SEPARATION AGREEMENT
EXHIBIT
10.35
THIS
AGREEMENT is made between Xxxxxxx Electronics, Inc., a Minnesota
corporation (the “Company”), and Xxxxx Xxxxxxx (the
“Employee”).
BACKGROUND:
A.
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The
Employee and the Company are parties to an Employment Agreement dated
January 5, 2007 (the “Employment Agreement”) under which the Employee is
employed by the Company. Under the terms of the Employment
Agreement, Employee is entitled to severance pay under certain
circumstances including the condition that he release the Company in
exchange for such severance pay.
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B.
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Employee
and the Company have reached an agreement regarding the Employee’s
separation from the Company and desire to memorialize that
agreement.
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THE
COMPANY AND THE EMPLOYEE AGREE AS FOLLOWS:
1.
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TERMINATION
OF EMPLOYMENT. Employee's
employment with the Company is terminated effective as of the close of the
Company’s business day on February 13, 2008 (the “Termination
Date”).
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2.
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PAYMENT. In
exchange for the promises, releases and agreements made by the Employee in
this Agreement and in full satisfaction of its obligations under the
Employment Agreement, absent rescission of this Agreement, the Company
will (1) pay Employee at regular payroll intervals an amount equal to nine
(9) months of Employee’s current base salary, subject to required and
authorized deductions and withholdings; and (2) continue to pay the
Company’s ordinary share of premiums for six (6) calendar months for
Employee’s COBRA continuation coverage in the Company’s group medical,
dental and life insurance plans (as applicable), provided Employee elects
such continuation coverage and timely pays Employee’s share of such
premiums, if any.
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3.
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RELEASE
OF CLAIMS.
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a.
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Specifically
in consideration of the Company’s agreements described in Paragraph 2 of
this Agreement, Employee, for himself and anyone who has or obtains legal
rights or claims through him, releases, agrees not to xxx, and forever
discharges the Company (as defined below) from any and all manner of
claims, demands, actions, causes of action, administrative claims,
liability, damages, claims for punitive or liquidated damages, claims for
attorney’s fees, costs and disbursements, individual or class action
claims, or demands of any kind whatsoever, Employee has or might have
against them or any of them, whether known or unknown, in law or equity,
contract or tort, arising out of or in connection with Employee’s
employment with the Company, or the termination of that employment, or
otherwise, and however originating or existing, from the beginning of time
through the date of Employee’s signing this
Agreement.
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b.
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This
release includes, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any
claims Employee may have for wages, bonuses, commissions, penalties,
deferred compensation, vacation pay, separation benefits, defamation,
invasion of privacy, negligence, emotional distress, breach of contract,
claims under the Employment Agreement, estoppel, improper discharge (based
on contract, common law, or statute, including any federal, state or local
statute or ordinance prohibiting discrimination or retaliation in
employment), violation of the United States Constitution, the Minnesota
Constitution, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, 29 U.S.C. § 621 et
seq., the Minnesota Human Rights Act, Minn. Stat. § 363.01 et seq., Title
VII of the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq., the Americans with
Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxx, 00 X.X.X. § 00000 et seq., the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1976, 29 U.S.C. § 1001 et seq., the Family and
Medical Leave Act, 29 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq., any claim arising under Minn.
Stat. Chapters 177 and 181, Minn. Stat. § 176.82, and any claim for
retaliation or discrimination based on sex, race, color, creed, religion,
age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, disability,
status with regard to public assistance or any other protected class, or
sexual or other harassment. Employee hereby waives any and all
relief not provided for in this
Agreement.
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c.
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Employee
affirms that he has not caused or permitted, and to the full extent
permitted by law, will not cause or permit to be filed, any charge,
complaint, or action of any nature or type against the Company, including
but not limited to any action or proceeding raising claims arising in tort
or contract, or any claims arising under federal, state, or local
laws. If Employee files, or has filed on his behalf, a charge,
complaint, or action, Employee agrees that the payments described above in
Paragraph 2 are in complete satisfaction of any and all monetary
claims in connection with such charge, complaint, or action and Employee
waives, and agrees not to take, any monetary award from such charge,
complaint, or action.
