A Cancer Therapeutics & Diagnostics Company phone: (240) 314 0596
Exhibit
10.1
A
Cancer Therapeutics & Diagnostics Company
0000
Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
phone:
(000) 000 0000
xxx.xxxxxxxx.xxx
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Ph.D.
000
Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Dear
Albine:
This
letter, dated February 9, 2011, is to confirm our understanding with respect to
your employment by Neogenix Oncology, Inc. or any present or future parent,
subsidiary or affiliate thereof (collectively, the “Company”). The terms and
conditions agreed to in this letter are hereinafter referred to as the
“Agreement.” In consideration of the mutual promises and covenants contained in
this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
sufficiency of which are hereby mutually acknowledged, we have agreed as
follows:
1.
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Employment.
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(a)
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Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company will employ
you, and you will be employed by the Company, as its Chief Operating
Officer (“COO”, reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (the
“CEO”). You will have the responsibilities, duties and
authority commensurate with the position of COO. The principal location at
which you will perform such services will be the Company’s facility
located in Rockville, MD.
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(b)
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Devotion to
Duties. For so long as you are employed hereunder, you
will devote substantially all of your business time and energies to the
business and affairs of the Company, provided that nothing contained in
this Section 1(b) will be deemed to prevent or limit your right to manage
your personal investments on your own personal time, including, without
limitation, the right to make passive investments in the securities of (i)
any entity which you do not control, directly or indirectly, and which
does not compete with the Company, or (ii) any publicly held entity so
long as your aggregate direct and indirect interest does not exceed three
percent (3%) of the issued and outstanding securities of any class of
securities of such publicly held entity, and provided, further that
nothing contained herein will be deemed to prohibit you from continuing
your preexisting affiliations so long as such activity does not violate
Sections 5, 6 or 7 hereof or substantially limit your ability to perform
your full-time duties
hereunder.
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2.
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Term of
Employment.
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(a)
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Term;
Termination. Subject to the terms hereof, your
employment hereunder will commence on the date set forth in the
first sentence of this Agreement (the “Commencement Date”) and
will continue until the first to occur of the
following:
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(i)
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Immediately
upon your death;
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(ii)
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By
the Company:
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A.
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By
written notice to you effective the date of such notice, following your
failure, due to illness, accident or any other physical or mental
incapacity, to perform the essential functions of your position for an
aggregate of ninety (90) business days within any period of one hundred
eighty (180) consecutive business days during the term hereof as
determined by a physician selected by you (“Disability”), provided that if
applicable law provides any provision regarding disability that is more
favorable to you than that set forth herein, such more favorable provision
will govern;
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B.
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By
written notice to you effective the date of such notice, for Cause (as
defined below); or
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C.
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By
written notice to you effective thirty (30) days after the date of such
notice and subject to Section 4 hereof, without Cause;
or
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(iii)
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By
you:
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A.
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At
any time by written notice to the Company effective thirty (30) days after
the date of such notice; or
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B.
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By
written notice to the Company for Good Reason (as defined below) effective
the date of such notice.
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(b)
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Definition of
“Cause”. For purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” means
(i) your commission of a felony, (ii) your willful disloyalty or
deliberate dishonesty to the Company, (iii) the commission by you of an
act of fraud or embezzlement against the Company, or (iv) a material
breach by you of any material provision of this Agreement which breach is
not cured within thirty (30) days after delivery to you by the Company of
written notice of such breach, provided that if such breach is not capable
of being cured within such thirty (30) day period, you will have a
reasonable period to cure such breach but only if you promptly commence
and continue good faith efforts to cure such
breach.
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(c)
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Definition of “Good
Reason”. For purposes of this Agreement, a “Good Reason”
means any of the following, provided you inform the Company in writing of
such and state your intent to end your relationship with the Company for
such reason within thirty (30) days following the occurrence of any such
reason and the Company shall not within thirty (30) days of such notice
remedy the condition:
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(i)
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A
material diminution by the Company in your duties, authority or
responsibilities as compared to the time of the Commencement Date,
provided that such diminution is not in connection with a termination of
your employment hereunder by the
Company;
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(ii)
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A
change without your consent in the lines of reporting such that you no
longer report to the CEO and instead report to an officer with materially
less authority, duties or
responsibilities;
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(iii)
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A
material diminution in your base compensation;
or
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(iv)
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A
material breach of this Agreement by the
Company.
