EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
MARLBOROUGH
UNDERWRITING AGENCY LIMITED
and
XXXXXX
XXXX
THIS
AGREEMENT is made as of the 1st of December, 2008 between Marlborough
Underwriting Agency Limited, a limited liability company incorporated in London
whose registered office is at 00 Xxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxx; and Xxxxxx Xxxx of Flat 7
, 0 Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxx XX0 0XX.
the “Employee”).
WHEREBY
IT IS AGREED as follows:
1) Definitions
and Interpretation
Headings
in this document do not affect interpretation and are for convenience only. In
addition to the words and expressions hereinbefore defined the following words
and expressions shall have the meanings hereinafter ascribed to
them:
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a)
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“Affiliate” means in
relation to a company, any other company which is a subsidiary of that
company, which controls that company or which is controlled by any person
who controls that company. For the purposes of this definition, “control”,
when used with respect to any company, means the power to direct the
management and policies of such company, directly or indirectly, whether
through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and
the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have
meanings correlative to the
foregoing;
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b)
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“Business Day” means any
day normally treated as a business day in
Bermuda;
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c)
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“Cause”
means:
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(i)
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a
material breach by the Employee of any contract between the Employee and
the Company, including this Agreement;
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(ii) |
the
wilful and continued failure or refusal by the Employee to perform any
duties reasonably required by the Company, after notification by the
Company of such failure or refusal, and failing to correct such behaviour
within 20 days of such notification;
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(iii)
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commission
by the Employee of a criminal offence or other offence of moral
turpitude,
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(iv) |
perpetration
by the Employee of a dishonest act or common law fraud
against
the Company or a client thereof;
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(v) |
the
Employee wilfully engaging in misconduct which is materially injurious to
the Company, including without limitation, the disclosure of any trade
secrets, financial models, or computer software to persons outside the
Company without the consent of the
Company;
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d)
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“Commencement Date” has
the meaning set out in paragraph 3 of Schedule 1;
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e)
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“Employment” means the
employment of the Employee pursuant to this Agreement;
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f)
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“Intellectual Property Rights”
means rights in inventions, patents, trade marks, service marks,
design rights (whether registrable or otherwise), trade and business
names, copyrights (including rights in computer software), database rights
and semiconductor topography rights (whether or not any of these is
registered and including applications for registrations) and all rights or
terms of protection of a similar nature or having equivalent or similar
effect to any of these which may subsist anywhere in the
world;
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g)
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“Staff Policy Manual”
means such document or documents produced by the Company which set
out the policies and procedures of the Company and which may be amended
from time to time;
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h)
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“Termination Date” means
the date on which the Employee’s employment with the Company ceases in
accordance with the provisions of this
Agreement.
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2) | Appointment | ||
a)
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The
Company hereby appoints the Employee and the Employee hereby accepts the
position set out in paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 and shall have such
responsibilities as the Company may from time to time
direct.
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b)
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The
Employee may be required to provide services to Affiliates of the
Company.
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c)
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The
foregoing appointment shall be subject to:
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i)
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satisfactory
reference/background checks conducted by or on behalf of the Company;
and
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ii)
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where
applicable, the existence of a work permit entitling the Employee to work
lawfully in the United
Kingdom.
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3) Duration
of Appointment
The
Employment shall be deemed to have commenced on the Commencement Date and shall
continue unless terminated in accordance with the provisions of this
Agreement.
3
4) | Place of Employment | ||
The
Employee’s place of employment is set out in paragraph 2 of Schedule
1.
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5) | Compensation | ||
a)
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Salary,
Benefits and Deductions from Salary
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i)
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The
salary payable to the Employee shall be the sum as set out in paragraph 4
of Schedule 1, and shall be payable by equal monthly instalments in
arrears on the last Business Day of each month.
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ii)
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The
Company shall review the salary annually in January beginning January 2010
and the rate of salary may, at the Company’s sole discretion, be increased
effective from the date of
review.
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6) |
Vacation
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The Employee shall be entitled to paid vacation in accordance with paragraph 7 of Schedule 1, such vacation to be taken in accordance with the Staff Policy Manual. | ||
7) |
Amendments and
Waivers
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(a)
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No
amendments to the provisions of this Agreement shall be effective unless
in writing and signed by the parties hereto or their duly authorized
representatives.
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(b)
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All
rights, remedies and powers conferred upon the parties hereto are
cumulative and shall not be deemed or construed to be exclusive of any
other rights, remedies or powers now or hereafter conferred upon the
parties hereto or either of them by law or otherwise.
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(c)
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Any
failure at any time to insist upon or enforce any such right, remedy or
power shall not be construed as a waiver thereof.
