EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.20
THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
(this “Agreement”) is made
and entered into this 2nd day of February 2009, by and between NTN
Buzztime, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx, an individual (the “Executive”).
RECITALS
THE PARTIES ENTER THIS
AGREEMENT on the basis of the following facts, understandings and
intentions:
A. The Company desires that
the Executive be employed by the Company to carry out the duties and
responsibilities described below, all on the terms and conditions hereinafter
set forth, effective as of February 2, 2009 (the “Effective
Date”).
B. The Executive desires to
accept such employment on such terms and conditions.
C. This Agreement shall govern the
employment relationship between the Executive and the Company from and after the
Effective Date and supersedes and negates all previous agreements with respect
to such relationship.
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.
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Retention and
Duties.
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1.1
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Retention;
Authorization to Work in the United States. Subject to
the terms and conditions expressly set forth in this Agreement, the
Company does hereby hire, engage and employ the Executive and the
Executive does hereby accept and agree to such hiring, engagement and
employment. Executive’s employment with the Company is
“at-will” and either the Company or Executive may terminate his employment
with the Company at any time for any or no reason, subject to the terms
and conditions set forth in this Agreement. The period of time
during which Executive remains employed by the Company is referred to as
the “Period of Employment.” Notwithstanding anything else set
forth in this Agreement, the Company's hiring of Executive is conditioned
upon, prior to the Effective Date, Executive passing a background check,
negative alcohol/drug screen result and compliance with federal I-9
requirements.
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1.2
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Duties. During
the Period of Employment, the Executive shall serve the Company as its
Chief Executive Officer (the “CEO”) and shall have the powers, duties and
obligations of management typically vested in the office of the CEO, of a
corporation, subject to the directives of the Company’s Board of Directors
(the “Board”) and
the corporate policies of the Company as they are in effect and as amended
from time to time throughout the Period of Employment (including, without
limitation, the Company’s business conduct and ethics
policies). Specifically, the CEO will work closely with the
Board and senior management to launch and execute the overall strategic
and operational direction for the Company. The Executive will
establish Company policies and objectives in accordance with board
directives to achieve sustainable and cumulative growth over time.
Moreover, the CEO will establish responsibilities and procedures for
attaining objectives and reviews of operations and financial statements to
evaluate achievement of those objectives. During the Period of Employment,
the Executive shall report to the Board. Upon the termination of the
Executive’s employment for any reason other than Cause as defined in
Section 4.4, the Executive may retain
his board seat at the Board’s
discretion.
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1
1.3
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No
Other Employment. During the Period of Employment, the
Executive shall both (i) devote substantially all of the Executive’s
business time, energy and skill to the performance of the Executive’s
duties for the Company, and (ii) hold no other employment. The
Executive's service on the boards of directors (or similar body) of other
business entities, or the provision of other services thereto, is subject
to the prior written approval of the Board, which may not be unreasonably
withheld. The Company shall have the right to require the
Executive to resign from any board or similar body on which he may then
serve if the Board reasonably determines that the Executive’s service on
such board or body interferes with the effective discharge of the
Executive’s duties and responsibilities to the Company or that any
business related to such service is then in competition with any business
of the Company or any of its affiliates, successors or
assigns. Nothing in this Section 1.3 shall be construed as
preventing Executive from engaging in the investment of his personal
assets.
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1.4
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No
Breach of Contract. The Executive hereby represents to
the Company that: (i) the execution and delivery of this Agreement by
the Executive and the Company and the performance by the Executive of the
Executive’s duties hereunder shall not constitute a breach of, or
otherwise contravene, the terms of any other agreement or policy to which
the Executive is a party or otherwise bound; (ii) the Executive has
no information (including, without limitation, confidential information
and trade secrets) relating to any other person or entity which would
prevent, or be violated by, the Executive entering into this Agreement or
carrying out his duties hereunder; and (iii) except as set forth on
Exhibit A
hereto, the Executive is not bound by any confidentiality, trade secret or
similar agreement (other than this Agreement and the Confidentiality and
Work for Hire Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit B
(the “Confidentiality and
Work for Hire Agreement”) with any other person or
entity.
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1.5
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Location. The
Executive acknowledges that the Company’s principal executive offices are
currently located in Carlsbad, California with east coast offices in New
York City, New York. The Executive agrees that he will work
from the Company’s principal executive offices at least once per month and
at least 2-3 times per month from the east coast office. The
Executive acknowledges that he may be required to travel from time to time
in the course of performing his duties for the
Company.
