FOXX 8-K
Foxx Development Holdings Inc. (FOXX)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
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Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On November 25, 2024, Mr. Jeff Feng Jiang, resigned from his position as a director of the board of directors (the “Board”), a member of the audit, nomination and corporate governance, and compensation committees, and chair of the nomination and corporate governance committee, effective upon the acceptance of his resignation by the Board.
Mr. Jiang resigned his position due to personal reason, and there was no disagreement between Mr. Jiang and the Company on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices.
On November 25, 2024, the Board accepted Mr. Jiang’s resignation, and appointed Mr. John Chiang as a director of the Company. Effective immediately, Mr. Chiang was appointed as the successor to Mr. Jiang as the new Chair of the nomination and corporate governance committee, and to serve as a member of the audit, nomination and corporate governance, and compensation committees.
Mr. Chiang, age 62, has extensive experience in serving as a director for public and private companies. Mr. Chiang has served as a director of Astrana Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASTH), a California-based healthcare technology company, since 2019. Previously, Mr. Chiang served as a director of Chijet Motor Company, Inc. (Nasdaq: CJET) from June 2023 to May 2024, and of Deep Medicine Acquisition Corp. from October 2022 to its business combination with TruGolf, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRUG) in January 2024. He has also sat on the board of several private companies, including Boom Interactive since May 2023, Pasadena Private Lending, LLC since December 2023, and GrubMarket since February 2024, and ChimeTV since June 2023. Previously, Mr. Chiang also served on the board of Aegis Systems from January 2019 until early 2021 and Zeuss Technologies from January 2019 to March 2021. Before his service in the private sector, Mr. Chiang spent two decades as a state elected official. From 2015 to 2019, Mr. Chiang served as the State Treasurer of California. In his role, he oversaw trillions of dollars in annual transactions, managed a $75 billion investment portfolio and was the nation’s largest issuer of municipal bonds. From 2007 to 2015, he served for two terms as the State Controller of California, overseeing the state’s payroll system and the accounting and disbursements of public funds. From 1999 to 2006, Mr. Chiang served as an elected member of the California Board of Equalization, the state tax authority, including as its chair for three years. Before his election to state-wide offices, Mr. Chiang began his career as a tax law specialist for the Internal Revenue Service. He then worked as an attorney for then-California State Controller Gray Davis and also served on the staff of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer. Mr. Chiang received his Bachelor of Science degree with honors in finance from the University of South Florida and his Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
In connection with Mr. Chiang’s appointment, the Company entered into an offer letter with Mr. Chiang on November 25, 2024 (the “Offer Letter”) pursuant to which, Mr. Chiang is entitled to the receive an annual director fee of $100,000, subject to the review and determination by the Board. In addition, the Company also entered into an indemnification agreement (the “Indemnification Agreement”) with Mr. Chiang.
There are no family relationships, as defined in Item 401 of Regulation S-K, between Mr. Chiang and any of the Company’s executive officers or directors or persons nominated or chosen to become a director or executive officer. Mr. Chiang has not engaged in any transaction with the Company during the last fiscal year, and do not propose to engage in any transaction, that would be reportable under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
The description of the Offer Letter and Indemnification Agreement in this Item 5.02 are qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Offer Letter and Indemnification Agreement, a copy of each is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and 10.2, respectively, and are incorporated herein by reference.
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Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(c) Exhibits
| Exhibit No. | Description | |
| 10.1 | Offer Letter, by and between Foxx and John Chiang, dated November 25, 2024. | |
| 10.2 | Indemnification Agreement, by and between John Chiang and Foxx, dated November 25, 2024. | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Foxx Development Holdings Inc. | ||
| By: | /s/ Joy Yi Hua | |
| Name: | “Joy” Yi Hua | |
| Title: | Chairwoman and CFO | |
| Date: November 25, 2024 | ||
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Exhibit 10.1
Confidential
November 25, 2024
Foxx Development Holdings Inc.
