EXHIBIT 10.1
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
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THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the "Agreement") entered into as of this 1st day
of January , 1999, between College Directory Publishing Corporation (the
"Company"), and Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx (the "Executive").
WHEREAS, the Company desires to employ the Executive and to ensure the
continued availability to the Company of the Executive's services, and the
Executive is willing to accept such employment and render such services, all
upon and subject to the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants
set forth in this Agreement, and intending to be legally bound, the Company and
the Executive agree as follows:
1. Term of Employment.
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(a) Term. The Company hereby employs the Executive, and the
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Executive hereby accepts employment with the Company for a period
commencing on the date of this Agreement and ending upon the earlier of (i)
three years from the date of the Company completing an initial public
offering of its securities ("IPO"), or (ii) five years from the date of
this Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the term IPO means the closing
of a registered public offering of securities in which the Company receives
gross proceeds of at
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least $5,000,000 or the closing of a merger or similar transaction with a
public company which is required to file reports with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.
(b) Continuing Effect. Notwithstanding any termination of this
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Agreement except for termination under Section 5(c), at the end of the Term
or otherwise, the provisions of Sections 6 and 7 shall remain in full force
and effect and the provisions of Section 7 shall be binding upon the legal
representatives, successors and assigns of the Executive.
2. Duties.
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(a) General Duties. The Executive shall serve as chief executive
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officer of the Company, with duties and responsibilities that are customary
for such executives. The Executive will also perform services for such
subsidiaries as may be necessary. In addition to the foregoing duties, the
Executive shall have those duties and rights and the authority referred to
in that certain Agreement entered into on May 4, 1998 among Xxxx Xxxxxx,
M.G. Management, Inc. and certain other parties (the "Golden Agreement"), a
copy of which is in file at the offices of the Company and the amendment to
the Golden Agreement entered into as of February 12, 1999 a copy of which
is file at the offices of the Company. The Executive will use his best
efforts to perform his duties and discharge his responsibilities pursuant
to this Agreement competently, carefully and faithfully. In determining
whether or not the Executive has used his best efforts hereunder, the
Executive's
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and the Company's delegation of authority and all surrounding circumstances
shall be taken into account and the best efforts of the Executive shall not
be judged solely on the Company's earnings or other results of the
Executive's performance.
(b) Devotion of Time. Subject to the last sentence of this Section
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2(b), the Executive shall devote all of his time, attention and energies
during normal business hours (exclusive of periods of sickness and
disability and of such normal holiday and vacation periods as have been
established by the Company) to the affairs of the Company. The Executive
shall not enter the employ of or serve as a consultant to, or in any way
perform any services with or without compensation to, any other persons,
business or organization without the prior consent of the board of
directors of the Company; provided, that the Executive shall be permitted
to devote a limited amount of his time, without compensation, to
professional, charitable or similar organizations.
(c) Location of Office: Except for usual and customary business
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travel, the Executive's principal business office shall be in Conshohocken,
Pennsylvania. In no event shall the Company relocate its principal offices
to any area outside a 50 mile radius of its current location without the
Executive's express written consent.
3. Compensation and Expenses.
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(a) Salary. For the services of the Executive to be rendered under
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this
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Agreement, the Company shall pay the Executive an annual salary of $115,000
(the "Base Salary") which Base Salary shall be increased each year by an
amount equal to the greater of (i) 3% in excess of the prior year's Base
Salary, or (ii) the cost of living increase based upon the Consumer Price
Index calculated upon the commencement of each year of the Agreement using
the prior month as the measuring month published by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics (or similar successor index). At such time as the Company
completes an IPO, the Base Salary shall be increased to $150,000. The
Consumer Price Index increase calculation shall be calculated as follows:
Commencing with the one year anniversary of the commencement
of the term and the beginning of each year thereafter during
the term of this Agreement, the Executive's annual salary
shall be adjusted in accordance with the Consumer Price
Index, all Urban Consumers issued by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor using the years
1982-84 as a base of 100 (the "Index"). At the commencement
of the second year, and of each year thereafter, the
Executive's adjusted Base Salary shall be multiplied each
year by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the
published Index number for the month preceding the
commencement of the new year, i.e. November 1999, and the
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denominator of which shall be the published Index number for
the month of November, 1998. The resulting increase to the
Executive's Base Salary shall be added to the prior year's
Base Salary and become a part thereof for the current year.
