EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
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Exhibit 10.1
THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into this 20th day of December, 2016, by and between AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx (the “Officer”).
THE PARTIES ENTER THIS AGREEMENT on the basis of the following facts, understandings and intentions:
A.The Company desires to obtain the services of the Officer on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
B.This Agreement shall govern the employment relationship between the Officer and the Company and supersedes and negates all previous agreements with respect to such relationship.
C.The Officer desires to be employed by the Company on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
D. This Agreement is contingent upon the consummation of a sale of all or substantially all of the voting stock or assets of Carmike Cinemas, Inc. to, or a merger with, AMC Entertainment, Inc. or any of its affiliates (the “Transaction Closing”). This Agreement will be null and void, without obligation to either party, should the Transaction Closing not occur.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the above recitals incorporated herein and the mutual covenants and promises contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby expressly acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:
1. | Retention and Duties. |
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limitation, the Company’s business conduct and ethics policies, as they may change from time to time). |
3. | Compensation. |
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Officer’s Base Salary shall be at an annualized rate of Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($400,000). The Board (or a committee thereof) will review the Officer’s rate of Base Salary on an annual basis and may, in its sole discretion, increase (but not decrease) the rate then in effect. |
4. | Benefits. |
4.3 | Vacation and Other Leave. During the Period of Employment, the Officer’s annual rate of vacation accrual shall be fifteen (15) days per year; provided that such vacation shall |
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accrue and be subject to the Company’s vacation policies in effect from time to time. The Officer shall also be entitled to all other holiday and leave pay generally available to other Officers of the Company. |
4.4 | Relocation Expenses. The Company shall reimburse the Officer for costs incurred in connection with his relocation to the Kansas City, Kansas area in accordance with Company’s standard relocation policy. Reimbursment of the expenses is subject to receipt by the Company of applicable documentation and compliance with Company’s standard relocation policy. The Company shall also provide for or reimburse the Officer for temporary housing for the period from the Effective Date and ending on the earlier of (i) the date Officer permanently relocates to the Kansas City, Kansas area, or (ii) June 30, 2017. |
5. | Termination. |
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5.4 | Release; Exclusive Remedy. |
5.5 | Certain Defined Terms. |
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provided, however, that any such condition or conditions, as applicable, shall not constitute grounds for a termination with Good Reason unless (x) the Officer provides written notice to the Company of the condition claimed to constitute grounds for a termination with Good Reason within thirty (30) days after the initial existence of such condition(s) (such notice to be delivered in accordance with Section 16), and (y) the Company fails to remedy such condition(s) within thirty (30) days of receiving such written notice thereof; and (z) the termination of the Officer’s employment with the Company shall not constitute a termination with Good Reason unless such termination occurs not more than one hundred and twenty (120) days following the initial existence of the condition claimed to constitute grounds for a termination with Good Reason.
5.7 | Limitation on Benefits. |
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5.8 | Section 409A. |
6. | Protective Covenants. |
6.1 | Confidential Information; Inventions. |
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6.2 | Restriction on Competition. The Officer agrees that if the Officer were to become employed by, or substantially involved in, the business of a competitor of the Company or |
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any of its Affiliates during the twelve (12) months following the Severance Date, it would be very difficult for the Officer not to rely on or use the Company’s and its Affiliates’ trade secrets and confidential information. Thus, to avoid the inevitable disclosure of the Company’s and its Affiliates’ trade secrets and confidential information, and to protect such trade secrets and confidential information and the Company’s and its Affiliates’ relationships and goodwill with customers, during the Period of Employment and for a period of twelve (12) months after the Severance Date, the Officer will not directly or indirectly through any other Person engage in, enter the employ of, render any services to, have any ownership interest in, nor participate in the financing, operation, management or control of, any Competing Business. For purposes of this Agreement, the phrase “directly or indirectly through any other Person engage in” shall include, without limitation, any direct or indirect ownership or profit participation interest in such enterprise, whether as an owner, stockholder, member, partner, joint venturer or otherwise, and shall include any direct or indirect participation in such enterprise as an employee, consultant, director, officer, licensor of technology or otherwise. For purposes of this Agreement, “Competing Business” means a Person anywhere in the continental United States or elsewhere in the world where the Company or any of its Affiliates engage in business, or reasonably anticipate engaging in business, on the Severance Date (the “Restricted Area”) that at any time during the Period of Employment has competed, or at any time during the twelve (12) month period following the Severance Date competes, with the Company or any of its Affiliates in any of its or their businesses, including, without limitation, theatrical exhibition, digital cinema, internet ticketing and virtual box office for theatrical exhibitions, IMAX or other three dimensional screened entertainment, pre-show content, cinema or lobby advertising products, meeting and event services or special in-theater events. Nothing herein shall prohibit the Officer from (i) being a passive owner of not more than 2% of the outstanding stock of any class of a corporation that is publicly traded, so long as the Officer has no active participation in the business of such corporation, (ii) providing services to a Person otherwise engaged in a Competing Business, provided the Officer provides no services to any business operated, managed or controlled by such Person that causes such Person to constitute a Competing Business, or (iii) providing services to a Person the business or businesses of which are unrelated to theatrical exhibition. |