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3.
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Compensation.
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(a)
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Base
Salary. The Company will pay you a base salary at the
annual rate of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) (the “Base
Salary”). The Base Salary will be reviewed no less frequently
than annually and may be adjusted upward at the Company’s discretion;
provided the first review shall occur no later than August
2011. The Base Salary will be payable in substantially equal
installments in accordance with the Company’s payroll practices as in
effect from time to time. The Company will deduct from each
such installment any amounts required to be deducted or withheld under
applicable law or under any employee benefit plan in which you
participate.
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(b)
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Performance
Bonus. If you achieve performance objectives determined
by the Company (in consultation with you), you shall be eligible for an
annual performance bonus of up to fifty percent (50%) of your Base Salary
for the year that is ending (the “Performance Bonus”). Any
Performance Bonus awarded shall be paid no later than sixty (60) days
following the last day of the calendar year in which it was
earned.
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(c)
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Vacation. You
will be entitled to twenty (20) paid vacation days in each calendar year,
as well as paid holidays and other time off, in accordance with the
Company policies.
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(d)
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Fringe Benefits;
Perquisites. You will be entitled to participate in the
same manner as other senior executives of the Company in any and all
employee benefit plans which the Company provides or may establish for the
benefit of its senior executives generally (including, without limitation,
group life, disability, medical, dental and other insurance, tax benefit
and planning services, 401(k), retirement, pension, profit-sharing and
similar plans) (collectively, the “Fringe Benefits”). In
addition, you shall be indemnified by the Company to same extent as other
senior executives of the Company. In addition, throughout your employment,
the Company shall provide you with a car for which the monthly payments
(not including any business travel expenses reimbursed pursuant to
subparagraph (e), below) would be up to one thousand dollars ($1,000) per
month, payable directly to you or to the lessor of the car as determined
per your discretion and upon prior notification by you to the Company’s
Chief Financial Officer or such person’s
designee.
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(e)
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Reimbursement of
Expenses. The Company will reimburse you for all
ordinary and reasonable out-of-pocket business expenses that are incurred
by you in furtherance of the Company’s business in accordance with the
Company’s policies with respect thereto as in effect from time to
time.
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(f)
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Equity-Based
Compensation. Except as otherwise provided in this
Section 3(f), in connection with a
Payment Event (as defined below), the Company will deliver to you a
payment (the “Bonus”) in an amount up to $3,500,000, subject to the
provisions in this Section 3(f). The amount of any Bonus shall
be $3,500,000 if you are still employed by the Company on the date of a
Payment Event. The amount of any Bonus shall be $875,000 if your
employment with the Company ends prior to the one (1) year anniversary of
this Agreement, $2,625,000 if your employment with the Company ends prior
to the two (2) year anniversary of this Agreement, and $3,500,000 if your
employment with the Company continues beyond the two (2) year anniversary
of this Agreement, provided, however, that the amount of any Bonus shall
be $3,500,000 if you end the employment relationship for Good Reason or
the Company ends the employment relationship without Cause at any time. A
“Payment Event” will be the earlier to occur of (i) the sale by the
shareholders of the Company of shares of capital stock of the Company
(“Shares”) representing at least 50 percent of the voting power of the
Company or all or substantially all of its assets that constitutes 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 as
described in Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(v) of the Internal Revenue Code (a
“Change in Control”), and (ii) an underwritten initial public offering of
Shares (an “IPO”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if your
employment with the Company terminates before the date of an IPO, no Bonus
will be payable to you before the date of a Change in
Control. If you are not employed by the Company on the date of
a Payment Event pursuant to which you would otherwise be due a Bonus, no
Bonus shall be payable unless and until you provide the Company with a
general release of claims as described in the first sentence of Section
4(d) which becomes effective and not subject to rescission within thirty
(30) days following the occurrence of the Payment Event. In the
event of a Payment Event that is a Change in Control, the Bonus will be
paid to you within thirty (30) days following the date of the transaction
giving rise to the Change in Control. If the Payment Event is
an IPO, cash in an amount equal to 50% of the Bonus will be paid to you
within 10 days of the date of the IPO and, provided you have made
arrangements with the Company that are satisfactory to the Company to
satisfy any income and employment tax withholding obligations arising from
the delivery of the Shares to you before that time, a number of Shares
equal to 50% of the Bonus divided by the per share paid for the Company’s
stock in the IPO will be delivered to you in accordance with the following
schedule: one-third of the number of Shares payable to you will be
delivered on the date of the IPO; one-third of the number of
Shares payable to you will be delivered on the date that is the one year
anniversary of the date of the IPO; the final one-third of the number of
Shares payable to you will be delivered on the date that is eighteen
months after the date of the IPO. The Shares will be subject to
only those restrictions on transferability that are applicable to other
Company executives and that are required to be so applicable under
relevant federal or state law. In addition, in the sole
discretion of the Board, you shall be eligible for a stock option grant
each year you are employed by the Company (each an “Annual Stock Option
Grant”). Any Annual Stock Option Grant shall be subject to
Board approval, the terms and conditions of the Company’s stock plan in
effect on the date of grant and the execution of a formal option agreement
provided by the Company on the date of
grant.
