Form of Indemnification Agreement by and between the Company and its directors and officers

THIS INDEMNITY AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of [●], 2021, by and between Steel Connect, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and [●] (“Indemnitee”).

WHEREAS, the Company believes that, in order to attract and retain highly qualified persons to serve as directors or in other capacities, including as officers, it must provide such persons with adequate protection through indemnification against the risk of claims and actions against them arising out of their services to and activities on behalf of the Company;

WHEREAS, the Certificate of Incorporation (as amended and/or restated from time to time, the “Charter”) and the Bylaws (as amended and/or restated from time to time, the “Bylaws”) of the Company require indemnification of the officers and directors of the Company;

WHEREAS, Indemnitee may also be entitled to indemnification pursuant to applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law (as may be amended from time to time, “DGCL”);

WHEREAS, the Charter, 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 of the Company (the “Board”), officers and other persons with respect to indemnification, hold harmless, advancement and reimbursement rights;

 

WHEREAS, the Company desires and has requested Indemnitee to serve as a director of the Company and, in order to induce Indemnitee to serve as a director of the Company, the Company is willing to grant Indemnitee the indemnification provided for herein;

WHEREAS, Indemnitee is willing to so serve on the basis that such indemnification be provided; and

WHEREAS, the parties by this Agreement desire to set forth their agreement regarding indemnification and the advancement of expenses.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth below, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

1. SERVICES TO THE COMPANY. In consideration of, among other things, the Company’s covenants and obligations hereunder, Indemnitee will serve or continue to serve as an officer, director, advisor, key employee or in any other capacity of the Company, as applicable, for so long as Indemnitee is duly elected or appointed or retained or until Indemnitee tenders Indemnitee’s resignation or until Indemnitee is removed. Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing to the contrary, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect after Indemnitee has ceased to serve as a director, officer, advisor, key employee or in any other capacity of the Company, as provided in Section 14. This Agreement, however, shall not impose any obligation on Indemnitee or the Company to continue Indemnitee’s service to the Company

beyond any period otherwise required by law or by other agreements or commitments of the parties, if any.

 

2. DEFINITIONS. As used in this Agreement:

 

(a)  References to “agent” shall mean any person who is or was a director, officer or employee of the Company or a subsidiary of the Company or any other person authorized by the Company to act for the Company, including such person serving in such capacity as a director, officer, employee, fiduciary or other official of another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other enterprise at the request of, for the convenience of, or to represent the interests of the Company or a subsidiary of the Company.

 

(b)(i)A “change in control” shall be deemed to occur upon the earliest to occur after the date of this Agreement of any of the following: (A) any Person (as defined below) becomes the beneficial owner (as defined below), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing twenty percent (20%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company's then outstanding securities; (B) during any period of two (2) consecutive years (not including any period prior to the execution of this Agreement), individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board of Directors of the Company, and any new director (other than a director designated by a person who has entered into an agreement with the Company to effect a transaction described in Sections 2(b)(i)(A), 2(b)(i)(C) or 2(b)(i)(D) or a director whose initial nomination for, or assumption of office as, a member of the Board of Directors of the Company occurs as a result of an actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents for the election or removal of one or more directors by any person or group other than a solicitation for the election of one or more directors by or on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company) whose election by the Board of the Directors of the Company or nomination for election by the Company's stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds 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 at least a majority of the total number of directors constituting the Board of Directors of the Company; (C) the effective date of a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other entity, other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity (or the parent entity of such surviving entity)) at least 50% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the surviving entity (or such parent entity) outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation and with the power to elect at least a majority of the board of directors or other governing body of such surviving entity or such parent entity; (D) the approval by the stockholders of the Company of a dissolution or complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale, lease, exchange or other disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; and (E) there occurs any other event of a nature that would be required to be reported in response to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14A of Regulation 14A (or a response to any similar item on any similar schedule or form) promulgated under the Exchange Act (as defined below), whether or not the Company is then subject to such reporting requirement.

            For purposes of this Section 2(b)(i), the following terms shall have the following meanings:

            (I) “person” shall have the meaning as set forth in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, that person shall exclude (a) the Company, (b) any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company,

and (c) any corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company.

             (II) “beneficial owner” shall have the meaning given to such term in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act.

 

(c)  “Corporate Status” describes the status of a person who is or was a director, officer, trustee, general partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of the Company or of any other Enterprise (as defined below) which such person is or was serving at the request of the Company.

 

(d)  “Delaware Court” shall mean the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware.

