EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
GALAXY
NUTRITIONAL FOODS, INC.
This
Employment Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made
and entered into effective as of this 20th day of May, 2009, by and between
Galaxy Nutritional Foods, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Xxxx
Xxxxxxxxx (the “Executive”).
R E C I T A L
S:
WHEREAS,
the Company recognizes that the future growth, profitability and success of the
Company’s business will be substantially and materially enhanced by the
employment of the Executive by the Company;
WHEREAS,
the Company desires to employ the Executive, and the Executive has indicated his
willingness to provide his services, on the terms and conditions set forth
herein;
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants and
agreements contained herein, the parties hereto agree as follows:
SECTION
1. Employment. The
Company hereby agrees to employ the Executive, and the Executive hereby accepts
employment with the Company, on the terms and subject to the conditions
hereinafter set forth. Subject to the terms and conditions contained
herein, the Executive shall serve as Chief Executive Officer of the Company and,
in such capacity, shall report directly to the Board of Directors of the Company
(the “Board”). The
Executive shall have responsibility for the management and day-to-day operations
of the Company and shall have such duties as are typically performed by a Chief
Executive Officer, together with such additional duties, commensurate with the
Executive’s skills and expertise and his position as Chief Executive Officer of
the Company, as may be assigned to the Executive from time to time by the
Board. The Executive shall serve on the Board and shall also serve as
a member of the Executive Committee (the “Executive Committee”)
of the Company’s parent company MW1 LLC, a Delaware limited liability
corporation (“Parent”). The
Executive shall also serve, for no additional consideration and at the
discretion of the Executive Committee, as the Chief Executive Officer of
Parent. The principal location of the Executive’s employment shall be
at the Company’s office in Orlando, Florida, although the Executive understands
and agrees that he may be reasonably required to travel from time to time for
business reasons.
SECTION
2. Term. Subject
to the provisions and conditions of this Agreement (including, without
limitation, Section
7) the Executive’s employment hereunder shall be for an initial term of
two (2) years, commencing on May 18, 2009, which term shall automatically renew
thereafter for successive terms of one year each unless either party gives
notice to the other at least ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the
initial or any renewal term that this Agreement shall not
renew.
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SECTION
3. Exclusivity. During
the term of the Executive’s employment hereunder, the Executive shall devote his
full time during normal business hours to the business of the Company and
Parent, shall faithfully serve the Company and Parent, shall in all respects
conform to and comply with the lawful and reasonable directions and instructions
given to him by the Board and the Executive Committee in accordance with the
terms of this Agreement, and shall use his best efforts to promote and serve the
interests of the Company and Parent. The foregoing notwithstanding,
subject to compliance with the other provisions of this Agreement, including the
non-competition provisions set forth in Section 8, the
Executive may engage in any activities that, either singly or in the aggregate,
do not interfere in any material respect with the services to be provided by the
Executive hereunder.
SECTION
4. Compensation.
(a) Salary. As
compensation for the performance of the Executive’s services hereunder, the
Company shall pay to the Executive a salary of two hundred fifty thousand
dollars ($250,000) per annum with increases, if any, as may be approved in
writing by the Board (the “Salary”); provided, however, that the
Salary shall be increased each year by at least a minimum amount equal to the
greater of 4% or the CPI Adjustment. The Salary shall be payable in
accordance with the payroll practices of the Company as the same shall exist
from time to time. For the purposes hereof, (i) the “CPI Adjustment” shall
be equal to a fraction the numerator of which is the Consumer Price Index for
the calendar month immediately preceding such anniversary and the denominator of
which is the Consumer Price Index for the same calendar month of the immediately
preceding year, and (ii) the “Consumer Price Index”
means the consumer price index as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of
the U.S. Department of Labor for All Items, All Urban Consumers.
(b) Bonus. The
Executive shall be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus (the “Bonus”) of up to 100%
of the Salary at the conclusion of each fiscal year. For the fiscal
year ended March 31, 2010, the Bonus shall be $250,000 and shall be payable to
the Executive so long as he is still employed by the Company at the end of such
fiscal year or as otherwise provided in Section 7(g) of this
Agreement. In subsequent fiscal years, the amount of the Bonus, if
any, shall be determined based on a formula and performance measures agreed to
between the Executive and the Board at the time of, and in connection with, the
Company’s annual budget process, such formula to provide for some form of
partial payout to be determined based on the achievement or partial achievement
of the relevant performance metrics. Such Bonus shall be paid no
later than sixty (60) days following the end of the fiscal year for which it is
payable (or if paid pursuant to Section 7(g) of this
Agreement in accordance with the provisions of such section).
