EXHIBIT 10.1
AUTO-BY-TEL CORPORATION
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
This Indemnification Agreement ("AGREEMENT") is entered into as of the ___
day of ______________, 1997 by and between Auto-By-Tel Corporation, a Delaware
corporation (the "COMPANY") and _______________________________ ("Indemnitee").
RECITALS
--------
A. The Company and Indemnitee recognize the continued difficulty in
obtaining liability insurance for its directors, officers, employees, agents and
fiduciaries, 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 directors, officers, employees,
agents and fiduciaries to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the
availability and coverage of liability insurance has been severely limited.
C. Indemnitee does not regard the current protection available as adequate
under the present circumstances, and Indemnitee and other directors, officers,
employees, agents and fiduciaries of the Company may not be willing to continue
to serve in such capacities without additional protection.
D. The Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly
qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve the Company and, in part, in
order to induce Indemnitee to continue to provide services to the Company,
wishes to provide for the indemnification and advancing of expenses to
Indemnitee to the maximum extent permitted by law.
E. In view of the considerations set forth above, the Company desires that
Indemnitee be indemnified by the Company as set forth herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:
1. Indemnification.
---------------
(a) Indemnification of Expenses. The Company shall indemnify
---------------------------
Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law if Indemnitee was or
is or becomes a party to or witness or other participant in, or is threatened to
be made a party to or witness or other participant in, any threatened, pending
or completed action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution
mechanism, or any hearing, inquiry or investigation that Indemnitee in good
faith believes might lead to the institution of any such action, suit,
proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, whether civil, criminal,
administrative, investigative or other (hereinafter a "CLAIM") by reason of (or
arising in part out of) any event or occurrence related to the fact that
Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the
Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, or is or was serving at the request
of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason
of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while serving in such
capacity (hereinafter an "INDEMNIFIABLE EVENT") against any and all expenses
(including attorneys' fees and all other costs, expenses and obligations
incurred in connection with investigating, defending, being a witness in or
participating in (including on appeal), or preparing to defend, be a witness in
or participate in, any such action, suit, proceeding, alternative dispute
resolution mechanism, hearing, inquiry or investigation), judgments, fines,
penalties and amounts paid in settlement (if such settlement is approved in
advance by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) of
such Claim and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on Indemnitee
as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement
(collectively, hereinafter "EXPENSES"), including all interest, assessments and
other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses.
Such payment of Expenses shall be made by the Company as soon as practicable but
in any event no later than five days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor
is presented to the Company.
(b) Reviewing Party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the obligations
---------------
of the Company under Section 1(a) shall be subject to the condition that the
Reviewing Party (as described in Section 10(e) hereof) shall not have determined
(in a written opinion, in any case in which the Independent Legal Counsel
referred to in Section 1(c) hereof is involved) that Indemnitee would not be
permitted to be indemnified under applicable law, and (ii) the obligation of the
Company to make an advance payment of Expenses to Indemnitee pursuant to Section
2(a) (an "EXPENSE ADVANCE") shall be subject to the condition that, if, when and
to the extent that the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee would not be
permitted to be so indemnified under applicable law, the Company shall be
entitled to be reimbursed by Indemnitee (who hereby agrees to reimburse the
Company) for all such amounts theretofore paid; provided, however, that if
Indemnitee has commenced or thereafter commences legal proceedings in a court of
competent jurisdiction to secure a determination that Indemnitee should be
indemnified under applicable law, any determination made by the Reviewing Party
that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law
shall not be binding and Indemnitee shall not be required to reimburse the
Company for any Expense Advance until a final judicial determination is made
with respect thereto (as to which all rights of appeal therefrom have been
exhausted or lapsed). Indemnitees' obligation to reimburse the Company for any
Expense Advance shall be unsecured and no interest shall be charged thereon. If
there has not been a Change in Control (as defined in Section 10(c) hereof), the
Reviewing Party shall be selected by the Board of Directors, and if there has
been such a Change in Control (other than a Change in Control which has been
approved by a majority of the Company's Board of Directors who were directors
immediately prior to such Change in Control), the Reviewing Party shall be the
Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section 1(c) hereof. Indemnitee shall
have the right, within 60 days of a determination by the Reviewing Party that
Indemnitee substantively would not be permitted to be indemnified in whole or in
part under applicable law, or within 30 days or Indemnitee's request for payment
if there has been no determination by the Reviewing Party, to commence
litigation in any court of competent jurisdiction, or seek an award in
-2-
arbitration to be conducted by a single arbitrator pursuant to the rules of the
American Arbitration Association, which award shall be deemed final,
unappealable and binding, to determine whether Indemnitee should be indemnified
under applicable law, or to challenge any such determination by the Reviewing
Party or any aspect thereof, including the legal or factual bases therefor. Any
such court or arbitrator, as the case ma be, shall thereupon have the exclusive
authority to make such determination unless and until such court or arbitrator
dismisses or otherwise terminates such action without having made a
determination. The Company hereby consents to service of process and to appear
in any such proceeding. In any such action before the court or arbitrator,
Indemnitee shall be presumed to be entitled to indemnification and the Company
shall have the burden of proving that indemnification is not required under this
Agreement. All fees and expenses of any arbitrator pursuant to this provision
and all reasonable fees and expenses of counsel retained by Indemnitee in
connection with any court or arbitration finding an obligation greater than that
assumed by the Company prior to commencement of such court action or arbitration
shall be paid by the Company. Any determination by the Reviewing Party
otherwise shall be conclusive and binding on the Company and Indemnitee.
(c) Change in Control. The Company agrees that if there is a Change
-----------------
in Control of the Company (other than a Change in Control which has been
approved by a majority of the Company's Board of Directors who were directors
immediately prior to such Change in Control) then, with respect to all matters
thereafter arising concerning the rights of Indemnitees to payments of Expenses
and Expense Advances under this Agreement or any other agreement or under the
Company's Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws as now or hereafter in effect,
Independent Legal Counsel (as defined in Section 10(d) hereof) shall be selected
by Indemnitee. Such counsel, among other things, shall render its written
opinion to the Company and Indemnitee as to whether and to what extent
Indemnitee would be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law and the
Company agrees to abide by such opinion. The Company agrees to pay the
reasonable fees of the Independent Legal Counsel referred to above and to fully
indemnify such counsel against any and all expenses (including attorneys' fees),
claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or
its engagement pursuant hereto.
(d) Mandatory Payment of Expenses. Notwithstanding any other
-----------------------------
provision of this Agreement other than Section 9 hereof, to the extent that
Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise, including, without
limitation, the dismissal of an action without prejudice, in defense of any
action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation referred to in Section (1)(a)
hereof or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, Indemnitee shall
be indemnified against all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection
therewith.
2. Expenses; Indemnification Procedure.
-----------------------------------
(a) Advancement of Expenses. The Company shall advance all Expenses
-----------------------
incurred by Indemnitee. The advances to be made hereunder shall be paid by the
Company to Indemnitee as soon as practicable but in any event no later than five
days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor to the Company.
-3-
(b) Notice/Cooperation by Indemnitee. Indemnitee shall, as a condition
--------------------------------
precedent to Indemnitees' 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 shown on the signature page of this
Agreement (or such other address as the Company shall designate in writing to
Indemnitee). In addition, Indemnitee shall give the Company such information
and cooperation as it may reasonably require and as shall be within Indemnitees'
power.
(c) No Presumptions; Burden of Proof. For purposes of this Agreement, the
--------------------------------
termination of any Claim by judgment, order, settlement (whether with or without
court approval) or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere, or its
---------------
equivalent, shall not create a presumption that Indemnitee did not meet any
particular standard of conduct or have any particular belief or that a court has
determined that indemnification is not permitted by applicable law. In
addition, neither the failure of 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 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 that
Indemnitee is not so entitled.
(d) Notice to Insurers. If, at the time of the receipt by the Company
------------------
of a notice of a Claim pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, the Company has
liability insurance in effect which may cover such Claim, the Company shall give
prompt notice of the commencement of such Claim 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 Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such action, suit,
proceeding, inquiry or investigation in accordance with the terms of such
policies.
