This Agreement ("Agreement") dated January 21, 2009 is made and entered into between
Best
Energy Services, Inc., a Nevada corporation with offices
at 0000 Xxxxx
Xxxxx0000
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxx 00000 ("BES" or the "Company"), and Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx ("Xxxxxxx")
as
follows:
WITNESSTH:
WHEREAS,
Xxxxxxx was employed by BES as its Executive Vice President and
Chief
Financial
Officer pursuant to an Employment Agreement dated March 5, 2008
(the
"Employment
Agreement") , a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A; and
WHEREAS,
Xxxxxxx'x employment with BES terminated effective October 13, 2008;
and
WHEREAS,
Xxxxxxx and BES (hereinafter together referred to as the "Parties") desire to
modify the terms relating to the separation payment to be made to Xxxxxxx
pursuant to Section 6 of the
Employment Agreement in order to reduce the financial cost to the Company of the
termination of Xxxxxxx'x employment; and
WHEREAS,
in furtherance of such agreement, the Parties have agreed to the terms and
conditions of this Agreement as set forth below;
Therefore,
as material considerations and inducements to the execution and delivery
of
this
Agreement and in consideration of the mutual promises set forth herein and other
good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby
acknowledged, the Parties hereby contract, covenant, and agree as
follows:
1. Capitalized
Terms. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used in
this
Agreement shall have the meaning set forth in the Employment
Agreement.
2. Termination.
Effective as of October 13, 2008 (hereinafter referred to as the
"Termination
Date"), Xxxxxxx'x status as an employee and officer of BES ceased in its
entirety.
3. Consideration.
Xxxxxxx shall be paid the following:
(a) Xxxx Xxx. In lieu of
a severance payment under Section 6 of the
Employment
Agreement, Xxxxxxx shall be paid a cash settlement in the amount of $37,500.
This amount shall be paid upon execution of this Agreement.
(b) Medical Insurance.
Subject to the terms of the Company's medical
insurance
plan in effect as of the date hereof, BES will pay for Xxxxxxx to remain
covered
under the
Company's current medical insurance plan (at current levels of coverage) through
February 28, 2009.
(c) Reimbursement of Business
Expenses. BES will reimburse Xxxxxxx for
valid
out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Xxxxxxx in the performance of his duties
under
the
Employment Agreement.
(d) Taxes and
Withholding. The Company will determine whether the Cash
Payment
made to Xxxxxxx under this Agreement shall be considered compensation,
subject
to
payroll taxes and federal income tax withholding, or shall be considered a
payment not
subject
to tax withholding or payroll deductions. If it is the former, the amounts will
be
reported
to Xxxxxxx as salary on Form W-2 for 2009; if it is the latter, it will be
reported to
Xxxxxxx
as income on Form 1099 for 2009.
The
payments delivered pursuant to Paragraphs (a) through (d) above are referred to
as
the
"Consideration." BES is not obligated to pay any of the Consideration if Xxxxxxx
revokes or
breaches
this Agreement. Xxxxxxx acknowledges the sufficiency of the Consideration
together
with the
Release and Assignment of All Claims by BES in Paragraph 4 (b) hereof,
as
consideration
to him for executing this Agreement and agreeing to be bound by its terms.
BES
acknowledges
the sufficiency of Xxxxxxx'x eliminating his severance under Section 6 of
the
Employment
Agreement and accepting the lesser amounts described in Paragraph 3 hereof,
as
consideration
to BES for its executing the Agreement and agreeing to be bound by its
terms.
Additionally,
Xxxxxxx acknowledges and agrees that upon payment of the Consideration, he will
have been paid all moneys owed to him pursuant to the Employment
Agreement.
4. Release.
(a) Release and Assignment of
All Claims by Xxxxxxx. In consideration of
BES's
agreement to provide the Consideration described in
Paragraph 3 of
this
Agreement
and the Release and Assignment of All Claims by BES as set forth in
Paragraph
4 (b) hereof, Xxxxxxx, his spouse, heirs, executors, trustees, assigns,
and
attorneys,
if any (collectively, the "Releasors"), hereby release and forever
discharge
BES and
all of its past, present and future officers, directors, stockholders,
partners,
representatives,
board members, subsidiaries, parent companies, related entities,
insurance
carriers, agents, servants, employees, successors, assigns, heirs, legatees,
and
attorneys,
in their individual and official capacities (the "Released Parties"), from
any
and all
claims, causes of action, lawsuits, proceedings, damages, interests, benefits,
and
all other
demands of any kind or character whatsoever, in law or in equity, in any
way
directly
or indirectly related to or connected with his employment or separation
therefrom
with the
Released Parties, except for any claims arising under Paragraph 10 of
this
Agreement.
