EXHIBIT 10.4
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
OUTERWALL INC.
and
JAMES GAHERITY
Dated as of March 11, 2014
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
This Employment Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated as of March 11, 2014, between Outerwall Inc., a Delaware corporation, its subsidiaries and affiliates collectively, (“Employer”), and James Gaherity (“Employee”);
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, Employer and Employee wish to document certain understandings and agreements; and
WHEREAS, Employer desires to employ Employee upon the terms and conditions set forth herein; and
WHEREAS, Employee is willing to provide services to Employer upon the terms and conditions set forth herein;
A G R E E M E N T S:
NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the foregoing premises and for other good and valuable consideration, the sufficiency and receipt of which are hereby acknowledged, Employer and Employee hereby agree as follows:
| 1. | POSITION |
1.1 Employment
Employer will employ Employee and Employee will provide services to Employer as the President, Coinstar.
1.2 Attention and Effort
Employee will devote all of his productive time, ability, attention and effort to Employer’s business and will skillfully serve its interests during the Term (as defined below).
1.3 Term
Employee’s term of employment as President under this Agreement shall begin as of the effective date of this Agreement and shall continue until terminated pursuant to Section 2 of this Agreement (the “Term”).
1.4 Compensation
During the Term, Employer agrees to pay or cause to be paid to Employee, and Employee agrees to accept in exchange for the services rendered hereunder by him, the following compensation:
| (a) | Base Salary |
Employee’s compensation as President, Coinstar shall consist, in part, of an annual base salary of Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) before all customary payroll deductions. Such annual base salary shall be paid in substantially equal installments and at the same intervals as other officers of Employer are paid. Employee’s salary shall be reviewed by Employer’s Compensation Committee as appropriate to determine in its discretion whether it is appropriate to increase the base salary.
| (b) | Bonus |
Employee shall be eligible for cash bonuses consistent with the existing program for executive officers, provided performance targets applicable to such bonuses are met, and, provided further, any such bonus shall be pro-rated in the event of a termination without Cause.
1.5 Benefits
During the Term, Employee will be entitled to participate, subject to and in accordance with applicable eligibility requirements, in fringe benefit programs as shall be provided from time to time by, to the extent required, action of Employer’s Board of Directors.
| 2. | TERMINATION |
Employment of Employee pursuant to this Agreement may be terminated as follows, but in any case, the provisions of Section 4 hereof shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the termination of Employee’s employment hereunder:
| 2.1 | By Employer |
With or without Cause (as defined below), Employer may terminate the employment of Employee at any time during the term of employment upon giving Notice of Termination (as defined below).
| 2.2 | By Employee |
Employee may terminate his employment at any time, for any reason, upon giving Notice of Termination.
| 2.3 | Automatic Termination |
This Agreement and Employee’s employment hereunder shall terminate automatically upon the death or total disability of Employee. The term “total disability” as used herein shall mean Employee’s inability to perform the duties set forth in Section 1 hereof for a period or periods aggregating 180 calendar days in any 12‑month period as a result of physical or mental illness, loss of legal capacity or any other cause beyond Employee’s control, unless Employee is granted a leave of absence by the Employer. Employee and Employer hereby acknowledge that Employee’s ability to perform the duties specified in Section 1 hereof is of the essence of this Agreement. Termination hereunder shall be deemed to be effective (a) at the end of the calendar month in which Employee’s death occurs or (b) immediately upon a determination by the Employer of Employee’s total disability, as defined herein.
| 2.4 | Termination in Connection With a Change in Control |
Concurrent with the commencement of Employee's employment hereunder, Employee and the Company shall enter into a Change of Control Agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A. Notwithstanding Sections 3.1 and 3.2 of this Agreement and in full substitution therefor, if Employee’s employment terminates under circumstances described in the Change of Control Agreement, Employee’s rights upon termination will be governed by the terms of the Change of Control Agreement and his right to termination payments under this Agreement shall cease.
| 2.5 | Notice |
The term “Notice of Termination” shall mean at least 30 days’ written notice of termination of Employee’s employment, during which period Employee’s employment and performance of services will continue; provided, however, that Employer may, upon notice to Employee and without reducing Employee’s compensation during such period, excuse Employee from any or all of his duties during such period. The effective date of the termination of Employee’s employment hereunder shall be the date on which such 30‑day period expires.