(e) Selection of Counsel. In the event the Company shall be obligated
--------------------
hereunder to pay the Expenses of any Claim, the Company shall be entitled to
assume the defense of such Claim 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
Claim; provided that, (i) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ Indemnitees'
counsel in any such Claim at Indemnitee 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 is a conflict of interest
between the Company and Indemnitee in the conduct of any such defense, or (C)
the Company shall not continue to retain such counsel to defend such Claim, then
the fees and expenses of Indemnitee counsel shall be at the expense of the
Company. The Company shall have the
-4-
right to conduct such defense as it sees fit in its sole discretion, including
the right to settle any claim against Indemnitee without the consent of the
Indemnitee provided the Company holds the Indemnitee harmless in connection with
any such settlement.
3. Additional Indemnification Rights; Nonexclusivity.
-------------------------------------------------
(a) Scope. The Company hereby agrees to indemnify 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 Restated Certificate 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 a Delaware
corporation to indemnify a member of its Board of Directors or an officer,
employee, agent or fiduciary, it is the intent of the parties hereto that
Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits afforded by such
change. In the event of any change in any applicable law, statute or rule which
narrows the right of a Delaware corporation to indemnify a member of its Board
of Directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, such change, to the
extent not otherwise required by such law, statute or rule to be applied to this
Agreement, shall have no effect on this Agreement or the parties' rights and
obligations hereunder except as set forth in Section 8(a) hereof.
(b) Amendment to Indemnification Rights. The Company shall not adopt
-----------------------------------
any amendment to its Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the
"Certificate") or By-Laws the effect of which would be to deny, diminish or
encumber Indemnitee's rights to indemnity pursuant to the Restated Certificate
of Incorporation, By-Laws, the Delaware General Corporation Law or any other
applicable law as applied to any act or failure to act occurring in whole or in
part prior to the date (the "Effective Date") upon which the amendment was
approved by the Company's Board of Directors or stockholders, as the case may
be. In the event that the Company shall adopt any amendment to its Restated
Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws the effect of which is to change
Indemnitee's rights to indemnity under such instruments, such amendment shall
apply only to acts or failures to act occurring entirely after the Effective
Date thereof. The Company shall give written notice to Indemnitee of any
proposal which respect to any such amendment no later than the date such
amendment is first presented to the Board of Directors (or any committee
thereof) for consideration, and shall provide a copy of any such amendment to
Indemnitee promptly after its adoption.
(c) Nonexclusivity. The indemnification provided by this Agreement
--------------
shall be in addition to any rights to which Indemnitee may be entitled under the
Company's Certificate of Incorporation, its Bylaws, any agreement, any vote of
stockholders or disinterested directors, the General Corporation Law of the
State of Delaware, or otherwise. The indemnification provided under this
Agreement shall continue as to Indemnitee for any action Indemnitee took or did
not take while serving in an indemnified capacity even though Indemnitee may
have ceased to serve in such capacity.
4. No Duplication of Payments. The Company shall not be liable
--------------------------
under this Agreement to make any payment in connection with any Claim made
against Indemnitee to the extent Indemnitee has
-5-
otherwise actually received payment (under any insurance policy, Certificate of
Incorporation, Bylaw or otherwise) of the amounts otherwise indemnifiable
hereunder.
5. Partial Indemnification. If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision
-----------------------
of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of
Expenses incurred in connection with any Claim, but not, however, for all of the
total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for
the portion of such Expenses to which Indemnitee are entitled.
6. Mutual Acknowledgment. Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge
---------------------
that in certain instances, Federal law or applicable public policy may prohibit
the Company from indemnifying its directors, officers, employees, agents or
fiduciaries under this Agreement or otherwise. Indemnitee understands and
acknowledges that the Company has undertaken or may be required in the future to
undertake with the Securities and Exchange Commission to submit the question of
indemnification to a court in certain circumstances for a determination of the
Company's right under public policy to indemnify Indemnitee.
7. Liability Insurance.
-------------------
(a) Except as provided in (b) below, the Company hereby agrees to use
its best efforts to obtain and maintain directors and officers liability
insurance for Indemnitee so long as Indemnitee shall continue to serve as a
director, officer or key employee of the Company, and, thereafter, so long as
Indemnitee shall be subject to any possible claim or threatened, pending or
completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or
investigative, by reason of the fact that Indemnitee was a director, officer or
key employee of the Company.