(c) Equity
Incentive. The Executive shall receive an equity incentive in
accordance with Section 11
below.
(d) Other
Benefits. During the term of the Executive’s employment
hereunder, in addition to the Salary and the Bonus, the Executive shall be
entitled to participate in health, insurance, pension, and other benefits
provided to other senior executives of the Company on terms no less favorable
than those available to senior executives of the Company
generally
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(collectively
“Benefits”). The
Executive shall also be entitled to four weeks of vacation per year and the same
number of holidays, sick days and other benefits as are generally allowed to
other senior executives of the Company in accordance with the Company policies
in effect from time to time generally.
(e) Taxation of Payments and
Benefits. The Company may make deductions, withholdings and
tax reports with respect to payments and benefits under this Agreement to the
extent that the Company reasonably and in good faith believes that it is
required to make such deductions, withholdings and tax
reports. Payments under this Agreement shall be in amounts net of any
such deductions or withholdings. Nothing in this Agreement shall be
construed to require the Company to make any payments to compensate the
Executive for any adverse tax effect associated with any payments or benefits or
for any deduction or withholding from any payment or benefit.
SECTION
5. Reimbursement for
Expenses. The Executive is authorized to incur reasonable
expenses in the discharge of the services to be performed hereunder in
accordance with Company policy, including expenses for travel, entertainment,
lodging and similar items, in accordance with the Company’s expense
reimbursement policy, as the same may be modified by the Board from time to
time. The Company shall reimburse the Executive for all such expenses
upon presentation by the Executive of itemized accounts of such expenditures in
accordance with the policy of the Company, as in effect from time to
time.
SECTION
6. Employment at
Will. Subject to the provisions and conditions of this
Agreement (including, without limitation, Section 7), the
Executive’s employment hereunder shall be effective as of the date
hereof. Executive’s employment shall be employment “at will,” under
which both Executive and the Company shall be entitled to terminate this
Agreement and the employment relationship, with or without Cause or Good Reason
(each as hereinafter defined), at any time, subject to the requirements of Section 7
hereof.
SECTION
7. Termination and
Default.
(a) Death. This
Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the death of the Executive and upon
such event, the Executive’s estate shall be entitled to receive the amounts
specified in Section
7(g) below.
(b) Disability. If
the Executive is unable to perform the duties required of him under this
Agreement because of illness, incapacity, or physical or mental disability, this
Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and the Company shall pay all
compensation and benefits required to be paid to the Executive hereunder, net of
any applicable disability coverage, unless the Executive is unable to perform
the duties required of him under this Agreement for six consecutive months, in
which event this Agreement, including, but not limited to, the Company’s
obligations to pay any Salary or Bonus or to provide any privileges under this
Agreement, shall terminate at the end of such waiting period and the Executive
shall be entitled to receive only those amounts specified in Section 7(g)
below.
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(c) Cause. If
the Executive’s employment is terminated for Cause pursuant to this Section 7(c), the
Executive shall be entitled to receive the amounts specified in Section 7(f)
below. In the event of termination for Cause, the Company shall
deliver to the Executive written notice pursuant to a vote of the Board
summarizing the basis for such termination including the nature of the Cause
which is the reason for such termination. For purposes of this
Agreement, “Cause” shall mean:
(i) fraud, embezzlement or other deliberate dishonesty of the Executive with
respect to the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate thereof; (ii) commission
by the Executive of any felony, the equivalent of a felony, or any charge of
fraud, embezzlement, theft, offense involving moral turpitude, any crime related
to the Executive’s duties hereunder or a violation of any federal or state
securities or tax law; (iii) material breach by the Executive of this Agreement;
or (iv) gross and willful failure of the Executive to perform his duties
hereunder. With respect to subsections (iii) and (iv) such actions
shall not be deemed Cause unless such breach or failure continues for more than
10 days following receipt by the Executive of written notice given pursuant to a
vote of the Board, such vote to set forth in reasonable detail the nature of
such breach or failure.
