Exhibit 10.61

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

This Indemnification Agreement (“Agreement”) is made as of                           , by and between FIRSTCITY FINANCIAL CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and                            (“Indemnitee”).

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, the Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve the Company;

 

WHEREAS, in order to induce Indemnitee to continue to provide services to the Company, the Company wishes to provide for the indemnification of, and advancement of expenses to, Indemnitee to the maximum extent permitted by law;

 

WHEREAS, the Certificate of Incorporation (the “Charter”) and/or Bylaws of the Company (the “Bylaws”) require indemnification of the officers and directors of the Company, and Indemnitee may also be entitled to indemnification pursuant to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”);

 

WHEREAS, the Charter and/or Bylaws and the DGCL expressly provide that the indemnification provisions set forth therein are not exclusive, and thereby contemplate that contracts may be entered into between the Company and members of the board of directors, officers and other persons with respect to indemnification;

 

WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee recognize the continued difficulty in obtaining liability insurance for the Company’s directors, officers, employees, agents (which for the purposes of this Agreement shall not include any Indemnitee acting in his or her capacity as outside counsel to the Company) and fiduciaries, the significant and continual increases in the cost of such insurance and the general trend of insurance companies to reduce the scope of coverage of such insurance;

 

WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the substantial increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and scope of coverage of liability insurance provide increasing challenges for the Company;

 

WHEREAS, in order for Indemnitee to continue to serve the Company in such capacity, Indemnitee desires to enter into this Agreement with the Company as a supplement to and in furtherance of the indemnification provided to Indemnitee by applicable law, the Company’s governing documents and available insurance;

 

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has determined that the increased difficulty in attracting and retaining highly qualified persons such as Indemnitee is detrimental to the best interests of the Company’s stockholders and that the Company should act to assure Indemnitee that there will be increased certainty of such protection in the future;

 











 

WHEREAS, it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate itself to indemnify, and to advance expenses on behalf of, such persons to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, regardless of any amendment or revocation of the Charter or Bylaws, so that they will serve or continue to serve the Company free from undue concern that they will not be so indemnified; and

 

WHEREAS, this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the indemnification provided in the Bylaws and any resolutions adopted pursuant thereto, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder.

 

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

 

Section 1.                                           Services to the Company.  Indemnitee agrees to serve as a director of the Company.  Indemnitee may at any time and for any reason resign from such position (subject to any other contractual obligation or any obligation imposed by law), in which event the Company shall have no obligation to Indemnitee under this Agreement with respect to such position; provided, that such indemnification provisions shall remain in effect with respect to any other position in which the Indemnitee continues to serve the Company or an Enterprise.  This Agreement shall not be deemed an employment contract between the Company (or any of its subsidiaries or any Enterprise) and Indemnitee and nothing contained herein is intended to create in Indemnitee any right of employment by the Company.  The foregoing notwithstanding, this Agreement shall continue in force after Indemnitee has ceased to serve as a director of the Company with respect to actions taken or not taken while Indemnitee served in an indemnified capacity with the Company.

 

Section 2.                                           Definitions.  As used in this Agreement:

 

(a)                                 “Corporate Status” describes the status of a person as a current or former director, officer, employee, agent or trustee of the Company or of any other Enterprise which such person is or was serving at the request of the Company.

 

(b)                                 “Enforcement Expenses” shall mean all costs, fees and expenses, including, without limitation, all retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, reasonable attorneys’ fees and all other disbursements or expenses of the types customarily, incurred by Indemnitee arising out of, relating to or incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, or otherwise pursuing or defending an action or threatened or proposed action to enforce indemnification or advancement rights, or an appeal or appeals from such action or from subsequent appeals, including, without limitation, the premium, security for and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersedeas bond or other appeal bond or its equivalent.

 

(c)                                  “Enterprise” shall mean any corporation (other than the Company), partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other legal entity of which Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee.

 

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(d)                                 “Expenses” shall mean all liabilities, losses, damages, costs, fees and expenses, including, without limitation, all retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, reasonable attorneys’ fees and all other disbursements or expenses of the types customarily, incurred by Indemnitee arising out of, relating to or incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing (or determining whether) to prosecute or defend, investigating, being or preparing to be a witness in, or otherwise participating in, a Proceeding or an appeal or appeals resulting from a Proceeding or appeal therefrom, including, without limitation, the premium, security for and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersedeas bond or other appeal bond or its equivalent. Expenses, however, shall not include amounts paid in settlement by Indemnitee or the amount of judgments or fines against Indemnitee.

