General Release (a) For and in consideration of the payments to be made and the promises set forth under this Agreement and the Employment Agreement, I, for myself and for my heirs, dependents, executors, administrators, trustees, legal representatives and assigns (collectively referred to as "Releasors"), hereby forever release, waive and discharge the Company, its affiliates, employee benefit and/or pension plans or funds, insurers, successors and assigns, and all of its or their past, present and/or future directors, officers, trustees, agents, members, partners, counsel, employees, fiduciaries, administrators, representatives and assigns, whether acting on behalf of the Company or its affiliates or in their individual capacities (collectively referred to as "Releasees"), from any and all claims, demands, causes of action, fees and liabilities of any kind whatsoever, whether known or unknown, which Releasors ever had, now have, or hereafter may claim to have against Releasees by reason of any actual or alleged act, omission, transaction, practice, policy, procedure, conduct, occurrence, or other matter up to and including the date of my execution of this Settlement, Waiver and General Release, in connection with, or in any way related to or arising out of, my employment, service as a director, service as a trustee, service as a fiduciary or termination of any of the foregoing with the Company.
(b) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, this Settlement, Waiver and General Release is intended to and shall release the Releasees from any and all claims, whether known or unknown, which Releasors ever had, now have, or may hereafter claim to have against the Releasees including, but not limited to, (i) any claim of discrimination or retaliation under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act ("ADEA"), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA") or the Family and Medical Leave Act; (ii) any claim under the Tennessee Anti-Discrimination Act, the Tennessee Equal Pay Act the Tennessee Handicap Discrimination Law and the Smokers' Right Law; (iii) any other claim (whether based on federal, state or local law, statutory or decisional) relating to or arising out of my employment, the terms and conditions of such employment the termination of such employment and/or any of the events relating directly or indirectly to or surrounding the termination of such employment, including, but not limited to breach of contract (express or implied), wrongful discharge, tortious interference, detrimental reliance, defamation, emotional distress or compensatory or punitive damages; and (iv) any claim for attorney's fees, costs, disbursements and the like.
(c) Except as provided herein, I agree that I will not from any source or proceeding, seek or accept any award or settlement with respect to any claim or right covered by Section 3(a) or (b) above, including, without limitation, any source or proceeding involving any person or entity, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or other similar federal or state agency. Except as provided herein or as otherwise required by law, I further agree that I will not, at any time hereafter, commence, maintain, prosecute, participate in as a party, permit to be filed by any other person on my behalf (to the extent it is within my control or permitted by law), or assist in the commencement or prosecution of as an advisor, witness (unless compelled by legal process or court order) or otherwise, any action or proceeding of any kind, judicial or administrative (on my own behalf, on behalf of any other person and/or on behalf of or as a member of any alleged class of persons) in any court, agency, investigative or administrative body against any Releasee with respect to any actual or alleged act, omission, transaction, practice, conduct, occurrence or any other matter up to and including the date of my execution of this Settlement, Waiver and General Release which I released pursuant to Section 3(a) or (b) above. I further represent that, as of the date I sign this Settlement, Waiver and General Release, I have not taken any action encompassed by this Section 3(c). If, notwithstanding the foregoing promises, I violate this Section 3(c), I will indemnify and hold harmless Releasees from and against any and all demands, assessments, judgments, costs, damages, losses and liabilities and reasonable attorneys' fees, costs, disbursements and the like and other reasonable expenses which result from, or are incident to, such violation. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Section 3(c) shall not apply to any claims that I may have under the ADEA and shall not apply to the portion of the release provided for in Section 3(a) or (b) relating to the ADEA.
(d) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the sole matters to which the release and covenants in this Section 3 do not apply are: (i) my rights of indemnification or contribution to which I was entitled immediately prior to the Termination Date under the Company's By-laws, the Company's Certificate of Incorporation or otherwise with regard to my service as an officer or director of the Company (including, without limitation, under Section 11 of the Employment Agreement); (ii) my rights as a stockholder (other than the right to sue, which is released); (iii) my rights under any tax-qualified pensxxx plan or claims for accrued vested benefits any other employee benefit plan, program, policy or arrangement maintained by the Company or under COBRA; or (iv) my rights under the provisions of the Employment Agreement which are intended to survive termination of employment.
(e) I acknowledge and agree that this Settlement, Waiver and General Release constitutes a voluntary waiver of any and all rights and claims I may have as of this date, including rights or claims arising under the ADEA. I have waived rights or claims pursuant to this Settlement, Waiver and General Release in exchange for consideration and one-eighth of the consideration paid to me is attributable to this ADEA portion of the Settlement, Waiver and General Release. I have been advised that I may consult with the attorney of my choosing concerning this Settlement, Waiver and General Release prior to executing it. I also have been allowed a period of at least 21 days to consider the terms of this Settlement, Waiver and General Release, and in the event I decide to execute this Agreement in fewer than 21 days, I have done so with the express understanding that I have been given and declined the opportunity to consider this Settlement, Waiver and General Release for a full 21 days. I also understand that I may revoke the release contained in this Paragraph only (regarding claims under the ADEA), at any time during the seven days following the date of execution of this Agreement, and the release contained in this Paragraph only shall not become effective or enforceable until such revocation period has expired.
Release of Claims Executive agrees that the foregoing consideration represents settlement in full of all outstanding obligations owed to Executive by the Company. Executive, on behalf of Executive, and Executive’s respective heirs, family members, executors and assigns, hereby fully and forever releases the Company and its past, present and future officers, agents, directors, employees, investors, shareholders, administrators, affiliates, divisions, subsidiaries, parents, predecessor and successor corporations, and assigns, from, and agrees not to xxx or otherwise institute or cause to be instituted any legal or administrative proceedings concerning any claim, duty, obligation or cause of action relating to any matters of any kind, whether presently known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, that Executive may possess arising from any omissions, acts or facts that have occurred up until and including the Effective Date of this Agreement including, without limitation,
(a) any and all claims relating to or arising from Executive’s employment relationship with the Company and the termination of that relationship;
(b) any and all claims relating to, or arising from, Executive’s right to purchase, or actual purchase of shares of stock of the Company, including, without limitation, any claims for fraud, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of duty under applicable state corporate law, and securities fraud under any state or federal law;
(c) any and all claims for wrongful discharge of employment; termination in violation of public policy; discrimination; breach of contract, both express and implied; breach of a covenant of good faith and fair dealing, both express and implied; promissory estoppel; negligent or intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligent or intentional misrepresentation; negligent or intentional interference with contract or prospective economic advantage; unfair business practices; defamation; libel; slander; negligence; personal injury; assault; battery; invasion of privacy; false imprisonment; and conversion;
(d) any and all claims for violation of any federal, state or municipal statute, including, but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, and Labor Code section 201, et seq. and section 970, et seq. and all amendments to each such Act as well as the regulations issued under each such Act;
(e) any and all claims for violation of the federal, or any state, constitution;
(f) any and all claims arising out of any other laws and regulations relating to employment or employment discrimination; and
(g) any and all claims for attorneys’ fees and costs. Executive agrees that the release set forth in this section shall be and remain in effect in all respects as a complete general release as to the matters released. This release does not extend to any severance obligations due Executive under the Management Retention Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement waives Executive’s rights to indemnification or any payments under any fiduciary insurance policy, if any, provided by any act or agreement of the Company, state or federal law or policy of insurance.
