CONSULTING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.1
THIS CONSULTING AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”), made this 1st day of August, 2010
(“Effective Date”), is entered into by Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation with its
principal place of business at 000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000 (the “Company”), and Bexon
Clinical Consulting, LLC a limited liability company located at 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxx
Xxxxxx 00000 (the “Consultant”). Company and Consultant may be referred to herein individually as
a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties.”
INTRODUCTION
The Company desires to retain the services of the Consultant and the Consultant desires to
perform certain Services, as defined below, for the Company. In consideration of the mutual
covenants and promises contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged by the Parties, the Parties agree as follows:
1. Services. The Consultant agrees to perform such consulting, advisory and related
services to and for the Company as may be reasonably requested from time to time by the Company
(“Service”). Such Services shall be performed at such location, on such days, and at such times as
may be reasonably agreed by the Company and the Consultant.
2. Term. This Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and shall continue until
April 30, 2011 (such period being referred to as the “Consultation Period”), unless sooner
terminated in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.
3. Compensation.
3.1 Consulting Fees. The Consultant shall be entitled to:
(a) For the period of August 1, 2010 through October 31, 2010: Fifteen thousand Dollars
($15,000) per month of Service actually performed by the Consultant hereunder (hereinafter referred
to as the “Initial Consulting Fee”); and
(b) For the period of November 1, 2010 through April 30, 2011: Three hundred seventy five
Dollars ($375) per hour, not to exceed three thousand Dollars ($3,000) per day and fifteen thousand
Dollars ($15,000) per month, of Service actually performed by the Consultant hereunder.
(c) For services performed and billable under this Section 3.1, the Consultant shall submit to
the Company monthly statements, in a form substantially the same as that shown in Exhibit A,
detailing Services performed for the Company in the previous month. The Company shall pay to the
Consultant consulting fees with respect to all Services actually performed and invoiced within 30
days after Company’s receipt of each monthly invoice.
3.2 Reimbursement of Expenses. The Company shall reimburse the Consultant for all
reasonable and necessary expenses incurred or paid by the Consultant in connection with, or related
to, the performance of her Services under this Agreement and in
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accordance with Idera Policy No. 217, which has been previously provided to Consultant and
which Consultant acknowledges as having been received. The Consultant shall submit to the Company
itemized monthly statements, in a form satisfactory to the Company, of such expenses incurred in
the previous month. The Company shall pay to the Consultant amounts shown on each such statement
within 30 days after Company’s receipt thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Consultant
shall not incur total expenses in excess of $1,000 per month without the prior written approval of
the Company.
3.3 Benefits. The Consultant shall not be entitled to any benefits, coverages or
privileges made available to employees of the Company, including, without limitation, social
security, unemployment, medical or pension payments.
4. Termination. Each of the Company and the Consultant may terminate the Consultation
Period upon 30 days’ prior written notice to the other Party. In the event of such termination,
the Consultant shall be entitled to payment for Services performed and expenses paid or incurred
prior to the effective date of termination, subject to the limitation on reimbursement of expenses
set forth in Section 3.2. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may terminate the
Consultation Period, effective immediately upon receipt of written notice, if the Consultant
breaches or threatens to breach any provision of Section 6 of this Agreement.
5. Cooperation. The Consultant shall use her best efforts in the performance of her
obligations under this Agreement. The Company shall provide such access to its information and
property as may be reasonably required in order to permit the Consultant to perform her obligations
hereunder. The Consultant shall cooperate with the Company’s personnel, shall not interfere with
the conduct of the Company’s business, and shall observe all rules, regulations, and security
requirements of the Company concerning the safety of persons and property.
