Exhibit 10.6

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

This Indemnification Agreement made and entered as of the 13th day of October
2004 (“Agreement”), by and between Invitrogen Corporation, a Delaware
corporation (together with any successor or successors and predecessor or
predecessors thereto, the “Company”) and David F. Hoffmeister (“Indemnitee”).

 

WHEREAS, it is essential to the Company that it be able to retain and attract as
directors, officers, employees and agents the most capable persons available;

 

WHEREAS, increased corporate litigation has subjected directors, officers,
employees and agents of corporations to litigation risks and expenses and the
limitations on the availability of directors and officers liability insurance
have made it increasingly difficult for the Company to attract and retain such
persons;

 

WHEREAS, its by-laws permit the Company to enter into indemnification
arrangements and agreements;

 

WHEREAS, the Company desires to provide Indemnitee with specific contractual
assurance of Indemnitee’s rights to full indemnification against litigation
risks and expenses (regardless, among other things, of any amendment to or
revocation of the Company’s by-laws or any change in the ownership of the
Company or the composition of its Board of Directors), which indemnification is
intended to be greater than that which is afforded by the Company’s certificate
of incorporation, by-laws and, to the extent insurance is available, the
coverage of Indemnitee under the Company’ directors and officers liability
insurance policies; and

 

WHEREAS, Indemnitee is relying upon the rights afforded under this Agreement in
continuing in Indemnitee’s position as an agent of the Company.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants contained
herein, the Company and Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:

 

1. Definitions.

 

(a) “agent” of the Company means any person who is or was a director, officer,
employee or other agent of the Company or a subsidiary of the Company; or is or
was serving at the request of, for the convenience of, or to represent the
interests of the Company or a subsidiary of the Company as a director, officer,
employee or agent of another foreign or domestic corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust or other enterprise; or was a director, officer, employee or
agent of a foreign or domestic corporation which was a predecessor corporation
of the Company or a subsidiary of the Company, or was a director, officer,
employee or agent of another enterprise at the request of, for the convenience
of, or to represent the interests of such predecessor corporation.

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(b) “Corporate Status” describes the status of a person who is serving or has
served (i) as an agent of the Company, (ii) in any capacity with respect to any
employee benefit plan of the Company, or (iii) as a director, partner, trustee,
officer, employee, or agent of any other Entity as defined below at the request
of the Company.

 

(c) “Entity” shall mean any corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust,
foundation, association, organization or other legal entity and any group or
division of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

(d) “Expenses” shall mean all reasonable fee, costs and expenses incurred in
connection with any Proceeding (as defined below), including, without
limitation, attorney’s fees, disbursements and retainers (including, without
limitation, any such fees, disbursements and retainers incurred by Indemnitee
pursuant to Section 12 of this Agreement), fees and disbursements of expert
witnesses, private investigators and professional advisors (including, without
limitation, accountants and investment bankers), court costs, transcript costs,
fees of experts, travel expenses, duplicating, printing and binding costs,
telephone and fax transmission charges, postage, delivery services, secretarial
services, and other disbursements and expenses.

 

(e) “Indemnifiable Expenses,” “Indemnifiable Liabilities” and “Indemnifiable
Amounts” shall have the meanings ascribed to those terms in Section 3(a) below.

 

(f) “Liabilities” shall mean judgments, damages, liabilities, losses, penalties,
excise taxes, fines and amounts paid in settlement.

 

(g) “Proceeding” shall mean any threatened, pending or completed claim, action,
suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution process, investigation,
administrative hearing, appeal, or any other proceeding, whether civil,
criminal, administrative or investigative, whether formal or informal, including
a proceeding initiated by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 12 of this Agreement to
enforce Indemnitee’s rights hereunder.

 

2. Services of Indemnitee. In consideration of the Company’s covenants and
commitments hereunder, Indemnitee agrees to serve or continue to serve as an
agent of the Company. However, this Agreement shall not impose any obligation on
Indemnitee or the Company to continue Indemnitee’s service to the Company beyond
any period otherwise required by law or by other agreements or commitments of
the parties, if any.

 

3. Agreement to Indemnify. The Company agrees to indemnify Indemnitee as
follows:

 

(a) Subject to the exceptions contained in Section 4(a) below, if Indemnitee was
or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any

 

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Proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of the Company) by reason of
Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, Indemnitee shall be indemnified by the Company
against all Expenses and Liabilities incurred or paid by Indemnitee in
connection with such Proceeding (referred to herein as “Indemnifiable Expenses”
and “Indemnifiable Liabilities,” respectively, and collectively as
“Indemnifiable Amounts”).

 

(b) Subject to the exceptions contained in Section 4(b) below, if Indemnitee was
or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding by or in the
right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of
Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, Indemnitee shall be indemnified by the Company
against all Indemnifiable Expenses.