 

(e)                                  “Independent Counsel” means a law firm, or a partner (or, if applicable, member) of such a law firm, that is experienced in matters of Delaware corporation law and neither presently is, nor in the past five years has been, retained to represent: (i) the Company, any Enterprise or Indemnitee in any matter material to any such party (other than with respect to matters concerning Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnification agreements), or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or Indemnitee in an action to determine Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees and expenses of the Independent Counsel and to indemnify such counsel against any and all expenses, claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

 

(f)                                   The term “Proceeding” shall include any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, administrative hearing or any other actual, threatened, reasonably anticipated (whether or not same shall actually occur) or completed proceeding, whether brought in the right of the Company or otherwise and whether of a civil, criminal, administrative or investigative nature, in which Indemnitee was, is or will or might be involved as a party or otherwise by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director of the Company or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee of any Enterprise or by reason of any action taken or not taken by him or of any action taken or not taken on his part while acting as director of the Company or while serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee of any Enterprise, in each case whether or not serving in such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification, reimbursement or advancement of expenses can be provided under this Agreement or by applicable law; provided  however, that the term “Proceeding” shall not include any action, suit or arbitration, or part thereof, initiated by Indemnitee to enforce Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement as provided for in Section 13(e) of this Agreement.

 

Section 3.                                           Indemnity in Third-Party Proceedings.  The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3 if Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant in any Proceeding, other than a Proceeding by or in the

 

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right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor (except to the extent permitted by applicable law). Pursuant to this Section 3, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on his behalf arising out of, relating to or in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if 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, in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful. Indemnitee shall not enter into any settlement arising out of, relating to or in connection with a Proceeding without approval in advance by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.

 

Section 4.                                           Indemnity in Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company.  The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 4 if Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant in any Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor. Pursuant to this Section 4, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf arising out of, relating to or in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if 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, No indemnification for Expenses shall be made under this Section 4 in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been finally adjudged by a court to be liable to the Company, unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery (the “Delaware Court”) or any court in which the 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 indemnification for such expenses as the Delaware Court or such other court shall deem proper.

 

Section 5.                                           Indemnification for Expenses of a Party Who is Wholly or Partly Successful.  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement and except as provided in Section 8, to the extent that Indemnitee is a party to or a participant in and is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in any Proceeding or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him 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 actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf arising out of, relating to or in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter. For purposes of this Section and without limitation, the termination of any claim, issue or matter in such a Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice (including, without limitation, for failure to prosecute), shall be deemed to be a successful result as to such claim, issue or matter.

 

Section 6.                                           Indemnification For Expenses of a Witness. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of his Corporate Status, a witness (or a possible witness) in any Proceeding to which Indemnitee is not a party and is not threatened to be made a party, he shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection therewith.

 

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Section 7.                                           Additional Indemnification.

 

(a)                                 Except as provided in Section 8, notwithstanding any limitation in Sections 3, 4 or 5, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law if Indemnitee is a party to or is threatened (or reasonably likely to be threatened) to be made a party to any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor) against all Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the Proceeding.

 

(b)                                 For purposes of Section 7(a), the meaning of the phrase “to the fullest extent permitted by law” shall include, but not be limited to:

 

(i)                                     to the fullest extent permitted by any provision of the DGCL that authorizes or contemplates additional indemnification by agreement, or the corresponding provision of any amendment to or replacement of the DGCL or such provision thereof;

 

(ii)                                  to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by any amendments to or replacements of the DGCL adopted after the date of this Agreement that increase the extent to which a corporation may indemnify its officers and directors; and

 

(iii)                               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 amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with any Proceeding, and any appeal therefrom but not, however for the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such Expenses, judgments, fines or amounts paid in settlement to which Indemnitee is entitled.

