Exhibit 10.2
Spherix Incorporated
May 25, 2010
Robert A. Lodder, Ph.D.
Spherix Incorporated
President
6430 Rockledge Drive, Suite 503
Bethesda, MD 20817
Dear Robert:
This letter will evidence our agreement to amend your employment letter agreement with Spherix Incorporated (the “Company”) dated as of August 30, 2007 (the “original letter”).
The provisions of Sections 6 and 7 of the original letter are deleted in their entirety and the following are substituted in lieu thereof:
“6. TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT
6.1. Your employment shall terminate automatically upon your death. The Company shall be entitled to terminate your employment because of your Disability (as herein defined). A termination of your employment by the Company for Disability shall be communicated to you by written notice, and shall be effective on the thirtieth (30th) day after receipt of such notice by you (“Disability Effective Date”) at which time your employment shall end, unless you return to full-time performance of your duties before the Disability Effective Date. For purposes of this letter agreement, “Disability” means that you have been unable, for the period specified in the Company’s disability plan for senior executives, but not less than a period of sixty (60) consecutive business days, to perform your duties with or without reasonable accommodation under this letter agreement, as a result of physical or mental illness or injury.
6.2. The Company may terminate your employment hereunder for Cause or without Cause at which time your employment shall end, as set forth herein. “Cause” means termination due to (i) an act or acts of personal dishonesty taken by you and intended to result in your substantial personal enrichment at the expense of the Company; (ii) your continued failure to substantially perform your employment duties (other than any such failure resulting from your incapacity due to physical or mental illness) which are not remedied in a reasonable period of time (to be no less than thirty (30) days after receipt of the “Notice of Termination for Cause”); or (iii) conviction of, or a plea of guilty or no contest by you to, a crime that constitutes a felony involving moral turpitude.
6430 Rockledge Drive, Suite 503
Bethesda, MD 20817
Tel.: (301) 897-2540; Fax: (301) 897-2567
http://spherix.com
6.3. You may terminate your employment hereunder without the Company’s approval at any time without Good Reason upon not less than sixty (60) nor more than ninety (90) days advance written notice to the Company stating the date on which your employment shall end (the “Notice of Termination without Good Reason”). A termination of your employment by you without Good Reason shall be effected by giving the Company written notice of the termination and setting forth the date of such termination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may elect to have any such termination become effective immediately or at such other date, not later than the date specified in the Notice of Termination without Good Reason, as the Company may determine; provided, however, that the Company will continue your base salary, benefits and perquisites through the date specified by you for your termination in the Notice of Termination without Good Reason.
6.4. You may terminate your employment hereunder for Good Reason by giving the Company written notice (“Notice of Termination for Good Reason”) of the termination, setting forth in reasonable detail the specific conduct of the Company that constitutes Good Reason and the specific provision(s) of this letter agreement on which you rely. The failure by you to set forth in the Notice of Termination for Good Reason any fact or circumstance which contributes to a showing of Good Reason shall not waive any right of yours hereunder or preclude you from asserting such fact or circumstance in enforcing your rights hereunder. “Good Reason” means (i) a Change of Control as defined in Section 6.5 or (ii) a “material breach” (as herein defined) by the Company of any provision of this letter agreement which is not cured within thirty (30) days after written notice by you to the Company of such breach (the “Cure Period”). If you elect to terminate your employment for Good Reason due to a Change of Control, such notice shall be provided no later than the end of the Change in Control Period set forth in Section 6.5. For purposes of this paragraph, a “material breach” shall include, (a) any action by the Company which results in a diminution in position, authority, comparable duties or responsibilities, excluding for these purposes an isolated, insubstantial or inadvertent action not taken in bad faith and which is remedied by the Company within the Cure Period; or (b) any failure by the Company to comply with any of the material provisions of Sections 2, 4 or 5 of this letter agreement other than an isolated, insubstantial or inadvertent failure not occurring in bad faith and which is remedied by the Company within the Cure Period.
6.5. Change of Control and Change of Control Period Defined.
“Change of Control” means:
(a) if any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, acquires ownership of stock of the Company that, together with stock held by such person or group, constitutes more than fifty percent (50%) of the total fair market value or total voting power of the stock of such Company; or
Spherix Incorporated
6430 Rockledge Drive, Suite 503, Bethesda, MD 20817
Tel.: 301-897-2540 · Fax: 301-897-2567
(b) if a majority of members of the Company’s Board of Directors is replaced during any twelve (12) month period by directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the members of the Company’s Board of Directors before the date of the appointment or election; or
(c) if there is a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the Company’s assets occurring on the date that any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, acquires (or has acquired during the twelve (12) month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons) assets from the Company that have a total gross fair market value equal to or more than forty percent (40%) of the total gross fair market value of all of the assets of the Company immediately before such acquisition or acquisitions (for this purpose, gross fair market value means the value of the assets of the Company, or the value of the assets being disposed of, determined without regard to any liabilities associated with such assets).
“Change of Control Period” means the three (3) months period following a Change of Control; provided, that for purposes of this letter agreement there can be no more than one Change of Control Period.
7. PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT
7.1. If your employment is terminated by death, the Company terminates your employment for Disability or for Cause, or, except as set forth in Section 7.2(ii) hereof, you terminate your employment without Good Reason, the Company shall:
(a) pay to you (or in the event of termination of employment by reason of your death, your legal representative or your estate if no representative has been appointed) in a lump sum in cash, within thirty (30) days after the date of termination, or as otherwise provided in this Section 7.1, any portion of your base salary through the date of termination that has not been paid plus any outstanding expenses due to you; and
(b) make available to you (or your eligible dependents) any rights to continued health and welfare benefits provided by law at your (or your eligible dependents) expense (i.e., COBRA) or payable to you under the terms of such plans and programs in effect immediately prior to your death or Disability.
7.2. If your employment is terminated: (i) by the Company other than for Cause; (ii) by either the Company or you contemporaneously with or during the Change of Control Period; (iii) by the Company and it is reasonably demonstrated that such termination of employment (a) was at the request of a third party who has taken steps reasonably calculated to effect a Change of
Control or (b) otherwise arose in connection with or in anticipation of a Change of Control; or (iv) by you for Good Reason, the Company shall:
(a) pay to you, in accordance with the Company’s payroll procedures, an amount equal to twelve (12) months of your then-existing base salary in lieu of any severance under the Company’s Severance Plan, payable over the twelve (12) month period following the date of termination; and
(b) pay twelve (12) months of health and welfare (COBRA) benefits that provide you with coverage comparable to other executives that are employed by the Company during that time.”
Your base salary has been increased to $18,333.33 per month ($220,000.00 annualized).
In all other respects, the provisions of the original letter are ratified and confirmed as of the date hereof.
| Sincerely, |
|
|
|
|
| /s/ Aristides Melissaratos |
| Aristides Melissaratos |
| Chairman of Compensation Committee |
ACCEPTANCE
I accept the foregoing amendment to my employment letter agreement with Spherix Incorporated under the terms set forth herein:
/s/ Robert A. Lodder |
|
|
Robert A. Lodder, Ph.D. |
|
|