exv10w55



 






Exhibit 10.55




COVAD COMMUNICATIONS GROUP, INC.




INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT




     This Indemnification Agreement (“Agreement”) is made as of this 2nd day of March, 2005, by and
between Covad Communications Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and John Trewin
(“Indemnitee”).



     WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee recognize the increasing difficulty in obtaining
directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, the significant increases in the cost of such
insurance and the general reductions in the coverage of such insurance;



     WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the substantial increase in corporate
litigation in general, subjecting officers and directors to expensive litigation risks at the same
time as the availability and coverage of liability insurance has been severely limited; and



     WHEREAS, the Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly qualified
individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve as officers and directors of the Company and to indemnify
its officers and directors so as to provide them with the maximum protection permitted by law.



     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration for Indemnitee’s services as an officer or director of the
Company, the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:



     1. Indemnification.



          (a) Third
Party Proceedings. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee if Indemnitee is or was a
party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit,
proceeding or any alternative dispute resolution mechanism, whether civil, criminal, administrative
or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Company) by reason of the fact
that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or any subsidiary
of the Company, or by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the
Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines
and amounts paid in settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which
approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in
connection with such action, suit or proceeding if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner
Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, and,
with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe Indemnitee’s
conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order,
settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself,
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, and, with respect
to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that Indemnitee’s conduct was
unlawful.




 









 








          (b) Proceedings By or in the Right of the Company. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee if
Indemnitee was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or
completed action or suit by or in the right of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company to
procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director,
officer, employee or agent of the Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, or by reason of the
fact that Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer,
employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise,
against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, amounts
paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the defense or
settlement of such action or suit if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee
reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, except that no
indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall
have been adjudged to be liable to the Company unless and only to the extent that the Court of
Chancery of the State of Delaware or the court in which such action or suit 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
expenses which the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or such other court shall deem
proper.




          (c) Mandatory Payment of Expenses. To the extent that Indemnitee has been successful on the
merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in Subsections (a) and
(b) of this Section 1, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, Indemnitee shall be
indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by
Indemnitee in connection therewith.




     2. Agreement to Serve. In consideration of the protection afforded by this Agreement, if
Indemnitee is a director of the Company he agrees to serve at least for the 90 days after the
effective date of this Agreement as a director and not to resign voluntarily during such period
without the written consent of a majority of the Board of Directors. If Indemnitee is an officer of
the Company not serving under an employment contract, he agrees to serve in such capacity at least
for 90 days and not to resign voluntarily during such period without the written consent of a
majority of the Board of Directors. Following the applicable period set forth above, Indemnitee
agrees to continue to serve in such capacity at the will of the Company (or under separate
agreement, if such agreement exists) 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. Nothing contained in this
Agreement is intended to create in Indemnitee any right to continued employment.



     3. Expenses; Indemnification Procedure.



          (a) Advancement of Expenses. The Company shall advance all expenses incurred by Indemnitee in
connection with the investigation, defense, settlement or appeal of any civil or criminal action,
suit or proceeding referenced in Section 1(a) or (b) hereof (but not amounts actually paid in
settlement of any such action, suit or proceeding). Indemnitee hereby undertakes to repay such
amounts advanced only if, and to the extent that, it shall ultimately be determined that




-2-









 








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 Indemnitee within thirty (30) days
following delivery of a written request therefor by Indemnitee to the Company.



          (b) Notice/Cooperation by Indemnitee. Indemnitee shall, as a condition precedent to his right
to be indemnified under this Agreement, give the Company notice in writing as soon as practicable
of any claim made against Indemnitee for which indemnification will or could be sought under this
Agreement. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the President of the Company at the address
shown on the signature page of this Agreement (or such other address as the Company shall designate
in writing to Indemnitee and given as provided in Section 14). In addition, Indemnitee shall give
the Company such information and cooperation as it may reasonably require and as shall be within
Indemnitee’s power.




          (c) Procedure. Any indemnification and advances provided for in Section 1 and this Section 3
shall be made no later than thirty (30) days after receipt of the written request of Indemnitee.
If a claim under this Agreement, under any statute, or under any provision of the Company’s
Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws providing for indemnification, is not paid in full by the
Company within thirty (30) days after a written request for payment thereof has first been received
by the Company, Indemnitee may, but need not, at any time thereafter bring an action against the
Company to recover the unpaid amount of the claim and, subject to Section 14 of this Agreement,
Indemnitee shall also be entitled to be paid for the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) of
bringing such action. It shall be a defense to any such action (other than an action brought to
enforce a claim for expenses incurred in connection with any action, suit or proceeding in advance
of its final disposition) that Indemnitee has not met the standards of conduct which make it
permissible under applicable law for the Company to indemnify Indemnitee for the amount claimed.
However, Indemnitee shall be entitled to receive interim payments of expenses pursuant to
Subsection 3(a) unless and until such defense may be finally adjudicated by court order or judgment
from which no further right of appeal exists. It is the parties’ intention that if the Company
contests Indemnitee’s right to indemnification, the question of Indemnitee’s right to
indemnification shall be for the court to decide, and neither the failure of the Company (including
its Board of Directors, any committee or subgroup of the Board of Directors, independent legal
counsel, or its stockholders) to have made a determination that indemnification of Indemnitee is
proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct required
by applicable law, nor an actual determination by the Company (including it Board of Directors, any
committee or subgroup of the Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders)
that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall create a presumption that
Indemnitee has or has not met the applicable standard of conduct.




