(i) upon any “person” as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) (other than the Company, any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under any employee benefit plan of the Company, or any company owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of common stock of the Company), becoming the owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 30% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities;
(ii) during any period of two (2) consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board of Directors of the Company, and any new director (other than a director designated by a person who has entered into an agreement with the Company to effect a transaction described in sub-paragraph (i), (iii), or (iv) of this Paragraph or a director whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of either an actual or threatened election contest (as such term is used in Rule 14a-11 of Regulation 14A promulgated under the Exchange Act) or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a person other than the Board of Directors of the Company) whose election by the Board of Directors of the Company or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the two-year period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company;
(iii) upon a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation, other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity) more than 50% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation; provided, however, that a merger or consolidation effected to implement a recapitalization of the Company (or similar transaction) in which no person (other than those covered by the exceptions in (i) above) acquires more than 50% of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities shall not constitute a Change in Control of the Company; or
(iv) upon the stockholders of the Company approval of a plan of complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets other than the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company to a person or persons who beneficially own, directly or indirectly, at least 50% or more of the combined voting power of the outstanding voting securities of the Company at the time of the sale.
(e) In connection with a termination of Kornberg’s employment triggering payments and benefits under this Paragraph 7, Kornberg shall have no further obligations hereunder and shall be under no duty to seek other employment or otherwise mitigate his damages, and no compensation or other payment from a third party shall reduce or offset his damages.
8. (a) In order to induce Kornberg to enter into this Agreement, the Company agrees that if it terminates Kornberg’s employment hereunder without cause, or if it otherwise breaches this Agreement and Kornberg terminates his employment as a result of such breach, Kornberg shall have no further obligations hereunder and shall be under no duty to seek other employment or otherwise mitigate his damages, no compensation or other payment from a third party shall reduce or offset his damages, and the Company shall pay Kornberg the following amounts as liquidated damages in lieu of any further obligations hereunder:
(i) Subject to Paragraph 15(c), an amount equal to his total Base Salary, at the rate in effect at the time of such breach, for the full unexpired term of the Employment Period, such amount to be payable within 10 days after such termination; plus
(ii) Subject to Paragraph 15(c), an amount equal to his Incentive Compensation for the full fiscal year in which the breach occurs;
(iii) for the 18 month period following Kornberg’s termination, the Company shall continue Kornberg’s participation in the Company’s medical plans (under COBRA) as if he continued to be employed by the Company hereunder; and
(iv) for the two year period following Kornberg’s termination, the Company shall continue Kornberg’s participation in the Company’s life insurance plan or continue to provide the life insurance reimbursement provided in Paragraph 5(a) above, as applicable, as if he continued to be employed by the Company hereunder;
provided however, that if a Change in Control of the Company has occurred at any time prior to the date of such breach, Kornberg shall be entitled to receive as liquidated damages amounts and benefits equal to the amounts and benefits he would have been entitled to receive pursuant to Paragraph 7 hereof (including Paragraph 7(c)) if he had terminated the Employment Period effective on the date of breach, to the extent such payments or benefits would exceed the level of corresponding payments or benefits under this Paragraph 8(a) (i.e., without duplication of the payments and benefits provided in this Paragraph 8(a)).
(b) The Company shall be responsible for Kornberg’s reasonable attorney’s fees and disbursements in any action to recover any amounts due him or obtain other relief under this Agreement or in any action relating to a breach by the Company of this Agreement.
9. (a) Kornberg acknowledges that his services hereunder are of a special and unique nature and his position with the Company places him in a position of confidence and trust with clients and employees of the Company. Therefore, and in consideration of the Company’s performance of its covenants and agreements under this Agreement, Kornberg will not at any time during his employment with the Company and for a period of two years thereafter (the “Restrictive Period”), directly or indirectly, engage in any business (as an owner, joint venturer, partner, stockholder, director, officer, consultant, agent or otherwise, other than as the owner of less than 1% of the outstanding class of a publicly traded security) which competes with the business in which the Company is presently engaged or may be engaged at any time during his employment with the Company.
(b) Kornberg agrees that he will not (except on behalf of the Company during his employment with the Company), during the Restrictive Period, employ or retain, solicit the employment or retention of, or knowingly cause or encourage any entity to retain or solicit the employment or retention of, any person who is or was an employee of the Company at any time during the period commencing 12 months prior to the termination of Kornberg’s employment with the Company. After termination of Kornberg’s employment with the Company: (i) Kornberg will refrain from disparaging, whether orally, in writing or in other media, the Company, its affiliates, the officers, directors and employees of each of them, and the products and services of each of them, and (ii) the Company will not disparage Kornberg or otherwise comment upon the employment performance of Kornberg other than as may be required by law or as requested by Kornberg.