(d) Good
Reason. The Executive may terminate this Agreement for “Good Reason” if he
resigns from his employment hereunder following the occurrence of one of the
following: (i) a substantial adverse alteration in the nature or
status of the Executive’s duties or responsibilities or the conditions of the
Executive’s employment, which alteration continues for more than 10 days
following receipt by the Company of written notice from the Executive setting
forth in reasonable detail the nature of such alteration, (ii) a change in the
Executive’s principal work location, without the Executive’s consent, to a
location more than 50 miles from Orlando, Florida (travel for Company business
shall not be deemed a change in principal work location), (iii) a material
default by the Company in the performance of its obligations hereunder, and such
default shall not have been corrected by the Company within 10 days of receipt
by the Company of written notice from the Executive of the occurrence of such
default, which notice shall specifically set forth the nature of such default
(provided,
however, that
if there is more than one default under this subsection (iii) in any 6-month
period the Executive shall not be required to give notice or allow cure for the
second default), and (iv) a reduction by the Company in the Executive’s Salary
or Benefits; provided, that if the
Board has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company to reduce
compensation and benefits generally, such reduction shall not entitle the
Executive to terminate his employment for Good Reason if, and only if, the
reduction of the Executive’s Salary and Benefits is proportionate to the
reduction imposed on other executives of the Company. If the
Executive terminates his employment hereunder for Good Reason pursuant to this
Section 7(d),
the Executive shall be entitled to receive the amounts specified in Section 7(g)
below. The date of termination of the Executive’s employment under
this Section
7(d) shall be the effective date of any resignation specified in writing
by the Executive, which shall not be less than 10 days after receipt by the
Company of written notice of such resignation.
(e) Resignation. The
Executive shall have the right to immediately terminate this Agreement by giving
notice of the Executive’s resignation other than for Good
Reason. Upon receipt of such notice, this Agreement shall terminate
immediately and the Executive shall be entitled to receive the amounts specified
in Section 7(f)
below, provided, however, that if the Company has grounds to terminate the
Executive for Cause at the time of such resignation, the
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Company
shall have the right to notify Executive, within 10 business days of his
resignation, that, despite his resignation, his employment has been terminated
for Cause.
(f) Payments Upon Termination
For Cause or Resignation without Good Reason. If the
Executive’s employment with the Company is terminated by the Company for Cause
or the Executive resigns without Good Reason, the Company shall pay to the
Executive all amounts accrued but unpaid hereunder through the date of
termination in respect of Salary and Benefits or un-reimbursed
expenses. If the Executive’s employment hereunder is terminated for
Cause, the Executive shall forfeit all vested and unvested Class B Units granted
pursuant to Section
11 below. If the Executive’s employment hereunder is
terminated as a result of a resignation by the Executive without Good Reason,
the Executive shall retain all vested Class B Units granted pursuant to Section 11 below, and
shall only forfeit his unvested Class B Units.
(g) Payments Upon Termination
Other Than For Cause. If the Executive’s employment with the
Company is terminated by the Company without Cause, or as a result of death or
disability of the Executive or if the Executive terminates his employment for
Good Reason: (i) the Company shall pay to the Executive an amount equal to six
months’ Salary as
in effect on the date of such termination and shall pay the Executive’s health
insurance premiums for a period of six months; provided, however, that such
health insurance premiums shall only be paid if and to the extent that following
such termination the Executive is eligible, and elects pursuant to COBRA, to
continue to be covered under the Company’s health insurance plan in effect at
the time of such termination; (ii) if such termination happens on or before
March 31, 2010, the Company shall pay the Executive the full amount of the Bonus
provided for in Section 4(b) for the
fiscal year ended March 31, 2010, and if such termination happens after March
31, 2010, the Company shall pay the Executive the pro rata portion (based on the
number of days employed in the fiscal year in which the termination occurs) of
the Bonus that the Executive would have received, if the results of the Company
through the date of termination were annualized for the full fiscal year; (iii)
the vesting of the Executive’s Class B Units granted pursuant to Section 11 below
shall be accelerated to equal the pro-rata portion (based on the number of days
employed in the relevant year) of Class B Units that would vest through and
including the day that is six months after the termination date, and the
Executive shall retain all such vested Class B Units (and forfeit any other
Class B Units that have not so vested); and (iv) the Company shall pay to the
Executive all amounts accrued but unpaid hereunder through the date of
termination in respect of Salary and Benefits or un-reimbursed
expenses. In the event that Executive’s employment terminates as a
result of the non-renewal by the Company of this Agreement (a “Company Non-Renewal”)
the Company shall pay to the Executive an amount equal to three months’
Salary as in effect
on the date of such termination and shall pay the Executive’s health insurance
premiums for a period of three months; provided, however, that such
health insurance premiums shall only be paid if and to the extent that following
such termination the Executive is eligible, and elects pursuant to COBRA, to
continue to be covered under the Company’s health insurance plan in effect at
the time of such termination.
