EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.35
THIS EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is effective October 28, 2019 (“Effective Date”) between Xxxx Xxxxxxxx (“Executive”) and ABM Industries Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (“Company” or “ABM”).
In consideration of the terms and commitments contained in this Agreement, the parties agree to and acknowledge the following:
1. | EMPLOYMENT. The Company agrees to employ Executive, and Executive hereby accepts such employment, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. |
2. | DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND TITLE. Executive’s title shall be Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer of the Company, and such other titles as may be assigned from time to time by the Company. Executive shall have and perform such duties, functions and responsibilities relating to Executive's employment with Company as may be assigned from time to time by the Company, consistent with such position. Executive shall report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and shall be based in Bethesda, Maryland. |
3. | COMPENSATION. During Executive’s employment hereunder, Company agrees to compensate Executive, and Executive agrees to accept as compensation in full, as follows: |
3.1 |
3.2 |
3.3 |
3.4 | REIMBURSEMENTS. The Company shall reimburse Executive for all reasonable and necessary out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Executive in connection with the performance of Executive’s duties hereunder, in accordance with the Company’s expense reimbursement policies and procedures. |
3.5 |
4. | COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND POLICIES; EMPLOYEE PROTECTIONS. Executive shall dedicate Executive’s full business time and attention to the performance of duties hereunder, perform Executive’s duties in good faith and to a professional standard, and fully comply with all laws and regulations pertaining to the performance of Executive’s responsibilities, all ethical rules, ABM’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, ABM’s Recoupment Policy as well as any and all of policies, procedures and instructions of ABM, in each case as in effect from time to time; provided, it shall not be a violation of the foregoing for Executive to manage Executive’s personal, financial and legal affairs to the extent that they do not interfere with Executive’s ability to perform Executive’s duties to the Company. Prior to joining or agreeing to serve on corporate, civil or charitable boards or committees, Executive shall obtain approval of the Chief Executive Officer or otherwise as required by ABM’s Corporate Governance Guidelines as in effect from time to time. |
Nothing in this Agreement or otherwise limits Executive’s ability to communicate directly with and provide information, including documents, not otherwise protected from disclosure by any applicable law or privilege to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or any other federal, state or local governmental agency or commission (“Government Agency”) regarding possible legal violations, without disclosure to the Company. The Company may not retaliate against Executive for any of these activities, and nothing in this Agreement or otherwise requires Executive to waive any monetary award or other payment that Executive might become entitled to from the SEC or any other Government Agency.
Pursuant to Section 7 of the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (which added 18 U.S.C. § 1833(b)), the Company and Executive acknowledge and agree that Executive shall not have criminal or civil liability under any federal or State trade secret law for the disclosure of a trade secret that (A) is made (i) in confidence to a federal, state, or local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney and (ii) solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (B) is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal. In addition and without limiting the preceding sentence, if Executive files a lawsuit for retaliation by the Company for reporting a suspected violation of law, Executive may disclose the trade secret to Executive’s attorney and may use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if Executive (X) files any document containing the trade secret under seal and (Y) does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order. Nothing in this Agreement or otherwise is intended to conflict with 18 U.S.C. § 1833(b) or create liability for disclosures of trade secrets that are expressly allowed by such Section.
5. | RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS. In consideration of the compensation, contract term, potential Severance Benefits, continued employment provided by Company, as well as the access Company will provide Executive to its Confidential Information, as defined below, and current and prospective customers, all as necessary for the performance of Executive’s duties hereunder, Executive hereby agrees to the following during Executive’s employment |
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and thereafter as provided, except that if Executive’s employment is terminated under circumstances qualifying Executive for payments under the Change-in- Control Agreement (as defined below), the applicable restrictive covenants set forth in such Change-in-Control Agreement shall supersede Sections 5.3, 5.4, 5.5 and 5.6 below:
5.1 |
5.2 |
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to hold all Confidential Information in the strictest confidence, and to refrain from making any unauthorized use or disclosure of such information both during Executive’s employment and at all times thereafter. Except in the proper performance of this Agreement, Executive shall not directly or indirectly disclose, reveal, transfer or deliver to any other person or business, any Confidential Information which was obtained directly or indirectly by Executive from, or for, the Company or its subsidiaries or by virtue of Executive’s employment. This Confidential Information has unique value to the Company and its subsidiaries, is not generally known or readily available by proper means to their competitors or the general public, and could only be developed by others after investing significant effort, time, and expense. Executive understands that Company or its subsidiaries would not make such Confidential Information available to Executive unless the Company was assured that all such Confidential Information will be held in trust and confidence in accordance with this Agreement and applicable law. Executive hereby acknowledges and agrees to use this Confidential Information solely for the benefit of the Company and its affiliated entities. In addition, Executive agrees that at all times after the voluntary or involuntary termination of Executive’s employment, Executive shall not attempt to seek, seek, attempt to solicit, solicit, or accept work from of any customer or active customer prospect of Company or any other Company-affiliated entity through the direct or indirect use of any Confidential Information or by any other unfair or unlawful business practice.
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quantity of work, specialized knowledge, or personal characteristics of any person still engaged by Company or any other Company-affiliated entity; and (iii) providing such information to prospective companies or their agents, recruiting or staffing firms, or other third parties preceding possible engagement; provided, nothing in this Section 5.3 shall prevent Executive from serving as a reference in response to a bona fide inquiry regarding an employee or former employee of the Company.
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Company within the twelve (12) month period preceding the effective date of Executive’s termination of employment; and/or (ii) where the Company has business operations and Executive was provided Confidential Information regarding the Company’s business activities in those territories within the twelve (12) month period preceding the effective date of Executive’s termination of employment. The restrictions in Section 5.5 shall only apply if, within the twelve (12) month period prior to the effective date of Executive’s termination, Executive was employed by the Company to perform sales, marketing, and/or operational activities, or was directly involved in corporate development and strategy (i.e., mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and/or other corporate strategic initiatives) for the Company or its subsidiaries/affiliates.
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5.8 | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION OF OTHERS; NO CONFLICTS. Executive will not use, disclose to the Company or induce the Company to use any legally protected confidential, proprietary or trade secret information or material belonging to others which comes into Executive’s knowledge or possession at any time, nor will Executive use any such legally protected information or material in the course of Executive’s employment with the Company. Executive has no other agreements or relationships with or commitments to any other person or entity that conflicts with Executive’s obligations to the Company as an employee of the Company or under this Agreement, and Executive represents that Executive’s employment will not require Executive to violate any legal obligations to any third-party. In the event Executive believes that Executive’s work at the Company would make it difficult for Executive not to disclose to the Company any legally protected confidential, proprietary or trade secret information or materials belonging to others, Executive will immediately inform the Company’s Chief Human Resources Officer. Executive has not entered into, and Executive agrees Executive will not enter into, any oral or written agreement in conflict with this Agreement. |
5.9 |
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Company-affiliated entity, providing truthful testimony, and communicating Executive’s knowledge of relevant facts to any attorneys, experts, consultants, investigators, employees or other representatives working on behalf of an Company-affiliated entity. Except as required by law, Executive agrees to treat all information regarding any such actual or potential investigation or claim as confidential. Executive also agrees not to discuss or assist in any litigation, potential litigation, claims, or potential claim with any individual (or their attorney or investigator) who is pursuing, or considering pursuing, any claims against the Company or a Company-affiliated entity unless required by law. In performing the tasks outlined in this Section 5.9, Executive shall be bound by the covenants of good faith and veracity set forth in ABM’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and by all legal obligations. Nothing herein is intended to prevent Executive from complying in good faith with any subpoena or other affirmative legal obligation. Executive agrees to notify the Company immediately in the event there is a request for information or inquiry pertaining to the Company, any Company-affiliated entity, or Executive’s knowledge of or employment with the Company. In performing responsibilities under this Section following termination of employment for any reason, Executive shall be compensated for Executive’s time at an hourly rate of $250 per hour. However, during any period in which Executive is an employee of the Company, Executive shall not be so compensated.
5.10 |
5.11 | LIMITATIONS. Nothing in this Agreement shall be binding upon the parties to the extent it is void or unenforceable for any reason in the State of New York, including, without limitation, as a result of any law regulating competition or proscribing unlawful business practices; provided, however, that to the extent that any provision in this Agreement could be modified to render it enforceable under applicable law, it shall be deemed so modified and enforced to the fullest extent allowed by law. |
6. | AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT. The employment of Executive shall be “at-will” at all times. The Company or Executive may terminate Executive’s employment with the Company at any time, without any advance notice, for any reason or no reason at all, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in or arising from any statements, policies or practices of the Company relating to the employment, discipline or termination of its employees. Following the |
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termination of Executive’s employment for any reason, the Company shall pay to Executive all compensation to which Executive is entitled up through the date of termination, including accrued but unpaid Base Salary, any accrued and unused paid time off and any incurred but unpaid reimbursements (together “Accrued Obligations”). Thereafter, all obligations of the Company under this Agreement shall cease other than those set forth in Section 7.
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acceptable to Executive, but containing no further post- employment restrictions or covenants other than those to which Executive is already subject hereunder, and the release becoming irrevocable by its terms within sixty (60) calendar days following the date of Executive’s termination of employment; and (B) Executive’s continued compliance with all continuing obligations under this Agreement, including but not limited to those set forth in Section 5. Executive shall not have any other rights or claims under this Agreement. For purposes of this Agreement, “Good Reason” shall mean the occurrence of one or more of the following events without Executive's prior written consent: (w) a material reduction in the Executive's Base Salary, (x) a material reduction in the Target Cash Bonus, the Executive is no longer reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer or the Company requires the Executive to change his principal location of work to a location more than 50 miles outside of Bethesda, Maryland. No Good Reason shall exist unless Executive has provided notice of such circumstances giving rise to Good Reason in reasonable detail to the Company within 30 days following the occurrence of such circumstances and, to the extent such circumstances are susceptible to remedy, the Company has failed to remedy such circumstances within thirty (30) days of receiving such notice, and Executive shall have resigned within 30 days following expiration of such cure period. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event Executive becomes entitled to receive Severance Benefits, any such Severance Benefits that remain unpaid upon Executive’s death shall be paid to Executive’s estate.
