EXHIBIT 10.8
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT is made and entered into as of December 3,
2001 (the "Effective Date"), by and between AVIDYN, Inc., a Delaware corporation
(the "Corporation"), and Xxxxxxxxx X. XxXxx ("Employee").
WITNESSETH
WHEREAS, the Corporation is a holding company of a health care
technology company and utilization review and case management company; and
WHEREAS, Employee has competence and experience in operating companies
and acquiring related companies; and
WHEREAS, the Corporation desires to retain Employee as part-time
General Counsel of the Corporation, and Employee is willing and desirous to be
so employed under mutually satisfactory terms and conditions; and
WHEREAS, the parties desire to provide a full statement of their
agreement in connection with Employee providing of services to the Corporation
during the term of this Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants
herein contained and other good and valuable consideration hereinafter recited,
the Corporation and Employee agree as follows:
1. Employment as General Counsel. The Corporation hereby offers and
Employee hereby accepts a part-time position of employment as General Counsel of
the Corporation and will perform the duties as may be directed from time to time
by the Board of Directors of the Corporation. Employee will also use her best
efforts to preserve the business of the Corporation and its affiliates and the
goodwill of all employees, customers, suppliers and other persons having
business relations with the Corporation and its affiliates. As used in this
Agreement, "affiliates" will mean persons or entities that directly, or
indirectly through one or more intermediaries, control or are controlled by, or
are under common control with, the Corporation.
2. Reporting Relationship. Employee, in performing her services as
General Counsel, will (i) be subject to the control and direction of the
President of the Company as well as the Board of Directors of the Corporation,
(ii) perform her duties in a diligent, trustworthy, loyal, businesslike and
efficient manner, and (iii) abide by all company policies and rules, all for the
purpose of advancing the business of the Corporation and its affiliates.
3. Base Salary; Bonus; Options.
(a) The Corporation will pay to Employee, and Employee agrees to accept
as full consideration for his employment, $5,500 per month during the term of
this Agreement, payable in accordance to the Corporation standard payroll
practices, subject to all withholdings (i) required by federal, state or local
law and (ii) pursuant to any agreement with Employee. The President along with
the Compensation Committee of the Corporation's Board of Directors (the
"Compensation Committee") will review the base salary annually beginning in
calendar year 2003 to determine if any increase in base salary is
appropriate. The parties have agreed that Employee shall be paid, at her current
hourly rate, all accrued but unused vacation time on or about December 15, 2001.
(b) Employee will remain on the Company's payroll as a part-time
Employee and, as such shall work sixteen (16) hours per week beginning at 8:30
a.m. and ending at 4:15 p.m. on two mutually agreed-upon dates. The Company
agrees to pay Employee an additional $680 per day for any additional days worked
over sixteen hours per week, plus any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses,
including long distance phone charges and travel.
6. Term; Employment at Will. This Agreement will have a term of one (1)
year and will be automatically renewed for one (1) year periods. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the employment contemplated by this Agreement will be employment
at will under the laws of the State of Texas and this Agreement may be
terminated by either party by giving fifteen (15) days written notice to the
other party. If, within the first year of this Agreement, termination of the
Employee by the Corporation (i) is without cause or (ii) as a result of a Change
of Control (as defined below) of the Corporation, Employee will be entitled to a
severance payment of six (6) months at Employee's current rate of pay, subject
to execution of the Corporation's standard release. If termination occurs
without cause after the first year of this Agreement, the Employee will be
entitled to three (3) months of severance, subject to execution of the
Corporation's standard release. All severance payments will be made in
accordance with the Company's payroll schedule and all applicable taxes will be
withheld. For the purposes of this Agreement, a "Change of Control" will be
deemed to have occurred if:
(a) Any "person", including a "group" as determined in accordance with
Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder, is or becomes, through one or a series of
related transactions or through one or more intermediaries, the beneficial
owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of Corporation representing 51% or
more of the combined voting power of the Corporation's then outstanding
securities other than X. Xxxx Xxxx or his heirs, The Answer Partnership Ltd.
