§ 2-418. Corporate indemnification
West's Annotated Code of MarylandCorporations and AssociationsEffective: October 1, 2022
Effective: October 1, 2022
MD Code, Corporations and Associations, § 2-418
§ 2-418. Corporate indemnification
(3) “Director” means any person who is or was a director of a corporation and any person who, while a director of a corporation, is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, or agent of another foreign or domestic corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, limited liability company, other enterprise, or employee benefit plan.
(b)(1) A corporation may indemnify any director made a party to any proceeding by reason of service in that capacity unless it is established that:
1. Was committed in bad faith; or
2. Was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty; or
(c) A director may not be indemnified under subsection (b) of this section in respect of any proceeding charging improper personal benefit to the director, whether or not involving action in the director's official capacity, in which the director was adjudged to be liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received.
(d) Unless limited by the charter:
(1) A director who has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding referred to in subsection (b) of this section, or in the defense of any claim, issue, or matter in the proceeding, shall be indemnified against reasonable expenses incurred by the director in connection with the proceeding, claim, issue, or matter in which the director has been successful.
(ii) If it determines that the director is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification in view of all the relevant circumstances, whether or not the director has met the standards of conduct set forth in subsection (b) of this section or has been adjudged liable under the circumstances described in subsection (c) of this section, the court may order such indemnification as the court shall deem proper. However, indemnification with respect to any proceeding by or in the right of the corporation or in which liability shall have been adjudged in the circumstances described in subsection (c) of this section shall be limited to expenses.
(e)(1) Indemnification under subsection (b) of this section may not be made by the corporation unless authorized for a specific proceeding after a determination has been made that indemnification of the director is permissible in the circumstances because the director has met the standard of conduct set forth in subsection (b) of this section.
(i) By the board of directors by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors not, at the time, parties to the proceeding, or by a majority vote of a committee of the board consisting solely of one or more directors not, at the time, parties to such proceeding and who were duly designated to act in the matter by a majority vote of the directors who are not parties to the proceeding;
(ii) By special legal counsel selected by the board of directors or a committee of the board by vote as set forth in item (i) of this paragraph, or, if the requisite quorum of the full board cannot be obtained therefor and the committee cannot be established, by a majority vote of the full board in which directors who are parties may participate; or
(3) Authorization of indemnification and determination as to reasonableness of expenses shall be made in the same manner as the determination that indemnification is permissible. However, if the determination that indemnification is permissible is made by special legal counsel, authorization of indemnification and determination as to reasonableness of expenses shall be made in the manner specified in paragraph (2)(ii) of this subsection for selection of such counsel.
(f)(1) Reasonable expenses incurred by a director who is a party to a proceeding may be paid or reimbursed by the corporation in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding upon receipt by the corporation of:
(g) The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided or authorized by this section may not be deemed exclusive of any other rights, by indemnification or otherwise, to which a director may be entitled under the charter, the bylaws, a resolution of stockholders or directors, an agreement or otherwise, both as to action in an official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office.
(h) This section does not limit the corporation's power to pay or reimburse expenses incurred by a director in connection with an appearance as a witness in a proceeding at a time when the director has not been made a named defendant or respondent in the proceeding.
(i) For purposes of this section:
(3) Action taken or omitted by the director with respect to an employee benefit plan in the performance of the director's duties for a purpose reasonably believed by the director to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of the plan shall be deemed to be for a purpose which is not opposed to the best interests of the corporation.
(j) Unless limited by the charter:
(k)(1) A corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee, or agent of the corporation, or who, while a director, officer, employee, or agent of the corporation, is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, or agent of another foreign or domestic corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, limited liability company, other enterprise, or employee benefit plan against any liability asserted against and incurred by such person in any such capacity or arising out of such person's position, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify against liability under the provisions of this section.
(l) Any indemnification of, or advance of expenses to, a director in accordance with this section, if arising out of a proceeding by or in the right of the corporation, shall be reported in writing to the stockholders with the notice of the next stockholders' meeting or prior to the meeting.
Credits
Added by Acts 1981, c. 737. Amended by Acts 1988, c. 3; Acts 1988, c. 4; Acts 1989, c. 450; Acts 2000, c. 642, § 1, eff. June 1, 2000; Acts 2005, c. 586, § 1, eff. June 1, 2005; Acts 2008, c. 292, § 1, eff. June 1, 2008; Acts 2009, c. 60, § 1, eff. April 14, 2009; Acts 2019, c. 289, § 2, eff. Oct. 1, 2019; Acts 2020, c. 292, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2020; Acts 2020, c. 293, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2020; Acts 2022, c. 292, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2022; Acts 2022, c. 293, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2022.
MD Code, Corporations and Associations, § 2-418, MD CORP & ASSNS § 2-418
Current with all legislation from the 2023 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
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