CONFIDENTIAL SEPARATION AGREEMENT AND GENERAL RELEASE OF CLAIMS
Exhibit 99.1
This
Confidential Separation Agreement and General Release of Claims ("Agreement") is
made and entered into by and between Entertainment Distribution Company, LLC,
Glenayre Electronics, Inc. ("Company"), and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
("Employee").
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1. Separation
Date; Effective Date: By mutual agreement, Employee's employment
terminates effective on the close of business of the day this Agreement is
executed by Employee (the "Separation Date"). The Effective Date of this
Agreement shall be established pursuant to paragraph 23 below ("Effective
Date").
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2. Duties:
As of the Separation Date, Employee will have no duties, responsibilities,
titles or authority whatsoever as an employee, agent, director, officer or
representative of the Company, EDCI Holdings, Inc., Entertainment
Distribution Company, Inc., Glenayre Electronics, or any of its or their
parents, subsidiaries or affiliates thereof. Employee hereby
immediately resigns his position from all Board of Director and officer
positions with all such companies, including their parents, subsidiaries
and affiliates, in all locations, including but not limited to, in
Germany, the Netherlands and the United
Kingdom
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3. Domain
Names:
Employee has executed that Registrant Name Change Agreement in the form
attached as Exhibit A prior to the signing of this agreement and shall
take all further actions required to assign and transfer to the Company
all rights and ownership related to such domain names listed on Exhibit A
and which were previously registered under Employee's name or are under
Employee's possession or control which relate to Company's business.
Employee acknowledges that all rights and ownership related to such domain
names have been and remain property belonging to the
Company.
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4. Consideration:
Provided that Employee signs and returns to the Company this Agreement
without revocation, and it becomes effective on the Effeetive Date
pursuant to Paragraph 23 below, and in consideration for his executing and
performing his obligations under this Agreement, Employer shall provide
Employee with the separation payments set forth below ("Separation
Payments"):
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(a) Lump Sum
Payment:
the Company shall provide Employee with a lump sum payment of eighty-eight
thousand nine
hundred forty-one dollars and fifty cents ($88,941.50), less all
authorized or required
payroll withholdings and payroll deductions, within five (5) business days after the Effective Date
of this
Agreement.
(b) Blackberry
and Laptop: Employee may keep his Company issued laptop and blackberry
devices after
complying with the following sentence, although Employee shall be
solely and exclusively responsible
for all fees and costs associated with telephone, internet or blackberry service, and
Employee and the
Company shall have all applicable service contracts transferred to Employee at
Employee's expense, or
discontinued. Employee agrees to immediately make his blackberry and laptop available to
the
Company for data transfer and cleaning, and return all external data storage
devices containing Company
data.
(c) Health
Coverage: the Company shall pay Employee's COBRA coverage insurance
premium payments
for up to 6 months following the Separation Date. Should Employee
secure other employment during the
6-month period, the Company shall cease making such payments and shall have
no further obligation to pay
for Employee's health benefits coverage.
(d)
Expenses:
within five (5) business days after the Effective Date of the Agreement, the
Company
shall reimburse Employee for non-reimbursed, reasonable and documented
business expenses in the
amount of $4,172.71.
5.
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COBRA:
Effective the day following Employee's Separation Date, Employee may elect
to continue medical and dental insurance coverage pursuant to federal law
known as COBRA. Except as provided in this Agreement, continuation of
medical and dental insurance coverage under COBRA will be at Employee's
expense. Employee will receive, under separate cover, information
regarding insurance coverage continuation pursuant to
COBRA.
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6.
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Acknowledgement
of Consideration: Employee acknowledges and agrees that the
Company's obligations under this Agreement arise solely from this
Agreement, and not from any other agreement with, obligation of, or
promise by the Company. Employee further understands that the benefits
described in Paragraph 4, above, are the total payments that he will
receive from Employer and that they exceed any amount to which he is or
may be entitled to receive from or owed by the Employer under any of its
contract, plans, policies, procedures or
handbooks.
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Employee
further expressly acknowledges and agrees that the Separation Payments are
sufficient consideration for the promises and mutual covenants contained in this
Agreement, including the release of claims contained in Paragraph 8, below, and
abide by the obligations described in Paragraphs 2, 3, 9,10, 11, 12, 13 and 15.
7. Acknowledgement:
Employee understands and agrees that absent this Agreement, he would not
otherwise be entitled to the benefits described in Paragraph 4, above. Further,
by signing this Agreement, Employee agrees that he is not entitled to any
payments and/or benefits that are not specifically listed in this Agreement for
any past, present or future year. Employee further agrees and acknowledges that
upon the Company's payment to him of the benefits described in Paragraph 4,
above, he has been paid in full all monies owed to him in connection with his
employment and separation from employment with the Company.