15375 Barranca Parkway, Suite C106
Irvine, CA 92618
John Chiang
I/C/O 15375 Barranca Parkway, Suite C106
Irvine, CA 92618
Dear Mr. Chiang,
We are pleased to advise you that we are interested in having you serve as an independent director of the Board of Directors of Foxx Development Holdings Inc. (“PubCo”), to commence on the date hereof. This is contingent upon (i) your completion and our review of the enclosed Questionnaire (“D&O Questionnaire”); (ii) confirmation that you would be deemed to be an “independent director” under applicable Nasdaq rules, and (iii) formal approval of your appointment by the Board of Pubco.
Directors will be compensated by a combination of annual cash payments and equity awards. Although the Pubco Board will determine the specifics of the non-employee director policy at a later time, we anticipate that the annual cash compensation will be approximately $100,000 per year. In addition, Pubco will procure director and officer liability insurance, and we anticipate that Pubco will enter into indemnity agreements with its directors.
If you accept, we will need to obtain an SEC code for you with respect to the SEC filings that will need to be made to disclose your position as a director. This invite is submitted to you with the understanding that you will comply with all applicable policies, codes and charters of Pubco. Copies of the policies, codes and charters will be provided to you as soon as they are finalized, prior to the Business Combination.
Finally, if you are appointed, you will serve on the Board until your successor is elected or appointed and qualified, or until your earlier departure from the board. Kindly confirm that you know of no reason why you would be precluded from serving as a member of the Board or any of its committees, either because of existing competition restrictions or fiduciary duty obligations or otherwise, or whether you believe that you would not be deemed to be independent under the Nasdaq rules. I have attached a copy of the applicable rules to this letter.
If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact us. We are excited about the possibility of having you join us and look forward to receiving your acceptance, consent and agreement by signature below!
Sincerely,
|
Signature: |
/s/ Joy Yi Hua |
Joy Yi Hua
Foxx Development Holdings Inc.
Accepted and Agreed:
| Signature: | /s/ John Chiang |
Name: John Chiang
General independence factors under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(a)(2):
“Independent Director” means a person other than an Executive Officer or employee of the Company or any other individual having a relationship which, in the opinion of the Company’s board of directors, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. For purposes of this rule, “Family Member” means a person’s spouse, parents, children, siblings, mothers and fathers-in-law, sons and daughters-in-law, brothers and sisters-in-law, and anyone (other than domestic employees) who shares such person’s home. The following persons shall not be considered independent:
| (A) | a director who is, or at any time during the past three years was, employed by the Company; |
| (B) | a director who accepted or who has a Family Member who accepted any compensation from the Company in excess of $120,000 during any period of twelve consecutive months within the three years preceding the determination of independence, other than the following: |
| (i) | compensation for board or board committee service; |
| (ii) | compensation paid to a Family Member who is an employee (other than an Executive Officer) of the Company; or |
| (iii) | benefits under a tax-qualified retirement plan, or non-discretionary compensation. |
Provided, however, that in addition to the requirements contained in paragraph (B), audit committee members are also subject to additional, more stringent requirements under Rule 5605(c)(2).
| (C) | a director who is a Family Member of an individual who is, or at any time during the past three years was, employed by the Company as an Executive Officer; |
| (D) | a director who is, or has a Family Member who is, a partner in, or a controlling Shareholder or an Executive Officer of, any organization to which the Company made, or from which the Company received, payments for property or services in the current or any of the past three fiscal years that exceed 5% of the recipient’s consolidated gross revenues for that year, or $200,000, whichever is more, other than the following: |
| (i) | payments arising solely from investments in the Company’s securities; or |
| (ii) | payments under non-discretionary charitable contribution matching programs. |
| (E) | a director of the Company who is, or has a Family Member who is, employed as an Executive Officer of another entity where at any time during the past three years any of the Executive Officers of the Company serve on the compensation committee of such other entity; or |
| (F) | a director who is, or has a Family Member who is, a current partner of the Company’s outside auditor, or was a partner or employee of the Company’s outside auditor who worked on the Company’s audit at any time during any of the past three years. |
| (G) | in the case of an investment company, in lieu of paragraphs (A)-(F), a director who is an “interested person” of the Company as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, other than in his or her capacity as a member of the board of directors or any board committee. |
Additional independence requirement for audit committee members under Rule 10A- 3(b)(1) under the Securities Exchange Act:
Independence requirements for non-investment company issuers. In order to be considered to be independent for purposes of this paragraph (b)(1), a member of an audit committee of a listed issuer that is not an investment company may not, other than in his or her capacity as a member of the audit committee, the board of directors, or any other board committee:
| (A) | Accept directly or indirectly any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the issuer or any subsidiary thereof, provided that, unless the rules of the national securities exchange or national securities association provide otherwise, compensatory fees do not include the receipt of fixed amounts of compensation under a retirement plan (including deferred compensation) for prior service with the listed issuer (provided that such compensation is not contingent in any way on continued service); or |
| (B) | Be an affiliated person of the issuer or any subsidiary thereof. [includes 10% shareholder] |
Exhibit 10.2
Indemnification Agreement
This Indemnification Agreement (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of November 25, 2024 (the “Effective Date”) by and between Foxx Development Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the undersigned (the “Indemnitee”).
