AGREEMENT AND GENERAL RELEASE
Exhibit 10.2
CELANESE CORPORATION LOGO)"/>
Celanese Corporation, its Subsidiaries and its Affiliates,
(“Employer” or “Company”), 0000 Xxxx
XXX Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000 and Xxxxxx X. Xxxx, his
heirs, executors, administrators, successors, and assigns
(“Employee”), agree that:
1. Last Day of Employment (Separation
Date). The last day of employment with
Celanese will be March 31, 2009, or such earlier date
mutually agreeable to both the Employer and Employee (the
“Separation Date”).
2. Consideration. In consideration
for signing this Agreement and General Release and compliance
with the promises made herein, Employer and Employee agree:
a. Voluntary Resignation. Employee
agrees to voluntarily resign from the Employer effective on the
Separation Date. Effective as of the close of business on such
Separation Date, Executive will resign from all positions he
holds as a corporate officer of the Company (including without
limitation any positions as an officer, employee
and/or
director), and from all positions held on behalf of the Company
(e.g., external board memberships, internal committee positions).
b. Separation Pay. Pursuant to the
terms of your offer letter dated March 18, 2005, the
Company will pay an amount equal to your current annual base
salary plus target bonus, for a total payment of $1,035,000,
less any lawful deductions. Such amount shall be paid in
installments as follows; (i) the first installment in the
amount of $517,500 (representing 50% of the total payment) will
be paid immediately upon the commencement of the “payment
period”, and (ii) the remaining $517,500 will be paid
in thirteen (13) substantially equal (bi-weekly)
installments that begin upon the commencement of the
“payment period”. For purposes of this
Section 2(b), the “payment period” shall mean the
period beginning on the earlier of (i) October 1,
2009, or (ii) the date which is six (6) months and one
day following the Separation Date, whichever is applicable,
subject to execution of this Agreement.
c. Bonus. Employee will be
eligible to receive a bonus payout for 2008, and a prorated
bonus payout for 2009 (based on the full months of service
completed during 2009), under the same terms and conditions, and
will be paid at the same time as other similarly situated
executives who receive a bonus payout for these performance
years. The 2008 bonus payout will be paid to the Employee during
the 2009 calendar year but in no event later than March 15,
2009, and the 2009 bonus payout will be paid to the Employee
during the 2010 calendar year but in no event later than
March 15, 2010. The 2008 and prorated 2009 bonus payouts
will be based on Company performance without modification for
Employee’s individual performance.
d. Deferred
Compensation. Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary in the Employee’s 2007 Deferral Agreement dated
April 2, 2007, the Employee shall be 100% vested in his
Restructured Account under the Celanese Corporation Deferred
Compensation Plan and the balance of such account (as adjusted
for notional investment earnings in accordance with
Section 2(b) of the Deferral Agreement), and the amount of
any Top-Up
Payment under Section 3(b) of such agreement, shall be paid
to the Employee in a single cash payment on the earlier of
(i) October 1, 2009 or (ii) the date which is six
(6) months and one day following the Separation Date,
whichever is applicable.
e. Equity Awards. In addition to
the Time Options and Performance Options that have previously
vested under the Employee’s respective Nonqualified Stock
Option Agreements dated April 18, 2005 and October 10,
2005, and as each agreement was amended effective April 2,
2007 under the terms of such agreements, the Employee will
(i) vest in 40,000 unvested Time Options on
December 31, 2008, (ii) vest in the remaining 40,000
unvested Time Options on March 31, 2009, under the terms of
such agreements,
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and (iii) vest in the remaining 75,000 unvested Performance
Options on December 31, 2008 under the terms of such
agreements. Once vested, all Time Options and Performance
Options shall be exercisable by the Employee through
December 31, 2010. Meanwhile, pursuant to the terms of the
Employee’s Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit
Agreement dated April 2, 2007 (the “RSU
Agreement”), the Employee will, depending on the
Employer’s actual financial results for the Performance
Period that commenced on April 1, 2007 and continues
through December 31, 2010, vest in the prorated portion of
the RSUs determined under Section 3(c)(ii)(y) of such
agreement and all remaining RSUs shall be canceled. Such vested
RSUs, if any, shall be distributed to Employee no later than
March 15, 2011, in the manner permitted by Section 4
of the RSU Agreement.