8(a) Employee's
General Release of Claims: In exchange for the Company's payment of the
benefits described in Paragraph 4, above, Employee releases EDCI Holdings, Inc.
Entertainment Distribution Company, Inc., Glenayre Electronics and the Company,
including its and their owners, officers, members, parents, holding companies,
investors, affiliates, agents, directors, employees, representatives, successors
and assigns, jointly and individually and its past and present parents,
subsidiaries, affiliates, predecessors, successors, assigns, officers,
directors, employees and agents, in their individual and corporate capacities
(hereinafter collectively
referred
to as "Releasees"), from, and holds them harmless against, any and all claims
that Employee, including his successors, assigns, heirs and estate, has or may
have, known or unknown, including but not limited to those related to Employee's
employment, his separation from employment or otherwise, from the beginning of
time through the date on which Employee signs this Agreement, except as
otherwise specifically stated in this Agreement.
Such
claims, obligations, or liabilities include, but are not limited to: claims for
compensation (including salary, wages, severance or change of control payments
and bonuses and any other incentive arrangements) allegedly due or owing; claims
for unused, unpaid vacation; claims for unreimbursed business expenses; claims
for attorneys' fees; claims sounding in contract or implied contract; claims
sounding in tort; claims arising under common law, civil law, equity, or federal
state, or local statutes or ordinances, including but not limited to, the
Age Discrimination in Employment Act, as amended; Title VII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, as amended; the Civil Rights Act of 1991; Section 1981 of the Civil
Rights Act of 1866; the Equal Pay Act; the Americans with Disabilities Act
and/or the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Employee Retirement Income Security
Act; the WARN Act: the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act; state
statutes governing the payment of wages, discrimination in the workplace, or any
other statute or laws governing the employer-employee relationship, including
but not limited to, the New York State Human Rights Law, the New York Labor Law,
the New York State Constitution, the New York Civil Rights Law, the New York
wage-hour laws; and any other federal
state, or local statute, regulation, administrative code or ordinance
from the beginning of time through the date on which Employee signs this
Agreement.
This
release excludes claims that by law cannot be released by private agreement,
including Employee's enforcement of this Agreement, workers compensation claims,
claims arising after the Effective Date of this Agreement, and Employee's right
to file administrative charges with certain government agencies.
8(b).
Company's General Release of Claims: In exchange for the Employee's
execution and performance of all his obligations of this Agreement, the Company
releases Employee from, and holds him harmless against, any and all claims that
Company has or may have related to Employee's employment with the Company except
for currently unknown
claims arising from intentional malfeasance or criminal
conduct.
9. No Claims
Filed: Except as otherwise stated below, Employee and Company agree that
each will not file and acknowledge that each has not filed any suit, complaint,
charge, claim, grievance or demand for arbitration against the other or any of
the Releasees in any court, administrative agency, commission or other forum
relating directly or indirectly to his employment with the Company or separation
from employment.
Employee
understands that nothing in this Agreement shall limit him from filing a charge
with, or participating in any investigation or proceeding conducted by, the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Labor Relations Board and/or
any other federal, state or local agency. Notwithstanding the foregoing, by
signing and not revoking this Agreement, Employee hereby waives any and all
rights to recover monetary damages in any charge, complaint or lawsuit filed by
him or by anyone else on his behalf with respect to Employee's employment with
the Company or separation from employment. Nothing in this Agreement waives
the
Employee's
right to challenge: (a) the Company's failure to comply with its promises to
issue the benefits described in Paragraph 4, above; (b) the knowing and
voluntary nature of his release of claims under the Age Discrimination in
Employment Act of l967; or (c) his right to any vested benefits to which he is
entitled and/or may be eligible to receive from the Company.
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10. Cooperation
Following Separation: The Company and Employee agree to reasonably
cooperate with each other following the Separation Date and Employee will
immediately take all further actions reasonably required to consummate his
resignation from all Board of Director or officer positions pursuant to
paragraph 2; and take all further actions reasonably required to
consummate the transfer of the Domain Names pursuant to paragraph 3. If
the Company requests further cooperation on other matters, Employee will
be reasonably compensated for his time on a basis to be mutually agreed.
Company shall reimburse Employee for reasonable out of pocket expenses
required to comply with any requests for cooperation made by the Company
provided Employee shall apprise the Company of such expenses before
incurring them.
