35-14-850. Definitions -- indemnification and advance for expenses. For the purposes of 35-14-850 through 35-14-859, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the following definitions apply:

(1) "Corporation" includes any domestic or foreign predecessor entity of a corporation in a merger or other transaction in which the predecessor's existence ceased upon consummation of the transaction.

(2) "Director" means an individual who is or was a director of a corporation or who, while a director of the corporation, is or was serving at the corporation's request as a director, officer, manager, partner, trustee, employee, or agent of another entity or an employee benefit plan. A director is considered to be serving an employee benefit plan at the corporation's request if the individual's duties to the corporation also impose duties on, or otherwise involve services by, the individual to the plan or to participants in or beneficiaries of the plan. The term includes, unless the context requires otherwise, the estate or personal representative of a director.

(3) "Liability" means the obligation to pay a judgment, a settlement, a penalty, a fine, including an excise tax assessed with respect to an employee benefit plan, or expenses incurred with respect to a proceeding, including attorney fees.

(4) "Officer" means an individual who is or was an officer of a corporation or who, while an officer of the corporation, is or was serving at the corporation's request as a director, officer, manager, partner, trustee, employee, or agent of another entity or employee benefit plan. An officer is considered to be serving an employee benefit plan at the corporation's request if the individual's duties to the corporation also impose duties on or otherwise involve services by the individual to the plan or to participants in or beneficiaries of the plan. The term includes, unless the context requires otherwise, the estate or personal representative of an officer.

(5) (a) "Official capacity" means:

(i) when used with respect to a director, the office of director in a corporation; and

(ii) when used with respect to an officer as contemplated in 35-14-856, the office in a corporation held by the officer.

(b) The term does not include service for any other domestic or foreign corporation or any joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan, or other entity.

(6) "Party" means an individual who was, is, or is threatened to be made a defendant or respondent in a proceeding.

(7) "Proceeding" means any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit, or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, arbitrative, or investigative and whether formal or informal.