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8) |
Warranty
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The
Employee represents and warrants that he is not a party to any agreement,
contract (whether of employment or otherwise) or understanding, which
would in any way restrict or prohibit him from:
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(a)
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undertaking
or performing any of the duties of the Employment in accordance with the
terms and conditions of this Agreement;
or
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4
(b)
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utilizing
any materials which the Employee proposes to use in the course of his
employment with the Company whether in hard copy or stored in an
electronic storage device.
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9) | Covenants | |
(a)
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The
Employee expressly covenants that all Intellectual Property Rights
relating in anyway to the business activities (or incidental to the use of
company time and or property) of the Company or its Affiliates which may
be discovered, invented, improved or developed by the Employee during his
Employment with the Company, whether during regular office hours or
otherwise and whosesoever discovered, invented, improved or developed will
be the exclusive and sole property of the Company and its
Affiliates.
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(b)
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The
Employee undertakes to disclose promptly to the Company and hereby assigns
to the Company without further compensation, all rights, title and
interest in the said discoveries, inventions, improvements and
developments whether conceived and developed solely by the Employee or
jointly with others and will on the request of the Company execute all
documents and do all such things as may be requested by the Company or its
Affiliates to confirm or perfect the rights title and interest in such
property provided that the Company will bear all costs and expenses
associated
therewith.
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10) |
Notice
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a)
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Any
notice required or authorized hereunder shall be in writing and may be
served:-
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i)
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by
personal delivery; or
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ii)
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by
facsimile; or
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iii)
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by
email with a receipt evidencing that the recipient has read the
email.
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b)
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In
proving service of any notice hereunder it shall be sufficient to
prove:-
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i)
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in
the case of a notice delivered personally, that it was left at the address
for notices herein or any substituted address;
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ii)
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in
the case of a notice sent by facsimile, that it was properly transmitted
to the last known facsimile number;
and
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5
iii)
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in
the case of a notice sent by email that the computer of the person sending
the email message has generated a receipt evidencing that the recipient
has read the email message.
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c)
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The
address for service of notices on the Company is at its principal place of
business.
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d)
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The
address for service of notices on the Employee is at his residence on the
records of the
Company.
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11) |
Confidentiality
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a)
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The
Employee shall not at any lime during his employment (except as is
necessary and proper in the course of his employment) or at any time after
the Termination Date disclose to any person any information as to the
practice, business dealings or affairs of the Employer, its affiliates or
any of the Employers customers or clients or as to any other matters which
may come to his knowledge by reason of his employment with the
Company.
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b)
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The
Employee shall at the time of executing this Agreement execute the
undertaking of Secrecy attached in Schedule 2.
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12) |
Notice of
Termination
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Subject
to Clause 13, this Agreement may be terminated in accordance with
paragraph 8 of Schedule 1.
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13) |
Summary Dismissal for
Cause
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The
Company reserves the right to summarily dismiss the Employee for
Cause.
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14) |
Misuse of Company
Property
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a)
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The
Employee shall not use any of the Company’s property including, but not
limited to computer equipment and software, for personal use except
moderate use of the Internet and email by the Employee, which does not
interfere with the performance of their duties, and which does not include
the reading or viewing of offensive or illegal
material.
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b)
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The
Company reserves the right to read all paper and computer files of the
Employee on premises and any information stored on any electronic device
which is the property of the
Company.
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6
15) Outside
Employment
The
Employee shall be permitted to hold any outside directorships or employment only
as agreed with the written consent of the Company. The Employee is permitted to
perform the functions enumerated in Schedule 4 for various Berkshire Hathaway
entities.
16) Staff
Policy Manual
The
Employee agrees to abide by the terms of the Company Staff Policy Manual as
amended from time to time. The Company Staff Policy Manual shall be available to
the Employee.
17) Miscellaneous
This
Agreement shall supersede any other contracts between Marlborough Underwriting
Agency limited, its affiliates and the Employee and shall be subject to the
additional terms set out in paragraph 9 of Schedule 1.
18) Whole
Agreement
This
Agreement constitutes the whole agreement between the parties. All other
agreements (if any) for service between the Company and the Employee or any
other member of the Group are hereby abrogated and superseded.
19) Law
and Jurisdiction
i)
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The
interpretation, construction and effect of this Agreement shall be
governed and construed in all respects in accordance with the laws of
England and the parties hereby submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of
the English
Courts.
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ii)
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This
Agreement may be entered into in any number of counterparts and by the
parties to it on separate counterparts, each of which when so executed and
delivered shall be an original.
