35-2-447. Authority to indemnify. (1) Except as provided in subsection (4), an individual made a party to a proceeding because the individual is or was a director may be indemnified against liability incurred in the proceeding if the individual:
(a) engaged in good faith conduct;
(b) reasonably believed:
(i) in the case of conduct in the individual's official capacity with the corporation, that the conduct was in its best interests; and
(ii) in all other cases, that the conduct was at least not opposed to its best interests; and
(c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the conduct was unlawful.
(2) A director's conduct with respect to an employee benefit plan for a purpose the director reasonably believed to be in the interests of the participants in and beneficiaries of the plan is conduct that satisfies the requirements of subsection (1)(b)(ii).
(3) The termination of a proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, or conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent is not, of itself, a determination that the director did not meet the standard of conduct described in this section.
(4) A corporation may not indemnify a director under this section:
(a) in connection with a proceeding by or in the right of the corporation in which the director was adjudged liable to the corporation; or
(b) in connection with any other proceeding that charges improper personal benefit to the director, whether or not involving action in the director's official capacity, in which the director was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received by the director.
(5) Indemnification permitted under this section in connection with a proceeding by or in the right of the corporation is limited to reasonable expenses incurred in connection with the proceeding.
History: En. Sec. 102, Ch. 411, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 1281, Ch. 56, L. 2009.
Structure Montana Code Annotated
Title 35. Corporations, Partnerships, and Associations
Chapter 2. Nonprofit Corporations
Part 4. Directors and Officers -- Indemnification
35-2-414. Requirement for and duties of board
35-2-415. Qualifications and numbers of directors
35-2-416. General standards for directors
35-2-417. Election, designation and appointment of directors
35-2-418. Director conflict of interest
35-2-419. Terms of directors generally -- staggered terms
35-2-420. Resignation of directors
35-2-421. Removal of directors elected by members or directors
35-2-422. Removal of designated or appointed directors
35-2-423. Removal of directors by judicial proceeding
35-2-425. Compensation of directors
35-2-427. Regular and special meetings
35-2-428. Action without meeting
35-2-429. Call and notice of meetings
35-2-433. Committees of the board
35-2-435. Loans to or guaranties for directors and officers
35-2-436. Liability for unlawful distributions
35-2-437. and 35-2-438 reserved
35-2-440. Duties and authority of officers
35-2-441. Standards of conduct for officers
35-2-442. Resignation and removal of officers
35-2-443. Contract rights of officers
35-2-444. Officers' authority to execute documents
35-2-447. Authority to indemnify
35-2-448. Mandatory indemnification
35-2-449. Advance for expenses
35-2-450. Court-ordered indemnification
35-2-451. Determination and authorization of indemnification
35-2-452. Indemnification of officers, employees, and agents