("TAP") or any corporation or partnership owned or control by TAP or X. Xxxx
Xxxx or his heirs;
(b) The Corporation is merged or consolidated with another corporation
and as a result of such merger or consolidation less than 50% of the outstanding
voting securities of the surviving or resulting corporation will then be owned
in the aggregate by the former shareholders of the Corporation, other than (i)
any party to such merger or consolidation, or (ii) any affiliates of any such
party;
(c) A tender offer or exchange offer is made and consummated for the
ownership of securities of Corporation representing 51% or more of the combined
voting power of Corporation's then outstanding voting securities; or
(d) The Corporation transfers all or substantially all of the assets of
the Corporation to another corporation or entity that is not wholly owned
corporation of the Corporation.
7. Restrictive Covenants.
(a) Nonemployment Agreement. For a period of two years after the
termination or cessation of her employment with the Corporation for any reason
whatsoever, Employee will not, on her own behalf or on behalf of any other
person, partnership, association, corporation or other entity, hire or solicit
or in any manner attempt to influence or induce any employee of the Corporation
or its affiliates to leave the employment of the Corporation or its affiliates,
nor will she use or disclose to any person, partnership, association,
corporation or other entity any information obtained while an employee of the
Corporation concerning the names and addresses of the Corporation's employees.
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(b) Noncompetition Agreement. Employee acknowledges and agrees that the
training she will receive, the experience she will gain while employed and the
information she will acquire regarding the Corporation's and its affiliates'
trade secrets and confidential and proprietary information will enable her to
injure the Corporation if she should compete with the Corporation or its
affiliates in a business that is competitive with the business conducted or to
be conducted by the Corporation or its affiliates. For these reasons, Employee
hereby agrees as follows:
(i) Without the prior written consent of the Corporation, Employee will
not, during the period of employment with the Corporation, directly or
indirectly, either as an individual, a partner or a joint venturer, or in any
other capacity, (i) invest (other than investments in publicly-owned companies
which constitute not more than 1% of the voting securities of any such company)
or engage in any business that is competitive with that of the Corporation or
its affiliates, (ii) accept employment with or render services to a competitor
of the Corporation or any of its affiliates as a director, officer, agent,
employee or consultant, (iii) contact, solicit or attempt to solicit or accept
business from any (A) customers of the Corporation or its affiliates or (B)
person or entity whose business the Corporation or its affiliates is soliciting,
(iv) contact, solicit or attempt to solicit or accept or direct business that is
competitive with such business being conducted by the Corporation during
Employee's employment under this Agreement from any of the customers of the
Corporation or any of its affiliates, or (v) take any action inconsistent with
the fiduciary relationship of an employee to her employer.
(ii) Upon any termination or cessation of her employment with the
Corporation for any reason whatsoever, and for a period of two years thereafter,
Employee will not, directly or indirectly, either as an individual, a partner or
a joint venturer, or in any other capacity, within the [United States of
America] (the "Restricted Area"), (i) invest (other than investments in
publicly-owned companies which constitute not more than 1% of the voting
securities of any such company) or engage in any business that is competitive
with that of the Corporation or its affiliates, (ii) accept employment with or
render services to a competitor of the Corporation or its affiliates as a
director, officer, agent, employee or consultant, or (iii) contact, solicit or
attempt to solicit or accept business (A) from any of the customers of the
Corporation or its affiliates as of the date of this Agreement or at the time of
Employee's termination or cessation of employment, or (B) from any person or
entity whose business the Corporation or its affiliates were soliciting as of
such time. For purposes of this Agreement, a competitor specifically includes
persons, firms, sole proprietorships, partnerships, companies, corporations or
other entities that market products and/or perform services in direct or
indirect competition with those marketed and/or performed by the Corporation or
its affiliates within Restricted Area.
(c) Severability. The parties hereto intend all provisions of this
Section 7 to be enforced to the fullest extent permitted by law. Employee
acknowledges and agrees that the restrictive covenants in this Section 7 are
reasonable and valid in geographic and temporal scope and in all other respects.
Employee also acknowledges that the enforcement of the restrictive covenants in
this Section 7 will not prevent Employee from finding other employment.