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iii)
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All
disputes, controversies or claims arising out of, relating to, or in
connection with, this contract, or breach, termination or validity
thereof, shall be finally settled by arbitration. The arbitration shall be
conducted in accordance with the Arbitration Xxx 0000, except as same may
be modified herein or by mutual agreement of the parties. The seat of the
arbitration shall be England, and it shall be conducted in the English
language. The arbitration shall be conducted by one arbitrator who shall
be selected jointly by the parties. The arbitral award shall be in
writing, shall state reasons for the award, and be final and binding on
the parties. The award may include an award of costs, including reasonable
attorneys’ fees and disbursements. Judgment on the award may be entered by
any court having jurisdiction thereof or having jurisdiction over the
parties or their assets
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i)
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The
interpretation, construction and effect of this Agreement shall be
governed and construed in all respects in accordance with the laws of
England and the parties hereby submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of
the English Courts.
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ii)
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This
Agreement may be entered into in any number of counterparts and by the
parties to it on separate counterparts, each of which when so executed and
delivered shall be an original.
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iii)
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All
disputes, controversies or claims arising out of, relating to, or in
connection with, this contract, or breach, termination or validity
thereof, shall be finally settled by arbitration. The arbitration shall be
conducted in accordance with the Arbitration Xxx 0000, except as same may
be modified herein or by mutual agreement of the parties. The seat of the
arbitration shall be England, and it shall be conducted in the English
language. The arbitration shall be conducted by one arbitrator who shall
be selected jointly by the parties. The arbitral award shall be in
writing, shall state reasons for the award, and be final and binding on
the parties. The award may include an award of costs, including reasonable
attorneys’ fees and disbursements. Judgment on the award may be entered by
any court having jurisdiction thereof or having jurisdiction over the
parties or their assets.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF the
parties hereto have set their hands the date first above
written.
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Marlborough
Underwriting Agency Limited
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/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxx | |||
Xxxx
Xxxxx
Director
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Xxxxxx
Xxxx
Employee
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8
Schedule 1
1.
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Position
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Chief
Executive Officer
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2.
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Place
of employment and hours of work:
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The
Employee shall perform his duties in the United Kingdom and may be
required to travel to such places in the United Kingdom and abroad as is
necessary in order to perform his duties as Chief Executive Officer During
any period of travel, the terms and conditions set out in this Agreement
will continue to be applicable. The Employee shall be required
to work such hours as may reasonably be required for the proper
performance of duties.
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3.
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Commencement
Date:
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1
December 2008
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4.
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Salary:
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£560,000
per annum payable monthly on the 23rd of each month.
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5.
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Deductions
from Salary
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All
taxes and other contributions required to be paid by the Employee in the
United Kingdom will be deducted from the Employee’s
salary.
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a)
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Medical Insurance. The
Company and the Employee will each contribute 50% towards the cost of
medical insurance;
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b)
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Group Pension. The Company will match any
voluntary employee pension contribution deducted from their salary of up
to 3% of the employee Base Salary. This is in addition to the Company
Contribution offered in paragraph 9 section F of this
Schedule.
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9
7.
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Vacation:
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The
Employee will be entitled to 25 days vacation per annum (exclusive of
customary public holidays in the United Kingdom).
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8.
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Notice
of Termination:
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(A)
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This
Agreement may be terminated by either party 180 notice in writing to the
other or, in the case of the Company giving notice to the Employee, such
other period of notice as may be required by law in the United Kingdom, if
greater. The Company may, in its sole discretion, pay salary in lieu of
notice of termination.
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(B)
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If
the Employee leaves the Company during a calendar year, the Company may at
its discretion:
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i)
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require
the Employee to take during the Employee’s notice period any entitlement
to vacation which will have accrued by the Termination Date but which has
not been taken; or
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ii)
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pay
the Employee in lieu of vacation accrued but not taken by the Termination
Date; or
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iii)
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deduct
from the Employee’s final salary payment or (in the event that this is
insufficient) require the Employee to pay to the Company, an amount
representing salary paid during vacation taken but not accrued by the
Termination Date.
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9.
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Miscellaneous
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(A)
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Continuous Employment
The
Employee’s continuous period of employment commences on the
Commencement Date.
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(B)
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Collective Agreements
There
are no collective agreements which directly affect the terms and
conditions set out in this
Agreement.
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10
(C)
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Sickness Procedure
The
Company Sickness Procedure is set out in the Company Staff Policy
Manual.
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(D)
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Disciplinary Procedure
The
disciplinary procedure is set out in Schedule 3 of this
Agreement.
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(E)
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Grievance Procedure
The
grievance procedure is set out in Schedule 3 of this
Agreement.
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(F)
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Pensions
No
contracting-out certificate is in force in respect of your employment
under this Agreement. The Company will contribute 3% of
Employee base salary to a group pension plan In addition to matched
contributions as outlined in Paragraph 5 (b) of this
schedule
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11
Schedule
2
Undertaking
of Secrecy
TO: Marlborough Underwriting Agency
Limited
HEREBY
UNDERTAKE THE FOLLOWING:-
1.
