representatives or consultants of any other person or entity; (iii) solicit or attempt to solicit any customer, vendor or distributor of the Company or any of its affiliates with respect to any product or service being furnished, made, sold, rented or leased by the Company or such affiliate; or (iv) persuade or seek to persuade any customer of the Company or any affiliate to cease to do business or to reduce the amount of business which any customer has customarily done or contemplates doing with the Company or such affiliate, whether or not the relationship between the Company or its affiliate and such customer was originally established in whole or in part through Executive’s efforts. For purposes of this Section 5.2(b) only, the terms “customer,”“vendor” and “distributor” shall mean a customer, vendor or distributor who has done business with the Company or any of its affiliates within twelve months preceding the termination of Executive’s employment.
(c) Executive understands that the provisions of this Section 5.2 may limit his ability to earn a livelihood in a business similar to the business of the Company or its affiliates but nevertheless agrees and hereby acknowledges that the consideration provided under this Agreement, including any amounts or benefits provided under Sections 3 and 4 hereof and other obligations undertaken by the Company hereunder, is sufficient to justify the restrictions contained in such provisions. In consideration thereof and in light of Executive’s education, skills and abilities, Executive agrees that he will not assert in any forum that such provisions prevent him from earning a living or otherwise are void or unenforceable or should be held void or unenforceable.
confidence; (i) any inventions, innovations or improvements covered by this Agreement; and (j) all written, graphic and other material relating to any of the foregoing. Executive acknowledges and understands that information that is not novel or copyrighted or patented may nonetheless be proprietary information. The term “proprietary information” shall not include information generally available to and known by the public or information that is or becomes available to Executive on a non-confidential basis from a source other than the Company, any of its affiliates, or the directors, officers, employees, partners, principals or agents of the Company or any of its affiliates (other than as a result of a breach of any obligation of confidentiality).
5.4Confidentiality and Surrender of Records. Executive shall not during his employment or at any time thereafter (irrespective of the circumstances under which Executive’s employment by the Company terminates), except as required by law, directly or indirectly publish, make known or in any fashion disclose any confidential records to, or permit any inspection or copying of confidential records by, any individual or entity other than in the course of such individual’s or entity’s employment or retention by the Company. Upon termination of employment for any reason or request by the Company, Executive shall deliver promptly to the Company all property and records of the Company or any of its affiliates, including, without limitation, all confidential records. For purposes hereof, “confidential records” means all correspondence, reports, memoranda, files, manuals, books, lists, financial, operating or marketing records, magnetic tape, or electronic or other media or equipment of any kind which may be in Executive’s possession or under his control or accessible to him which contain any proprietary information. All property and records of the Company and any of its affiliates (including, without limitation, all confidential records) shall be and remain the sole property of the Company or such affiliate during Executive’s employment with the Company and thereafter.
5.5Inventions and Patents. All inventions, innovations or improvements (including policies, procedures, products, improvements, software, ideas and discoveries, whether patent, copyright, trademark, service mark, or otherwise) conceived or made by Executive, either alone or jointly with others, in the course of his employment by the Company, belong to the Company. Executive will promptly disclose in writing such inventions, innovations or improvements to the Company and perform all actions reasonably requested by the Company to establish and confirm such ownership by the Company, including, but not limited to, cooperating with and assisting the Company in obtaining patents, copyrights, trademarks, or service marks for the Company in the United States and in foreign countries.
5.6Enforcement. Executive acknowledges and agrees that, by virtue of his position, his services and access to and use of confidential records and proprietary information, any violation by him of any of the undertakings contained in this Section 5 would cause the Company and/or its affiliates immediate, substantial and irreparable injury for which it or they have no adequate remedy at law. Accordingly, Executive agrees and consents to the entry of an injunction or other equitable relief by a court of competent jurisdiction restraining any violation or threatened violation of any undertaking contained in this Section 5. Executive waives posting by the Company or its affiliates of any bond otherwise necessary to secure such injunction or other equitable relief. Rights and remedies provided for in this Section 5 are cumulative and shall be in addition to rights and remedies otherwise available to the parties hereunder or under any other agreement or applicable law.
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6.Assignment and Transfer.
(a)Company. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by, and may be assigned by the Company without Executive’s consent to, any purchaser of all or substantially all of the Company’s business or assets, any successor to the Company or any assignee thereof (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise).
(b)Executive. The parties hereto agree that Executive is obligated under this Agreement to render personal services of a special, unique, unusual, extraordinary and intellectual character, thereby giving this Agreement special value. Executive’s rights and obligations under this Agreement shall not be transferable by Executive by assignment or otherwise, and any purported assignment, transfer or delegation thereof shall be void; provided, however, that if Executive shall die, all amounts then payable to Executive hereunder shall be paid in accordance with the terms of this Agreement to Executive’s estate.
7.Miscellaneous.
(a)Other Obligations. Executive represents and warrants that neither Executive’s employment with the Company nor Executive’s performance of Executive’s obligations hereunder will conflict with or violate or otherwise are inconsistent with any other obligations, legal or otherwise, which Executive may have. Executive covenants that he shall perform his duties hereunder in a professional manner and not in conflict or violation, or otherwise inconsistent with other obligations legal or otherwise, which Executive may have.
