FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.24
FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
This First Amended and Restated Employment Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made this 22nd day of May, 2023 by and between Xxxxx Xxxxxx, MD (“Employee”), and Morphogenesis, Inc. (the “Company”). Employee and the Company are hereinafter sometimes referred to individually as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties.” This Agreement amends and restates that certain Employment Agreement, dated July 1, 2021, between Employee and the Company (the “Original Employment Agreement”).
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Original Employment Agreement, the Company employed Employee as Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of the Company; and
WHEREAS, on or immediately after the date of this Agreement, the Company plans to enter into an Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among the Company, CohBar, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“CohBar”), and Chimera MergeCo,Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of CohBar (“Merger Sub”), pursuant to which, subject to the conditions specified in said Agreement and Plan of Merger, Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company, with the Company surviving the merger and pursuant to which the outstanding equity securities of the Company immediately prior to the merger being converted into the right to receive equity securities of CohBar (the “Merger Transaction”);
1. Employment. The Company hereby agrees to employ the Employee to serve as the President and CEO of the Company, and the Employee agrees to accept such employment and perform such services, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein. Employee agrees to work full time from the Company’s headquarters in Tampa, Florida. Upon the closing of the Merger Transaction, Employee will also become the President and CEO of CohBar, reporting to the Board of Directors of CohBar.
2. Term. Unless the Employee’s employment shall sooner terminate pursuant to Section 9, the Company shall employ the Employee for a term commencing on the date hereof (the “Start Date”) and ending on the second anniversary of the Start Date (the “Initial Period”). Effective upon the expiration of the Initial Period and of each Additional Period (as defined below), the Employee’s employment hereunder shall be deemed to be automatically extended, upon the same terms and conditions, for an additional period of one year (each, an “Additional Period”), in each such case, commencing upon the expiration of the Initial Period or the then current Additional Period, as the case may be, unless, at least ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the Initial Period or any Additional Period, either Party shall give written notice to the other (a “Non-Extension Notice”) of its intention not to extend the term hereof. A Non-Extension Notice delivered by the Company or CohBar shall require the approval of a majority of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) and shall constitute a termination without Cause under Section 9. From and after the Merger Transaction, the term “Board” shall for purposes hereof refer to the Board of Directors of CohBar.
3. Duties and Scope of Employment.
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4. Compensation. As compensation for his services hereunder and in consideration of the covenants set forth in Section 12C below, the Company shall pay to the Employee the following compensation, subject to applicable withholding taxes:
B. | Annual Bonus. Employee will be eligible to earn an annual performance bonus each calendar year based upon Employee’s actual achievement for the calendar year relative to certain specified objective or subjective performance goals, as determined by the Board in its sole discretion. Specifically: |
a. | Employee will be eligible to earn a target bonus for a calendar year of performance based upon Employee’s achievement of specified reasonable and achievable individual, financial and/or business goals (the “Target Bonus Goals”), which goals are established, after consultation with Employee, by the Board no later than sixty (60) days after the beginning of each calendar year of performance; provided that the Target Bonus Goals for the given calendar year of performance shall be established by March 1. Employee will be eligible to receive a target bonus of at least one hundred percent (100%) of his Base Salary upon one hundred percent (100%) achievement of the Target Bonus Goals. Employee may be eligible to earn a greater bonus amount (up to one hundred twenty five percent (125%) of his Base Salary) if actual performance exceeds the Target Bonus Goals For purposes of clarity, the Board may approve individual Target Bonus Goals which, if achieved, will result in some portion of the target bonus being achieved, as determined by the Board in its’ sole discretion. The Board may also, in its’ sole discretion, approve discretionary bonuses in any amount at any time. |
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b. | Except as otherwise specifically stated herein, Employee must be employed by or providing services to the Company on the date bonus payments are made to be eligible to receive any target or additional bonus amounts (Employee will not receive any target or additional bonus amounts if Employee’s service terminates, for any reason, prior to the date either such bonus amount is paid). The Board will generally determine annual bonuses for a particular year within ninety (90) days after the end of that year. |
c. | The Company will also pay for a Two Million Dollar ($2,000,000) term life insurance policy for the benefit of Employee’s designated beneficiaries, with the policy and terms to be selected by the Company. |
5. Employee Benefits. The Employee (and where permitted, his dependents) shall be entitled to participate in all employee benefit plans and programs (including, without limitation, profit sharing, medical, disability and life insurance plans and programs) that are established and made generally available by the Company (or, after the Merger Transaction, CohBar) from time to time to its executive employees, subject, however, to the applicable eligibility requirements and other provisions of such plans and programs (including, without limitation, requirements as to position, tenure, location, salary, age and health), provided that the Company will continue to maintain and make available to Employee the benefit plans in effect as of the date of this Agreement.
6. Vacation and Sick Leave. Employee will be entitled to paid vacation of four (4) weeks per year in accordance with the Company’s vacation policy, with the timing and duration of specific vacations mutually and reasonably agreed to by parties hereto, which shall be subject to Company policy regarding paid time off and sick time.
7. Reimbursement of Expenses. The Company shall promptly reimburse the Employee for all reasonable and necessary travel, entertainment and other expenses incurred by him in connection with the performance of his duties hereunder in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Company as in effect from time to time.
8. Medical License Fees. The Company shall promptly reimburse Employee for all reasonable and necessary costs and expenses incurred by Employee to maintain Employee’s medical license, society memberships, and associated annual society medical publication fees and costs associated with attending necessary medical conferences.
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9. Termination. Either the Company or Employee may terminate Employee’s employment prior to the expiration or completion of the term as set forth in Section 2 hereof by providing written notice of termination to the other, subject to the following:
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F. | No Mitigation. Employee shall not be required to mitigate the amount of any payment or benefit contemplated by this Section 9, nor shall any such payment or benefit be reduced by any earnings or benefits that the Employee may receive from any other source. |
G. | Termination by Company or CohBar. Any decision by Company or Cohbar to terminate this Agreement and/or Employee’s employment shall require the affirmative approval of a majority of then-existing members of the Board. |
10. Definitions.
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B. | Change of Control. For purposes of this Agreement, “Change of Control” of the Company is defined as: (i) any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) is or becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under said Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing thirty percent (30%) or more of the total voting power represented by the Company’s then outstanding voting securities; or (ii) the date of the consummation of a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation that has been approved by the shareholders of the Company, 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) more than ninety percent (90%) 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 shareholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company; or (iv) the date of the consummation of the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all the Company’s assets; provided that a transaction shall not constitute a Change of Control for purposes of this Agreement unless it is a “change in the ownership or effective control” of the Company, or a change “in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets” of the Company within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code. “Incumbent Directors” will mean directors who either (i) are members of the Company as of the date hereof, or (ii) are elected, or nominated for election, to the Board with the affirmative votes of at least a majority of the Incumbent Directors at the time of such election or nomination (but will not include an individual whose election or nomination is in connection with an actual or threatened proxy contest relating to the election of directors to the Company). For purposes of clarity, the Merger Transaction shall not be deemed to be a Change of Control for purposes of this Agreement. |
11. Non-Disparagement. During the Term and at any time thereafter, neither the Company on the one hand, nor the Employee on the other hand, shall, directly or indirectly, (i) knowingly make any statement, whether in commercial or noncommercial speech, disparaging or criticizing in any way the other Party, or any products or services offered by the Company (or, after the Merger Transaction, the Company Group), nor (ii) knowingly engage in any other conduct or make any other statement (oral or written, including on Social Media) that is likely to impair the goodwill or reputation of such Party.
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12. Employee’s Cooperation. During the Term, and at any time thereafter, the Employee shall, at reasonable times and with due regard for his other obligations, cooperate with the Compamy in any internal investigation, any administrative, regulatory or judicial proceeding or any dispute with a third party as reasonably requested by the Company (including, without limitation, the Employee being available to the Company upon reasonable notice for interviews and factual investigations, appearing at the Company’s request to give testimony without requiring service of a subpoena or other legal process, volunteering to the Company all pertinent information and turning over to Morphogenesis all relevant documents which are or may come into the Employee’s possession, all at times and on schedules that are reasonably consistent with the Employee’s other permitted activities and commitments). If the Company requires the Employee’s cooperation in accordance with this Section, the Company shall reimburse the Employee for all expenses, including travel expenses (including lodging and meals) reasonably incurred in connection with the Employee’s cooperation, upon submission of receipts and provided such expenses otherwise conform to the Company’s travel and reimbursement policy and/or practices, such cooperation shall be subject to approval by the Employee’s future Employer.
C. | Confidentiality, Non-Compete, Waiver and Assignment of Inventions. Employee shall be subject to Company policy regarding Confidentiality, Non-Compete and Assignment of Inventions and has signed and will continue to be subject to the Company’s Confidentiality Agreement, Non-compete Agreement and the Invention Assignment Agreement. |
D. | Employee’s restrictive covenants as set forth in this Agreement shall, following the Merger Transaction, be applicable to all companies included in the Company Group. |
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13. Enforceability of Restrictive Covenants.