Recitals
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors has determined that the inability to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers of the Company and its subsidiaries is detrimental to the best interests of the Company’s stockholders and that the Company should act to assure such persons that there shall be adequate certainty of protection through insurance and indemnification against risks of claims and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of the Company;
WHEREAS, the Company has adopted provisions in its Bylaws (as amended and/or restated from time to time, the “Bylaws”) providing for indemnification and advancement of expenses of its directors and officers, and the Company wishes to clarify and enhance the rights and obligations of the Company and the Indemnitee with respect to indemnification and advancement of expenses;
WHEREAS, Indemnitee is a director, officer and/or employee of the Company and/or its subsidiaries, and/or is serving another enterprise at the Company’s request, and in order to induce and encourage highly experienced and capable persons such as the Indemnitee to serve and continue to serve as directors and officers of the Company and/or its subsidiaries and in any other capacity with respect to the Company as the Company may request, and to otherwise promote the desirable end that such persons shall resist what they consider unjustified lawsuits and claims made against them in connection with the good faith performance of their duties to the Company, with the knowledge that certain costs, judgments, penalties, fines, liabilities, and expenses incurred by them in their defense of such litigation are to be borne by the Company and they shall receive appropriate protection against such risks and liabilities, the Board of Directors of the Company has determined that the following Agreement is reasonable and prudent to promote and ensure the best interests of the Company and its stockholders; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to have the Indemnitee serve or continue to serve as a director or officer of the Company and/or its subsidiaries and in any other capacity with respect to the Company as the Company may request, as the case may be, free from undue concern for unpredictable, inappropriate, or unreasonable legal risks and personal liabilities by reason of the Indemnitee acting in good faith in the performance of the Indemnitee’s duties; and the Indemnitee desires to continue so to serve, provided, and on the express condition, that he or she is furnished with the protections set forth hereinafter.
Agreement
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the Indemnitee’s continued service as a director, officer and/or employee of the Company and/or its subsidiaries, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:
(a) A “Change in Control” will be deemed to have occurred if, with respect to any particular 24-month period, the individuals who, at the beginning of such 24-month period, constituted the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Incumbent Board”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board of Directors; provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to the beginning of such 24-month period whose election, or nomination for election by the stockholders of the Company, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board shall be considered as though such individual were a member of the Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a person other than the Board of Directors.
(b) “Disinterested Director” means a director of the Company who is not or was not a party to the Proceeding in respect of which indemnification is being sought by the Indemnitee.
(c) “Expenses” includes, without limitation, expenses incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of any action, suit, arbitration, alternative dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, judicial, administrative, or legislative hearing, or any other threatened, pending, or completed proceeding, whether brought by or in the right of the Company and/or its subsidiaries or otherwise, including any and all appeals, whether of a civil, criminal, administrative, legislative, investigative, or other nature, attorneys’ fees, witness fees and expenses, fees and expenses of accountants, expert witnesses and other advisors, retainers and disbursements and advances thereon, the premium, security for, and other costs relating to any bond (including cost bonds, appraisal bonds, or their equivalents), and any expenses of establishing a right to indemnification or advancement under Sections 9, 11, 13, and 16 hereof, but shall not include the amount of judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes, or penalties actually levied against the Indemnitee, or any amounts paid in settlement by or on behalf of the Indemnitee.
