Separation Payments and Benefits Provided that Executive: (x) executes this Agreement and returns a copy of this Agreement that has been executed by Executive to the Company so that it is received by Cameron Turtle, Chief Operating Officer, 221 Crescent Street, Built 17, Suite 102B, Waltham, MA 02453 (email: ) no later than 5:00 pm CT on September 22, 2023; (y) does not revoke this Agreement during the Release Revocation Period (as defined below); and (z) remains in compliance with the other terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement (including under Section 5), Executive shall receive the following separation payments and benefits:
(a) the Company shall pay to Executive aggregate severance payments of $623,000 (the “Severance Amount”), which Severance Amount shall be paid through salary continuation in equal installments in accordance with the Company’s standard payroll procedures, with the initial payment to occur on the first payroll date following the 60th day following the Separation Date, with the first installment to include a catchup payment for amounts covering the period from the date of Separation Date through the first payment date;
(b) if Executive timely elects continued coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (“COBRA”), the Company shall pay the full amount of Executive’s COBRA premiums on behalf of the Executive for the Executive’s continued coverage under the Company’s health, dental and vision plans, including coverage for the Executive’s eligible dependents, for the Severance Period (as defined in the Severance Agreement);
(c) the Company shall pay to Executive a lump sum payment of $168,246.58 (the “Retention Bonus”) in accordance with the terms of that certain Incentive Agreement between Executive and the Company dated June 21, 2023 (the “Incentive Agreement”), which Retention Bonus shall be paid following the expiration of the Release Revocation Period but in no event later than December 31, 2023;
(d) effective as of the last day of the Consulting Period, all unvested Options scheduled to vest within the 12-month period following the last day of the Consulting Period shall immediately become fully vested and exercisable;
(e) all vested Options (after giving effect to Section 2(d) and Section 5(c)) will remain outstanding for six months following the last day of the Consulting Period and may be exercised during such period in accordance with the terms of the Award Agreements; and
(f) in the event that any sale, licensing, disposition, or monetization transaction or multiple transactions relating to pegtarviliase or any of the Company’s legacy development-stage assets is consummated prior to June 23, 2024, then, and only then, the Company will pay to Executive a cash bonus equal to: (i) 1.0% of the value of the upfront consideration received by the Company in such transactions, plus (ii) 0.5% of the risk-adjusted net present value of the contingent consideration payable to the Company in such transactions, in each case, to be paid within 30 days of the end of the calendar quarter in which such transaction is consummated, in each case, in accordance the parameters established by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company on August 1, 2023. Executive acknowledges and agrees that the consideration referenced in this Section 2 represents the entirety of the amounts Executive is eligible to receive as severance pay and benefits from the Company or any other Company Party pursuant to the Severance Agreement and otherwise.
Severance Payments and Benefits (a) If a Change in Control occurs and within a period of twenty-four (24) months thereafter, Executive incurs a Separation from Service on account of (i) an involuntary termination by the Company for reasons other than death, Disability or Cause, or (ii) a voluntary termination elected by the Executive for Good Reason, then subject to (A) Executive signing and not revoking a separation and general release agreement (the “Release”) in a form provided by the Company as may be in use from time to time, and (B) Section 4 below, Executive shall (and the Company (or any successor thereto) shall pay, award and/or provide):
(1) receive a lump-sum cash severance payment in an amount equal to the sum of (a) two times (2x) Executive’s Annual Compensation; (b) the product of (x) Executive’s Long-term Incentive Award Value, multiplied by (y) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full and partial calendar months between January 1 of the year of Separation from Service and the date of the Executive’s Separation from Service (provided, however, that such numerator shall not exceed six (6)) and the denominator of which is twelve (12); and (c) the product of (x) the greater of (A) Executive’s target annual bonus amount for the year in which the Separation from Service occurs, or (B) the highest annual bonus paid to the Executive out of the three (3) prior bonuses paid to the Executive prior to the Executive’s Separation from Service, multiplied by (y) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full and partial calendar months between January 1 of the year of Separation from Service and the date of the Executive’s Separation from Service and the denominator of which is twelve (12); and
(2) receive eighteen (18) months of continued coverage under the Company’s group health plans (based on the level of the Executive’s coverage in effect on the date of the Executive’s Separation from Service), at the Company’s expense, subject to the Executive’s timely election of continuation coverage under the COBRA, it being understood that (a) in the event that the Executive becomes eligible to receive substantially similar or improved medical, dental or vision benefits from a subsequent employer (whether or not the Executive accepts such benefits), the Company’s obligations under this Section 3(a)(2) shall immediately cease, (b) the Executive will notify the Company of his eligibility for such benefits from a subsequent employer within thirty (30) days of such eligibility and (c) in the event that the Company’s making payments under this Section 3(a)(2) would violate nondiscrimination rules or result in the imposition of penalties under the PPACA, the parties agree to reform this Section 3(a)(2) in such manner as is necessary to comply with tax laws and the PPACA, as applicable.
