Section 115-C. Indemnification of general partner in actions in the right of a limited partnership to procure a judgment in its favor  


Latest version.
  • 1. No
      provision made to indemnify general partners  for  the  defense  of  any
      action  brought  pursuant  to  section  one  hundred  fifteen-a  of this
      article, whether contained  in  the  articles  of  limited  partnership,
      agreement  or  otherwise,  nor  any award of indemnification by a court,
      shall be valid unless consistent with this section.
        2. A limited partnership may indemnify any  general  partner,  made  a
      party  to  an  action in the right of a limited partnership to procure a
      judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that  he,  his  testator  or
      intestate  was a general partner in the limited partnership, against the
      reasonable expenses, including attorneys' fees, actually and necessarily
      incurred by him in connection with the defense of  such  action,  or  in
      connection  with  an appeal therein, except in relation to matters as to
      which such general partner is adjudged to have breached his duty to  the
      limited partnership.
        3.  The  indemnification  authorized  under  subdivision  two  of this
      section shall in no case include
        (a) amounts paid in settling or otherwise disposing  of  a  threatened
      action, or pending action with or without court approval, or
        (b)  expenses  incurred  in  defending a threatened action, or pending
      action which is settled or otherwise disposed of without court approval.
        4. A general partner who has been wholly successful on the  merits  or
      otherwise  in  the  defense  of  an action of the character described in
      subdivision two of this section shall be entitled to indemnification  as
      authorized in subdivisions two and three of this section.
        5.  Except  as  provided  in  subdivision  four  of  this section, any
      indemnification under subdivision two, unless ordered by a  court  under
      subdivision  six,  shall  be  made  by  the  limited partnership only if
      authorized in the specific case
        (a) by a majority of all the general partners, excluding any  partners
      who  are parties to such action, upon a finding that the general partner
      to be  indemnified  has  met  the  standard  of  conduct  set  forth  in
      subdivision two, or,
        (b)  if  a  majority  of  general partners who are not parties to such
      action is not obtainable with due diligence by the  general  partner  or
      partners,   upon   the   opinion   of  independent  legal  counsel  that
      indemnification is proper in the circumstances because the  standard  of
      conduct set forth in subdivision two has been met by the general partner
      to be indemnified.
        6.  (a)  Notwithstanding  the  failure  of  the limited partnership to
      provide indemnification, and despite any contrary determination  by  the
      general  partners,  indemnification  shall  be awarded by a court to the
      extent authorized under subdivisions  two  and  four  of  this  section.
      Application therefor may be made, in every case, either
        (i) in the action in which the expenses were incurred or other amounts
      were paid, or
        (ii)  to the supreme court in a separate proceeding, in which case the
      application shall set forth the disposition of any previous  application
      made  to any court for the same relief and also reasonable cause for the
      failure to make application for such relief in the action in  which  the
      expenses were incurred or other amounts were paid.
        (b)  The  application  shall be made in such manner and form as may be
      required by the applicable rules of court or, in the absence thereof, by
      direction of a court to which it is made. Such application shall  be  on
      notice  to  the limited partnership, given through a general partner, if
      any, other than the general partner making the  application.  The  court
      may  also  direct  that  notice  be  given at the expense of the limited
    
      partnership, to the limited partners and such other persons  as  it  may
      designate  in  such  manner  as it may require. When there is no general
      partner other than those making the application, notice shall be  given,
      as herein provided, to the limited partners.
        (c)  When  indemnification is sought by judicial action, the court may
      allow a general partner such reasonable expenses,  including  attorneys'
      fees,  during  the  pendency  of  the  litigation  as  are  necessary in
      connection with his defense therein, if the court shall  find  that  the
      defendant  has  by  his pleadings or during the course of the litigation
      raised genuine issues of fact or law.
        7. Expenses incurred in defending an action of the character described
      in subdivision two of this  section  may  be  paid  voluntarily  by  the
      limited  partnership  in advance of the final disposition of such action
      if authorized under subdivision five of this section.
        8. All expenses incurred in defending an action which are  allowed  by
      the  court  under  subdivisions  six  or  seven of this section shall be
      repaid in  case  the  general  partner  receiving  such  advancement  or
      allowance  is  ultimately  found,  under the procedure set forth in this
      section, not to be entitled to indemnification or, where indemnification
      is granted, to the extent  the  expenses  so  advanced  by  the  general
      partnership  or allowed by the court exceed the indemnification to which
      he is entitled.
        9. No indemnification, advancement or allowance shall  be  made  under
      this section in any circumstance where it appears
        (a) that indemnification would be inconsistent with a provision of the
      certificate of limited partnership, agreement, partnership resolution or
      other proper partnership action, in effect at the time of accrual of the
      alleged  cause of action asserted in the threatened or pending action in
      which the expenses were incurred  or  other  amounts  were  paid,  which
      prohibits or otherwise limits indemnification; or
        (b)  if  there  has  been a settlement approved by the court, that the
      indemnification would be inconsistent with any condition with respect to
      indemnification  expressly  imposed  by  the  court  in  approving   the
      settlement.