QuickLinks
 -- Click here to rapidly navigate through this document
  



 
 

Exhibit 10.1    
    


 
 

INDEMNITY AGREEMENT    
    


        This Indemnity Agreement, dated as of                        ,
2007, is made by and between                        , a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), and                        (the "Indemnitee"). 


RECITALS  


        A.    The
Company is aware that competent and experienced persons are increasingly reluctant to serve as directors, officers or agents of corporations unless they are protected
by comprehensive liability insurance or indemnification, due to increased exposure to litigation costs and risks resulting from their service to such corporations, and due to the fact that the
exposure frequently bears no reasonable relationship to the compensation of such directors, officers and other agents. 


        B.    The
statutes and judicial decisions regarding the duties of directors and officers are often difficult to apply, ambiguous, or conflicting, and therefore fail to provide
such directors, officers and agents with adequate, reliable knowledge of legal risks to which they are exposed or information regarding the proper course of action to take. 



        C.    Plaintiffs
often seek damages in such large amounts and the costs of litigation may be so enormous (whether or not the case is meritorious), that the defense and/or
settlement of such litigation is often beyond the personal resources of directors, officers and other agents. 


        D.    The
Company believes that it is unfair for its directors, officers and agents and the directors, officers and agents of its subsidiaries to assume the risk of huge
judgments and other expenses which may occur in cases in which the director, officer or agent received no personal profit and in cases where the director, officer or agent was not culpable. 



        E.    The
Company recognizes that the issues in controversy in litigation against a director, officer or agent of a corporation such as the Company or its subsidiaries are
often related to the knowledge, motives and intent of such director, officer or agent, that he is usually the only witness with knowledge of the essential facts and exculpating circumstances regarding
such matters, and that the long period of time which usually elapses before the trial or other disposition of such litigation often extends beyond the time that the director, officer or agent can
reasonably recall such matters and may extend beyond the normal time for retirement for such director, officer or agent with the result that he, after retirement or in the event of his death, his
spouse, heirs, executors or administrators, may be faced with limited ability and undue hardship in maintaining an adequate defense, which may discourage such a director, officer or agent from serving
in that position. 


        F.     Based
upon their experience as business managers, the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board") has concluded that,
to retain and attract talented and experienced individuals to serve as directors, officers and agents of the Company and its subsidiaries and to encourage such individuals to take the business risks
necessary for the success of the Company and its subsidiaries, it is necessary for the Company to contractually indemnify its directors, officers and agents and the directors, officers and agents of
its subsidiaries, and to assume for itself maximum liability for expenses and damages in connection with claims against such directors, officers and agents in connection with their service to the
Company and its subsidiaries, and has further concluded that the failure to provide such contractual indemnification could result in great harm to the Company and its subsidiaries and the Company's
stockholders. 


        G.    Section 145
of the General Corporation Law of Delaware, under which the Company is organized
("Section 145"), empowers the Company to indemnify its directors, officers, employees and agents by agreement and to indemnify persons who serve,
at the request of the Company, as the 


1







 



directors,
officers, employees or agents of other corporations or enterprises, and expressly provides that the indemnification provided by Section 145 is not exclusive. 


        H.    The
Company desires and has requested the Indemnitee to serve or continue to serve as a director, officer or agent of the Company and/or one or more subsidiaries of the
Company free from undue concern for claims for damages arising out of or related to such services to the Company and/or one or more subsidiaries of the Company. 



        I.     Indemnitee
is willing to serve, or to continue to serve, the Company and/or one or more subsidiaries of the Company, provided that he is furnished the indemnity provided
for herein. 


AGREEMENT  


        NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows: 


        1.    Definitions.    



        (a)    Agent.    For the purposes of this Agreement, "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. 


        (b)    Expenses.    For purposes of this Agreement, "expenses" include all out-of-pocket costs
of any type or nature whatsoever (including, without limitation, all attorneys' fees and related disbursements), actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with either the
investigation, defense or appeal of a proceeding or establishing or enforcing a right to indemnification under this Agreement or Section 145 or otherwise; provided, however, that "expenses"
shall not include any judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties, or amounts paid in settlement of a proceeding. 