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2
2.
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Compensation.
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2.1
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Base
Salary. The Executive’s base salary (the “Base Salary”)
shall be paid in accordance with the Company’s regular payroll practices
in effect from time to time, but not less frequently than in monthly
installments. The Executive’s initial Base Salary shall be at
an annualized rate of Three Hundred Seventy Five Thousand Dollars
($375,000). The Company will review the Executive’s Base Salary
at least annually and may increase the Executive’s Base Salary from the
rate then in effect based on such review. Subject to the Executive’s
continued employment, review and approval of the Board, which approval may
be withheld in its sole discretion, the Company anticipates that the
annual adjustment in Base Salary will be between 3% - 5% percent
annually.
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2.2
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Incentive
Bonus. During the Period of Employment, the Executive
shall be eligible to receive an annual incentive bonus (“Incentive
Bonus”) in an amount to be determined by the Board in its sole
discretion, based on the achievement of performance objectives established
by the Board for that particular period. The Executive’s target
potential Incentive Bonus amount for the 2009 calendar year shall be set
at 50% of the Executive’s Base Salary. For calendar year 2009
the Executive’s Incentive Bonus shall be pro rated based on hire date and
any approved leave of absence and shall be based on and subject to the
requirements set forth in the 2009 NTN Buzztime Corporate
Incentive.
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For
purposes of clarity, the Executive’s target potential Incentive Bonus for 2009
shall be One Hundred Eighty Seven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($187,500),
which is equal to fifty percent (50%) of his initial Base Salary.
The
Executive will participate in establishing the Incentive Bonus targets for 2010
and present to the Board (1) such recommendations with respect to such
targeted levels that Executive determines in good faith are advisable, or
(2) such other modifications to the bonus program for 2010 (including,
without limitation, any other performance factors on which the Incentive Bonus
determination may be based) as the Executive determines in good faith are
advisable. The Board will consider in its sole discretion adjusting
such targeted levels and making such adjustment to the Incentive Bonus program
in good faith based on the Executive’s recommendations, but shall have no
obligation to make any such adjustment.
The
Incentive Bonus, if any, will be paid to the Executive within thirty (30) days
after receipt of the independent auditor’s report on the Company’s annual
financial statements for the year in question; provided that the Incentive Bonus
will not be deemed earned and will not be paid to the Executive unless the
Executive is employed by the Company on such payment date. Payment of
the Incentive Bonus, if any, will be subject to withholdings in accordance with
the Company’s standard payroll procedures.
2.3
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Stock
Option Grants. Subject to this Section 2.3, the
Company will grant to the Executive an initial option (the “Initial
Option”) to purchase 1,750,000 shares of the Company’s common
stock, $0.005 par value per share (“Common
Stock”). The exercise price per share for the Initial
Option will be equal to the fair market value of a share of the Common
Stock on the date the Initial Option is
granted.
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3
In
addition, subject to Executive's continuing employment on such dates and
approval, in each case, by the compensation committee of the Company's board of
directors, (i) the Company will grant to the Executive on or about the first
anniversary date of the Effective Date an option (the “Anniversary Option”)
to purchase 500,000 shares of Common Stock. The Initial Option and
the Anniversary Option are collectively referred to as the “Options”. The
exercise price per share for the Anniversary Option will be equal to the fair
market value of a share of the Common Stock on the date such Option is
granted.
Each of
the Options will be intended to qualify as an “incentive stock option” within
the meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the “Code”),
to the maximum extent possible within the limitations of the
Code. Each of the Options will vest in forty-eight (48) substantially
equal monthly installments over the four-year period following the date of
grant. The vesting of each installment of each of the Options will
occur only if such vesting date occurs during the Executive’s continued
employment by the Company through the respective vesting date. The
maximum term of each of the Options will be ten (10) years from the date of
grant thereof, subject to earlier termination upon the termination of the
Executive’s employment with the Company, a change in control of the Company and
similar events. The Initial Option shall be granted under the NTN
Buzztime, Inc. 2004 Performance Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), a copy of
which has been provided to the Executive, and shall be subject to such further
terms and conditions as set forth in a written stock option agreement to be
entered into by the Company and the Executive to evidence the Options (the
“Option
Agreement”). The Option Agreement shall be in substantially
the form attached hereto as Exhibit C. The
Anniversary Option, if any, will be granted under the Company's equity incentive
plan(s) as then in effect and shall be subject to the terms and conditions of
such plan(s) and to such further terms and conditions as set forth in a written
stock option agreement to be entered into by the Company and the Executive to
evidence such Option.