This Release includes, without limitation, the following:
(i) Claims
related to Xxxxxxx'x employment and/or the termination of
his
employment including, without limitation, any allegation of a violation of
any
employment,
bonus, or other compensation agreement with BES, including, without limitation,
the Employment Agreement;
(ii) Claims
that could have been asserted in any Charge of
Discrimination
filed by Xxxxxxx with the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission
and/or the Texas Workforce Commission--Civil Rights Division;
(iii) Claims
arising under state or federal constitution or state or federal
statute
(including, without limitation, all tort claims), city ordinance, or
public
policy,
including, without limitation, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as
2
amended,
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29 U.S.C.
§1001 et
seq. and claims involving employment discrimination, harassment,
and/or
retaliation of any form (including, without limitation, claims under the
Age
Discrimination
in Employment Act of 1967, 29 U.S.C. §621 et seq., Title VII of
the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 as amended, 42
U.S.C. §2000e
et seq., the Civil
Rights
Act of 1870, 42
U.S.C. §1981,
the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990, 00
X.X.X.
§00000 et
seq., the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29
U.S.C.
§2601 et seq., the Equal Pay Act, 29 U.S.C. §206, the Texas Commission on Human
Rights Act, Tex. Lab. Code Xxx. §21.001 et seq., and/or the Texas Workers'
Compensation Act, Tex. Lab. Code §451.001 et seq.);
(iv) Claims
arising under state or federal contract, tort, or common law,
including,
without limitation, any claim of breach of contract, promissory
estoppel,
detrimental reliance, wrongful discharge, false imprisonment,
assault,
battery,
intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, slander,
libel,
fraud,
invasion of privacy, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair
dealing,
breach of
fiduciary duty, conversion, and tortious interference with any type
of
third-party
relationship, as well as any and all damages that may arise out of
any
such
claims, including, without limitation, claims for economic loss, lost
profits,
loss of
capital, lost wages, lost earning capacity, emotional distress,
mental
anguish,
personal injuries, punitive damages, or any future damages;
(v) Claims
of retaliation of any nature, including, but not limited to,
the
anti-retaliatory provisions of the statues identified in Paragraph 4(a)(iii) of
this
Agreement;
and
(vi) CLAIMS
OF NEGLIGENCE OF ANY KIND INCLUDING,
WITHOUT
LIMITATION, GROSS NEGLIGENCE AGAINST BES BASED
UPON THE
ACTION OR INACTION OF BES.
The
claims described in
Paragraph 4
(a)(i)
through (vi)
are hereinafter collectively
referred
to as the "Claims." This Agreement may be pleaded as, and shall constitute,
an
absolute
and final bar to any and all lawsuits or administrative claims now pending,
or
that may
hereafter be filed or prosecuted by Releasors against the Released Parties
that
arose out
of or in connection with any of the Claims. Additionally, Xxxxxxx agrees that
at
no time
subsequent to the execution of this Agreement will he permit the filing
or
maintenance,
in any state, federal, or foreign court, or before any local, state, federal,
or
foreign
administrative agency, or any other tribunal, of any charge, claim, or action
of
any kind
arising out of or in any way related to any of the Claims. Finally, it is
the
intention
of the Parties that this Agreement shall be construed as broadly and
all-
encompassing
as permitted by law and that, notwithstanding such intention, if it is
found
that any
claim of any kind has not been released, Xxxxxxx agrees that any such claim
is
hereby
assigned to BES, except for any claims arising under Paragraph 10 of
this
Agreement.
Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to affect the rights
and
responsibilities
of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (the "Commission"),
the
National Labor Relations Board (the "NLRB"), or any other federal, state or
local
agency
with similar responsibilities to enforce any laws pertaining to
employment
3
discrimination
or retaliation, or union activity or participation. Likewise, this waiver will
not be used to justify interfering with the protected right of any employee to
file a charge or participate in an investigation or proceeding conducted by the
Commission, the NLRB or any similar agency; however, Xxxxxxx waives the right to
any benefits or recovery arising out of any such proceeding.
