Indemnification Agreement



 Exhibit 10.1 
 INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT 
 AGREEMENT, made this     h
day of                     , 200  , between Cathay General Bancorp, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”),
and                     (the “Indemnitee”). 
 W I T N E S S E T H: 

WHEREAS, the Indemnitee is a director and/or officer of the Company or a subsidiary of the Company. 

WHEREAS, highly competent persons have become more reluctant to serve publicly-held corporations as directors or in other capacities
unless they are provided with adequate protection through insurance or adequate indemnification against inordinate risks of claims and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of the corporation. 

WHEREAS, in recognition of Indemnitee’s need for substantial protection against personal liability in order to enhance
Indemnitee’s continued service to the Company in an effective manner and Indemnitee’s reliance on the provisions of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation (“Certificate of Incorporation”) and the Company’s
Bylaws (the “Bylaws”) requiring indemnification of the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law, and in part to provide Indemnitee with specific contractual assurance that the protection promised by such Certificate of
Incorporation and Bylaws will be available to Indemnitee (regardless of, among other things, any amendment to or revocation of such Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws or any change in the composition of the Company’s Board of Directors or
acquisition transaction relating to the Company), the Company wishes to provide in this Agreement for the indemnification of and the advancing of expenses to Indemnitee to the fullest extent (whether partial or complete) permitted by law and as set
forth in this Agreement. 
 WHEREAS, the Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws and the General Corporation Law of the State
of Delaware (“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, 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 so that they will serve or continue to serve the Company free from undue concern that they will not
be so indemnified. 
 WHEREAS, this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the Certificate of Incorporation and
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 of Indemnitee agreeing to serve or continuing to serve the Company directly or, at its request, with another enterprise, and intending to be legally
bound hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows: 
 Section 1. Basic Indemnification
Agreement. (a) In the event Indemnitee was, is or becomes a party to or witness or other participant in, or is threatened to be made a party to or witness or other participant in, a Claim (as defined in Section 9(b) herein) by
reason of (or arising in part out of) an Indemnifiable Event (as defined in Section 9(d) herein), the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law as soon as practicable but in any event no later than 30 days after
written demand is presented to the Company, against any and all Expenses (as defined in Section 9(c) herein), judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in
connection therewith) of such Claim actually and reasonably incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in connection with such Claim and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any
payments under this Agreement. If requested by Indemnitee in writing, the Company shall advance (within ten business days of such written request) any and all Expenses to Indemnitee (an “Expense Advance”). Notwithstanding anything
in this Agreement to the contrary, and except as provided in Section 3, prior to a Change of Control (as defined in Section 9 herein) and except as 

  
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set forth in Sections 1(b) and 7, Indemnitee shall not be entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Agreement in connection with any Claim (i) initiated by Indemnitee against the Company
or any director or officer of the Company unless the Company has joined in or consented to the initiation of such Claim; (ii) made on account of Indemnitee’s conduct which constitutes a breach of Indemnitee’s duty of loyalty to the
Company or its stockholders or is an act or omission not in good faith or which involves intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of the law; or (iii) 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 (the “Exchange Act”). 
 (b)
Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the indemnification obligations of the Company under Section 1(a) shall be subject to the condition that the Reviewing Party shall not have determined (in a written opinion, in any case in which the
special independent counsel referred to in Section 2 hereof is involved) that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law, and (ii) the obligation of the Company to make an Expense Advance pursuant to
Section 1(a) shall be subject to the condition that the Company receives an undertaking that, if, when and to the extent that the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be so indemnified under applicable law, the
Company shall be entitled to be reimbursed by Indemnitee (who hereby agrees to reimburse the Company) for all such amounts theretofore paid; provided, however, that if Indemnitee has commenced legal proceedings in the Court of Chancery of the State
of Delaware (the “Delaware Court”) to secure a determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, any determination made by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under
applicable law shall not be binding and Indemnitee shall not be required to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance until a final judicial determination is made with respect thereto (as to which all rights of appeal therefrom have been
exhausted or lapsed). Indemnitee’s obligation to reimburse the Company for Expense Advances shall be unsecured and no interest shall be charged thereon. If there has not been a Change in Control, the Reviewing Party shall be selected by the
Board of Directors, and if there has been such a Change in Control, the Reviewing Party shall be the special independent counsel referred to in Section 2 hereof. If there has been no determination by the Reviewing Party or if the Reviewing
Party determines that Indemnitee substantively would not be permitted to be indemnified in whole or in part under applicable law, Indemnitee shall have the right to commence litigation in the Delaware Court seeking an initial determination by the
court or challenging any such determination by the Reviewing Party or any aspect thereof and the Company hereby consents to service of process and to appear in any such proceeding. Any determination by the Reviewing Party otherwise shall be
conclusive and binding on the Company and Indemnitee. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee for Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the successful establishment or enforcement, in whole or in part, by Indemnitee of Indemnitee’s
right to indemnification or advances. 
 Section 2. Change in Control. The Company agrees that if
there is a Change in Control of the Company (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by two- thirds or more of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control) then with respect to
all matters thereafter arising concerning the rights of Indemnitee to indemnity payments and Expense Advances under this Agreement or any other agreement, the Bylaws or Certificate of Incorporation now or hereafter in effect relating to Claims for
Indemnifiable Events, the Company shall seek legal advice only from special independent counsel selected by Indemnitee and approved by the Company (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed) and who has not otherwise performed
services for the Company within the last five years (other than in connection with such matters) or for Indemnitee. In the event that Indemnitee and the Company are unable to agree on the selection of the special independent counsel, such special
independent counsel shall be selected by lot from among at least five law firms with offices in the State of Delaware having more than fifty attorneys, having a rating of “av” or better in the then current Martindale Hubbell Law Directory
and having attorneys which specialize in corporate law. Such selection shall be made in the presence of Indemnitee (and his legal counsel or either of them, as Indemnitee may elect). Such counsel, among other things, shall, within 90 days of its
retention, render its written opinion to the Company and Indemnitee as to whether and to what extent Indemnitee would be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees of the special independent
counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), claims, liabilities, and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto. 