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4.
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Severance
Compensation.
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(a)
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Definition of Accrued
Obligations. For purposes of this Agreement, “Accrued
Obligations,” means (i) the portion of your Base Salary as has accrued
prior to any termination of your employment with the Company and has not
yet been paid, (ii) an amount equal to the value of your accrued unused
vacation days, and (iii) the amount of any expenses properly incurred by
you on behalf of the Company prior to any such termination and not yet
reimbursed.
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(b)
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Death or
Disability. If your employment hereunder is terminated
as a result of your death or
Disability:
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(i)
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The
Company will pay the Accrued Obligations to you (or your estate) promptly
following such termination.
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(ii)
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The
Company will continue to pay you (or your estate) an amount equal to the
Base Salary at the rate in effect at the date of such termination in
accordance with Section 3(a) of this Agreement for the period commencing
on the date of such termination and ending on the three (3) month
anniversary of the termination
date.
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(iii)
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The
Company will continue to provide you or your covered beneficiaries with
health insurance for so long as it is obligated to continue payments equal
to the Base Salary pursuant to Section 4(b)(ii) above, subject to
applicable law and the terms of the respective
policies.
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(c)
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Termination for Cause
or in the Absence of a Good Reason. If your employment
hereunder is terminated either by the Company for Cause or by you in the
absence of a Good Reason, the Company will pay the Accrued Obligations to
you promptly following such termination and the Company shall have no
further obligations to you other than any obligations pursuant to Section
3(f) hereof and those required by applicable
law.
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(d)
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Termination Without
Cause by the Company or for Good Reason by You. If your
employment hereunder is terminated either by the Company without Cause or
by you for a Good Reason and subject to your execution in form
satisfactory to the Company (and submitted so as to be effective no later
than seventy (70) days following such termination) of a general release of
claims against the Company, its officers, directors, employees, agents,
subsidiaries and affiliates other than any claims to payment of a Bonus
upon a Change in Control if a Change in Control has not yet occurred,
subject to the terms and conditions of sub-section (ii) below, in
a form provided by the Company within ten (10) days following your final
day of employment:
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(i)
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The
Company will pay the Accrued Obligations to you promptly following such
termination.
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(ii)
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The
Company will pay you an amount equal to the Base Salary at the rate in
effect at such termination in accordance with Section 3(a) of this
Agreement for a twelve (12) month period payable in accordance with the
Company’s normal payroll schedule over the course of such period. In
addition, on the date that is 18 months after date on which your
employment with the Company is terminated, if the Company has consummated
an IPO, but has not had a Change in Control, before that date or before
the date of your termination of employment, the Company will pay you an
Additional Severance Amount equal to $3,500,000. One-half of
the Additional Severance Amount will be paid to you in cash; the remainder
of the Additional Severance Amount will be paid in the form of that number
of Shares that is equal to (1) one-half of the Additional Severance
Amount, divided by (2) the per share price paid for the Company’s stock in
the IPO, provided you first confirm in writing the general release
described in the first sentence of Section 4(d) through the date of such
payment if you have previously provided such release or you provide the
Company such a release. Any Shares will be subject to any
applicable legal and/or customary limitations such as lock-up periods as
are applicable to other Company
executives.