        (c)    Proceeding.    For the purposes of this Agreement, "proceeding" means any threatened, pending, or completed
action, suit or other proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative. 


        (d)    Subsidiary.    For purposes of this Agreement, "subsidiary" means any corporation of which more than 50% of the
outstanding voting securities is owned directly or indirectly by the Company, by the Company and one or more other subsidiaries, or by one or more other subsidiaries. 




        2.    Agreement to Serve.    The Indemnitee agrees to serve and/or continue to serve as agent of the Company, at its
will (or under separate agreement, if such agreement exists), in the capacity Indemnitee currently serves as an agent of the Company, so long as he is duly appointed or elected and qualified in
accordance with the applicable provisions of the Bylaws of the Company or any subsidiary of the
Company or until such time as he tenders his resignation in writing; provided, however, that nothing contained in this Agreement is intended to create any right to continued employment by Indemnitee. 



        3.    Liability Insurance.    



        (a)    Maintenance of D&O Insurance.    The Company hereby covenants and agrees that, so long as the Indemnitee shall
continue to serve as an agent of the Company and thereafter so long 



2







 

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, subject to Section 3(c), shall promptly obtain
and maintain in full force and effect directors' and officers' liability insurance ("D&O Insurance") in reasonable amounts from established and
reputable insurers. 


        (b)    Rights and Benefits.    In all policies of D&O Insurance, the Indemnitee shall be named as an insured in such a
manner as to provide the Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company's directors, if the Indemnitee is a director; or of the Company's
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. 


        (c)    Limitation on Required Maintenance of D&O Insurance.    Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall have
no obligation to obtain or maintain D&O Insurance if the Company determines in good faith that such insurance is not reasonably available, the premium costs for such insurance are disproportionate to
the amount of coverage provided, the coverage provided by such insurance is limited by exclusions so as to provide an insufficient benefit, or the Indemnitee is covered by similar insurance maintained
by a subsidiary of the Company. 




        4.    Mandatory Indemnification.    Subject to Section 9 below, the Company shall indemnify the Indemnitee as
follows: 



        (a)    Third Party Actions.    If the Indemnitee is a person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party
to any proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of the Company) by reason of the fact that he is or was an agent of the Company, or by reason of anything done or not done by him in any such
capacity, the Company shall indemnify the Indemnitee against any and all expenses and liabilities of any type whatsoever (including, but not limited to, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes and
penalties, and amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the investigation, defense, settlement or appeal of such proceeding, provided the Indemnitee acted
in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the
Company and its stockholders, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. 


        (b)    Derivative Actions.    If the Indemnitee is a person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party
to any proceeding by or in the right of the Company by reason of the fact that he is or was an agent of the Company, or by reason of anything done or not done by him in any such capacity, the Company
shall indemnify the Indemnitee against all expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the investigation, defense, settlement, or appeal of such proceeding, provided the
Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and its stockholders; except that no indemnification under this
subsection 4(b) shall be made in respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been finally adjudged to be liable to the Company by a court of competent jurisdiction
unless and only to the extent that the 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, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such amounts which the court shall deem proper. 


        (c)    Actions where Indemnitee is Deceased.    If the Indemnitee is a person who was or is a party or is threatened
to be made a party to any proceeding by reason of the fact that he is or was an agent of the Company, or by reason of anything done or not done by him in any such capacity, and if prior to, during the
pendency of after completion of such proceeding Indemnitee becomes deceased, the Company shall indemnify the Indemnitee's heirs, executors and administrators against any and all expenses and
liabilities of any type whatsoever (including, but not limited to, 



3







 




judgments,
fines, ERISA excise taxes and penalties, and amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred to the extent Indemnitee would have been entitled to indemnification pursuant to
Sections 4(a) or 4(b) above were Indemnitee still alive. 



        (d)    Limitations.    Notwithstanding the foregoing, 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.    Partial Indemnification.    If the Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to
indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of any expenses or liabilities of any type whatsoever (including, but not limited to, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes and penalties, and
amounts paid in settlement) incurred by him in the investigation, defense, settlement or appeal of a proceeding, but not entitled, however, to indemnification for all of the total amount hereof, the
Company shall nevertheless indemnify the Indemnitee for such total amount except as to the portion hereof to which the Indemnitee is not entitled. 