(d) “Independent Counsel” means a law firm or a member of a law firm that neither is presently nor in the past five years has been retained to represent (i) the Company or the Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a request 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 the Indemnitee in an action to determine the Indemnitee’s right to indemnification under this Agreement.
(e) “Proceeding” means any action, suit, arbitration, alternative dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, judicial, administrative, or legislative hearing, or any other threatened, pending, or completed proceeding, whether brought by or in the right of the Company and/or its subsidiaries or otherwise, including any and all appeals, whether of a civil, criminal, administrative, legislative, investigative, or other nature, to which the Indemnitee was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent, or trustee of the Company or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent, or trustee of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan, or by reason of anything done or not done by the Indemnitee in any such capacity, whether or not the Indemnitee is serving in such capacity at the time any expense, liability, or loss is incurred for which indemnification or advancement can be provided under this Agreement.
2. Service by the Indemnitee. The Indemnitee shall serve and/or continue to serve as a director, officer and/or employee of the Company and/or its subsidiaries faithfully and to the best of the Indemnitee’s ability so long as the Indemnitee is duly elected or appointed and until such time as the Indemnitee’s successor is elected and qualified or the Indemnitee is removed as permitted by applicable law or tenders a resignation. Service at any subsidiary of the Company shall be deemed to be service at the request of the Company for purposes of this Agreement. By entering into this Agreement, Indemnitee is deemed to be serving at the request of the Company, and the Company is deemed to be requesting such service.
3. Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses. The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless the Indemnitee, and shall pay to the Indemnitee in advance of the final disposition of any Proceeding all Expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in defending any such Proceeding, to the fullest extent authorized by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), as the same exists or may hereafter be amended, all on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. Without diminishing the scope of the rights provided by this Section, the rights of the Indemnitee to indemnification and advancement of Expenses provided hereunder shall include but shall not be limited to those rights hereinafter set forth, except that no indemnification or advancement of Expenses shall be paid to the Indemnitee (unless the Board of Directors otherwise determines that such payment is appropriate):
(a) to the extent expressly prohibited by applicable law;
(b) for and to the extent that payment is actually made to the Indemnitee under a valid and collectible insurance policy or under a valid and enforceable indemnity clause, provision of the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, or agreement of the Company or any other company or other enterprise (and the Indemnitee shall reimburse the Company for any amounts paid by the Company and subsequently so recovered by the Indemnitee);
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(c) in connection with an action, suit, or proceeding, or part thereof voluntarily initiated by the Indemnitee (including claims and counterclaims, whether such counterclaims are asserted by (i) the Indemnitee, or (ii) the Company and/or its subsidiaries in an action, suit, or proceeding initiated by the Indemnitee), except a judicial proceeding or arbitration pursuant to Section 11 to enforce rights under this Agreement, unless the action, suit, or proceeding, or part thereof, was authorized or ratified by the Board of Directors of the Company or the Board of Directors otherwise determines that indemnification or advancement of Expenses is appropriate; or
(d) with respect to any Proceeding brought by or in the right of the Company and/or its subsidiaries against the Indemnitee that is authorized or ratified by the Board of Directors of the Company, including any Proceeding brought by the Company and/or its subsidiaries seeking reimbursement pursuant to any compensation recoupment or clawback policy adopted by the Board of Directors or the compensation committee of the Board of Directors, except as provided in Sections 5, 6, and 7 below.
4. Action or Proceedings Other than an Action by or in the Right of the Company. Except as limited by Section 3 above, the Indemnitee shall be entitled to the indemnification rights provided in this Section if the Indemnitee was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to, or was or is otherwise involved in, any Proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of the Company and/or its subsidiaries) by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent, or trustee of the Company or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent, or trustee of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan, or by reason of anything done or not done by the Indemnitee in any such capacity. Pursuant to this Section, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all expense, liability, and loss (including judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes, penalties, amounts paid in settlement by or on behalf of the Indemnitee, and Expenses) actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with such Proceeding, if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and/or its subsidiaries, and with respect to any criminal Proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.