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7.5 |
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discretion as a result of Executive’s Disability. “Disability” means Executive’s substantial inability to perform Executive’s essential duties and responsibilities under this Agreement for either 90 consecutive days or a total of 120 days out of 365 consecutive days as a result of a physical or mental illness, injury or impairment, all as determined in good faith by the Company. If Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company due to Executive’s death or Disability, then (i) Executive, or, upon death, to Executive’s designated beneficiary or estate, as applicable, shall be eligible to receive (A) any earned but unpaid Cash Bonus in respect of any completed fiscal year that has ended prior to the date of such termination and (B) a prorated Target Cash Bonus based on the length of performance in the applicable performance period prior to death or Disability and (ii) Executive’s then-outstanding equity-based awards under the Equity Plan (including any awards issued by an acquirer or successor to ABM in exchange or substitution for such awards) (x) that are subject to time-based vesting will not be forfeited but will become immediately fully vested and (y) that are subject to performance-based vesting for then-ongoing performance periods shall immediately become fully vested with respect to the number of shares that would have become earned and vested if the target level of performance was met. In the case of Disability, Executive’s eligibility to receive the foregoing is conditioned on: (i) Executive having first signed a release agreement in the form provided by the Company and reasonably acceptable to Executive, but containing no further post- employment restrictions or covenants other than those to which Executive is already subject hereunder, and the release becoming irrevocable by its terms within sixty (60) calendar days following the date of Executive’s termination of employment; and (ii) Executive’s continued compliance with all continuing obligations under this Agreement, including but not limited to those set forth in Section 5. Thereafter, Executive and Executive’s designated beneficiary or estate, as applicable, shall not have any other rights or claims under this Agreement.
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8. |
8.1 |
Executive: Address on File
Company: ABM Industries Incorporated
Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Copy: ABM Industries Incorporated
Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000 Attention: Chief Human Resources Officer
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9. | INDEMNIFICATION. The Company shall indemnify, defend, and hold Executive harmless to the fullest extent provided under the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, or any other operating document. In addition, the Executive shall be included under the Company’s |
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10. |
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10.3 |
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10.5 |
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or other entity that would preclude or interfere with the full and good faith performance of Executive's obligations hereunder.
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that in the event that this Agreement conflicts with the terms of any equity award agreement, this Agreement shall govern unless otherwise expressly stated in such equity award agreement).
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Executive and Company have executed this Agreement as of the date set forth above.
Executive: Xxxx Xxxxxxxx
Signature: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Date: September 21, 2019
Company: ABM Industries Incorporated
Signature: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Block
Name, Title: Xxxxxx X. Block, EVP and CHRO
Date: October 1, 2019
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APPENDIX A
A. |
B. |
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C. |
CALIFORNIA LABOR CODE
SECTION 2870-2872
2870. (a) Any provision in an employment agreement which provides that an employee shall assign, or offer to assign, any of his or her rights in an invention to his or her employer shall not apply to an invention that the employee developed entirely on his or her own time without using the employer’s equipment, supplies, facilities, or trade secret information except for those inventions that either:
1. | Relate at the time of conception or reduction to practice of the invention to the employer’s business, or actual or demonstrably anticipated research or development of the employer; or |
2. | Result from any work performed by the employee for the employer. |
(b) To the extent a provision in an employment agreement purports to require an employee to assign an invention otherwise excluded from being required to be assigned under subdivision (a), the provision is against the public policy of this state and is unenforceable.
2871. No employer shall require a provision made void and unenforceable by Section 2870 as a condition of employment or continued employment. Nothing in this article shall be construed to forbid or restrict the right of an employer to provide in contracts of employment for disclosure, provided that any such disclosures be received in confidence, of all of the employee’s inventions made solely or jointly with others during the term of his or her employment, a review process by the employer to determine such issues as may arise, and for full title to certain patents and inventions to be in the United States, as required by contracts between the employer and the United States or any of its agencies.
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2872. If an employment agreement entered into after January 1, 1980, contains a provision requiring the employee to assign or offer to assign any of his or her rights in any invention to his or her employer, the employer must also, at the time the agreement is made provide a written notification to the employee that the agreement does not apply to an invention which qualifies fully under the provisions of Section 2870. In any suit or action arising thereunder, the burden of proof shall be on the employee claiming the benefits of its provisions.
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