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That
during the course of my employment with Marlborough Underwriting Agency
Limited, I will keep secret the affairs and concerns of Marlborough Underwriting
Agency Limited and its
affiliates (the “Company”), and the nature and particulars of the Company
including, but not limited to its investors, clients, transactions,
trading models and trading strategies, or the financial results or
performance figures of the Company or any client or strategy that may come
to my attention during the course of my employment with the Company
(“Confidential Information”).
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2.
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That
after my departure from the Company, I will not disclose to any person the
affairs of the Company, including, but not limited to its investors,
clients, transactions, trading models and trading strategies or the
financial results or performance figures of the Company or any client or
strategy that may come to my attention during the course of my employment
with the Company.
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3.
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That
upon my departure from the Company, I will not take with me any
Confidential Information belonging to or concerning the Company, or its
clients, whether in printed form or on any electronic storage
device.
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4.
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In
the event that I do have in my possession any Confidential Information
following my departure from the Company, I undertake to deliver such
information to the Company within 3 days of my departure. If personal
delivery of such information is either not possible or inconvenient, I
undertake to contact the President of the Company and arrange a suitable
method of disposal of such confidential information within three days of
my departure.
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I hereby
acknowledge that any breach of this undertaking may result in my dismissal from
the Company, and that my obligations under this undertaking continue after the
termination of my employment with the Company.
Signature
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/s/ Xxxxxx X. Bolt
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Name
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Xxxxxx Xxxx
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Witness
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Date
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1 December 2008
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12
Schedule
3
Disciplinary
Procedure
Step
one
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● |
The
employer sets out in writing to the employee, their alleged conduct,
characteristics or other circumstances which have led the employer to
contemplate disciplinary action or dismissal and the employee must be
invited to a meeting to discuss the matter.
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Step
two
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● |
The
meeting must take place before any action is taken
(other than suspension).
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● |
The
meeting must not take place unless (i) the employer has informed the
employee of the basis for the grounds given in the original notice of
disciplinary action or dismissal and (ii) the employee has had a
reasonable opportunity to consider their response to such
information.
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● |
The
employee must take all reasonable steps to attend the
meeting.
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● |
After
the meeting the employee must be informed of the employer’s decision and
their right of appeal against such decision if they are not satisfied with
it.
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Step
three
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● |
If
the employee wishes to appeal they must inform their
employer.
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If
an employee has informed the employer of their wish to appeal the employer
must invite the employee to attend a further meeting.
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The
employee must take all reasonable steps to attend the
meeting.
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The
appeal meeting need not take place before the dismissal or disciplinary
action takes effect.
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● |
After
the appeal meeting the employer must inform the employee of its
final decision.
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Grievance
Procedure
Step
one
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● |
The
employee must set out their grievance and the basis for it in writing and
send it to the employer.
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Step
two
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● |
The
employer must invite the employee to attend a meeting to discuss the
grievance.
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● |
The
meeting must not take place unless (i) the employee has informed the
employer what the basis for the grievance was when they made their written
statement and (ii) the employer has had a reasonable opportunity to
consider its response to such
information.
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● |
The
employee must take all reasonable steps to attend the
meeting.
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● |
After
the meeting the employer must inform the employee of his response to the
grievance and notify the employee of their right to appeal if they are not
satisfied with that decision.
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Step three | ||||
● |
The
employee must inform their employer of their wish to
appeal.
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● |
If
an employee has informed the employer of their wish to appeal the employer
must invite the employee to attend a further meeting.
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● |
The
employee must take all reasonable steps to attend.
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●
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After
the appeal meeting the employer must inform the employee of its final
decision.
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General requirements
applicable to all procedures
● |
Each
action under the procedures must be taken without unreasonable
delay.
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● |
The
timing and location of meetings must be reasonable and meetings must be
conducted in a manner which allows both the employer and employee to
explain their case.
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● |
In
the case of appeal meetings the employer should, as far as reasonably
practicable, be represented by a more senior manager than attended the
first meeting (unless the most senior manager attended that
meeting).
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● |
Employees
will have the right to be accompanied at any meetings held under these
statutory procedures by a trade union representative or fellow worker. The
representative will be allowed to address the meeting but may not answer
questions on behalf of the
employee.
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2
Schedule
4
Permitted
Outside Employment
It is
agreed that the following outside activities, separately enumerated by Berkshire
Hathaway, are permitted, on the basis that they will not occupy more than 20% of
the Employee’s working time measured monthly.
1)
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Participation
on Boards as a Director, committee member, or Chairman of any UK-based
Berkshire Hathaway entity.
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2)
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Attendance
at meetings and general management of Berkshire Hathaway entities in the
UK.
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3)
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Such
duties outside the UK as Berkshire may request and the Company may permit
in its reasonable discretion.
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4)
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The
Employee agrees to take all reasonable measures to preserve the
confidentiality of Berkshire information as well as Company
information.
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---ENDS---