South Carolina § 33-8-550 - Determination and authorization of indemnification.

§ 33-8-550. Determination and authorization of indemnification.

(a) A corporation may not indemnify a director under Section 33-8-510 unless authorized in the specific case after a determination has been made that indemnification of the director is permissible in the circumstances because he has met the standard of conduct set forth in Section 33-8-510.

(b) The determination must be made:

(1) by the board of directors by majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors not at the time parties to the proceeding;

(2) if a quorum cannot be obtained under subdivision (1), by majority vote of a committee duly designated by the board of directors (in which designation directors who are parties may participate), consisting solely of two or more directors not at the time parties to the proceeding;

(3) by special legal counsel:

(i) selected by the board of directors or its committee in the manner prescribed in item (1) or (2); or

(ii) if a quorum of the board of directors cannot be obtained under subdivision (1) and a committee cannot be designated under subdivision (2), selected by majority vote of the full board of directors (in which selection directors who are parties may participate); or

(4) by the shareholders, but shares owned by or voted under the control of directors who are at the time parties to the proceeding may not be voted on the determination.

(c) Authorization of indemnification and evaluation as to reasonableness of expenses must be made in the same manner as the determination that indemnification is permissible, except that, if the determination is made by special legal counsel, authorization of indemnification and evaluation as to reasonableness of expenses must be made by those entitled under subsection (b)(3) to select counsel.

HISTORY: Derived from 1976 Code SECTION 33-13-180 [1962 Code SECTION 12-18.18; 1962 (52) 1996; 1973 (58) 381; 1981 Act No. 146, SECTION 2; Repealed, 1988 Act No. 444, SECTION 2], and SECTION 33-13-190 [1962 Code SECTION 12-18.19; 1962 (52) 1996; 1981 Act No. 146, SECTION 2; Repealed, 1988 Act No. 444, SECTION 2]; 1988 Act No. 444, SECTION 2.