EX-10.4 12 d461080dex104.htm EX-10.4

EXHIBIT 10.4

EXICURE, INC.

FORM OF INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

This Indemnification Agreement (“Agreement”) is made as of [●] by and between Exicure, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and [●] an individual (“Indemnitee”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve the Company;

WHEREAS, in order to induce Indemnitee to continue to provide services to the Company, the Company wishes to provide for the indemnification of, and advancement of expenses to, Indemnitee to the maximum extent permitted by law;

WHEREAS, the Bylaws of the Company, as amended from time to time (the “Bylaws”) require, and the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, as amended from time to time (the “Certificate” and together with the Bylaws, the “Charter Documents”) permit, indemnification of the officers and directors of the Company, and Indemnitee may also be entitled to indemnification pursuant to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”);

WHEREAS, the Charter Documents and the DGCL expressly provide that the indemnification provisions set forth therein are not exclusive, and thereby contemplate that contracts may be entered into between the Company and members of the board of directors, officers and other persons with respect to indemnification;

WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee recognize the continued difficulty in obtaining on attractive terms liability insurance for the Company’s directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries, the significant and frequent increases in the cost of such insurance and the general trend of insurance companies to reduce the scope of coverage of such insurance;

WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the continuing risks of corporate litigation in general, subjecting directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and scope of coverage of liability insurance provide increasing challenges for the Company;

WHEREAS, Indemnitee does not regard the protection currently provided by applicable law, the Company’s governing documents and available insurance as adequate under the present circumstances, and the Indemnitee and certain other directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries of the Company may not be willing to continue to serve in such capacities without additional protection;

WHEREAS, the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) has determined that the increased difficulty in attracting and retaining highly qualified persons such as Indemnitee is detrimental to the best interests of the Company’s stockholders and that the Company should act to assure such persons that there will be increased certainty of such protection in the future; and

WHEREAS, it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate itself to indemnify, and to advance expenses on behalf of, such persons to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law so that they will serve or continue to serve the Company free from undue concern that they will not be so indemnified;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants contained herein, the Company and Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:

Section 1. Services to the Company. Indemnitee will serve or continue to serve as a director or officer of the Company for so long as Indemnitee is duly elected or appointed or until Indemnitee is removed or terminated, as applicable, or tenders his or her resignation. Indemnitee may tender the resignation at any time in his or her sole and absolute discretion. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company and the Indemnitee acknowledge that the Indemnitee’s employment, if any, is and shall continue to be at-will, as defined under applicable law.

Section 2. Definitions

As used in this Agreement:

(a) “Corporate Status” means a person who is or was a member of the Company’s board of directors (“director”) or officer of the Company or of any other corporation, partnership or joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise which such person is or was serving at the request of the Company.

(b) “Enterprise” shall mean the Company and any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise of which Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary.

(c) “Expenses” shall include all reasonable attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, and all other disbursements or expenses of the types customarily incurred in connection with defending, preparing to defend, investigating, being or preparing to be a witness in, or otherwise participating in, a Proceeding. Expenses also shall include Expenses incurred in connection with any appeal resulting from any Proceeding, including without limitation the premium, security for, and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersedes bond, or other appeal bond or its equivalent. Expenses, however, shall not include amounts paid in settlement by Indemnitee or the amount of judgments or fines against Indemnitee.

(d) “Independent Counsel” means a law firm, or a partner (or, if applicable, member) of such a law firm, selected by Indemnitee that is experienced in matters of corporation law and neither presently is, nor in the past five years has been, retained to represent: (i) the Company or Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party (other than with respect to indemnification matters), or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then

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prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or Indemnitee in an action to determine Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees and expenses of the Independent Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all Expenses, claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

(e) The term “Proceeding” shall include any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, formal or informal government or self-regulatory agency investigation or inquiry, administrative hearing or any other actual, threatened or completed proceeding, whether brought in the right of the Company or otherwise and whether of a civil, criminal, administrative or investigative nature, in which Indemnitee was, is or will be involved as a party or otherwise by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director or officer of the Company, by reason of any action taken by Indemnitee or of any action on the Indemnitee’s part while acting as director or officer of the Company, or by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, in each case whether or not serving in such capacity at the time any Expense is incurred for which indemnification, reimbursement, or any Advance of Expenses can be provided under this Agreement; provided, however, that the term “Proceeding” shall not include any action, suit or arbitration initiated by Indemnitee to enforce Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement.