 

Section 8.                                           Exclusions.  Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall not be obligated under this Agreement:

 

(a)                                 to make any indemnity for amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder (or for which advancement is provided hereunder) if and to the extent that Indemnitee has otherwise actually received such amounts under any insurance policy, contract, agreement or otherwise, unless Indemnitee is for any reason obligated to return same or likely to be so obligated;

 

(b)                                 to make any indemnity for an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by Indemnitee of securities of the Company within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law;

 

(c)                                  to make any indemnity or advancement that is prohibited by applicable law; or

 

(d)                                 to make any indemnity or advancement for claims initiated or brought by Indemnitee (including Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in defending any affirmative defenses or counterclaims brought or made in connection with a claim initiated by Indemnitee), except (i) with respect to Proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to receive Enforcement Expenses or indemnification under this Agreement or any other agreement or insurance policy or

 

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under the Charter or Bylaws now or hereafter in effect relating to indemnification or advancement (which shall be governed by Section 13(e) of this Agreement), (ii) if the Board has approved the initiation or bringing of such claim, or (iii) as otherwise required under Delaware law.  For the avoidance of doubt, Indemnitee shall not be deemed, for purposes of this subsection, to have initiated or brought any claim by reason of (a) having asserted any affirmative defenses in connection with a claim not initiated by Indemnitee or (b) having made any counterclaim (whether permissive or mandatory) in connection with any claim not initiated by Indemnitee.

 

Section 9.                                           Advances of Expenses.  The Company shall advance, to the extent not prohibited by law, the Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any Proceeding, and such advancement shall be made within twenty (20) days after the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements requesting such advances (which shall include invoices received by Indemnitee in connection with such Expenses but, in the case of invoices in connection with legal services, any references to legal work performed or to expenditures made that would cause Indemnitee to waive any privilege accorded by applicable law shall not be included with the invoice) from time to time, whether prior to or after final disposition of any Proceeding.  Advances shall be unsecured and interest free.  Advances shall be made without regard to Indemnitee’s ability to repay the expenses and without regard to Indemnitee’s ultimate entitlement to indemnification under the other provisions of this Agreement.  Indemnitee shall qualify for advances upon the execution and delivery to the Company of this Agreement which shall constitute an undertaking providing that Indemnitee undertakes to the fullest extent required by law to repay the advance if and to the extent that it is ultimately determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final judgment, not subject to appeal, that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company.  The right to advances under this paragraph shall in all events continue until final disposition of any Proceeding, including any appeal therein.  Nothing in this Section 9 shall limit Indemnitee’s right to advancement pursuant to Section 13(e) of this Agreement.

 

Section 10.                                    Procedure for Notification and Defense of Claim.

 

(a)                                 To obtain indemnification under this Agreement, Indemnitee shall submit to the Company a written request therefor and, if Indemnitee so chooses pursuant to Section 11 of this Agreement, such written request shall also include a request for Indemnitee to have the right to indemnification determined by Independent Counsel.

 

(b)                                 The Company will be entitled to participate in the Proceeding at its own expense.

 

Section 11.                                    Procedure Upon Application for Indemnification.

 

(a)                                 To obtain indemnification, Indemnitee shall promptly submit to the Company a written request, including therein or therewith a request for Independent Counsel and such documentation and information as is reasonably available to Indemnitee and is reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification; provided, however, notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company agrees that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall not be required to engage Independent Counsel.

 

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The Company shall, promptly upon receipt of such a request for indemnification, advise the Board of Directors in writing that Indemnitee has requested indemnification and shall commence the process to retain Independent Counsel with respect to determining whether indemnification is appropriate and granted.

 

(b)                           Independent Counsel’s determination whether to grant Indemnitee’s indemnification request shall be made promptly, and in any event within 60 days following receipt of a request for indemnification pursuant to Section 11(a). The right to indemnification as granted by this Agreement shall be enforceable by Indemnitee by request to have such matter determined in any court of competent jurisdiction if the Independent Counsel denies such request, in whole or in part, or fails to respond within such 60-day period.  It shall be a defense to any such action (other than an action brought to enforce a claim for the advance of costs, charges and expenses under Section 10 hereof where the required undertaking, if any, has been received by the Company) that Indemnitee has not met the standard of conduct set forth in Section 3 hereof, but the burden of proving such defense by clear and convincing evidence shall be on the Company. Neither the failure of the Independent Counsel to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that indemnification of Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 3 hereof, nor the fact that there has been an actual determination by Independent Counsel that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that Indemnitee has or has not met the applicable standard of conduct.  The Indemnitee’s expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) incurred in connection with successfully establishing Indemnitee’s right to indemnification, in whole or in part, in any such proceeding or otherwise shall also be indemnified by the Company as Enforcement Expenses.