 

     (e)  “Enterprise” shall mean the Company and any other corporation, constituent entity (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation, merger or division transaction to which the Company (or any of its wholly owned subsidiaries) is a party, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise of which Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, trustee, general partner, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent, including as a deemed fiduciary thereto.

 

(f)  “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

(g)  “Expenses” shall be broadly construed and shall include, without limitation, all direct and indirect costs, fees and expenses of any type or nature whatsoever, including, without limitation, all reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees and costs of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, fees of private investigators and professional advisors, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, fax transmission charges, secretarial services and all other disbursements, obligations or expenses in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, being or preparing to be a witness in, settlement or appeal of, or otherwise participating in, a Proceeding (as defined below), including reasonable compensation for time spent by Indemnitee for which he or she is not otherwise compensated by the Company or any third party. Expenses also shall include Expenses incurred in connection with any appeal resulting from any Proceeding (as defined below), including without limitation the principal, 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.

 

(h)  References to “fines” shall include, without limitation, any excise tax assessed on Indemnitee with respect to any employee benefit plan or related trust or funding mechanism (whether in the form of ERISA excise taxes or other excise taxes assessed by the United States Internal Revenue Service, penalties assessed by the United States Department of Labor, restitutions to such a plan or trust or other funding mechanism or to a participant or beneficiary of such plan, trust or other funding mechanism or otherwise); references to “serving at the request of the Company” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries, including as a deemed fiduciary thereto; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the best interests 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.

 

(i)  “Independent Counsel” shall mean a law firm or a member of a law firm with significant experience in matters of corporation law and that neither presently is, nor in the past five years has been, retained to represent: (i) the Company or Indemnitee in any matter material to either 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 (as defined below) 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.

 

(j)  The term “Person” shall have the meaning as set forth in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act as in effect on the date hereof; provided, however, that “Person” shall exclude: (i) the Company; (ii) any subsidiaries (as defined below) of the Company; (iii) any employment benefit plan of the Company or of a subsidiary (as defined below) of the Company or of any entity owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company; and (iv) any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or of a subsidiary (as defined below) of the Company or of an entity owned directly or indirectly by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company.

 

(k)  The term “Proceeding” shall include any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, arbitration, mediation, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation (whether formal or informal), inquiry, administrative hearing or any other actual, threatened or completed proceeding, whether brought by or in the right of the Company or otherwise and whether of a civil (including intentional or unintentional tort claims), criminal, administrative or investigative or related nature, in which Indemnitee was, is, will or might be involved as a party or as a participant (including as a witness, deponent or otherwise) by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director or officer of the Company, by reason of any action (or failure to act) taken by Indemnitee or of any action (or failure to act) on Indemnitee’s part while acting as a director or officer 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, trustee, general partner, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any other 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.

 

(l)  The term “subsidiary,” with respect to any Person, shall mean any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by that Person.

 

3. INDEMNITY IN THIRD-PARTY PROCEEDINGS. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Company shall indemnify and hold harmless Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3 if Indemnitee was, is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant (as a witness, deponent or otherwise) in any Proceeding (other than a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor, which is addressed in Section 4 below) by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status. Pursuant to this Section 3, Indemnitee shall be indemnified and held harmless to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law against all Expenses, judgments, liabilities, fines, penalties and amounts paid in

settlement (including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses, judgments, liabilities, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she 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 Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful.

 

4. INDEMNITY IN PROCEEDINGS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE COMPANY. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Company shall indemnify and hold harmless Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 4 if Indemnitee was, is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant (as a witness, deponent or otherwise) in any Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status. Pursuant to this Section 4, Indemnitee shall be indemnified and held harmless to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, 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.

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 or any other 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 which the Delaware Court or such other court shall deem proper.

 

5. INDEMNIFICATION FOR EXPENSES OF A PARTY WHO IS WHOLLY OR PARTLY SUCCESSFUL. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, to the extent that Indemnitee was or is, by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, 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, in whole or in part, the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify and hold harmless Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee 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, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify and hold harmless Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter. If Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding, the Company also shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify and hold harmless Indemnitee against all Expenses reasonably incurred in connection with a claim, issue or matter related to any claim, issue, or matter on which Indemnitee was successful. For purposes of this Section 5 and without limitation, the termination of any claim, issue or matter in such a Proceeding by dismissal (with or without prejudice), motion for summary judgment, settlement (with or without court approval), or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent shall be deemed, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to be a successful result as to such claim, issue or matter.

