Period, Executive shall not, without the prior written consent of Employer, directly or indirectly engage in or become associated with a Competitive Activity. For purposes of this Agreement: (i) a “Competitive Activity” means, as of the Termination Date, any business or other endeavor of a kind being conducted by Employer or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates (or demonstrably anticipated by Employer or its subsidiaries or affiliates) in a geographic area that is within ten miles of (a) any property that is owned, leased or controlled by Employer at any time during the term of this Agreement or (b) any oil or gas prospect that the Employer is evaluating or seeking to acquire an interest in at the time of termination of the Executive’s employment; and (ii) Executive shall be considered to have become “associated with a Competitive Activity” if Executive becomes directly or indirectly involved as an owner, principal, employee, officer, director, independent contractor, representative, stockholder, financial backer, agent, partner, advisor, lender, or in any other individual or representative capacity with any individual, partnership, corporation or other organization that is engaged in a Competitive Activity. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive may make and retain investments during the Restricted Period, for investment purposes only, in less than 5% of the outstanding capital stock of any publicly-traded corporation engaged in a Competitive Activity if stock of such corporation is either listed on a national stock exchange or on the OTC Bulletin Board if Executive is not otherwise affiliated with such corporation. The Executive’s ownership of interests in oil and gas producing properties (whether a working interest, royalty interest, or other interest) acquired prior to the date hereof is not considered a Competing Activity.
Employer and Executive agree to the following: this provision does not impose an undue hardship on Executive and is not injurious to the public; this provision is necessary to protect the business of Employer and its affiliates; the nature of Executive’s responsibilities with Employer under this Agreement require Executive to have access to Confidential Information, as such term is defined in Section 9 of this Agreement, which is valuable and confidential to all of the business; the scope of this Section 7 is reasonable in terms of length of time and geographic scope; and adequate consideration supports this Section 7, including consideration herein.
In the event that any of the covenants in this Section 7 shall be determined by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable by reason of extending for too great a period of time or over too great a geographical area or by reason of being too extensive in any other respect, it shall be interpreted to extend over the maximum period of time for which it may be enforceable and to the maximum extent in all other respects as to which it may be enforceable, and enforced as so interpreted, all as determined by such court in such action. Executive acknowledges the uncertainty of the law in this respect and expressly stipulates that this Agreement is to be given the construction that renders its provisions valid and enforceable to the maximum extent (not exceeding its express terms) possible under applicable law.
contractor of Employer or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, provided, however, that a general solicitation of the public for employment shall not constitute a solicitation hereunder so long as such general solicitation is not designed to target, or does not have the effect of targeting, any employee, officer, director, agent, consultant or independent contractor of Employer or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates; (ii) Executive will not convey any information (whether confidential or otherwise) or trade secrets about any employees, officers, directors, agents, consultants and independent contractors of Employer or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates to any other person; and (iii) during the Restricted Period, Executive shall not, without the prior written consent of Employer, directly or indirectly, solicit, attempt to do business with, or do business with any customers of, suppliers to, business partners of or business affiliates of Employer or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates (such customers, suppliers, partners and affiliates, collectively, “Trade Relationships”) on behalf of any entity engaged in a Competitive Activity, or encourage (regardless of who initiates the contact) any Trade Relationship to use the services of any competitor of Employer or its subsidiaries or affiliates, or encourage any Trade Relationship to change its relationship with Employer or its subsidiaries or affiliates.
9. Confidentiality. Executive acknowledges that, during the course of Executive’s employment with Employer, Executive may have developed Confidential Information (as defined below) for Employer, and Executive may have learned of Confidential Information developed or owned by Employer or its affiliates or entrusted to Employer or its affiliates by others. Executive agrees that Executive will not, directly or indirectly, use any Confidential Information or disclose it to any other person or entity, except as otherwise required by law.
“Confidential Information” means any and all information relating to Employer that is not generally known by the public or others with whom Employer does (or plans to) compete or do business, as well as comparable information relating to any of Employer’s affiliates. Confidential Information includes, but is not limited to, information relating to the terms of this Agreement, as well as Employer’s business, technology, practices, products, marketing, sales, services, finances, strategic opportunities, internal strategies, legal affairs (including pending litigation), the terms of business relationships not yet publicly known, intellectual property and the filing or pendency of patent applications. Confidential Information also includes, but is not limited to, comparable information that Employer may receive or has received belonging to customers, suppliers, consultants and others who do business with Employer, or any of Employer’s affiliates.