(3) become fully vested in all Company equity and long-term incentive awards granted to Executive (including, but not limited to, and all stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares, performance units, and all other stock and cash-based long-term incentive awards) to the extent that such vesting is based on service with the Company. With respect to any performance shares and performance unit awards, (a) the final number of units and/or shares payable under such awards shall only be determined in accordance with the terms and conditions of the respective grant agreement governing such award, and accordingly, (b) distribution of such awards can only take place following such share and/or unit amount determination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the full and immediate vesting of any restricted stock units, performance shares, performance units, shall not change the payment date thereof or otherwise apply to the extent it would result in adverse tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code; and
(4) notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the respective award agreement(s), be entitled to exercise any stock options or stock appreciation rights until the expiration of twenty-four (24) months following Executive’s Separation from Service (or until such later date as may be applicable under the terms of the award agreement governing the stock option or stock appreciation right upon termination of employment), subject to the maximum full term of the stock option or stock appreciation right; provided, however, that, if any stock option or stock appreciation right is terminated or cashed-out in connection with a Change in Control, the Executive shall receive a lump-sum cash payment equal to the time value (i.e., under the Black Scholes option pricing model) of such stock options or stock appreciation rights inclusive of the economic value for the period of twenty-four (24) months following Executive’s Separation from Service (or until such later date as may be applicable under the terms of the award agreement governing the stock option or stock appreciation right upon termination of employment), subject to the maximum full term of the stock option or stock appreciation right.
(b) If Executive is not a Specified Employee, all payments made to Executive under Section 3(a) immediately above shall be made on the sixtieth (60th) calendar day following Executive’s Separation from Service, provided that Executive’s Release must be effective and not revocable on the date payment is to be made in order to receive such payments. If Executive is a Specified Employee, to the extent required to comply with Section 409A of the Code, payments made under Section 3(a) immediately above shall be made within ten (10) calendar days following the date following the first (1st) day of the seventh (7th) month after the date of Executive’s Separation from Service, provided that no such payment shall be made to Executive if the Release has not become effective as of the six (6)-month anniversary of the date of Executive’s Separation from Service.
Payments and Benefits If an Event occurs during the Term of this Agreement, then the Executive shall be entitled to receive from the Company or its successor (which includes any person acquiring all or substantially all of the assets of the Company) a cash payment and other benefits on the following basis (unless the Executive's employment by the Company is terminated voluntarily or involuntarily before the occurrence of the earliest Event to occur (the "First Event"), in which case the Executive shall be entitled to no payment or benefits under this Section 3):
(a) If at the time of, or at any time after, the occurrence of the First Event and before the end of the Transition Period, the employment of the Executive with the Company is voluntarily or involuntarily terminated for any reason (unless such termination is a voluntary termination by the Executive other than a Constructive Involuntary Termination or is on account of the death or Disability of the Executive or is a termination by the Company for Cause), the Executive (or the Executive's legal representative, as the case may be), subject to the limitations set forth in Sections 3(e) and 3(g),
(1) shall be entitled to receive from the Company or its successor, upon such termination of employment with the Company or its successor, a cash payment in an amount equal to three times the sum of (A) the Executive's then-current annual base salary and (B) the greater of (i) the Executive's annualized then-current year's bonus or (ii) the Executive's annual bonus in the year prior to the then-current year, such payment to be made to the Executive by the Company or its successor in a lump sum at the time of such termination of employment; and
(2) shall be entitled for three years after the termination of the Executive's employment with the Company to participate in any health, disability and life insurance plan or program in which the Executive was entitled to participate immediately before the First Event as if he were an employee of the Company during such three-year period; provided however, that if the Executive's participation in any such health, disability or life insurance plan or program of the Company is barred, the Company, at its sole cost and expense, shall arrange to provide the Executive with benefits substantially similar to those that the Executive would be entitled to receive under such plan or program as if he were not barred from participation.