 

6. INDEMNIFICATION FOR EXPENSES OF A WITNESS. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, a witness or deponent in any Proceeding (including, without limitation, any Proceeding to which Indemnitee was or is not a party or threatened to be made a

party), Indemnitee shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be indemnified and held harmless against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection therewith.

 

7. ADDITIONAL INDEMNIFICATION AND HOLD HARMLESS RIGHTS.  Notwithstanding any limitation in Sections 3, 4 or 5, the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify and hold harmless Indemnitee if Indemnitee is a party to or 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, liabilities, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses, judgments, liabilities, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the Proceeding.

 

8. CONTRIBUTION IN THE EVENT OF JOINT LIABILITY.

 

(a)  To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, if the indemnification or hold harmless rights provided for in this Agreement are unavailable to Indemnitee in whole or in part for any reason whatsoever, the Company, in lieu of indemnifying, holding harmless or exonerating Indemnitee, shall pay, in the first instance, the entire amount incurred by Indemnitee, whether for judgments, liabilities, fines, penalties, amounts paid or to be paid in settlement and/or for Expenses, in connection with any Proceeding without requiring Indemnitee to contribute to such payment.

 

(b)  Without the prior consent of Indemnitee, the Company shall not enter into any settlement of any Proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such Proceeding) unless such settlement provides for a full and final release of all claims asserted against Indemnitee without any admission of liability or other wrongdoing on the part of Indemnitee.

 

(c)  The Company hereby agrees, to the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, to fully indemnify and hold harmless Indemnitee from any claims for contribution which may be brought by officers, directors or employees of the Company other than Indemnitee who may be jointly liable with Indemnitee with respect to such claim.

 

9. EXCLUSIONS. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, the Company shall not be obligated under this Agreement to make any indemnification, advance expenses or hold harmless payment in connection with any claim made against Indemnitee:

 

(a)  for which payment has actually been received by or on behalf of Indemnitee under any insurance policy, contract, agreement or other indemnity or advancement provision, except with respect to any excess beyond the amount actually received under any such insurance policy, contract, agreement, other indemnity or advancement provision or otherwise; provided, however, that payment made to Indemnitee pursuant to an insurance policy purchased and maintained by Indemnitee at his or her own expense of any amounts otherwise indemnifiable or obligated to be made pursuant to this Agreement shall not reduce the Company’s obligations to Indemnitee pursuant to this Agreement;

 

(b)  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 Exchange Act (or any successor rule) or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law; or

     (c)  in connection with any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee, including any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee against the Company or its directors, officers, employees or other indemnitees (including any agent), unless (i) such indemnification is expressly required to be made by law or (ii) the Proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized in the first instance by the Board of Directors of the Company. Indemnitee shall seek payments or advances from the Company in connection with a Proceeding initiated by Indemnitee only to the extent that such payments or advances are unavailable from any insurance policy of the Company covering Indemnitee.

 

10. ADVANCES OF EXPENSES; DEFENSE OF CLAIM.

 

To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, the Company shall pay the Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any Proceeding within thirty (30) days after the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements requesting such advances from time to time, prior to the 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 be indemnified or held harmless under the other provisions of this Agreement. Advances shall include any and all reasonable Expenses incurred pursuing a Proceeding to enforce this right of advancement, including Expenses incurred preparing and forwarding statements to the Company to support the advances claimed. Such payments of Expenses in advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding shall be made only upon the Company’s receipt of an undertaking, by or on behalf of Indemnitee, to repay the advanced amounts to the extent that it is ultimately determined that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified or held harmless by the Company under the provisions of this Agreement, the Charter, the Bylaws, applicable law or otherwise. The execution and delivery by Indemnitee of this Agreement shall constitute such undertaking and no further undertaking shall be required. The Company agrees that for the purposes of any advancement of Expenses for which Indemnitee has made a written demand in accordance with this Agreement, all Expenses included in such demand that are certified by affidavit of Indemnitee’s counsel as being reasonable shall be presumed conclusively to be reasonable. This Section 10(a) shall not apply to any claim made by Indemnitee for which an indemnification or hold harmless payment is excluded pursuant to Section 9.

