Exhibit
10.1
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT, dated as of
day of the ,
2006, by and between MGP INGREDIENTS, INC.,
a Kansas corporation (the Company) and (the Indemnitee).
WHEREAS, it is essential to the Company to retain and
attract as directors and officers the most capable persons available; and
WHEREAS, Indemnitee is a
director or officer of the Company; and
WHEREAS, both the Company and Indemnitee recognize the
increased risk of litigation and other claims being asserted against directors
and officers of public companies in todays environment; and
WHEREAS, the Kansas legislature, in recognition of the
need to secure the continued service of competent and experienced people in
senior corporate positions and to assure that they will be able to exercise
judgment without fear of personal liability so long as they fulfill the basic
duties of honesty, care and good faith, has enacted K.S.A. 17-6305, which empowers
the Company to indemnify its officers, directors, employees and agents and
expressly provides that the indemnification provided by the statute is not
exclusive; and
WHEREAS, the Bylaws of the Company require the Company
to indemnify and advance expenses to its directors and officers to the fullest
extent now or hereafter authorized by the Kansas Statutes Annotated, and the
Bylaws, further, provide that the right to indemnification and payment of
expenses conferred therein shall not be exclusive of any other right which any
person may have or acquire under any statute, provision of the Articles of
Incorporation, bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested
directors, or otherwise; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of the fact that the
Indemnitee continues to serve as a director or officer of the Company, in part
in reliance on the Bylaws, and of the fact of Indemnitees need for substantial
protection against personal liability in order to enhance Indemnitees
continued service to the Company in an effective manner, and in part to provide
Indemnitee with specific contractual assurance that the protection promised by
the Bylaws will be available to Indemnitee (regardless of, among other things,
any amendment to the Bylaws or any change in the composition of the Companys
Board of Directors or any acquisition transaction relating to the Company), and
due to the possibility that the Companys directors and officers liability
insurance coverage could at some future time become inadequate, the Company
wishes to provide in this Agreement for the indemnification of, and the
advancing of expenses to, Indemnitee to the fullest extent (whether partial or
complete) now or hereafter authorized or permitted by law and as set forth in
this Agreement, and, to the extent insurance is maintained, for the continued
coverage of Indemnitee under the Companys directors and officers liability
insurance policies;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and
of Indemnitee continuing to serve the Company directly or, at its request,
through service to another enterprise, and intending to be legally bound
hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. CERTAIN
DEFINITIONS:
(a) Acquiring
Person means a person, entity or group that has made an acquisition described
in Section 1(e)(i) or the reorganized or surviving company in a reorganization
or consolidation described in Section 1(e)(iii).
(b) Approved
Law Firm shall mean any law firm that has at least twenty (20) attorneys
(wherever located) and an office located in Kansas and is rated av by
Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory; provided, however, that such law firm shall
not, for a five-year period prior to the earliest date as of which Indemnitee
first has actual knowledge of the relevant Indemnifiable Claim, have been
engaged by the Company, an Acquiring Person, any affiliate or associate of an
Acquiring Person, or Indemnitee.
(c) Applicable
Standard of Conduct shall mean the standard of conduct that must be satisfied
to permit indemnification under K.S.A. 17-6305(a) or (b), whichever is or would
be applicable under the circumstances.
(d) Board
of Directors or Board shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.
(e) A
Change in Control shall be deemed to have occurred upon:
(i) The
acquisition (other than from the Company) by any person, entity or group,
within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act) (excluding, for this purpose, the
Company or its subsidiaries, any employee benefit plan of the Company or its
subsidiaries, trustees of the MGP Ingredients, Inc. Voting Trust or of the Cray
Family Trust, or any person who acquires common or preferred stock of the
Company from Cloud L. Cray, Jr. or from any trust controlled by or for the
benefit of Cloud L. Cray, Jr. prior to or as a result of his death), of
beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the
Exchange Act) of at least 30% of the then outstanding shares of common stock
and 50% of the then outstanding shares of $10 par value preferred stock of the
Company or 30% of the combined voting power of the Companys then outstanding
voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors; or
(ii) The
cessation, for any reason, of individuals who, as of the date hereof,
constitute the Board (as of the date hereof the Incumbent Board) to
constitute at least a majority of the Board, provided that any person becoming
a director subsequent to the date hereof whose election, or nomination for election
by the Companys stockholders, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of
the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board (other than an election or
nomination of an individual whose initial assumption of office is in connection
with an actual or threatened election contest relating to the election of the
directors of the Company) shall be, for
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purposes of this Plan,
considered as though such person were a member of the Incumbent Board; or
(iii) Approval by the
stockholders of the Company of (A) a reorganization, merger or
consolidation, in each case, with respect to which persons who were the
stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such reorganization, merger or
consolidation do not, immediately thereafter, own collectively as a group more
than 50% of the combined voting power entitled to vote generally in the
election of directors of the reorganized or surviving companys then
outstanding voting securities, or (B) a liquidation or dissolution of the
Company or the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company.