(b) The payments provided for in this Section 3 shall be in addition to any salary or other remuneration otherwise payable to the Executive on account of employment by the Company or one or more of its subsidiaries or its successor (including any amounts received before such termination of employment for personal services rendered after the occurrence of the First Event) but shall be reduced by any severance pay which the Executive receives from the Company, its subsidiaries or its successor under any other policy or agreement of the Company in the event of involuntary termination of Executive's employment.
(c) The Company shall also pay to the Executive all legal fees and expenses incurred by the Executive as a result of such termination, including all such fees and expenses, if any, incurred in contesting or disputing any such termination or in seeking to obtain or enforce any right or benefit provided by this Agreement.
(d) If at any time from the date of the First Event until the end of the Transition Period,
(1) the Executive shall not be given substantially equivalent or greater title, duties, responsibilities and authority, in each case as compared with the Executive's status immediately before the First Event, other than for Cause or on account of Disability;
(2) the Executive's annual base salary or bonus formula shall be reduced from the Executive's annual base salary or bonus formula in effect immediately before the First Event;
(3) the Company shall fail to provide the Executive with benefits under the Company's pension, profit sharing, retirement, life insurance, medical, health and accident, disability, bonus and incentive plans and other employee benefit plans and arrangements that in the aggregate for all such plans and arrangements are at least as favorable to the Executive as those benefits covering the Executive immediately before the First Event or shall fail to provide the Executive with at least the number of paid vacation days to which the Executive was entitled immediately before the First Event;
(4) the Company shall have failed to obtain assumption of this Agreement by any successor as contemplated by Section 5(b) hereof;
(5) the Company shall require the Executive to relocate to any place other than a location within 30 miles of the location at which the Executive performed his primary duties immediately before the First Event or, if the Executive performed such duties at the Company's principal executive offices, the Company shall relocate its principal executive offices to any location other than a location within 30 miles of the location of the principal executive offices immediately before the First Event; or
(6) the Company shall require that the Executive travel on Company business to a substantially greater extent than required immediately before the First Event; then a termination of employment with the Company by the Executive thereafter shall constitute a "Constructive Involuntary Termination."
(e) Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, except the last sentence of this Section 3(e), if the lump-sum cash payment due and the other benefits to which the Executive shall become entitled under Section 3(a), either alone or together with other payments in the nature of compensation to the Executive that are contingent on a change in the ownership or effective control of the Company or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company or otherwise, would constitute a "parachute payment" as defined in Section 280G of the Code or any successor provision thereto, such lump-sum payment and/or such other benefits and payments shall be reduced (but not below zero) to the largest aggregate amount as will result in no portion thereof being subject to the excise tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Code (or any successor provision thereto) or being non-deductible to the Company for federal income tax purposes pursuant to Section 280G of the Code (or any successor provision thereto). The Executive in good faith shall determine the amount of any reduction to be made pursuant to this Section 3(e) and shall select from among the foregoing benefits and payments those which shall be reduced. No modification of, or successor provision to, Section 280G or Section 4999 after the date of this Agreement shall, however, reduce the benefits to which the Executive would be entitled under this Agreement in the absence of this Section 3(e) to a greater extent than they would have been reduced if Section 280G and Section 4999 had not been modified or superseded after the date of this Agreement, notwithstanding anything to the contrary provided in the first sentence of this Section 3(e).