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d.
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Employee
understands that he is not, by signing this Agreement, releasing or
waiving (1) any vested interest he may have in any 401(k) or profit
sharing plan by virtue of his employment with the Company, (2) any rights
or claims that may arise after the Agreement is signed, (3) benefit
continuation rights under the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act or
similar state law, (4) the right to institute legal action for the purpose
of enforcing the provisions of this Agreement, (5) the right to apply for
state unemployment compensation benefits, (6) any rights or claims to
receive the consideration described above in Paragraph 2, (7) any rights
or claims to receive payments under Paragraph 9 below, or (8) the right to
pursue any charge, complaint, or action that cannot by law be waived by a
private agreement such as this Agreement. However, by signing
this Agreement the Employee does waive, to the extent permitted by law,
the right to receive any monetary award from any such charge, complaint,
or action.
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e.
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The
“Company,” as used in this Paragraph and in this Separation Agreement,
shall mean the Company and its parent, subsidiaries, divisions, affiliated
entities, insurers, and its and their present and former officers,
directors, shareholders, trustees, employees, agents, attorneys,
representatives and consultants, and the successors and assigns of each,
whether in their individual or official capacities, and the current and
former trustees or administrators of any pension or other benefit plan
applicable to the employees or former employees of the Company, in their
official and individual capacities.
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4.
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EMPLOYEE'S
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. Employee
acknowledges and represents to the Company that: (a) he understands that
he has the right to consult with an attorney, and that he has been advised
by the Company to consult with an attorney, regarding the meaning and
effect of this Agreement; (b) he understands that he is entitled to a
period of twenty-one (21) calendar days from the date on which he receives
an unsigned copy of this Agreement in which to consider whether to sign
this Agreement, and that, having been advised of that entitlement, he may
elect to sign this Agreement at any time prior to the expiration of that
time period; (c) he has read this Agreement and understands its
consequences; (d) he has determined to execute this Agreement of his own
free will; (e) the amounts that the Company will pay him under this
Agreement constitute fair and adequate consideration for the promises,
releases and agreements made by him in this Agreement; and (f) in the
absence of this Agreement, he would not be entitled to the amounts that
the Company will pay him under this
Agreement.
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5.
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RIGHTS
TO RESCIND. The
Company and the Employee hereby acknowledge that the Employee has the
rights described in this Paragraph
5.
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a.
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The
Employee has the right to rescind this Agreement under the Age
Discrimination in Employment Act. To be effective, such a rescission
must be made by written notice delivered to the Company within seven (7)
days following the date of this Agreement or sent to the Company by
certified mail, return receipt requested, postmarked within seven (7) days
following the date of this
Agreement.
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b.
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The
Employee has the right to rescind this Agreement under the Minnesota Human
Rights Act. To be effective, such a rescission must be made by
written notice delivered to the Company within fifteen (15) days following
the date of this Agreement or sent to the Company by certified mail,
return receipt requested, postmarked within fifteen (15) days following
the date of this Agreement.
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The
address to which notice of a rescission under this Paragraph 6 is to be
delivered or sent is: Xxxxxx X. de Petra, 0000
Xxxxx Xxxxx,
Xxxxxxx,
XX 00000.
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6.
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EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT.
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a.
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For
the avoidance of doubt in that regard, nothing contained in this
Separation Agreement will terminate, extinguish or in any manner limit any
right, privilege or benefit which the Company has under the Employment
Agreement (including, without limitation, Article 5 of the Employment
Agreement) and each provision of the Employment Agreement under which the
Company has any right, privilege or benefit (including, without
limitation, Article 5 of the Employment Agreement) will continue in full
force and effect in accordance with its
terms.
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b.