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(iii)
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The
Company will continue to provide you with health insurance for so long as
it is obligated to continue payments equal to the Base Salary pursuant to
Section 4(d)(ii) above if you make an effective COBRA election, subject to
applicable law and the terms of the respective
policies.
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No
payment or benefit shall be provided under (ii) or (iii) above before such
70th
day following such termination (or such later date as may be required under
Section 9(m) below), and you shall forfeit all rights to such payments and
benefits unless the Company property described in Section 8 below is returned
and such release is signed and delivered (and any right to revoke has expired)
before such 70th day.
The first payment shall include payment of all amounts that would
have been paid before such 70th day
following such termination (or such later date as may be required under Section
9(m) below) in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll schedule had such
payments commenced immediately upon such termination, and any
payments made thereafter shall continue as provided above.
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(e)
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Payment in Lieu of
Notice. In its sole discretion, the Company may, during
any period of notice relating to termination, require you to: (i) be
transferred to alternative duties to be performed either at your principal
office location or your residence, at the Company’s discretion; (ii) not
attend your usual place of work or any other Company premises; and/or
(iii) not make contact with any employees, agents, vendors or clients of
the Company, except as directed by the
Company.
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(f)
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No Duty to
Mitigate. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement, (i) you will have no obligation to mitigate your damages for
any breach of this Agreement by the Company or for any termination of this
Agreement, whether by seeking employment or otherwise and (ii) the amount
of any benefit due to you after the date of such termination pursuant to
this Agreement will not be reduced or offset by any payment or benefit
that you may receive from any other
source.
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5.
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Prohibited Competition
and Solicitation.
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(a)
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Certain
Acknowledgements and
Agreements.
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(i)
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You
recognize and acknowledge the competitive and proprietary nature of the
business of the Company.
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(ii)
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You
acknowledge and agree that a business will be deemed competitive with the
Company if it engages in a line of business in which it performs any of
the services, researches, develops or manufactures or sells any products
provided or offered by the Company or under development by the Company, or
any similar products or products fulfilling the same function, whether or
not similar, in the Company’s Field of Interest (such businesses to be
referred to as “Competitive Businesses”). The phrase, “Field of
Interest,” currently means the use of monoclonal antibody products for the
diagnosis and therapy of types of cancer related to the Xxxxxxxxxxx
vaccines. In the event the Company adopts a new definition of
Field of Interest, such new definition shall be binding upon you ten (10)
days after written notice to you of such change unless you notify the
Company in writing that you do not agree to such
change.
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(iii)
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You
further acknowledge that, while you are employed hereunder, the Company
will furnish, disclose or make available to you Confidential Information
(as defined below) related to the Company’s business and that the Company
may provide you with unique and specialized training. You also
acknowledge that such Confidential Information and such training have been
developed and will be developed by the Company through the expenditure by
the Company of substantial time, effort and money and that all such
Confidential Information and training could be used by you to compete with
the Company.
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(iv)
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For
purposes of this Agreement, “Confidential Information,” means confidential
and proprietary information of the Company, whether in written, oral,
electronic or other form, including but not limited to, information and
facts concerning business plans, research, trials, advisers, customers,
future customers, suppliers, licensors, licensees, partners, investors,
affiliates or others, training methods and materials, financial
information, sales prospects, client lists, inventions, or any other
scientific, technical or trade secrets of the Company or of any third
party provided to you or the Company under a condition of confidentiality,
provided that Confidential Information will not include information that
is (1) in the public domain other than through any fault or act by you,
(2) known to you prior to its disclosure to you in the course of your
employment hereunder, or (3) lawfully disclosed to you by a source other
than the Company which source has a legal right to disclose such
information.
