CONSULTING SERVICES AGREEMENT
Exhibit
10.1
Consulting
Services
Agreement (this “Agreement”) dated as of October 1, 2007 (“Effective
Date”) between Advance
Display Technologies, Inc., a Colorado corporation (the “Company”) and
Xxxxxx X. “Xxxx” Xxxxxx (“Consultant”).
WHEREAS,
the Company
develops and manufactures fiber optic display screen systems and Light Emitting
Diode (LED) display screen systems;
WHEREAS,
Consultant
has experience in the area of display technology, marketing and
development;
WHEREAS,
the
Company
wishes to engage the Consultant to provide the Services (as defined below)
on
the terms and conditions set forth herein and the Consultant wishes to be
so
retained;
NOW
THEREFORE, in
consideration of the premises and of the mutual covenants, conditions and
agreements contained herein, the parties agree as follows:
ARTICLE
ONE
CONSULTING
SERVICES
1.1 Engagement. The
Company hereby agrees to engage the Consultant to perform the services set
forth
in Schedule 1 hereto (the “Services”) for the benefit of the Company and the
Consultant agrees to perform such Services on the terms and conditions set
forth
herein. Consultant shall provide a minimum of 16 full days of
Services to the Company each month. If Consultant provides less than 16 days
of
Services in any calendar month, Consultant’s compensation for such month will be
proportionately reduced to reflect the amount of Services actually
provided. If Consultant provides more than 16 days of Services in any
calendar month, Consultant will not be entitled to additional compensation
on
account thereof. The Company or Consultant may request that the
Services be provided on specific days of the month, in which case the parties
shall make all reasonable efforts to accommodate that request.
1.2 Reporting
& Billing. Consultant shall provide a monthly
invoice to the Company for the Services for each calendar month. Each
invoice shall include the amount being billed, the number of days spent
providing the Services to the Company, the dates such services were provided,
the location at which the Services were provided and a brief description
of the
nature of the Services provided that month. The Company shall have
the right to request written reports at any time during the term of this
Agreement, which shall be furnished within 30 days after such request,
describing the progress, status of, data, costs and other matters pertaining
to
the Services as the Company shall request. The Company may freely utilize
all
such information arising out of the performance of the Services under this
Agreement in any manner desired.
1.3 Location. The
Services shall be performed at such place or places and at such time or times,
as the Company and Consultant shall reasonably agree.
1.4 Authorized
Service Providers. All Services shall be performed by
the Consultant and not by any other person.
1.5 Supervising
Officer. The Consultant shall report directly to the
President of the Company. Only the President of the Company may
assign tasks to the Consultant under this Agreement.
Page 1 of
13
ARTICLE
TWO
COMPENSATION
2.1 Compensation.
a)
Cash
compensation. Beginning October 1, 2007, the Company will pay to
Consultant cash compensation of $13,500 per month.
b) Stock
Options. Consultant will be eligible to receive, but it is not
guaranteed the grant of, options to purchase shares of the Company Common
Stock
in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as may be determined
by
the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors. The
grant of options may be evidenced by a separate agreement between Consultant
and
the Company.
2.2 Reimbursement. The
Company will reimburse Consultant for any reasonable expenses incurred by
Consultant in connection with Consultant’s performance of the Services,
provided, however, that any expense exceeding $500 must be pre-approved by
the
Company. Reimbursement for travel related expenses will not include
routine travel to and from work. All requests for reimbursement for
expenses must be accompanied by documentation in form and detail satisfactory
to
the Company.
2.3 Invoicing. Consultant
will provide the Company with monthly invoices for the performance of Services
hereunder. Invoices will itemize all reimbursable costs
incurred. Invoices will be payable by the Company within thirty (30)
days of receipt.
ARTICLE
THREE
WARRANTIES
AND COVENANTS OF CONSULTANT
3.1 Consultant’s
Warranties. The Consultant represents
and warrants:
(a)
Consultant has not entered into any
agreement, whether written or oral, in conflict with this Agreement;
and
(b)
Consultant has the full power and
authority to enter into this Agreement.