          (d) Notice to Insurers. If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of a claim pursuant to
Section 3(b) hereof, the Company has director and officer liability 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.




-3-









 







          (e) Selection of Counsel. In the event the Company shall be obligated under Section 3(a)
hereof to pay the expenses of any proceeding against Indemnitee, the Company, if appropriate, shall
be entitled to assume the defense of such proceeding, with counsel approved by Indemnitee, upon the
delivery to Indemnitee of written notice of its election to do so. After delivery of such notice,
approval of such counsel by Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the
Company will not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of counsel subsequently
incurred by Indemnitee with respect to the same proceeding, provided that (i) Indemnitee shall have
the right to employ his counsel in any such proceeding at Indemnitee’s expense; and (ii) if (A) the
employment of counsel by Indemnitee has been previously authorized by the Company, (B) Indemnitee
shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and
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.




     4. Additional Indemnification Rights; Nonexclusivity.



          (a) Scope. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company hereby agrees
to indemnify the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law, notwithstanding that such
indemnification is not specifically authorized by the other provisions of this Agreement, the
Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, the Company’s Bylaws or by statute. In the event of any
change, after the date of this Agreement, in any applicable law, statute, or rule which expands the
right of a Delaware corporation to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, such
changes shall be, ipso facto, within the purview of Indemnitee’s rights and Company’s obligations,
under this Agreement. In the event of any change in any applicable law, statute or rule which
narrows the right of a Delaware corporation to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an
officer, such changes, to the extent not otherwise required by such law, statute or rule to be
applied to this Agreement shall have no effect on this Agreement or the parties’ rights and
obligations hereunder.




          (b) Nonexclusivity. The indemnification provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed
exclusive of any rights to which Indemnitee may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of
Incorporation, its Bylaws, any agreement, any vote of stockholders or disinterested Directors, the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, or otherwise, both as to action in Indemnitee’s
official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office. The
indemnification provided under this Agreement shall continue as to Indemnitee for any action taken
or not taken while serving in an indemnified capacity even though he may have ceased to serve in
such capacity at the time of any action, suit or other covered proceeding.




     5. Partial Indemnification. If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement
to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of the expenses, judgments, fines or
penalties actually or reasonably incurred by him in the investigation, defense, appeal or
settlement of any civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding, but not, however, for the total
amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such
expenses, judgments, fines or penalties to which Indemnitee is entitled.



-4-









 





     6. Mutual Acknowledgement. Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge that in certain
instances, Federal law or applicable public policy may prohibit the Company from indemnifying its
directors and officers under this Agreement or otherwise. Indemnitee understands and acknowledges
that the Company has undertaken or may be required in the future to undertake with the Securities
and Exchange Commission to submit the question of indemnification to a court in certain
circumstances for a determination of the Company’s right under public policy to indemnify
Indemnitee.



     7. Officer and Director Liability Insurance. The Company shall, from time to time, make the
good faith determination whether or not it is practicable for the Company to obtain and maintain a
policy or policies of insurance with reputable insurance companies providing the officers and
directors of the Company with coverage for losses from wrongful acts, or to ensure the Company’s
performance of its indemnification obligations under this Agreement. Among other considerations,
the Company will weigh the costs of obtaining such insurance coverage against the protection
afforded by such coverage. In all policies of director and officer liability insurance, Indemnitee
shall be named as an insured in such a manner as to provide Indemnitee 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 officers, if Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an
officer. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall have no obligation to obtain or maintain
such insurance if the Company 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, if the coverage provided by such insurance is limited by exclusions so as to provide an
insufficient benefit, or if Indemnitee is covered by similar insurance maintained by a subsidiary
or parent of the Company.



     8. Severability. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to require or shall be construed as
requiring the Company to do or fail to do any act in violation of applicable law. The Company’s
inability, pursuant to court order, to perform its obligations under this Agreement shall not
constitute a breach of this Agreement. The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable as
provided in this Section 8. If this Agreement or any portion hereof shall be invalidated on any
ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Company shall nevertheless indemnify
Indemnitee to the full extent permitted by any applicable portion of this Agreement that shall not
have been invalidated, and the balance of this Agreement not so invalidated shall be enforceable in
accordance with its terms.



