EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
Exhibit 99.2
This Employment Agreement, dated as of December 7, 2004 is between Glowpoint, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Xxx Xxxxxx (“Employee”).
WHEREAS, the Company wishes to employ Employee and Employee wishes to work for Company.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants set forth herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. | POSITION AND RESPONSIBILITIES. |
1.1 Position.
Employee is employed by the Company to render services to the Company in
the position of Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) for the three
year period commencing on December 7, 2004. Employee shall perform such
duties and responsibilities as are normally related
to such position in accordance with the standards of the industry and any
additional duties consistent with this position now or hereafter assigned
to Employee by the President and CEO of the Company. Employee shall abide
by the rules, regulations and practices of the Company as adopted or modified
from time to time in the Company’s reasonable discretion. |
1.2 Other
Activities. Employee shall devote his full business time, attention
and skill to perform any assigned duties, services and responsibilities,
consistent with the position of CFO while employed by the Company, for
the furtherance of the Company’s business, in a diligent, loyal
and conscientious manner. Except upon the prior written consent of the
Board of Directors,
Employee will not, during the term of this Agreement: (i) accept any
other employment; or (ii) engage, directly or indirectly, in any other
business activity (whether or not pursued for pecuniary advantage) that
interferes with Employee’s duties and responsibilities hereunder
or create a conflict of interest with the Company. |
1.3 No
Conflict. Employee represents and warrants that Employee’s
execution of this Agreement, Employee’s employment with the Company,
and the performance of Employee’s proposed duties under this Agreement
will not violate any obligations Employee may have to any other employer,
person or entity, including any obligations with respect to proprietary
or confidential information of any other person or entity. |
1.4 Commencement
of Work. Employee will commence employment with the Company on Tuesday,
December 7, 2004. |
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2. | COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS. |
2.1 Base
Salary. In consideration of the services to be rendered under this
Agreement and so long as Employee remains employed by the Company, the
Company shall pay Employee a salary of at least $245,000.00 per year
(the “Base Salary”). The Base Salary shall be paid in accordance
with the Company’s regularly established payroll practice. Employee’s
Base Salary shall be reduced by withholdings required by law. Employee’s
Base Salary will be reviewed from time to time in accordance with the
established procedures of the Company. |
2.2 Incentive
Compensation. (a)
Employee and the President and CEO will establish appropriate goals and
metrics by which Employee will be evaluated on annual basis. If in the
opinion of the President and CEO the Employee meets the mutually agreed
upon goals and metrics, Employee will receive incentive compensation in
an amount equivalent to forty percent (40%) of his annual base salary.
No bonus will be payable for 2004. |
2.3 Benefits. Employee
shall be eligible to participate in all benefits made generally available
by the Company to similarly-situated employees, in accordance with the
benefit plans established by the Company, and as may be amended from time
to time in the Company’s sole discretion. |
(a) Options. The
Company shall recommend to the Compensation Committee (“Compensation
Committee”) of the Board of Directors that Employee be granted stock
options (the “Options”) to purchase 125,000 shares of Common
Stock of the Company, with one-third of the Options vesting annually on
the anniversary of the grant. |
2.4 Expenses. The
Company shall reimburse Employee for reasonable travel and other business
expenses incurred by Employee in the performance of Employee’s duties
hereunder in accordance with the Company’s expense reimbursement
guidelines, as they may be amended in the Company’s sole discretion. These
benefits include COBRA expenses for Employee and eligible dependents until
Employee becomes eligible to participate under the Glowpoint health and
welfare plan.
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2.5 Car
Allowance. The Company will reimburse Employee up to $400 per month
for the lease or use of a car to conduct Company business. Reimbursement
will be made upon presentation of receipts according to the Company’s
reimbursement guidelines.
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2.6 Vacation. Employee
will be entitled to accrue three (3) weeks of paid vacation per year. Such
vacation must be used in the year in which it is accrued and may not be
carried over from year to year.
