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322B.699 INDEMNIFICATION.
    Subdivision 1. Definitions. (a) For purposes of this section, the terms defined in this
subdivision have the meanings given them.
(b) "Limited liability company" includes a domestic or foreign limited liability company that
was the predecessor of the limited liability company referred to in this section in a merger or other
transaction in which the predecessor's existence ceased upon consummation of the transaction.
(c) "Official capacity" means (1) with respect to a governor, the position of governor in a
limited liability company, (2) with respect to a person other than a governor, the elective or
appointive office or position held by a manager, member of a committee of the board of governors,
the employment relationship undertaken by an employee of the limited liability company, or
the scope of the services provided by members of the limited liability company who provide
services to the limited liability company, and (3) with respect to a governor, manager, member, or
employee of the limited liability company who, while a member, governor, manager, or employee
of the limited liability company, is or was serving at the request of the limited liability company
or whose duties in that position involve or involved service as a governor, director, manager,
officer, member, partner, trustee, employee, or agent of another organization or employee benefit
plan, the position of that person as a governor, director, manager, officer, member, partner, trustee,
employee, or agent, as the case may be, of the other organization or employee benefit plan.
(d) "Proceeding" means a threatened, pending, or completed civil, criminal, administrative,
arbitration, or investigative proceeding, including a proceeding by or in the right of the limited
liability company.
(e) "Special legal counsel" means counsel who has not represented the limited liability
company or a related organization, or a governor, manager, member of a committee of the board
of governors, or employee, whose indemnification is in issue.
    Subd. 2. Indemnification. (a) Subject to the provisions of subdivision 4, a limited liability
company shall indemnify a person made or threatened to be made a party to a proceeding by
reason of the former or present official capacity of the person against judgments, penalties, fines,
including, without limitation, excise taxes assessed against the person with respect to an employee
benefit plan, settlements, and reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees and disbursements,
incurred by the person in connection with the proceeding, if, with respect to the acts or omissions
of the person complained of in the proceeding, the person:
(1) has not been indemnified by another organization or employee benefit plan for the same
judgments, penalties, fines, including, without limitation, excise taxes assessed against the
person with respect to an employee benefit plan, settlements, and reasonable expenses, including
attorney's fees and disbursements, incurred by the person in connection with the proceeding
with respect to the same acts or omissions;
(2) acted in good faith;
(3) received no improper personal benefit and section 322B.666, if applicable, has been
satisfied;
(4) in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the conduct
was unlawful; and
(5) in the case of acts or omissions occurring in the official capacity described in subdivision
1, paragraph (c), clause (1) or (2), reasonably believed that the conduct was in the best interests of
the limited liability company, or in the case of acts or omissions occurring in the official capacity
described in subdivision 1, paragraph (c), clause (3), reasonably believed that the conduct was not
opposed to the best interests of the limited liability company. If the person's acts or omissions
complained of in the proceeding relate to conduct as a director, officer, trustee, employee, or agent
of an employee benefit plan, the conduct is not considered to be opposed to the best interests of
the limited liability company if the person reasonably believed that the conduct was in the best
interests of the participants or beneficiaries of the employee benefit plan.
(b) The termination of a proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a
plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent does not, of itself, establish that the person did not
meet the criteria set forth in this subdivision.
    Subd. 3. Advances. Subject to the provisions of subdivision 4, if a person is made or
threatened to be made a party to a proceeding, the person is entitled, upon written request to the
limited liability company, to payment or reimbursement by the limited liability company of
reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees and disbursements, incurred by the person in
advance of the final disposition of the proceeding:
(1) upon receipt by the limited liability company of a written affirmation by the person
of a good faith belief that the criteria for indemnification set forth in subdivision 2 have been
satisfied and a written undertaking by the person to repay all amounts so paid or reimbursed by
the limited liability company, if it is ultimately determined that the criteria for indemnification
have not been satisfied; and
(2) after a determination that the facts then known to those making the determination would
not preclude indemnification under this section.
The written undertaking required by clause (1) is an unlimited general obligation of the
person making it, but need not be secured and shall be accepted without reference to financial
ability to make the repayment.