3. TERMINATION PAYMENTS
In the event of termination of the employment of Employee during the Term, all compensation and benefits set forth in this Agreement shall terminate except as specifically provided in this Section 3:
| 3.1 | Termination by Employer |
Subject to Section 3.5 hereof, if Employer terminates Employee’s employment without Cause during the Term, Employee shall be entitled to receive (a) a termination payment equal to twelve (12) months’ annual base salary, (b) any unpaid annual base salary which has accrued for services already performed as of the date termination of Employee’s employment becomes effective, (c) a pro-rated cash bonus consistent with Section 1.4(b) determined at Employee’s target bonus opportunity for the year in which Employee’s employment terminates, and (d) an amount equal to twelve (12) months’ of COBRA premiums at the rate in effect on the date Employee’s employment terminates for the coverage in effect for Employee and Employee’s spouse and dependent children on such date under the Employer’s group health plans. All amounts payable pursuant to this Section 3.1 (or pursuant to Section 3.2) shall be reduced for applicable deductions and tax withholding. If Employee is terminated by Employer for Cause during the Term, Employee shall not be entitled to receive any of the foregoing benefits, other than those set forth in Section 3.1(b) above.
| 3.2 | Termination by Employee |
In the case of the termination of Employee’s employment by Employee, Employee shall not be entitled to any payments hereunder, other than those set forth in Section 3.1(b) hereof if such termination occurs during the Term.
| 3.3 | Payment Schedule |
All amounts payable pursuant to Section 3.1(b) and 3.2 hereof shall be paid to Employee at the same time such amounts would have been paid to Employee had Employee’s employment not been terminated (or at such earlier time as is required by law). All amounts payable pursuant to Sections 3.1(a), (c) and (d) hereof shall be paid to Employee in a lump sum within ten (10) business days after the release referred to in Section 3.5 hereof becomes effective; provided, however, that in no event shall such payment be made later than March 15 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which Employee’s employment terminates.
| 3.4 | Cause |
Wherever reference is made in this Agreement to termination being with or without Cause, “Cause” is limited to the occurrence of one or more of the following events:
(a) Failure or refusal to carry out the lawful duties of Employee described in Section 1 hereof or any directions of the Board of Directors of Employer, which directions are reasonably consistent with the duties herein set forth to be performed by Employee;
(b) Violation by Employee of a state or federal criminal law involving the commission of a crime against Employer or a felony;
(c) Current use by Employee of illegal substances; deception, fraud, misrepresentation or dishonesty by Employee; any act or omission by Employee which substantially impairs Employer’s business, good will or reputation; or
(d) Any other material violation of any provision of this Agreement.
| 3.5 | Release |
Employee’s entitlement to any benefits pursuant to Sections 3.1(a), (c) and (d) hereof is conditioned on Employee’s execution (and non-revocation) of a release of claims in a form satisfactory to the Employer, which release must become effective by the sixtieth (60th) day following the date on which Employee’s employment terminates or such earlier date as is specified in such release. The Employer shall provide Employee with the form of release no later than the seventh (7th) day following the date on which Employee’s employment terminates.