 

4. Exceptions to Indemnification. Indemnitee shall be entitled to
indemnification under Section 3(a) and 3(b) above in all circumstances other
than the following:

 

(a) If indemnification is requested under Section 3(a) and it has been
adjudicated finally by a court of competent jurisdiction that, in connection
with the subject of the Proceeding out of which the claim for indemnification
has arisen, Indemnitee failed to act in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee
reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company
or, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, Indemnitee had reasonable
cause to believe that Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful, Indemnitee shall not be
entitled to payment of Indemnifiable Amounts hereunder.

 

(b) If indemnification is requested under Section 3(b) and

 

(i) It has been adjudicated finally by a court of competent jurisdiction that,
in connection with the subject of the Proceeding out of which the claim for
indemnification has arisen, Indemnitee failed to act in good faith and in a
manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best
interests of the Company, Indemnitee shall not be entitled to payment of
Indemnifiable Expenses hereunder; or

 

(ii) It has been adjudicated finally by a court of competent jurisdiction that
Indemnitee is liable to the Company with respect to any claim, issue or matter
involved in the Proceeding out of which the claim for indemnification has
arisen, including, without limitation, a claim that Indemnitee received an
improper personal benefit, no Indemnifiable Expenses shall be paid with respect
to such claim, issue or matter unless the Court of Chancery or another court in
which such Proceeding was brought shall determine upon application that, despite
the adjudication of liability, but in view of all the circumstances of the case,
Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such Indemnifiable
Expenses which such court shall deem proper.

 

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(c) The Company shall not be obligated to indemnify the Indemnitee for expenses
or liabilities of any type whatsoever (including, but not limited to, judgments,
fines, ERISA excise taxes and penalties, and amounts paid in settlement) for
which payment is actually made to or on behalf of Indemnitee under a valid and
collectible insurance policy of D&O Insurance, or under a valid and enforceable
indemnity clause, by-law or agreement.

 

5. Notice Procedure. Promptly after receipt by the Indemnitee of notice of the
commencement of or the threat of commencement of any Proceeding, the Indemnitee
shall, if the Indemnitee believes that indemnification with respect thereto may
be sought from the Company under this Agreement, notify the Company of the
commencement or threat of commencement thereof.

 

6. Procedure for Company to Assume the Defense. In the event the Company shall
be obligated to pay the Expenses of any Proceeding against the Indemnitee, the
Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the defense of such
Proceeding, with counsel approved by the Indemnitee, upon the delivery to the
Indemnitee of written notice of its election so to do. After delivery of such
notice, approval of such counsel by the Indemnitee and the retention of such
counsel by the Company, the Company will not be liable to the Indemnitee under
this Agreement for any fees of counsel subsequently incurred by the Indemnitee
with respect to the same Proceeding, provided that (i) the Indemnitee shall have
the right to employ his counsel in any such Proceeding at the Indemnitee’s
expense; and (ii) if (A) the employment of counsel by the Indemnitee has been
previously authorized by the Company, (B) the Indemnitee shall have reasonably
concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and the
Indemnitee in the conduct of any such defense, or (C) the Company shall not, in
fact, have employed counsel to assume the defense of such Proceeding, then the
fees and expenses of Indemnitee’s counsel shall be at the expense of the
Company.

 

7. Procedure for Payment of Indemnifiable Amounts. Indemnitee shall submit to
the Company a written request specifying the Indemnifiable Amounts for which
Indemnitee seeks payment under Section 3 of this Agreement and the basis for the
claim. The Company shall pay such Indemnifiable Amounts to Indemnitee within
twenty (20) calendar days of receipt of the request. At the request of the
Company, Indemnitee shall furnish such documentation and information as are
reasonably available to Indemnitee and necessary to establish that Indemnitee is
entitled to indemnification hereunder.

 

8. Indemnification for Expenses of a Party Who is Wholly or Partly Successful.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, and without limiting any
such provision, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of Indemnitee’s
Corporate Status, a party to and is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in
any Proceeding, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses reasonably
incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection therewith. If
Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding but is successful, on the
merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues or
matters in such Proceeding, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against all
Expenses reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in
connection with each successfully resolved claim,

 

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issue or matter. For purposes of this Agreement, the termination of any claim,
issue or matter in such a Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice,
shall be deemed to be a successful result as to such claim, issue or matter.

 

9. Effect of Certain Resolutions. Neither the settlement or termination of any
Proceeding nor the failure of the Company to award indemnification or to
determine that indemnification is payable shall create an adverse presumption
that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification hereunder. In addition, the
termination of any proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or
upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent shall not create a presumption
that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which Indemnitee
reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company
or, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to
believe that Indemnitee’s action was unlawful.

