any amounts or benefits provided under Sections 3 and 5 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.
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 upon request by the Buyer, Executive shall deliver promptly to the Buyer all property and records of the Buyer 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, optical 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 Buyer or any of its Affiliates (including, without limitation, all confidential records) shall be and remain the sole property of the Buyer or such Affiliate during Executive’s employment with the Company and thereafter.
6.5Developments. Any invention, innovation, process, discovery, improvement, idea, system design, technical know how, design of an article, computer program and related documentation, literary work, artistic work, copyright work or any other work of authorship (collectively, “Developments”) developed, created, made, conceived, invented, discovered, acquired, suggested, or reduced to practice by Executive, either alone or jointly with others, during Executive’s employment by the Company, whether or not during working hours, and related in any manner to the work or other activities carried on by the Buyer or any of its Affiliates shall be (i) the sole property of the Buyer (or, if applicable, an Affiliate of the Buyer) and (ii) works-made-for-hire to the extent allowed by the Copyright Act. In the event such Developments are not works-made-for-hire, Executive hereby assigns all right, title and interest in the Developments to the Buyer. Executive must promptly disclose in writing Developments to the Buyer and shall promptly execute and deliver all documents and perform all actions requested by the Buyer to establish and confirm such ownership by the Buyer (or, if applicable, an affiliate of the Buyer), including, but not limited to, cooperating with and assisting the Buyer (or, if applicable, an affiliate of the Buyer) in obtaining patents, copyrights, trademarks, or service marks for the Buyer (or, if applicable, an Affiliate of the Buyer) in the United States and in foreign countries. Executive waives and releases, to the full extent permitted by law, all of Executive’s rights (including moral rights) to the Developments.
6.6Enforcement. 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 6 would cause the Buyer 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 6. Executive waives posting by the Buyer or its Affiliates of any bond otherwise necessary to secure such injunction or other equitable relief. Rights and remedies provided for in this Section 6 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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7.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 the Company’s business or assets, or to 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.
8.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.
(d)Mitigation. Executive shall not be required to mitigate damages or the amount of any payment provided to him under Section 5 of this Agreement by seeking other employment or otherwise, nor shall, except as otherwise provided under Section 5(c)(iv) of this Agreement, the amount of any payments provided to Executive under Section 5 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.
(e)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. Nothing herein shall prevent Executive from making any truthful statement in connection with any legal proceeding or investigation by the Company or its affiliates or any governmental authority.
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(f)Choice of Law; Consent to Jurisdiction. 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 Michigan 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. Any action concerning any dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the employment of Executive by the Company must be brought in a court situated in the County of Ottawa, State of Michigan, and each party hereto consents and submits to the jurisdiction of any state or federal court sitting in the County of Ottawa, State of Michigan for any such action.
(g)Entire Agreement. This 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, including all prior employment agreements between the Company and Executive, which agreement(s) hereby are terminated and shall be of no further force or effect.
(h)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.
(i)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 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 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 proceeding, a court 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 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.
(j)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.
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(k)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, 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.
(l)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 Woodland Wireless Solutions Ltd., c/o Woodland Holdings Corp., 12222 Merit Drive, Suite 120, Dallas, TX 75251, Attn: Chief Executive Officer, with a copy sent via overnight mail to Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, 1177 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, Attn: Scott Rosenblum, Esq.; 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, with a copy sent via overnight mail to Cunningham Dalman, PC, P.O. Box 1767, Holland, MI 49422, Attn: Jeffrey K. Helder, Esq. 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 or overnight international mail.
(m)Assistance in Proceedings, Etc. Executive shall, without additional compensation, 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. All of Executive’s out-of-pocket costs incurred to provide such assistance will be advanced by the Company.
(n)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 5, 6, 7 and 8 of this Agreement shall survive cessation or termination of Executive’s employment hereunder.
(o)No Representations Regarding Tax Implications; 409A of the IRC. The Company makes no representations regarding the tax implications of the compensation and benefits to be paid to Executive under this Agreement, including, without limit, under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and applicable guidance and regulations thereunder. It is the intention of the parties that payments and benefits under this Agreement be interpreted to be exempt from or in compliance with Section 409A and accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted, this Agreement shall be interpreted to be exempt from or in compliance with Section 409A. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if (i) at the time of Executive’s “separation from service” (as defined in Treas. Reg. Section 1.409A-1(h)) with the Company other than as a result of his death, (ii) Executive is a “specified employee” (as defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i)), (iii) one or more of the payments or benefits received or to be received by Executive pursuant to this Agreement would constitute deferred compensation subject to Section 409A, and (iv) the deferral of the commencement of any such payments or benefits otherwise payable hereunder as a result of such separation of service is
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necessary in order to prevent any accelerated or additional tax under Section 409A, then the Company will defer the commencement of the payment of any such payments or benefits hereunder to the extent necessary (without any reduction in such payments or benefits ultimately paid or provided to Executive) until the date that is six months following Executive’s separation from service with the Company (or the earliest date as is permitted under Section 409A of the Code). Any payment deferred during such six-month period shall be paid in a lump sum on the day following such six-month period. Any remaining payments or benefits shall be made as otherwise scheduled under this Agreement. To the extent any reimbursements or in-kind benefits due to Executive under this Agreement constitute deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Code, any such reimbursements or in-kind benefits shall be paid to Executive in a manner consistent with Treas. Reg. Section 1.409A-3(i)(1)(iv). Each payment made under this Agreement shall be designated as a “separate payment” within the meaning of Section 409A.”
(p)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.
(q)Liability Insurance. During the Term, the Company agrees to cover Executive under a directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy at a level, and on terms and conditions, no less favorable to the Executive than the coverage the Company provides other directors and similarly-situated executive officers so long as such coverage is available from the carrier.
9.Definitions.As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
(a) “Actual Audited EBITDA” shall mean the EBITDA as set forth in the Buyer’s Audited Financial Statements.
(b) “Adjusted EBITDA” shall mean for any Participation Year, EBITDA less the Capital Charge.
(c) “Affiliate” shall mean, with respect to an entity, any other Person which, directly or indirectly, is in control of, is controlled by or is under common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control,” when used with respect to any Person, means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise. In the case of any Person who is an individual, such Person’s Affiliates shall include such Person’s spouse, siblings, parents, children, grandchildren, and trusts for the benefit of any of the foregoing
(d) “Audited Financial Statements” shall mean the audited combined consolidated financial statements of the Buyer for fiscal years ending April 30th.
(e) “Businesses” shall mean all of the businesses of Buyer and its Subsidiaries conducted on the date hereof.
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(f) “Capital Charge” shall be the cumulative (i) combined capital expenditures by the Buyer, and (ii) increase in Working Capital of the Buyer, in each case from the beginning of the then-current Participation Year through the end of the then-current Participation Year.
(g) “Closing Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the Stock Purchase Agreement.
(h) “Earn-Out Agreement” shall mean that certain Earn-Out Agreement, dated as of the date hereof and effective as of the Closing Date, by and between Buyer and Executive.
(i) “EBITDA” shall have the meaning set forth in the Earn-Out Agreement.
(j) “Financial Statements” shall mean for any Participation Year, combined consolidated financial statements for the Buyer for such Participation Year, which shall be prepared in accordance with GAAP.
(k) “GAAP” shall mean United States generally accepted accounting principles, as in effect on the date of this Agreement, consistently applied.
(l) “June 2008 Adjusted EBITDA” shall mean Three Million Five Hundred and Seventy Four Thousand and 00/100 Dollars.
(m) “Participation Year” shall mean the twelve month period ending on January 31st for each of 2010, 2011 and 2012.
(n) “Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, business trust, joint stock company, estate, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture, governmental authority or other entity, of whatever nature.
(o) “SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Agreement to be duly executed on its behalf by an individual thereunto duly authorized and Executive has duly executed this Agreement, all as of the date and year first written above.
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WOODLAND WIRELESS SOLUTIONS, LTD | | EXECUTIVE: |
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By: | /s/ Scott Beck | | /s/ Ned Timmer |
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| Name: Scott Beck | | Ned Timmer |
| Title: Chief Executive Officer and President | | |
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[Signature Page to Employment Agreement]