In the event that the
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Index herein referred to ceases to be published during the
term of this Agreement, or if a substantial change is made
in the method of establishing such Index, then the
determination of the adjustment in the Executive's
compensation shall be made with the use of such conversion
factor, formula or table as may be published by the Bureau
of Labor Statistics, or if none is available, the parties
shall accept comparable statistics on the cost of living in
the United States as shall then be computed and published by
an agency of the United States, or if not by a respected
financial periodical selected by the Company.
(b) Expenses. In addition to any compensation received pursuant to
Section 3(a) and (c), the Company will reimburse or advance funds to the
Executive for all reasonable travel, entertainment and miscellaneous
expenses incurred in connection with the performance of his duties under
this Agreement, provided that the Executive properly accounts for such
expenses to the Company in accordance with the Company's practices. Such
reimbursement or advances will be made in accordance with policies and
procedures of the Company in effect from time to time relating to
reimbursement of or advances to executive officers.
(c) Incentive Bonus. The Executive shall be eligible to receive an
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annual bonus in an amount to be determined by a majority of the
Company's independent directors.
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(d) Signing Bonus. In order to induce the Executive to enter into
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this Agreement and subject to the Executive being employed by the Company
as of January 1, 1999, the Company shall pay the Executive on or after
January 1, 1999 $30,000.
(d) Tax Offset Bonus. The Company shall pay to the Executive a sum
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equal to the gross taxes including penalties and interest, if any, required
to be paid by the Executive in connection with the purchase by the Company
of College Directory Publishing, Inc. as of June 10,1998. The bonus shall
be paid prior to April 1, 1999. In connection with the calculation of such
tax off-set bonus, the alternative minimum tax credit of the Executive
shall not off-set the amount of taxes due.
(e) IPO Bonus. At such time as the Company closes an IPO, the Company
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shall pay the Executive an amount equal to the product of (i) $35,000 times
(ii) the number of days that elapse following December 31, 1998 divided by
365. Such amount shall not accrue and the Executive shall only be entitled
to this amount as a bonus if the Company closes an IPO.
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4. Benefits.
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(a) Vacation. For each 12-month period during the Term, the Executive
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will be entitled to three weeks of vacation without loss of compensation or
other benefits to which he is entitled under this Agreement, to be taken at
such times as the Executive may select and the affairs of the Company may
permit. Any unused vacation will be paid for by the Company in addition to
regular salary at the annual rate in effect during 12 month period.
(b) Employee Benefit Programs. The Executive is entitled to
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participate in any pension, 401(k), insurance or other employee benefit
plan that is maintained by the Company for its executive officers,
including programs of life and medical insurance and reimbursement of
membership fees in civic, social and professional organizations. The
Company shall provide disability insurance for the Executive or reimburse
the Executive for disability insurance covering the Executive's disability
which insurance shall have only a 30-day waiting period.
(c) Insurance. The Company shall provide to Executive a $1,000,000
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key man life insurance policy. The Company shall pay the premiums on the
policy and assign the benefits of the policy to those person(s) or
entity(ies) the Executive directs as beneficiary(ies). The Company shall
also pay premiums on the Company's medical insurance policy covering
Executive and Executive's dependents and pay the premiums on disability
insurance in an amount equal to the maximum allowed by the insurance
company.
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(d) Automobile. The Company shall pay for the current or equivalent
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automobile lease and insurance payments and pay for or reimburse the
Executive for all related automobile expenses upon receipt of written
documentation thereof. At the end of the Executive's current automobile
lease, the Executive shall receive reimbursement of (i) automobile lease of
up to $600 per month, and (ii) the cost of insurance for such automobile.