 

10. Agreement to Advance Interim Expenses; Conditions. The Company shall pay to
Indemnitee all Indemnifiable Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with
any Proceeding, including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company, in
advance of the final disposition of such Proceeding, if Indemnitee furnishes the
Company with a written undertaking to repay the amount of such Indemnifiable
Expenses advanced to Indemnitee if it is finally determined by a court of
competent jurisdiction that Indemnitee is not entitled under this Agreement to
indemnification with respect to such Expenses. Such undertaking shall be an
unlimited general obligation of Indemnitee, shall be accepted by the Company
without regard to the financial ability of Indemnitee to make repayment, and in
no event shall be required to be secured.

 

11. Procedure for Payment of Interim Expenses. Indemnitee shall submit to the
Company a written request specifying the Indemnifiable Expenses for which
Indemnitee seeks an advancement under Section 10 of this Agreement, together
with documentation evidencing that Indemnitee has incurred such Indemnifiable
Expenses. Payment of Indemnifiable Expenses under Section 10 shall be made no
later than twenty (20) calendar days after the Company’s receipt of such request
and the undertaking required by Section 10.

 

12. Remedies of Indemnitee.

 

(a) Right to Petition Court. In the event that Indemnitee makes a request for
payment of Indemnifiable Amounts under Sections 3 and 7 above or a request for
an advancement of Indemnifiable Expenses under Sections 10 and 11 above and the
Company fails to make such payment or advancement in a timely manner pursuant to
the terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee may petition the appropriate judicial
authority to enforce the Company’s obligations under this Agreement.

 

(b) Burden of Proof. In any judicial proceeding brought under Section 12(a)
above, the Company shall have the burden of proving that Indemnitee is not
entitled to payment of Indemnifiable Amounts hereunder.

 

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(c) Expenses. The Company agrees to reimburse Indemnitee in full for any
Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with investigating, preparing for,
litigating, defending or settling any action brought by Indemnitee under Section
12(a) above, or in connection with any claim or counterclaim brought by the
Company in connection therewith.

 

(d) Validity of Agreement. The Company shall be precluded from asserting in any
Proceeding, including, without limitation, an action under Section 12(a) above,
that the provisions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable or
that there is insufficient consideration for this Agreement and shall stipulate
in court that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement.

 

(e) Failure to Act Not a Defense. The failure of the Company (including its
Board of Directors or any committee thereof, independent legal counsel, or
stockholders) to make a determination concerning the permissibility of the
payment of Indemnifiable Amounts or the advancement of Indemnifiable Expenses
under this Agreement shall not be a defense in any action brought under Section
12(a) above, and shall not create a presumption that such payment or advancement
is not permissible.

 

13. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company hereby represents
and warrants to Indemnitee as follows:

 

(a) Authority. The Company has all necessary power and authority to enter into,
and be bound by the terms of, this Agreement, and the execution, delivery and
performance of the undertakings contemplated by this Agreement have been duly
authorized by the Company.

 

(b) Enforceability. This Agreement, when executed and delivered by the Company
in accordance with the provisions hereof, shall be a legal, valid and binding
obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with
its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, reorganization or similar laws affecting the
enforcement of creditors’ rights generally.

 

14. Insurance. The Company hereby covenants and agrees that, so long as
Indemnitee shall continue to serve as an agent of the Company and thereafter so
long as the Indemnitee shall be subject to any possible proceeding by reason of
the fact that the Indemnitee was an agent of the Company, the Company will use
its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain and maintain a policy or policies
of insurance with reputable insurance companies providing the Indemnitee with
coverage for losses from wrongful acts, and to ensure the Company’s performance
of its indemnification obligations under this Agreement. In all policies of
director and officer liability insurance, Indemnitee shall be named as an
insured in such a manner as to provide Indemnitee at least 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

 

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officers, if the Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an officer;
or of the Company’s key employees, if the Indemnitee is not a director or
officer but is a key employee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company,
after employing commercially reasonable efforts as provided in this section,
determines in good faith that such insurance is not reasonably available, if the
premium costs for such insurance are disproportionate to the amount of coverage
provided, or if the coverage provided by such insurance is limited by exclusions
so as to provide an insufficient benefit the Company shall use its commercially
reasonable efforts to obtain and maintain a policy or policies of insurance with
coverage having features as similar as practicable to those described above.

 

15. Contract Rights Not Exclusive. The rights to payment of Indemnifiable
Amounts and advancement of Indemnifiable Expenses provided by this Agreement
shall be in addition to, but not exclusive of, any other rights which Indemnitee
may have at any time under applicable law, the Company’s by-laws or certificate
of incorporation, or any other agreement, vote of stockholders or directors, or
otherwise, both as to action in Indemnitee’s official capacity and as to action
in any other capacity as a result of Indemnitee’s serving as a director, officer
or agent of the Company.