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11. Confidential
Information: By signing below, Employee certifies that he has: (i)
returned to the Company any and all confidential and/or proprietary
information and all other materials, documents or property belonging to
the Company, including without limitation manuals, keys, equipment,
identification cards and access cards, and (ii) not retained any copies of
any confidential and/or proprietary information and/or any other
materials, documents or property belonging to the Company. Employee
remains bound by the provisions of paragraph 4 Confidential Information of
his May 9, 2005 Employment Agreement (Supplemented by the letter of
December 27, 2007) which are incorporated by reference
herein.
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12. Non-Solicitation:
Employee remains bound by the Non-Solicitation provisions of paragraph
5(a)(4) and 5(a)(5) of his May 9, 2005 Employment Agreement, which are
incorporated by reference herein. Employee is released from his
obligations under the Non-Competition provisions of paragraph 5(a)
(including subparagraphs (1), (2) (3) and (6)) of his Employment
Agreement, provided that if employee becomes a "Representative of any
Person" within the meaning of subparagraph 5(a)(6), he shall not assist
such person in any manner with regard to an activity prohibited by
subparagraphs 5(a)(4) or 5(a)(5). Employee may seek and obtain any
employment of his choosing upon the Effective Date without any mitigation
of the sum payable to Employee pursuant to paragraph 4(a)
hereunder.
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13. Enforcement
of Paragraphs 9, 10, 11, 12,
13 and 15:
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(a)
Employee acknowledges and agrees that he has received ample consideration to
support the obligations
contained
in Paragraphs 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 15 of this Agreement
and that such obligations represent a
fair and reasonable
balance between the Company's legitimate interests in
protecting against the disclosure
of its
Confidential Information and/or the terms of this Agreement, and that
these limitations are not so
onerous as to
unreasonably interfere with Employee's ability to continue to work
and to earn a livelihood.
(b)
Employee acknowledges and agrees that upon any breach or threatened breach by
him of the terms,
covenants and agreements set forth in Paragraphs 9, 10, 11, 12,
13
and
15 of this Agreement, an award of monetary damages would not be adequate to
protect the Company's
interests,
and Employee therefore agrees that upon such breach the Company shall have the
right to apply
for
and obtain, in addition to monetary damages, injunctive relief; temporary,
preliminary and final, to enforce
the
provisions of Paragraphs 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 15 of this Agreement. To this
extent, Employee expressly
waives
the right to assert in any proceeding resulting from breach of these provisions
that monetary damages
are
adequate to protect the rights of the Company.
14. No
Admission of Liability: Company and Employee acknowledge that neither
this Agreement nor the Company's payment of the benefits described in Paragraph
4, above, shall be construed as an admission by the Company of any liability or
unlawful conduct towards Employee or that the Company or Employee has in any way
violated any federal, state or local law or any legal right that either may owe
or may have owed to the other. It
is understood that this Agreement is inadmissible as evidence in any
proceeding against, or as an admission by, any party.
15. Applicable
Law: This Agreement shall be interpreted, enforced and governed under the
laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflicts of law
principles.
16. Nondisparagement:
Neither the Employee nor senior officers or directors of the Company shall make
or circulate any statement, or do any act, intended, or which might be
reasonably expected to, disparage
or diminish the reputation of the Employee or the Company, including its
officers and directors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company's full
compliance with all its legal and regulatory reporting obligations to which it
is subject in connection with Employee's separation from employment shall not be
deemed to violate this paragraph 16.
17. Severability:
Employee agrees that in the event any provision of this Agreement is judicially
declared to be invalid or unenforceable, only such provision or provisions shall
be invalid or unenforceable without invalidating or rendering unenforceable the
remaining provisions hereof.
18. Changes
to the Agreement: This Agreement may not be modified, altered or changed
unless the changes are in writing and signed by Employee and an authorized
Company representative.
19. Entire
Agreement: This Agreement contains the entire agreement between Employee
and the Company and replaces and supersedes any and all prior agreements or
understandings between Employee and the Company, whether written or verbal and
whether formal or informal, including the May 5, 2005 Employment Agreement and
its December 27, 2007 supplement, which are explicitly superseded and of no
further force or effect except as specifically provided otherwise herein.
Employee acknowledges that he has not relied on any representations, promises,
or agreements of any kind in connection with his decision to sign this Agreement
other than those contained in this Agreement.