(f) Claim shall mean
any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, or any inquiry
or investigation, whether conducted by the Company or any other party, that
Indemnitee in good faith believes might lead to the institution of any such
action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative,
investigative or other.
(g) Company-Related
Enterprise shall mean any corporation of any type or kind, domestic or
foreign, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other
enterprise for which Indemnitee serves or has served as a Fiduciary at the
request of the Company. For this
purpose, and without limitation of any indemnification provided hereunder, if
Indemnitee serves as a Fiduciary for (i) another corporation, partnership,
joint venture or trust of which 20 percent or more of the voting power or
residual economic interest is held, directly or indirectly, by the Company, or
(ii) any employee benefit plan of the Company or any entity referred to in
clause (i), Indemnitee shall be deemed to be doing or to have done so at the
request of the Company.
(h) Expenses shall
include attorneys fees and all other costs, expenses and obligations
reasonably paid or 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 Indemnifiable Claim, together with
interest, computed at the Companys average cost of funds for short-term
borrowings, accrued from the date of payment of such expense to the date
Indemnitee receives reimbursement therefor.
(i) Fiduciary shall
mean director, officer, general partner, manager, employee, trustee, agent or
other fiduciary.
(j) Indemnifiable
Claim shall mean any Claim based upon, or arising in whole or in part out of
(i) the fact that Indemnitee is or was a Fiduciary of the Company or is or was
a Fiduciary of any Company-Related Enterprise, (ii) anything done or not done
(or alleged to have been done or not done) by Indemnitee in any such capacity
or (iii) anything done or not done (or alleged to have been done or not done)
by Indemnitee in any other capacity for the Company or a Company-Related
Enterprise while serving as a Fiduciary of the Company or a Company-Related
Enterprise.
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(k) Reviewing Party
shall be (i) the Board of Directors, acting by majority vote of directors (the Disinterested
Directors) who are not parties to the particular Claim with respect to which
Indemnitee is seeking indemnification, even through less than a quorum,
(ii) a committee of the Disinterested Directors designated by a majority
vote of the Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum, or
(iii) if there are no Disinterested Directors, or if the Disinterested
Directors so direct, (A) independent legal counsel or (B) the
stockholders.
2. BASIC
INDEMNIFICATION ARRANGEMENT. If
Indemnitee was, is or becomes at any time a party to, or witness or other
participant in, or is threatened to be made a party to, or witness or other
participant in, an Indemnifiable Claim, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee
to the fullest extent now or hereafter authorized or permitted by law as soon
as practicable but in any event no later than 30 days after written demand is
presented to the Company, against any and all Expenses, judgments, fines
(including excise taxes assessed against Indemnitee with respect to an employee
benefit plan), penalties and amounts paid in settlement of such Claim
(including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in
connection with, or in respect of, such Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties
or amounts paid in settlement). If so
requested by Indemnitee, and upon compliance with the condition stated in
Section 3, the Company shall advance (within two business days of such
request and compliance) any and all Expenses to Indemnitee (an Expense Advance). Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to
the contrary, Indemnitee shall not be entitled to indemnification pursuant to
this Agreement (i) in respect of any Claim based upon or arising out of conduct
of Indemnitee that does not satisfy the Applicable Standard of Conduct, or (ii)
in any action by or in the right of the Company in which Indemnitee has been
finally adjudged to be liable to the Company, unless and only to the extent
that the court in which the proceeding was brought determines upon application
that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the
circumstances of the case, the Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to
indemnity for such expenses as the court shall deem proper, nor shall the
Company be liable, unless otherwise provided by separate written agreement,
bylaw or other provision for indemnity, to make any payment in connection with
any Claim (x) for an accounting of profits made from the purchase or sale by
the Indemnitee of securities of the Company within the meaning of Section 16(b)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and amendments thereto, (y) for amounts
paid in settlement of any proceeding effected without the written consent of
the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or (z) in
connection with any Claim initiated prior to a Change in Control by Indemnitee,
unless the Board of Directors has joined in or consented to the initiation of
such Claim.