Upon the
occurrence of a Change in Control, 50% of the then unvested portion of the
Options shall accelerate and the remaining portion of unvested Options may be
accelerated by the Board, in its discretion. For purposes hereof, a “Change in Control”
means any of the following transactions if approved by the Board of
Directors: (i) the consummation of a merger or consolidation of the
Company or any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company with any other
corporation or entity regardless of which entity is the survivor, other than a
merger or consolidation which would result in the voting securities of the
Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by
remaining outstanding or being converted into voting securities of the surviving
entity) more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the voting
securities of the Company, such surviving entity or any parent thereof
outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation; or (ii) consummation
of the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the
Company’s assets.
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3.
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Benefits.
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3.1
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Retirement,
Welfare and Fringe Benefits. During the Period of
Employment, the Executive shall be entitled to participate in all employee
pension and welfare benefit plans and programs, and fringe benefit plans
and programs, made available by the Company to the Company’s employees
generally, in accordance with the eligibility and participation provisions
of such plans and as such plans or programs may be in effect from time to
time. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, during
the Period of Employment, the Company shall provide to the Executive the
following benefits:
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(a)
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At
no expense to the Executive, coverage of the Executive, his spouse (if
any) and any of his children who qualify as “dependents” within the
meaning of Section 152 of the Code under a major medical insurance
program with an annual cumulative deductible amount of no more than
$1,000;
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(b)
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Coverage
of the Executive by term life insurance, payable to his designated
beneficiary, in the amount of $1,000,000 and, in the event of accidental
death or dismemberment, in the amount of $2,000,000, with the premium for
such coverage not to exceed $4,000 per
year.
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3.2
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Reimbursement
of Business Expenses. The Company will reimburse
Executive for all reasonable business expenses the Executive incurs during
the Period of Employment in the course and scope of the Executive’s
duties, subject to the Company’s expense reimbursement policies in effect
from time to time. Executive will be required to provide
substantiation of all of such expenses on Company approved expense report
forms in accordance with Company policies. These payments may
be made as direct payments of the Executive’s invoices or bills or by
reimbursement to the Executive of costs that are incurred. The
Executive will be responsible for all income and employment taxes due on
such payments; the Company will not provide a gross-up payment to cover
such tax liabilities.
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3.3
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Paid
Time Off. During the Period of Employment, the Executive
shall accrue paid time off (“PTO”) and shall be permitted time off in
accordance with the Company’s PTO policies in effect from time to
time. Executive shall accrue no less than three weeks of PTO
per year. The Executive shall also be entitled to all other
holiday and leave pay generally available to other executives of the
Company.
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4.
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Termination.
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4.1
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Termination
of Employment. The Executive’s employment by the Company
may be terminated either by the Company or by Executive at any time for
any or no reason and with or without Cause (in any case, the date that the
Executive’s employment by the Company terminates and which constitutes a
"separation from service" within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code
is referred to as the “Separation
Date”).
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4.2
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Benefits
Upon Termination. If the Executive’s employment with the
Company is terminated for any reason by the Company or by the Executive,
the Company shall have no further obligation to make or provide to the
Executive, and the Executive shall have no further right to receive or
obtain from the Company, any payments or benefits except as
follows:
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(a)
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The
Company shall pay the Executive (or, in the event of his death, the
Executive’s estate) any Accrued Obligations (as defined in
Section 4.4) within 10 days following the Separation
Date;
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(b)
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If
the Executive’s employment with the Company is terminated by the Company
without Cause (as defined in Section 4.4), the Company shall pay (in
addition to the Accrued Obligations), subject to tax withholding and other
authorized deductions and subject to the requirements of Section 4.3,
an amount equal to the sum of one (1) month of severance pay for every two
(2) months the Executive is employed to a maximum of six (6) months
calculated at the Executive’s then-current Base Salary rate in effect on
the Separation Date as severance pay, which shall be payable in
substantially equal installments on a bi-weekly basis over a period of 6
months. The first installment of any severance pay payable
under this Section 4.2(b) shall commence within 15 days following the
45-day period in which Executive is required to execute and not revoke the
general release agreement in accordance with Section
4.3.