5. Termination.
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(a) Termination for Cause. The Company may terminate the Executive's
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employment pursuant to the terms of this Agreement at any time for cause by
giving written notice of termination. Such termination will become
effective upon the giving of such notice. Upon any such termination for
cause, the Executive shall have no right to compensation, bonus or
reimbursement under Section 3, or to participate in any employee benefit
programs under Section 4, except as provided by law, for any period
subsequent to the effective date of termination. For purposes of this
Section 5(a), "cause" shall mean: (i) the Executive is convicted of a
felony which is related to the Executive's employment or the business of
the Company; (ii) the Executive, in carrying out his duties hereunder, has
been found in a civil action to have committed gross negligence or
intentional misconduct resulting in either case in material harm to the
Company; or (iii) the Executive has been found in a civil action to have
materially breached any provision of Section 6 or Section 7 and to have
caused material harm
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to the Company. The term "found in a civil action" shall not apply until
all appeals permissible under the applicable rules of procedure or statutes
have been determined and no further appeals are permissible.
(b) Death or Disability. Except as otherwise provided in this
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Agreement, it shall terminate upon the death, or disability of the
Executive. For purposes of this Section 5(b), "disability" shall mean that
for a period of four consecutive months in any 12-month period the
Executive is incapable of substantially fulfilling the duties set forth in
Section 2 because of physical, mental or emotional incapacity resulting
from injury, sickness or disease. In the event of death of the Executive,
the Executive's estate shall receive the Executive's compensation and
benefits for the remainder of the term of this Agreement or 24 months
whichever is greater.
(c) Special Termination. In the event that (i) the Executive, with or
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without change in title or formal corporate action, shall no longer
exercise all of the duties and responsibilities and shall no longer possess
substantially all the authority set forth in Section 2; or (ii) the Company
materially breaches this Agreement or the performance of its duties and
obligations hereunder; or (iii) any entity or person not now an executive
officer or director (or spouse) of the Company becomes either individually
or as part of a group the beneficial owner of 30% or more of the Company's
common stock, in any such event the Executive, by written notice to the
Company, may elect to deem the Executive's employment hereunder to have
been terminated by the Company without cause, in which
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event the Executive shall be entitled at the time of termination to be paid
an amount equal to three years compensation and benefits as defined under
this Agreement pursuant to Sections 3 and 4 herein for such three-year
period and all of Executive's remaining unvested options shall vest
immediately upon such termination. In such event, the Executive, by written
notice to the Company, may elect to refuse all further obligations of the
Company under Sections 3 and 4 and to release the Company with respect
thereto, in which event the Company shall release the Executive from the
provisions of Section 6.
6. Non-Competition Agreement.
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(a) Competition with the Company. Until termination of his
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employment and for a period of 12 months commencing on the date of
termination, the Executive, directly or indirectly, in association with or
as a stockholder, director, officer, consultant, employee, partner, joint
venturer, member or otherwise of or through any person, firm, corporation,
partnership, association or other entity, will not compete with the Company
or any of its affiliates in the offer, sale or marketing of products or
services that are competitive with the products or services offered by the
Company, within any metropolitan area in the United States or elsewhere in
which the Company is then engaged in the offer and sale of competitive
products or services; provided, however, the foregoing shall not prevent
Executive from accepting employment with an enterprise engaged in two or
more lines of business, one of which is the same or similar to the
Company's business (the "Prohibited Business") if Executive's employment is
totally unrelated to the Prohibited Business;
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provided, further, the foregoing shall not prohibit Executive from owning
up to 5% of the securities of any publicly-traded enterprise provided
Executive is not an employee, director, officer, consultant to such
enterprise or otherwise reimbursed for services rendered to such
enterprise.
