that you first incur a “separation from service” for purposes of Section 409A on or following termination of employment. For purposes of this Agreement, each amount to be paid or benefit to be provided will be construed as a separate identified payment for purposes of Section 409A, and any payments that are due within the “short term deferral period” as defined in Section 409A or are paid in a manner covered by Treas. Reg. Section 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii) will not be treated as deferred compensation unless applicable law requires otherwise. Neither the Company nor you will have the right to accelerate or defer the delivery of any such payments or benefits except to the extent specifically permitted or required by Section 409A. This Agreement is intended to comply with the provisions of Section 409A and this Agreement will, to the extent practicable, be construed in accordance therewith. Terms defined in this Agreement will have the meanings given such terms under Section 409A if and to the extent required to comply with Section 409A. In any event, the Company makes no representations or warranty and will have no liability to you or any other person, other than with respect to payments made by the Company in violation of the provisions of this Agreement, if any provisions of or payments under this Agreement are determined to constitute deferred compensation subject to Code Section 409A but not to satisfy the conditions of that section.
6.
information or material relating to the Company and its business as conducted or anticipated to be conducted; business plans; operations; past, current or anticipated products, services, or software; customers or prospective customers; strategic partners and/or collaborators, price lists and all other pricing information; licensing arrangements; research, engineering, development, manufacturing, purchasing, accounting, or marketing activities;
information or material relating to the Company’s inventions, improvements, discoveries, "know-how," technological developments, or unpublished writings or other works of authorship, or to the materials, apparatus, processes, formulae,
plans or methods used in the development, manufacture or marketing of the Company’s products or services;
(iii)
information on or material relating to the Company that when received is marked as "proprietary," "private," or "confidential”;
(iv)
the Company’s trade secrets;
(v)
information or material relating to the Company and its databases, modules, products, programs, product improvements, product enhancements and/or developments, designs, specifications, processes, methods, techniques, operations, projects, plans, chemical compounds, chemical or biological materials, engineering data, clinical or technological data, research data, financial data, personnel data, and other confidential agreements or documents (including, but not limited to, clinical trial protocols and unpublished patent applications); and
(vi)
any similar information of the type described above that the Company obtained from another party and that the Company treats as or designates as being proprietary, private or confidential, whether or not owned or developed by the Company.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, "Confidential Information" does not include any information that is properly published or in the public domain;provided,however, that information that is published by or with your aid outside the scope of employment or contrary to the requirements of this Agreement will not be considered to have been properly published, and therefore will not be in the public domain for purposes of this Agreement.
(b)
Business Conduct and Ethics. During your employment with the Company, you will not engage in any activity that you are or should have been aware is substantially likely to materially conflict with the Company’s best interests, and you will comply in all respects with the Company’s policies and guidelines pertaining to business conduct and ethics.
(c)
Disclosure. You will disclose promptly in writing to the Company all inventions, discoveries, software, writings and other works of authorship that you created, made, conceived, discovered, reduced to practice or wrote jointly or singly on Company time or on your own time during your employment with the Company (“Developments”), provided that the invention, improvement, discovery, software, writing or other work of authorship is capable of being used by the Company in its business, and all such inventions, improvements, discoveries, software, writings and other works of authorship shall belong solely to the Company.
(d)
Current Assignments. You agree to assign and do hereby assign to the Company (or any person or entity the Company designates) all your right, title and interest in and to all Developments and all related patents, patent applications, copyrights and copyright applications. However, this subsection does not apply to Developments that do not relate to the business or research and development conducted or planned to be conducted by the Company at the time such Development is created, made, conceived or reduced to practice and that are made and conceived by you not during normal working hours, not on the Company’s premises and not using the Company’s tools, devices, equipment or Confidential Information. You understand that,
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to the extent this Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of any state that precludes a requirement in an employee agreement to assign certain classes of inventions made by an employee, this subsection shall be interpreted not to apply to any invention that a court rules and/or the Company agrees falls within such classes. You also hereby waive all claims to moral rights in any Developments.
(e)
Instruments of Assignment. You will sign and execute all instruments of assignment and other papers to evidence vestiture of your entire right, title and interest in such inventions, improvements, discoveries, software, writings or other works of authorship in the Company, at the Company’s reasonable request and expense, and you will do all acts and sign all instruments of assignment and other papers the Company may reasonably request relating to applications for patents, patents, copyrights, and the enforcement and protection thereof. You further agree that if the Company is unable, after reasonable effort, to secure your signature on any such papers, any executive officer of the Company will be entitled to execute any such papers as your agent and attorney-in-fact, and you hereby irrevocably designate and appoint each executive officer of the Company as your agent and attorney-in-fact to execute any such papers on your behalf, and to take any and all actions as the Company may reasonably deem necessary or desirable in order to protect its rights and interests in any Development, under the conditions described in this sentence. If you are needed, at any time, to give testimony, evidence, or opinions in any litigation or proceeding involving any patents or copyrights or applications for patents or copyrights, both domestic and foreign, relating to inventions, improvements, discoveries, software, writings or other works of authorship you conceived, developed or reduced to practice, you hereby agree to do so, and if your employment ends, the Company will pay you at an hourly rate mutually agreeable to the Company and you, plus reasonable traveling or other expenses, subject to Section 7(c).