Section 3. Indemnity in Third-Party Proceedings. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3 if Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant (as a witness or otherwise) in any Proceeding, other than a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor. Pursuant to this Section 3, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on his or her behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and, in the case of a criminal Proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. Indemnitee shall not enter into any settlement in connection with such Proceeding without prior written consent of the Company, and the Company shall not be liable to indemnify Indemnitee under this Agreement for such settlement without prior written consent of the Company. The Company shall be permitted to enter into a settlement on behalf of Indemnitee in connection with such Proceeding except that such settlement shall not impose any penalty, adverse admission, or limitation on Indemnitee without Indemnity’s prior written consent.

Section 4. Indemnity in Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 4 if Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant in any Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor. Pursuant to this Section 4, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company. No indemnification for Expenses shall

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be made under this Section 4 in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been finally adjudged by a court to be liable to the Company unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery (the “Delaware Court”) or any court in which the Proceeding was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification for such expenses as the Delaware Court or such other court shall deem proper, which determination shall, for the avoidance of doubt, satisfy the requirements of the immediately preceding sentence.

Section 5. Indemnification for Expenses of a Party Who is Wholly or Partly Successful. Without limiting any other rights of the Indemnitee pursuant to this Agreement, (a) to the extent that Indemnitee is a party to or a participant in and is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in any Proceeding or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, in whole or in part, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection therewith; and (b) if Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding but is successful, on the merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues or matters in such Proceeding, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter. For purposes of this Section the term “successful” shall include, but not be limited to, (i) any termination, withdrawal, or dismissal (with or without prejudice) of such Proceeding without any express finding of liability or guilt against Indemnitee, (ii) the expiration of 120 days after the making of such Proceeding without the institution of the same and without any promise or payment made to induce a settlement, or (iii) the settlement of such Proceeding pursuant to which the Indemnitee pays less than $10,000 irrespective of whether other parties make payments which may be deemed to be on behalf of Indemnitee.

Section 6. Indemnification For Expenses of a Witness. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of his or her Corporate Status, a witness in any Proceeding to which Indemnitee is not a party, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection therewith.

Section 7. Additional Indemnification.

(a) Subject to any limitation in Sections 3, 4, or 5, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law if Indemnitee is a party to or is threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor) against all Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the Proceeding.

(b) For purposes of Section 7(a), the meaning of the phrase “to the fullest extent permitted by law” shall include, but not be limited to:

(i) to the fullest extent permitted by the provision of the DGCL that authorizes or contemplates additional indemnification by agreement, or the corresponding provision of any amendment to or replacement of the DGCL or such provision thereof; and

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(ii) to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by any amendments to or replacements of the DGCL adopted after the date of this Agreement that increase the extent to which a corporation may indemnify its officers and directors.

Section 8. Exclusions. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall not be obligated under this Agreement to make any indemnity:

(a) for which payment has actually been made to or on behalf of Indemnitee under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision, except with respect to (i) any excess beyond the amount paid under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision, (ii) with respect to any insurance policy to the extent paid for by the Indemnitee, any increase in premiums resulting from the amount paid under such policy, or (iii) any policy described in Section 14(d);

(b) for disgorgement or return of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by Indemnitee of securities of the Company within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law;

(c) for any claim, issue or matter initiated or brought by Indemnitee, except (i) with respect to actions or proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to receive Expenses or indemnification under this Agreement or any other agreement or insurance policy or under the Charter Documents now or hereafter in effect relating to indemnification or (ii) if the Board has approved the initiation or bringing of such claim;

(d) for which payment is prohibited by applicable law; or

(e) for any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have (a) entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a felony or (b) received a final, unappealable judgment or verdict of guilty or its equivalent in any criminal proceeding.