6. Inventions, Non-Disclosure, Non-Competition, and Remedies.
6.1 Inventions.
(a) All inventions, discoveries, computer programs, data, technology, designs, innovations and
improvements (whether or not patentable and whether or not copyrightable) which are made,
conceived, reduced to practice, created, written, designed or developed by the Consultant, solely
or jointly with others and whether during normal business hours or otherwise, (i) during the
Consultation Period if directly related to the business of the Company or (ii) after the
Consultation Period if resulting or directly derived from Proprietary Information (as defined
below) (collectively referred to as “Inventions”), shall be the sole property of the Company. The
Consultant hereby assigns to the Company all Inventions and any and all related patents,
copyrights, trademarks, trade names, and other industrial and intellectual property rights and
applications therefor, in the United States and elsewhere and appoints any officer of the Company
as her duly authorized agent to execute, file, prosecute, and protect the same before any
government agency, court or authority. Upon the request of the Company and at the Company’s
expense, the Consultant shall execute such further assignments, documents, and other instruments as
may be necessary or desirable to fully and completely assign all Inventions to the Company and to
assist the Company in applying for, obtaining, and enforcing
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patents or copyrights or other rights in the United States and in any foreign country with
respect to any Invention. The Consultant also hereby waives all claims to moral rights in any
Inventions.
(b) The Consultant shall promptly disclose to the Company all Inventions and will maintain
adequate and current written records (in the form of notes, sketches, drawings, and as may be
specified by the Company) to document the conception and/or first actual reduction to practice of
any Invention. Such written records shall be available to and remain the sole property of the
Company at all times.
6.2 Non-Disclosure.
(a) The Consultant acknowledges that her relationship with the Company is one of high trust
and confidence and that in the course of her service to the Company she will have access to and
contact with materials and information, whether or not in writing, of a private, secret or
confidential nature concerning Idera’s technology, business or financial affairs (collectively,
“Confidential information). The Consultant agrees that Confidential Information shall be the
exclusive property of the Company. The Consultant further agrees that she will not disclose any
Confidential Information to others outside Idera or use the same for any purposes (other than in
the performance of the Services) without the prior written approval of the Company, unless and
until such Confidential Information has become public knowledge without fault of the Consultant.
(b) The Consultant agrees that all tangible materials, either in paper form or electronic
form, containing Confidential Information or copies thereof and all tangible property of the
Company in her custody or possession shall be delivered to Idera upon the earlier of (i) a request
by the Company, (ii) termination of the Agreement, or (iii) expiration of this Agreement. After
such delivery, Consultant shall not retain any such materials or copies thereof or any such
tangible property.
(c) The Consultant agrees that her obligation not to disclose or to use information and
materials of the types set forth in paragraph 6.2(a), and her obligation to return materials and
tangible property set forth in paragraph 6.2(b) above, also extends to such types of information,
materials and tangible property of customers of the Company or suppliers to the Company or other
third parties who may have disclosed or entrusted the same to the Company or to her in the course
of the Company’s business.
6.3 Non-Competition.
(a) The Consultant represents that her retention as a consultant with the Company and her
performance under this Agreement does not, and shall not, breach any agreement that obligates her
to keep in confidence any trade secrets or confidential or proprietary information of her or of any
other party or to refrain from competing, directly or indirectly, with the business of any other
party. The Consultant shall not disclose to the Company any trade secrets or confidential or
proprietary information of any other party.
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(b) During the period of my engagement as a consultant to the Company and for a period of one
(1) year following the date of termination or expiration thereof, I will not directly or
indirectly:
i. As an individual proprietor, partner, stockholder, officer, employee,
director, joint venturer, investor, lender or in any other capacity
whatsoever (other than as the holder of not more than one percent (1%) of
the total outstanding stock of a publicly held company), engage in
developing, producing, performing, marketing or selling
oligonucleotide-based products, processes or services for or on behalf of
any entity whose principal business is creating or developing
oligonucleotide-based products or therapeutics that compete or could
compete with those of the Company; or
ii. Recruit, solicit or induce, or attempt to induce, any employee, agent,
consultant or contractor of the Company to terminate his, her or its
employment with, or otherwise cease his, her or its relationship with, the
Company; or
iii. Solicit, divert or take away, or attempt to divert or to take away,
the business or patronage of any of the clients, customers or accounts, or
prospective clients, customers or accounts, of the Company that are
contacted, solicited or served by me while employed by or engaged as a
consultant to the Company.