(f) The Executive shall not be required to mitigate the amount of any payment or other benefit provided for in this Section 3 by seeking other employment or otherwise, nor (except as specifically provided in Section 3(a)(2) or 3(b)) shall the amount of any payment or other benefit provided for in this Section 3 be reduced by any compensation earned by the Executive as the result of employment by another employer after termination, or otherwise.
(g) Notwithstanding any other term of this Agreement, if (1) an Event has not yet occurred, (2) the Board of Directors of the Company desires to cause the Company to effect a transaction that will qualify as a pooling-of-interests transaction (a "Pooling Transaction") and (3) the independent certified public accountants for the Company advise the Board of Directors that they will be unable to render an opinion that such transaction will be treated as a Pooling Transaction solely because of the payments provided for in this Agreement (or in similar agreements with other employees of the Company), then the Executive agrees that upon the happening of any Event in connection with such Pooling Transaction he shall not be entitled to any payments under this Agreement as a result of such Event to the extent such payments would in the opinion of the Company's independent certified public accountants prevent them from providing the Company with a favorable opinion with respect to the treatment of the desired transaction as a Pooling Transaction.
(h) The obligations of the Company under this Section 3 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
Termination Payments and Benefits Regardless of the circumstances of the Executive’s termination, Executive shall be entitled to payment when due of any earned and unpaid base salary, expense reimbursements and vacation days accrued prior to the termination of Executive’s employment, and other unpaid vested amounts or benefits under Company retirement and health benefit plans, and, as applicable, under Equity Agreements in accordance with their terms, and to no other compensation or benefits.
(a) If (i) the Company terminates the Executive’s employment without Cause, or (ii) the Executive terminates employment with the Company within twelve (12) months following the occurrence of a Change in Control, provided that within such period, (a) either Executive’s job duties have been materially and permanently diminished or the Executive’s compensation has been materially decreased and (b) Executive provides written notice to the Company within ninety (90) days of the occurrence of an aforementioned event and the Company fails to cure the event within thirty (30) days following the Company’s receipt of the Executive’s written notice, then, in the case of either (i) or (ii) above, the Company will provide the Executive with separation payments of twelve (12) months base salary at Executive’s base salary rate at the time of Executive’s termination or if greater, the Executive’s base rate in effect on the Change of Control Date; to be paid in twenty-six (26) regular bi-weekly pay periods beginning on the first pay period occurring after the sixtieth (60th) day following the Executive’s termination, provided the Executive executes and does not subsequently revoke the Separation and General Release Agreement referenced below within such sixty (60) day period.
(b) For a period of twelve (12) months from the Executive’s separation from service, the Company will pay to the Executive an amount, minus all applicable taxes and withholdings, equal to the full monthly cost (including any portion of the cost previously paid by the employee) to provide the same level of group health benefits maintained by Executive as of Executive’s separation from service, provided the Executive executes and does not subsequently revoke the Separation and General Release Agreement referenced below within such sixty (60) day period.
(c) For purposes of this Agreement, “Change in Control” shall mean the occurrence of any one of the following events:
Compensation and Benefits (a) For all services rendered by Employee the Company shall pay Employee during the term of this Agreement an annual salary (“Base Salary”) as set forth herein, payable semi-monthly in arrears. Employee’s initial Base Salary shall be $350,000.00. During the term of this Agreement, the amount of Employee’s Base Salary shall be subject to periodic reviews and adjustments as determined by the Company in its sole discretion.