Accordingly, should a court of competent jurisdiction determine that the scope
of any provision of this Section 7 is too broad to be enforced as written, the
parties intend that the court reform the provision to such narrower scope as it
determines to be reasonable and enforceable. In addition, however, Employee
agrees that the noncompetition agreements and nonemployment agreements set forth
above each constitute separate agreements independently supported by good and
adequate consideration and will be severable from the other provisions of, and
will survive, this Agreement. The existence of any claim or cause of action of
Employee against the Corporation, whether predicated on this Agreement or
otherwise, will not constitute a defense to the enforcement by the Corporation
of the covenants and agreements of Employee contained in the noncompetition, or
nonemployment agreements. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be
illegal, invalid or unenforceable under present or future laws effective during
the term hereof, such provision will be fully
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severable and this Agreement will be construed and enforced as if such illegal,
invalid or unenforceable provision never comprised a part of this Agreement; and
the remaining provisions of this Agreement will remain in full force and effect
and will not be affected by the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision or
by its severance herefrom. Furthermore, in lieu of such illegal, invalid or
unenforceable provision, there will be added automatically as part of this
Agreement, a provision as similar in its terms to such illegal, invalid or
unenforceable provision as may be possible and be legal, valid and enforceable.
8. Death. This Agreement will terminate automatically upon the death of
Employee.
9. Disability. If at the end of any month Employee is, and has been for
substantially all the normal working days during three or more consecutive
months, unable to perform the duties specified pursuant to this Agreement, due
to mental or physical disability, then the Corporation may terminate Employee's
employment. Any determination of such an inability to perform will be made only
by the Board of Directors of the Corporation with such professional advice as
they may deem appropriate. Any determination of disability made by the
Corporation's Board of Directors will be final and conclusive. Nothing in this
Section 9 will affect Employee's disability insurance contract rights.
10. Post-Termination Payments. Upon termination pursuant to Sections 7,
8 and 9 of this Agreement, the Corporation will pay Employee or her estate any
base salary earned and unpaid to the date of termination, and any outstanding
funds advanced by the Corporation to or on behalf of Employee will become
immediately due and payable. In the event that any funds are due from Employee
to the Corporation, the Corporation will, upon termination of Employee's
employment, have a right to reduce any payment due to Employee by the sums owed
to the Corporation. In addition, if termination is pursuant to Sections 8 or 9
of this Agreement, then within ninety (90) days after the end of the
Corporation's fiscal year during which Employee's death or commencement of
disability occurred, the Corporation will pay Employee or his estate a portion
of the annual incentive compensation, if any has been earned, as prorated by the
Corporation's Board of Directors, which proration will be final and conclusive.
11. Prior Agreements. This Agreement terminates, cancels and supersedes
all prior verbal and written understandings between the Corporation and Employee
regarding services covered under this Agreement. Employee will execute the
Corporation's standard Employee Confidentiality Agreement on his first day of
employment.
12. Complete Agreement. This Agreement embodies the complete, full and
exclusive understanding of the Corporation and Employee with respect to
Employee's employment by the Corporation. Any amendments, additions, or
supplements to or cancellation of this Agreement will be effective and binding
on the Corporation and Employee if in writing and signed by both parties. This
Agreement will be binding upon the successors and assigns of the parties. No
waiver of a breach hereof will be deemed to constitute a waiver of a future
breach, whether of a similar or a dissimilar nature.
13. No Assignment. Neither party hereto may transfer or assign its
rights or interests under this Agreement without the other party's written
consent.
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14. Notice. Any written notice given under this Agreement by either
party will be delivered via certified mail, return receipt requested, via
courier or in person directed to the addressee at the address of such addressee
as hereinafter set forth, unless prior written notice of a change of address has
been furnished, in which case such changed address will be used:
AVIDYN, Inc.
00000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000
Xxxxxxxxx X. XxXxx
00000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000
Notice will be deemed to be given upon the date when delivery is first
attempted at the address of the addressee.
15. Governing Law. This Agreement will be construed and enforced in
accordance with the laws of the State of Texas.
16. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two
or more counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original, but all of which
together will constitute one and the same Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as
of the first date written above.
/s/ Xxxxxxxxx X. XxXxx
--------------------------------
Xxxxxxxxx X. XxXxx
AVIDYN, Inc.
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
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Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, President
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