Section 9. Advances of Expenses Prior to or During a Proceeding. The Company shall pay in advance, to the extent not prohibited by law, the Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any Proceeding prior to disposition of such Proceeding (an “Advance”). The Company shall pay from time to time any Advance within thirty (30) days after the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements requesting such Advance (which shall include invoices received by Indemnitee in connection with such Expenses but, in the case of invoices in connection with legal services, any references to legal work performed or to expenditures made that would cause Indemnitee to waive any privilege accorded by applicable law shall not be included with the invoice). Advances shall be unsecured and interest free. Advances shall be made without regard to Indemnitee’s ability to repay the expenses and without regard to Indemnitee’s ultimate entitlement to indemnification under Sections 11 and 12 and the other applicable provisions of this Agreement. Advances shall include any and all reasonable Expenses incurred pursuing an action to enforce this right to an Advance, whether such Expenses are incurred before or after the disposition of the Proceeding for which enforcement of this right to an Advance is pursued. The Indemnitee shall qualify for Advances upon the execution and delivery to the Company of this Agreement which shall constitute an undertaking providing that the Indemnitee undertakes to the fullest extent required by law to repay all Advances if and to

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the extent that it is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, regardless of whether such determination is subject to appeal, that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company. This Section 9 shall not apply to any claim made by Indemnitee for which indemnity is excluded pursuant to Section 8.

Section 10. Procedure for Notification. Indemnitee agrees to notify promptly the Company in writing upon being served with any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information or other document relating to any Proceeding or matter which may be subject to indemnification or any Advance of Expenses covered hereunder. The failure of Indemnitee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of any obligation which it may have to the Indemnitee under this Agreement, or otherwise.

Section 11. Procedure to Determine Indemnification and Any Repayment of Advances After Disposition of a Proceeding.

(a) After the Indemnitee has made a written request for indemnification pursuant to Section 10, then promptly following disposition of a Proceeding, a determination with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification and to retain any Advances given to Indemnitee shall be made in the specific case by majority vote of the directors who are neither parties nor threatened to be made parties, to any Proceeding, even though less than a quorum, or by a committee of such directors designated by majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum (in either case, the “Disinterested Directors”) or, if there are no Disinterested Directors, by Independent Counsel and, if it is so determined that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, payment to Indemnitee shall be made within thirty (30) days after such determination. Indemnitee shall cooperate with the Disinterested Directors or Independent Counsel, as applicable, making such determination with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification, including providing to the Disinterested Directors or Independent Counsel, as applicable, upon reasonable advance request any documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to Indemnitee and reasonably necessary to such determination. Any costs or expenses (including attorneys’ fees and disbursements) incurred by Indemnitee in so cooperating with the Disinterested Directors or Independent Counsel, as applicable, shall be borne by the Company (irrespective of the determination as to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification) and the Company hereby indemnifies and agrees to hold Indemnitee harmless therefrom.

(b) The Independent Counsel, if any, shall be selected by Indemnitee. The Company may, within ten (10) days after written notice of such selection, deliver to the Indemnitee a written objection to such selection; provided, however, that such objection may be asserted only on the ground that the Independent Counsel so selected does not meet the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 2 of this Agreement, and the objection shall set forth with particularity the factual basis of such assertion. Absent a proper and timely objection, the person so selected shall act as Independent Counsel. If such written objection is so made and substantiated, the Independent Counsel so selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless and until such objection is withdrawn or a court has determined that such objection is without merit. If, within 20 days after the later of submission by Indemnitee of a written request for indemnification pursuant to Section 10(a) hereof, and the final disposition of the Proceeding, including any appeal therein, no Independent Counsel shall have been

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selected and not objected to, the Indemnitee may petition a court of competent jurisdiction for resolution of any objection which shall have been made by the Company to the selection of Independent Counsel and/or for the appointment as Independent Counsel of a person selected by the court or by such other person as the court shall designate, and the person with respect to whom all objections are so resolved or the person so appointed shall act as Independent Counsel under Section 11(a) hereof. Upon the due commencement of any judicial proceeding or arbitration pursuant to Section 13(a) of this Agreement, Independent Counsel shall be discharged and relieved of any further responsibility in such capacity (subject to the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing).

Section 12. Presumptions and Effect of Certain Proceedings.

(a) In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification hereunder, the Disinterested Directors or Independent Counsel, as applicable, making such determination shall presume that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement if Indemnitee has submitted a request for indemnification. Neither the failure of the Company nor of the Disinterested Directors or Independent Counsel, as applicable, to have made a determination prior to the commencement of any Advance or indemnification action pursuant to this Agreement that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct, nor an actual determination by the Company or by the Disinterested Directors or Independent Counsel, as applicable, that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense available to the Company to the Advance or indemnification action or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct necessary to obtain an Advance or indemnification.

