INDEMNIFICATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) provides that a corporation may indemnify directors and officers as well as other employees and individuals against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement in connection with specified actions, suits, proceedings whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative (other than action by or in the right of the corporation—a “derivative action”), if they acted in good faith and in a manner they reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe their conduct was unlawful. A similar standard is applicable in the case of derivative actions, except that indemnification only extends to expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of such action, and the statute requires court approval before there can be any indemnification where the person seeking indemnification has been found liable to the corporation. The DGCL provides that it is not exclusive of other indemnification that may be granted by a corporation’s charter, by-laws, disinterested director vote, shareowner vote, agreement, or otherwise.
Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director or officer of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its shareowners for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability for (i) any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) payment of unlawful dividends or unlawful stock purchases or redemptions or (iv) any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.
Under Article ELEVENTH of Honeywell’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, each person who is or was a director or officer of Honeywell, and each director or officer of Honeywell who serves or served any other enterprise or organization at the request of Honeywell, shall be indemnified by Honeywell to the full extent permitted by the DGCL.
Under the DGCL, to the extent that such a person is successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of a suit or proceeding brought against such person by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of Honeywell, or serves or served any other enterprise or organization at the request of Honeywell, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action.
If unsuccessful in defense of a third-party civil suit or a criminal suit, or if such a suit is settled, such a person shall be indemnified under such law against both (1) expenses (including attorneys’ fees) and (2) judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of Honeywell, and with respect to any criminal action, had no reasonable cause to believe such person’s conduct was unlawful.
If unsuccessful in defense of a suit brought by or in the right of Honeywell, or if such suit is settled, such a person shall be indemnified under such law only against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred in the defense or settlement of such suit if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of Honeywell except that if such a person is adjudged to be liable in such suit to Honeywell, such person cannot be made whole even for expenses unless the court determines that such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses.
In addition, Honeywell maintains directors’ and officers’ reimbursement and liability insurance pursuant to standard form policies. The risks covered by such policies include certain liabilities under the securities laws.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling Honeywell pursuant to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, Delaware law, or otherwise, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
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