(f)
Government Obligations. You acknowledge that the Company from time to time may have agreements with other persons or with the United States Government, or agencies thereof, that impose obligations or restrictions on the Company regarding inventions made during the course of work under such agreements or regarding the confidential nature of such work. You agree to be bound by all such obligations and restrictions that are made known to you and to take all action reasonably necessary to discharge the obligations of the Company under such agreements.
(g)
Additional Post-Employment Provisions. When your employment ends, you must (x) cease and not thereafter commence use of any Confidential Information or intellectual property (including any patent, invention, copyright, trade secret, trademark, trade name, logo, domain name or other source indicator) if such property is owned or used by the Company and not otherwise licensed to you; (y) immediately destroy, delete, or return to the Company, at the Company’s option, all originals and copies in any form or medium (including memoranda, books, papers, plans, computer files, letters and other data) in your possession or control (including any of the foregoing stored or located in your office, home, laptop or other computer, whether or not Company property) that contain Confidential Information or otherwise relate to the business of the Company, except that you may retain only those portions of any personal notes, notebooks and diaries that do not contain Confidential Information; and (z) notify and fully cooperate with the Company regarding the delivery or destruction of any other Confidential Information of which you are or become aware to the extent such information is in your possession or control. Notwithstanding anything elsewhere to the contrary, you may retain (and not destroy)
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(x) information showing your compensation or relating to reimbursement of expenses that you reasonably believe are necessary for tax purposes and (y) copies of plans, programs, policies and arrangements of, or other agreements with, the Company addressing your compensation or employment or termination thereof.
(h)
Survival. The obligations of this Section 6 (other than Section 6(b)) will survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement and your employment.
7.
Noncompetition and Nonsolicitation.
(a)
General. The Parties recognize and agree that (a) you are becoming a senior executive of the Company, (b) you have received, and will in the future receive, substantial amounts of the Company’s Confidential Information, (c) the Company's business is conducted on a worldwide basis, and (d) provision for noncompetition and nonsolicitation obligations by you is critical to the Company's continued economic well-being and protection of the Company's Confidential Information. In light of these considerations, this Section 7 sets forth the terms and conditions of your obligations of noncompetition and nonsolicitation during and subsequent to the termination of this Agreement and/or the cessation of your employment for any reason.
(b)
Noncompetition.
(i)
Unless the Company waives or limits the obligation in accordance with Section 9(b)(ii), you agree that during employment and for (i) a period of 12 months following your cessation of employment, if you are terminated by the Company without Cause, or you resign for Good Reason (and the Company provides the benefits to which you are entitled under Section 4(b)); or (ii) a period of 18 months following your cessation of employment, if your are terminated by the Company without Cause, or you resign for Good reason within 12 months following a Change in Control (and the Company provides the benefits to which you are entitled under Section 4(b)); or (iii) a period of 6 months following your cessation of employment if you resign without Good Reason; (iv) or a period of 12 months you are terminated by the Company for Cause (the “Noncompete Period”), you will not directly or indirectly, alone or as a owner, principal, joint venturer, partner, shareholder, member, equityholder, officer, director, manager, agent, consultant, contractor or employee of any other firm or entity, provide the same or similar services as you provided to the Company to any business that competes with any part of the Company's (or any of its subsidiaries’) business as and wherever conducted by the Company as of the date of such termination of employment. For purposes of this clause (i), "equityholder" does not include the passive, beneficial ownership of less than 5% of the combined voting power of all issued and outstanding voting securities of a publicly held corporation whose stock is traded on a major stock exchange. Also for purposes of this clause (i), "the Company's business" includes business conducted by the Company or its affiliates and any partnership or joint venture in which the Company or its affiliates is a partner or joint venturer. The Noncompete Period will be further extended by any period of time during which you are in violation of Section 7(b) or (c).
(ii)
At its sole option the Company may, by written notice to you at any time within the Noncompete Period, waive or limit the time and/or geographic area in which you cannot engage in competitive activity.