(h) Prompt
Payment. Amounts owed by the Company in respect of Salary
under the provisions of this Section 7 shall be
paid at the same time that salary is otherwise paid to employees as part of the
Company’s regular payroll practice over the applicable period of salary
continuation. Amounts owed by the Company in respect of Bonus or reimbursement
for
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expenses
under the provisions of this Section 7 shall be
paid in a lump sum, which shall be paid promptly following the Executive’s
termination of employment, but in no event later than sixty (60) days following
such termination.
(i) Notice of
Termination. The Executive’s employment hereunder is “at will”
employment, and the Company may terminate this Agreement at any time effective
(x) in the case of termination under Section 7(c) for
Cause, upon delivery of a written notice to the Executive and (y) in the case of
termination for other than Cause, upon 10 days written notice to the
Executive.
SECTION
8. Secrecy
and Non-Competition.
(a) No Competing
Employment. The Executive acknowledges that the agreements and
covenants contained in this Section 8 are
essential to protect the value of the Company’s and Parent’s business and assets
and that by his current employment with the Company and its subsidiaries, the
Executive has obtained and will obtain substantial knowledge, contacts,
know-how, training and experience, and there is a substantial probability that
such knowledge, know-how, contacts, training and experience could be used to the
substantial advantage of a competitor of the Company and to the Company’s and
Parent’s substantial detriment. Therefore, the Executive agrees that
for the period commencing on the date hereof and ending at the conclusion of the
six months following the termination of the Executive’s employment hereunder
(such period is hereinafter referred to as the “Restricted Period”)
the Executive shall not participate or engage, directly or indirectly, for
himself or on behalf of or in conjunction with any person, partnership,
corporation or other entity (a “Person”), whether as
an employee, agent, officer, director, shareholder, partner, joint venturer,
investor or otherwise, in any business activities in the Designated Industry (as
hereinafter defined); provided, however, that nothing
herein shall be construed as preventing the Executive from making passive
investments in a Person engaging in any such activity if the securities of such
Person are publicly traded and such investment constitutes less than 1% of the
outstanding shares of capital stock or comparable equity interests of such
Person. For purposes of this Agreement, “Designated Industry”
shall mean the cheese and dairy alternative food market and any other food
products market or other business or industry entered into (or planned to be
entered into) by the Company during the term of Executive’s employment
hereunder. In the event of a Company Non-Renewal, the Restricted
Period shall end at the conclusion of the three months following the termination
of the Executive’s employment.
(b) Non-Solicitation;
Non-Disparagement. During the period commencing on the date of
this Agreement and ending on the second anniversary of the termination of the
Executive’s employment hereunder, the Executive shall not, whether for his own
account or for the account of any other Person (other than the Company),
directly or indirectly solicit, endeavor to entice away from the Company, its
affiliates or subsidiaries, or otherwise directly interfere with the
relationship of the Company, its affiliates or subsidiaries with any person who,
to the knowledge of the Executive, is employed by or otherwise engaged to
perform services for the Company, its affiliates or
subsidiaries. Executive agrees not to disparage the Company or any of
its officers, contractors, agents, representatives or affiliates, including,
without limitation, to any customer or client of the Company.
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(c) Confidential
Information.