(b) Solicitation of Customers. During the periods in which the
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provisions of Section 6(a) shall be in effect, the Executive, directly or
indirectly, will not seek Prohibited Business from any Customer (as defined
below) on behalf of any enterprise or business other than the Company,
refer Prohibited Business from any Customer to any enterprise or business
other than the Company or receive commissions based on sales or otherwise
relating to the Prohibited Business from any Customer, or any enterprise or
business other than the Company. For purposes of this Section 6(b), the
term "Customer" means any person, firm, corporation, partnership,
association or other entity to which the Company or any of its affiliates
sold or provided goods or services during the 24-month period prior to the
time at which any determination is required to be made as to whether any
such person, firm, corporation, partnership, association or other entity is
a Customer.
(c) No Payment. The Executive acknowledges and agrees that no
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separate or additional payment will be required to be made to him in
consideration of his undertakings in this Section 6.
7. Non-Disclosure of Confidential Information.
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(a) Confidential Information. Confidential Information includes, but
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is not limited to, trade secrets as defined by the common law in
Pennsylvania or any future Pennsylvania statute, processes, policies,
procedures, techniques, designs, drawings, know-how, show-how, technical
information, specifications, computer software (including, but not limited
to, computer programs developed, improved or modified by the Company for or
on behalf of the Company for use in the Company's business, and source
code), information and data relating to the development, research, testing,
manufacturing, costs, marketing and uses of the Products (as defined
herein), the Company's budgets and strategic plans, and the identity and
special needs of customers for the Products, databases, data, all
technology relating to the Company's college and university directory and
Internet businesses, systems, methods of operation, customer lists,
customer information, solicitation leads, marketing and advertising
materials, methods and manuals and forms, all of which pertain to the
activities or operations of the Company, names, home addresses and all
telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of the Company's employees and
former employees. Confidential Information also includes, without
limitation, Confidential Information received from the Company's
subsidiaries and affiliates. For purposes of this Agreement, the following
will not constitute Confidential Information (i) information which is or
subsequently becomes generally available to the public through no act of
the Executive, (ii) information set forth in the written records of the
Executive prior to disclosure to the Executive by or on behalf of the
Company, and (iii) information which is lawfully obtained by the Executive
in writing from a third party (excluding any affiliates of the Executive)
who did not acquire such confidential
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information or trade secret, directly or indirectly, from Executive or the
Company. As used herein, the term "Products" shall include all computer
software researched, developed, tested, manufactured, sold, licensed,
leased or otherwise distributed or put in to use by the Company, together
with all services provided by the Company during the term of Executive's
employment.
(b) Legitimate Business Interests. The Executive recognizes that the
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Company has legitimate business interests to protect and as a consequence,
the Executive agrees to the restrictions contained in this Agreement
because they further the Company's legitimate business interests. These
legitimate business interests include, but are not limited to (i) trade
secrets as defined in Section 7(b), (ii) valuable confidential business or
professional information that otherwise does not qualify as trade secrets
including all Confidential Information; (iii) substantial relationships
with specific prospective or existing customers or clients; (iv) customer
or client goodwill associated with the Company's business; and (v)
specialized training relating to the Company's technology, methods and
procedures.
(c) Confidentiality. For a period of three years, the Confidential
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Information shall be held by the Executive in the strictest confidence and
shall not, without the prior written consent of the Company, be disclosed
to any person other than in connection with Executive's employment by the
Company. The Executive further acknowledges that such Confidential
Information as is acquired and used by the Company or its affiliates is a
special, valuable and unique asset. The Executive shall exercise all due
and diligence precautions to
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protect the integrity of the Company's Confidential Information and to keep
it confidential whether it is in written form, on electronic media or oral.
The Executive shall not copy any Confidential Information except to the
extent necessary to his employment nor remove any Confidential Information
or copies thereof from the Company's premises except to the extent
necessary to his employment and then only with the authorization of an
officer of the Company. All records, files, materials and other
Confidential Information obtained by the Executive in the course of his
employment with the Company are confidential and proprietary and shall
remain the exclusive property of the Company or its customers, as the case
may be. The Executive shall not, except in connection with and as required
by his performance of his duties under this Agreement, for any reason use
for his own benefit or the benefit of any person or entity with which he
may be associated or disclose any such Confidential Information to any
person, firm, corporation, association or other entity for any reason or
purpose whatsoever without the prior written consent of an executive
officer of the Company (excluding the Executive, if applicable).