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(b)
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Non-Competition;
Non-Solicitation. During the period while you are
employed hereunder and for a period of one (1) year following the
termination of your employment hereunder for any reason you will not,
without the prior written consent of the
Company:
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(i)
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For yourself or on
behalf of any other, directly or indirectly, either as
principal, agent, stockholder, employee, consultant, representative or in
any other capacity, own manage, operate or control, or be concerned,
connected or employed by, or otherwise associate in any manner with,
engage in or have a financial interest in any business whose primary line
of business is in the Field of Interest, or in any other business in which
you have any direct operating or scientific responsibility in the Field of
Interest anywhere in the world (the “Restricted Territory”), except that
(A) nothing contained herein shall preclude you from purchasing or owning
stock in any such competitive business if such stock is publicly traded,
and provided that your holdings do not exceed three (3%) percent of the
issued and outstanding capital stock of such business; (B) nothing
contained herein will prevent you from engaging in a
Restricted Activity for or with respect to any subsidiary, division or
affiliate or unit (each, a “Unit”) of an entity if that Unit is not
engaged in any business which is competitive with the business of the
Company, irrespective of whether some other Unit of such entity engages in
such competition (as long as you do not engage in a Restricted Activity
for such other Unit) and provided you present a signed statement to the
Company stating the name of each such Unit, the type of business conducted
by each such Unit and affirming that you will not be in any way involved
with the Unit(s) which are competitive with the business of the Company;
and (C) and nothing contained herein will prevent you from working in
academia or government research as long as your work is not in conjunction
with industry; or
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(ii)
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Either
individually or on behalf of or through any third party, solicit, divert
or appropriate or attempt to solicit, divert or appropriate, for the
purpose of competing in the Field of Interest with the Company or any
present or future parent, subsidiary or other affiliate of the Company
which is engaged in the Field of Interest, any joint venture or
collaborative research partners, customers or patrons of the Company, or
any prospective customers or patrons with respect to which the Company has
developed or made a presentation for the use or exploitation of products
or processes in the Field of Interest (or similar offering of services),
located within the Restricted Territory;
or
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(iii)
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Either
individually or on behalf of or through any third party to (A) hire any
person who is or has been in the three (3) months prior to such activity
employed or otherwise engaged by the Company, (B) solicit, entice or
persuade or attempt to solicit, entice or persuade any person who is or
has been in the three (3) months prior to such activity employed or
otherwise engaged by the Company to leave the service of the Company or
(C) solicit, entice or persuade or attempt to solicit, entice or persuade
any person who is or has been in the three (3) months prior to such
activity employed or otherwise engaged by the Company become employed or
otherwise engaged by you or any entity other than the
Company.
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6. Protected
Information. You will at all times, both during the period
while you are employed hereunder and after the termination of your employment
hereunder for any reason, maintain in confidence and will not, without the prior
written consent of the Company, use, except in the course of performance of your
duties for the Company or by court order, disclose or give to others any
Confidential Information. Upon the termination of your employment
hereunder for any reason, you will return to the Company all tangible
Confidential Information and copies thereof (regardless of how such Confidential
Information or copies are maintained).
7.
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Ownership of Ideas,
Copyrights and Patents.
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(a)
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Property of the
Company. All ideas, discoveries, creations, manuscripts
and properties, innovations, improvements, know-how, inventions, designs,
developments, apparatus, techniques, methods, biological processes, cell
lines, laboratory notebooks and formulae (collectively the “Inventions”)
which may be used in the business of the Company, whether patentable,
copyrightable or not, which you may conceive (except in conjunction with
permitted government activity), reduce to practice or develop while you
are employed hereunder, alone or in conjunction with another or others,
and whether at the request or upon the suggestion of the Company or
otherwise, will be the sole and exclusive property of the Company, and
that you will not publish any of the Inventions without the prior written
consent of the Company. You hereby assign to the Company all of
your right, title and interest in and to all of the
foregoing.
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(b)
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Notwithstanding,
the terms of paragraph 7(a) of this Agreement, nothing shall be considered
an “Invention”:
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(i)
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if
you have developed the “Invention” entirely on your own time without using
the Company’s equipment, supplies, facility or confidential information;
and
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(ii)
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the
“Invention” does not: (A) relate to the Company’s business or actual or
demonstrably anticipated research or development; or (B) result from any
work performed by any employee of or advisor to the
Company.