        6.    Mandatory Advancement of Expenses.    Subject to Section 9(a) below, the Company shall advance all
expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with the investigation, defense, settlement or appeal of any proceeding to which the Indemnitee is a party or is threatened to be made a party by
reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was an agent of the Company. Indemnitee hereby undertakes to repay such amounts advanced only if, and to the extent that, it shall be determined ultimately
that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company as authorized hereby. The advances to be made hereunder shall be paid by the Company to the Indemnitee within twenty
(20) days following delivery of a written request therefor by the Indemnitee to the Company. In the event that the Company fails to pay expenses as incurred by the Indemnitee as required by
this paragraph, Indemnitee may seek mandatory injunctive relief from any court having jurisdiction to require the Company to pay expenses as set forth in this paragraph. If Indemnitee seeks mandatory
injunctive relief pursuant to this paragraph, it shall not be a defense to enforcement of the Company's obligations set forth in this paragraph that Indemnitee has an adequate remedy at law for
damages. 


        7.    Notice and Other Indemnification Procedures.    



        (a)    Notice by Indemnitee.    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. 


        (b)    Notice by Company.    If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of the commencement of a proceeding pursuant
to Section 7(a) hereof, the Company has D&O Insurance in effect, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the procedures
set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of
such proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies. 


        (c)    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 



4







 




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. 




        8.    Determination of Right to Indemnification.    



        (a)    Successful Defense.    To the extent the Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense
of any proceeding (including, without limitation, an action by or in the right of the Company) to which the Indemnitee was a party by reason of the fact that he is or was an agent of the Company at
any time, the Company shall indemnify the Indemnitee against all expenses of any type whatsoever actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the investigation, defense or appeal of such
proceeding. 


        (b)    Other Situations.    In the event that Section 8(a) is inapplicable, the Company shall also indemnify
the Indemnitee unless, and except to the extent that, the Company shall prove by clear and convincing evidence in a forum listed in Section 8(c) below that the Indemnitee has not met the
applicable standard of conduct required to entitle the Indemnitee to such indemnification. 



        (c)    Selection of Forum.    The Indemnitee shall be entitled to select the forum in which the validity of the
Company's claim under Section 8(b) hereof that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification will be heard from among the following: 



          (i)  A
quorum of the Board consisting of directors who are not parties to the proceeding for which indemnification is being sought; 


         (ii)  The
stockholders of the Company; 


        (iii)  Legal
counsel selected by the Indemnitee, and reasonably approved by the Board, which counsel shall make such determination in a written opinion; or 


        (iv)  A
panel of three arbitrators, one of whom is selected by the Company, another of whom is selected by the Indemnitee and the last of whom is selected by the first two
arbitrators so selected. 




        (d)    Submission to Forum.    As soon as practicable, and in no event later than thirty (30) days after
written notice of the Indemnitee's choice of forum pursuant to Section 8(c) above, the Company shall, at its own expense, submit to the selected forum in such manner as the Indemnitee or the
Indemnitee's counsel may reasonably request, its claim that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification; and the Company shall act in the utmost good faith to assure the Indemnitee a complete
opportunity to defend against such claim. 


        (e)    Application to Court of Chancery.    Notwithstanding a determination by any forum listed in Section 8(c)
hereof that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification with respect to a specific proceeding, the Indemnitee shall have the right to apply to the Court of Chancery of Delaware, the court in which
that proceeding is or was pending or any other court of competent jurisdiction, for the purpose of enforcing the Indemnitee's right to indemnification pursuant to this Agreement. 


        (f)    Expenses Related to this Agreement.    Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement to the contrary,
the Company shall indemnify the Indemnitee against all expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with any hearing or proceeding under this Section 8 involving the Indemnitee and against
all expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with 



5







 




any
other proceeding between the Company and the Indemnitee involving the interpretation or enforcement of the rights of the Indemnitee under this Agreement unless a court of competent jurisdiction
finds that each of the claims and/or defenses of the Indemnitee in any such proceeding was frivolous or made in bad faith. 