f. Change in Control Event. In the
event that a Change in Control Protection Period (as defined in
the Employee’s Change in Control Agreement dated
April 1, 2008) commences prior to the Separation Date,
the Employee will be entitled to receive any additional
separation benefits that are triggered thereby in accordance
with the terms outlined in the Employee’s Change in Control
Agreement dated April 1, 2008, but only to the extent that
such additional separation benefits are incremental to the
separation benefits specified in this Paragraph “2”.
g. Relocation Costs. Employer
waives any obligation for the Employee to reimburse the Company
for relocation costs paid by the Company.
h. Pension and 401(k) Plan
Vesting. Employee is 100% vested in the
Company cash balance pension and 401(k) plans.
i. Unused Vacation. Employee will
be entitled to four (4) weeks vacation for 2009, regardless
of the actual months of service completed in 2009. The Employer
will pay to Employee wages for any unused vacation for 2009 and
any vacation carried over from 2008 under the standard procedure
for calculating and paying any unused vacation to separated
employees. The gross amount due to Employee, less any lawful
deductions, will be payable on the earlier of
(i) October 1, 2009 or (ii) the date which is six
(6) months and one day following the Separation Date,
whichever is applicable, subject to the Employee providing the
details of any vacation days utilized during 2008 and 2009
through the exit interview process.
j. Company Benefit
Plans. Healthcare & dental coverage
will continue until the last day of the month in which Employee
separates, in this case March 31, 2009, according to
Employee’s current health & dental plan
elections. All other normal company programs (e.g., life
insurance, long term disability, 401(k) contributions, etc.)
will continue through the date of resignation.
k. COBRA Reimbursement and Continued Medical Plan
Coverage. If the Employee is not eligible for
retiree medical coverage under the terms of the Employer’s
retiree medical plan on the date of his separation and the
Employee elects to continue his coverage (and the coverage of
his eligible family members) under the Employer’s medical
and dental plans for active employees pursuant to the
requirements of the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act of
1985, as amended (“COBRA”), the Employer shall
reimburse the Employee for each monthly COBRA premium paid by
the Employee for a period of twelve (12) months following
the date of Employee’s separation, or through
March 31, 2010, whichever is later. Following the
expiration of the Employee’s COBRA coverage, the Employee
may continue his coverage (and the coverage of those eligible
family members who have exhausted their COBRA coverage) under
the Employer’s medical plan for active employees until the
Employee attains age 65 provided that the Employee pays
each required monthly premium no later than the thirtieth
(30) day of the calendar month for which such monthly
premium is due. The required monthly premium for this continued
medical plan coverage shall be the greater of (i) the
monthly COBRA premium under the Employer’s medical plan for
active employees or (ii) the monthly retiree premium under
the Employer’s medical plan for retirees, as applicable to
the type of coverage elected by the Employee for each month of
the Employee’s continued medical plan coverage. This right
to continue medical plan coverage beyond the COBRA coverage
period shall terminate as of the first day of the calendar month
for which the Employee fails to timely pay the required monthly
premium in full.
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l. Unemployment. Employer will not
contest any unemployment claims made by the Employee.
m. Return of Company
Property. Employee will surrender to
Employer, on his last day of employment, all company materials,
including, but not limited to his company car, laptop computer,
phone, credit card, calling cards, etc. Employee will be
responsible for resolving any outstanding balances on the
company credit card.
n. Withholding. The
payments and other benefits provided under this Agreement shall
be reduced by applicable withholding taxes and other lawful
deductions.
3. No Consideration Absent Execution of this
Agreement. Employee understands and
agrees that he would not receive the monies
and/or
benefits specified in Paragraph “2” above, unless the
Employee signs this Agreement and General Release on the
signature page without having revoked this Agreement and General
Release pursuant to paragraph 15 below and the fulfillment
of the promises contained herein.