(i) The
Executive shall at all times hold confidential all of the Confidential
Information (as hereinafter defined). During the term of this
Agreement, the Executive shall use and disclose Confidential Information only to
the extent necessary to perform his duties as an employee of the Company and for
the sole benefit of the Company. After the termination of the
Executive’s employment with the Company, the Executive shall not disclose to any
person or entity, or make use of, any Confidential Information without the prior
written permission of a duly authorized officer of the Company. Upon
the termination of the Executive’s employment in any manner or for any reason,
the Executive shall promptly surrender to the Company all tangible evidence,
records or representations of any Confidential Information, together with any
other documents, materials, data, information and equipment belonging to or
relating to the Company’s business and in his possession, custody or control,
and the Executive shall not thereafter retain or deliver to any other person,
any of the foregoing or any summary or memorandum thereof. This
provision shall not apply to any Confidential Information which the Company has
voluntarily disclosed to the public or has otherwise legally entered the public
domain without fault of the Executive.
(ii) As
used in this Agreement, “Confidential
Information” shall mean all trade secrets, proprietary information and
other data or information (and any tangible or electronic evidence, record or
representation thereof), whether prepared, conceived or developed by an employee
of the Company (including, without limitation, the Executive) or received by the
Company from an outside source, which is in the possession of the Company, which
in any way relates to the present or future business of the Company, which is
maintained in confidence by the Company, or which might permit the Company or
its customers to obtain a competitive advantage over competitors who do not have
access to such trade secrets, proprietary information or other data or
information. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing,
Confidential Information shall include: (a) any idea, improvement, invention,
innovation, development, technical data, design, formula, device, pattern,
concept, process, engineering plan, process diagram, chemical formulation,
marketing strategy, computer program, design, diagram, specification, drawing,
user manual, training or service manual, plan for new or revised services or
products, compilation of information, derivative work, or work in process, or
parts thereof, research data or results and any and all revisions and
improvements relating to any of the foregoing (in each case whether or not
reduced to tangible or electronic form, memorialized or reduced to practice);
and (b) the name of any customer, employee, prospective customer, sales agent,
supplier or consultant, any sales plan, marketing material, plan or survey,
business plan or opportunity, product or service development plan or
specification, business proposal, financial record, or business record or other
record or information relating to the present or proposed business of the
Company. Confidential Information shall not include: (i) information
that has been disclosed generally or is in the public domain through no fault of
the Executive; (ii) information received from a third party outside the Company
that was disclosed without a breach of any confidentiality obligation; and (iii)
information that may be required by law or an order of any court, agency or
proceeding to be disclosed.
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(iii) The
Company may from time to time have in its possession information which is
claimed by others to be proprietary and which the Company has agreed to keep
confidential. The Executive agrees that all such information shall be
Confidential Information for purposes of this Agreement.
(iv) Confidential
Information and all originals and all copies of all manuscripts, drawings,
prints, manuals, diagrams, letters, notes, notebooks, memoranda, reports,
models, computer files, digital media and other materials containing,
representing, evidencing, recording, performing, displaying, embodying or
constituting any Confidential Information, however and whenever produced
(whether by the Executive or by others), whether or not patentable or subject to
copyright protection or other forms of proprietary protection, shall be the sole
property of the Company.
d) Inventions. All
discoveries, inventions, ideas, concepts, research and other information,
processes, products, methods and improvements or parts thereof (including,
without limitation, all devices, designs, specifications, drawings, product
plans or definitions and research data or results) conceived, developed, or
otherwise made by the Executive, alone or jointly with others and in any way
relating to the Company’s present or proposed products, programs or services or
to tasks assigned to the Executive during the course of his employment, whether
or not patentable or subject to copyright protection or other forms of
proprietary protection, and whether or not reduced to tangible or electronic
form, memorialized or reduced to practice, during the period of the Executive’s
employment with the Company, whether or not made during regular working hours,
and whether or not made on the Company’s premises, and whether or not disclosed
to the Company (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Inventions”) shall be
the sole property of the Company. All of the Inventions, including,
without limitation, all parts thereof, and any memorialization thereof by
electronic or manual storage, transcription, or recording, and any display,
performance or modification thereof or derivative work based thereon, is work
made for hire under the copyright laws of the United States especially ordered
and commissioned by the Company. The Company shall be deemed the sole
author, creator and inventor, as the case may be, of the
Inventions. Any reference to “proprietary protection” or “proprietary
rights” in this Agreement shall mean all forms and types of proprietary
protection or proprietary rights, as the case may be, however
denominated.