6.4 United States Government Obligations. The Consultant acknowledges that the
Company from time to time may have agreements with other persons or with the United States
Government, or agencies thereof, that impose obligations or restrictions on the Company regarding
inventions made during the course of work under such agreements or regarding the confidential
nature of such work. The Consultant agrees to be bound by all such obligations and restrictions
that are known to her and to take all action necessary to discharge the obligations of the Company
under such agreements.
6.5 Remedies. The Consultant acknowledges that any breach of the provisions of this
Section 6 may cause immediate, substantial, and irreparable harm to Company, for which monetary
damages may not be a sufficient remedy. In the event of a breach of this Agreement, in addition to
any other remedy it may have, the Company shall be entitled to seek specific performance of this
Agreement by the Consultant and to seek injunctive relief in any court of competent
jurisdiction.
7. Independent Contractor Status. The Consultant shall perform all Services
under this Agreement as an “independent contractor” and not as an employee or agent of the Company.
The Consultant is not authorized to assume or create any obligation or responsibility, express or
implied, on behalf of, or in the name of, the Company or to bind the Company in any manner.
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8. Notices. All notices required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in
writing and shall be deemed effective upon personal delivery or upon deposit in the United States
Post Office, by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the other Party at the
address shown above, or at such other address or addresses as either Party shall designate to the
other in accordance with this Section 8.
9. Pronouns. Whenever the context may require, any pronouns used in this Agreement
shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular forms of
nouns and pronouns shall include the plural, and vice versa.
10. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the
Parties and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, whether written or oral, relating
to the subject matter of this Agreement.
11. Amendment. This Agreement may be amended or modified only by a written instrument
executed by both the Company and the Consultant.
12. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed, interpreted and enforced in
accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
13. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure to the
benefit of, both Parties and their respective successors and assigns, including any corporation
with which, or into which, the Company may be merged or which may succeed to its assets or
business, provided, however, that the obligations of the Consultant are personal and shall not be
assigned by her.
14. Miscellaneous.
14.1 No delay or omission by the Company or Consultant in exercising any right under this
Agreement shall operate as a waiver of that or any other right. A waiver or consent given by the
Company or Consultant on any one occasion shall be effective only in that instance and shall not be
construed as a bar or waiver of any right on any other occasion.
14.2 The captions of the sections of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and
in no way define, limit or affect the scope or substance of any section of this Agreement.
14.3 In the event that any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid, illegal or otherwise
unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall in no
way be affected or impaired thereby.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement as of the Effective Date.
BEXON CLINICAL CONSULTING, LLC | ||||||
By:
|
By: | |||||
/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxx III
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/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxx
|
|||||
Xxxxx Xxxxxx, III
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Xxxxx Xxxxx, MBChB | |||||
Chief Financial Officer
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Sole Owner and Director | |||||
Date: August 3, 2010
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Date: August 2, 2010 |
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Exhibit A
Sample Invoice/Report
Bexon Clinical Consulting, LLC
Sample Invoice/Report
Bexon Clinical Consulting, LLC
Date: |
Attn: Accounts Payable |
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx |
Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000 |
Fax: 000-000-0000 |
Dear
, |
In accordance with my Consulting Services Agreement with Idera, dated 1 August 2010, the following
summarizes services performed for the invoice period of to :
Date(s): | Description of Activity: | Time: | ||
hr(s). | ||||
hr(s). |
In accordance with the Consulting Services Agreement, please remit the payment of within
30 days.
Regards,
Xxxxx Xxxxx, MBChB
Idera Approval
Idera Manager:
|
Date: | |
Total Amount Approved: $ |
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