(b) The Employee shall be eligible to receive an annual performance-based cash bonus in respect of each calendar year, beginning with the 2015 calendar year, to the extent earned based on the achievement of personal and financial performance objectives established by the Company’s Board of Directors no later than 45 days after the commencement of the relevant bonus period. The target annual bonus that the Employee may earn is equal to 30 percent (30%) of the Employee’s Base Salary at the rate in effect at the end of the relevant calendar year, pro-rated to properly reflect any partial year of employment. If applicable performance goals are not attained at least at the minimum level, no annual performance bonus is payable. The amount of such annual bonus awarded for a calendar year shall be determined by the Board or a committee thereof after the end of the calendar year to which such bonus relates, and shall be paid to the Employee when annual bonuses are paid to other senior executives of the Company generally, but in no event later than April 30 of the calendar year following the year for which the bonus is earned. To be eligible for any such annual bonus under this Section 3(b), the Employee must be actively employed by the Company at the time the Company pays bonuses for the relevant year.
(c) The Company shall pay to the Employee a lump sum sign-on bonus in the amount of $70,000, less all applicable withholdings, no later than 15 days after the Employee’s employment commencement date.
(d) The Company shall provide Employee, during the term of this Agreement, with the benefits of such insurance plans, hospitalization plans and other employee fringe benefit plans as shall be generally provided to employees of the Company and for which Employee may be eligible under the terms and conditions thereof. Nothing herein contained shall require the Company to adopt or maintain any such employee benefit plans.
(e) During the term of this Agreement, except as otherwise provided in Section 5(b), Employee shall be entitled to sick leave and annual vacation consistent with the Company’s customary paid time off policies.
(f) During the term of this Agreement, the Company shall reimburse Employee for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Employee in connection with the business of the Company and in the performance of his duties under this Agreement to the extent consistent with applicable Company policy in effect from time to time and upon presentation to the Company of an itemized accounting of such expenses with reasonable supporting data.
(g) In consideration of the Employee’s entering into this Agreement and as an inducement to join the Company, the Employee shall be granted under the Company’s option incentive plan as in effect from time to time (the “Option Plan”), a stock option to purchase 600,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Option”), subject to approval of the Board of Directors. The exercise price per share of the Option shall be the fair market value of the Company’s common stock (as determined by the Board of Directors) on the Option grant date. Subject to terms of the Option Plan and the Option award agreement, twenty-five percent (25%) of the shares subject to the Option shall vest on the first anniversary of Employee’s employment start date which is anticipated to be February 4, 2015, and 1/48th of the shares subject to the Option shall vest monthly thereafter so that one hundred percent (100%) of the shares subject to the Option are vested on the fourth anniversary of the employment start date, so long as the Employee remains employed at each such vesting date. Notwithstanding the foregoing vesting schedule, upon the effective date of a Change in Control (as defined in Section 5(g)), fifty percent (50%) of the shares subject to the Option which are not then vested will automatically become vested so long as the Employee remains employed on the effective date of such Change in Control. In the event of any conflict or ambiguity between this Agreement and the Option Plan or the Option award agreement, the Option Plan and the Option award agreement shall govern.
ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS The Executive shall receive the following additional compensation and welfare and fringe benefits:
In-Kind Benefits and Reimbursements Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, all (A) reimbursements and (B) in-kind benefits provided under this Agreement shall be made or provided in accordance with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, including, where applicable, the requirement that (w) any reimbursement is for expenses incurred during the Executive’s lifetime (or during a shorter period of time specified in this Agreement); (x) the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in kind benefits provided, during a calendar year may not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in kind benefits to be provided, in any other calendar year; (y) the reimbursement of an eligible expense will be made no later than the last day of the calendar year following the year in which the expense is incurred; and (z) the right to reimbursement or in kind benefits is not subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit.
PAYMENTS AND BENEFITS UPON TERMINATION (a) If within eighteen (18) months after a Change in Control, the Company terminates Employee's employment other than by reason of Employee's death, Disability, Retirement or for Cause, or if Employee terminates Employee's employment for Good Reason, then the Employee shall be entitled to the following payments and benefits:
(i) The Company shall pay to Employee as compensation for services rendered, no later than five (5) business days following the date of termination, a lump sum severance payment equal to 2.50 multiplied by the sum of (A) Employee's Base Salary, (B) the highest annual bonus that was paid to Employee in any of the three fiscal years ending prior to the date of termination under the Company's Management Incentive Plan (the "MIP") or Varian Associates, Inc.'s Management Incentive Plan, and (C) the highest cash bonus for a performance period of more than one fiscal year that was paid to Employee in any of the three fiscal years ending prior to the date of termination under the MIP.