The
Executive agrees to, and hereby does, assign to the Company all of his right,
title and interest throughout the world in all Inventions and to anything
tangible that contains, represents, evidences, records, performs, displays,
embodies or constitutes any such Invention. The Executive hereby
assigns and, to the extent any such assignment cannot be made at present, hereby
agrees to assign to the Company all copyrights, patents, trademarks and other
proprietary rights that the Executive may have in any such Invention, together
with the right to file for or own wholly without restriction United States and
foreign copyrights, patents, trademarks and other proprietary rights with
respect thereto. The Executive specifically agrees and acknowledges
that the foregoing assignment covers all results, outputs and products of the
Executive’s work for the Company prior to the date hereof, whether as an
employee or as a consultant, and all related copyrights, patents, trademarks or
other proprietary rights, and that all such results, output and products shall
be Inventions hereunder and the sole property of the Company.
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The
Executive hereby agrees, without payment of any consideration to the Executive
in addition to the compensation described in Section 4 hereof, (i)
promptly to disclose all Inventions to the Company, (ii) to assist the Company
in every reasonable manner to obtain thereon patents, copyrights or other forms
of proprietary protection in any and all countries for the Company’s benefit,
and (iii) to execute, acknowledge, seal and deliver all documents, including,
without limitation, all instruments of assignment, patent or copyright
applications, patent or copyright assignments and registrations and applications
that may be required for other forms of proprietary protection, and to take all
such other actions, as the Company may request to obtain for the Company all
right, title and interest in and to any of the Inventions or otherwise to carry
out the purposes of this Agreement, to secure any of the Company’s rights
hereunder or to carry out the intent of this Agreement. The Executive
further agrees, whether or not the Executive is then an employee of the Company,
to cooperate to the extent and in the manner reasonably requested by the Company
in the prosecution or defense of any claim involving a patent covering any
Invention or any litigation or other claim or proceeding involving any Invention
covered by this Agreement, but all out-of-pocket expenses thereof shall be paid
by the Company.
The
Executive agrees to waive, and hereby waives, all moral rights which the
Executive may have in or to any Inventions and, to the extent that such rights
may not be waived, the Executive agrees not to assert such rights against the
Company or its licensees, partners or customers.
SECTION
9. Injunctive
Relief. Without intending to limit the remedies available to
the Company, the Executive acknowledges and agrees that a breach of any of the
covenants contained in Section 8 hereof may
result in material irreparable injury to the Company or its subsidiaries or
affiliates for which there is no adequate remedy at law, that it will not be
possible to measure damages for such injuries precisely and that, in the event
of such a breach or threat thereof, the Company shall be entitled to obtain a
temporary restraining order and/or a preliminary or permanent injunction,
without the necessity of proving irreparable harm or injury as a result of such
breach or threatened breach of Section 8 hereof,
restraining the Executive from engaging in activities prohibited by Section 8 hereof or
such other relief as may be required specifically to enforce any of the
covenants in Section
8 hereof.
SECTION
10. Survival. Except
to the extent set forth in the next succeeding sentence, upon any termination of
this Agreement, all of the rights, privileges and obligations of the Executive
hereunder shall cease. Notwithstanding the foregoing, all of the
rights, privileges and obligations of the Executive and the Company under this
Section 10 and
Sections 7, 8 and
9 of this Agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement or
the employment of the Executive by the Company for any reason.
SECTION
11. Equity
Interest. Pursuant to the terms of Parent’s Amended and
Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement (the “Parent LLC
Agreement”), on the earliest date when Class B Units of Parent (the
“Class B
Units”) may be issued pursuant to Section 3.05(b) of the Parent LLC
Agreement, Parent shall issue to the Executive 55,556 Class B Units, having the
rights, privileges and preferences set forth in the Parent LLC
Agreement. The Class B Units are intended to constitute a “profits
interest” under the Internal Revenue Code, and shall vest
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annually
over five years or upon a change of control, all as set forth in and governed by
the Parent LLC Agreement.