3. PAYMENT.
a. Notwithstanding
the provisions of Section 2, the indemnification obligations of the Company
under Section 2 (which shall in no event be deemed to preclude any right to
indemnification to which Indemnitee may be entitled under K.S.A. 17-6305) shall
be subject to the condition that unless indemnification is ordered by a court,
the Reviewing Party shall have authorized such indemnification in the specific
case upon a determination that Indemnitee has met the Applicable Standard of
Conduct and
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that indemnification is
not precluded by circumstances described in the last sentence of Section 2 of
this Agreement. If the Reviewing Party
is independent legal counsel, the determination shall be made in a written
opinion.
b. The
Company shall promptly call a meeting of the Board of Directors with respect to
a Claim and agrees to use its best efforts to facilitate a prompt determination
by the Reviewing Party with respect to the Claim. Indemnitee shall be afforded
the opportunity to make submissions to the Reviewing Party with respect to the
Claim.
c.
The Company shall have no obligation under this Agreement to make an Expense
Advance pursuant to Section 2 with respect to matters described in clauses (y)
and (z) of the last sentence of Section 2.
d. The
obligation of the Company to make an Expense Advance pursuant to Section 2
shall only be subject to the condition that the Indemnitee must first deliver
to the Company a signed, written undertaking to repay the Expense Advance (i)
if and when Indemnitee settles any proceeding without the written consent of
the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or (ii) if, when
and to the extent that the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee is not
entitled to be indemnified under Section 2 and applicable law; provided,
however, with respect to clause (ii), that if Indemnitee has commenced legal
proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to secure a determination that
Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified under Section 2, applicable law or
both, any decision by the Reviewing Party not to authorize indemnification
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 and all rights of appeal therefrom have been exhausted or
lapsed.
e.
If a claim for indemnification or Expense advance has not been paid in full by
the Company within ninety (90) days after written demand is presented to the
Company, Indemnitee shall have the right to commence litigation in any court in
the State of Kansas having subject matter jurisdiction thereof and in which
venue is proper, seeking an initial determination by the court or challenging
any determination by the Reviewing Party or any aspect thereof, and the Company
hereby consents to service of process and agrees to appear in any such
proceeding. It shall be a defense to any
such action (other than an action brought to enforce a claim for Expenses
incurred in defending any proceeding in advance of its final disposition where
the required undertaking has been tendered to the Company) that the Indemnitee
has not met the Applicable Standard of Conduct, but the burden of proving such
defense shall be on the Company.
However, neither the failure of the Reviewing Party to have made a
determination prior to the commencement of such action that the Indemnitee has
met the Applicable Standard of Conduct, nor an actual determination by the
Reviewing Person that the Indemnitee had not met such Applicable Standard of
Conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that the
Indemnitee has not met the Applicable Standard of Conduct.
4. The
Company shall be entitled to participate at its expense in any proceeding for
which Indemnitee may be entitled to indemnity hereunder, and it may
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assume the defense
thereof with counsel satisfactory to the Indemnitee unless the Indemnitee
reasonably concludes that there may be a conflict of interest between the
Company and the Indemnitee in the conduct of such defense.
5. CHANGE
IN CONTROL. If there is a Change in
Control (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority
of the directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control
and were or are deemed to have been members of the Incumbent Board), then (i)
for the purpose of all authorizations and determinations pursuant to the first
sentence of Section 3 hereof and K.S.A. 17-6305, the Reviewing Party shall be
independent legal counsel and (ii) with respect to all matters thereafter
arising concerning the rights of Indemnitee to indemnification and Expense
Advances under this Agreement, the Company (including the Board of Directors)
shall seek legal advice from (and only from) special, independent counsel
selected by Indemnitee and approved by the Company (which approval shall not be
unreasonably withheld), and who (except in connection with such matters) has
not performed services for the Company (or any subsidiary of the Company) or an
Acquiring Person, any affiliate or associate of an Acquiring Person, or
Indemnitee within the five-year period prior to the earliest date as of which
Indemnitee first has actual knowledge of the relevant Indemnifiable Claim. Unless Indemnitee has theretofore selected
counsel pursuant to this Section 4 and such counsel has been approved by the
Company, any Approved Law Firm selected by Indemnitee shall be deemed to be
approved by the Company. Such counsel,
among other things, shall render their written opinion to the Company, the
Board of Directors and Indemnitee as to whether and to what extent Indemnitee
is entitled to be indemnified under applicable law. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees
of the special, independent counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify
such counsel, to the extent not prohibited by applicable rules of professional
conduct, against any and all expenses (including attorneys fees), claims,
liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or counsels
engagement pursuant hereto. As used in
this Agreement, the terms affiliate and associate shall have the respective
meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this Agreement.