| 3.6 | Code Section 409A |
The parties intend that this Agreement and the payments and benefits provided hereunder, including, without limitation, those provided pursuant to Section 3.1 hereof, be exempt from the requirements of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) to the maximum extent possible, whether pursuant to the short-term deferral exception described in Treas. Reg. Section 1.409A-1(b)(4), the involuntary separation pay plan exception described in Treas. Reg. Section 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii), or otherwise. To the extent Code Section 409A is applicable to this Agreement, the parties intend that this Agreement and any payments and benefits thereunder comply with the deferral, payout and other limitations and restrictions imposed under Code Section 409A. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Agreement shall be interpreted, operated and administered in a manner consistent with such intentions; provided, however that in no event shall Employer or its agents, parents, subsidiaries, affiliates or successors be liable for any additional tax, interest or penalty that may be imposed on Employee pursuant to Code Section 409A or for any damages incurred by Employee as a result of this Agreement (or the payments or benefits hereunder) failing to comply with, or be exempt from, Code Section 409A. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, and notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary:
(a) to the extent Code Section 409A is applicable to this Agreement, a termination of employment shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of any provision of this Agreement providing for the payment of amounts or benefits upon or following a termination of employment unless such termination is also a “separation from service,” as defined in Treas. Reg. Section 1.409A-1(h), after giving effect to the presumptions contained therein (and without regard to the optional
alternative definitions available therein), and, for purposes of any such provision of this Agreement, references to “terminate,” “termination,” “termination of employment” and like terms shall mean separation from service;
(b) if at the time Employee’s employment hereunder terminates, Employee is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Code Section 409A, then to the extent necessary to avoid subjecting Employee to the imposition of any additional tax or interest under Code Section 409A, amounts that would (but for this provision) be payable within six (6) months following the date of Employee’s termination of employment shall not be paid to Employee during such period, but shall instead be paid in a lump sum on the first business day of the seventh month following the date on which Employee's employment terminates or, if earlier, upon Employee’s death;
(c) each payment made under this Agreement shall be treated as a separate payment and the right to a series of installment payments under this Agreement shall be treated as a right to a series of separate payments; and
(d) nothing herein shall act to accelerate any payment to which Employee would otherwise be entitled if such acceleration would subject Employee to an additional tax or penalty under Code Section 409A.
| 4. | NONCOMPETITION, NONDISCLOSURE AND NONDISPARAGEMENT |
(a) The nature of Employee’s employment with Employer has given Employee access to trade secrets and confidential information, including information about its technology and customers. Therefore, during the one (1) year following termination of employment for whatever reason, Employee will not engage in, be employed by, perform services for, participate in the ownership, management, control or operation of, or otherwise be connected with, either directly or indirectly, any business or activity whose efforts are in competition with (i) the products or services manufactured or marketed by Employer at the time of this Agreement, or (ii) the products or services which have been under research or development by Employer during the term of Employee’s employment, and which Employer has demonstrably considered for further development or commercialization. The geographic scope of this restriction shall extend to anywhere Employer is doing business, has done business or intends to do business. Employee acknowledges that the restrictions are reasonable and necessary for protection of the business and goodwill of Employer.
(b) Employee further agrees that she will not at any time disclose confidential information about Employer relating to its business, technology, practices, products, marketing, sales, services, finances or legal affairs.
(c) Following termination of Employee’s employment for any reason, Employee and Employer shall refrain from making any derogatory comment in the future to the press or any individual or entity regarding the other that relates to their activities or relationship prior to the date of termination, which comment would likely cause material damage or harm to the business interests or reputation of Employee or Employer. Employee acknowledges that the non-disparagement provisions of this Section 4(c) are essential to Employer, that Employer would not enter into this Agreement if it did not include this Section 4(c), and that damages sustained by Employer as a result of a breach of this Section 4(c) cannot be adequately quantified or remedied by damages alone. Accordingly, Employer shall be entitled to injunctive and other equitable relief to prevent or curtail any breach of this Section 4(c).
(d) If Employee violates any provision of this Section 4, Employee shall repay all amounts received by Employee pursuant to Sections 3.1(a), (c) and (d) hereof. In the event any such violation occurs prior to the payment of such amounts, Employee shall cease to be entitled to any payment pursuant to such Sections.
| 5. | REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF EMPLOYEE |
Employee represents and warrants that neither the execution nor the performance of this Agreement nor the execution or performance of the Proprietary Information and Invention Agreement by Employee will violate or conflict in any way with any other agreement by which Employee may be bound, or with any other duties imposed upon Employee by corporate or other statutory or common law.
| 6. | FORM OF NOTICE |
All notices given hereunder shall be given in writing, shall specifically refer to this Agreement and shall be personally delivered or sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, at the address set forth below or at such other address as may hereafter be designated by notice given in compliance with the terms hereof:
If to Employee:
| If to Employer: | Outerwall Inc. |
1800 114th Avenue SE | |
| Bellevue, WA 98004 | |
| Attn: Chairman of the Board of Directors | |
| cc: Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel | |
| Copy to: | Perkins Coie LLP |
| Attn: Lynn E. Hvalsoe | |
| 1201 Third Ave., 49th Floor | |
Seattle, WA 98101-3099 | |
If notice is mailed, such notice shall be effective upon mailing, or if notice is personally delivered, it shall be effective upon receipt.