        9.    Exceptions.    Any other provision herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated
pursuant to the terms of this Agreement: 



        (a)    Claims Initiated by Indemnitee.    To indemnify or advance expenses to the Indemnitee with respect to
proceedings or claims initiated or brought voluntarily by the Indemnitee and not by way of defense, unless (i) such indemnification is expressly required to be made by law, (ii) the
proceeding was authorized by the Board, (iii) such indemnification is provided by the Company, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Company under the General Corporation
Law of Delaware or
(iv) the proceeding is brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under this Agreement or any other statute or law or otherwise as required under Section 145; 



        (b)    Lack of Good Faith.    To indemnify the Indemnitee 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 in good faith or was frivolous; or 


        (c)    Unauthorized Settlements.    To indemnify the Indemnitee 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. 




        10.    Non-exclusivity.    The provisions for indemnification and advancement of expenses set forth in
this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights which the Indemnitee may have under any provision of law, the Company's Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, the vote of the
Company's stockholders or disinterested directors, other agreements, or otherwise, both as to action in his official capacity and to action in another capacity while occupying his position as an agent
of the Company, and the Indemnitee's rights hereunder shall continue after the Indemnitee has ceased acting as an agent of the Company and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and
administrators of the Indemnitee. 


        11.    Enforcement.    Any right to indemnification or advances granted by this Agreement to Indemnitee shall be
enforceable by or on behalf of Indemnitee in any court of competent jurisdiction if (i) the claim for indemnification or advances is denied, in whole or in part, or (ii) no disposition
of such claim is made within ninety (90) days of request therefor. Indemnitee, in such enforcement action, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid also the expense of
prosecuting his claim. It shall be a defense to any action for which a claim for indemnification is made under this Agreement (other than an action brought to enforce a claim for expenses pursuant to
Section 6 hereof, provided that the required undertaking has been tendered to the Company) that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification because of the limitations set forth in
Sections 4 and 9 hereof. Neither the failure of the Company (including its Board of Directors or its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such enforcement
action that indemnification of Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances, nor an actual determination by the Company (including its Board of Directors or its stockholders) that such indemnification is
improper, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement or otherwise. 



        12.    Subrogation.    In the event the Company is obligated to make a payment under this Agreement, the Company shall
be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery under an insurance policy or any other indemnity agreement covering the Indemnitee, who 


6







 



shall
execute all documents required and shall do all acts that may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable the Company effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights. 



        13.    Survival of Rights.    



        (a)   All
agreements and obligations of the Company contained herein shall continue during the period Indemnitee is an agent of the Company and shall continue thereafter so
long as Indemnitee shall be subject to any possible claim or threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, arbitrational, administrative or investigative, by
reason of the fact that Indemnitee was serving in the capacity referred to herein. 



        (b)   The
Company shall require any successor to the Company (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the
business or assets of the Company, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession
had taken place. 




        14.    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. 


        15.    Severability.    If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or
unenforceable for any reason whatsoever, (i) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of the Agreement (including without limitation, all portions of any paragraphs
of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that are not themselves invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired
thereby, and (ii) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, all portions of any paragraph of this Agreement containing any such provision
held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that are not themselves invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid,
illegal or unenforceable and to give effect to Section 14 hereof. 


        16.    Modification and Waiver.    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 deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver. 


        17.    Notice.    All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and
shall be deemed duly given (i) if delivered by hand and receipted for by the party addressee or (ii) if mailed by certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business
day after the mailing date. Addresses for notice to either party are as shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or as subsequently modified by written notice. 



        18.    Governing Law.    This Agreement shall be governed exclusively by and construed according to the laws of the
State of Delaware as applied to contracts between Delaware residents entered into and to be performed entirely within Delaware. 


7







 



        The
parties hereto have entered into this Indemnity Agreement effective as of the date first above written. 



	 	 	THE COMPANY:
	

 	
 	

GSI TECHNOLOGY, INC.
	

 	
 	

By	
 	

    

	

 	
 	

Title	
 	

    

	

 	
 	

Address	
 	

    

	 	 	 	 	    

	

 	
 	

INDEMNITEE:
	

 	
 	

    
[Name]
	

 	
 	

Address	
 	

    

	 	 	 	 	    

	 	 	 	 	    





8











QuickLinks



Exhibit 10.1


INDEMNITY AGREEMENT