(c)
Nonsolicitation of Employees and Consultants. During your employment and during the Noncompete Period, you will not, directly or indirectly, individually or on behalf
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of any individual or entity, (a) solicit for hire or retention, retain, hire or offer to hire or retain as an employee, contractor or consultant or engage or offer to engage the services of any individual or entity who you are aware is then employed by or who provides services to the Company, including those who ceased to be employed or provide services within six months before the date of proposed hiring or engagement (to the extent, in the case of any consultant, such engagement would require the consultant to materially diminish or otherwise limit his, her, or its services to the Company), or (b) solicit, aid or induce any individual or entity who you are aware is then employed by or who provides services to the Company, including those who ceased to be employed or provide services within six months before the date of proposed hiring or engagement, to reduce or terminate his, her, or its services to the Company and its subsidiaries, to accept employment with, or render services to or with, any individual or entity unaffiliated with the Company (provided that nothing in this Section 7(c) prohibits you from, directly or indirectly, engaging in any general, public solicitations, so long as your solicitation does not specifically target any of the individuals or entities who were employed by or who provided services to the Company during the period prohibited above).
(d)
Survival. The obligations of this Section 7 survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement and your employment.
8.
Enforcement. The restrictions contained in Sections 6 and 7 are necessary for the protection of the business and goodwill of the Company and you agree that you consider them to be reasonable for such purpose. You agree that any material breach of Sections 6 and 7 is likely to cause the Company substantial and irrevocable damage that is difficult to measure. Therefore, in the event of any such breach or threatened breach, you agree that the Company, in addition to such other remedies as may be available, shall have the right to obtain an injunction from a court restraining such a breach or threatened breach and the right to specific performance of the provisions of this Agreement and you hereby waive the adequacy of a remedy at law as a defense to such relief and any requirement of the Company to post a bond, and you will be deemed to have expressly waived any rights you may have had to payments under Section 4(b).
9.
Indemnification. In addition to any indemnification provided by the Company’s organizational documents, the Company will enter into an indemnification agreement with you as a director in the form used for other directors,provided, that such indemnification agreement shall also indemnify you with respect to your service as an officer of the Company. This Section 9 will survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement and your employment.
10.
Miscellaneous.
(a)
Notices. All notices required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed effective upon personal delivery or three business days following deposit in a United States Post Office, by certified mail, postage prepaid, or one business day after it is sent for next-business day delivery via a reputable nationwide overnight courier service in the case of notice to the Company to its address set forth in the introductory paragraph hereto and in the case of notice to you to the current address on file with the Company. Either Party may change the address to which notices are to be delivered by giving notice of such change to the other Party in the manner set forth in this Section 10(a).
(b)
No Mitigation. You are not required to seek other employment or otherwise mitigate the value of any severance benefits contemplated by this Agreement, nor will
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any such benefits be reduced by any earnings or benefits that you may receive from any other source. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, any sum or sums paid under this Agreement will be in lieu of any amounts to which you may otherwise be entitled under the terms of any severance plan, policy, program, agreement or other arrangement sponsored by the Company or an affiliate of the Company.
(c)
Waiver of Jury Trial. TO THE EXTENT NOT PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW THAT CANNOT BE WAIVED, THE PARTIES HEREBY WAIVE, AND COVENANT THAT THEY WILL NOT ASSERT (WHETHER AS PLAINTIFF, DEFENDANT OR OTHERWISE), ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, SUIT OR OTHER PROCEEDING ARISING IN WHOLE OR IN PART UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE RELEASE IT CONTEMPLATES, WHETHER NOW EXISTING OR HEREAFTER ARISING, AND WHETHER SOUNDING IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, THE PARTIES AGREE THAT ANY PARTY MAY FILE A COPY OF THIS PARAGRAPH WITH ANY COURT AS WRITTEN EVIDENCE OF THE KNOWING, VOLUNTARY AND BARGAINED-FOR AGREEMENT AMONG THE PARTIES IRREVOCABLY TO WAIVE THEIR RIGHTS TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY PROCEEDING WHATSOEVER BETWEEN THEM RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, RELATING TO YOUR EMPLOYMENT, OR COVERED BY THE CONTEMPLATED RELEASE.
(d)
Severability. Each provision of this Agreement must be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement is held to be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision will be ineffective only to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provision or the remaining provisions of this Agreement. Moreover, if a court of competent jurisdiction determines any of the provisions contained in this Agreement, including but not limited to Section 7, to be unenforceable because the provision is excessively broad in scope, whether as to duration, activity, geographic application, subject or otherwise, it will be construed, and the court is authorized and requested hereby to construe the provision, by limiting or reducing it to the extent legally permitted, so as to be enforceable to the extent compatible with then applicable law to achieve the intent of the Parties.