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(c)
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In
the event of any termination of Executive’s employment for any reason,
including any termination by the Company without Cause, the Executive’s
outstanding stock options, restricted stock and other equity-based awards,
including the Initial Option and the Anniversary Option, if any, shall
continue to be governed in accordance with their terms (including, without
limitation, the terms applicable to a termination of the Executive’s
employment).
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(d)
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Notwithstanding
the foregoing provisions of this Section 4.2, if the Executive
breaches his obligations under the Confidentiality and Work for Hire
Agreement and/or Section 6, 7 or 8 of this Agreement at any time,
from and after the date of such breach, the Executive will no longer be
entitled to, and the Company will no longer be obligated to pay, any
remaining unpaid portion of any benefits provided in
Section 4.2(b).
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The
foregoing provisions of this Section 4.2 shall not affect: (i) the Executive’s
receipt of benefits otherwise due terminated employees under group insurance
coverage consistent with the terms of the applicable Company welfare benefit
plan; (ii) the Executive’s rights under COBRA to continue participation in
medical, dental, hospitalization and life insurance coverage; or (iii) the
Executive’s receipt of benefits otherwise due in accordance with the terms of
the Company’s 401(k) plan (if any). In no event shall the Company’s
obligations to the Executive exceed the sum of the Accrued Obligations, the
benefits provided in Section 4.2(b), if applicable, and the benefits
contemplated by this paragraph, regardless of the manner of the Executive’s
termination.
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4.3
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Release; Exclusive
Remedy.
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(a)
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This
Section 4.3 shall apply notwithstanding anything else contained in
this Agreement or any stock option, restricted stock or other equity-based
award agreement to the contrary. Notwithstanding any provision
in this Agreement to the contrary, as a condition precedent to any Company
obligation to the Executive pursuant to Section 4.2(b) or any
agreement or obligation to accelerate vesting of any equity-based award in
connection with the termination of the Executive’s employment, the
Executive shall, upon or promptly following his Separation Date, (i) sign
and not revoke a general release agreement in a form prescribed by the
Company, and provided further that such general release agreement is
executed and becomes effective no later than forty-five (45) days
following the Executive's Separation Date and (ii) at the Board’s discretion, provide the
Company with a written resignation from the Board as contemplated by
Section 1.2. The Company shall have no obligation to
make any payment to the Executive pursuant to Section 4.2(b) (or to
accelerate the vesting of any equity-based award in the circumstances as
may otherwise be contemplated by the applicable award agreement) unless
and until the general release agreement contemplated by this
Section 4.3 becomes irrevocable by the Executive in accordance with
all applicable laws, rules and regulations and, at the Board’s discretion, the Executive
shall have tendered the written resignation from the Board as contemplated
by Section 1.2.
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(b)
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The
Executive agrees that the general release agreement described in
Section 4.3(a) will include a complete release of all known and
unknown claims pursuant to California Civil Code Section 1542 and
will require that the Executive acknowledge, as a condition to the payment
of any benefits under Section 4.2(b), as applicable, that the
payments contemplated by Section 4.2 (and any applicable acceleration
of vesting of an equity-based award in accordance with the terms of such
award in connection with the termination of the Executive’s employment)
shall constitute the exclusive and sole remedy for any termination of his
employment, and the Executive will be required to covenant, as a condition
to receiving any such payment (and any such accelerated vesting), not to
assert or pursue any other remedies, at law or in equity, with respect to
any termination of employment. The Company and Executive
acknowledge and agree that there is no duty of the Executive to mitigate
damages under this Agreement. All amounts paid to the Executive
pursuant to Section 4.2 shall be paid without regard to whether the
Executive has taken or takes actions to mitigate
damages.
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4.4
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Certain Defined
Terms.
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(a)
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As
used herein, “Accrued
Obligations” means:
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(i)
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any
Base Salary that had accrued but had not been paid (including accrued and
unpaid personal time off) on or before the Separation Date;
and.
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(ii)
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any
reimbursement due to the Executive pursuant to Section 3.2 for
expenses incurred by the Executive on or before the Separation
Date.