3.2 Consultant’s
Covenants. Consultant:
(a)
agrees that, if he is appointed to
be the Company’s Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Chief
Technology Officer (“EVP-Sales & Marketing / CTO”) by the Company’s Board of
Directors, Consultant will accept such appointment and perform the duties
and
fulfill the obligations of such position, as designated by the Company’s Board
of Directors, provided, however, that Consultant shall remain an independent
contractor of the Company and not an employee of the
Company;
(b)
shall exercise only such powers and
perform such duties as may from time to time be vested in Consultant or assigned
to Consultant by the Company, including, in the event of his appointment
as
EVP-Sales & Marketing / CTO, those powers and duties expressly granted to
him by the Company’s Board of Directors, provided, however, that nothing herein
shall be deemed to entitle Consultant to such appointment or to such powers
or
duties, since the Company may at any time, without prior notice, remove
Consultant from such position, which removal may or may not, in the Company’s
discretion, also terminate this Agreement;
Page 2 of
13
(c)
shall perform the Services for the
Company to the best of Consultant’s skill and ability;
(d)
shall comply with all standards of
safety, take due regard and comply with the safety regulations of the Company
and all statutory provisions in effect and report to the Company any incident
which could give rise to unsafe working conditions or practices;
(e)
shall not assign or subcontract
performance of this Agreement or any of the Services to any person, firm,
company or organization without the Company’s prior written consent;
and
(f)
shall not, during the term of this
Agreement, enter into any other agreement, whether written or oral, which
would
conflict with Consultant’s obligations hereunder.
ARTICLE
FOUR
ADDITIONAL
COVENANTS OF CONSULTANT
4.1 Non-Competition;
Non-Solicitation; Non-Disparagement. Consultant
acknowledges that, in the course of Consultant’s engagement the Company and/or
its affiliates and their predecessors, Consultant has become familiar, or
will
become familiar, with the Company’s Confidential Information (including trade
secrets) and that Consultant’s services have been and will be of special, unique
and extraordinary value to the Company. As consideration for the
payment of consulting fees under this Agreement, Consultant agrees that,
during
the period of Consultant’s engagement by the Company and for twelve (12) months
after the date of termination of Consultant’s engagement by the Company,
Consultant shall not, directly or indirectly through any other person or
entity,
(a) induce any employee or contractor of the Company to leave the employ of
the Company, otherwise interfere with such relationships or directly or
indirectly hire, or participate in the hiring of, any such employee or
contractor, (b) solicit the business (as it relates to the Company’s
current business or any business in which it becomes involved) of any client
or
customer of the Company other than on behalf of the Company or induce or
attempt
to induce any customer, licensee, client, vendor or other business relation
of
the Company to discontinue or reduce its business with the Company, (c)
interfere with the business of the Company, (d) engage in competition with
the
business of the Company, (e) own, manage, control, participate in, consult
with,
render services for or in any manner engage in or represent any business
that is
competitive with the Company or any current or prospective product or service
of
the Company, or (f) publicly or privately (to any current or prospective
client,
competitor or customer of the Company) disparage the Company or its
employees. It is agreed that, if for any reason a restriction set
forth in this subsection is found by any court of competent jurisdiction
to be
invalid or unenforceable, such restriction shall not be void but shall instead
be interpreted and reformed to extend over the maximum period of time, range
of
activities or geographic area as to which it may be valid or
enforceable.
4.2 Confidentiality. The
Company has developed or has otherwise obtained proprietary rights in certain
design and development data, documentation, algorithms, programs, technical
descriptions, techniques, processes, process parameters, methods, practices,
designs, specifications, materials, customer lists, supplier lists, technical
plans, business plans, implementation plans, marketing plans, contractual
information, financial information, patents, trade secrets and other
confidential information (the “Confidential Information”) relating to the
Company’s business. Accordingly,
|
1.
|
Consultant
acknowledges and agrees that the Confidential Information is a
valuable
proprietary asset of the Company, the design and development of
which have
involved the expenditure of substantial amounts of money and the
use of
substantial skills over a long period of
time.
|
Page 3 of
13
|
2.
|
Consultant
agrees that disclosure by the Company to Consultant of any of the
Confidential Information, whether written, oral, or in machine-readable
form, is made in strictest confidence and
that:
|
|
a.
|
Consultant
will make best efforts to maintain the Confidential Information
as
confidential and secret.
|
|
b.
|
Consultant
will not disclose the Confidential Information to any person or
entity
without the prior written consent of the Company, and without first
obtaining from each such person or entity an agreement substantially
identical to this Agreement in form and
content.
|
|
c.
|
Consultant
agrees not to use the Confidential Information for any purpose
other than
for the benefit of the Company.
|
|
d.