 

11. PROCEDURE FOR NOTIFICATION AND APPLICATION FOR INDEMNIFICATION.

 

(a) Promptly after receipt by Indemnitee of notice of the commencement of any Proceeding, Indemnitee shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the Company hereunder, notify the Company in writing of the commencement thereof. The failure to promptly notify the Company of the commencement of the Proceeding, or of Indemnitee’s request for indemnification, will not relieve the Company from any liability that it may have to Indemnitee hereunder, except to the extent the Company is actually and materially prejudiced in its defense of such Proceeding as a result of such failure; provided, however, that notice will be deemed to have been given without any action on the part of Indemnitee in the event the Company is a party to the same Proceeding. To obtain indemnification under this Agreement, Indemnitee shall submit to the Company a written request therefor, including such documentation and information as is reasonably available to Indemnitee and is reasonably necessary to enable the Company to determine whether and to what extent Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification.

        (b) With respect to any action, suit or proceeding of which the Company is so notified as provided in this Agreement, the Company shall, subject to the last two sentences of this paragraph, be entitled to assume the defense of such action, suit or proceeding, with counsel reasonably acceptable to Indemnitee, upon the delivery to Indemnitee of written notice of its

election to do so. Notwithstanding anything in Section 10 of this Agreement to the contrary, after delivery of such notice, approval of such counsel by Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company to assume the defense of such action, suit or proceeding, the Company will not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any subsequently-incurred fees of separate counsel engaged by Indemnitee with respect to the same action, suit or proceeding unless the employment of separate counsel by Indemnitee has been previously authorized in writing by the Company; provided, however, that if Indemnitee, after consultation with his or her counsel, shall have concluded in good faith (with written notice of such conclusion being given to the Company) that, in the conduct of any such defense, there is or is reasonably likely to be a conflict of interest or material disagreement on a position between the Company and Indemnitee with respect to a significant issue, and such conclusion is confirmed in writing by the Company’s outside counsel regularly employed by it in connection with corporate matters, then the Company will not be entitled, without the written consent of Indemnitee, to assume such defense and the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the Company; and provided further, that if the Company fails to retain counsel to assume the defense of such action, suit or proceeding, then Indemnitee shall be entitled to retain her or his own counsel and all Expenses related to such counsel shall be borne by the Company. Regardless of any provision in this Agreement, Indemnitee shall have the right to employ counsel in any Proceeding at Indemnitee’s personal expense. In addition, the Company will not be entitled, without the written consent of Indemnitee, to assume the defense of any claim brought by or in the right of the Company.

        (c) To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, the Company’s assumption of the defense of a Proceeding in accordance with Section 11(b) will constitute an irrevocable acknowledgement by the Company that any loss and liability suffered by Indemnitee and Expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement by or for the account of Indemnitee incurred in connection therewith are indemnifiable by the Company under this Agreement.

        (d) The determination whether to grant Indemnitee’s indemnification request shall be made promptly and in any event within sixty (60) days following the Company’s receipt of a request for indemnification in accordance with Section 11(a). If the Company determines that Indemnitee is entitled to such indemnification or, as contemplated by paragraph 11(c) the Company has acknowledged such entitlement, the Company will make payment to Indemnitee of the indemnifiable amount within such sixty (60) day period. If the Company is not deemed to have so acknowledged such entitlement or the Company’s determination of whether to grant Indemnitee’s indemnification request shall not have been made within such sixty (60) day period, the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall, subject to Section 9, nonetheless be deemed to have been made and Indemnitee shall be entitled to such indemnification, absent (i) 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, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under the DGCL.

        (e) In the event that (i) the Company determines that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, (ii) the Company denies a request for indemnification, in whole or in part, or fails to respond or make a determination of entitlement to indemnification within sixty (60) days following receipt of a request for indemnification as described above, (iii) payment of indemnification is not made within such sixty (60) day period, (iv) advancement of Expenses is not timely made in accordance with Section 10, or (v) the Company or any other person takes or threatens to take any action to declare this Agreement void or unenforceable, or institutes any litigation or other Proceeding designed to deny, or to recover from, Indemnitee the benefits provided or intended to be provided to Indemnitee hereunder, Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication in any court of competent jurisdiction of his or her entitlement to such

indemnification or advancement of Expenses. Indemnitee’s Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred in connection with successfully establishing Indemnitee’s right to indemnification or advancement of Expenses, in whole or in part, in any such Proceeding or otherwise shall also be indemnified by the Company to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL.

        (f) Indemnitee shall be presumed to be entitled to indemnification under this Agreement upon submission of a request therefor in accordance with Section 11 of this Agreement. The Company shall have the burden of proof in overcoming such presumption, and 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.

