Form of Indemnification Agreement

Exhibit 10.1

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT , made and executed this day of , 2008, by and between Acuity Brands, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the " Company" ), and , an individual resident of the State of (the " Indemnitee" ).

WHEREAS, the Company is aware that, in order to induce highly competent persons to serve the Company as directors, officers, employees or in other capacities, the Company must provide such persons with adequate protection through insurance and indemnification against inordinate risks of claims and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of the Company; WHEREAS, the Company recognizes that the increasing difficulty in obtaining directors' and officers' liability insurance, the increases in the cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the coverage of such insurance have increased the difficulty of attracting and retaining such persons;

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company' s stockholders that the Company act to assure such persons that there will be increased certainty of such protection in the future;

WHEREAS, it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate itself to indemnify such persons to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law so that they will continue to serve the Company free from undue concern that they will not be so indemnified; and WHEREAS, the Indemnitee is willing to serve, continue to serve, and take on additional service for or on behalf of the Company or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries on the condition that he/she be so indemnified.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and covenants contained herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and Indemnitee do hereby agree as follows: 1. Service by the Indemnitee . The Indemnitee agrees to serve and/or continue to serve as a director, officer, employee or other agent of the Company faithfully and will discharge his/her duties and responsibilities to the best of his/her ability so long as the Indemnitee is duly elected or qualified in accordance with the provisions of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the " Certificate" ), and Amended and Restated By-laws, as amended (the " By-laws" ) of the Company, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as amended (the " DGCL" ), and any other applicable law in effect on the date of this Agreement and from time to time, or until his/her earlier death, resignation or removal. The Indemnitee may at any time and for any reason resign from such position (subject to any other contractual obligation or other obligation imposed by operation by law), in which event the

Company shall have no obligation under this Agreement to continue the employment or directorship of the Indemnitee. Nothing in this Agreement shall confer upon the Indemnitee the right to continue in the employ of the Company or as a director of the Company or affect the right of the Company to terminate the Indemnitee' s employment at any time in the sole discretion of the Company, with or without cause, subject to any contract rights of the Indemnitee created or existing otherwise than under this Agreement.

2. Indemnification . The Company shall indemnify the Indemnitee against all Expenses (as defined below), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee as provided in this Agreement to the fullest extent permitted by the Certificate, By-laws and DGCL or other applicable law in effect on the date of this Agreement and to any greater extent that applicable law may in the future from time to time permit. Without diminishing the scope of the indemnification provided by this Section 2, the rights of indemnification of the Indemnitee provided hereunder shall include, but shall not be limited to, those rights hereinafter set forth, except that no indemnification shall be paid to the Indemnitee:

(a) on account of any action, suit or proceeding in which judgment is rendered against the Indemnitee for disgorgement of profits made from the purchase or sale by the Indemnitee of securities of the Company pursuant to the provisions of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the " Act" ), or similar provisions of any federal, state or local statutory law;

(b) on account of conduct of the Indemnitee which is finally adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction to have been knowingly fraudulent or to constitute willful misconduct;

(c) in any circumstance where such indemnification is expressly prohibited by applicable law;

(d) with respect to liability for which payment is actually made to the Indemnitee under a valid and collectible insurance policy of the Company or under a valid and enforceable indemnity clause, By-law or agreement (other than this Agreement) of the Company, except in respect of any liability in excess of payment under such insurance policy, indemnity clause, By-law or agreement;

(e) if a final decision by a court having jurisdiction in the matter shall determine that such indemnification is not lawful (and, in this respect, both the Company and the Indemnitee have been advised that it is the position of the Securities and Exchange Commission that indemnification for liabilities arising under the federal securities laws is against public policy and is, therefore, unenforceable, and that claims for indemnification should be submitted to the appropriate court for adjudication); or

(f) in connection with any action, suit or proceeding by the Indemnitee against the Company or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries or the directors, officers, employees or other Indemnitees of the Company or any of its


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direct or indirect subsidiaries, (i) unless such indemnification is expressly required to be made by law, (ii) unless the proceeding was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Company, (iii) unless such indemnification is provided by the Company, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Company under applicable law, or (iv) except as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof.

3. Actions or Proceedings Other Than an Action by or in the Right of the Company . The Indemnitee shall be entitled to the indemnification rights provided in this Section 3 if the Indemnitee was or is a party or witness or is threatened to be a party or witness to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative in nature, other than an action by or in the right of the Company, by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company, or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries, or is or was serving at the request of the Company, or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries, as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of any other entity, including, but not limited to, another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, employee benefit plan, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any act or omission by him/her in such capacity. Pursuant to this Section 3, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses, judgments, penalties (including excise and similar taxes), fines and amounts paid in settlement which were actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with such action, suit or proceeding (including, but not limited to, the investigation, defense or appeal thereof), if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his/her conduct was unlawful.

4. Actions by or in the Right of the Company . The Indemnitee shall be entitled to the indemnification rights provided in this Section 4 if the Indemnitee was or is a party or witness or is threatened to be made a party or witness to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding brought by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company, or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries, or is or was serving at the request of the Company, or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries, as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another entity, including, but not limited to, another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, employee benefit plan, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any act or omission by him/her in any such capacity. Pursuant to this Section 4, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him/her in connection with the defense or settlement of such action, suit or proceeding (including, but not limited to the investigation, defense or appeal thereof), if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company; provided, however, that no such indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which the Indemnitee shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Company, unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the court in which such action, suit or proceeding was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, the Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to be


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indemnified against such Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him/her which such court shall deem proper. 5. Good Faith Definition . For purposes of this Agreement, the Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith and in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, or, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding to have had no reasonable cause to believe the Indemnitee' s conduct was unlawful, if such action was based on a reasonable reliance upon (i) the records of the Company and (ii) information, opinions, reports or statements presented to the Company by any of the Company' s officer' s or employees, or committees. 6. Indemnification for Expenses of Successful Party . Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Agreement, to the extent that the Indemnitee has served on behalf of the Company, or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries, as a witness or other participant in any class action or proceeding, or has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in Sections 3 and 4 hereof, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, including, but not limited to, the dismissal of any action without prejudice, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection therewith, regardless of whether or not the Indemnitee has met the applicable standards of Section 3 or 4 and without any determination pursuant to Section 8. 7. Partial Indemnification . If the Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of the Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of such suit, action, investigation or proceeding described in Section 3 or 4 hereof, but is not entitled to indemnification for the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify the Indemnitee for the portion of such Expenses, judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee to which the Indemnitee is entitled.

8. Procedure for Determination of Entitlement to Indemnification . (a) To obtain indemnification under this Agreement, Indemnitee shall submit to the Company a written request, including documentation and information which is reasonably available to Indemnitee and is reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification. The Secretary of the Company shall, promptly upon receipt of a request for indemnification, advise the Board of Directors in writing that Indemnitee has requested indemnification. Any Expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with the Indemnitee' s request for indemnification hereunder shall be borne by the Company. The Company hereby indemnifies and agrees to hold the Indemnitee harmless for any Expenses incurred by Indemnitee under the immediately preceding sentence irrespective of the outcome of the det ...