5. Indemnity in Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company. Except as limited by Section 3 above, the Indemnitee shall be entitled to the indemnification rights provided in this Section if the Indemnitee was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to, or was or is otherwise involved in, any Proceeding brought by or in the right of the Company and/or its subsidiaries to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent, or trustee of the Company or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent, or trustee of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan, or by reason of anything done or not done by the Indemnitee in any such capacity. Pursuant to this Section, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with such Proceeding if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and/or its subsidiaries; provided, however, that no such indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue, or matter as to which the DGCL expressly prohibits such indemnification by reason of any adjudication of liability of the Indemnitee to the Company, unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the court in which such Proceeding was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification for such expense, liability, and loss as such court shall deem proper.
6. Indemnification for Costs, Charges, and Expenses of Successful Party. Notwithstanding any limitations of Sections 3(c), 3(d), 4, and 5 above, to the extent that the Indemnitee has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in whole or in part, in defense of any Proceeding, or in defense of any claim, counterclaim, issue, or matter therein, including, without limitation, the dismissal of any action without prejudice, or if it is ultimately determined, by final judicial decision of a court of competent jurisdiction from which there is no further right to appeal, that the Indemnitee is otherwise entitled to be indemnified against Expenses, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection therewith.
7. Partial Indemnification. If the Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of the expense, liability, and loss (including judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes, penalties, amounts paid in settlement by or on behalf of the Indemnitee, and Expenses) actually and reasonably incurred in connection with any Proceeding, or in connection with any judicial proceeding or arbitration pursuant to Section 11 below to enforce rights under this Agreement, but not, however, for all of the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify the Indemnitee for the portion of such expense, liability, and loss actually and reasonably incurred to which the Indemnitee is entitled.
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8. Indemnification for Expenses of a Witness. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the maximum extent permitted by the DGCL, the Indemnitee shall be entitled to indemnification against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee or on the Indemnitee’s behalf if the Indemnitee appears as a witness or otherwise incurs legal expenses as a result of or related to the Indemnitee’s service as a director or officer of the Company and/or its subsidiaries, in any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit, arbitration, alternative dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, judicial, administrative, or legislative hearing, or any other threatened, pending, or completed proceeding, whether of a civil, criminal, administrative, legislative, investigative, or other nature, to which the Indemnitee neither is, nor is threatened to be made, a party.
9. Determination of Entitlement to Indemnification. To receive indemnification under this Agreement, the Indemnitee shall submit a written request to the General Counsel of the Company. Such request shall include a schedule setting forth in detail the dollar amounts requested, supported by copies of the bill, agreement or other documentation relating thereto (which may be redacted as necessary to avoid the waiver of any privilege accorded by applicable law) and such other documentation or information that is necessary for such determination and is reasonably available to the Indemnitee. Upon receipt by the General Counsel of the Company of a written request by the Indemnitee for indemnification, the entitlement of the Indemnitee to indemnification, to the extent not required pursuant to the terms of Section 6 or Section 8 of this Agreement, shall be determined by the following person or persons who shall be empowered to make such determination (as selected by the Board of Directors, except with respect to Section 9(e) below): (a) the Board of Directors of the Company by a majority vote of Disinterested Directors, whether or not such majority constitutes a quorum; (b) a committee of Disinterested Directors designated by a majority vote of such directors, whether or not such majority constitutes a quorum; (c) if there are no Disinterested Directors, or if the Disinterested Directors so direct, by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board of Directors, a copy of which shall be delivered to the Indemnitee; (d) the stockholders of the Company; or (e) in the event that a Change in Control has occurred, by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board of Directors, a copy of which shall be delivered to the Indemnitee. Such Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Board of Directors and approved by the Indemnitee, except that in the event that a Change in Control has occurred, Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Indemnitee. Upon failure of the Board of Directors so to select such Independent Counsel or upon failure of the Indemnitee so to approve (or so to select, in the event a Change in Control has occurred), such Independent Counsel shall be selected upon application to a court of competent jurisdiction. The determination of entitlement to indemnification shall be made and, unless a contrary determination is made, such indemnification shall be paid in full by the Company not later than 60 calendar days after receipt by the General Counsel of the Company of a written request for indemnification. If the person making such determination shall determine that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification as to part (but not all) of the application for indemnification, such person shall reasonably prorate such partial indemnification among the claims, issues, or matters at issue at the time of the determination.