(g) If there is a change in control of the Company, upon written request by Indemnitee for indemnification pursuant to Section 11(a), any determination, if required by the DGCL, with respect to Indemnitee's entitlement thereto shall be made by Independent Counsel selected by Indemnitee with the consent of the Company (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed) in a written opinion, a copy of which shall be delivered to the Company and Indemnitee, and the Company agrees to pay the fees and expenses of the Independent Counsel.

 

12. SECURITY. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, to the extent requested by Indemnitee and approved by the Board, the Company may at any time and from time to time provide security to Indemnitee for the Company’s obligations hereunder through an irrevocable bank line of credit, funded trust or other collateral. Any such security, once provided to Indemnitee, may not be revoked or released without the prior written consent of Indemnitee.

 

13.  NON-EXCLUSIVITY; SURVIVAL OF RIGHTS; INSURANCE; SUBROGATION.

 

(a)  The rights of Indemnitee 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 Proceeding (regardless of when such Proceeding is first threatened, commenced or completed) or claim, issue or matter therein arising out of, or related to, any action taken or omitted by such Indemnitee in Indemnitee’s Corporate Status prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal. To the extent that a change in applicable law, whether by statute or judicial decision, permits greater indemnification, hold harmless rights or advancement of Expenses than would be afforded currently under the Charter, the Bylaws or 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.

 

(b)  The DGCL permits the Company to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of Indemnitee against any liability asserted against Indemnitee or incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee or in such capacity as a director, officer or employee of the Company or as an agent of another Enterprise, or arising out of Indemnitee’s status as such, whether or not the Company would have the power to indemnify Indemnitee against such liability under the DGCL, as it may then be in effect. The purchase, establishment, and maintenance of any such insurance shall not in any way limit or affect the rights and obligations of the Company or of Indemnitee

under this Agreement except as expressly provided herein, and the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company and Indemnitee shall not in any way limit or affect the rights and obligations of the Company or the other party or parties thereto with respect to any such insurance.

 

(c)  To the extent that the Company maintains an insurance policy or policies providing liability insurance for directors, officers, or employees of the Company or agents 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, or employee of the Company or any agent of any such other Enterprise under such policy or policies. If, at the time the Company receives notice from any source of a Proceeding as to which Indemnitee is a party or a participant (as a witness, deponent or otherwise), the Company has director and officer liability or similar 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 Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such Proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies. Upon request, the Company will provide to Indemnitee copies of all directors’ and officers’ liability insurance applications, binders, policies, declarations, endorsements and other related materials.

 

(d)  In the event of any payment under this Agreement, the Company, to the fullest extent permitted by law, 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 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.

(e)  The Company’s obligation to indemnify, hold harmless, or advance Expenses hereunder to Indemnitee who is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, trustee, partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any other Enterprise shall be reduced by any amount Indemnitee has actually received as indemnification or hold harmless payments or advancement of expenses from such Enterprise. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, (i) Indemnitee shall have no obligation to reduce, offset, allocate, pursue or apportion any indemnification, hold harmless, advancement, contribution or insurance coverage among multiple parties possessing such duties to Indemnitee prior to the Company’s satisfaction and performance of all its obligations under this Agreement, and (ii) the Company shall perform fully its obligations under this Agreement without regard to whether Indemnitee holds, may pursue or has pursued any indemnification, advancement, hold harmless, contribution or insurance coverage rights against any person or entity other than the Company.

 

14. SECTION 409A OF THE CODE. If Indemnitee’s right to payment or reimbursement of indemnification or expenses pursuant to this Agreement would not be exempt from Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section 1.0409A-1(b)(10), then (a) the payment or reimbursement of indemnification and expenses provided or advanced to or for Indemnitee pursuant to this Agreement in one taxable year shall not affect the amount of indemnification and expenses provided or advanced to or for Indemnitee in any other taxable year, (b) any reimbursement to Indemnitee of expenses under this Agreement shall be paid to Indemnitee on or before the last day of Indemnitee’s taxable year following the taxable year in which the expense was incurred and (c) the right to advancement, reimbursement or payment of indemnification and expenses under this Agreement may not be liquidated or exchanged for any other benefit. In addition, to the extent that this Agreement is subject to Section 409A of the Code, this Agreement shall be interpreted and enforced so as to avoid any tax, penalty or interest under Section 409A of the

Code. For purposes of this Section 14, “Expenses” shall be deemed to include, in addition to those items included in the definition thereof in Section 2, any liability, loss, judgment, fine and amounts paid in settlement.

