee be so indemnified.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and the covenants contained herein, the Company and Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:
For purposes of this Agreement the following terms shall have the meaning given here:
| (a) | there is consummated a merger or consolidation to which the Company or any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company is a party if the merger or consolidation would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity or any parent thereof) less than fifty |
| percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the securities of the Company or such surviving entity or any parent thereof outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation; |
| (b) | the direct or indirect beneficial ownership (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) in the aggregate of securities of the Company representing fifty percent (50%) or more of the total combined voting power of the Company’s then issued and outstanding securities is acquired by any person or entity, or group of associated persons or entities acting in concert; provided, however, that for purposes hereof, the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change of Control: (A) any acquisition by the Company; (B) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust or fiduciary) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any corporation controlled by the Company; (C) any acquisition by an underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of such securities; (D) any acquisition by a corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company; and (E) any acquisition in connection with a merger or consolidation which, pursuant to Section 1.02(a) above, does not constitute a Change of Control; |
| (c) | there is consummated a transaction contemplated by an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or a substantial portion of the Company’s assets, other than a sale or disposition by the Company of all or a substantial portion of the Company’s assets to an entity, at least fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the voting securities of which are owned by stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the Company immediately prior to such sale; |
| (d) | the stockholders of the Company approve any plan or proposal for the liquidation of the Company; |
| (e) | a change in the composition of the Board such that the “Continuity Directors” cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board. For purposes of this clause, “Continuity Directors” means (A) those members of the Board who were directors on the date hereof and (B) those members of the Board (other than a director whose initial assumption of office was in connection with an actual or threatened election contest, including but not limited to a consent solicitation, relating to the election of directors of the Company) who were elected or appointed by, or on the nomination or recommendation of, at least a majority of the then-existing directors who either were directors on the date hereof or were previously so elected or appointed; or |
| (f) | such other event or transaction as the Board shall determine constitutes a Change of Control. |
This Agreement shall continue until and terminate upon the later of: (i) ten (10) years after the date that Indemnitee shall have ceased to serve as a Representative of the Company or of any other Enterprise which Indemnitee served at the request of the Company; (ii) the final termination of all pending Proceedings in respect of which Indemnitee is granted rights of indemnification or advancement of Expenses hereunder and of any proceeding commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Article VIII of this Agreement relating thereto; or (iii) the expiration of the statute of limitations with respect to any claim that may be brought against Indemnitee with respect to which indemnification hereunder may be available (in whole or in part).
| (a) | Indemnitee's reimbursement to the Company of any bonus or other incentive-based or equity-based compensation previously received by Indemnitee or payment of any profits realized by Indemnitee from the sale of securities of the Company, as required in each case under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) (including any such reimbursements under Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 or Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in connection with an accounting restatement of the Company or the payment to the Company of profits arising from the purchase or sale by Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 306 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act); |
| (b) | Expenses incurred on account of any Proceeding in which final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction is rendered against the Indemnitee for an accounting of profits made from the purchase or sale by the Indemnitee of securities of the Company pursuant to the provisions of Section l6(b) of the Exchange Act, or similar provisions of any federal, state or local law; |
| (c) | Expenses incurred on account of the Indemnitee’s conduct which is finally adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction to have been: (1) a breach of the duty of loyalty owed to the Company, (2) an act or omission which was not in Good Faith, (3) an act or omission which involved intentional misconduct or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, a knowing violation of law, or (4) a transaction from which the Indemnitee derived an improper personal benefit; or |
| (d) | if a final decision by a court of competent jurisdiction in the matter shall determine that such indemnification is prohibited by applicable law or is not lawful as against public policy. |
For the avoidance of doubt, and notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Section 4.05, the Company shall be obligated to advance to Indemnitee any and all Expenses with respect to the foregoing matters set forth in this Section 4.05 other than such payments as are specifically mentioned in the introductory clause of this Section 4.05.