6. INDEMNIFICATION
FOR ADDITIONAL EXPENSES. The Company
shall indemnify Indemnitee against any and all expenses (including attorneys
fees) that are reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any claim
successfully asserted, in whole or in part, or action brought by Indemnitee in
which the Indemnitee prevails, in whole or in part, for (i) indemnification or
advance payment of Expenses by the Company under this Agreement or any other
agreement or Bylaw of the Company now or hereafter in effect relating to
Indemnifiable Claims or (ii) recovery under any directors and officers
liability insurance policies maintained by the Company.
7. PARTIAL
INDEMNITY, ETC. If Indemnitee is
entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the
Company for a portion of the Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts
paid in settlement relating to a Claim but not, however, for all of the total
amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the
portion thereof to which Indemnitee is entitled. Moreover, notwithstanding any
other provision of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee has
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been successful on the
merits or otherwise in defense of any or all Indemnifiable Claims or in defense of any issue or matter relating
to an Indemnifiable Claim, including dismissal without prejudice, Indemnitee
shall be indemnified, to the extent permitted by law, against all Expenses
incurred in connection with such Indemnifiable Claims.
8. BURDEN
OF PROOF. In connection with any
determination by the Reviewing Party or a court 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.
9. NO
PRESUMPTION. For purposes of this
Agreement, the termination of any claim, action, suit or proceeding, whether
civil or criminal, 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.
10. NONEXCLUSIVITY,
ETC. The rights of Indemnitee hereunder
shall be in addition to any other rights Indemnitee may have under the Articles
of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company, applicable law, any other agreement,
or otherwise. To the extent that a
change in the law (whether by statute or judicial decision) permits greater
indemnification by agreement than would be afforded currently under the Bylaws
of the Company and this Agreement, it is the intent of the parties hereto that
Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by
such change.
11. LIABILITY
INSURANCE. To the extent the Company
maintains an insurance policy or policies providing directors and officers
liability insurance, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies, in
accordance with its or their terms, to the maximum extent of the coverage
available for any director or officer of the Company.
12. AMENDMENTS,
ETC. No supplement, modification or
amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by both
of the parties hereto. No waiver of any
of the provisions of this Agreement shall be effective unless in writing and no
written waiver 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.
13. 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 papers required and
shall do everything that may be necessary to secure such rights, including the
execution of such documents necessary to enable the Company effectively to
bring suit to enforce such rights.
Indemnitee shall not be obligated to incur any expense in connection
with, and Indemnitee shall be entitled to reasonable compensation for any time
devoted by Indemnitee to, securing such rights of recovery for the Company.
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14. 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 otherwise
actually received payment (under any insurance policy, the Articles of
Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company, or otherwise) of the amounts otherwise
indemnifiable hereunder.
15. SPECIFIC
PERFORMANCE. The parties recognize that
if any provision of this Agreement is violated by the Company, Indemnitee may
be without an adequate remedy at law.
Accordingly, in the event of any such violation, the Indemnitee shall be
entitled, if Indemnitee so elects, to institute proceedings, either at law or
in equity, to obtain damages, enforce specific performance, enjoin such
violation, obtain any other relief, or any combination of the foregoing.
16. BINDING
EFFECT, ETC. This Agreement shall be
binding upon, inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by the parties hereto
and their respective successors (including any direct or indirect successor by
purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the
business or assets, or both, of the Company), assigns, spouses, heirs, and
personal and legal representatives. This
Agreement shall continue in effect regardless of whether Indemnitee continues
to serve as a Fiduciary of the Company or a Company-Related Enterprise.
17. SEVERABILITY. The provisions of this Agreement shall be
severable if 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.
18. GOVERNING
LAW. This Agreement shall be governed
by, and be construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of
Kansas applicable to contracts made and to be performed in such state, without
giving effect to the principles of conflicts of laws.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company and Indemnitee have
executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.
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MGP INGREDIENTS, INC.
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By:
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,
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[Name
of Indemnitee]
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