Section 10-2B-8.51 Authority to indemnify. - Alabama Statutes

Section 10-2B-8.51

Authority to indemnify.

(a) Except as provided in subsection (d), a corporation may indemnify an individual made a party to a proceeding because he or she is or was a director against liability incurred in the proceeding if:

(1) The individual conducted himself or herself in good faith; and

(2) The individual reasonably believed:

(i) In the case of conduct in his or her official capacity with the corporation, that the conduct was in its best interests; and

(ii) In all other cases, that the conduct was at least not opposed to its best interests; and

(3) In the case of any criminal proceeding, the individual had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.

(b) A director's conduct with respect to an employee benefit plan for a purpose he or she reasonably believed to be in the interests of the participants in, and beneficiaries of the plan is conduct that satisfies the requirement of subsection (a)(2)(ii).

(c) The termination of a proceeding by judgement, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent is not, of itself, determinative that the director did not meet the standard of conduct described in this section.

(d) A corporation may not indemnify a director under this section:

(1) In connection with a proceeding by or in the right of the corporation in which the director was adjudged liable to the corporation; or

(2) In connection with any other proceeding charging improper personal benefit to the director, whether or not involving action in his or her official capacity, in which the director was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received by him or her.

(e) Indemnification permitted under this section in connection with a proceeding by or in the right of the corporation is limited to reasonable expenses incurred in connection with the proceeding.

(Acts 1994, No. 94-245, p. 343, §1.)