     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 Indemnitee with
respect to proceedings or claims initiated or brought voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of
defense, except with respect to proceedings 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 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, but such indemnification or advancement of
expenses may be provided by the Company in specific cases if the Board of Directors has approved
the initiation or bringing of such suit; or




-5-









 








          (b) Lack of Good Faith. To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses incurred by the Indemnitee
with respect to any proceeding instituted by 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) Insured Claims. To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses or liabilities of any type
whatsoever (including, but not limited to, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties, and
amounts paid in settlement) which have been paid directly to Indemnitee by an insurance carrier
under a policy of officers’ and directors’ liability insurance maintained by the Company.




          (d) Claims Under Section 16(b). To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses and the payment of
profits arising from the purchase and sale by Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section
16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any similar successor statute.




     10. Construction of Certain Phrases.



          (a) For purposes of this Agreement, references to the “Company” shall include, in addition to
the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent)
absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have
had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that if
Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent corporation, or is
or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or
agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, Indemnitee
shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Agreement with respect to the
resulting or surviving corporation as Indemnitee would have with respect to such constituent
corporation if its separate existence had continued.




          (b) For purposes of this Agreement, references to “other enterprises” shall include employee
benefit plans; references to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on Indemnitee with
respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to “serving at the request of the Company”
shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company which imposes
duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee or agent with respect to an
employee benefit plan, its participants, or beneficiaries; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith
and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and
beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in a manner
“not opposed to the best interests of the Company” as referred to in this Agreement.




     11. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which
shall constitute an original.



     12. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Company and its
successors and assigns, and shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and Indemnitee’s estate,
heirs, legal representatives and assigns.



-6-









 





     13. Attorneys’ Fees. In the event that any action is instituted by Indemnitee under this
Agreement to enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid
all court costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, incurred by Indemnitee with
respect to such action, unless as a part of such action, the court of competent jurisdiction
determines that each of the material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such action were
not made in good faith or were frivolous. In the event of an action instituted by or in the name
of the Company under this Agreement or to enforce or interpret any of the terms of this Agreement,
Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all court costs and expenses, including attorneys’ fees,
incurred by Indemnitee in defense of such action (including with respect to Indemnitee’s
counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), unless as a part of such action the court
determines that each of Indemnitee’s material defenses to such action were made in bad faith or
were frivolous.



     14. 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, on the date of such receipt, or (ii) if mailed by domestic certified or
registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date postmarked.
Addresses for notice to either party are as shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or as
subsequently modified by written notice.



     15. Consent to Jurisdiction. The Company and Indemnitee each hereby irrevocably consent to
the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Delaware for all purposes in connection with any
action or proceeding which arises out of or relates to this Agreement and agree that any action
instituted under this Agreement shall be brought only in the state courts of the State of Delaware.



     16. Choice of Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, as applied to contracts between Delaware
residents entered into and to be performed entirely within Delaware without regard to the conflict
of law principles thereof.



     17. Period of Limitations. No legal action shall be brought and no cause of action shall be
asserted by or in the right of the Company against Indemnitee, Indemnitee’s estate, spouse, heirs,
executors or personal or legal representatives after the expiration of two years from the date of
accrual of such cause of action, and any claim or cause of action of the Company shall be
extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal action within such
two-year period; provided, however, that if any shorter period of limitations is
otherwise applicable to any such cause of action, such shorter period shall govern.



     18. 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 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.



     19. Amendment and Termination. No amendment, modification, termination or cancellation of
this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing signed by both the parties hereto. No
waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a



-7-









 







waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver
constitute a continuing waiver.



     20. Integration and Entire Agreement. This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding
between the parties hereto and supersedes and merges all previous written and oral negotiations,
commitments, understandings and agreements relating to the subject matter hereof between the
parties hereto.



-8-









 





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



	 	 	 	 	 
	 	 	COVAD COMMUNICATIONS GROUP, INC.
	 
	 	 	 	 
	 	 	/s/ Douglas Carlen
	 	 	 
	 	 	Signature of Authorized Signatory
	 
	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 
	 	 	Douglas Carlen, Assistant Secretary
	 
	 	 	 	 
	

	 	Address:
	 	110 Rio Robles
	

	 	 	 	San Jose, CA 95134
	 
	 	 	 	 
	AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:
	 	 	 	 
	 
	 	 	 	 
	INDEMNITEE:
	 	 	 	 
	 
	 	 	 	 
	/s/ John Trewin



	 	 	 	 
	Signature
	 	 	 	 
	 
	 	 	 	 
	


	 	 	 	 
	John Trewin
	 	 	 	 
	Senior Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
	 	 	 	 






	 	 	 	 	 
	Address:
	 	 	 	 
	

	 	

	 	 
	

	 	

	 	 
	

	 	

	 	 







-9-