“Confidential Information” does not include any information that is: (i) shown to have been developed independently by Executive prior to Executive’s employment with Employer; or (ii) required by a judicial tribunal or similar governmental body to be disclosed under law (provided that Executive have first promptly notified Employer of such disclosure requirement and have cooperated fully with Employer (at Employer’s expense) in exhausting all appeals
10. Property of Employer. Upon any termination from Employer, Executive agrees to return to Employer any and all records, files, notes, memoranda, reports, work product and similar items, and any manuals, drawings, sketches, plans, tape recordings, computer
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programs, disks, cassettes and other physical representations of any information, relating to Employer, or any of its affiliates, whether or not constituting confidential information; and Executive agrees to return to Employer any other property, including but not limited to a laptop computer, belonging to Employer, no later than the date of Executive’s termination from employment for any reason, and Executive further agrees not to retain copies of any Confidential Information.
11. Section 280G Safe Harbor Cap. In the event it shall be determined that any payment or distribution or any part thereof of any type to or for the benefit of Executive whether pursuant to the Agreement or any other agreement between Executive and the Employer, or any person or entity that acquires ownership or effective control the Employer or ownership of a substantial portion of the Employer’s assets (within the meaning of Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations thereunder (the “Code”)) whether paid or payable or distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of the Agreement or any other agreement, (the “Total Payments”), is or will be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the “Excise Tax”), then the Total Payments shall be reduced to the maximum amount that could be paid to Executive without giving rise to the Excise Tax (the “Safe Harbor Cap”), if the net after-tax payment to Executive after reducing Executive’s Total Payments to the Safe Harbor Cap is greater than the net after-tax (including the Excise Tax) payment to Executive without such reduction. The reduction of the amounts payable hereunder, if applicable, shall be made by reducing first the payment made pursuant to the Agreement and then to any other agreement that triggers such Excise Tax, unless an alternative method of reduction is elected by Executive. All mathematical determinations, and all determinations as to whether any of the Total Payments are “parachute payments” (within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code), that are required to be made under this Section 11, including determinations as to whether the Total Payments to Executive shall be reduced to the Safe Harbor Cap and the assumptions to be utilized in arriving at such determinations, shall be made by a nationally recognized accounting firm selected by the Employer (the “Accounting Firm”). If the Accountant determines that the Total Payments to Executive shall be reduced to the Safe Harbor Cap (the “Cutback Payment”) and it is established pursuant to a final determination of a court or an Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) proceeding which has been finally and conclusively resolved, that the Cutback Payment is in excess of the limitations provided in Section 6(e) (hereinafter referred to as an “Excess Payment”), such Excess Payment shall be deemed for all purposes to be an overpayment to Executive made on the date such Executive received the Excess Payment and Executive shall repay the Excess Payment to the Employer on demand; provided, however, if Executive shall be required to pay an Excise Tax by reason of receiving such Excess Payment (regardless of the obligation to repay the Employer), Executive shall not be required to repay the Excess Payment (if Executive has already repaid such amount, the Employer shall refund the amount to the Executive), and the Employer shall pay Executive an amount equal to the difference between the Total Payments and the Shortfall Cap.
12. Remedies. Notwithstanding other provisions of this Agreement regarding dispute resolution, Executive agrees that Executive’s violation of any of Sections 7, 8, 9 or 10 of this Agreement would cause Employer irreparable harm that would not be adequately
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compensated by monetary damages and that an injunction may be granted by any court or courts having jurisdiction, restraining Executive from violation of the terms of this Agreement, upon any breach or threatened breach of Executive of the obligations set forth in any of the Sections 7, 8, 9 or 10. The preceding sentence shall not be construed to limit Employer from any other relief or damages to which it may be entitled as a result of Employee’s breach of any provision of this Agreement, including Sections 7, 8, 9 or 10. Employee also agrees that a violation of any of Sections 7, 8, 9 or 10 would entitle Employer, in addition to all other remedies available at law or equity, to recover from Executive any and all funds, including, without limitation, wages, salary and profits, which will be held by Executive in constructive trust for Employer, received by Executive in connection with such violation.