 

(c)                            The Indemnitee shall be presumed to be entitled to indemnification under this Agreement upon submission of a request for indemnification pursuant to Section 11, and the Company shall have the burden of proof in overcoming that presumption in reaching a determination contrary to that presumption.  Such presumption shall be used as a basis for a determination of entitlement to indemnification unless the Company overcomes such presumption by clear and convincing evidence.

 

Section 12.                                    Effect of Certain Proceedings.

 

(a)                                 The termination of any Proceeding or of any claim, issue or matter therein, by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of guilty, nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not of itself adversely affect the right of Indemnitee to indemnification or create a presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.

 

(b)                                 The knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any director, officer, agent or employee of the Company or any Enterprise shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement.

 

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Section 13.                                    Remedies of Indemnitee.

 

(a)                                 Subject to Section 13(f), in the event that (i) a determination is made pursuant to Section 11 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, (ii) advancement of Expenses is not timely made pursuant to Section 9 of this Agreement, (iii) no determination of entitlement to indemnification shall have been made pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement within sixty (60) days after receipt by the Company of the request for indemnification that does not include a request for Independent Counsel, (iv) payment of indemnification is not made pursuant to Section 5 or 6 or the last sentence of Section 11(a) of this Agreement within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor or (v) payment of indemnification pursuant to Section 3, 4 or 7 of this Agreement is not made within ten (10) days after a determination has been made that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication by a court of his entitlement to such indemnification or advancement.

 

(b)                                 In the event that a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this Section 13 shall be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial on the merits and Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by reason of that adverse determination.  In any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this Section 13, the Company shall have the burden of proving Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification or advancement, as the case may be.

 

(c)                                  If a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this Section 13, absent a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification.

 

(d)                                 The Company shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this Section 13 that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in any such court or before any such arbitrator that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement.

 

(e)                                  The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against any and all Enforcement Expenses and, if requested by Indemnitee, shall (within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor) advance, to the extent not prohibited by law, such Enforcement Expenses to Indemnitee, which are incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any action brought by Indemnitee for indemnification or advancement from the Company under this Agreement or under any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies maintained by the Company, regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advancement or insurance recovery, as the case may be, in the suit for which indemnification or advancement is being sought.

 

(f)                                   Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no determination as to entitlement to indemnification under this Agreement shall be required to be

 

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made prior to the final disposition of the Proceeding, including any appeal therein; provided, that the Company is complying with its obligations hereunder with respect to the advancement of Expenses; provided, however, that if the Company is not in compliance with such obligations hereunder, Indemnitee may appeal to the Independent Counsel with respect to the advancement of Expenses.

 

Section 14.                                    Non-exclusivity: Survival of Rights: Insurance: Subrogation.

 

(a)                                 The rights of indemnification and to receive advancement as provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which Indemnitee may at any time be entitled under applicable law, the Charter, the Bylaws, any agreement, a vote of stockholders or a resolution of directors, or otherwise.  No amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement or of any provision hereof shall limit or restrict any right of Indemnitee under this Agreement in respect of any action taken or omitted by such Indemnitee in his Corporate Status prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal.  To the extent that a change in Delaware law, whether by statute or judicial decision, permits greater indemnification or advancement than would be afforded currently under the Charter, Bylaws 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.  No right or remedy herein conferred is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every other right and remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise.  The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, hall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other right or remedy.

 

(b)                                 To the extent that the Company maintains an insurance policy or policies providing liability insurance for directors, officers, employees, agents or trustees of the Company or of any other Enterprise, 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 such director, officer, employee, agent or trustee under such policy or policies.  If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of a claim pursuant to the terms 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 Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies.

 

(c)                                  In the event of any payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee (subject to any amounts currently due to Indemnitee under such right of recovery), who shall execute all papers required and take all action necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents as are necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights.

 

(d)                                 The Company’s obligation to provide indemnification or advancement hereunder to Indemnitee who is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee of any other Enterprise shall be reduced by any amount Indemnitee has actually received as indemnification or advancement from such other Enterprise.