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(b)
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As
used herein, “Cause” shall
mean, as reasonably determined by the Board (excluding the Executive, if
he is then a member of the Board), (i) any act of personal dishonesty
taken by the Executive in connection with his responsibilities as an
employee of the Company which is intended to result in substantial
personal enrichment of the Executive and is reasonably likely to result in
material harm to the Company, (ii) the Executive’s conviction of a
felony which the Board reasonably believes has had or will have a material
detrimental effect on the Company’s reputation or business, (iii) a
willful act by the Executive which constitutes misconduct and is
materially injurious to the Company, (iv) continued willful
violations by the Executive of the Executive’s obligations to the Company
after there has been delivered to the Executive a written demand for
performance from the Company which describes the basis for the Company’s
belief that the Executive has willfully violated his obligations to the
Company.
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4.5
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Limitation on
Benefits.
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(a)
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Notwithstanding
anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, to the extent that
the payments and benefits provided under this Agreement and benefits
provided to, or for the benefit of, the Executive under any other Company
plan or agreement (such payments or benefits are collectively referred to
as the “Benefits”)
would be subject to the excise tax (the “Excise Tax”)
imposed under Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the “Code”), the
Benefits shall be reduced (but not below zero) if and to the extent that a
reduction in the Benefits would result in the Executive retaining a larger
amount, on an after-tax basis (taking into account federal, state and
local income taxes and the Excise Tax), than if the Executive received all
of the Benefits (such reduced amount if referred to hereinafter as the
“Limited Benefit
Amount”). Unless the Executive shall have given prior
written notice specifying a different order to the Company to effectuate
the Limited Benefit Amount, the Company shall reduce or eliminate the
Benefits by first reducing or eliminating those payments or benefits which
are not payable in cash and then by reducing or eliminating cash payments,
in each case in reverse order beginning with payments or benefits which
are to be paid the farthest in time from the Determination (as hereinafter
defined). Any notice given by the Executive pursuant to the
preceding sentence shall take precedence over the provisions of any other
plan, arrangement or agreement governing the Executive’s rights and
entitlements to any benefits or
compensation.
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(b)
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A
determination as to whether the Benefits shall be reduced to the Limited
Benefit Amount pursuant to this Agreement and the amount of such Limited
Benefit Amount shall be made by the Company’s independent public
accountants or another certified public accounting firm of national
reputation designated by the Company (the “Accounting
Firm”) at the Company’s expense. The Accounting Firm
shall provide its determination (the “Determination”),
together with detailed supporting calculations and documentation to the
Company and the Executive within five (5) days of the date of
termination of the Executive’s employment, if applicable, or such other
time as requested by the Company or the Executive (provided the Executive
reasonably believes that any of the Benefits may be subject to the Excise
Tax), and if the Accounting Firm determines that no Excise Tax is payable
by the Executive with respect to any Benefits, it shall furnish the
Executive with an opinion reasonably acceptable to the Executive that no
Excise Tax will be imposed with respect to any such
Benefits. Unless the Executive provides written notice to the
Company within ten (10) days of the delivery of the Determination to
the Executive that he disputes such Determination, the Determination shall
be binding, final and conclusive upon the Company and the
Executive.
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5.
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Proprietary
Information; Inventions and Developments. Concurrently
with entering into this Agreement, the Executive will execute the
Confidentiality and Work for Hire
Agreement.
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6.
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Confidentiality. The
Executive hereby agrees that the Executive shall not at any time (whether
during or after the Executive’s employment with the Company), directly or
indirectly, other than in the course of the Executive’s duties hereunder,
disclose or make available to any person, firm, corporation, association
or other entity for any reason or purpose whatsoever, any Confidential
Information (as defined below); provided, however, that this
Section 6 shall not apply when (i) disclosure is required by law
or by any court, arbitrator, mediator or administrative or legislative
body (including any committee thereof) with apparent jurisdiction to order
the Executive to disclose or make available such information (provided,
however, that the Executive shall promptly notify the Company in writing
upon receiving a request for such information), or (ii) with respect
to any other litigation, arbitration or mediation involving this
Agreement, including but not limited to enforcement of this
Agreement. The Executive agrees that, upon termination of the
Executive’s employment with the Company, all Confidential Information in
the Executive’s possession that is in written, digital or other tangible
form (together with all copies or duplicates thereof, including computer
files) shall be returned to the Company and shall not be retained by the
Executive or furnished to any third party, in any form except as provided
herein; provided, however, that the Executive shall not be obligated to
treat as confidential, or return to the Company copies of any Confidential
Information that (a) was publicly known at the time of disclosure to
the Executive, (b) becomes publicly known or available thereafter
other than by any means in violation of this Agreement or any other duty
owed to the Company by any person or entity, or (c) is lawfully
disclosed to the Executive by a third party. As used in this
Agreement, the term “Confidential
Information” means: information disclosed to the Executive or known
by the Executive as a consequence of or through the Executive’s
relationship with the Company, about the customers, employees, business
methods, public relations methods, organization, procedures or finances,
including, without limitation, information of or relating to customer
lists, of the Company Group.