(b)Nondisclosure; Other Employers. Executive will not disclose to the Company, use, or induce the Company to use, any proprietary information, trade secrets or confidential business information of others. Executive represents and warrants that Executive does not possess any property, proprietary information, trade secrets and confidential business information belonging to any prior employers.
(c)Cooperation. Following termination of employment with the Company for any reason, Executive shall cooperate with the Company, as requested by the Company, to effect a transition of Executive’s responsibilities and to ensure that the Company is aware of all matters being handled by Executive. The Company shall (i) pay Executive a per diem fee based on Executive’s Base Salary for work performed in connection with such obligation, provided that Executive is not then receiving payments pursuant to Section 4(d)(ii) above and such work is approved in advance in writing by the Company and (ii) reimburse Executive’s reasonable expenses incurred in connection with such pre-approved work.
(d)Assistance in Proceedings, Etc. Executive shall, during and after his employment, upon reasonable notice, furnish such information and proper assistance to the Company as may reasonably be required by the Company in connection with any legal or quasi-legal proceeding, including any external or internal investigation, involving the Company or any of its affiliates. The Company shall (i) pay Executive a per diem fee of $2,500 per day (with portions of days being aggregated to form days of eight hours) for material work performed in connection with such obligation (i.e.,Executive is required to attend a meeting or spend more
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than one hour during a day responding to or otherwise participating in telephone, email, or telecopy communications) subsequent to termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, provided that such work is approved in advance in writing by the Company and provided further that no payments shall be due in connection with assistance provided during any period for which Executive is receiving payments pursuant to Section 4(d)(ii); and (ii) reimburse Executive’s reasonable expenses incurred in connection with the foregoing obligations.
(e)Mitigation. Executive shall not be required to mitigate damages or the amount of any payment provided to him under Section 4 of this Agreement by seeking other employment or otherwise, nor shall the amount of any payments provided to Executive under Section 4 be reduced by any compensation earned by Executive as the result of employment by another employer after the termination of Executive’s employment or otherwise.
(f)No Right of Set-off Etc. The obligation of the Company to make the payments provided for in this Agreement and otherwise to perform its obligations hereunder shall not be affected by any circumstances, including without limitation, set-off, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other claim, right or action which the Company may have against Executive or others.
(g)Protection of Reputation. During Executive’s employment with the Company and thereafter, Executive agrees that he will take no action which is intended, or would reasonably be expected, to harm the Company or any of its affiliates or its or their reputation or which would reasonably be expected to lead to unwanted or unfavorable publicity to the Company or its affiliates.
(h)Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed (both as to validity and performance) and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Connecticut applicable to agreements made and to be performed wholly within such jurisdiction, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law or where the parties are located at the time a dispute arises.
(i)Arbitration.
| (i) | General. Executive and the Company specifically, knowingly, and voluntarily agree that they shall use final and binding arbitration to resolve any dispute (an “Arbitrable Dispute”) between Executive, on the one hand, and the Company (or any affiliate of the Company), on the other hand. This arbitration agreement applies to all matters relating to this Agreement and Executive’s employment with and/or termination of employment from the Company, including without limitation disputes about the validity, interpretation, or effect of this Agreement, or alleged violations of it, any payments due hereunder and all claims arising out of any alleged discrimination, harassment or retaliation, including, but not limited to, those covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, |
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| as amended, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended, and the Americans With Disabilities Act or any other federal, state or local law relating to discrimination in employment. |
| (ii) | Injunctive Relief. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company and any affiliate of the Company (if applicable) shall have the right to seek injunctive or other equitable relief from a court of competent jurisdiction to enforce Section 5 of this Agreement. For purposes of seeking enforcement of Section 5, the Company and Executive hereby consent to the jurisdiction of any state or federal court sitting in the County of Fairfield, State of Connecticut. |
| (iii) | The Arbitration. Any arbitration pursuant to this Section 7(g) will take place in the County of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, under the auspices of the American Arbitration Association, in accordance with the National Rules for the Resolution of Employment Disputes of the American Arbitration Association then in effect, and before a panel of three arbitrators selected in accordance with such rules. Judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrators may be entered in any state or federal court sitting in the County of Fairfield, State of Connecticut. |
| (iv) | Fees and Expenses. In any arbitration pursuant to this Section 7(i), each party shall be responsible for the fees and expenses of its own attorneys and witnesses, and the fees and expenses of the arbitrators shall be divided equally between the Company, on the one hand, and Executive, on the other hand. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall pay the reasonable legal fees, costs and expenses incurred by Executive in connection with any action arising under this Agreement, provided that any dispute or controversy between the parties regarding this Agreement is resolved in any manner in favor of Executive. |
| (v) | Exclusive Forum. Except as permitted by Section 7(i)(ii) hereof, arbitration in the manner described in this Section 7(i) shall be the exclusive forum for any Arbitrable Dispute. Except as permitted by Section 7(i)(ii), should Executive or the Company attempt to resolve an Arbitrable Dispute by any method other than arbitration pursuant to this Section 7(i), the responding party shall be entitled to recover from the initiating party all damages, expenses, and attorneys’ fees incurred as a result of that breach. |
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(j)Reimbursement of Reasonable Attorney’s Fees and Expenses in Connection with Agreement. The Company shall pay or reimburse Executive for reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by Employee in connection with the drafting and negotiating of this Agreement and it is agreed that the payment or reimbursement of such fees shall be considered a working condition fringe benefit.