(e)
Assignment. This Agreement will be binding upon and will inure to the benefit of (i) your heirs, beneficiaries, executors and legal representatives upon your death and (ii) any successor of the Company. Any such successor of the Company will be treated as substituted for the Company under the terms of this Agreement for all purposes.You specifically agree that any assignment may include rights under the restrictive covenants of Sections 6 and 7. As used herein, “successor” will mean any person, firm, corporation or other business entity that at any time, whether by purchase, merger or otherwise, directly or indirectly acquires all or substantially all of the assets or business of the Company and its subsidiaries.
None of your rights to receive any form of compensation payable under this Agreement will be assignable or transferable except through a testamentary disposition or by the laws of descent and distribution upon your death or as provided in Section 10(j). Any attempted assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than as aforesaid) of any interest in your rights to receive any form of compensation hereunder will be null and void;provided,however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, you will be allowed to transfer vested shares subject to stock options (other than incentive stock options within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code)
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or the vested portion of other equity awards consistent with the rules for transfers to “family members” as defined in Securities Act Form S-8. Any other attempted assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of any interest in your rights to receive any form of compensation hereunder will be null and void.
(f)
No Oral Modification, Waiver, Cancellation or Discharge. This Agreement may only be amended, canceled or discharged or any obligations thereunder waived through a writing signed by you and CEO.
(g)
No Conflict of Interest. You confirm that you have fully disclosed to the Company, to the best of your knowledge, all circumstances under which you, your immediate family and other persons who reside in your household have or may have a conflict of interest with the Company. You further agree to fully disclose to the Company any such circumstances that might arise during your employment upon your becoming aware of such circumstances.
(h)
Other Agreements. You hereby represent that your performance of all the terms of this Agreement and the performance of your duties as an employee of the Company does not and will not breach any agreement to keep in confidence proprietary information, knowledge or data acquired by you in confidence or in trust prior to your employment with the Company and that you will not disclose to the Company or induce the Company to use any confidential or proprietary information, knowledge or material belonging to any previous employer or others. You also represent that you are not a party to or subject to any restrictive covenants, legal restrictions, policies, commitments or other agreements in favor of any entity or person that would in any way preclude, inhibit, impair or limit your ability to perform your obligations under this Agreement, including noncompetition agreements or nonsolicitation agreements, and you further represent that your performance of the duties and obligations under this Agreement does not violate the terms of any agreement to which you are a party. You agree that you will not enter into any agreement or commitment or agree to any policy that would prevent or hinder your performance of duties and obligations under this Agreement.
(i)
Disclosure of this Agreement. You acknowledge and agree that the Company may provide others, including but not limited to customers of the Company and any of your future employers or prospective business associates, with a copy of this Agreement (or portions thereof) to highlight your continuing obligations to the Company hereunder.
(j)
Survivorship. The respective rights and obligations of the Company and you hereunder will survive any termination of your employment to the extent necessary to the intended preservation of such rights and obligations.
(k)
Beneficiaries. You will be entitled, to the extent applicable law permits, to select and change the beneficiary or beneficiaries to receive any compensation or benefit payable hereunder upon your death by giving the Company written notice thereof in a manner consistent with the terms of any applicable plan documents. If you die, severance then due or other amounts due hereunder will be paid to your designated beneficiary or beneficiaries or, if none are designated or none survive you, your estate.
(l)
Withholding. The Company will be entitled to withhold, or cause to be withheld, any amount of federal, state, city or other withholding taxes or other amounts either
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required by law or authorized by you with respect to payments made to you in connection with your employment.
(m)
Company Policies. References in this Agreement to Company policies and procedures are to those policies and procedures in effect at the Effective Date, as the Company may amend them from time to time upon reasonable notice to you.
(n)
Governing Law; Venue; Jurisdiction and Service of Process. This Agreement must be construed, interpreted, and governed in accordance with the laws of Connecticut without reference to rules relating to conflicts of law. Any action, suit or other legal proceeding arising under or relating to any provision of this Agreement must be commenced only in a court of the State of Connecticut (or, if appropriate, a federal court located within the State of Connecticut), and the Company and you each consent to the jurisdiction of such a court. With respect to any such court action, the Parties hereto (a) submit to the personal jurisdiction of such courts; (b) consent to service of process by the means specified under Section 10(a); and (c) waive any other requirement (whether imposed by statute, rule of court, or otherwise) with respect to personal jurisdiction, inconvenient forum, or service of process.
(o)
Entire Agreement. This Agreement and any documents referred to herein represent the entire agreement of the Parties and will supersede any and all previous contracts, arrangements or understandings between the Company and you.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Agreement to be duly executed and you have hereunto set your hand to be effective as of the date set forth below.
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| | BIODEL INC. |
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| | By: | |
Date | | | |
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| | GARY G. GEMIGNANI |
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Date | | | |
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