10. Presumptions and Effect of Certain Proceedings. The General Counsel of the Company shall, promptly upon receipt of the Indemnitee’s written request for indemnification, advise in writing the Board of Directors or such other person or persons empowered to make the determination as provided in Section 9 that the Indemnitee has made such request for indemnification. Upon making such request for indemnification, the Indemnitee shall be presumed to be entitled to indemnification hereunder and the Company shall have the burden of proof in making any determination contrary to such presumption. If the person or persons so empowered to make such determination shall have failed to make the requested determination with respect to indemnification within 60 calendar days after receipt by the General Counsel of the Company of such request, a requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall be deemed to have been made and the Indemnitee shall be absolutely entitled to such indemnification, absent actual fraud in the request for indemnification. The termination of any Proceeding described in Sections 4 or 5 by judgment, order, settlement, or conviction, or upon a plea of nobo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself (a) create a presumption that the Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and/or its subsidiaries, and with respect to any criminal Proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful or (b) otherwise adversely affect the rights of the Indemnitee to indemnification except as may be provided herein.
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11. Remedies of the Indemnitee in Cases of Determination Not to Indemnify or to Advance Expenses; Right to Bring Suit. In the event that a determination is made that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification hereunder or if payment is not timely made following a determination of entitlement to indemnification pursuant to Sections 9 and 10, or if an advancement of Expenses is not timely made pursuant to Section 16, the Indemnitee may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Company seeking an adjudication of entitlement to such indemnification or advancement of Expenses, and any such suit shall be brought in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware unless otherwise required by the law of the state in which the Indemnitee primarily resides and works. Alternatively, the Indemnitee at the Indemnitee’s option may seek an award in an arbitration to be conducted by a single arbitrator in the State of Delaware pursuant to the rules of the American Arbitration Association, such award to be made within 60 calendar days following the filing of the demand for arbitration. The Company shall not oppose the Indemnitee’s right to seek any such adjudication or award in arbitration. In any suit or arbitration brought by the Indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification hereunder (but not in a suit or arbitration brought by the Indemnitee to enforce a right to an advancement of Expenses), it shall be a defense that the Indemnitee has not met any applicable standard of conduct for indemnification set forth in the DGCL, including the standard described in Section 4 or 5, as applicable. Further, in any suit brought by the Company to recover an advancement of Expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the Company shall be entitled to recover such Expenses upon a final judicial decision of a court of competent jurisdiction from which there is no further right to appeal that the Indemnitee has not met the standard of conduct described above. Neither the failure of the Company (including the Disinterested Directors, a committee of Disinterested Directors, Independent Counsel, or its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such suit or arbitration that indemnification of the Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because the Indemnitee has met the standard of conduct described above, nor an actual determination by the Company (including the Disinterested Directors, a committee of Disinterested Directors, Independent Counsel, or its stockholders) that the Indemnitee has not met the standard of conduct described above shall create a presumption that the Indemnitee has not met the standard of conduct described above, or, in the case of such a suit brought by the Indemnitee, be a defense to such suit. In any suit brought by the Indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification or to an advancement of Expenses hereunder, or brought by the Company to recover an advancement of Expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the burden of proving that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, or to such advancement of expenses, under this Section 11 or otherwise shall be on the Company. If a determination is made or deemed to have been made pursuant to the terms of Section 9 or 10 that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination and is precluded from asserting that such determination has not been made or that the procedure by which such determination was made is not valid, binding, and enforceable. The Company further agrees to stipulate in any court or before any arbitrator pursuant to this Section 11 that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement and is precluded from making any assertions to the contrary. If the court or arbitrator shall determine that the Indemnitee is entitled to any indemnification or advancement of Expenses hereunder, the Company shall pay all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with such adjudication or award in arbitration (including, but not limited to, any appellate proceedings) to the fullest extent permitted by law, and in any suit brought by the Company to recover an advancement of Expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the Company shall pay all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with such suit to the extent the Indemnitee has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in whole or in part, in defense of such suit, to the fullest extent permitted by law.
12. Non-Exclusivity of Rights. The rights to indemnification and to the advancement of Expenses provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other right that the Indemnitee may now or hereafter acquire under any applicable law, agreement (including any partnership agreement or limited liability company agreement), vote of stockholders or Disinterested Directors, provisions of an entity’s organizational documents (including the Company’s certificate of incorporation (as it may be amended and/or restated from time to time, the “Certificate of Incorporation”), and the Bylaws), or otherwise.
13. Expenses to Enforce Agreement. In the event that the Indemnitee is subject to or intervenes in any action, suit, or proceeding in which the validity or enforceability of this Agreement is at issue or seeks an adjudication or award in arbitration to enforce the Indemnitee’s rights under, or to recover damages for breach of, this Agreement, the Indemnitee, if the Indemnitee prevails in whole or in part in such action, suit, or proceeding, shall be entitled to recover from the Company and shall be indemnified by the Company against any Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection therewith.
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14. Continuation of Indemnity. All agreements and obligations of the Company contained herein shall continue during the period the Indemnitee is a director, officer, employee, agent, or trustee of the Company and/or its subsidiaries or is serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent, or trustee of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan, and shall continue thereafter with respect to any possible claims based on the fact that the Indemnitee was a director, officer, employee, agent, or trustee of the Company and/or its subsidiaries or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent, or trustee of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan. This Agreement shall be binding upon all successors and assigns of the Company (including any transferee of all or substantially all of its assets and any successor by merger or operation of law) and shall inure to the benefit of the Indemnitee’s heirs, executors, and administrators.
15. Notification and Defense of Proceeding. Promptly after receipt by the Indemnitee of notice of any Proceeding, the Indemnitee shall, if a request for indemnification or an advancement of Expenses in respect thereof is to be made against the Company under this Agreement, notify the Company in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the Company shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to the Indemnitee. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, with respect to any such Proceeding of which the Indemnitee notifies the Company:
(a) The Company shall be entitled to participate therein at its own expense;
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Section 15(b), to the extent that it may wish, the Company, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnitee. After notice from the Company to the Indemnitee of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the Company shall not be liable to the Indemnitee under this Agreement for any expenses of counsel subsequently incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with the defense thereof except as otherwise provided below. The Indemnitee shall have the right to employ the Indemnitee’s own counsel in such 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 the Indemnitee unless (i) the employment of counsel by the Indemnitee has been authorized by the Company, (ii) the 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 Proceeding, or (iii) the Company shall not within 60 calendar days of receipt of notice from the Indemnitee in fact have employed counsel to assume the defense of the Proceeding, in each of which cases the Expenses of the Indemnitee’s counsel shall be at the expense of the Company. The Company shall not be entitled to assume the defense of any Proceeding brought by or on behalf of the Company or as to which the Indemnitee shall have made the conclusion provided for in (ii) above; and
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company shall not be liable to indemnify the Indemnitee under this Agreement for any amounts paid in settlement of any Proceeding effected without the Company’s written consent, or for any judicial or other award, if the Company was not given an opportunity, in accordance with this Section 15, to participate in the defense of such Proceeding. The Company shall not settle any Proceeding in any manner that would impose any penalty or limitation on or disclosure obligation with respect to the Indemnitee, or that would directly or indirectly constitute or impose any admission or acknowledgment of fault or culpability with respect to the Indemnitee, without the Indemnitee’s written consent. Neither the Company nor the Indemnitee shall unreasonably withhold its consent to any proposed settlement.