|
The
Confidential Information will, at all times, be and remain the
property of
the Company.
|
|
e.
|
Any
modifications or additions to or derivation of the Confidential
Information, or any other work product produced by Consultant under
the
direction of the Company, or produced in any way as a consequence
of
Consultant’s engagement with the Company, will be considered as part of
the Confidential Information at the time of its creation and will
be
subject to the terms and Conditions of this
Agreement.
|
|
3.
|
The
foregoing confidentiality obligation of this Agreement will be
binding on
Consultant as long as any part of the Confidential Information
disclosed
or delivered to Consultant or created by Consultant remains confidential,
except that Consultant has no obligation with respect to any Confidential
Information which:
|
|
a.
|
is
shown to be in the public domain prior to disclosure by the
Company;
|
|
b.
|
becomes
part of the public domain, by publication or otherwise, through
no
unauthorized act or omission by
Consultant;
|
|
c.
|
is
lawfully in Consultant’s possession prior to disclosure by the Company;
or
|
|
d.
|
is
approved for release by written authorization of the
Company.
|
.
Page 4 of
13
ARTICLE
FIVE
INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY
5.1 Inventions
and Original Works Assigned to the Company. Consultant
agrees to make prompt written disclosure to the Company, to hold in trust
for
the sole right and benefit of the Company, and hereby assigns to the Company
all
of Consultant’s right, title and interest in and to any business, service and
product ideas, inventions, original works of authorship (published or not),
developments, improvements or trade secrets that Consultant may solely or
jointly conceive or reduce to practice, or cause to be conceived or reduced
to
practice, during the period of Consultant’s engagement by the Company except for
such work that Consultant performs for clients of Emergent Communications
Technology, Inc. other than the Company and which is acknowledged in writing
as
non-infringing work by the President of the Company. .
5.2 Works
Made for Hire. Consultant acknowledges that all original
works of authorship which Consultant makes (solely or jointly with others)
within the scope of Consultant’s engagement and which are protectable by
copyright are “works made for hire,” as that term is defined in the United
States Copyright Act (17 U.S.C., Section 101), and are automatically deemed
to
be owned by the Company.
5.3 Obtaining
Letters Patent, Copyright Registrations and Other
Protections. Consultant will assist the Company in every
proper way to obtain and enforce United States and foreign proprietary rights
relating to any and all inventions, original works of authorship, developments,
improvements or trade secrets of the Company in any and all
countries. To that end, Consultant will execute, verify and deliver
(1) such documents and perform such other acts (including appearing as a
witness) as the Company may reasonably request for use in applying for,
obtaining, perfecting, evidencing, sustaining and enforcing such proprietary
rights and the assignment thereof, and (2) assignments of such proprietary
rights to the Company or its designee. Consultant’s obligation to
assist the Company with respect to proprietary rights in any and all countries
shall continue beyond the termination of Consultant’s engagement, but the
Company shall compensate Consultant at a reasonable rate after Consultant’s
termination for the time Consultant actually spends at the Company’s request on
such assistance.
5.4 Company
as Agent and Attorney-in-Fact. In the event the Company is
unable for any reason, after reasonable effort, to secure Consultant’s signature
on any document needed in connection with the actions specified in the preceding
paragraph, Consultant hereby irrevocably designates and appoints the Company
and
its duly authorized officers and agents as Consultant’s agent and
attorney-in-fact, to act for and on Consultant’s behalf to execute, verify and
file any such documents and to do all other lawfully permitted acts to further
the purposes of the preceding paragraph with the same legal force and effect
as
if executed by Consultant. Such appointment is coupled with an
interest. Consultant hereby waives and quitclaims to the Company any
and all claims of any nature whatsoever which Consultant now or may hereafter
have for infringement of any proprietary rights assigned to the
Company.
5.5 Invention
Ownership. Consultant owns all or partial interest in the
inventions, if any, listed on the attachment to this Agreement, which are
related to the Company’s business, but which are expressly reserved and excepted
from the provisions of this Agreement because they were completed prior to
commencement of Consultant’s engagement by the Company.
ARTICLE
SIX
RELATIONSHIP
OF THE PARTIES
6.1 Relationship. The
relationship of Consultant to the Company will be one of independent contractor
and at no time will Contractor hold itself out to be an employee of the Company
or represent itself, either directly or indirectly, as being connected with
or
interested in the business of the Company.
