(e) If the Executive terminates his employment because of a Change in Control, the Executive shall be entitled to receive the following: (i) a lump sum payment equal to 2.99 times the sum of the Executive’s then current Base Salary, (ii) a lump sum payment equal to 2.99 times the amount equal to the average of the Bonus Compensation paid to the Executive during the three (3) years prior to the termination date, (iii) continued participation by Executive and his spouse in the Company’s medical, dental and vision health plan, at the Company’s expense, until Executive dies or, if later, until his surviving spouse dies, (iv) continued participation by each of Executive’s dependent children in the Company’s medical, dental and vision health plan, at the Company’s expense, until each child is no longer a dependent, as defined by the applicable plan, (v) immediate vesting of Executive’s existing stock options, (vi) any accumulations and benefits to which Employee is entitled under the Nonqualified Supplemental Retirement Benefit Plan and a Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan, and (vii) at the Executive’s option, the Company shall transfer to the Executive the ownership of any and all life insurance policies insuring the Executive’s life that the Company has purchased and the Executive shall thereafter be liable for all payments due on such policies. Upon entitlement, all sums due hereunder will be payable in cash or by official bank check within thirty (30) days following termination of the Executive’s employment. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, in the event that any portion of the payments or benefits received or to be received by the Executive, together with any other payments received by him, whether paid or payable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or any other plan, arrangement or agreement with the Company or any other person or entity, would cause, either directly or indirectly, an “excess parachute payment” to exist within the meaning of said Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code, the payments hereunder shall be reduced until no portion of the payments would fail to be deductible by reason of being an “excess parachute payment”. In the event that any dispute arises as to whether an “excess parachute payment” exists, the appropriate calculations shall be made by the Company’s regularly employed independent public auditors and delivered to the Executive in writing within thirty (30) days following the date for payment of such severance payment, and the Company will warrant to the Executive the accuracy of the calculations and the information on which they are based.
(f) Executive shall not be required to mitigate the amount of any payment or benefit provided for in this Agreement by seeking other employment or otherwise.
7. Noncompetition; Nonsolicitation.
(a) Executive acknowledges that in the course of his employment with the Company pursuant to this Agreement, Executive will become familiar, and during the course of Executive’s employment by the Company or any of its parent, subsidiaries or affiliates or any predecessor thereof prior to the date of this Agreement, Executive has become familiar with trade secrets and customer lists of and other confidential information concerning the Company and its parent, subsidiaries and affiliates and predecessors thereof and that Executive’s services have been and will be of special, unique and extraordinary value to the Company.
(b) Executive agrees that during the Employment Period and, as a condition to the receipt of payments as provided under paragraph 4, for a period of two (2) years after termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, in the State of North Carolina Executive shall not in any manner, directly or indirectly, through any person, firm or corporation, alone or as a member of a partnership or as an officer, director, shareholder, investor or employee of or in any other corporation or enterprise or otherwise, engage or be engaged in, or assist any other person, firm, corporation or enterprise in engaging or being engaged in, any business then actively being conducted by the Company or any of its parent, subsidiaries or affiliates.
(c) Executive further agrees that, during the Employment Period and, as a condition to the receipt of payments as provided under paragraph 4, for a period of two (2) years after termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, Executive shall not in any manner, directly or indirectly, induce or attempt to induce any employee of the Company or of any of its parent, subsidiaries or affiliates (other than his spouse, if applicable) to quit or abandon his or her employ.
(d) Nothing in this paragraph 7 shall prohibit Executive from being: (1) a shareholder in a mutual fund or a diversified investment company or (ii) a passive owner of not more than 5% of the outstanding equity securities of any class of a corporation or other entity which is publicly traded, so long as Executive has no active participation in the business of such corporation or other entity.
(e) In the event Executive violates any legally enforceable provision of this Agreement as to which there is a specific time period during which Executive is prohibited from taking certain actions or from engaging in certain activities, as set forth in this Agreement, then, in such event, the violation shall toll the running of such time period from the date of such violation until the violation ceases.
(f) Executive acknowledges that he has carefully considered the nature and extent of the restrictions on him and the rights and remedies conferred on the Company under this Agreement. Executive further acknowledges and agrees that the same are reasonable in time and territory, are designed to eliminate competition which would otherwise be unfair to the Company, do not stifle Executive’s inherent skill and experience, would not operate as a bar to Executive’s sole means of support, are fully required to protect the legitimate interests of the Company and do not confer a benefit upon the Company disproportionate to Executive’s detriment.