(c) Any discovery, design, invention or improvement (whether or not patentable) that Kornberg develops during his employment with the Company (whether or not during his regular working hours or on the Company’s premises) and that is related to the Company’s business or operations as then conducted or contemplated, shall belong solely to the Company and shall be promptly disclosed to the Company. During the period of his employment with the Company and thereafter, Kornberg shall, without additional compensation, execute and deliver to the Company any instruments of transfer and take any other action that the Company may reasonably request to carry out the provisions of this Paragraph, including executing and filing, at the Company’s expense, patent and/or copyright applications and assignments of such applications to the Company.
(d) Kornberg will not at any time, directly or indirectly, without the Company’s prior written consent, disclose to any third party or use (except as authorized in the regular course of the Company’s business or in Kornberg’s performance of his responsibilities as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer) any confidential, proprietary or trade secret information that was either acquired by him during his employment with the Company or thereafter, including, without limitation, sales and marketing information, information relating to existing or prospective customers and markets, business opportunities, and financial, technical and other data (collectively, the “Confidential Information”). After termination of Kornberg’s employment with the Company for any reason and upon the written request of the Company, Kornberg shall promptly return to the Company all originals and/or copies of written or recorded material (regardless of the medium) containing or reflecting any Confidential Information and shall promptly confirm in writing to the Company that such action has been taken. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following shall not constitute Confidential Information: (i) information that is already in the public domain at the time of its disclosure to Kornberg; (ii) information that, after its disclosure to Kornberg, becomes part of the public domain by publication or otherwise other than through Kornberg’s act; and (iii) information that Kornberg received from a third party having the right to make such disclosure without restriction on disclosure or use thereof.
10. Kornberg acknowledges that, in view of the nature of the Company’s business, the restrictions contained in this Agreement are reasonably necessary to protect the legitimate business interests of the Company and its affiliates and that any violation of such restrictions will result in irreparable injury to the Company for which money damages will not be an adequate remedy. Accordingly, Kornberg agrees that, in addition to such money damages, he may be restrained and enjoined from any continuing breach of such covenants
without any bond or other security being required by any court. In the event of a material violation by Kornberg of any provision of Paragraph 9 hereof, any severance compensation being paid to Kornberg pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise shall immediately cease, and any severance compensation previously paid to Kornberg (other than $1,000) shall be immediately repaid to the Company. If any restriction contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable by reason of the extent, duration or geographical scope, or otherwise, then the court making such determination shall have the right to reduce such extent, duration, geographical scope or other provisions hereof, and in its reduced form such restriction shall then be enforceable in the manner contemplated thereby.
11. In consideration of the payments and other undertakings set forth herein, Kornberg acknowledges that upon the termination of his employment with this Company, the execution of a release, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, is an express condition to his right to receive severance compensation pursuant to Paragraphs 7 and 8 hereof in the event such Paragraphs are applicable.
12. Any offer, notice, request or other communication hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if hand delivered or mailed by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the respective address of each party hereinafter set forth, or to such other address as each party may designate by a notice pursuant hereto, which change of address notice shall be effective upon receipt thereof:
If to the Company: | Comtech Telecommunications Corp. 68 South Service Road Melville, NY 11747 |
| Attention: Secretary |
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If to Kornberg: | At his home address appearing in the records of the Company. |
13. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held for any reason to be unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect.
14. This Agreement, including, without limitation, the provisions of this Paragraph 14, shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of, and shall be deemed to refer with equal force and effect to, any corporate or other successor to the Company which shall acquire, directly or indirectly, by merger, consolidation, purchase or otherwise, all or substantially all of the assets or business of the Company. This Agreement shall not be assignable by the Company or any such successor, except to the corporate or other successor referred to in the preceding sentence. Kornberg may not assign, pledge or encumber his interest in this Agreement without the written consent of the Company. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of Kornberg, his heirs and personal representatives. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement by the Company and Kornberg with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes any and all prior agreements or understandings between Kornberg and the Company with respect to the subject matter hereof, whether written or oral (including, without limitation, the Prior Agreement). This Agreement may be amended or modified only by a written instrument executed by Kornberg and the Company. This Agreement shall be construed and
enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflict of law principles.
15. (a) The Company may withhold from any amounts payable under this Agreement such federal, state and local taxes as may be required to be withheld pursuant to any applicable law or regulation.