Page 5 of
13
6.2 No
Withholding. No amount will be deducted or withheld from
the Company’s payment to Consultant for state, federal or local
taxes. No FICA, FUTA, SDI or state unemployment taxes will be payable
by the Company on Consultant’s behalf and Consultant will be solely responsible
for and will pay such taxes.
6.3 Benefits. Consultant
shall not claim the status, prerequisites or benefits of a Company
employee. Consultant agrees that Consultant is not eligible for
coverage or to receive any benefit under any Company employee benefit plan
or
employee compensation arrangement, including without limitation, any and
all
medical and dental plans, bonus or incentive plans, retirement benefit plans,
stock plans, disability benefit plans, life insurance and any and all other
such
plans or benefits. Even if Consultant were to become or be deemed to
be a common-law employee of the Company, Consultant still shall not be eligible
for coverage or to receive any benefit under any Company employee benefit
plan
or any employee compensation arrangement with respect to any period during
which
the Company classified the individual as a Consultant.
6.4 Indemnification. This
Agreement constitutes a contract for the provision of Services and not a
contract for employment and, accordingly, Consultant will be fully responsible
for and will indemnify the Company for and in respect of any state, local
or
federal taxes or fees including without limitation, income tax withholding,
employment and self-employment taxes, FUTA, SDI and state unemployment taxes
together with any other liability, deduction, contribution, assessment or
claim
arising from or made in connection with the performance by the Company of
its
obligations under this Agreement or the performance by the Consultant of
the
Services. The Consultant will further indemnify the Company against
all reasonable costs and expenses and any penalty, fine or interest incurred
or
payable by the Company in connection with or in consequence of such liability,
deduction, contribution, assessment or claim. The Company may, at its
option, satisfy such indemnity (in whole or in part) by way of deduction
from
the fees and/or expenses payable by the Company to Consultant
hereunder.
6.4 Tax. Consultant
will be responsible for making appropriate filings and payments to the federal,
state and local taxing authorities, including payments of all withholding
and
payroll taxes due on compensation received hereunder, estimated income payments,
employment and self-employment taxes, if applicable.
6.5 Worker’s
Compensation. Consultant acknowledges that if Consultant
is injured while performing work for the Company hereunder, Consultant will
not
be covered for such injury under the Company’s insurance policies, including
under any Worker’s Compensation coverage provided for the Company’s employees
and further acknowledges that Consultant is solely responsible for providing
Worker’s Compensation insurance for Consultant and Consultant’s
employees.
ARTICLE
SEVEN
TERM
AND TERMINATION
7.1 Term.
This Agreement shall terminate one (1) year from the Effective
Date. At the end of the one (1) year term (the “Initial Term”), this
Agreement may be renewed for such additional period(s) of time on equivalent
terms and conditions with the mutual written consent of the parties (“Renewal
Terms”). In the event this Agreement is not renewed, all unvested
options granted pursuant to Section 2.1(b) shall nonetheless continue to
vest
until fully vested. In the absence of a written extension of this
Agreement, the Company’s continued payment of the monthly compensation fee to
Consultant after the end of the one (1) year term shall operate to extend
the
Agreement for the month(s) the fee is so paid by the Company.
Page 6 of
13
7.2 Termination. This
Agreement may be terminated by either party upon the breach of a material
term
hereof by the other party, which breach remains uncured for thirty (30) days
after the date that the non-breaching party has served written notice on
the
other party. Any such notice will set forth the basis of such breach
and the non-breaching party's intent to terminate the
Agreement. Either party may terminate this Agreement at any time
after the Initial Term without any reason for termination by giving sixty
(60)
days notice of the party’s intent to terminate the Agreement without
cause.
7.3 Effect
of Termination. Upon the termination of
this Agreement, each party shall be released from all obligations and
liabilities hereunder except those arising under Articles Four, Five, Six
and
Eight.
ARTICLE
EIGHT
MISCELLANEOUS
8.1 Waiver.
None of the terms of this Agreement may be waived except by an express
agreement in writing signed by the party against whom enforcement of such
waiver
is sought. The failure or delay of either party in enforcing any of
its rights under this Agreement shall not be deemed a continuing waiver of
such
right.
8.2 Entire
Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire
agreement among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and
supersedes all prior agreements and understandings among the parties (whether
written or oral) relating to said subject matter, including but not limited
to
the April 3, 2007 Consulting Agreement between Consultant and the
Company. .