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Affiliate of the Company, on the one hand, and any of its or their customers, suppliers, vendors, lessors, licensors, joint venturers, associates, officers, employees, consultants, managers, partners, members or investors, on the other hand. |
Without limiting the generality of the Officer’s agreement in the preceding paragraph, the Officer (i) represents that he is familiar with and has carefully considered the Restrictive Covenants, (ii) represents that he is fully aware of his obligations hereunder, (iii) agrees to the reasonableness of the length of time, scope and geographic coverage, as applicable, of the Restrictive Covenants, (iv) agrees that the Company and its Affiliates currently conducts business throughout the Restricted Area, and (v) agrees that the Restrictive Covenants will continue in effect for the applicable periods set forth above in this Section 6 regardless of whether the Officer is then entitled to receive severance pay or benefits from the Company. The Officer understands that the Restrictive Covenants may limit his ability to earn a livelihood in a business similar to the business of the Company and any of its Affiliates, but he nevertheless believes that he has received and will receive sufficient consideration and other benefits as an employee of the Company and as otherwise provided hereunder or as described in the recitals hereto to clearly justify such restrictions which, in any event (given his education, skills and ability), the Officer does not believe would prevent him from otherwise earning a living. The Officer agrees that the Restrictive Covenants do not confer a benefit upon the Company disproportionate to the detriment of the Officer.
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6.8 | The Officer agrees to execute any additional documentation as may reasonably be requested by the Company in furtherance of the enforcement of any Restrictive Covenant. |
8. | Successors and Assigns. |
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11. | Governing Law; Arbitration; Waiver of Jury Trial. |
11.1 | THIS AGREEMENT WILL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO ANY CHOICE OF LAW OR CONFLICTING PROVISION OR RULE (WHETHER OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION) THAT WOULD CAUSE THE LAWS OF ANY JURISDICTION OTHER THAN THE STATE OF DELAWARE TO BE APPLIED. IN FURTHERANCE OF THE FOREGOING, THE INTERNAL LAW OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE WILL CONTROL THE INTERPRETATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF THIS AGREEMENT, EVEN IF UNDER SUCH JURISDICTION’S CHOICE OF LAW OR CONFLICT OF LAW ANALYSIS, THE SUBSTANTIVE LAW OF SOME OTHER JURISDICTION WOULD ORDINARILY APPLY. |
11.3 | EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT. |
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AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.
if to the Officer, to the address most recently on file in the payroll records of the Company.
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THIS AGREEMENT CONTAINS A BINDING ARBITRATION PROVISION WHICH MAY BE ENFORCED BY THE PARTIES.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company and the Officer have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first set forth above.
AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.
FORM OF RELEASE1
“A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO A CLAIM WHICH THE CREDITOR DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN HIS OR HER FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE, WHICH IF KNOWN BY HIM OR HER MUST HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS OR HER SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR.”
The Officer acknowledges that he/she later may discover claims, demands, causes of action or facts in addition to or different from those which the Officer now knows or believes to exist with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement and which, if known or suspected at the time of executing this Agreement, may have materially affected its terms. Nevertheless, the Officer hereby waives, as to the Claims, any claims, demands, and causes of action that might arise as a result of such different or additional claims, demands, causes of action or facts.
1Subject to revision to the extent advisable based on changes in law or legal interpretation.
(a) | In return for this Agreement, he/she will receive consideration beyond that to which he/she would have been entitled had he/she not entered into this Agreement; |
(b) | He/She is hereby advised in writing by this Agreement to consult with an attorney before signing this Agreement; |
(c) | He/She was given a copy of this Agreement on [__________, 20__] and informed that he/she had twenty-one (21) days within which to consider the Agreement; and |
(d) | He/She was informed that he/she has seven (7) days following the date of execution of the Agreement in which to revoke the Agreement. |
The undersigned has read and understands the consequences of this Agreement and voluntarily signs it. The undersigned declares under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of [Delaware] that the foregoing is true and correct.
EXECUTED this ________ day of ________ 20__, at ______________________ County, [State].
AMC ENTERTAINMENT HOLDINGS, INC.,
on behalf of itself and its divisions, subsidiaries, parents, and affiliated companies, past and present, and each of them
2 | If requested by the Company, the Officer shall provide a separate release from the Officer’s spouse at the time of execution. |