(b) The termination of any Proceeding or of any claim, issue or matter therein, by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of guilty or nolo contendere other than to a felony, shall not (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement) of itself create a presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.

(c) For purposes of any determination of good faith, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith (i) in any action that does not require, as an element of the claim or cause of action, the establishment of any state of mind inconsistent with a finding of good faith or (ii) if Indemnitee’s action is based on the records or books of account of the Enterprise, including financial statements, or on information supplied to Indemnitee by the officers of the Enterprise in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Enterprise or the Board or counsel selected by any committee of the Board or on information or records given or reports made to the Enterprise by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser, investment banker or other expert selected with reasonable care by the Company or the Board or any committee of the Board. The provisions of this Section 12(c) shall not be deemed to be exclusive or to limit in any way the other circumstances in which the Indemnitee may be deemed to have met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in this Agreement.

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(d) The knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any director, officer, agent or employee of the Enterprise shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement.

Section 13. Remedies of Indemnitee.

(a) Subject to Section 13(e), in the event that (i) a determination is made by the Disinterested Directors (and, for the avoidance of doubt, not by the Independent Counsel) pursuant to Section 11 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, (ii) any Advance of Expenses is not timely made pursuant to Section 9 of this Agreement, (iii) no determination of entitlement to indemnification shall have been made pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement within 60 days after receipt by the Company of the request for indemnification, (iv) payment of indemnification is not made pursuant to Section 5 or 6 or the last sentence of Section 11(a) of this Agreement within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor, or (v) payment of indemnification pursuant to Section 3, 4 or 7 of this Agreement is not made within thirty (30) days after a determination has been made that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication by a court of his or her entitlement to such indemnification or any Advance of Expenses. Alternatively, Indemnitee, at his or her option, may seek an award in arbitration to be conducted by a single arbitrator pursuant to the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association. Indemnitee shall commence such proceeding seeking an adjudication or an award in arbitration within one hundred eighty (180) days following the date on which Indemnitee first has the right to commence such proceeding pursuant to this Section 13(a); provided, however, that the foregoing clause shall not apply in respect of a proceeding brought by Indemnitee to enforce his or her rights under Section 5 of this Agreement. The Company shall not oppose Indemnitee’s right to seek any such adjudication or award in arbitration.

(b) In the event that a determination shall have been made by the Disinterested Directors pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13 shall be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial, or arbitration, on the merits and Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by reason of that adverse determination. In any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13, the Company shall have the burden of proving Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification or an Advance of Expenses, as the case may be.

(c) If a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13, absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law.

(d) The Company shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13 that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in any such court or

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before any such arbitrator that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against any and all Expenses which are incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any action brought by Indemnitee for indemnification or any Advance of Expenses from the Company under this Agreement or under any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies maintained by the Company only if Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, Advance of Expenses or insurance recovery, as the case may be, in the suit for which indemnification or an Advance is being sought.

(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary but without in any way limiting the Indemnitee’s right to Advances under Section 9, no determination as to entitlement to indemnification under this Agreement shall be required to be made prior to the disposition of the Proceeding.

Section 14. Non-exclusivity; Survival of Rights; Insurance; Reasonable Assistance; Subrogation.

(a) No amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement or of any provision hereof shall limit or restrict any right of Indemnitee under this Agreement in respect of any action taken or omitted by such Indemnitee in his or her Corporate Status prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal. To the extent that after the date of this Agreement a change in Delaware law, whether by statute or judicial decision, permits greater indemnification or Advances of Expenses than would be afforded currently under the Charter Documents and this Agreement, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by such change. Except as set forth in Section 17(b), no right or remedy herein conferred is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every other right and remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other right or remedy.

(b) The Company shall use commercially reasonable best efforts to (a) maintain an insurance policy or policies providing liability insurance for directors, officers, employees, or agents of the Company or of any other Enterprise and (b) to provide that until at least the sixth (6th) anniversary of the date of expiration of the Indemnitee’s period of service with the Company (the “Six-Year Period”), Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any such director, officer, employee or agent under such policy or policies. If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of a claim pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company has director and officer liability insurance in effect, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies.