 

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Section 15.                                    Duration of Agreement.  This Agreement shall continue until and terminate upon the later of: (a) ten (10) years after the date that Indemnitee shall have ceased to serve as a director of the Company or (b) one (1) year after the final termination of any Proceeding, including any appeal, then pending in respect of which Indemnitee is granted rights of indemnification or advancement hereunder and of any proceeding, including any appeal, commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 13 of this Agreement relating thereto.  This Agreement shall be binding upon the Company and its successors and assigns and shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and his heirs, personal representatives, executors and administrators.  The Company shall require and cause any successor, and any direct or indirect parent of any successor, whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise, to all, substantially all or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, 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.

 

Section 16.                                    Reliance; Entire Agreement.  If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law; (b) such provision or provisions shall be deemed reformed to the extent necessary to conform to applicable law and to give the maximum effect to the intent of the parties hereto; and (c) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested thereby.

 

Section 17.                                    Enforcement.

 

(a)                                 The Company expressly confirms and agrees that it has entered into this Agreement and assumed the obligations imposed on it hereby in order to induce Indemnitee to serve as a director of the Company, and the Company acknowledges that Indemnitee is relying upon this Agreement in serving (or continuing to serve) as a director of the Company.

 

(b)                                 This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral, written and implied, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof; provided, however, that this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the Charter, the Bylaws and applicable law, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder.

 

Section 18.                                    Modification and Waiver.  No supplement, modification or amendment, or waiver of any provision, of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by the parties thereto.  No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions of this Agreement nor shall any waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

 

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Section 19.                                    Notice by Indemnitee.  Indemnitee agrees promptly to notify the Company in writing upon being served with any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information or other document relating to any Proceeding or matter which may be subject to indemnification or advancement as provided hereunder.  The failure of Indemnitee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of any obligation which it may have to Indemnitee under this Agreement or otherwise.

 

Section 20.                                    Notices.  All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if (a) delivered by hand and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed, (b) mailed by certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date on which it is so mailed, (c) mailed by reputable overnight courier and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed or (d) sent by facsimile transmission, with receipt of oral confirmation that such transmission has been received:

 

(a)                                 If to Indemnitee, at the most recent address as Indemnitee shall provide to the Company.

 

(b)                                 If to the Company to:

 

FIRSTCITY FINANCIAL CORPORATION

6400 Imperial Drive

P.O. Box 8216

Waco, Texas 76714-8216

Attention: Counsel

 

or to any other address as may have been furnished to Indemnitee by the Company.

 

Section 21.                                    Contribution.  To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, if the indemnification provided for in this Agreement is unavailable to Indemnitee for any reason whatsoever, as finally determined by the Independent Counsel or a court of competent jurisdiction, in lieu of indemnifying Indemnitee, shall contribute to the amount incurred by Indemnitee, whether for judgments, fines, penalties, excise taxes, amounts paid or to be paid in settlement and/or for Expenses, in connection with any Proceeding in such proportion as is deemed fair and reasonable in light of all of the circumstances in order to reflect (i) the relative benefits received by the Company and Indemnitee in connection with the event(s) and/or transaction(s) giving rise to such Proceeding; and/or (ii) the relative fault of the Company (and its directors, officers, employees and agents) and Indemnitee in connection with such event(s) and/or transactions.

 

Section 22.                                    Applicable Law and Consent to Jurisdiction.  This Agreement and the legal relations among the parties shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict of laws rules.  The Company and Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agree that any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement may be brought in state or federal court of Texas or Delaware, (ii) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of a Texas or

 

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Delaware Court for purposes of any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, (iii) consent to service of process at the address set forth in Section 20 of this Agreement with the same legal force and validity as if served upon such party personally within the States of Texas or Delaware, (iv) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in the Delaware Court and (v) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any claim that any such action or proceeding brought in the Texas or Delaware court has been brought in an improper or inconvenient forum.

 

Section 23.                                    Identical Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same Agreement.  Only one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability is sought needs to be produced to evidence the existence of this Agreement.

 

Section 24.                                    Miscellaneous.  The headings of the paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction thereof.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be signed as of the day and year first above written.

 

	
 
    	
FIRSTCITY   FINANCIAL CORPORATION
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
INDEMNITEE
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
 
    


 

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