(b) Release
and Assignment of All Claims by BES. In consideration of
Xxxxxxx'x
reducing the payments otherwise due to him by BES under Section 6 of
the
Employment
Agreement and the Release and Assignment of all Claims by Xxxxxxx
pursuant
to Paragraph 4 (a), BES, its past, present and future officers,
directors,
stockholders,
partners, representatives, board members, subsidiaries, parent
companies,
related
entities, insurance carriers, agents, servants, employees, successors, assigns,
heirs,
legatees,
and attorneys, hereby release Xxxxxxx and forever discharge him, his
spouse,
heirs,
executors, trustees, and assigns from any and all claims, causes of action,
lawsuits,
proceedings,
damages, interests, benefits, and all other demands of any kind or
character
whatsoever,
in law or in equity, arising out of or relating in any manner
whatsoever,
directly
or indirectly, to his employment with BES or service as a Director of BES, to
the
maximum
extent permitted by law. It is the intention of the Parties that this
Agreement
shall be
construed as broadly and all-encompassing as permitted by law and
that,
notwithstanding
such intention, if it is found that any claim of any kind has not
been
released,
BES agrees that any such claim is hereby assigned to Xxxxxxx.
5. Director
Resignation. Carroll is currently a member of the Board of Directors
of
BES with
a term of office expiring at the annual meeting of the Company's stockholders in
2009.
Upon
execution of this Agreement by both Parties, Xxxxxxx shall resign as a director
of BES.
6. No
Future Employment. Xxxxxxx agrees that BES has no obligation,
contractual
or
otherwise, to employ Xxxxxxx as an employee of BES in the future. Xxxxxxx hereby
waives any
right to
future employment as an employee of BES.
7. Stock
Options. Xxxxxxx has previously been granted the following options
to
purchase
shares of the Company's common stock:
Exercise
Number
of Price Expiration
Options Per
Share Date of
Grant Date Vesting
150,000 $0.50 March
5,
2008 March
5,
2013 December
31, 2008
All of
such options shall have vested on December 31, 2008 and shall remain in full
force and effect in accordance with their respective terms.
8. No
Wrongdoing. Both Parties acknowledge and agree that this Agreement
shall
not be
construed as an assertion of or an admission by the other of any act of
wrongdoing,
liability,
or responsibility for any wrongdoing of any kind.
9. Taxation
Consequences. Xxxxxxx acknowledges and agrees that BES has made
no
representations to him regarding the taxation of any portion of the
Consideration. Xxxxxxx also
4
understands
that he is solely responsible for the payment of all taxes owed by him, if any,
related to the Consideration and that BES has no duty to defend him against any
such claims. Further, Xxxxxxx agrees that, if requested by BES at any time
following his execution of this Agreement, he shall complete, execute, and
deliver to BES a Form W-4 and/or Form W-9 providing such information as may be
necessary for any party issuing the appropriate Internal Revenue Service form
related to the Consideration.
10. Indemnification.
The Company agrees to indemnify and to advance funds to pay
expenses
to defend Xxxxxxx to the fullest extent permitted by the Company's Articles
of
Incorporation,
Bylaws and applicable law against all expenses, liabilities, losses, damages
and
costs
that are incurred or paid by Xxxxxxx in connection with any Proceeding. For
purposes of
this
Section 10, "Proceeding" shall mean any threatened, pending or completed action,
suit,
claim,
demand, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation,
inquiry,
administrative
hearing or any other actual, threatened or completed proceeding, whether
formal
or
informal, including any and all appeals, whether brought by or in the right of
the Company or
otherwise,
whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, whether formal or
informal, in
which
Xxxxxxx was, is or will be involved as a party or otherwise, by reason of or
relating to
Xxxxxxx'x
former position as a director, officer and employee of the Company and by reason
of or
relating
to any action or alleged action taken by Xxxxxxx (or failure or alleged failure
to act) or of
any
action or alleged action (or failure or alleged failure to act) on Xxxxxxx'x
part, while acting in
his or
her capacity as a director, officer or employee of the Company.
11. Entire
Agreement. Xxxxxxx acknowledges and agrees that, except as
expressly
set forth
herein, no representations of any kind or character have been made by or on
behalf of
BES to
induce his execution of this document and that this Agreement constitutes the
complete
understanding
and agreement between him and BES. Xxxxxxx also acknowledges and agrees
that
this
Agreement supersedes any and all prior agreements, promises, or inducements
concerning
the
subject matter of this Agreement. By executing and delivering this Agreement,
Xxxxxxx
expressly
disclaims any reliance on any representations, promises, or other statements by
BES,
except to
the extent such representations, promises, or other statements are expressly
contained
in this
Agreement.