| (a) | If a Change of Control has occurred, unless Indemnitee shall request in writing that such determination be made in accordance with clause (b) of this Section 6.02, the determination shall be made by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board, a copy of which shall be delivered to Indemnitee. |
| (b) | If a Change of Control has not occurred, and subject to Section 6.03, the determination shall be made by (i) a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum; (ii) by a committee of Disinterested Directors designated by majority vote of such Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum; (iii) if there are no such Disinterested Directors, by the Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board, or (iv) by the Company’s stockholders. |
| (a) | If a Change of Control has not occurred, the Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Board, and the Company shall give written notice to Indemnitee advising Indemnitee of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected. Such Independent Counsel shall be approved by Indemnitee, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed. |
| (b) | If a Change of Control has occurred, the Independent Counsel shall be selected by Indemnitee (unless Indemnitee shall request that such selection be made by the Board, in which event clause (a) of this Section 6.03(b) shall apply) and approved by the Board, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed. |
| (c) | Following the initial selection described in clauses (a) and (b) of this Section 6.03, Indemnitee or the Company, as the case may be, may, within seven (7) days after such written notice of selection has been given, deliver to the other party a written objection to such selection. Such objection may be asserted only on the ground that the Independent Counsel does not meet the criteria set forth in Section 1.10 of this Agreement, and the objection shall set forth with particularity the factual basis of such assertion. Absent a proper and timely objection, the person so selected shall act as Independent Counsel. If such written objection is made, the Independent Counsel so selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless and until a court has determined that such objection is without merit. |
| (d) | Either the Company or Indemnitee may petition the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or other court of competent jurisdiction if the parties have been unable to agree on the selection of Independent Counsel within thirty (30) days after submission by Indemnitee of a written request for indemnification pursuant to Section 6.01 of this Agreement. Such petition may request a determination whether an objection to the party’s selection is without merit and/or seek the appointment as Independent Counsel of a person selected by the Court or by such other person as the Court shall designate. A person so appointed shall act as Independent Counsel under Section 6.02 of this Agreement. |
| (e) | The Company shall pay any and all reasonable fees and Expenses of Independent Counsel incurred by such Independent Counsel in connection with acting pursuant to this Agreement, and the Company shall pay all reasonable fees and Expenses incident to the procedures of this Section 6.03, regardless of the manner in which such Independent Counsel was selected or appointed. |
| (a) | a determination is made pursuant to Article VI of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement; |
| (b) | advancement of Expenses is not timely made pursuant to Article V of this Agreement; |
| (c) | the determination of entitlement to be made pursuant to Section 6.02 of this Agreement has not been made within forty-five (45) days after receipt by the Company of the request for indemnification; |
| (d) | payment of indemnification is not made pursuant to Section 4.06 of this Agreement within forty-five (45) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefore; or |
| (e) | payment of indemnification is not made within forty-five (45) days after a determination has been made that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification or, if the Company fails to respond to a written request for indemnification as set forth in Section 6.04 of this Agreement, payment of indemnification is not made within ninety (90) days after the date on which a written request for indemnification is delivered to the Company. |
| (a) | the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself 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, without limitation, each portion of any section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, which is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable. |
Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible in a mutually acceptable manner in order that the transactions contemplated hereby be consummated as originally contemplated to the greatest extent possible.
If to Indemnitee, to:As shown with Indemnitee’s Signature below.
If to the Company to:zSpace, Inc.
Attn: Legal Department
2050 Gateway Place, Suite 100-302
San Jose, CA 95110
or to such other address as may have been furnished to Indemnitee by the Company or to the Company by Indemnitee, as the case may be.
[Signature Page Follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the day and year first above written.
COMPANY | ZSPACE, INC. |
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| Name: |
| Title: |
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INDEMNITEE | |
| Name: |
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| Indemnitee’s Address for Notices: |
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| __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ |
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Signature Page to
Indemnification Agreement