 

16. Successors. This Agreement shall be (a) binding upon all successors and
assigns of the Company (including any transferee of all or a substantial portion
of the business, stock and/or assets of the Company and any direct or indirect
successor by merger or consolidation or otherwise by operation of law) and (b)
binding on and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, personal
representatives, executors and administrators of Indemnitee. This Agreement
shall continue for the benefit of Indemnitee and such heirs, personal
representatives, executors and administrators after Indemnitee has ceased to
have Corporate Status.

 

17. Subrogation. In the event of any payment of Indemnifiable Amounts under this
Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all
of the rights of contribution or recovery of Indemnitee against other persons,
and Indemnitee shall take, at the request of the Company, all reasonable action
necessary to secure such rights, including the execution of such documents as
are necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights.

 

18. Change in Law. To the extent that a change in applicable law (whether by
statute or judicial decision) shall permit broader indemnification than is
provided under the terms of the by-laws of the Company and this Agreement,
Indemnitee shall be entitled to such broader indemnification and this Agreement
shall be deemed to be amended to such extent.

 

19. Interpretation of Agreement. It is understood that the parties hereto intend
this Agreement to be interpreted and enforced so as to provide indemnification
to the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law, including those
circumstances in which indemnification would otherwise be discretionary.

 

20. Severability. Whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement shall be
interpreted in such a manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law,
but if any provision of this Agreement, or any clause thereof, shall be
determined by a court of competent

 

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jurisdiction to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, such
provision or clause shall be limited or modified in its application to the
minimum extent necessary to make such provision or clause valid, legal and
enforceable, and the remaining provisions and clauses of this Agreement shall
remain fully enforceable and binding on the parties.

 

21. Indemnitee as Plaintiff. Except as provided in Section 12((c)) of this
Agreement and in this Section 21, Indemnitee shall not be entitled to payment of
Indemnifiable Amounts or advancement of Indemnifiable Expenses with respect to
any Proceeding brought by Indemnitee against the Company, any Entity which it
controls, any director, officer or agent thereof, or any third party. This
Section shall not apply (i) to counterclaims or affirmative defenses asserted by
Indemnitee in an action brought against Indemnitee, (ii) if the Company has
consented to the initiation of such Proceeding, (iii) if such indemnification is
expressly regarded to be made by law or (iv) if such indemnification is provided
by the Company, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the
Company under the General Corporation Laws of Delaware. In addition to the
foregoing, the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of this
Agreement to indemnify the Indemnitee (i) for any expenses incurred by the
Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding instituted by the Indemnitee to
enforce or interpret this Agreement, if a court of competent jurisdiction
determines that each of the material assertions made by the Indemnitee in such
proceeding was not made by good faith or was frivolous; or (ii) under this
Agreement for any amounts paid in settlement of a proceeding unless the Company
consents to such settlement, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.

 

22. Modifications and Waiver. Except as provided in Section 18 above with
respect to changes in applicable law which broaden the right of Indemnitee to be
indemnified by the Company, no supplement, modification or amendment of this
Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by each of the parties
hereto. No waiver or any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or
shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions of this Agreement (whether or
not similar), nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

 

23. General Notices. All notices, requests, demands and other communications
hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (a)
when delivered by hand, (b) when transmitted by facsimile and receipt is
acknowledged, or (c) if mailed by certified or registered mail with postage
prepaid, on the third business day after the date on which it is so mailed:

 

(i) If to Indemnitee, to:

 

David F. Hoffmeister

1600 Faraday Avenue

Carlsbad, CA 92008

 

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(ii) If to the Company, to

 

General Counsel

Invitrogen Corporation

1600 Faraday Avenue

Carlsbad, CA 92008

 

or to such other address as may have been furnished in the same manner by any
party to the others.

 

24. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and
enforced under the laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to the
provisions thereof relating to conflicts of law.

 

25. Consent to Jurisdiction. The Company hereby irrevocably and unconditionally
consents to the jurisdiction of the courts of Delaware and the United States
District Court in Delaware. The Company hereby irrevocably and unconditionally
waives any objection to the laying of venue of any Proceeding arising out of or
relating to this Agreement in the courts of Delaware or the United States
District Court in Delaware, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives
and agrees not to plead or claim that any such Proceeding brought in any such
court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

26. Agreement Governs. This Agreement is to be deemed consistent wherever
possible with relevant provisions of the Company’s by-laws and certificate of
incorporation; however, in the event of a conflict between this Agreement and
such provisions, the provisions of this Agreement shall control.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the
day and year first above written.

 

INVITROGEN CORPORATION

By:

 

/s/ John A. Cottingham

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John A. Cottingham

   

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

INDEMNITEE    

/s/ David F. Hoffmeister

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David F. Hoffmeister

 

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