  
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 Section 3. Indemnification for Additional Expenses. The Company shall indemnify
Indemnitee against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) and, if requested by Indemnitee in writing, shall (within ten business days of such written request) advance such expenses to Indemnitee, which are incurred by Indemnitee in
connection with any Claim asserted against or action brought by Indemnitee for (i) indemnification or advance payment of Expenses by the Company under this Agreement or any other agreement, the Bylaws or Certificate of Incorporation now or
hereafter in effect relating to Claims for Indemnifiable Events and/or (ii) recovery 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, advance expense payment or insurance recovery, as the case may be. The Indemnitee shall qualify for advances solely upon the execution and delivery to the Company of an undertaking providing that the
Indemnitee undertakes to repay the advance to the extent that it is ultimately determined that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company. 
 Section 4. Partial Indemnity, Etc. If Indemnitee is entitled under any provisions of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company of some or a portion of the Expenses,
liabilities, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement of a Claim but not, however, for all of the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion thereof to which Indemnitee is entitled.
Moreover, notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any or all Claims relating in whole or in part to an Indemnifiable Event or in defense of any
issue or matter therein, including dismissal without prejudice, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses incurred in connection therewith. In connection with any determination by the Reviewing Party or otherwise as to whether Indemnitee
is entitled to be indemnified hereunder the burden of proof shall be on the Company to establish that Indemnitee is not so entitled. 
 Section 5. No Presumption. For purposes of this Agreement, the termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement (whether with or without court
approval) or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere, or its equivalent, shall not create a presumption that Indemnitee did not meet any particular standard of conduct or have any particular belief. 

Section 6. Notification and Defense of Claim. Within 30 days after receipt by Indemnitee of notice of the
commencement of a Claim which may involve an Indemnifiable Event, Indemnitee will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the Company under this Agreement, submit to the Company a written notice identifying the proceeding, but the
omission so to notify the Company will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to Indemnitee under this Agreement unless the Company is materially prejudiced by such lack of notice. With respect to any such Claim as to which Indemnitee
notifies the Company of the commencement thereof: 
 (a) the Company will be entitled to participate therein at its own expense;

 (b) except as otherwise provided below, to the extent that it may wish, the Company jointly with any other indemnifying party
similarly notified will be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to Indemnitee. After notice from the Company to Indemnitee of its election to assume the defense thereof, the Company will not be liable to Indemnitee under
this Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation or as otherwise provided below. Indemnitee shall have the right to employ its own
counsel in such action, suit or proceeding, but the fees and expenses of such counsel incurred after notice from the Company of its assumption of the defense thereof shall be at the expense of Indemnitee unless (i) the employment of counsel by
Indemnitee has been authorized by the Company, (ii) Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and the Indemnitee in the conduct of the defense of such action, or (iii) the
Company shall not in fact have employed counsel to assume the defense of such action, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the Company. The Company shall not be entitled to assume the defense of any
claim brought by or on behalf of the Company or as to which Indemnitee shall have made the conclusion provided for in clause (ii) above; and 
 (c) the Company shall not be liable to indemnify Indemnitee under this Agreement for any amounts paid in settlement of any action or claim effected without its written consent. The Company shall not
settle any action or claim in any manner which would impose any penalty or limitation on Indemnitee without Indemnitee’s written consent. Neither the Company nor Indemnitee will unreasonably withhold or delay their consent to any proposed
settlement. 