(ii) The Company shall pay to Employee as compensation for services rendered, no later than five (5) business days following the date of termination, a lump sum payment equal to a pro rata portion (based on the number of days elapsed during the fiscal year and/or other bonus performance period in which the termination occurs) of Employee's target bonus under the MIP for the fiscal year and for any other partially completed bonus performance period in which the termination occurs.
(iii) All waiting periods for the exercise of any stock options granted to Employee and all conditions or restrictions of any restricted stock granted to Employee shall terminate, and all such options shall be exercisable in full according to their terms, and the restricted stock shall be transferred to Employee as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter.
(iv) Employee's participation as of the date of termination in the life, medical/dental/vision and disability insurance plans and financial/tax counseling plan of the Company shall be continued on the same terms (including any cost sharing) as if Employee were an employee of the Company (or equivalent benefits provided) until the earlier of Employee's commencement of substantially equivalent full-time employment with a new employer or twenty-four (24) months after the date of termination; provided, however, that after the date of termination, Employee shall no longer be entitled to receive Company-paid executive physicals or, upon expiration of the applicable memberships, Company- paid airline memberships. In the event Employee shall die before the expiration of the period during which the Company is required to continue Employee's participation in such insurance plans, the participation of Employee's surviving spouse and family in the Company's insurance plans shall continue throughout such period.
(v) Employee may elect upon termination to purchase any automobile then in the possession of Employee and subject to a lease of which the Company is the lessor by payment to the Company of the residual value set forth in the lease, without any increase for remaining lease payments during the term or other lease breakage costs. Employee may elect to have any such payment deducted from any payments due the Employee hereunder.
(vi) All payments and benefits provided under this Agreement shall be subject to applicable tax withholding.
(b) Following Employee's termination of employment for any reason, the Company shall have the unconditional right to reduce any payments owed to Employee hereunder by the amount of any due and unpaid principal and interest on any loans by the Company to Employee and Employee hereby agrees and consents to such right on the part of the Company.
Accrued Compensation and Benefits Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 2 and 3 above, in connection with any termination of employment upon or following a Change in Control (whether or not a Qualifying Termination or CIC Qualifying Termination), the Company or its subsidiary shall pay Executive’s earned but unpaid base salary and other vested but unpaid cash entitlements for the period through and including the termination of employment, including unused earned vacation pay and unreimbursed documented business expenses incurred by Executive prior to the date of termination (collectively “Accrued Compensation and Expenses”), as required by law and the applicable Company or its subsidiary, as applicable, plan or policy. In addition, Executive shall be entitled to any other vested benefits earned by Executive for the period through and including the termination date of Executive’s employment under any other employee benefit plans and arrangements maintained by the Company or its subsidiary, as applicable, in accordance with the terms of such plans and arrangements, except as modified herein (collectively “Accrued Benefits”). Any Accrued Compensation and Expenses to which the Executive is entitled shall be paid to the Executive in cash as soon as administratively practicable after the termination, and, in any event, no later than two and one-half (2-1/2) months after the end of the taxable year of the Executive in which the termination occurs or at such earlier time as may be required by applicable law or Section 10 below, and to such lesser extent as may be mandated by Section 9 below. Any Accrued Benefits to which the Executive is entitled shall be paid to the Executive as provided in the relevant plans and arrangements.
Other Payments and Benefits On any termination of employment, including, without limitation, termination due to the Employee’s death or Disability (as defined in Section 10) or for Cause, the Employee shall receive any accrued but unpaid salary, reimbursement of any business or other expenses incurred prior to termination of employment but for which the Employee had not received reimbursement, and any other rights, compensation and/or benefits as may be due the Employee in accordance with the terms and provisions of any agreements, plans or programs of the Company (but in no event shall the Employee be entitled to duplicative rights, compensation and/or benefits).
