(a) A corporation may indemnify any person made, or threatened to be
made, a party to an action or proceeding (other than one by or in the
right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor), whether
civil or criminal, including an action by or in the right of any other
corporation of any type or kind, domestic or foreign, or any
partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other
enterprise, which any director or officer of the corporation served in
any capacity at the request of the corporation, by reason of the fact
that he, his testator or intestate, was a director or officer of the
corporation, or served such other corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise in any
capacity, against judgments, fines, amounts paid in settlement and
reasonable expenses, including attorneys' fees actually and necessarily
incurred as a result of such action or proceeding, or any appeal
therein, if such director or officer acted, in good faith, for a purpose
which he reasonably believed to be in, or, in the case of service for
any other corporation or any partnership, joint venture, trust, employee
benefit plan or other enterprise, not opposed to, the best interests of
the corporation and, in criminal actions or proceedings, in addition,
had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.
(b) The termination of any such civil or criminal action or proceeding
by judgment, settlement, conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere,
or its equivalent, shall not in itself create a presumption that any
such director or officer did not act, in good faith, for a purpose which
he reasonably believed to be in, or, in the case of service for any
other corporation or any partnership, joint venture, trust, employee
benefit plan or other enterprise, not opposed to, the best interests of
the corporation or that he had reasonable cause to believe that his
conduct was unlawful.
(c) A corporation may indemnify any person made, or threatened to be
made, a party to an action by or in the right of the corporation to
procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that he, his
testator or intestate, is or was a director or officer of the
corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a
director or officer of any other corporation of any type or kind,
domestic or foreign, of any partnership, joint venture, trust, employee
benefit plan or other enterprise, against amounts paid in settlement and
reasonable expenses, including attorneys' fees, actually and necessarily
incurred by him in connection with the defense or settlement of such
action, or in connection with an appeal therein, if such director or
officer acted, in good faith, for a purpose which he reasonably believed
to be in, or, in the case of service for any other corporation or any
partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other
enterprise, not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation,
except that no indemnification under this paragraph shall be made in
respect of (1) a threatened action, or a pending action which is settled
or otherwise disposed of, or (2) any claim, issue or matter as to which
such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation,
unless and only to the extent that the court in which the action was
brought, or, if no action was brought, any court of competent
jurisdiction, determines upon application that, in view of all the
circumstances of the case, the person is fairly and reasonably entitled
to indemnity for such portion of the settlement amount and expenses as
the court deems proper.
(d) For the purpose of this section, a corporation shall be deemed to
have requested a person to serve an employee benefit plan where the
performance by such person of his duties to the corporation also imposes
duties on, or otherwise involves services by, such person to the plan or
participants or beneficiaries of the plan; excise taxes assessed on a
person with respect to an employee benefit plan pursuant to applicable
law shall be considered fines; and action taken or omitted by a person
with respect to an employee benefit plan in the performance of such
person's duties for a purpose reasonably believed by such person to be
in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of the plan shall
be deemed to be for a purpose which is not opposed to the best interests
of the corporation.
Structure New York Laws
Article 7 - Directors and Officers
703 - Election and Term of Directors.
704 - Classification of Directors.
705 - Newly Created Directorships and Vacancies.
709 - Greater Requirement as to Quorum and Vote of Directors.
710 - Place and Time of Meetings of the Board.
711 - Notice of Meetings of the Board.
712 - Executive Committee and Other Committees.
718 - List of Directors and Officers.
719 - Liability of Directors in Certain Cases.
720 - Action Against Directors and Officers for Misconduct.
721 - Nonexclusivity of Statutory Provisions for Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
722 - Authorization for Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
723 - Payment of Indemnification Other Than by Court Award.
724 - Indemnification of Directors and Officers by a Court.
725 - Other Provisions Affecting Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
726 - Insurance for Indemnification of Directors and Officers.