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7.
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Protective
Covenant. The
Executive acknowledges and agrees that should he accept a position (other
than an officer whose function substantially relates to financial matters)
of any business or organization where his duties, or those of others who
report directly or indirectly to him, include any activities in the fields
of electronically simulated trivia and sports games or interactive
television efforts in the hospitality industry, which in the reasonable
judgment of the Company is, or as a result of the Executive’s engagement
or participation would become, directly competitive with any aspect of the
business of the Company Group (a “Covered
Position”), that such position would inevitably lead to a
disclosure of Confidential Information in contravention of
Section 6. Accordingly and without limiting the provisions
of Section 6, the Executive agrees that during the Period of
Employment, the Executive shall not accept employment in a Covered
Position. The Executive expressly acknowledges and agrees that
the foregoing restriction is reasonable and necessary in order to protect
the Confidential Information of the Company
Group.
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8.
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Anti-Solicitation.
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8.1
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Business
Relationships. The
Executive promises and agrees that during the Period of Employment, the
Executive will not, directly or indirectly, individually or as a
consultant to, or as an employee, officer, stockholder, director or other
owner or participant in any business, influence or attempt to influence
customers, vendors, suppliers, joint venturers, associates, consultants,
agents, or partners of the Company or any of its affiliates (collectively,
the “Company
Group”), either directly or indirectly, to divert their business
away from the Company Group, to any individual, partnership, firm,
corporation or other entity then in competition with the business of any
entity within the Company Group, and he will not otherwise materially
interfere with any business relationship of any entity within the Company
Group.
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8.2
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Executives. The
Executive promises and agrees that during the Period of Employment and for
a period of one (1) year thereafter, the Executive will not, directly
or indirectly, individually or as a consultant to, or as an employee,
officer, stockholder, director or other owner of or participant in any
business, solicit (or assist in soliciting) any person who is then, or at
any time within six (6) months prior thereto was, an employee of an
entity within the Company Group who earned annually $25,000 or more as an
employee of such entity during the last six (6) months of his or her
own employment to work for (as an employee, consultant or otherwise) any
business, individual, partnership, firm, corporation, or other entity
whether or not engaged in competitive business with any entity in the
Company Group.
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10
9.
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Withholding
Taxes. Notwithstanding
anything else herein to the contrary, the Company may withhold (or cause
there to be withheld, as the case may be) from any amounts otherwise due
or payable under or pursuant to this Agreement such federal, state and
local income, employment, or other taxes as may be required to be withheld
pursuant to any applicable law or
regulation.
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10.
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Assignment. This
Agreement is personal in its nature and neither of the parties hereto
shall, without the consent of the other, assign or transfer this Agreement
or any rights or obligations hereunder; provided, however, that
in the event of a merger, consolidation, or transfer or sale of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Company with or to any other
individual(s) or entity, this Agreement shall, subject to the
provisions hereof, be binding upon and inure to the benefit of such
successor and such successor shall discharge and perform all the promises,
covenants, duties, and obligations of the Company
hereunder.
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11.
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Number
and Gender. Where the
context requires, the singular shall include the plural, the plural shall
include the singular, and any gender shall include all other
genders.
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12.
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Section Headings. The section
headings of, and titles of paragraphs and
subparagraphs contained in, this Agreement are for the purpose of
convenience only, and they neither form a part of this Agreement nor are
they to be used in the construction or interpretation
thereof.
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13.
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Governing
Law. This
Agreement, and all questions relating to its validity, interpretation,
performance and enforcement, as well as the legal relations hereby created
between the parties hereto, shall be governed by and construed under, and
interpreted and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of
California, notwithstanding any California or other conflict of law
provision to the contrary.