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(g) If, at the time of enforcement of this paragraph, a court holds that the restrictions stated herein are unreasonable under circumstances then existing, the parties hereto agree that the maximum period, scope or geographical area reasonable under such circumstances shall be substituted for the stated period, scope or area and that the court shall be allowed to revise the restrictions contained herein to cover the maximum period, scope and area permitted by law.
8. Enforcement. Because Executive’s services are unique and because Executive has access to Confidential Information and work product, the parties hereto agree that the Company would be damaged irreparably in the event any of the provisions of paragraph 7 hereof were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached and that money damages would be an inadequate remedy for any such non-performance or breach. Therefore, the Company or its successors or assigns shall be entitled, in addition to other rights and remedies existing in their favor, to an injunction or injunctions to prevent any breach or threatened breach of any of such provisions and to enforce such provisions specifically (without posting a bond or other security).
9. Consulting and Advice. During the time period that the Executive receives post-employment payments under paragraph 5, other than by reason of death or disability, the Executive agrees that when and as requested, he will consult with the Company concerning policies, procedures and operations. The requests by the Company for consultation shall be at reasonable times, with appropriate notice, not more frequent than three (3) times a month, and may, at Employee’s election, be through telephone communication.
10. Survival. Subject to any limits on applicability contained therein, paragraphs 5, 6, 7 and 9 hereof shall survive and continue in full force in accordance with their terms notwithstanding any termination of the Employment Period.
11. Notices. Any notice provided for in this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be either personally delivered, sent by reputable overnight carrier or mailed by first class mail, return receipt requested. Any notice to Executive will be delivered to the last home address on file with the Company and any notice to the Company should be delivered to:
Investors Title Insurance Company
Attention: Secretary
P. O. Drawer 2687
Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2687
or such other address or to the attention of such other person as the recipient party shall have specified by prior written notice to the sending party. Any notice under this Agreement will be deemed to have been given when so delivered, sent or mailed.
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12. Severability. Whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement shall 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 invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect under any applicable law or rule in any jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision or any other jurisdiction, but this Agreement shall be reformed, construed and enforced in such jurisdiction as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein.
13. Complete Agreement. This Agreement embodies the complete agreement and understanding between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and effective as of its date supersedes and preempts any prior understandings, agreements or representations by or between the parties, written or oral, which may have related to the subject matter hereof in any way.
14. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in separate counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original and both of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.
15. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by Executive, the Company and their respective heirs, executors, personal representatives, successors and assigns, except that neither party may assign any rights or delegate any obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other party. Executive hereby consents to the assignment by the Company of all of its rights and obligations hereunder to any successor to the Company by merger or consolidation or purchase of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, provided such transferee or successor assumes the liabilities of the Company hereunder.
16. Choice of Law. This Agreement shall be governed by the internal law, and not the laws of conflicts, of the State of North Carolina.
17. Amendment and Waiver. The provisions of this Agreement may be amended or waived only with the prior written consent of the Company and Executive, and no course of conduct or failure or delay in enforcing the provisions of this Agreement shall affect the validity, binding effect or enforceability of this Agreement.
18. Mediation. If a dispute arises out of or relates to this Agreement, or the breach thereof, and if the dispute cannot be settled through negotiation, the parties agree to submit such controversy to mediation for resolution. The parties may use the procedures set forth in the North Carolina General Statutes’ Rules Implementing Court Ordered Mediated Settlement Conferences, where and if applicable. Provided, however, if any controversy between the parties is not resolved by mediation within sixty (60) days after the date the controversy has arisen (hereinafter “controversy date”), the parties shall settle such controversy by arbitration in accordance with the terms of the Uniform Arbitration Act, currently codified in North Carolina General Statute, Article 45A, §1-567.1,etseq., or any successor statutes thereto, and as provided in Section 19 below.
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19. Arbitration. Any dispute or controversy arising under this Agreement which is not resolved by mediation pursuant to Section 18 shall be determined and settled by an independent disinterested person agreed upon by the parties to the dispute. If the parties are unable to mutually agree upon an independent arbitrator within thirty (30) days, then each party shall appoint an independent arbitrator within thirty (30) days, and the said two (2) independent arbitrators shall appoint a third independent arbitrator within thirty (30) days, and the three (3) independent arbitrators will resolve the dispute in controversy by majority vote in accordance with the terms of the Uniform Arbitration Act currently codified in North Carolina General Statute, Article 45A, §1-567.1,etseq. or any successor statutes. The expenses of arbitration shall be shared equally by each party hereto, except that each party will pay the costs of his own legal counsel and all other incidental expenses. The parties hereto agree to be bound by the results of the arbitration. The place of arbitration shall be Orange County, North Carolina.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date written below.
| INVESTORS TITLE INSURANCE COMPANY |
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| JAMES A. FINE, JR. |
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