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(c)
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Cooperation. At
any time during your employment hereunder or after the termination of your
employment hereunder for any reason, you will make reasonable efforts to
cooperate with the Company and its attorneys and agents in the preparation
and filing of all papers and other documents as may be required to perfect
the Company’s rights in and to any of such Inventions, including, but not
limited to, joining in any proceeding to obtain letters patent,
copyrights, trademarks or other legal rights with respect to any such
Inventions in the United States and in any and all other countries,
provided that the Company will bear the expense of such proceedings, and
that any patent or other legal right so issued to you personally will be
assigned by you to the Company or its designee without charge by
you. The Company will reimburse you for reasonable expenses
incurred by you in connection with the performance of your obligations
under this Section 7 and will compensate you at a mutually agreeable rate
for any substantial time commitment that is required following the
termination of your employment relationship with the
Company.
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(d)
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Licensing and Use of
Innovations. With respect to any Inventions, and work of
any similar nature (from any source), whenever created, which you have not
prepared or originated in the performance of your employment, but which
you provide to the Company or incorporate in any Company product or
system, you hereby grant to the Company a royalty-free, fully paid-up,
non-exclusive, perpetual and irrevocable license throughout the world to
use, modify, create derivative works from, disclose, publish, translate,
reproduce, deliver, perform, dispose of, and to authorize others so to do,
all such Inventions. You will not include in any Inventions you
deliver to the Company or use on its behalf, without the prior written
approval of the Company, any material which is or will be patented,
copyrighted or trademarked by you or others unless you provide the Company
with the written permission of the holder of any patent, copyright or
trademark owner for the Company to use such material in a manner
consistent with then-current Company
policy.
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(e)
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Prior
Inventions. Listed on Exhibit 7(e) to
this Agreement are any and all Inventions in which you claim or intend to
claim any right, title and interest (collectively, “Prior Inventions”),
including, without limitation, patent, copyright and trademark interests,
which to the best of your knowledge will be or may be delivered to the
Company in the course of your employment, or incorporated into any Company
product or system. You acknowledge that no such Inventions
exist and that your obligation to disclose such information is ongoing
during the period that you provide services to the
Company.
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8. Records. Upon
termination of your employment hereunder for any reason or for no reason, you
will deliver to the Company promptly any property of the Company which may be in
your possession, including products, materials, memoranda, notes, records,
reports or other documents or photocopies of the same.
9.
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General.
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(a)
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Notices. All
notices, requests, consents and other communications hereunder will be in
writing, will be addressed to the receiving party’s address set forth
above or to such other address as a party may designate by notice
hereunder, and will be either (i) delivered by hand, (ii) sent by
overnight courier, or (iii) sent by registered or certified mail, return
receipt requested, postage prepaid. All notices, requests, consents and
other communications hereunder will be deemed to have been given either
(i) if by hand, at the time of the delivery thereof to the receiving party
at the address of such party set forth above, (ii) if sent by overnight
courier, on the next business day following the day such notice is
delivered to the courier service, or (iii) if sent by registered or
certified mail, on the fifth business day following the day such mailing
is made.
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(b)
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Entire
Agreement. This Agreement embodies the entire agreement
and understanding between the parties hereto with respect to the subject
matter hereof and supersedes all prior oral or written agreements and
understandings relating to the subject matter hereof. No
statement, representation, warranty, covenant or agreement of any kind not
expressly set forth in this Agreement will affect, or be used to
interpret, change or restrict, the express terms and provisions of this
Agreement.
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(c)
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Modifications and
Amendments. The terms and provisions of this Agreement
may be modified or amended only by written agreement executed by the
parties hereto.
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(d)
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Waivers and
Consents. The terms and provisions of this Agreement may
be waived, or consent for the departure therefrom granted, only by written
document executed by the party entitled to the benefits of such terms or
provisions. No such waiver or consent will be deemed to be or will
constitute a waiver or consent with respect to any other terms or
provisions of this Agreement, whether or not similar. Each such waiver or
consent will be effective only in the specific instance and for the
purpose for which it was given, and will not constitute a continuing
waiver or consent.
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(e)
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Assignment. The Company
shall assign its rights and obligations hereunder to any person or entity
that succeeds to all or substantially all of the Company’s business or
that aspect of the Company’s business in which you are principally
involved. You may not assign your rights and obligations under
this Agreement without the prior written consent of the
Company.