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Without
limiting anything contained in Paragraph 6(a) above, and in order to
induce the Company to enter into this Separation Agreement, Employee
hereby reaffirms, remakes and restates each and all of his obligations
under Article 5 of the Employment Agreement. Employee hereby
knowingly and voluntarily waives the defense that such obligations are not
supported by sufficient consideration. If, and to the extent
that, the foregoing waiver may be invalid for any purpose, Employee hereby
acknowledges that the Company would not have entered into this Agreement
in the absence of this Paragraph 6(b) and that the obligations of the
Company to the Employee under this Agreement constitute good, valuable and
sufficient consideration for the obligations of the Employee under Article
5 of the Employment Agreement, as those obligations are reaffirmed, remade
and restated herein.
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c.
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If
the Employee violates any term or provision of Article 5 of the Employment
Agreement, the Company’s remaining obligation to the Employee under the
Separation Agreement made under Paragraph 2 above will automatically
terminate.
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d.
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For
the avoidance of any doubt in that regard, the payment to be made to the
Employee under Paragraph 2 above is in lieu of any payment which may be
due the Employee under the Employment Agreement in connection with or by
reason of the termination of the Employee’s employment with the Company,
and the release made and given by the Employee in Paragraph 3 above
includes within its scope any claim that the Employee may have to any
payment under the Employment Agreement in connection with or by reason of
the termination of the Employee’s employment with the
Company.
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7.
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CONFIDENTIALITY. The
Employee will not disclose the terms of this Agreement to any person
without the prior written consent of the Company; provided, however, that
(a) the Employee may disclose the terms of this Agreement to the
Employee’s legal counsel, the Employee’s accounting and tax advisors, the
Employee’s spouse and the Employee’s other immediate family members, (b)
the Employee may disclose the terms of this Agreement if and to the extent
that the Employee is compelled to do so by an order issued by a court of
competent jurisdiction, and (c) the Employee may disclose the amount paid
to him under this Agreement to the United States Internal Revenue Service,
the Minnesota Department of Revenue and the Minnesota Department of
Economic Security.
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8.
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COMMUNICATIONS
WITH CUSTOMERS AND OTHERS. Company and Employee agree
that they will communicate a mutually agreeable message regarding
Employee’s termination from the Company to all third
parties. The parties agree that they shall not disparage or
defame each other in any respect or make any disparaging comments
concerning the employment relationship between them. As to the
Company, this applies to its officers, agents and directors, who
specifically will not disparage Employee's professional reputation; and as
to Employee this relates to comments about any officer, director or
employee of the Company. These obligations do not apply so as to preclude
government-mandated reports, court orders, or otherwise as required by
law.
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9.
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MISCELLANEOUS
PAYMENTS TO EMPLOYEE. Upon verification of the amount
and validity of such expenses which shall occur promptly after Employee
provides the pertinent information, the Company will reimburse the
Employee for any expenses incurred by the Employee during his employment
with the Company, and for which the Employee has not already been
reimbursed, provided that the Employee provides the Company reasonable
documentation of such expenses and complies with the Company’s expense
reimbursement
procedures.
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10.
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GOVERNING
LAW. This
Agreement will be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of
the State of Minnesota (without regard to the laws of such state which
concern conflicts of laws), and any proceedings relating to the
interpretation or the enforcement of this Agreement will be brought in
federal or state courts located
in Minnesota.
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11.
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ENTIRE
AGREEMENT. This Separation Agreement contains the entire
agreement and understanding of the Company and the Employee with regard to
the subject matter addressed herein. The parties agree that
they have not relied upon any verbal or written representations in
entering into this
Agreement.
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IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company and the Employee have executed this
Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
Xxxxxxx Electronics, Inc. | |||
Date:
February 13, 2008
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By:
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/s/ Xxxxxx X. de Xxxxx | |
Xxxxxx J. de Xxxxx | |||
Its Chairman of the Board | |||
Date:
February 13, 2008
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By:
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/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxxx | |
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx | |||