EXHIBIT 10.17
(CEO/CFO)
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
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This Employment Agreement (the "Agreement") is made and entered into effective
as of November 26, 1997, by and between Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx, III (the "Employee")
and Cymer, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the "Company").
R E C I T A L S
A. The Company may from time to time need to address the possibility of an
acquisition transaction or change of control event. The Board of Directors of
the Company (the "Board") recognizes that such events can be a distraction to
the Employee and can cause the Employee to consider alternative employment
opportunities. The Board has determined that it is in the best interests of the
Company and its stockholders to assure that the Company will have the continued
dedication and objectivity of the Employee, notwithstanding the possibility,
threat or occurrence of a Change of Control (as defined below) of the Company,
although no such Change is now contemplated.
B. The Board believes that it is in the best interests of the Company and its
stockholders to provide the Employee with an incentive to continue his
employment and to motivate the Employee to maximize the value of the Company
upon a Change of Control for the benefit of its stockholders.
C. The Board believes that it is imperative to provide the Employee with
certain benefits upon a Change of Control and, under certain circumstances, upon
termination of the Employee's employment in connection with a Change of Control,
which benefits are intended to provide the Employee with financial security and
provide sufficient incentive and encouragement to the Employee to remain with
the Company notwithstanding the possibility of a Change of Control.
D. To accomplish the foregoing objectives, the Board has directed the Company,
upon execution of this Agreement by the Employee, to agree to the terms provided
herein.
E. Certain capitalized terms used in this Agreement are defined in Section 7
below.
A G R E E M E N T
In consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained, and in consideration
of the continuing employment of the Employee by the Company, the parties agree
as follows:
1. DUTIES AND SCOPE OF EMPLOYMENT. The Company shall employ the Employee in
the position of Sr. Vice President and Chief Financial Officer as such position
has been defined in terms of responsibilities and compensation as of the
effective date of this Agreement; provided, however, that the Board shall have
the right, at any time prior to the occurrence of a Change of Control, to revise
such responsibilities and compensation as the Board in its discretion may deem
necessary or appropriate. The Employee shall comply with and be bound by the
Company's operating policies, procedures and practices from time to time in
effect during his employment. During the term of the Employee's employment with
the Company, the Employee shall continue to devote his full time, skill and
attention to his duties and responsibilities, and shall perform them faithfully,
diligently and competently, and the Employee shall use his best efforts to
further the business of the Company and its affiliated entities.
2. BASE COMPENSATION. The Company shall pay the Employee as compensation for
his services a base salary at the annualized rate of $200,000.00. Such salary
shall be paid periodically in accordance with normal Company payroll practices.
The Board or the Compensation Committee of the Board shall review the base
salary of the
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Employee according to normal Company practice, but no less frequently than
annually, and may in its discretion increase but not decrease the base salary
below the amount specified in this agreement.
3. ANNUAL INCENTIVE. Beginning with the Company's current fiscal year and for
each fiscal year thereafter during the term of this Agreement, the Employee
shall be eligible to receive an annual bonus under the Company's annual
incentive plan (the "Annual Incentive") based upon performance targets approved
by the Compensation Committee of the Board (the "Target Incentive"). The Annual
Incentive payable hereunder shall be payable in accordance with the Company's
normal practices and policies.
4. EMPLOYEE BENEFITS. The Employee shall be eligible to participate in the
employee benefit plans and executive compensation programs maintained by the
Company applicable to other key executives of the Company, including (without
limitation) retirement plans, savings or profit-sharing plans, stock option,
incentive or other bonus plans, life, disability, health, accident and other
insurance programs, paid vacations, and similar plans or programs, subject in
each case to the generally applicable terms and conditions of the applicable
plan or program in question and to the sole determination of the Board or any
committee administering such plan or program.
5. EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP. The Company and the Employee acknowledge that the
Employee's employment is and shall continue to be at-will, as defined under
applicable law. If the Employee's employment terminates for any reason, the
Employee shall not be entitled to any payments, benefits, damages, awards or
compensation other than as provided by this Agreement, or as may otherwise be
available in accordance with the Company's established employee plans and
policies at the time of termination.