(b) The Company shall have no obligation hereunder to obtain or
maintain directors and officers liability insurance if, in the reasonable
business judgment of the Board of Directors of the Company, such insurance is
not reasonably available, the premium costs for such insurance are
disproportionate to the amount of coverage provided, or the coverage provided by
such insurance is limited, by exclusions or otherwise, so as to provide an
insufficient benefit.
(c) To the extent the Company maintains liability insurance applicable
to directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, Indemnitee shall be
covered by such policies in such a manner as to provide Indemnitee the same
rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the
Company's directors, if Indemnitee is a director; or of the Company's officers,
if Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an officer; or of the
Company's key employees, agents or fiduciaries, if Indemnitee is not an officer
or director but is a key employee, agent or fiduciary.
(d) The Company shall give prompt written notice to Indemnitee of any
amendment or other change or modification, or any proposed amendment change or
modification, to any policy of directors and officers liability insurance
maintained by the Company and covering Indemnitee.
-6-
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 Action or Omissions. To indemnify Indemnitee for
----------------------------
Indemnitee's acts, omissions or transactions from which Indemnitee or the
Indemnitee may not be relieved of liability under applicable law;
(b) Claims Initiated by Indemnitee. To indemnify or advance expenses
------------------------------
to Indemnitee with respect to Claims initiated or brought voluntarily by
Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except (i) with respect to actions or
proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under
this Agreement or any other agreement or insurance policy or under the Company's
Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws now or hereafter in effect relating to
Claims for Indemnifiable Events, (ii) in specific cases if the Board of
Directors has approved the initiation or bringing of such Claim, or (iii) as
otherwise required under Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law,
regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such
indemnification, advance expense payment or insurance recovery, as the case may
be;
(c) Lack of Good Faith. To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses
------------------
incurred by 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 Indemnitee in such
proceeding was not made in good faith or was frivolous; or
(d) 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.
9. Period of Limitations. No legal action shall be brought and no cause
---------------------
of action shall be asserted by or in the right of the Company against
Indemnitee, Indemnitee's estate, spouse, heirs, executors or personal or legal
representatives after the expiration of two years from the date of accrual of
such cause of action, and any claim or cause of action of the Company shall be
extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal
action within such two-year period; provided, however, that if any shorter
-------- -------
period of limitations is otherwise applicable to any such cause of action, such
shorter period shall govern.
10. Construction of Certain Phrases.
-------------------------------
(a) For purposes of this Agreement, references to the "Company" shall
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, agents or
fiduciaries, so that if Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee,
agent or fiduciary of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the
request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee, agent
or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee
benefit plan, trust or other
-7-
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 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, agent or fiduciary of the Company
which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer,
employee, agent or fiduciary with respect to an employee benefit plan, its
participants or its beneficiaries; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in
a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the interest of the
participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan, Indemnitee shall be
deemed to have acted in a manner "not opposed to the best interests of the
Company" as referred to in this Agreement.
(c) For purposes of this Agreement a "Change in Control" shall be
deemed to have occurred if (i) any "person" (as such term is used in Sections
13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), other than
a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan
of the Company or 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, (A) who is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or
indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 10% or more of the
combined voting power of the Company's then outstanding Voting Securities,
increases his beneficial ownership of such securities by 5% or more over the
percentage so owned by such person, or (B) becomes the "beneficial owner" (as
defined in Rule 13d-3 under said Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of
the Company representing more than 20% of the total voting power represented by
the Company's then outstanding Voting Securities, (ii) during any period of two
consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute
the Board of Directors of the Company and any new director whose election by the
Board of Directors or nomination for election by the Company's stockholders was
approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in office
who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or
nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to
constitute a majority thereof, or (iii) the stockholders of the Company approve
a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation other than a
merger or consolidation which would result in the Voting Securities of the
Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by
remaining outstanding or by being converted into Voting Securities of the
surviving entity) at least 80% of the total voting power represented by the
Voting Securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding
immediately after such merger or consolidation, or the stockholders of the
Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement
for the sale or disposition by the Company of (in one transaction or a series of
transactions) all or substantially all of the Company's assets.
(d) For purposes of this Agreement, "Independent Legal Counsel" shall
mean an attorney or firm of attorneys, selected in accordance with the
provisions of Section 1(c) hereof, who shall not have otherwise performed
services for the Company or Indemnitee within the last three years (other
-8-
than with respect to matters concerning the rights of Indemnitee under this
Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnity agreements).