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3. | EMPLOYMENT AND SEVERANCE. |
3.1 Employment. Either
the Company or Employee may terminate Employee’s employment with
the Company at any time, for any reason or no reason at all so long as
they comply with the terms in this section 3. |
3.2 Termination
for Cause or Voluntary Resignation. If Employee is terminated for
Cause (as defined below) or if Employee voluntarily resigns, Employee
will be entitled to his Base Salary and other benefits through the last
day actually worked. Thereafter, all benefits, compensation and perquisites
of employment will cease. |
3.3 Termination
Without Cause or Resignation for Good Reason. If Employee is terminated
without Cause or Resigns for Good Reason (as defined below), Employee
shall be entitled to severance equal to six months of
his then
current
annual Base Salary. Such severance shall be paid either as a lump sum
or as salary continuation, at the Company’s discretion, as well
as the pro-rated amount of incentive compensation due as of the effective
date of termination. In the event that the Employee is terminated without
Cause, or Resigns for Good Reason, Employee will also be entitled to
one year of accelerated vesting on the Options to be granted pursuant
to
this Agreement. |
3.4 Definition
of Cause. For purposes of this Agreement, Cause shall mean, in the
judgment of the Company: (i) Employee willfully engages in any act
or omission which is in bad faith and to the detriment of the Company;
(ii) Employee exhibits unfitness for service, dishonesty, habitual
neglect, persistent and serious deficiencies in performance, or gross
incompetence, which conduct is not cured within fifteen (15) days after
receipt by Employee of written notice of the conduct; (iii) Employee
is convicted of a crime; or (iv) Employee refuses or fails to act on
any reasonable and lawful directive or order from the President and CEO. |
3.5 Definition
of Resignation for Good Reason. For purposes of this Agreement, Resignation
for Good Reason shall mean if Employee resigns because: (i) there has
been a dimunition in his Base Salary; (ii) he is required to be based
in an office that is more than 75 miles from the current location of
the office; (iii) he is assigned duties that are materially inconsistent
with his position as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer;
or (iv) there is a material dimunition of his status, office, title or reporting
requirements. |
4. | TERMINATION OBLIGATIONS. |
4.1 Return
of Property. Employee agrees that all property (including without
limitation all equipment, tangible proprietary information, documents,
records, notes, contracts and computer-generated materials) furnished
to or created or prepared by Employee incident to Employee’s employment
belongs to the Company and shall be promptly returned to the Company
upon termination of Employee’s employment. |
4.2 Cooperation. Following
any termination of employment, Employee shall cooperate with the Company
in the winding up of pending work on behalf of the Company and the orderly
transfer of work to other employees. Employee shall also cooperate with
the Company in the defense of any action brought by any third party against
the Company that relates to Employee’s employment by the Company. |
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5. | INVENTIONS AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION; PROHIBITION ON THIRD PARTY INFORMATION. |
5.1 Proprietary
Information. Employee hereby covenants, agrees and acknowledges as
follows: |
(a) The
Company is engaged in a continuous program of research, design, development,
production, marketing and servicing with respect to its business. |
(b) Employee’s
employment hereunder creates a relationship of confidence and trust between
Employee
and the Company with respect to certain information pertaining to the business
of the Company or pertaining to the business of any customer of the Company
which may be made known to the Employee by the Company or by any customer
of the Company or learned by the Employee during the period of Employee’s
employment by the Company. |
(c) The
Company possesses and will continue to possess information that has been
created, discovered or developed by, or otherwise becomes known to it (including,
without limitation, information created, discovered or developed by, or
made known to, Employee during the period of Employee’s employment or arising
out of Employee’s employment and which pertains to the Company’s
actual or contemplated business, products, intellectual property or processes)
or in which property rights have been or may be assigned or otherwise conveyed
to the Company, which information has commercial value in the business
in which the Company is engaged and is treated by the Company as confidential. |
(d) Any
and all inventions, products, discoveries, improvements, processes, manufacturing,
marketing and services methods or techniques, formulae, designs, styles,
specifications, data bases, computer programs (whether in source code or
object code), know-how, strategies and data, whether or not patentable
or registrable under copyright or similar statutes, made, developed or
created by Employee (whether at the request or suggestion of the Company
or otherwise, whether alone or in conjunction with others, and whether
during regular hours of work or otherwise) during the period of Employee’s
employment by the Company which pertains to the Company’s actual
or contemplated business, products, intellectual property or processes
(collectively hereinafter referred to as “Developments” ), shall
be the sole property of the Company and will be promptly and fully disclosed
by Employee to the Board without any additional compensation therefor,
including, without limitation, all papers, drawings, models, data, documents
and other material pertaining to or in any way relating to any Developments
made, developed or created by Employee as aforesaid. The Company shall
own all right, title and interest in and to the Developments and such Developments
shall be considered “works made for hire” for the Company under
US copyright law. If any of the Developments are held for any reason not
to be “works made for hire” for the Company or if ownership of
all right, title and interest in and to the Developments has not vested
exclusively and immediately in the Company upon creation, Employee irrevocably
assigns, without further consideration, any and all right, title and interest
in and to the Developments to the Company, including any and all moral
rights, and “shop rights” in the Developments recognized by applicable
law. Employee irrevocably agrees to execute any document requested by the
Company to give effect to this Section 5.1 such as an assignment of invention
or other general assignments of intellectual property rights, without additional
compensation therefor. |
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(e) Employee will
keep confidential and will hold for the Company’s sole benefit any
Development which is to be the exclusive property of the Company under
this Section 5.1 irrespective of whether any patent, copyright, trademark
or other right or protection is issued in connection therewith. |
(f) Employee also
agrees that Employee will not, without the prior approval of the President
and CEO, use for Employee’s benefit or disclose at any time during
Employee’s employment by the Company, or thereafter, except to the
extent required by the performance by Employee of Employee’s duties,
any information obtained or developed by Employee while in the employ of
the Company with respect to any Developments or with respect to any customers,
clients, suppliers, products, services, prices, employees, financial affairs,
or methods of design, distribution, marketing, service, procurement or
manufacture of the Company or any confidential matter, except information
which at the time is generally known to the public other than as a result
of disclosure by Employee not permitted hereunder. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the following will not constitute confidential information for
purposes of this Agreement: (i) information which is or becomes publicly
available other than as a result of disclosure by the Employee; (ii) information
designated in writing by the Company as no longer confidential; or (iii)
information known by Employee as of the date of this Agreement and identified
as such in writing to the Board. Employee will comply with all intellectual
property disclosure policies established by the Company from time to time
with respect to the Company’s confidential information, including
with respect to Developments. |
5.2 Non-Disclosure
of Third Party Information. Employee represents, warrants and covenants
that Employee shall not disclose to the Company, or use, or induce the
Company to use, any proprietary information or trade secrets of others
at any time, including but not limited to any proprietary information
or trade secrets of any former employer, if any; and Employee acknowledges
and agrees that any violation of this provision shall be grounds for
Employee’s immediate termination and could subject Employee to
substantial civil liabilities and criminal penalties. Employee further
specifically and expressly acknowledges that no officer or other employee
or representative of the Company has requested or instructed Employee
to disclose or use any such third party proprietary information or trade
secrets. |
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5.3 Injunctive
Relief. Employee acknowledges and agrees that a remedy at law for
any breach or threatened breach of the provisions of this Section 5 would
be inadequate and, therefore, agrees that the Company shall be entitled
to injunctive relief in addition to any other available rights and remedies
in case of any such breach or threatened breach. |
6. | LIMITED AGREEMENT NOT TO COMPETE OR SOLICIT. |
6.1 Non-Competition. During
the term of this Agreement, and for 12 months after the termination of
Employee’s employment with the Company for any reason, unless mutually
agreed otherwise by the Employee and the Company, Employee shall not, directly
or indirectly, work as an employee, consultant, agent, principal, partner,
manager, officer, or director for any person or entity who or which engages
in a substantially similar business as the Company. For purposes of this
Agreement, the Company is currently engaged in the business of designing,
developing, providing and selling video communication services. |
6.2 Non-Solicitation. Employee
shall not, during his employment and for a period of 12 months immediately
after termination of his employment, for any reason, either directly or
indirectly: (a) call on or solicit for similar services, or, encourage
or take away any of the Company’s customers or potential customers
about whom Employee became aware or with whom Employee had contact as a
result of Employee’s employment with the Company, either for benefit
of Employee or for any other person or entity; or (b) solicit, induce,
recruit, or encourage any of the Company’s employees or contractors
to leave the employ of the Company or cease providing services to the Company
on behalf of the Employee or on behalf of any other person or entity; or
(c) hire for himself or any other person or entity any employee who was
employed or engaged by the Company within six months prior to the termination
of Employee’s employment. |
6.3 Limitations;
Remedies. The Employee further agrees that the limitations set forth
in this Section 6 (including, without limitation, any time or territorial
limitations) are reasonable and properly required for the adequate protection
of the businesses of the Company. The Employee agrees that the lack of
territorial limit is reasonable given the global reach of the Company.
If any of the restrictions contained in Sections 6.1 and 6.2 are deemed
by a court or arbitrator to be unenforceable by reason of the extent,
duration or geographic scope thereof, or otherwise, then the parties
agree that such court or arbitrator may modify such restriction to the
extent necessary to render it enforceable and enforce such restriction
in its modified form. The Employee acknowledges and agrees that a remedy
at law for any breach or threatened breach of the provisions of this
Section 6 would be inadequate and, therefore, agrees that the Company
shall be entitled to injunctive relief in addition to any other available
rights and remedies in cases of any such breach or threatened breach. |
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7. | ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION. |
The Company and Employee mutually agree that any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the breach thereof, or any other dispute between the parties arising from or related to Employee’s employment with the Company, shall be submitted to mediation before a mutually agreeable mediator. In the event mediation is unsuccessful in resolving the claim or controversy, such claim or controversy shall be resolved by arbitration
Company and Employee agree that arbitration shall be held in New Jersey, before a mutually agreed upon single arbitrator licensed to practice law, in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. The arbitrator shall have authority to award or grant legal, equitable, and declaratory relief. Such arbitration shall be final and binding on the parties. If the parties are unable to agree on an arbitrator, the matter shall be submitted to the American Arbitration Association solely for appointment of an arbitrator.
The claims covered by this Agreement (“Arbitrable Claims”) include, but are not limited to, claims for wages or other compensation due; claims for breach of any contract (including this Agreement) or covenant (express or implied); tort claims; claims for discrimination (including, but not limited to, race, sex, religion, national origin, age, marital status, medical condition, or disability); claims for benefits (except where an employee benefit or pension plan specifies that its claims procedure shall culminate in an arbitration procedure different from this one); and claims for violation of any federal, state, or other law, statute, regulation, or ordinance, except claims excluded in the following paragraph. The parties hereby waive any rights they may have to trial by jury in regard to Arbitrable Claims.
Claims Employee may have for workers’ compensation, state disability or unemployment compensation benefits are not covered by this Agreement. Also not covered is either party’s right to obtain provisional remedies, or interim relief from a court of competent jurisdiction.
Arbitration under this Agreement shall be the exclusive remedy for all Arbitrable Claims. This agreement to mediate and arbitrate survives termination of Employee’s employment.
8. | AMENDMENTS; WAIVERS; REMEDIES. |
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9. | ASSIGNMENT; BINDING EFFECT. |
9.1 Assignment. The
performance of Employee is personal hereunder, and Employee agrees that
Employee shall have no right to assign and shall not assign or purport
to assign any rights or obligations under this Agreement. This Agreement
may be assigned or transferred by the Company; and nothing in this Agreement
shall prevent the consolidation, merger or sale of the Company or a sale
of any or all or substantially all of its assets. |
9.2 Binding
Effect. Subject to the foregoing restriction on assignment by Employee,
this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon each
of the parties; the affiliates, officers, directors, agents, successors
and assigns of the Company; and the heirs, devisees, spouses, legal representatives
and successors of Employee. |
10. | SEVERABILITY. |
11. | TAXES. |
12. | GOVERNING LAW. |
The validity, interpretation, enforceability, and performance of this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, without regard to New Jersey conflict of laws principles.
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13. | INTERPRETATION. |
14. | OBLIGATIONS SURVIVE TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT. |
15. | AUTHORITY. |
16. | ENTIRE AGREEMENT. |
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GLOWPOINT, INC. | |
/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxxxx | /s/ Xxx Xxxxxx |
______________________________ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxxxx President and CEO |
______________________________ Xxx Xxxxxx |
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