4. General Release of
Claims. Employee knowingly and voluntarily
releases and forever discharges, to the full extent permitted by
law, in all countries, including but not limited to the U.S.,
U.K. and Germany, the Employer, its parent corporation,
affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, predecessors, successors
and assigns and the current and former employees, officers,
directors and agents thereof (collectively referred to
throughout the remainder of this Agreement as
“Employer”), of and from any and all claims, known and
unknown, asserted and unasserted, Employee has or may have
against Employer as of the date of execution of this Agreement
and General Release, including, but not limited to, any alleged
violation of:
• | Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; | |
• | The Civil Rights Act of 1991; | |
• | Sections 1981 through 1988 of Title 42 of the United States Code, as amended; | |
• | The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended; | |
• | The Immigration Reform and Control Act, as amended; | |
• | The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended; | |
• | The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended; | |
• | The Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, as amended; | |
• | The Occupational Safety and Health Act, as amended; | |
• | The Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002; | |
• | The Texas Civil Rights Act, as amended; | |
• | The Texas Minimum Wage Law, as amended; | |
• | Equal Pay Law for Texas, as amended; | |
• | Any other federal, state or local civil or human rights law, or any other local, state or federal law, regulation or ordinance; or any law, regulation or ordinance of a foreign country, including but not limited to the Federal Republic of Germany and the United Kingdom. | |
• | Any public policy, contract, tort, or common law. | |
• | The employment, labor and benefits laws and regulations in all countries in addition to the U.S. including but not limited to the U.K. and Germany. | |
• | Any claim for costs, fees, or other expenses including attorneys’ fees incurred in these matters. |
5. Affirmations. Employee affirms
that he has not filed, caused to be filed, or presently is a
party to any claim, complaint, or action against Employer in any
forum or form. Provided, however, that the foregoing does not
affect any right to file an administrative charge with the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), subject to
the restriction that if any such charge is filed, Employee
agrees not to violate the
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confidentiality provisions of this Agreement and Employee
further agrees and covenants that should he or any other person,
organization, or other entity file, charge, claim, xxx or cause
or permit to be filed any charge with the EEOC, civil action,
suit or legal proceeding against the Employer involving any
matter occurring at any time in the past, Employee will not seek
or accept any personal relief (including, but not limited to,
monetary award, recovery, relief or settlement) in such charge,
civil action, suit or proceeding.
Employee further affirms that he has reported all hours worked
as of the date of this release and has been paid
and/or has
received all leave (paid or unpaid), compensation, wages,
bonuses, commissions,
and/or
benefits to which he may be entitled and that no other leave
(paid or unpaid), compensation, wages, bonuses, commissions
and/or
benefits are due to him, except as provided in this Agreement
and General Release. Employee furthermore affirms that he has no
known workplace injuries or occupational diseases and has been
provided
and/or has
not been denied any leave requested under the Family and Medical
Leave Act.
6. Confidentiality. Except as may
be required by law, Employee and Employer agree not to disclose
any information regarding the existence or substance of this
Agreement and General Release, except to his spouse, tax
advisor, and an attorney with whom Employee chooses to consult
regarding his consideration of this Agreement and General
Release.
Employee agrees and recognizes that any knowledge or information
of any type whatsoever of a confidential nature relating to the
business of the Employer or any of its subsidiaries, divisions
or affiliates, including, without limitation, all types of trade
secrets, client lists or information, employee lists or
information, information regarding product development,
marketing plans, management organization, operating policies or
manuals, performance results, business plans, financial records,
or other financial, commercial, business or technical
information (collectively “Confidential Information”),
must be protected as confidential, not copied, disclosed or used
other than for the benefit of the Employer at any time unless
and until such knowledge or information is in the public domain
through no wrongful act by Employee. Employee further agrees not
to divulge to anyone (other than the Employer or any persons
employed or designated by the Employer), publish or make use of
any such Confidential Information without the prior written
consent of the Employer, except by an order of a court having
competent jurisdiction or under subpoena from an appropriate
government agency.
7. Non-competition/Non-solicitation. Employee
acknowledges and recognizes the highly competitive nature of the
business of the Employer. Without the express written permission
of Celanese, for a period of (52) weeks, following the
Effective Date (the “Restricted Period”), Employee
acknowledges and agrees that he will not: (i) directly or
indirectly solicit sales of like products similar to those
produced or sold by Employer; or (ii) directly engage or
become employed with any business that competes with the
business of Celanese, including but not limited to: direct
sales, supply chain, marketing, or manufacturing for a producer
of products similar to those produced or licensed by Celanese.
In addition, for (2) years, Employee will not directly or
indirectly solicit employees of Celanese for employment.
However, nothing in this provision shall restrict Employee from
owning, solely as an investment, publicly traded securities of
any company which is engaged in the business of Celanese if
Employee (i) is not a controlling person of, or a member of
a group which controls; and (ii) does not, directly or
indirectly, own 5% or more of any class of securities of any
such company.
8. Governing Law and
Interpretation. This Agreement and General
Release shall be governed and conformed in accordance with the
laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict of
laws provision. In the event the Employee or Employer breaches
any provision of this Agreement and General Release, Employee
and Employer affirm that either may institute an action to
specifically enforce any term or terms of this Agreement and
General Release. Should any provision of this Agreement and
General Release be declared illegal or unenforceable by any
court of competent jurisdiction and cannot be modified to be
enforceable, excluding the general release language, such
provision shall immediately become null and void, leaving the
remainder of this Agreement and General Release in full force
and effect.