14. Waiver. The obligations of Employee under this Agreement shall survive termination of Employee’s employment or engagement with the Company. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be effective unless in writing and executed by the party waiving the right. The Parties agree that the covenants included in this Agreement are, taken as a whole, reasonable in their duration and scope and necessary to protect the present and prospective interests of the Company and it is the desire and intent of the parties that the provisions of this Agreement shall be enforced to the fullest extent permissible under law and equity where enforcement is sought. Further, Employee acknowledges that the covenants included in this Agreement are the least restrictive means to protect Morphogenesis’s legitimate business interests.
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15. Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability or any one or more provisions of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect. If any provision of this Agreement, or any part thereof, is held by a court in a judicial proceeding to be unenforceable because of the duration of such provision, the parties agree that the court making such determination shall have the power to reduce the duration of such provision, and/or to delete specific words or phrases to the extent necessary to permit the remaining covenants to be enforced, and in its reduced form, such provision shall then be enforceable and shall be enforced.
16. Conflict. The Employee hereby represents and warrants to the Company that the execution and delivery of this Agreement by him and the performance by him of his obligations hereunder, shall not constitute (with or without notice or lapse of time or both) a default, breach or violation of any understanding, contract or commitment, written or oral, express or implied, to which the Employee is a party or to which the Employee is or may be bound, including, without limitation, any understanding, contract or commitment with any present or former employer. The Employee hereby agrees to indemnify and hold the Company harmless from and against any and all claims, losses, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any default, breach or violation by the Employee of any such understanding, contract or commitment.
17. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding of the Parties and supersedes all prior agreements, understandings, arrangements, promises and commitments, whether written or oral, express, or implied, relating to the subject matter hereof, and all such prior agreements, understandings, arrangements, promises, and commitments are hereby canceled and terminated.
18. Amendment. This Agreement may not be amended, supplemented, or modified in whole or in part except by an instrument in writing signed by the Party against whom enforcement of any such amendment, supplement or modification is sought.
19. Notices. Any notice, request or other document required or permitted to be given under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed given (i) upon delivery, if delivered by hand, (ii) seven (7) days after the date of deposit in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed by U.S. certified or registered mail, or (iii) or three (3) business day, if sent by prepaid overnight courier service, in each case, addressed as follows:
If to the Employee, to:
Xxxxx Xxxxxx, MD
[***]
Or successor address upon a move to Tampa
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If to the Company, to:
Chief Financial Officer
00000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Tampa, Florida 33612
Any Party may change the address to which notice shall be sent by giving notice of such change of address to the other Party in the manner provided above.
20. Advice of Counsel; Time to Consider. The Employee hereby acknowledges that he has been advised by the Company to consult with an attorney before signing this Agreement and has had adequate time to consider the terms and conditions of this Agreement prior to its execution.
21. Section 409A. It is intended that this Agreement will comply with Section 409A of the Code (and any regulations and guidelines issued thereunder) to the extent the Agreement is subject thereto, and the Agreement shall be interpreted on a basis consistent with such intent. If an amendment to the Agreement is necessary in order for it to comply with Section 409A, the Parties hereto will negotiate in good faith to amend the Agreement in a manner that preserves the original intent of the Parties to the extent reasonably possible. In no event whatsoever shall the Company be liable for any tax, interest or penalties that may be imposed on the Employee under Section 409A. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no particular tax result for the Employee with respect to any income recognized by the Employee in connection with this Agreement is guaranteed. The Company shall not have any obligation to indemnify or otherwise hold the Employee harmless from any or all such taxes, interest, or penalties, or liability for any damages related thereto. The Employee acknowledges that he has been advised to obtain independent legal, tax or other counsel in connection with Section 409A.
22. Choice of Law, Venue, and Waiver of Jury Trial. This Agreement, its interpretation, and all questions concerning the execution, validity, capacity of the parties and the performance of this Agreement, shall be governed solely by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to any choice of law principles that might direct application of the laws of any other jurisdiction.
23. Execution in Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
[Signatures on following page]
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MORPHOGENESIS, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Xxx Xxxxxxxx | |
Xxx Xxxxxxxx, Chief Financial Officer | ||
XXXXX XXXXXX | ||
/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Xxxxx Xxxxxx, MD, individually |