20. Waiver:
By signing this Agreement, Employee acknowledges that:
(a)
He has received and carefully read this Agreement;
(b)
He fully understands all of the terms contained in this
Agreement;
(c)
He is freely and voluntarily entering into this Agreement and knowingly
releasing the
Releasees in
accordance with the terms contained in Paragraph 8,
above;
(d)
Before signing this Agreement, he was advised of his rights and had consulted
with an attorney of
his
choice, Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx, Esq.;
(e)
Employee understands that this Agreement is legally binding and by signing it he
gives up certain
rights;
(f)
Employee has voluntarily chosen to enter into this Agreement and has not been
forced or pressured
in any
way to sign
it;
(g)
Employee has not relied upon any representation, statement or omission made by
any of the
Company's agents,
attorneys or representatives with regard to the subject
matter, basis or effect of
this Agreement or
otherwise, other than those expressly stated in this
Agreement;
(h)
Employee knowingly and voluntarily releases the Releasees from any and all
claims Employee
may have, known or
unknown, in exchange for the payments and benefits
Employee has obtained
by signing this
Agreement, and acknowledges that these payments and benefits are
in addition
to any benefits
Employee would have otherwise received if Employee did not sign this
Agreement
(i)
In accordance with Paragraph 8, above, Employee hereby expressly waives,
among other
claims, any and all
claims arising under the Age Discrimination in
Employment Act of 1967
(29
U.S.C. §
621 et seq.),
which he has or may have against the
Releasees;
(j)
The release of claims described in Paragraph 8, above, of this Agreement
does not waive
any rights or
claims that Employee may
have against the Company and/or the Releasees
arising
after the date
on which this
Agreement becomes effective, which
is eight days after Employee signs
it;
(k)
Employee has received or shall receive something of value from the Company which
he
would not otherwise
be entitled to receive.
21. Review
Period: Before signing this Agreement, Employee was given up to
twenty-one
(21)
calendar days to consider its terms and, should he sign this Agreement without
waiting the full 21 days, he waives any remaining balance of the 21 days, and
hereby attests that his decision in this regard is knowing and voluntary and not
induced through fraud, coercion, misrepresentation or a threat to withdraw or
alter the offer contained herein, and agrees that any
changes
to this Agreement do not restart the running of the 21 day period. Employee
acknowledges that the period of time that he had to consider his rights and
obligations under this Agreement was reasonable.
22.
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Revocation
Period: For a period of seven (7) calendar days following the date
on which Employee signs this Agreement, he may revoke this Agreement, in
which case Employee will not receive the amounts or benefits being paid to
Employee. If Employee wishes to revoke this Agreement, he must advise the
Company in writing and Employee's written notice of his revocation of this
Agreement must be addressed to: Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Esq., Littler Xxxxxxxxx,
P.C., 000 Xxxxx Xxx., Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 (fax #
000.000.0000).
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23.
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Effective
Date: The Effective Date is the eighth (8th)
day after the Separation Date without Employer's receipt of this
revocation. Employee agrees and acknowledges that the Company shall not be
required to provide any of the benefits described in Paragraph 4, above,
until and unless this Agreement becomes
effective.
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24.
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Return
of Signed Agreement: Employee should return the signed Agreement to
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Esq., Littler Xxxxxxxxx, P.C., 000 Xxxxx Xxx., Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000 (fax # 000.000.0000) by no later than February 24, 2009.
Employee agrees and acknowledges that the Company shall not be required to
make payments or provide the benefits described in Paragraph 4, above,
unless he has returned this Agreement by the date identified in this
paragraph and it has become
effective.
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Please
read this letter with care, make certain that you understand the meaning of each
of the terms contained herein, and take time to consider your decision before
you sign. THIS AGREEMENT CONTAINS A RELEASE OF ALL CLAIMS. As stated above, we
recommend that you should consult with an attorney of your choice.
If the
terms of the agreement are satisfactory to you, please countersign the enclosed
copy of this letter, have your signature notarized, and return it to me,
whereupon this letter and such copy will constitute a binding agreement on the
basis set forth above.
Sincerely,
Entertainment
Distribution Company, LLC.
By: _____
Title:_______________
Read,
Understood, Accepted and Agreed:
_______________ ______
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx Date
AGREED
AND ACCEPTED:
I
acknowledge and agree that I have read the foregoing Agreement, have had the
opportunity to consult with counsel and that I
understand the meaning of each of the terms contained herein, and that
I
have freely and voluntarily entered into it. I
agree that no fact, evidence, event or transaction currently unknown to
me but which may hereafter become known to me, shall affect in any manner the
final and unconditional nature
of the release stated above.
______________
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx
STATE
OF
)
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COUNTY
OF )
ss.:
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I, _____________________,
a Notary Public do hereby certify
that
personally known to me to
be the same person whose name is subscribed to the foregoing Agreement, appeared
before me this day in person and acknowledged that he/she signed and delivered
the said instrument as his/her free and voluntary act, for the uses and purposes
therein set forth.
Given
under my hand and official seal this ____ day of _____,
2009.
________________
Notary
Public