8.3 Amendments. This
Agreement may not be released, discharged, amended or modified in any manner
except by an instrument in writing signed by Consultant and a duly authorized
officer of the Company.
8.4 Assignment. The
Company has specifically contracted for the Services of Consultant and,
therefore, Consultant may not assign or delegate Consultant’s obligations under
this Agreement, either in whole or in part, without the prior written consent
of
the Company.
8.6 Severability. If
any provision of this Agreement is, becomes, or is deemed invalid, illegal
or
unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such provision shall be deemed amended
to
conform to the applicable laws so as to be valid and enforceable, or, if
it can
not be so amended without materially altering the intention of the parties
hereto, it shall be stricken and the remainder of this Agreement shall remain
in
full force and effect.
8.7 Headings.
Article and Section headings contained in the Agreement are included
for convenience only and are not to be used in construing or interpreting
this
Agreement.
8.8 Notices. All
notices provided for in this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed
effective when either served by personal delivery or sent by express, registered
or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to the other
party
at the corresponding mailing address set forth below or at such other address
as
such other party may hereafter designate by written notice in the manner
aforesaid
8.9 Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall
be
an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same
document, binding on all parties notwithstanding that each of the parties
may
have signed different counterparts.
Page 7 of
13
8.10 Governing
Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed
in accordance with the laws of the State of Colorado and the parties to this
Agreement hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts, both
state
and federal, in the County of Denver, State of Colorado.
8.11 Public
Announcements. Consultant may not make any press
release, statement or public announcement that mentions or refers to the
Company
without the Company’s prior written consent.
Page 8 of
13
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have entered into this Agreement on the
date first above written.
CONSULTANT
____________________________________
Xxxxxx
X.
“Xxxx” Xxxxxx
ADVANCE
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
By: ____________________________________
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxx, President & CEO
Page 9 of
13
Schedule
1
Services
to be provided by Consultant
Consultant
shall provide business
advice and related consulting services in the areas of video display technology,
marketing and development as may be reasonably requested by the President
of the
Company.
Page 10 of
13
Exhibit A
Previous
Inventions
To:Advance
Display Technologies,
Inc.
From:
1. Except
as listed in Section 2 below the following is a complete disclosure of all
inventions or improvements relevant to the subject matter of my engagement
as a
consultant by Advance Display Technologies, Inc. (the “Company”), that have been
made or conceived or first reduced to practice by me alone or jointly with
others prior to my engagement by the Company:
¨ No
inventions or improvements.
¨ Inventions
or improvements:
¨ Additional
sheets attached.
2. Due
to a prior confidentiality agreement, I cannot complete the disclosure under
Section 1 above with respect to inventions or improvements generally listed
below, the proprietary rights and duty of confidentiality with respect to
which
I owe to the following parties:
Invention
or
Improvement Party Relationship
¨ Additional
sheets attached.
Page 11 of
13
3. I
propose to bring to my engagement the following devices, materials and documents
of a former employer or other person to whom I have an obligation of
confidentiality that are not generally available to the public, which materials
and documents may be used in my engagement pursuant to the express written
authorization of my former employer or such other person (a copy of which
is
attached hereto):
¨ No
inventions or improvements.
¨ Inventions
or improvements:
¨ Additional
sheets attached.
Very
truly yours,
Date: __________________,
20____
CONSULTANT
Page 12 of
13
LIMITED
EXCLUSION NOTIFICATION
FOR
CALIFORNIA
RESIDENTS
THIS
IS TO NOTIFY you,
in accordance with Section 2872 of the California Labor Code, that the foregoing
Agreement between you and the Company may not require you to assign or offer
to
assign to the Company any invention that you developed entirely on your own
time
without using the Company’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
Company’s business, or actual or demonstrably anticipated research or
development of the Company;
|
(2)
|
Result
from any work performed by you for the
Company.
|
To
the extent a provision in the foregoing Agreement purports to require you
to
assign an invention otherwise excluded from the preceding paragraph, the
provision may be against the public policy of the state of California and
may be
unenforceable.
This
limited exclusion does not apply to any patent or invention covered by a
contract between the Company and the United States or any of its agencies
requiring full title to such patent or invention to be in the United
States.
I
acknowledge receipt of a copy of this notification.
Date: __________________,
20___
Signature
CONSULTANT
Address
Witnessed
By:
Advance
Display Technologies, Inc.
By:
Name:
Title:
Page 13 of
13