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14.
|
Severability. If any
provision of this Agreement or the application thereof is held invalid,
the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this
Agreement which can be given effect without the invalid provisions or
applications and to this end the provisions of this Agreement are declared
to be severable.
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15.
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Entire
Agreement. This
Agreement, together with the Option Agreements and the Exhibits contemplated hereby, including
the Confidentiality and Work for Hire Agreement and Mutual Agreement to
Arbitrate, embodies the entire agreement of the parties hereto
respecting the matters within its scope. This Agreement
supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements of the parties hereto
that directly or indirectly bears upon the subject matter
hereof. Any prior negotiations, correspondence, agreements,
proposals or understandings relating to the subject matter hereof shall be
deemed to have been merged into this Agreement, and to the extent
inconsistent herewith, such negotiations, correspondence, agreements,
proposals, or understandings shall be deemed to be of no force or
effect. There are no representations, warranties, or
agreements, whether express or implied, or oral or written, with respect
to the subject matter hereof, except as expressly set forth
herein.
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11
16.
|
Modifications. This
Agreement may not be amended, modified or changed (in whole or in part),
except by a formal, definitive written agreement expressly referring to
this Agreement, which agreement is executed by both of the parties
hereto. Without limiting the foregoing, the at-will nature of
Executive's employment by the Company may only be modified in a writing
approved by the Company's Board of Directors and executed by both the
Company and the Executive.
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17.
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Waiver. Neither the
failure nor any delay on the part of a party to exercise any right,
remedy, power or privilege under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver
thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy,
power or privilege preclude any other or further exercise of the same or
of any right, remedy, power or privilege, nor shall any waiver of any
right, remedy, power or privilege with respect to any occurrence be
construed as a waiver of such right, remedy, power or privilege with
respect to any other occurrence. No waiver shall be effective
unless it is in writing and is signed by the party asserted to have
granted such waiver.
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18.
|
Arbitration. Any
controversy arising out of or relating to the Executive’s employment
(whether or not before or after the expiration of the Period of
Employment), any termination of the Executive’s employment, this
Agreement, the Confidentiality and Work for Hire Agreement referred to in
Section 5, the Option Agreement or any other agreements relating to
the grant to Executive of equity-based awards, including any Anniversary
Option, the enforcement or interpretation of any of such agreements, or
because of an alleged breach, default, or misrepresentation in connection
with any of the provisions of any such agreement, including (without
limitation) any state or federal statutory claims, shall be submitted to
arbitration in accordance with the provisions set forth on Exhibit D
hereto.
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Nothing
in this Agreement or the attached Exhibit D shall
prohibit or limit the parties from seeking provisional remedies under California
Code of Civil Procedure section 1281.8, including, but not limited to,
injunctive relief from a California court of competent
jurisdiction. Without limiting the foregoing, the Executive and the
Company acknowledge that any breach of any of the covenants or provisions
contained in Section 6, 7 or 8 of this Agreement or in the Confidentiality
and Work for Hire Agreement could result in irreparable injury to either of the
parties hereto for which there might be no adequate remedy at law, and that, in
the event of such a breach or threat thereof, the non-breaching party shall be
entitled to obtain a temporary restraining order and/or a preliminary injunction
and a permanent injunction restraining the other party hereto from engaging in
any activities prohibited by any covenant or provision in Section 6, 7 or 8
of this Agreement or in the Confidentiality and Work for Hire Agreement or such
other equitable relief as may be required to enforce specifically any of such
covenants or provisions.
12
19.
|
Insurance. The
Company shall have the right at its own cost and expense to apply for and
to secure in its own name, or otherwise, life, health or accident
insurance or any or all of them covering the Executive, and the Executive
agrees to submit to any usual and customary medical examination and
otherwise cooperate with the Company in connection with the procurement of
any such insurance and any claims
thereunder.
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20.
|
Notices.
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(a)
|
All
notices, requests, demands and other communications required or permitted
under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been
duly given and made if (i) delivered by hand, (ii) otherwise
delivered against receipt therefor, or (iii) sent by registered or
certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested. Any
notice shall be duly addressed to the parties as
follows:
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(i)
|
if
to the Company:
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NTN
Buzztime, Inc.
0000 Xx
Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxxx,
XX 00000
Attn:
Board of Directors
(ii)
|
if
to the Executive, the to address most recently on file in the payroll
records of the Company.