6. TERMINATION BENEFITS.
(a) Subject to Sections 8 and 9 below, in the event the Employee's
employment terminates as a result of an Involuntary Termination other than
for Cause upon or within eighteen (18) months after a Change of Control,
then the Employee shall be entitled to receive severance and other benefits
as follows:
(i) PAY CONTINUATION. The Employee shall be entitled to monthly
payments equal to the Employee's monthly Base Compensation as in
effect immediately prior to the Change of Control plus one-twelfth
(1/12) of the average of the annual bonus amount paid to the Employee
with respect to the three previous calendar years. Such monthly
amounts shall be paid according to the normal payroll practice of the
Company for 12 months following the date of termination (the
"Termination Period").
(ii) ANNUAL INCENTIVE. The Employee shall be entitled to receive a
percentage of the Employee's Target Incentive for the calendar year in
which such termination occurs. Such percentage shall equal a fraction,
the numerator of which shall be the number of days in such calendar
year up to and including the date of such termination and the
denominator of which shall be the number of days in such calendar
year. Such amount shall be payable according to the normal practice
of the Company with respect to the payment of bonuses.
(iii) OPTIONS. The unvested portion of any stock option(s) held by
the Employee under the Company's stock option plans shall vest and
become exercisable in full upon the date of such termination.
(iv) MEDICAL BENEFITS. The Company shall reimburse the Employee for
the cost of the Employee's group health, vision and dental plan
coverage in effect until the end of the Termination Period.
The Employee may use this payment, as well as any other payment
made under this Section 6, for such continuation coverage or
for any other purpose. To the extent the Employee pays the cost
of such coverage, and the cost of such coverage is not
deductible as a medical expense by the Employee, the Company
shall "gross-up" the amount of such reimbursement for all taxes
payable by the Employee on the amount of such reimbursement and
the amount of such gross-up.
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(b) In the event the Employee voluntarily resigns his employment with the
Company within the 30-day period beginning one year after a Change of
Control, the Employee shall receive the severance and other benefits
set forth in Sections 6(a)(i)-(iv) above.
7. DEFINITION OF TERMS. The following terms referred to in this Agreement
shall have the following meanings:
(a) CAUSE. "Cause" shall mean (i) any act of personal dishonesty taken by
the Employee in connection with his responsibilities as an employee and
intended to result in substantial personal enrichment of the Employee, (ii)
conviction of a felony that is injurious to the Company, (iii) a willful
act by the Employee which constitutes gross misconduct and which is
injurious to the Company, and (iv) continued violations by the Employee of
the Employee's obligations under Section 1 of this Agreement that are
demonstrably willful and deliberate on the Employee's part after there has
been delivered to the Employee a written demand for performance from the
Company which describes the basis for the Company's belief that the
Employee has not substantially performed his duties.
(b) CHANGE OF CONTROL. "Change of Control" shall mean the occurrence of
any of the following events:
(i) The acquisition by any "person" (as such term is used in
Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) (other than the Company
or a person that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or
is under common control with, the Company) of the "beneficial
ownership" (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under said Act), directly or
indirectly, of securities of the Company representing fifty percent
(50%) or more of the total voting power represented by the Company's
then outstanding voting securities; or
(ii) A change in the composition of the Board of Directors of the
Company occurring within a two-year period, as a result of which fewer
than a majority of the directors are Incumbent Directors. "Incumbent
Directors" shall mean directors who either (A) are directors of the
Company as of the date hereof, or (B) are elected, or nominated for
election, to the Board of Directors of the Company with the
affirmative votes of at least a majority of the Incumbent Directors at
the time of such election or nomination (but shall not include an
individual not otherwise an Incumbent Director whose election or
nomination is in connection with an actual or threatened proxy contest
relating to the election of directors to the Company); or
(iii) A merger or consolidation of the Company with any other
corporation, 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 by
being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity) at
least fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power represented by the
voting securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding
immediately after such merger or consolidation, or the approval by the
stockholders of the Company of a plan of complete liquidation of the
Company or of an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company
of all or substantially all the Company's assets.
(c) DISABILITY. "Disability" shall mean that the Employee has been unable
to substantially perform his duties under this Agreement as the result of
his incapacity due to physical or mental illness, and such inability, at
least 26 weeks after its commencement, is determined to be total and
permanent by a physician selected by the Company or its insurers and
acceptable to the Employee or the Employee's legal representative (such
agreement as to acceptability not to be unreasonably withheld).
(d) EXCHANGE ACT. "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended.
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(e) INVOLUNTARY TERMINATION. "Involuntary Termination" shall mean (i)
without the Employee's express written consent, the significant reduction
of the Employee's duties or responsibilities relative to the Employee's
duties or responsibilities in effect immediately prior to such reduction;
provided, however, that a reduction in duties or responsibilities solely by
virtue of the Company being acquired and made part of a larger entity (as,
for example, when the Chief Financial Officer of Company remains as such
following a Change of Control and is not made the Chief Financial Officer
of the acquiring corporation) shall not constitute an "Involuntary
Termination"; (ii) without the Employee's express written consent, a
substantial reduction, without good business reasons, of the facilities and
perquisites (including office space and location) available to the Employee
immediately prior to such reduction; (iii) without the Employee's express
written consent, a material reduction by the Company in the Base
Compensation or Target Incentive of the Employee as in effect immediately
prior to such reduction, or the ineligibility of the Employee to continue
to participate in any long-term incentive plan of the Company; (iv) a
material reduction by the Company in the kind or level of employee benefits
to which the Employee is entitled immediately prior to such reduction with
the result that the Employee's overall benefits package is significantly
reduced; (v) the relocation of the Employee to a facility or a location
more than 50 miles from the Employee's then present location, without the
Employee's express written consent; (vi) any purported termination of the
Employee by the Company which is not effected for death or Disability or
for Cause, or any purported termination for which the grounds relied upon
are not valid; or (vii) the failure of the Company to obtain the assumption
of this agreement by any successors contemplated in Section 10 below.
8. LIMITATION ON PAYMENTS.
(a) In the event that the severance and other benefits provided for in
this Agreement or otherwise payable to the Employee (i) constitute
"parachute payments" within the meaning of Section 280G of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") and (ii) but for this Section
8 would be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code,
then the Employee's severance benefits under Section 6 shall be payable
either (i) in full, or (ii) as to such lesser amount which would result in
no portion of such severance benefits being subject to excise tax under
Section 4999 of the Code, whichever of the foregoing amounts, taking into
account the applicable federal, state and local income taxes and the excise
tax imposed by Section 4999, results in the receipt by the Employee on an
after-tax basis, of the greatest amount of severance benefits under this
Agreement, notwithstanding that all or some portion of such severance
benefits may be taxable under Section 4999 of the Code.
(b) If a reduction in the payments and benefits that would otherwise be
paid or provided to the Employee under the terms of this Agreement is
necessary to comply with the provisions of Section 8(a), the Employee shall
be entitled to select which payments or benefits will be reduced and the
manner and method of any such reduction of such payments or benefits
(including but not limited to the number of options that would vest under
Section 6(b) subject to reasonable limitations (including, for example,
express provisions under the Company's benefit plans) (so long as the
requirements of Section 8(a) are met). Within thirty (30) days after the
amount of any required reduction in payments and benefits is finally
determined in accordance with the provisions of Section 8(c), the Employee
shall notify the Company in writing regarding which payments or benefits
are to be reduced. If no notification is given by the Employee, the
Company will determine which amounts to reduce. If, as a result of any
reduction required by Section 8(a), amounts previously paid to the Employee
exceed the amount to which the Employee is entitled, the Employee will
promptly return the excess amount to the Company.
(c ) Unless the Company and the Employee otherwise agree in writing, any
determination required under this Section 8 shall be made in writing by the
Company's independent public accountants (the "Accountants"), whose
determination shall be conclusive and binding upon the Employee and the
Company for all purposes. For purposes of making the calculations required
by this Section 8, the Accountants may make reasonable assumptions and
approximations concerning applicable taxes and may rely on reasonable, good
faith interpretations concerning the application of Sections 280G and 4999
of the Code. The Company and the Employee shall furnish to the Accountants
such information and documents
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as the Accountants may reasonably request in order to make a determination
under this Section. The Company shall bear all costs the Accountants may
reasonably incur in connection with any calculations contemplated by this
Section 8.
9. CERTAIN BUSINESS COMBINATIONS. In the event it is determined by the Board,
upon receipt of a written opinion of the Company's independent public
accountants, that the enforcement of any Section or subsection of this
Agreement, including, but not limited to, Section 6(b) hereof, which allows for
the acceleration of vesting of options to purchase shares of the Company's
common stock upon a termination in connection with a Change of Control, would
preclude accounting for any proposed business combination of the Company
involving a Change of Control as a pooling of interests, and the Board otherwise
desires to approve such a proposed business transaction which requires as a
condition to the closing of such transaction that it be accounted for as a
pooling of interests, then any such Section of this Agreement shall be null and
void, but only if the absence of enforcement of such Section would preserve the
pooling treatment. For purposes of this Section 9, the Board's determination
shall require the unanimous approval of the disinterested Board members.
10. SUCCESSORS.
(a) COMPANY'S SUCCESSORS. Any successor to the Company (whether direct or
indirect and whether by purchase, lease, merger, consolidation, liquidation
or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the Company's business and
assets shall assume the obligations under this Agreement and agree
expressly to perform the obligations under this Agreement in the same
manner and to the same extent as the Company would be required to perform
such obligations in the absence of a succession. For all purposes under
this Agreement, the term "Company" shall include any successor to the
Company's business and assets which executes and delivers the assumption
agreement described in this Section 10(a) or which becomes bound by the
terms of this Agreement by operation of law.
(b) EMPLOYEE'S SUCCESSORS. The terms of this Agreement and all rights of
the Employee hereunder shall inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable
by, the Employee's personal or legal representatives, executors,
administrators, successors, heirs, devisees and legatees.
11. NOTICE. Notices and all other communications contemplated by this
Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when
personally delivered or when mailed by U.S. registered or certified mail, return
receipt requested and postage prepaid. In the case of the Employee, mailed
notices shall be addressed to him at the home address which he most recently
communicated to the Company in writing. In the case of the Company, mailed
notices shall be addressed to its corporate headquarters, and all notices shall
be directed to the attention of its Secretary.
12. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.
(a) WAIVER. No provision of this Agreement shall be modified, waived or
discharged unless the modification, waiver or discharge is agreed to in
writing and signed by the Employee and by an authorized officer of the
Company (other than the Employee). No waiver by either party of any breach
of, or of compliance with, any condition or provision of this Agreement by
the other party shall be considered a waiver of any other condition or
provision or of the same condition or provision at another time.
(b) WHOLE AGREEMENT. No agreements, representations or understandings
(whether oral or written and whether express or implied) which are not
expressly set forth in this Agreement have been made or entered into by
either party with respect to the subject matter hereof.
(c ) CHOICE OF LAW. The validity, interpretation, construction and
performance of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of
California.
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(d) SEVERABILITy. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision or
provisions of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or
enforceability of any other provision hereof, which shall remain in full
force and effect.
(e) ARBITRATION. Any dispute or controversy arising out of, relating to
or in connection with this Agreement shall be settled exclusively by
binding arbitration in San Diego, California, in accordance with the
National Rules for the Resolution of Employment Disputes of the American
Arbitration Association then in effect. Judgment may be entered on the
arbitrator's award in any court having jurisdiction. The Company and the
Employee shall each pay one-half of the costs and expenses of such
arbitration, and each shall separately pay its counsel fees and expenses.
Punitive damages shall not be awarded.
(f) NO ASSIGNMENT OF BENEFITS. The rights of any person to payments or
benefits under this Agreement shall not be made subject to option or
assignment, either by voluntary or involuntary assignment or by operation
of law, including (without limitation) bankruptcy, garnishment, attachment
or other creditor's process, and any action in violation of this Section
12(g) shall be void.
(g) ASSIGNMENT BY COMPANY. The Company may assign its rights under this
Agreement to an affiliate, and an affiliate may assign its rights under
this Agreement to another affiliate of the Company or to the Company;
provided, however, that no assignment shall be made if the net worth of the
assignee is less than the net worth of the Company at the time of
assignment. In the case of any such assignment, the term "Company" when
used in a section of this Agreement shall mean the corporation that
actually employs the Employee.
(h) COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of
which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together will
constitute one and the same instrument.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has executed this Agreement, in the case
of the Company by its duly authorized officer, as of the day and year first
above written.
COMPANY: CYMER, INC.
By: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title: Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and
President
/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
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EMPLOYEE: /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx, III
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Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx, III
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