Exhibit 10.9
CONSULTING AGREEMENT
This Consulting Agreement (the "Agreement") is entered into as of and
effective the 20th day of December 1996 by and between Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, an
individual ("Consultant") and Apollo International of Delaware, Inc., a Delaware
corporation ("Company").
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, Company is engaged in the business of owning and operating a high
technology design and manufacturing company; and
WHEREAS, Consultant has significant business knowledge and expertise which
the Company deems of great value to its continued operations; and
WHEREAS, Company desires to engage Consultant as an independent contractor
on the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth; and
WHEREAS, Consultant is desirous of providing services to the Company as
specified herein in consideration of the compensation hereinafter set forth.
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
1. ENGAGEMENT.
(a) Company hereby engages Consultant, and Consultant hereby accepts
such engagement by Company to provide business advice from time to time to
Company.
(b) Consultant will furnish Consultant's service as an independent
contractor and not as an employee of Company or of any affiliate with Company.
2. TERM. The term of this Agreement shall commence on December 1, 1996
(the "Commencement Date") and shall expire on September 30, 1997 (the "Term").
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(a) Company agrees to pay Consultant, and Consultant agrees to accept
for Consultant's services hereunder, compensation of $4,000 per month commencing
on the first day of the calendar month next following the closing of the
Company's initial public offering and continuing thereafter until and including
September 1, 1996.
This compensation is in addition to fees for prior consulting services to be
paid Consultant by the Company from the proceeds of the Company's initial public
offering in the approximate amount of $23,000.
(b) Company will reimburse Consultant for all expenses reasonably
incurred by Consultant in connection with the performance by Consultant of his
duties hereunder.
4. NATURE OF RELATIONSHIP. Consultant herein is an independent
contractor and will not act as Company's agent, nor shall be deemed an employee
of Company for the purposes of any employee benefit programs, or be deemed an
employee of Company for purposes of income tax withholding, FICA taxes,
unemployment benefits, workers compensation benefits, or otherwise. The
Consultant shall not enter into any agreement or incur any obligations on
Company's behalf, or commit Company in any manner without Company's prior
written consent. As an independent contractor, the Consultant understands and
agrees that Consultant is solely responsible for the control and supervision of
the means by which Consultant's services are performed.
5. NONDISCLOSURE COVENANTS. Except as permitted or directed by Company,
neither Consultant nor its principals or agents shall, during the term of
Consultant's retention or thereafter divulge, furnish or make accessible to
anyone or use in any way any confidential, trade secret or proprietary
information of Company which Consultant has acquired or become acquainted with
during any period of the retention of the Consultant by Company, whether
developed by the Consultant or by others. The Consultant acknowledges that the
above-described knowledge or information constitutes a unique and valuable asset
of Company and represents a substantial investment by Company, and that any
disclosure or other use of such knowledge or information, other than for the
sole benefit of Company, would be wrongful and would cause irreparable harm to
Company. The Consultant will refrain from any acts or omissions that would
reduce the value of such knowledge or information to Company. The foregoing
obligations of confidentiality shall not apply to any knowledge or information
the entirety of which is now published or subsequently becomes generally
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publicly known, other than as a direct or indirect result of the breach of this
Agreement by the Consultant or a breach of a confidentiality obligation owed to
Company by any third party. Consultant further agrees that upon completion or
termination of this Agreement, Consultant will turn over to Company or make such
disposition thereof as may be directed or approved by Company, any notebook,
data, information or other material acquired or compiled by Consultant in
carrying out the terms of this Agreement.
6. NON-COMPETITION. During the term hereof and for a period of three (3)
years following the termination or expiration hereof, consultant agrees that
neither Consultant nor its principals or agents will, directly or indirectly, in
any country in which the Company then operates either directly or through
distributors, sales representatives, or original equipment manufacturers, own,
manage, work for, consult to, operate, or control, in each case directly or
indirectly, any business that is in the same line of business as the Company.
7. INJUNCTIVE RELIEF. The Consultant agrees that it would be difficult
to compensate Company fully for damages for any violation of the provisions of
Section 5 or Section 6 of this Agreement. Accordingly, the Consultant
specifically agrees that Company shall be entitled to temporary and permanent
injunctive relief to enforce Section 5 or Section 6 of this Agreement and that
such relief may be granted without the necessity of proving actual damages.
This provision with respect to injunctive relief shall not, however, diminish
the right of Company to claim and recover damages in addition to injunctive
relief. The provisions of Section 5, Section 6 and this Section 7 shall survive
the termination or expiration of this Agreement.
8. GENERAL PROVISIONS.
(a) In the event of a merger or consolidation where Company is not
the surviving or consolidated corporation, or in the event of a transfer of all
or substantially all of the assets of Company, the transferee of Company's
assets shall have the benefit of and be bound by the provisions of this
Agreement.
(b) It is agreed that the invalidity or unenforceability of any
paragraph, section or provision (or any part of any thereof) of this Agreement
shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any one or more of the other
paragraphs, sections or provisions (or other parts of any such paragraph,
section or provision) of this Agreement.
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(c) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the
parties concerning the subject matter hereof, and supersedes any other or prior
agreement between the parties hereto. This Agreement may not be amended,
modified or renewed, nor may any of these provisions hereof be waived, except by
a writing signed by the parties hereto. A waiver by either party of any of the
terms or conditions of this Agreement, or of any breach thereof, shall not be
deemed a waiver of such term or condition for the future or of any term or
condition, or of any subsequent breach thereof.
(d) This Agreement is a personal contract and may not be assigned or
transferred by Consultant.
(e) Headings herein are for convenience only and shall in any way
define, limit or affect this Agreement.
(f) Any notice required or desired to be given under this Agreement
shall be deemed given if in writing and sent by certified mail, return receipt
requested, to the Consultant's residence or to the Company's principal office,
as the case may be.
(g) This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each
of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute
one and the same instrument.
(h) This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance
with Florida law and the parties hereby submit to the jurisdiction and venue of
the state and federal courts located in Orange County, Florida.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this instrument as of
and effective the day and year first above written.
Consultant:
/s/Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Company:
APOLLO INTERNATIONAL OF DELAWARE, INC.
By: /s/Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Its: Vice President
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