12. Confidentiality.
Xxxxxxx and BES agree to maintain the confidentiality of the
terms,
contents and conditions of this Agreement and shall not further disclose or
discuss the
Agreement
except to governmental officials; as required by law; to tax advisors,
accountants and
attorneys;
and for other good cause after notice to the other Party and written approval by
the
other
Party. Xxxxxxx and BES shall instruct their tax advisors, accountants, and
attorneys as to the
terms of
this Paragraph and shall insist upon their compliance with the terms of this
Paragraph.
However,
Xxxxxxx acknowledges and understands that this Agreement may be required to
be
attached
to, and filed with, an 8-K, or the terms disclosed as required by applicable
laws, and in such event, BES shall be free to do so and this paragraph shall be
cancelled and have no further
effect on
either Party.
13. Property
and Confidential Information. Xxxxxxx represents and warrants that,
to his
best recollection and belief, he has returned any and all property, information
or
documents
including, but not limited to, any and all confidential information belonging to
BES,
5
including
any originals, copies or summaries currently in Xxxxxxx'x possession, custody
or
control.
14. Default
and Notice. In the event that BES fails to make any payment due
under
the
provisions of this Agreement, Xxxxxxx shall give written notice of such failure
to BES, and
BES shall
have a period of fifteen (15) business days from receipt of such notice in which
to cure such default. For purposes of this Paragraph 14, all notices to BES for
failure to make any payment due under this Agreement shall be in writing and
either hand delivered or sent by Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested, to
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx L.L.F., 000 Xxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000.
15. No
Presumption Against Interest. This Agreement has been jointly
negotiated,
drafted,
and reviewed by Xxxxxxx and BES and, therefore, no provision arising directly
or
indirectly
herefrom may be construed against any Party as being drafted by that
Party.
16. Waiver.
No waiver of any of the terms of this Agreement shall be valid unless
in
writing
and signed by all Parties to this Agreement. The waiver by any party hereto of
any
provision
of this Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any
subsequent
breach by
any party, nor shall any waiver operate or be construed as a rescission of
this
Agreement.
16. Severability.
The Parties agree that should any part of this Agreement be
declared
or determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, invalid,
or
unenforceable,
the Parties intend that the legality, validity, and enforceability of the
remaining parts shall not be affected thereby, and said illegal, invalid or
unenforceable part shall be deemed not to be a part of this Agreement. However,
the Parties have carefully read and understand the provisions herein and agree
that all aspects of this Agreement are reasonable.
18. Captions. The
captions contained in this Agreement are intended for
convenience
only and should not be considered in interpreting the terms of this
Agreement.
19. Understanding
of
Agreement. By
signing this Agreement, Xxxxxxx
acknowledges
that he has fully and carefully read this Agreement, that he fully understands
and
agrees to
its contents and effects, and that he is entering into this Agreement of his own
free will
and
accord. Xxxxxxx further agrees and acknowledges that:
• He
has read and considered the terms of this Agreement, including the
Release
and
Assignment of All Claims set forth in Paragraph 4;
• He
understands and agrees to such terms of his own free will and
accord;
• He
has had an opportunity to consult with an attorney prior to executing
this
Agreement,
and he is hereby advised in writing to consult with counsel of his
choice
prior to executing and delivering this Agreement;
• The
Release and Assignment of all Claims set forth in Paragraph 4
specifically
refers to
rights and/or claims that may arise under the Age Discrimination in
Employment
Act, 29
U.S.C. §§ 621 et
seq., and any similar state or local
protective
statute;
6
• Through
this Agreement, he is releasing BES, along with the other parties
named
above as
the "Released Parties," from any and all claims that he has or may
have
against
them;
• He
has been given at least twenty-one (21) days to consider this Agreement
(but
remains
free to execute this Agreement before the expiration of the
twenty-one
(21)
days);
• For
a seven (7) day period following his execution of this Agreement, he
may
revoke
it, and it will not become effective or enforceable until the expiration of the
seven (7) day period; and
• His
revocation, if any, must be in writing and sent to Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx
L.L.P., 000 Xxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000,
on
or before
the expiration of the seventh day after this Agreement is executed
by
Xxxxxxx
via facsimile at (000) 000-0000 or hand delivery at the address above or
e-
mail to
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx at xxxxxxx@xx.xxx. If Xxxxxxx revokes this Agreement, he shall
not be entitled to receive any payments under it.
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