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11
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(f)
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Benefit. All
statements, representations, warranties, covenants and agreements in this
Agreement will be binding on the parties hereto and will inure to the
benefit of the respective successors and permitted assigns of each party
hereto. Nothing in this Agreement will be construed to create any rights
or obligations except among the parties hereto, and no person or entity
will be regarded as a third-party beneficiary of this
Agreement.
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(g)
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Governing
Law. This Agreement and the rights and obligations of
the parties hereunder will be construed in accordance with and governed by
the law of Maryland, without giving effect to the conflict of law
principles thereof.
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(h)
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Jurisdiction, Venue
and Service of Process. Any legal action or proceeding
with respect to your relationship with the Company must be brought in the
courts of Maryland or of the United States of America for the District of
Maryland. By execution and delivery of this Agreement, each of
the parties hereto accepts for itself and in respect of its property,
generally and unconditionally, the exclusive jurisdiction of the aforesaid
courts.
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(i)
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Severability. The
parties intend this Agreement to be enforced as
written. However, (i) if any portion or provision of this
Agreement is to any extent be declared illegal or unenforceable by a duly
authorized court having jurisdiction, then the remainder of this
Agreement, or the application of such portion or provision in
circumstances other than those as to which it is so declared illegal or
unenforceable, will not be affected thereby, and each portion and
provision of this Agreement will be valid and enforceable to the fullest
extent permitted by law and (ii) if any provision, or part thereof, is
held to be unenforceable because of the duration of such provision, the
geographic area covered thereby, or other aspect of the scope of such
provision, the court making such determination will have the power to
reduce the duration, geographic area of such provision, or other aspect of
the scope of such provision, and/or to delete specific words and phrases
(“blue-penciling”), and in its reduced or blue-penciled form, such
provision will then be enforceable and will be
enforced.
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(j)
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Headings and
Captions. The headings and captions of the various
subdivisions of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and
will in no way modify or affect the meaning or construction of any of the
terms or provisions hereof.
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12
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(k)
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No Waiver of Rights,
Powers and Remedies. No failure or delay by a party
hereto in exercising any right, power or remedy under this Agreement, and
no course of dealing between the parties hereto, will operate as a waiver
of any such right, power or remedy of the party. No single or partial
exercise of any right, power or remedy under this Agreement by a party
hereto, nor any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce any such
right, power or remedy, will preclude such party from any other or further
exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or remedy
hereunder. The election of any remedy by a party hereto will not
constitute a waiver of the right of such party to pursue other available
remedies. No notice to or demand on a party not expressly
required under this Agreement will entitle the party receiving such notice
or demand to any other or further notice or demand in similar or other
circumstances or constitute a waiver of the rights of the party giving
such notice or demand to any other or further action in any circumstances
without such notice or demand.
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(l)
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Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, and by different
parties hereto on separate counterparts, each of which will be deemed an
original, but all of which together will constitute one and the same
instrument.
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(m)
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Section 409A
Compliance. The provisions of this Agreement are
intended and shall be interpreted and administered so as to not result in
the imposition of additional tax or interest under Section 409A of the
Internal Revenue Code where applicable. Without limiting the
foregoing, this Agreement shall not be amended in a manner so as to result
in the imposition of such tax or interest, any reference to
“termination of employment” or similar term shall mean an event that
constitutes a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409,
any reimbursement of expenses shall occur no later than the end of the
calendar year following the calendar year in which is the expense is
incurred (or such earlier date as applies under the Company’s business
expense reimbursement policy), and if at separation from service you are
considered a Specified Employee within the meaning of said Section 409A,
then any payments hereunder that are nonqualified deferred compensation
within the meaning of said Section 409A that are to be made upon
separation from service shall not commence earlier than six (6) months
after the date of such separation from service, and any such amounts that
would otherwise be paid to you within the first six months following the
separation from service shall be accumulated and paid in a lump sum six
months and one day following the separation from service (or if you die
during such six-month period, as soon as practical following the date of
death)
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If the foregoing accurately sets forth
our agreement, please so indicate by signing and returning to us the enclosed
copy of this letter.
Very
truly yours,
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Neogenix
Oncology, Inc.
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By:
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Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxx, M.D.
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Chief
Executive Officer
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Accepted
and Approved
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Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Ph.D
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13
Exhibit 7(e) – Prior
Inventions
1. None