13. Arbitration. If any dispute shall arise between Executive and Employer in connection with this Agreement, and such dispute cannot be resolved amicably by the parties, the same shall be conclusively and finally resolved by binding arbitration. Any party hereto may commence an arbitration proceeding by providing written notice to the other party requesting the arbitration of an unresolved dispute. Each such dispute, if any, shall be submitted to an arbitrator acceptable to both parties. If either Executive or Employer refuses or neglects to agree to appoint an arbitrator within 30 days after receipt of written notice from the other party requesting the other party to do so, the Judicial Arbiter Group, Inc., Denver, Colorado (www.jaginc.com) may appoint such arbitrator. The arbitrator shall be experienced in the subject matter of the dispute. Except as otherwise specifically set forth herein, the arbitrators shall conduct the arbitration in accordance with the rules of the Judicial Arbiter Group, Inc. The decision in writing of the arbitrator, when filed with the parties hereto, shall be final and binding on both parties. Judgment may be entered upon the final decision of the arbitrator in any court having jurisdiction. Such arbitration shall take place in Denver, Colorado.
14. Fees. Unless otherwise agreed, the prevailing party will be entitled to its costs and attorneys’ fees incurred in any litigation or dispute relating to the interpretation or enforcement of this Agreement.
15. Disclosure. Executive agrees fully and completely to reveal the terms of this Agreement to any future employer or potential employer of Executive and authorizes Employer, at its election, to make such disclosure.
16. Representation of Executive. Executive represents and warrants to Employer that Executive is free to enter into this Agreement and has no contract, commitment, arrangement or understanding to or with any party that restrains or is in conflict with Executive’s performance of the covenants, services and duties provided for in this Agreement. Executive agrees to indemnify Employer and to hold it harmless against any and all liabilities or claims arising out of any unauthorized act or acts by Executive that, the foregoing representation and warranty to the contrary notwithstanding, are in violation, or constitute a breach, of any such contract, commitment, arrangement or understanding. Executive further represents and warrants to Employer that Executive has consulted with his legal, tax, accounting, and investment advisors with respect to the advisability of entering into this agreement to the extent that the Executive has determined such consultation to be necessary or appropriate.
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17. Assignability. During Executive’s employment, this Agreement may not be assigned by either party without the written consent of the other; provided, however, that Employer may assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement without Executive’s consent to a successor by sale, merger or liquidation, if such successor carries on the Employer’s business substantially in the form in which it is being conducted at the time of the sale, merger or liquidation. This Agreement is binding upon Executive, Executive’s heirs, personal representatives and permitted assigns and on Employer, its successors and assigns.
18. Notices. For purposes of this Agreement, notices and all other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when personally delivered or when mailed by United States registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:
IF TO EMPLOYER TO: | KODIAK OIL & GAS CORP. 1625 Broadway, Suite 250 Denver, Colorado 80202 Attention: Chairman of the Compensation and Nominating Committee |
IF TO EXECUTIVE TO: | James E. Catlin 1625 Broadway, Suite 250 Denver, Colorado 80202 |
19. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement or compliance by any of the parties with any provision of this Agreement constitutes a violation of any law, or is or becomes unenforceable or void, then such provision, to the extent only that it is in violation of law, unenforceable or void, shall be deemed modified to the extent necessary so that it is no longer in violation of law, unenforceable or void, and such provision will be enforced to the fullest extent permitted by law. If such modification is not possible, said provision, to the extent that it is in violation of law, unenforceable or void, shall be deemed severable from the remaining provisions of this Agreement, which provisions will remain binding on the parties.
20. Waivers. No failure on the part of either party to exercise, and no delay in exercising, any right or remedy hereunder will operate as a waiver thereof; nor will any single or partial waiver of a breach of any provision of this Agreement operate or be construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach; nor will any single or partial exercise of any right or remedy hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or remedy granted hereby or by law.
21. Governing Law. The validity, construction and performance of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Colorado without regard to the conflicts of law provisions of such laws.
22. Entire Agreement. This instrument contains the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the relationship between Executive and Employer and supersedes all prior
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agreements and understandings, and there are no other representations or agreements other than as stated in this Agreement related to the terms and conditions of Executive’s employment. This Agreement may be changed only by an agreement in writing signed by the party against whom enforcement of any waiver, change, modification, extension or discharge is sought, and any such modification will be signed by the Chairman of the Compensation and Nominating Committee.
[Signature Page Follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have duly signed and delivered this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
EMPLOYER:
KODIAK OIL & GAS CORP.
By: ________________________________
Herrick K. Lidstone, Jr., Chairman
Compensation and Nominating Committee
____________________________________
Name: James E. Catlin
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