9. Non-admission of
Wrongdoing. The parties agree that neither
this Agreement and General Release nor the furnishing of the
consideration for this Release shall be deemed or construed at
anytime for any purpose as an admission by Employer of any
liability or unlawful conduct of any kind.
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10. Neutral Reference. If
contacted by another organization, the Employer will only
provide dates of employment and that the Employee voluntarily
resigned from the Company.
11. Non-Disparagement. Employee
agrees not to disparage, or make disparaging remarks or send any
disparaging communications concerning, the Employer, its
reputation, its business,
and/or its
directors, officers, managers. Likewise the Employer’s
senior management agrees not to disparage, or make any
disparaging remark or send any disparaging communication
concerning Employee, his reputation
and/or his
business.
12. Future Cooperation after Separation
Date. After separation, Employee agrees to
make reasonable efforts to assist Company including but not
limited to: assisting with transition duties, assisting with
issues that arise after separation of employment and assisting
with the defense or prosecution of any lawsuit or claim. This
includes but is not limited to providing deposition testimony,
attending hearings and testifying on behalf of the Company. The
Company will reimburse Employee for reasonable time and expenses
in connection with any future cooperation after the separation
date. Time and expenses can include loss of pay or using
vacation time at a future employer. The Company shall reimburse
the Employee within 30 days of remittance by Employee to
the Company of such time and expenses incurred, but in no event
later than the end of the Employee’s tax year following the
tax year in which the Employee incurs such time and expenses and
such reimbursement obligation shall remain in effect for five
years and the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement
hereunder during Employee’s tax year will not affect the
expenses eligible for reimbursement in any other tax year.
13. Injunctive Relief. Employee
agrees and acknowledges that the Employer will be irreparably
harmed by any breach, or threatened breach by him of this
Agreement and that monetary damages would be grossly inadequate.
Accordingly, he agrees that in the event of a breach, or
threatened breach by him of this Agreement the Employer shall be
entitled to apply for immediate injunctive or other preliminary
or equitable relief, as appropriate, in addition to all other
remedies at law or equity.
14. Review Period. Employee is
hereby advised he has until October 10, 2008, or twenty-one
(21) calendar days, to review this Agreement and General
Release and to consult with an attorney prior to execution of
this Agreement and General Release. Employee agrees that any
modifications, material or otherwise, made to this Agreement and
General Release do not restart or affect in any manner the
original twenty-one (21) calendar day consideration period.
15. Revocation Period and Effective
Date. In the event that Employee elects to
sign and return to the Company a copy of this Agreement, he has
a period of seven (7) days (the “Revocation
Period”) following the date of such execution to revoke
this Agreement and General Release, after which time this
agreement will become effective (the “Effective Date”)
if not previously revoked. In order for the revocation to be
effective, written notice must be received by the Company no
later than close of business on the seventh day after the
Employee signs this Agreement and General Release at which time
the Revocation Period shall expire.
16. Amendment. This Agreement and
General Release may not be modified, altered or changed except
upon express written consent of both parties wherein specific
reference is made to this Agreement and General Release.
17. Entire Agreement. This
Agreement and General Release sets forth the entire agreement
between the parties hereto, and fully supersedes any prior
obligation of the Employer to the Employee. Employee
acknowledges that he has not relied on any representations,
promises, or agreements of any kind made to him in connection
with his decision to accept this Agreement and General Release,
except for those set forth in this Agreement and General Release.
18. HAVING ELECTED TO EXECUTE THIS AGREEMENT AND GENERAL
RELEASE, TO FULFILL THE PROMISES AND TO RECEIVE THE SUMS AND
BENEFITS IN PARAGRAPH “2” ABOVE, EMPLOYEE FREELY AND
KNOWINGLY, AND AFTER DUE CONSIDERATION, ENTERS INTO THIS
AGREEMENT AND GENERAL RELEASE INTENDING TO WAIVE, SETTLE AND
RELEASE ALL CLAIMS HE HAS OR MIGHT HAVE AGAINST EMPLOYER.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto knowingly and voluntarily
executed this Release as of the date set forth below.
EXECUTIVE:
|
Celanese Corporation: | |||||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxx
X. Xxxx Xxxxxx X. Xxxx |
By: |
/s/ Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx |
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Date: September 25, 2008
|
Date: September 25, 2008 |
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