15. DURATION OF AGREEMENT. All agreements and obligations of the Company contained herein shall continue during the period Indemnitee serves as a director or officer of the Company or as a director, officer, trustee, partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other Enterprise which Indemnitee serves at the request of the Company, and shall continue thereafter so long as Indemnitee shall be subject to any possible Proceeding by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, whether or not Indemnitee is acting in any such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification or advancement can be provided under this Agreement.

 

16. SEVERABILITY. 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, paragraph or sentence 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, paragraph or sentence 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.

 

17. ENFORCEMENT AND BINDING EFFECT.

 

(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, officer or key employee of the Company, and the Company acknowledges that Indemnitee is relying upon this Agreement in serving as a director, officer or key employee of the Company or as an agent of another Enterprise.

 

(b)  Without limiting any of the rights of Indemnitee under the Charter or Bylaws (which rights shall continue in full force and effect and shall be in addition to the rights provided hereunder), 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.

 

(c)  The indemnification, hold harmless, and advancement of expenses rights provided by or granted pursuant to this Agreement shall be binding upon and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns (including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation, division or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company), shall continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased to be a director, officer, or employee of the Company or agent of any other Enterprise, and shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and Indemnitee’s spouse, assigns, heirs, devisees, executors and administrators and other legal representatives.

 

(d)  The Company shall require and cause 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 to the fullest extent permitted by law.

 

(e)  The Company and Indemnitee agree herein that a monetary remedy for breach of this Agreement, at some later date, may be inadequate, impracticable and difficult of proof, and further agree that such breach may cause Indemnitee irreparable harm. Accordingly, the parties hereto agree that Indemnitee may, to the fullest extent permitted by law, enforce this Agreement by seeking, among other things, injunctive relief and/or specific performance hereof, without any necessity of showing actual damage or irreparable harm and that by seeking injunctive relief and/or specific performance, Indemnitee shall not be precluded from seeking or obtaining any other relief to which Indemnitee may be entitled. The Company and Indemnitee further agree that Indemnitee shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be entitled to such specific performance and injunctive relief, including temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions and permanent injunctions, without the necessity of posting bonds or other undertaking in connection therewith. The Company acknowledges that in the absence of a waiver, a bond or undertaking may be required of Indemnitee by a court of competent jurisdiction. The Company hereby waives any such requirement of such a bond or undertaking to the fullest extent permitted by law.

 

18.   MODIFICATION AND WAIVER. No supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by the Company and Indemnitee. 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.

 

19. NOTICES. All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (i) if delivered by hand and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed, or (ii) mailed by certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third (3rd) business day after the date on which it is so mailed:

 

(a)  If to Indemnitee, at the address indicated on the signature page of this Agreement, or such other address as Indemnitee shall provide in writing to the Company.

 

(b)  If to the Company, to:

 

Steel Connect, Inc.

2000 Midway Lane

Smyrna, TN 37167

  

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

 

20. NOTICE BY THE COMPANY. If the Indemnitee is the subject of, or is, to the knowledge of the Company, implicated in any way during an investigation, whether formal or informal, that is related to Indemnitee’s Corporate Status and that reasonably could lead to a Proceeding for which indemnification can be provided under this Agreement, the Company shall notify the Indemnitee of such investigation and shall share (to the extent legally permissible) with Indemnitee any information it has provided to any third parties concerning the investigation (“Shared Information”). By executing this Agreement, Indemnitee agrees that such Shared Information may be material non-public information and that Indemnitee is thus obligated to hold such information in confidence and not disclose it publicly; provided, however, that

Indemnitee may use the Shared Information and disclose such Shared Information to Indemnitee’s legal counsel and third parties, in each case solely in connection with defending Indemnitee from legal liability.

21. 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. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company and Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally: (a) 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; (b) 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; (c) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in the Delaware Court; and (d) 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, or is subject (in whole or in part) to a jury trial. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the parties hereby agree that the mailing of process and other papers in connection with any such action or proceeding in the manner provided by Section 19 or in such other manner as may be permitted by law, shall be valid and sufficient service thereof.

 

22. 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.

 

23. MISCELLANEOUS. Use of the masculine pronoun shall be deemed to include usage of the feminine pronoun where appropriate. 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.

 

24. ADDITIONAL ACTS. If for the validation of any of the provisions in this Agreement any act, resolution, approval or other procedure is required to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company undertakes to cause such act, resolution, approval or other procedure to be affected or adopted in a manner that will enable the Company to fulfill its obligations under this Agreement.