(c) Indemnitee hereby agrees that during the Six-Year Period he or she shall provide reasonable assistance to the Company in investigating, responding to, pursuing, or defending against a Proceeding, including the giving of truthful oral or written testimony,

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provided that (x) the Company compensates the Indemnitee at a daily rate commensurate with the Indemnitee’s final salary with the Company (or in the case of a former director of the Company a cash per diem determined by the Board in its sole discretion but in no event less than the then actual cash rate payable to directors per Board ordinary meeting or if no such rate, the recurring annual cash rate divided by the number of ordinary Board meetings) for all time spent by the Indemnitee at the Company’s request on such assistance; and (y) the Indemnitee’s cooperation does not waive or impair her or his rights under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, or any like privilege or immunity against self-incrimination; provided further, that an assertion of such privilege or immunity shall not create a presumption that the Indemnitee has not met an applicable standard of conduct.

(d) In the event Indemnitee is affiliated with a venture or institutional investment fund (the “Fund”), the Company hereby acknowledges that Indemnitee may have certain rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses and/or insurance provided by the Fund and any related investment advisor or management company, investment fund, managing member or general partner that is an affiliate of any of the foregoing entities or that is advised by the same investment adviser as any of the foregoing entities or by an affiliate of such investment adviser (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, the Company) with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement (collectively, the “Fund Indemnitors”). The Company hereby agrees that (i) it is the indemnitor of first resort under this Agreement and any other agreement or undertaking (whether pursuant to contract, Bylaws or Certificate) by the Company pursuant to which the Indemnitee may assert a claim for indemnification or an Advance; (ii) that the Company’s obligations to the Indemnitee under this Agreement or any other agreement or undertaking (whether pursuant to contract, Bylaws or Certificate) to provide an Advance and/or indemnification to the Indemnitee are primary, and that any obligation of any Fund Indemnitor to provide an Advance or indemnification (whether pursuant to contract, Bylaws or Certificate) are secondary; (iii) it shall be required to advance the full amount of Expenses incurred by Indemnitee and shall be liable for the full amount of all Expenses, judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement to the extent legally permitted and as required by the terms of this Agreement (or any amendment or successor agreement) and the Certificate or Bylaws, without regard to any rights Indemnitee may have against the Fund Indemnitors; (iv) that it irrevocably waives, relinquishes and releases the Fund Indemnitors from any and all claims against the Fund Indemnitors for contribution, subrogation or any other recovery of any kind in respect thereof; and (v) any obligation of any insurer of any Fund Indemnitor to provide insurance coverage for any amounts indemnifiable or otherwise covered by this Agreement or any other agreement or undertaking (whether pursuant to contract, Bylaws or Certificate) by the Company to provide an Advance and/or indemnification to the Indemnitee is secondary to those obligations to provide an Advance and indemnification. The Company hereby further agrees that if any Fund Indemnitor pays or causes to be paid, for any reason, any amounts otherwise properly indemnified or advanced under this Agreement or under any other agreement or undertaking (whether pursuant to contract, Bylaws or Certificate) of the Company, then (x) such Fund Indemnitor shall be fully subrogated to all rights of the Indemnitee with respect to such payment and (y) the Company shall fully indemnify or otherwise reimburse such Fund Indemnitor for all such payments made by such Fund Indemnitor. The Company and Indemnitee agree that the Fund Indemnitors are express third party beneficiaries of the terms of this Section 14(d).

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(e) Except as provided in paragraph (d) above, in the event of any payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all papers required and take all action necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents as are necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights.

(f) Except as provided in paragraph (d) above, the Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment of amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder (or for which any Advances are provided hereunder) if and to the extent that Indemnitee has otherwise actually received such payment under any other indemnification or contribution agreement or any insurance policy, contract, agreement or otherwise except, with respect to any insurance policy to the extent paid for by the Indemnitee, any increase in premiums resulting from the amount paid under such policy.

(g) Except as provided in paragraph (d) above, the Company’s obligation to provide indemnification or any Advance of Expenses hereunder to Indemnitee who is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall be reduced by any amount Indemnitee has actually received as indemnification or an Advance of Expenses from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise.