    Subd. 4. Prohibition or limit on indemnification or advances. The articles of organization,
a member control agreement, or bylaws either may prohibit indemnification or advances of
expenses otherwise required by this section or may impose conditions on indemnification or
advances of expenses in addition to the conditions contained in subdivisions 2 and 3 including,
without limitation, monetary limits on indemnification or advances of expenses, if the conditions
apply equally to all persons or to all persons within a given class. A prohibition or limit on
indemnification or advances may not apply to or affect the right of a person to indemnification
or advances of expenses with respect to any acts or omissions of the person occurring before
the effective date of a provision in the articles of organization, a member control agreement,
or the date of adoption of a provision in the bylaws establishing the prohibition or limit on
indemnification or advances.
    Subd. 5. Reimbursement to witnesses. This section does not require, or limit the ability of,
a limited liability company to reimburse expenses, including attorney's fees and disbursements,
incurred by a person in connection with an appearance as a witness in a proceeding at a time when
the person has not been made or threatened to be made a party to a proceeding.
    Subd. 6. Determination of eligibility. (a) All determinations whether indemnification of a
person is required because the criteria set forth in subdivision 2 have been satisfied and whether a
person is entitled to payment or reimbursement of expenses in advance of the final disposition
of a proceeding as provided in subdivision 3 must be made:
(1) by the board of governors by a majority of a quorum. If the governors who are, at the
time, parties to the proceeding are not counted for determining either a majority or the presence of
a quorum;
(2) if a quorum under clause (1) cannot be obtained, by a majority of a committee of the
board of governors, consisting solely of two or more governors not at the time parties to the
proceeding, duly designated to act in the matter by a majority of the full board of governors
including governors who are parties;
(3) if a determination is not made under clause (1) or (2), by special legal counsel, selected
either by a majority of the board of governors or a committee by vote pursuant to clause (1) or (2)
or, if the requisite quorum of the full board of governors cannot be obtained and the committee
cannot be established, by a majority of the full board of governors including governors who
are parties;
(4) if a determination is not made under clauses (1) to (3), by the affirmative vote of the
members required by section 322B.346, but the membership interests held by parties to the
proceeding must not be counted in determining the presence of a quorum and are not considered
to be present and entitled to vote on the determination; or
(5) if an adverse determination is made under clauses (1) to (4) or under paragraph (b), or if
no determination is made under clauses (1) to (4) or under paragraph (b) within 60 days after (i)
the later to occur of the termination of a proceeding or a written request for indemnification to the
limited liability company or (ii) a written request for an advance of expenses, as the case may
be, by a court in this state, which may be the same court in which the proceeding involving the
person's liability took place, upon application of the person and any notice the court requires.
The person seeking indemnification or payment or reimbursement of expenses pursuant to this
clause has the burden of establishing that the person is entitled to indemnification or payment or
reimbursement or expenses.
(b) With respect to a person who is not, and was not at the time of the acts or omissions
complained of in the proceedings, a governor, manager, or person possessing, directly or
indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of the limited
liability company, the determination whether indemnification of this person is required because
the criteria set forth in subdivision 2 have been satisfied and whether this person is entitled to
payment or reimbursement of expenses in advance of the final disposition of a proceeding as
provided in subdivision 3 may be made by an annually appointed committee of the board of
governors, having at least one member who is a governor. The committee shall report at least
annually to the board of governors concerning its actions.
    Subd. 7. Insurance. A limited liability company may purchase and maintain insurance on
behalf of a person in that person's official capacity against any liability asserted against and
incurred by the person in or arising from that capacity, whether or not the limited liability
company would have been required to indemnify the person against the liability under the
provisions of this section.
    Subd. 8. Disclosure. A limited liability company that indemnifies or advances expenses to a
person in accordance with this section in connection with a proceeding by or on behalf of the
limited liability company shall report to the members in writing the amount of the indemnification
or advance and to whom and on whose behalf it was paid not later than the next meeting of
members.
    Subd. 9. Indemnification of other persons. Nothing in this section must be construed to
limit the power of the limited liability company to indemnify persons other than a governor,
manager, member, employee, or member of a committee of the board of the limited liability
company, by contract or otherwise.
History: 1992 c 517 art 2 s 95; 1993 c 137 s 43; 1996 c 361 s 41; 1997 c 10 art 4 s 16; 1999
c 85 art 2 s 83,96; 2000 c 264 s 12

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes