EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT
EXHIBIT 99.3
THIS EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT, dated as of ___, ___is entered into by and between ROYAL
GOLD, INC., a Delaware corporation, with offices at 0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx 00000 (the “Company”), and ___, residing at ___, ___,
Colorado ___(the “Employee”).
The Company desires to engage Employee to perform services for the Company and Employee
desires to perform such services on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.
I. TERM
The Company agrees to employ Employee, and the Employee agrees to serve, on the terms and
conditions of this Agreement, for a period commencing on ___, ___and ending one (1) year
from the starting date, subject to termination as provided in Sections 7, 8 and 9 hereof. The
period during which Employee is employed hereunder is hereafter referred to as the “Employment
Period.” The Employment Period shall be automatically extended, without further action by either
party, for additional and successive one-year periods commencing ___, ___; provided that
the Company may deliver a written notice of involuntary termination pursuant to Section 7 on 90
days’ prior written notice.
II. DUTIES AND SERVICES
During the Employment Period, Employee shall be employed by and shall serve the Company as its
___. In performance of Employee’s duties, Employee shall be subject to the direction of
the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of the Company. At all times during the
Employment Period, Employee shall have powers and duties at least commensurate with Employee’s
position as ___of the Company. Employee agrees to his/her employment as described in
this Section 2 and agrees to devote such of his business time, energy and skill as shall be
necessary to perform the duties of such positions under this Agreement; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, Employee
shall be entitled to continue his/her personal investment activities as long as such activities do
not conflict with the activities of the Company. Employee shall be available to travel as the
needs of the business reasonably require.
III. COMPENSATION
As full compensation for Employee’s services hereunder, the Company shall pay Employee, during
the Employment Period, a salary payable in equal semi-monthly installments at the annual rate of
___Dollars ($___,000.00). Nothing contained herein shall preclude Employee from
participating in the present or future employee benefit plans of the Company if Employee meets the
eligibility requirements therefor. In addition, the Company has elected, from time to time, to
provide Employee with certain fringe benefits. The fringe benefits are currently listed on the
attached Schedule of Fringe Benefits. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company
has sole discretion to modify any fringe benefit by action of the Board, EXCEPT THAT fringe
benefits which are vested by the express terms of any Company Benefit Plan may not be altered,
except in accordance with the terms of such Benefit Plan.
IV. EXPENSES AND VACATION
Employee shall be entitled to reimbursement during the Employment Period for reasonable travel
and other out-of-pocket expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of Employee’s duties
hereunder, upon submission and approval of written statements and bills in accordance with the then
regular procedures of the Company. Employee shall be entitled to reasonable vacations in
accordance with the then regular procedures of the Company’s governing executives. Employee shall
be entitled to not less than three (3) weeks of vacation time per year.
V. NON-COMPETITION
Employee agrees that, unless approved by the Company, (a) Employee will not during the
Employment Period engage in, or otherwise directly or indirectly be employed by, or act as a
consultant or lender to, or be, a director, officer, employee, owner or partner of, any other
business or organization, which now is, or shall then be, competing with the Company, and (b) for a
period of one (1) year after the Employment Period, Employee shall not directly or indirectly
compete with or be engaged in the same business as the Company, or be employed by, or act as
consultant or lender to, or be a director, officer, employee, owner or partner of, any business or
organization which at the time of such cessation, directly competes with or is engaged in the same
business as the Company, except that in each case, the provisions of this Section 5 will not be
deemed breached merely because Employee owns not more than ten percent (10%) of the outstanding
common stock of a corporation, or ten percent (10%) of the outstanding interest or securities of a
partnership or trust which may be in competition with the Company.
Employee acknowledges that the business of the Company is national in scope and this covenant
of non-competition shall be effective in any of the states of the United States where the Company
does business involving revenues of $50,000 per year or more, or owns property or leases of any
kind. Employee acknowledges that this covenant is a reasonable restraint on Employee’s business or
employability.
VI. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
All confidential information which Employee may now possess, may obtain during or after the
Employment Period, or may create prior to the end of the Employment Period, relating to the
financial condition, results of operations, business, properties, assets, liabilities or future
prospects of the Company, shall not be published, disclosed or made accessible by Employee to any
other person or entity, either during or after the termination of Employee’s employment, or used by
Employee except
during the Employment Period in the business and for the benefit of the Company without prior
written permission of the Company. Employee shall deliver to the Company all tangible evidence of
such confidential information prior to or at the termination of Employee’s employment.
-2-
VII. INVOLUNTARY TERMINATION
A. | Certain Definitions. As used in Sections 7, 8, 9 and 10 of this Agreement: |
1. “Cause” means, and is limited to, (1) action by Employee involving willful
malfeasance, (2) failure to act by Employee involving material and willful
nonfeasance or (3) Employee being convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude, in
each such case resulting in a material adverse effect on the Company; provided,
however, that Employee’s employment shall not be terminated for “Cause” if such
termination took place as a result of any act or omission believed by Employee in
good faith to have been in the best interest of the Company.
2. “Change of Control Event” shall mean a change in ownership or control of the
Company effected through any of the following transactions: (i) the acquisition,
directly or indirectly by any person or related group of persons, of beneficial
ownership of securities possessing more than thirty percent (30%) of the total
combined voting power of the Company’s outstanding securities; (2) a change in the
composition of the Board over a period of eighteen (18) consecutive months or less
such that fifty percent (50%) or more of the Board members cease to be directors who
either (A) have been directors continuously since the beginning of such period or (B)
have been unanimously elected or nominated by the Board for election as directors
during such period; (iii) a stockholder-approved merger or consolidation to which the
Company is a party and in which (A) the company is not the surviving entity or (B)
securities possessing more than thirty percent (30%) of the total combined voting
power of the Company’s outstanding securities are transferred to a person or persons
different from the persons holding those securities immediately prior to such
transaction; or (iv) the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially
all of the Company’s assets in complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company.
3. “Continuing Director” means any person who is either (1) a Director on December 4,
1992, or (2) was designated before such person’s initial election as a Director as a
Continuing Director by a majority of the Continuing Directors.
4. “Director” means a member of the Board of the Company (“the Board”).
5. “Disability” means, as applied to Employee, that (1) Employee has been totally
incapacitated by bodily injury or disease so as to be prevented thereby from engaging
in any occupation or employment for remuneration or profit, (2) such total incapacity
shall have continued for a period of 3 (three) consecutive months and (3) such total
incapacity will, in the opinion of a qualified physician mutually acceptable to the
Company and Employee, be permanent and continuous during the remainder of Employee’s
life.
6. “Good Reason” means (1) without Employee’s specific written consent (A) (i) the
assignment to Employee of any duties and responsibilities, or any limitation of
Employee’s duties and responsibilities, inconsistent with Employee’s positions,
duties, responsibilities
-3-
and status as an officer of the Company immediately prior to the date of a Change of
Control Event or (ii) any removal of Employee from, or any failure to re-elect
Employee to, any of Employee’s positions with the Company immediately prior to a
Change of Control Event, except in connection with the termination of the employment
of Employee by the Company for Cause or as a result of the death or Disability of
Employee, and (B) the continuance thereof for a period of not less than 20 days after
written complaint thereof to the Company from Employee; (2) any failure by the
Company to pay, or any reduction by the Company of, the salary payable to Employee
under Section 3 of this Agreement; (3) any failure by the Company (A) to continue to
provide Employee with the opportunity to participate, on terms no less favorable than
those in effect immediately prior to a Change of Control Event, in any benefit plan
or program in which Employee was participating immediately prior to the Change of
Control Event, or their equivalent, or (B) to provide Employee with all other fringe
benefits, or their equivalent, from time to time in effect for the benefit of any of
the Company’s salaried employees; (4) the relocation, without Employee’s written
consent, of the principal place of Employee’s employment to a location that is more
than 25 miles from Denver, Colorado; (5) continuing Directors no longer constitute at
least a majority of the Directors constituting the Board; (6) the failure by the
Company to obtain the specific assumption of this Agreement by a successor or assign
of the Company or by any person acquiring substantially all of the Company’s assets;
or (7) any material breach by the Company of any provision of this Agreement.
7. “Involuntary Termination” means (1) dismissal of Employee by the Company without
Cause or (2) voluntary resignation by Employee for Good Reason during the Employment
Period, provided that clause (2) of this subsection (g) shall only apply after a
Change of Control Event has occurred.
B. | Compensation of Employee in the Event of Involuntary Termination. If Involuntary Termination occurs: |
1. The Company shall continue (1) to pay the salary payable to Employee under Section
3 of this Agreement for a period of one year from the date of the Involuntary
Termination and (2) to provide the employee benefits (including, but not limited to,
life, health and disability coverage but not including any severance pay benefit
other than that provided pursuant to this Agreement) at levels that were applicable
to Employee on the date immediately prior to the Involuntary Termination, or shall
provide their equivalent through insurance coverage or other arrangements, for a
period equal to one year following the Involuntary Termination; and
2. The Company shall pay Employee (1) all amounts which had accrued but were not paid
prior to the Involuntary Termination and (2) all amounts payable under then existing
employee benefit plans and programs.
-4-
VIII. TERMINATION DUE TO DEATH OR DISABILITY
In the event of Employee’s Disability, Employee’s employment hereunder may be terminated by
the Company upon written notice from the Company to Employee which shall specify a date not less
than 30 days from the date of such notice as the date on which such termination shall become
effective. If Employee’s employment hereunder is terminated because of the death or Disability of
Employee, Employee, or Employee’s heirs, executors or administrators if termination is because of
the death of Employee, shall be entitled to receive the salary payable to Employee under Section 3
of this Agreement for six months after the end of the month in which such termination occurs.
IX. TERMINATION FOR CAUSE
If the Company terminates Employee’s employment for Cause, such termination shall relieve the
Company of its obligation to make any further payments under this Agreement except (a) payments
under employee benefit plans and programs and (b) payments of amounts which had accrued but were
not yet paid prior to such termination. Termination of Employee’s employment for Cause shall be
communicated by delivery by the Company to Employee of a written notice of termination together
with a copy of a resolution which has been adopted by the affirmative vote of not less than
three-quarters of the Directors then constituting the Board at a Board meeting called and held for
that purpose, after reasonable notice to Employee and reasonable opportunity for Employee, together
with Employee’s counsel, to be heard by the Board prior to such vote, and which states that in the
good faith opinion of the Board, Employee was guilty of conduct specified in Section 7.1(a) of this
Agreement and sets forth the particulars thereof. No termination of Employee’s employment for
Cause shall be effective unless the Company complies with the procedure specified in the preceding
sentence.
X. VOLUNTARY TERMINATION
If Employee shall voluntarily terminate his employment for other than Good Reason, all
payments required by this Agreement shall cease, and Employee shall have no further rights to
payments hereunder except (a) payment of amounts which had accrued but were not paid prior to such
voluntary termination and (b) payment of amounts payable under employee benefit plans and programs.
XI. SURVIVAL
The covenants, agreements, representations and warranties contained in or made pursuant to
this Agreement shall survive Employee’s termination of employment, irrespective of any
investigation made by or on behalf of any party.
XII. MODIFICATION
This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject
matter hereof, supersedes all existing agreements between them concerning such subject matter, and
may be modified only by a written instrument duly executed by each party.
-5-
XIII. NOTICES
Any notice or other communication required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be in
writing and shall be mailed by certified mail, return receipt requested, or delivered against
receipt to the party to whom it is to be given at the address of such party set forth in the
preamble to this Agreement (or to such other address as the party shall have furnished in writing
in accordance with the provisions of this Section 13). Any notice given to the Company shall be
addressed to the attention of the Corporate Secretary. Notice to the estate of Employee shall be
sufficient if addressed to Employee as provided in this Section 13. Any notice or other
communication given by certified mail shall be deemed given at the time of certification thereof,
except for a notice changing a party’s address, which shall be deemed given at the time of receipt
thereof.
XIV. WAIVER
Any waiver by either party of a breach of any provision of this Agreement shall not operate as
or be construed to be a waiver of any other breach of that provision or of any breach of any other
provision of this Agreement. The failure of a party to insist on strict adherence to any term of
this Agreement on one or more occasions shall not be considered a waiver or deprive that party of
the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that term or any other term of this
Agreement. Any waiver must be in writing.
XV. BINDING EFFECT
Employee’s rights and obligations under this Agreement shall not be transferable by assignment
or otherwise; such rights shall not be subject to commutation, encumbrance or the claims of
Employee’s creditors, and any attempt to do any of the foregoing shall be void. The provisions of
this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of Employee and Employee’s heirs and
personal representatives, and shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Company, its
successors and assigns.
XVI. NO THIRD-PARTY BENEFICIARIES
This Agreement does not create, and shall not be construed as creating, any rights enforceable
by any person not a party to this Agreement, except as provided herein.
XVII. HEADINGS
The headings in this Agreement are solely for the convenience of reference and shall be given
no effect in the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
XVIII. COUNTERPARTS; GOVERNING LAW
This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an
original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. It shall be
governed by
-6-
and construed in accordance with laws of the State of Colorado, without giving effect to the
conflict of laws.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have duly executed this Agreement as of the date first above
written.
ROYAL GOLD, INC. |
||||
By: | ||||
Name: | Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx | |||
Title: | Chairman and CEO | |||
EMPLOYEE: |
||||
-7-
SCHEDULE OF FRINGE BENEFITS
Comprehensive Medical Insurance
Life Insurance
Long-Term Disability
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Paid Vacations
Profit Sharing Plan
Paid Holidays
Approved Training/Educational Development
Parking
Schedule of Certain Executive Officers Parties to the Employment Contract
Base Salary | ||||||||
Year Ended | ||||||||
Name | Position | Date | June 30, 2005 | |||||
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
|
Chairman of the Board of | 2/8/93 | $ | 275,000 | ||||
Director and Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||
Xxxxx X. Xxxxx
|
Vice President and Secretary | 2/8/93 | 133,500 | |||||
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
|
Vice President Corporate | 12/20/00 | 125,000 | |||||
Development | ||||||||
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
|
Treasurer and Chief Accounting | 2/18/05 | 115,000 | |||||
Officer | ||||||||
Xxxxx Parcel
|
Vice President and General | 6/1/05 | 175,000 | |||||
Counsel |