Section 15. Survival; Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Company and its successors and assigns and shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and Indemnitee’s heirs, executors and administrators. The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place. The indemnification provided under this Agreement shall continue as to Indemnitee for any action taken or not taken while serving in Corporate Status even though Indemnitee may have ceased to serve in such capacity at the time of any Proceeding.

Section 16. Severability. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including without limitation, each portion of any Section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law; (b) such provision or provisions shall be deemed reformed to the extent necessary to conform to applicable law and to give the maximum effect to the intent of the parties hereto; and (c) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any Section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested thereby.

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Section 17. Enforcement; Entire Agreement.

(a) The Company expressly confirms and agrees that it has entered into this Agreement and assumed the obligations imposed on it hereby in order to induce Indemnitee to serve as a director or officer of the Company, as applicable, and the Company acknowledges that Indemnitee is relying upon this Agreement in serving as a director or officer of the Company, as applicable.

(b) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all indemnification obligations of the Company, including pursuant to the Charter Documents, except as required by the DGCL, and all prior agreements and understandings, oral, written and implied, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.

Section 18. Modification and Waiver. No supplement, modification, waiver, or amendment of this Agreement or any provisions of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by the parties thereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions of this Agreement nor shall any waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

Section 19. Notice by Indemnitee. Indemnitee agrees promptly to notify the Company in writing upon being served with any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information or other document relating to any Proceeding or matter which may be subject to indemnification or any Advance of Expenses covered hereunder. The failure of Indemnitee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of any obligation which it may have to the Indemnitee under this Agreement or otherwise.

Section 20. Notices. All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if (a) delivered by hand and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed, (b) mailed by certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date on which it is so mailed, (c) mailed by reputable overnight courier and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed or (d) sent by confirmed facsimile transmission:

(a) If to Indemnitee, at such address as Indemnitee shall provide to the Company.

(b) If to the Company to:

Exicure, Inc.

8045 Lamon Avenue

Suite 410

Skokie, IL 60077

Attn: Chief Financial Officer

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with a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):

Sidley Austin LLP

1001 Page Mill Road

Building 1

Palo Alto, CA 94304

Attn: Sam Zucker, Esq.

or to any other address as may have been furnished to Indemnitee by the Company.

Section 21. Contribution. To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, if the indemnification provided for in this Agreement is unavailable to Indemnitee for any reason whatsoever other than under the express limitations set forth in this Agreement, the Company, in lieu of indemnifying Indemnitee, shall, upon approval or order of the Delaware Court, contribute to the amount incurred by Indemnitee, whether for judgments, fines, penalties, excise taxes, amounts paid or to be paid in settlement and/or for Expenses, in connection with any claim relating to an indemnifiable event under this Agreement, in such proportion as is deemed fair and reasonable in light of all of the circumstances of such Proceeding in order to reflect (i) the relative benefits received by the Company and Indemnitee as a result of the event(s) and/or transaction(s) giving cause to such Proceeding; and/or (ii) the relative fault of the Company (and its directors, officers, employees and agents) and Indemnitee in connection with such event(s) and/or transaction(s).

Section 22. Applicable Law and Consent to Jurisdiction. This Agreement and the legal relations among the parties shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. Except with respect to any arbitration commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 13(a) of this Agreement, the Company and Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agree that any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be brought only in the Delaware Court, and not in any other state or federal court in the United States of America or any court in any other country, (ii) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court for purposes of any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, (iii) appoint, to the extent such party is not otherwise subject to service of process in the State of Delaware, The Corporation Trust Company, Wilmington, Delaware as its agent in the State of Delaware as such party’s agent for acceptance of legal process in connection with any such action or proceeding against such party with the same legal force and validity as if served upon such party personally within the State of Delaware, (iv) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in the Delaware Court, and (v) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any claim that any such action or proceeding brought in the Delaware Court has been brought in an improper or inconvenient forum.

Section 23. Identical Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same Agreement. Only one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability is sought needs to be produced to evidence the existence of this Agreement.

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Section 24. Miscellaneous. The headings of the paragraphs 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.

[Signature Page Follows]

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be signed as of the day and year first above written.

EXICURE, INC.
By: |  |
Name: |  |
Its: |  |
INDEMNITEE
Signature: |  |
Name: |  |
Title: |  |

- Signature Page to Indemnification Agreement -