Minnesota Statutes
Chapter 317A — Nonprofit Corporations
Section 317A.521 — Indemnification.

Subdivision 1. Definitions. (a) For purposes of this section, the terms defined in this subdivision have the meanings given them.
(b) "Corporation" includes a domestic or foreign corporation that was the predecessor of the corporation referred to in this section in a merger, consolidation, or other transaction in which the predecessor's existence ended upon completion of the transaction.
(c) "Official capacity" means:
(1) with respect to a director, the position of director in a corporation;
(2) with respect to a person other than a director, the elective or appointive office or position held by an officer, member of a committee of the board, or the employment relationship undertaken by an employee of the corporation; and
(3) with respect to a director, officer, or employee of the corporation who, while a director, officer, or employee of the corporation, is or was serving at the request of the corporation or whose duties in that position involve or involved service as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, or agent of another organization or employee benefit plan, the position of that person as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, or agent, as the case may be, of the other organization or employee benefit plan.
(d) "Proceeding" means a threatened, pending, or completed civil, criminal, administrative, arbitration, or investigative proceeding, including a proceeding by or in the right of the corporation.
(e) "Special legal counsel" means counsel who has not represented the corporation or a related organization, or a director, officer, member of a committee of the board, or employee whose indemnification is in issue.
Subd. 2. Indemnification mandatory; standard. (a) Subject to subdivision 4, a corporation shall indemnify a person made or threatened to be made a party to a proceeding by reason of the former or present official capacity of the person against judgments, penalties, fines, including, without limitation, excise taxes assessed against the person with respect to an employee benefit plan, settlements, and reasonable expenses, including attorneys fees and disbursements, incurred by the person in connection with the proceeding, if, with respect to the acts or omissions of the person complained of in the proceeding, the person:
(1) has not been indemnified by another organization or employee benefit plan for the same liability described in the preceding paragraph with respect to the same acts or omissions;
(2) acted in good faith;
(3) received no improper personal benefit and section 317A.255, if applicable, has been satisfied;
(4) in the case of a criminal proceeding, did not have reasonable cause to believe the conduct was unlawful; and
(5) in the case of acts or omissions occurring in the official capacity described in subdivision 1, paragraph (c), clause (1) or (2), reasonably believed that the conduct was in the best interests of the corporation, or in the case of acts or omissions occurring in the official capacity described in subdivision 1, paragraph (c), clause (3), reasonably believed that the conduct was not opposed to the best interests of the corporation. If the person's acts or omissions complained of in the proceeding relate to conduct as a director, officer, trustee, employee, or agent of an employee benefit plan, the conduct is not considered to be opposed to the best interests of the corporation if the person reasonably believed that the conduct was in the best interests of the participants or beneficiaries of the employee benefit plan.
(b) The termination of a proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent does not, of itself, establish that the person did not meet the criteria in this subdivision.
Subd. 3. Advances. Subject to subdivision 4, if a person is made or threatened to be made a party to a proceeding, the person is entitled, upon written request to the corporation, to payment or reimbursement by the corporation of reasonable expenses, including attorneys fees and disbursements, incurred by the person in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding:
(1) upon receipt by the corporation of a written affirmation by the person of a good faith belief that the criteria for indemnification in subdivision 2 have been satisfied and a written undertaking by the person to repay the amounts paid or reimbursed by the corporation, if it is determined that the criteria for indemnification have not been satisfied; and
(2) after a determination that the facts then known to those making the determination would not preclude indemnification under this section.
The written undertaking required by clause (1) is an unlimited general obligation of the person making it, but need not be secured and must be accepted without reference to financial ability to make the repayment.
Subd. 4. Prohibition or limit on indemnification or advances. The articles or bylaws may prohibit indemnification or advances of expenses required by this section or may impose conditions on indemnification or advances of expenses in addition to the conditions contained in subdivisions 2 and 3 including, without limitation, monetary limits on indemnification or advances of expenses, if the conditions apply equally to all persons or to all persons within a given class. A prohibition or limit on indemnification or advances may not apply to or affect the right of a person to indemnification or advances of expenses with respect to acts or omissions of the person occurring before the effective date of a provision in the articles or the date of adoption of a provision in the bylaws establishing the prohibition or limit on indemnification or advances.
Subd. 5. Reimbursement to witnesses. This section does not require, or limit the ability of, a corporation to reimburse expenses, including attorneys fees and disbursements, incurred by a person in connection with an appearance as a witness in a proceeding at a time when the person has not been made or threatened to be made a party to a proceeding.
Subd. 6. Determination of eligibility. (a) Determinations as to whether indemnification of a person is required because the criteria set forth in subdivision 2 have been satisfied and whether a person is entitled to payment or reimbursement of expenses in advance of the final disposition of a proceeding under subdivision 3 must be made:
(1) by the board by a majority of a quorum; directors who are at the time parties to the proceeding are not counted for determining a majority or the presence of a quorum;
(2) if a quorum under clause (1) cannot be obtained, by a majority of a committee of the board, consisting solely of two or more directors not at the time parties to the proceeding, duly designated to act in the matter by a majority of the full board including directors who are parties;
(3) if a determination is not made under clause (1) or (2), by special legal counsel, selected either by a majority of the board or a committee by vote under clause (1) or (2) or, if the requisite quorum of the full board cannot be obtained and the committee cannot be established, by a majority of the full board including directors who are parties;
(4) if a determination is not made under clauses (1) to (3), by the members with voting rights, other than members who are parties to the proceeding; or
(5) if an adverse determination is made under clauses (1) to (4) or under paragraph (b), or if no determination is made under clauses (1) to (4) or under paragraph (b) within 60 days after the termination of a proceeding or after a request for an advance of expenses, by a court in this state, which may be the court in which the proceeding involving the person's liability took place, upon application of the person and notice the court requires.
(b) With respect to a person who is not, and was not at the time of the acts or omissions complained of in the proceedings, a director, officer, or person having, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of the corporation, the determination whether indemnification of this person is required because the criteria in subdivision 2 have been satisfied and whether this person is entitled to payment or reimbursement of expenses in advance of the final disposition of a proceeding under subdivision 3 may be made by an annually appointed committee of the board, having at least one member who is a director. The committee shall report at least annually to the board concerning its actions.
Subd. 7. Insurance. A corporation may buy and maintain insurance on behalf of a person in that person's official capacity against liability asserted against and incurred by the person in or arising from that capacity, whether or not the corporation would have been required to indemnify the person against the liability under this section.
Subd. 8. Disclosure. A corporation with members with voting rights that indemnifies or advances expenses to a person under this section in connection with a proceeding by or on behalf of the corporation shall report to the members in writing the amount of the indemnification or advance and to whom and on whose behalf it was paid not later than the next meeting of members.
Subd. 9. Indemnification of other persons. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the power of a corporation to indemnify persons other than a director, officer, employee, or member of a committee of the board of the corporation by contract or otherwise.
1989 c 304 s 83; 2010 c 250 art 1 s 35

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