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(b)
|
Any
party may alter the address to which communications or copies are to be
sent by giving notice of such change of address in conformity with the
provisions of this Section 20 for the giving of
notice. Any communication shall be effective when delivered by
hand, when otherwise delivered against receipt therefor, or five
(5) business days after being mailed in accordance with the
foregoing.
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21.
|
Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which
shall be deemed an original as against any party whose signature appears
thereon, and all of which together shall constitute one and the same
instrument. This Agreement shall become binding when one or
more counterparts hereof, individually or taken together, shall bear the
signatures of all of the parties reflected hereon as the
signatories. Photographic copies of such signed counterparts
may be used in lieu of the originals for any
purpose.
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22.
|
Legal
Counsel; Mutual Drafting. Each party
recognizes that this is a legally binding contract and acknowledges and
agrees that they have had the opportunity to consult with legal counsel of
their choice. Each party has cooperated in the drafting,
negotiation and preparation of this Agreement. Hence, in any
construction to be made of this Agreement, the same shall not be construed
against either party on the basis of that party being the drafter of such
language. The Executive agrees and acknowledges that he has
read and understands this Agreement, is entering into it freely and
voluntarily, and has been advised to seek counsel prior to entering into
this Agreement and has had ample opportunity to do
so.
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13
23.
|
Code
Section 409A.
|
(a)
|
It
is intended that any amounts payable under this Agreement and the
Company’s exercise of authority or discretion hereunder shall comply with
Section 409A of the Code (including the Treasury regulations and
other published guidance relating thereto) (“Code
Section 409A”) so as not to subject the Executive to any
interest or additional tax imposed under Code
Section 409A. To the extent that any amount payable under
this Agreement would trigger the additional tax imposed by Code
Section 409A, the Agreement shall be modified to avoid such
additional tax yet preserve (to the nearest extent reasonably possible)
the intended benefit payable to the
Executive.
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(b)
|
Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, and notwithstanding any
provision in this Agreement to the contrary, any payments made from the
date of the Executive's termination of employment through March 15th of
the calendar year following such termination, are intended to constitute
separate payments for purposes of Section 1.409A-2(b)(2) of the Treasury
Regulations and thus payable pursuant to the "short-term deferral" rule
set forth in Section 1.409A-1(b)(4) of the Treasury Regulations; to the
extent such payments are made following said March 15th, they are intended
to constitute separate payments for purposes of Section 1.409A-2(b)(2) of
the Treasury Regulations made upon an involuntary separation from service
and payable pursuant to Section 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii) of the Treasury
Regulations, to the maximum extent permitted by said provision, with any
excess amount being regarded as subject to the distribution requirements
of Section 409A(a)(2)(A) of the Code, including, without limitation, the
requirement of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code. For
purposes of the foregoing, if upon Executive's separation from service he
is then a "specified employee" (within the meaning of Code Section 409A),
then to the extent necessary to comply with Code Section 409A and avoid
the imposition of taxes under Code Section 409A, the Company shall defer
payment of "nonqualified deferred compensation" subject to Code Section
409A payable as a result of and within six (6) months following such
separation from service under this Agreement until the earlier of (i) the
first business day of the seventh month following Executive's separation
from service, or (ii) ten (10) days after the Company receives
notification of Executive's death. If the Company determines
that any other payments hereunder fail to satisfy the distribution
requirement of Section 409A(a)(2)(A) of the Code, then the payment of such
benefit shall be delayed to the minimum extent necessary so that such
payments are not subject to the provisions of Section 409A(a)(1) of the
Code. Any payments that are delayed as a result of this Section
23(b) shall be paid without
interest.
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14
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the
Company and the Executive have executed this Agreement as of the Effective
Date.
“COMPANY”
NTN
Buzztime, Inc.,
a
Delaware corporation
By: /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Name: Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx
Title: CFO
“EXECUTIVE”
/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx
15
EXHIBIT
A
CONFIDENTIALITY
DISCLOSURE
[Not
Included]
16
EXHIBIT
B
NTN
BUZZTIME, INC.
CONFIDENTIALITY
AND WORK FOR HIRE AGREEMENT
[Not
Included]
17
EXHIBIT
C
NTN
BUZZTIME, INC.
2004
PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE PLAN
EXECUTIVE
INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
[Not
Included]
18
EXHIBIT
D
MUTUAL
AGREEMENT TO ARBITRATE
[Not
Included]
19