SECTION 12. Section
409A. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the
contrary, in the event that the Company determines in good faith that any
benefit payable under this Agreement upon termination of the Executive’s
employment constitutes a “deferral of compensation” subject to section 409A of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"): (i)
payment of such benefit shall only be made in the event that the termination of
employment constitutes a “Separation from Service” as defined in section 409A of
the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively "Section
409A"); and (ii) in the event that the Executive is a “specified employee” (as
defined in Section 409A ) at the time of his Separation from Service, payment of
such amount shall be delayed six months following such Separation from Service,
and shall be made on the first business day following the expiration of such six
month period (or, if earlier, promptly following the date of his death, in which
case such amount shall be paid to his estate). For the avoidance of
doubt, amounts payable pursuant to this Agreement shall not be considered to be
a "deferral of compensation" subject to Section 409A to the extent provided in
Treasury Regulations Sections 1.409A-1(b)(4) (short-term deferrals) and
1.409A-1(b)(9) (certain separation pay plans).
SECTION
13. Successors and Assigns; No
Assignment; Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement shall
inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon, the heirs, legal representatives,
successors and permitted assigns of each of the parties. This
Agreement is personal to the Executive, and the Executive shall not assign any
rights, or delegate any obligations, created under this Agreement without the
prior written consent of the Company. The Company may assign its
rights, or delegate obligations, under this Agreement to a successor by merger,
consolidation, sale of all or substantially all Company assets or by any other
reorganization in which the Company is not the surviving
corporation. Nothing in this Agreement shall confer upon any person
or entity not a party to this Agreement other than Parent, or the legal
representatives of such person or entity, any rights or remedies of any nature
or kind whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement. Parent shall
have the right to enforce the Company’s rights under this
Agreement.
SECTION
14. Waiver
and Amendments. Any waiver, alteration, amendment or
modification of any of the terms of this Agreement shall be valid only if made
in writing and signed by the parties hereto; provided, however, that any
such waiver, alteration, amendment or modification on the Company’s behalf will
not be effective unless authorized by the Board. No waiver by either
of the parties hereto of their rights hereunder shall be deemed to constitute a
waiver with respect to any subsequent occurrences or transactions hereunder
unless such waiver specifically states that it is to be construed as a
continuing waiver.
SECTION
15. Severability. The
Executive acknowledges and agrees that the covenants set forth in Section 8 hereof are
reasonable and valid in geographical and temporal scope and in all other
respects. If any of such covenants or any other provision of this
Agreement is found to be invalid or unenforceable by a final determination of a
court of competent jurisdiction (a) the remaining terms and provisions hereof
shall be unimpaired and (b) the invalid or unenforceable covenant or provision
shall be deemed replaced by a covenant or provision that is valid
and
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enforceable
and that comes closest to expressing the intention of the invalid or
unenforceable term or provision.
SECTION
16. Governing Law;
Indemnification. This Agreement shall be governed by, and
construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York
applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely within such
State. The Company shall indemnify Executive for his service as a
director and officer of the Company and Parent to the full extent the Company is
permitted or required to do so by the Delaware General Corporation
Law.
SECTION
17. Notices.
(a) All
communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be delivered
by hand or mailed by overnight courier or by registered or certified mail,
postage prepaid:
(i) if
to the Executive, at 00 Xxxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxx, Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx, XX, 00000, or at
such other address as the Executive may have furnished the Company in
writing;
(ii)
if to the Company, at Galaxy Nutritional Foods, Inc., x/x Xxxx Xxxx Xxxxxxx,
L.P., Xxx Xxxxx Xxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000 or at such other
address as it may have furnished in writing to the Executive.
(b) Any
notice so addressed shall be deemed to be given: if delivered by
hand, on the date of such delivery; if mailed by courier, on the first business
day following the date of such mailing; and if mailed by registered or certified
mail, on the third business day after the date of such mailing.
SECTION
18. Section
Headings. The headings of the sections and
subsections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be
deemed to constitute a part thereof, affect the meaning or interpretation of
this Agreement or of any term or provision hereof.
SECTION
19. Entire
Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding
and agreement of the parties hereto regarding the subject matter of this
Agreement and supersedes all prior negotiations, discussions, correspondence,
communications, understandings and agreements between the parties relating to
such subject matter.
SECTION
20. Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be
deemed an original and all of which together shall be considered one and the
same agreement.
[Remainder
of page intentionally left blank.]
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IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company and the Executive have duly executed and delivered
this Agreement under seal as of the date first above written.
GALAXY NUTRITIONAL FOODS,
INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Title:
Director
/s/ Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx 5/16/2009
XXXX
XXXXXXXXX
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