Consulting Agreement
Exhibit
10.2
Parties:
This
Consulting Agreement is entered into, effective as of the 21st day of March
2008, by and between Nutrition 21, Inc., having an office at 0 Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Xxxx, Xxxxxxxx, XX 00000 (the “Company”), and Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx
(“Consultant”).
Description:
Consultant
will have the title of Co-CEO and will provide consulting services related
to
the Company’s business. Consultant will report to the Board of Directors.
Consultant agrees to be present at Company’s offices three days per week, one
day of which will be a day that the other Co-CEO is at the Company’s offices,
subject to the needs of the business. The Co-CEOs shall arrange their schedules
so that there is no business day on which neither Co-CEO is present at the
Company’s offices
Personal
Performance
The
consulting services described herein will be performed exclusively by Consultant
personally and cannot be assigned to others. Consultant represents that he
has
not been debarred by the US. Food and Drug Administration. Further, Consultant
agrees to make every reasonable effort to accommodate the Company’s scheduling
needs.
Consulting
Period
The
consulting services will be provided for a period of six months commencing
March
21, 2008 unless the services are earlier terminated by either party as set
forth
below.
Fee
Structure and Billing:
The
Company will compensate Consultant at a rate of $15,000 per month. Consultant
will submit invoices for services monthly.
By
separate grant letter, the Company will grant consultant a 5-year stock option
to purchase 250,000 shares of the Company Common Stock at an exercise price
of
$0.41 per share. The Stock Option will vest at the expiration of the six-month
consulting period if then a consultant to the Company or if the Consultant
is
terminated by the Company without cause before that date.
During
the consulting period, the Company will reimburse Consultant for normal business
expenses incurred on behalf of the Company, and will provide reimbursement
for
economy travel. All covered expenses will be billed by Consultant as out of
pocket expenses. Consultant will submit expense vouchers and attach receipts
for
all reimbursable expenses on a bi-weekly basis. No other compensation or
benefits related to the consulting services will be provided by the
Company.
Other
Clients
The
Company acknowledges that other parties may use Consultant’s consulting
services, and it is understood and agreed that Consultant is not to disclose
to
the Company any confidential information of other parties.
Confidentiality
(a)
During the period of Consultant providing consulting services to the Company,
Consultant will acquire from the Company technical and commercial information
which the Company considers to be proprietary and confidential (“Information”).
Consultant agrees to keep confidential and not to use or divulge, except with
the consent of the Company, any such Information as well as all information
developed by Consultant as a result of services provided for the Company under
this Agreement (“Developed Information”). Upon termination of this Agreement or
at any other time the Company requests, Consultant will transmit to the Company
any written, printed, or other materials embodying such Information or Developed
Information, including all copies and excerpts thereof. These obligations on
Consultant’s part with respect to the Company’s Information and Developed
Information shall continue at all times during and beyond the Consulting Period.
(b)
Notwithstanding the above, this Agreement shall not restrict Consultant’s use or
disclosure of any Information which:
i. |
is
or later becomes publicly known through no fault of
Consultant;
|
ii. |
was
already known to Consultant at the time of its receipt from the Company,
as evidenced by Consultant's written records;
or
|
iii. |
is
lawfully and in good faith made available to Consultant by a third
party
without restriction and disclosure or
use.
|
(c)
Specific information disclosed to Consultant by the Company or developed by
Consultant in Consultant's consulting capacity to the Company shall not be
deemed to be available to the public or in Consultant's prior possession merely
because it is embraced by more general information available to the public
or in
Consultant's prior possession.
Inventions
and Work Product
Any
and
all inventions, discoveries, designs, or other work product (including Developed
Information), whether or not patentable or registrable as copyrighted material
or trademarks, which Consultant develops, conceives and/or makes within the
Consulting Period, and for a period of one year following termination of the
Consulting Period, related to Consultant's work for the Company hereunder or
based on Information received from the Company (“Intellectual Property”), shall
be promptly and fully disclosed to the Company and shall be the sole and
exclusive property of the Company. Consultant will, at the request of the
Company, promptly execute any and all applications, assignments or other
instruments which the Company shall deem necessary or useful in order to convey
to the Company the sole and exclusive right, title and interest in and to said
Intellectual Property and in order to procure, maintain and enforce patent
protection, copyright protection or other forms of protection world-wide for
said Intellectual Property. The Company shall bear the costs of preparing and
filing all said instruments.
Relationship
of the Parties
While
providing services for the Company in a consulting capacity, Consultant will
be
acting as an independent contractor and not as an employee of the Company and
Consultant will not be entitled to any of the benefits, direct or indirect,
of
an employee of the Company.
Termination
Either
party may terminate this Agreement on 30 days’ prior written notice. Upon
termination by the Company, the balance of the consulting fees for the six
month
consulting period shall be due and payable. Upon termination by Consultant,
the
Company shall only be obligated to pay for consulting rendered up to the date
of
termination.
Indemnification
The
Company shall indemnify Consultant to the fullest extent permitted by law for
consulting services provided to the Company, including, but not limited to,
fines judgments, expenses, and attorney’s fees.
Survival
All
obligations which by their nature would continue beyond the termination of
this
Agreement, shall survive termination of this Agreement, including, but not
limited to, confidentiality and assignment of inventions.
Notices
All
notices or other communications required or permitted to be given hereunder
shall be in writing. All such notices and other communications pursuant to
the
terms of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been duly given or delivered
when delivered personally, or sent by telegram, facsimile with confirmation
of
receipt, courier service or by Certified Mail-return receipt requested, to
the
address first set forth above.
Law
Governing
The
validity, interpretation and performance of this Agreement shall be governed
and
construed in accordance with the laws of the state of New York.
Arbitration
All
claims or controversies arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall
be
settled by arbitration. Either party may demand arbitration. Within 30 days
after a demand for arbitration, each party shall select one arbitrator and
the
arbitrators shall select a third arbitrator. The arbitration shall be in
accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association and be held
in
New York, New York. The arbitration award may be entered in any court of
competent jurisdiction and enforced as any other judgment, decree or order
of
such court.
Complete
Agreement
This
Agreement contains all the understandings and representations between us
relating to the matters referred to herein, supersedes any arrangements
previously entered into with respect thereto, and can be amended only in a
writing duly executed on behalf of each party.
Nutrition 21, Inc. |
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxx
|
||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxx | /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx | |
Name: | Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxx | ||
Title: | Vice President |