  
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 Section 7. Non-exclusivity, Etc. The rights of Indemnitee
hereunder shall be in addition to any other rights Indemnitee may have under the Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws, the DGCL, any agreement, a vote of the stockholders, 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 acting on behalf of the Company and at the request of the Company
prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal. To the extent that a change in the DGCL (whether by statute or judicial decision), the Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws permits greater indemnification by agreement than would be afforded
currently under the Certificate of Incorporation, the 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, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other right or remedy. 
 Section 8. Liability Insurance. To the extent the Company maintains an insurance policy or policies providing directors’ and officers’ liability insurance,
Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any Company director or officer. If, at the time the Company receives notice from any source of a Claim
as to which Indemnitee is a party or a participant (as a witness or otherwise), the Company has director and officer liability insurance in effect, the Company shall give prompt notice 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 Claim in accordance with the
terms of such policies. In the event of a Potential Change in Control (as defined in Section 9 herein), the Company shall maintain in force any and all insurance policies then maintained by the Company providing directors’ and
officers’ liability insurance, in respect of Indemnitee, for a period of six years thereafter. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee for Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any successful action brought by Indemnitee for
recovery under any insurance policy referred to in this Section 8 and shall advance to Indemnitee the Expenses of such action in the manner provided in Section 3 above. 

Section 9. Certain Definitions. 
 (a) Change in Control: shall be deemed to have occurred if: 
 (A) any person, as that term is used in Section 13(d) and Section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act becomes, is discovered to be, or files a report on Schedule 13D or 14D-1 (or any successor
schedule, form or report) disclosing that such person is a beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act or any successor rule or regulation), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 15% or more of
the total voting power of the Company’s then outstanding Voting Securities; 
 (B) during any period of two
consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board of Directors of the Company and any new director whose election by the Board of Directors or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was
approved by a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to
constitute a majority thereof; 
 (C) the Company, or any material subsidiary of the Company, is merged,
consolidated or reorganized into or with an Acquiring Person or securities of the Company are exchanged for securities of an Acquiring Person, and immediately after such merger, consolidation, reorganization or exchange less than a majority of the
combined voting power of the then outstanding securities of the Acquiring Person immediately after such transaction are held, directly or indirectly, in the aggregate by the holders of Voting Securities immediately prior to such transaction;


  
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 (D) the Company, or any material subsidiary of the Company, in any
transaction or series of related transactions, sells or otherwise transfers all or substantially all of its assets to an Acquiring Person, and less than a majority of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities of the Acquiring
Person immediately after such sale or transfer is held, directly or indirectly, in the aggregate by the holders of Voting Securities immediately prior to such sale or transfer; 

(E) the Company and its subsidiaries, in any transaction or series of related transactions, sells or otherwise transfers
business operations that generated two thirds or more of the consolidated revenues (determined on the basis of the Company’s four most recently completed fiscal quarters) of the Company and its subsidiaries immediately prior thereto;

 (F) the Company files a report or proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the
Exchange Act disclosing that a change in control of the Company has or may have occurred or will or may occur in the future pursuant to any then existing contract or transaction; or 

(G) any other transaction or series of related transactions occur that have substantially the effect of the transactions
specified in any of the preceding clauses in this paragraph (ii). 
 Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 9(a)(ii)(A)
or 9(a)(ii)(D), unless otherwise determined in a specific case by majority vote of the Board of Directors of the Company, a Change of Control shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of this Agreement solely because (i) the Company,
(ii) an entity in which the Company directly or indirectly beneficially owns 50% or more of the voting securities or (iii) any Company sponsored employee stock ownership plan, or any other employee benefit plan of the Company, either files
or becomes obligated to file a report or a proxy statement under or in response to Schedule 13D, Schedule 14D-1, Form 8-K or Schedule 14A (or any successor schedule, form or report or item therein) under the Exchange Act,
disclosing beneficial ownership by it of shares of stock of the Company, or because the Company reports that a Change in Control of the Company has or may have occurred or will or may occur in the future by reason of such beneficial ownership.

