South Carolina § 33-31-855 - Determination and authorization of indemnification.

§ 33-31-855. Determination and authorization of indemnification.

(a) A corporation may not indemnify a director under Section 33-31-851 unless authorized in the specific case 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 Section 33-31-851.

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

(4) by the members of a mutual benefit corporation.

Directors who are at the time parties to the proceeding may not vote 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.

(d) A director of a public benefit corporation may not be indemnified until twenty days after the effective date of written notice to the Attorney General of the proposed indemnification.

HISTORY: 1994 Act No. 384, SECTION 1.