(b) The intent of the parties is that payments and benefits under this Agreement comply with Internal Revenue Code Section 409A and the regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder (collectively “Code Section 409A”) and, accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted, this Agreement shall be interpreted to be in compliance therewith. If Kornberg notifies the Company (with specificity as to the reason therefor) that Kornberg believes that any provision of this Agreement (or of any award of compensation) would cause Kornberg to incur any additional tax or interest under Code Section 409A, the Company shall, after consulting with Kornberg, reform such provision to try to comply with Code Section 409A through good faith modifications to the minimum extent reasonably appropriate to conform with Code Section 409A. To the extent that any provision hereof is modified in order to comply with Code Section 409A, such modification shall be made in good faith and shall, to the maximum extent reasonably possible, maintain the original intent and economic benefit to Kornberg and the Company of the applicable provision without violating the provisions of Code Section 409A.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in this Agreement, payments to be made hereunder upon a termination of employment shall only be made upon a “separation from service,” as defined in Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-1(h) and, if Kornberg is deemed on the date of termination to be a “specified employee” within the meaning of that term under Code Section 409A(a)(2)(B), then with regard to any payment or the provision of any benefit that is specified as subject to this Paragraph, such payment or benefit shall be made or provided (subject to the last sentence of this Paragraph 15(c)) at the date which is the earlier of (i) the expiration of the six (6)-month period measured from the date of such “separation from service” of Kornberg, and (ii) the date of Kornberg’s death (the “Delay Period”). Upon the expiration of the Delay Period, all payments and benefits delayed pursuant to this Paragraph 15(c) (whether they would have otherwise been payable in a single sum or in installments in the absence of such delay) shall be paid or reimbursed to Kornberg in a lump sum, and any remaining payments and benefits due under this Agreement shall be paid or provided in accordance with the normal payment dates specified for them herein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that the foregoing applies to the provision of any ongoing welfare benefits to Kornberg that would not be required to be delayed if the premiums therefor were paid by Kornberg, Kornberg shall pay the full cost of the premiums for such welfare benefits during the Delay Period and the Company shall pay Kornberg an amount equal to the amount of such premiums paid by Kornberg during the Delay Period promptly after its conclusion.
(d) Following the occurrence of a Change in Control, in the event that Kornberg becomes liable for any additional tax, interest or penalty under Code Section 409A or any damages resulting from the failure of the payments and benefits provided under this Agreement or any other arrangement between Kornberg and the Company to comply with Code Section 409A, Kornberg shall be entitled to receive an additional gross-up payment from the Company to fully indemnify him on an after-tax basis for the effect of such additional tax,
interest, penalty or damages. Such additional gross-up payment shall be made within ninety days following the date on which Kornberg remits such additional tax, interest, penalty or damages.
(e) Any expense reimbursement under Paragraph 4, 5(a), 7(b), 8(a)(iv) or 8(b) hereof shall be made on or before the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which such expense was incurred by Kornberg, and no such reimbursement or the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement in any taxable year shall in any way affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement in any other taxable year.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first written above.
| COMTECH TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP. |
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| By: /s/ Robert G. Rouse —————————————————— Authorized Signatory |
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Approval of Chairman of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors | | |
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/s/ Ira Kaplan ————————————————— | | /s/ Fred Kornberg ——————————————————— |
| | Fred Kornberg |
Exhibit A
General Release
For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which is hereby acknowledged, I, for myself and my successors, assigns, heirs and representatives (each, a “Releasing Party”), hereby release and forever discharge Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (the “Company”), its stockholders, officers, directors, employees, agents and attorneys, and their respective successors, assigns, heirs and representatives (each, a “Released Party”), individually and collectively, from any and all claims, demands, causes of action, liabilities or obligations, known or unknown, pending or not pending, liquidated or not liquidated, of every kind and nature whatsoever (collectively, the “Released Claims”) which the Releasing Party has, has had or may have against any one or more of the Released Parties arising out of, based upon or in any way, directly or indirectly, related to the Company’s business, my employment with the Company or the termination of such employment; provided, however, that this General Release shall have no effect whatsoever upon the Company’s obligations, if any, to pay severance compensation pursuant to the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the undersigned and the Company, dated September 17, 2007 or the rights of the undersigned to enforce such obligations.
The Released Claims include, without limitation, (a) all claims arising out of or relating to breach of contract, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the National Labor Relations Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and/or any other federal, state or local statute, law, ordinance, regulation or order as the same may be amended or supplemented from time to time, (b) all claims for back pay, lost benefits, reinstatement, liquidated damages, punitive damages, and damages on account of any alleged personal, physical or emotional injury, and (c) all claims for attorneys' fees and costs.
I agree that I am voluntarily executing this General Release. I acknowledge that I am knowingly and voluntarily waiving and releasing any rights I may have under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 and that the consideration given for the waiver and release is in addition to anything of value to which I was already entitled. I further acknowledge that I have been advised by this writing, as required by the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, that: (a) my waiver and release specified herein does not apply to any rights or claims that may arise after the date I sign this General Release or my rights with respect to severance compensation, if any, payable to me pursuant to the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between me and the Company, dated September 17, 2007; (b) I have the right to consult with an attorney prior to signing this General Release; (c) I have twenty-one (21) days to consider this General Release (although I may choose to sign it earlier); (d) I have seven (7) days after I sign this General Release to revoke it; and (e) this General Release will not be effective until the date on which the revocation period has expired, which will be the eighth day after I sign this General Release, assuming I have returned it to the Company by such date.
Dated: ______________________ | | ________________________________ Fred Kornberg |
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