 (b) Claim: any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution
mechanism, or any inquiry, hearing or investigation whether conducted by the Company or any other party, whether civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other. 
 (c) Expenses: include attorneys’ fees and all other costs, fees, expenses and obligations of any nature whatsoever paid or incurred in connection with investigating, defending, being
a witness in or participating in (including appeal), or preparing to defend, be a witness in or participate in any Claim relating to any Indemnifiable Event. 
 (d) Indemnifiable Event: any event or occurrence (whether before or after the date hereof) related to the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, consultant, agent
or fiduciary of or to the Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, trustee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee
benefit plan, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of anything done or not done by Indemnitee in any such capacity. 

(e) Potential Change in Control. shall be deemed to have occurred if (i) the Company enters into an agreement, the
consummation of which would result in the occurrence of a Change in Control; (ii) any person (including the Company) publicly announces an intention to take or to consider taking actions which, if consummated, would constitute a Change in
Control; (iii) any person, other than a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or a corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same
proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company, who is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 9.5% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding Voting
Securities, increases such person’s beneficial ownership of such securities by five percentage points or more over the initial percentage of such securities; or (iv) the Board of Directors of the Company adopts a resolution to the effect
that, for purposes of this Agreement, a Potential Change in Control has occurred. 

  
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 (f) Reviewing Party: (i) the Company’s Board of Directors
(provided that a majority of directors are not parties to the particular Claim for which Indemnitee is seeking indemnification) or (ii) any other person or body appointed by the Company’s Board of Directors, who is not a party to the
particular Claim for which Indemnitee is seeking indemnification, or (iii) if there has been a Change in Control, the special independent counsel referred to in Section 2 hereof. 

(g) Voting Securities: any securities of the Company which vote generally in the election of directors. 

Section 10. Amendments, Termination and Waiver. No supplement, modification, amendment or termination 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. 
 Section 11. Contribution. If the indemnification
provided in Sections 1 and 3 of this Agreement is unavailable, then, in respect of any Claim in which the Company is jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in the Claim), the Company shall contribute to the amount of Expenses,
judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement as appropriate to reflect: (i) the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and Indemnitee, on the other hand, from the transaction from which the Claim arose, and
(ii) the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and of Indemnitee, on the other, in connection with the events which resulted in such Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement, as well as any other relevant
equitable considerations. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and of Indemnitee, on the other, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and
opportunity to correct or prevent the circumstances resulting in such Expenses and Liabilities. The Company agrees that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 11 were determined by pro rata allocation or any
other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations described in this Section 11. 

Section 12. Subrogation. In the event of payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to
the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all papers required and shall do everything that may be necessary to secure such rights, including the execution of such documents necessary to enable the
Company effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights. 
 Section 13. No Duplication of
Payments. The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment in connection with any Claim made against Indemnitee to the extent Indemnitee has otherwise actually received payment (under insurance policy, Certificate of
Incorporation or otherwise) of the amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder. 
 Section 14. Binding Effect,
Etc. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors, assigns, including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or
otherwise to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company, spouse, heirs, and personal and legal representatives. This Agreement shall continue in effect regardless of whether Indemnitee continues to serve as a director or
officer (or in one of the capacities enumerated in Section 9(d) hereof) of the Company or of any other enterprise at the Board of Director’s request. 
 Section 15. Severability. The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable in the event that any of the provisions hereof (including any provision within a single section,
paragraph or sentence) are held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, and the remaining provisions shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law. 

Section 16. 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 shall be brought only in the Delaware Court and not in any other state or federal court in the United States of America or any court in any other country, (ii) consent to submit to
the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court for purposes of any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, (iii) appoint, irrevocably, to the extent such party is not a resident of the State of


  
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 Delaware, CT Corporation System, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801, as its agent in the State of
Delaware as such party’s agent for acceptance of legal process in connection with any such action or proceeding against such party with the same legal force and validity as if served upon such party personally within the State of 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 Delaware Court has been
brought in an improper or inconvenient forum. 
 Section 17. 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. 
 The parties hereto have executed
this Agreement as of the day and year set forth on the first page of this Agreement. 
  

			
	 CATHAY GENERAL BANCORP
 A Delaware Corporation

		
	By:	 	  

	Name:	 	
	Title:	 	
		
	By:	 	  

	Name:	 	
	Title:	 	
		
	Address:	 	 777 N. Broadway
 Los
Angeles, CA 90012

		
	Fax Number:	 	  



  

			
	AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:
	
	  

«IndemniteeName»

		
	Address:	 	«IndemniteeAddress1»
		 	«IndemniteeAddress2»


			
	Fax Number:	 	  



  
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