(e) For purposes of this Agreement, a "Reviewing Party" shall mean any
appropriate person or body consisting of a member or members of the Company's
Board of Directors or any other person or body appointed by the Board of
Directors who is not a party to the particular Claim for which Indemnitee are
seeking indemnification, or Independent Legal Counsel.
(f) For purposes of this Agreement, "Voting Securities" shall mean any
securities of the Company that vote generally in the election of directors.
11. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
------------
counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.
12. Binding Effect; Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding
--------------------------------------
upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and
their respective successors, assigns, including 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, spouses, heirs, and personal and
legal representatives. The Company shall require and cause any successor
(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, 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. This Agreement shall continue in effect with
respect to Claims relating to Indemnifiable Events regardless of whether
Indemnitee continues to serve as a director, officer, employee, agent or
fiduciary of the Company or of any other enterprise at the Company's request.
13. Attorneys' Fees. In the event that any action is instituted by
---------------
Indemnitee under this Agreement or under any liability insurance policies
maintained by the Company to enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof or
thereof, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by
Indemnitee with respect to such action, regardless of whether Indemnitee is
ultimately successful in such action, and shall be entitled to the advancement
of Expenses with respect to such action, unless, as a part of such action, a
court of competent jurisdiction over such action determines that each of the
material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such action was not made
in good faith or was frivolous. In the event of an action instituted by or in
the name of the Company under this Agreement to enforce or interpret any of the
terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses
incurred by Indemnitee in defense of such action (including costs and expenses
incurred with respect to Indemnitee counterclaims and cross-claims made in such
action), and shall be entitled to the advancement of Expenses with respect to
such action, unless, as a part of such action, a court having jurisdiction over
such action determines that each of Indemnitee material defenses to such action
was made in bad faith or was frivolous.
-9-
14. Notice. 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 service, if delivered by first class mail,
postage prepaid, (b) upon delivery, if delivered by hand, (c) one business day
after the business day of deposit with Federal Express or similar overnight
courier, freight prepaid, or (d) one day after the business day of delivery by
facsimile transmission, if delivered by facsimile transmission, with copy by
first class mail, postage prepaid, and shall be addressed if to Indemnitee, at
the Indemnitee address as set forth beneath Indemnitee signatures to this
Agreement and if to the Company at the address of its principal corporate
offices (attention: Secretary) or at such other address as such party may
designate by ten days' advance written notice to the other party hereto.
15. Consent to Jurisdiction. The Company and Indemnitee each hereby
-----------------------
irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Delaware
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 commenced, prosecuted and continued only in the Court of
Chancery of the State of Delaware in and for New Castle County, which shall be
the exclusive and only proper forum for adjudicating such a claim.
16. Severability. The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable in
------------
the event that any of the provisions hereof (including any provision within a
single section, paragraph or sentence) are held by a court of competent
jurisdiction to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, and the remaining
provisions shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Furthermore, to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement
(including, without limitations, each portion of this Agreement containing any
provision held to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, that is not
itself invalid, void or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect
to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or
unenforceable.
17. Choice of Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions
-------------
construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, as
applied to contracts between Delaware residents, entered into and to be
performed entirely within the State of Delaware, without regard to the conflict
of laws principles thereof.
18. Subrogation. In the event of payment under this Agreement, the Company
-----------
shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of
recovery of Indemnitee who shall execute all documents required and shall do all
acts that may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable the Company
effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.
19. Amendment and Termination. No amendment, modification, termination or
-------------------------
cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing signed
by both the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this
Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions
hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing
waiver.
-10-
20. Integration and Entire Agreement. This Agreement sets forth the entire
--------------------------------
understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes and merges all previous
written and oral negotiations, commitments, understandings and agreements
relating to the subject matter hereof between the parties hereto.
21. No Construction as Employment Agreement. Nothing contained in this
---------------------------------------
Agreement shall be construed as giving Indemnitee any right to be retained in
the employ of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as
of the date first above written.
AUTO-BY-TEL CORPORATION
By:
------------------------------------
Title:
---------------------------------
Address:
-------------------------------
-------------------------------
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED BY:
- --------------------------------------
Name:
--------------------------------
Address:
------------------------------
------------------------------
-11-