| 7. | ASSIGNMENT |
This Agreement is personal to Employee and shall not be assignable by Employee. Employer may assign its rights hereunder to (a) any corporation or other entity resulting from any merger, consolidation or other reorganization to which Employer is a party or (b) any corporation, partnership, association or other person to which Employer may transfer all or substantially all of the assets and business of Employer existing at such time. All of the terms and provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns.
| 8. | WAIVERS |
No delay or failure by any party hereto in exercising, protecting or enforcing any of its rights, titles, interests or remedies hereunder, and no course of dealing or performance with respect thereto, shall constitute a waiver thereof. The express waiver by a party hereto of any right, title, interest or remedy in a particular instance or circumstance shall not constitute a waiver thereof in any other instance or circumstance. All rights and remedies shall be cumulative and not exclusive of any other rights or remedies.
| 9. | ARBITRATION |
Any controversies or claims arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be fully and finally settled by arbitration in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association then in effect (the “AAA Rules”), conducted by one arbitrator either mutually agreed upon by Employer and Employee or chosen in accordance with the AAA Rules, except that the parties thereto shall have any right to discovery as would be permitted by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for a period of 90 days following the commencement of such arbitration and the arbitrator thereof shall resolve any dispute which arises in connection with such discovery. The prevailing party shall be entitled to costs, expenses and reasonable attorneys’ fees, and judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. This provision shall not preclude Employer from seeking court enforcement or relief based upon an alleged violation of Employee’s obligations under any noncompetition or non-disclosure agreement.
| 10. | AVAILABILITY AND CONSULTATION |
If Employee’s employment with Employer terminates for any reason, Employee will thereafter be reasonably available to Employer and counsel for Employer for the purpose of enabling Employer to defend against any legal claims in which Employer determines she may have knowledge or information. Employer will reimburse Employee for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with any consultations under this Section 10.
| 11. | AMENDMENTS IN WRITING |
No amendment, modification, waiver, termination or discharge of any provision of this Agreement, nor consent to any departure therefrom by either party hereto, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing, specifically identifying this Agreement and the provision intended to be amended, modified, waived, terminated or discharged and signed
by Employer and Employee, and each such amendment, modification, waiver, termination or discharge shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given. No provision of this Agreement shall be varied, contradicted or explained by any oral agreement, course of dealing or performance or any other matter not set forth in an agreement in writing and signed by Employer and Employee.
| 12. | APPLICABLE LAW |
This Agreement shall in all respects, including all matters of construction, validity and performance, be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the state of Washington, without regard to any rules governing conflicts of laws.
| 13. | SEVERABILITY |
If any provision of this Agreement shall be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, for any reason, including, without limitation, the duration of such provision, its geographical scope or the extent of the activities prohibited or required by it, then, to the full extent permitted by law (a) all other provisions hereof shall remain in full force and effect in such jurisdiction and shall be liberally construed in order to carry out the intent of the parties hereto as nearly as may be possible, (b) such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect the validity, legality or enforceability of any other provision hereof, and (c) any court or arbitrator having jurisdiction thereover shall have the power to reform such provision to the extent necessary for such provision to be enforceable under applicable law.
| 14. | HEADINGS |
All headings used herein are for convenience only and shall not in any way affect the construction of, or be taken into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement.
| 15. | COUNTERPARTS |
This Agreement, and any amendment or modification entered into pursuant to Section 11 hereof, may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which counterparts, when so executed and delivered, shall be deemed to be an original and all of which counterparts, taken together, shall constitute one and the same instrument.
| 16. | ENTIRE AGREEMENT |
Except for the Proprietary Information and Invention Agreement executed by Employee on March 26, 2004, and the Change of Control Agreement executed on March 11, 2014, this Agreement sets forth the entire understanding between Employee and Employer, superseding any prior agreements or understandings, express or implied, pertaining to the terms of Employee’s employment with Employer. Employee acknowledges that in executing this Agreement, she does not rely upon any representation or statement by any representative or agent of Employer concerning the subject matter of this Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and entered into this Agreement on the date set forth above.
| OUTERWALL INC. | |
| By: | /s/ Raquel Karls |
| Raquel Karls | |
| Its | Chief Human Resources Officer |
| EMPLOYEE | |
| /s/ James Gaherity | |
| James Gaherity | |
EXHIBIT A
Change of Control Agreement