(k)Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the Indemnification Agreement contains the entire agreement and understanding between the parties hereto in respect of Executive’s employment and supersedes, cancels and annuls any prior or contemporaneous written or oral agreements, understandings, commitments and practices between them respecting Executive’s employment.
(l)Amendment. This Agreement may be amended only by a writing which makes express reference to this Agreement as the subject of such amendment and which is signed by Executive and, on behalf of the Company, by its duly authorized officer.
(m)Severability. If any provision of this Agreement or the application of any such provision to any party or circumstances shall be determined by any court of competent jurisdiction or arbitration panel to be invalid or unenforceable to any extent, the remainder of this Agreement, or the application of such provision to such person or circumstances other than those to which it is so determined to be invalid or unenforceable, shall not be affected thereby, and each provision hereof shall be enforced to the fullest extent permitted by law. If any provision of this Agreement, or any part thereof, is held to be invalid or unenforceable because of the scope or duration of or the area covered by such provision, the parties hereto agree that the court or arbitration panel making such determination shall reduce the scope, duration and/or area of such provision (and shall substitute appropriate provisions for any such invalid or unenforceable provisions) in order to make such provision enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law and/or shall delete specific words and phrases, and such modified provision shall then be enforceable and shall be enforced. The parties hereto recognize that if, in any judicial or arbitral proceeding, a court or arbitration panel shall refuse to enforce any of the separate covenants contained in this Agreement, then that invalid or unenforceable covenant contained in this Agreement shall be deemed eliminated from these provisions to the extent necessary to permit the remaining separate covenants to be enforced. In the event that any court or arbitration panel determines that the time period or the area, or both, are unreasonable and that any of the covenants is to that extent invalid or unenforceable, the parties hereto agree that such covenants will remain in full force and effect, first, for the greatest time period, and second, in the greatest geographical area that would not render them unenforceable.
(n)Construction. The headings and captions of this Agreement are provided for convenience only and are intended to have no effect in construing or interpreting this Agreement. The language in all parts of this Agreement shall be in all cases construed according to its fair meaning and not strictly for or against the Company or Executive. As used herein, the words “day” or “days” shall mean a calendar day or days.
(o)Nonwaiver. Neither any course of dealing nor any failure or neglect of either party hereto in any instance to exercise any right, power or privilege hereunder or under law shall constitute a waiver of any other right, power or privilege or of the same right,
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power or privilege in any other instance. All waivers by either party hereto must be contained in a written instrument signed by the party to be charged and, in the case of the Company, by its duly authorized officer.
(p)Notices. Any notice required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and shall be sufficiently given if personally delivered or if sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, with return receipt requested, addressed: (i) in the case of the Company, to Chief Executive Officer, United Rentals, Inc., Five Greenwich Office Park, Greenwich, Connecticut 06831; and (ii) in the case of Executive, to Executive’s last known address as reflected in the Company’s records, or to such other address as Executive shall designate by written notice to the Company. Any notice given hereunder shall be deemed to have been given at the time of receipt thereof by the person to whom such notice is given if personally delivered or at the time of mailing if sent by registered or certified mail.
(q)Survival. Cessation or termination of Executive’s employment with the Company shall not result in termination of this Agreement. The respective obligations of Executive and the Company as provided in Sections 4, 5, 6 and 7 of this Agreement and the Indemnification Agreement shall survive cessation or termination of Executive’s employment hereunder.
(r)Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which together shall be deemed to be one and the same instrument. Signatures delivered by facsimile shall be effective for all purposes.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Agreement to be duly executed on its behalf by an officer thereunto duly authorized and Executive has duly executed this Agreement, all as of the date and year first written above.
UNITED RENTALS, INC.
By: /s/ Wayland Hicks ————————————————— Name: Wayland Hicks Title: Chief Executive Officer
| EXECUTIVE:
/s/ Martin Welch III ————————————————— Martin Welch III |
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EXHIBIT A
[FORM OF INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT]
EXHIBIT B
Aggreko
American Equipment Company
Ashtead Group Plc
Atlas Copco Group
Atlas Copco Rental Service
Caterpillar Inc.
CAT Rental
Deere & Co.
GE Capital equipment leasing divisions
Golder Thoma
Hertz Equipment Rental Corp.
Home Depot
National Equipment Services, Inc.
Nations Rent, Inc.
Neff Corporation
Rental Service Corporation
RentX Industries, Inc.
Sunstate Equipment Co.
Volvo AB
Any company on the “RER 100” list.