16. Advancement of Expenses. Except as limited by Section 3 above, all Expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in defending any Proceeding described in Section 4 or 5 shall be paid by the Company in advance of the final disposition of such Proceeding at the request of the Indemnitee. The Indemnitee’s right to advancement shall not be subject to the satisfaction of any standard of conduct and advances shall be made without regard to the Indemnitee’s ultimate entitlement to indemnification under the provisions of this Agreement or otherwise. To receive an advancement of Expenses under this Agreement, the Indemnitee shall submit a written request to the General Counsel of the Company. Such request shall include a schedule with supporting documentation relating thereto, setting forth in detail the Expenses incurred by the Indemnitee (which may be redacted as necessary to avoid the waiver of any privilege accorded by applicable law), and shall include or be accompanied by an undertaking, by or on behalf of the Indemnitee, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined, by final judicial decision of a court of competent jurisdiction from which there is no further right to appeal, that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified for such Expenses by the Company as provided by this Agreement or otherwise. For the avoidance of doubt, a single undertaking by the Indemnitee pursuant to this Section 16 may cover all funds advanced from time to time in respect of a Proceeding. The Indemnitee agrees to repay all such amounts promptly following any such final judicial decision. The Indemnitee’s undertaking to repay any such amounts is not required to be secured. Each such advancement of Expenses shall be made within 20 calendar days after the receipt by the General Counsel of the Company of such written request. The Indemnitee’s entitlement to Expenses under this Agreement shall include those incurred in connection with any action, suit, or proceeding by the Indemnitee seeking an adjudication or award in arbitration pursuant to Section 11 of this Agreement (including the enforcement of this provision) to the extent the court or arbitrator shall determine that the Indemnitee is entitled to an advancement of Expenses hereunder.
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17. Severability; Prior Indemnification Agreements. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable as applied to any person or entity or circumstance for any reason whatsoever, then, to the fullest extent permitted by law (a) the validity, legality, and enforceability of such provision in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, all portions of any paragraphs of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that are not by themselves invalid, illegal, or unenforceable) and the application of such provision to other persons or entities or circumstances shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby, and (b) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, all portions of any paragraph of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that are not themselves invalid, illegal, or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent of the parties that the Company provide protection to the Indemnitee to the fullest extent set forth in this Agreement. This Agreement shall supersede and replace any prior indemnification agreements entered into by and between the Company or its subsidiaries and the Indemnitee and any such prior agreements shall be terminated upon execution of this Agreement.
18. Headings; References; Pronouns. The headings of the sections 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. References herein to section numbers are to sections of this Agreement. All pronouns and any variations thereof shall be deemed to refer to the singular or plural as appropriate.
19. Other Provisions.
(a) This Agreement and all disputes or controversies arising out of or related to this Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to the laws of any other jurisdiction that might be applied because of conflicts of laws principles of the State of Delaware, unless otherwise required by the law of the state in which the Indemnitee primarily resides and works.
(b) This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same instrument and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the parties and delivered to the other party.
(c) This Agreement shall not be deemed an employment contract between the Company and any Indemnitee who is an officer of the Company and/or its subsidiaries, and, if the Indemnitee is an officer, the Indemnitee specifically acknowledges that the Indemnitee may be discharged at any time for any reason, with or without cause, and with or without severance compensation, except as may be otherwise provided in a separate written contract between the Indemnitee and the Company and/or its subsidiaries.
(d) 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 the Indemnitee, and the Indemnitee 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.
(e) This Agreement may not be amended, modified, or supplemented in any manner, whether by course of conduct or otherwise, except by an instrument in writing specifically designated as an amendment hereto, signed on behalf of each party. No failure or delay of either party in exercising any right or remedy hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, and no single or partial exercise of any such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such right or power, or any course of conduct, shall preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or power.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company and the Indemnitee have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above.
| Foxx Development Holdings Inc. | |||
|
By: |
/s/ Greg Foley | ||
| Name: | Gregory Foley | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
|
INDEMNITEE | ||
|
/s/ John Chiang | ||
| Name: | John Chiang | |
Signature Page to Indemnification Agreement
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