8. Equitable Relief.
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(a) The Company and the Executive recognize that the services to be
rendered under this Agreement by the Executive are special, unique and of
extraordinary character, and that in the event of the breach by the
Executive of the terms and conditions of this Agreement or if the
Executive, without the prior consent of the board of directors of the
Company, shall leave his employment for any reason and take any action in
violation of
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Section 6 or Section 7, the Company will be entitled to institute and
prosecute proceedings in any court of competent jurisdiction referred to in
Section 8(b) below, to enjoin the Executive from breaching the provisions
of Section 6 or Section 7. In such action, the Company will not be required
to plead or prove irreparable harm or lack of an adequate remedy at law.
Nothing contained in this Section 8 shall be construed to prevent the
Company from seeking such other remedy in arbitration in case of any breach
of this Agreement by the Executive, as the Company may elect.
(b) Any proceeding or action must be commenced in Pennsylvania. The
Executive and the Company irrevocably and unconditionally submit to the
exclusive jurisdiction of such courts and agree to take any and all future
action necessary to submit to the jurisdiction of such courts. The
Executive and the Company irrevocably waive any objection that they now
have or hereafter irrevocably waive any objection that they now have or
hereafter may have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding
brought in any such court and further irrevocably waive any claim that any
such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought
in an inconvenient forum. Final judgment against the Executive or the
Company in any such suit shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other
jurisdictions by suit on the judgment, a certified or true copy of which
shall be conclusive evidence of the fact and the amount of any liability of
the Executive or the Company therein described, or by appropriate
proceedings under any applicable treaty or otherwise.
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9. Assignability. The rights and obligations of the Company under this
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Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and
assigns of the Company, provided that such successor or assign shall acquire all
or substantially all of the securities or assets and business of the Company.
The Executive's obligations hereunder may not be assigned or alienated and any
attempt to do so by the Executive will be void.
10. Severability.
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(a) The Executive expressly agrees that the character, duration and
geographical scope of the non-competition provisions set forth in this
Agreement are reasonable in light of the circumstances as they exist on the
date hereof. Should a decision, however, be made at a later date by a
court of competent jurisdiction that the character, duration or
geographical scope of such provisions is unreasonable, then it is the
intention and the agreement of the Executive and the Company that this
Agreement shall be construed by the court in such a manner as to impose
only those restrictions on the Executive's conduct that are reasonable in
the light of the circumstances and as are necessary to assure to the
Company the benefits of this Agreement. If, in any judicial proceeding, a
court shall refuse to enforce all of the separate covenants deemed included
herein because taken together they are more extensive than necessary to
assure to the Company the intended benefits of this Agreement, it is
expressly understood and agreed by the parties hereto that the provisions
of this Agreement that, if eliminated, would permit the remaining separate
provisions to be enforced in such proceeding shall be deemed eliminated,
for the purposes of such proceeding, from this
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Agreement.
(b) If any provision of this Agreement otherwise is deemed to be
invalid or unenforceable or is prohibited by the laws of the state or
jurisdiction where it is to be performed, this Agreement shall be
considered divisible as to such provision and such provision shall be
inoperative in such state or jurisdiction and shall not be part of the
consideration moving from either of the parties to the other. The remaining
provisions of this Agreement shall be valid and binding and of like effect
as though such provision were not included.
11. Notices and Addresses. All notices, offers, acceptance and any other
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acts under this Agreement (except payment) shall be in writing, and shall be
sufficiently given if delivered to the addressees in person, by Federal Express
or similar receipted delivery, by facsimile delivery or, if mailed, postage
prepaid, by certified mail, return receipt requested, as follows:
To the Company: College Directory Publishing
Corporation
0000 Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxx, 0xx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Facsimile: (000)000-0000
With a Copy to: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Esq.
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, P.A.
0000 Xxxx Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxx.
Xxxxx 000
Xxxx Xxxx Xxxxx, XX 00000
Facsimile (000)000-0000
With a Copy to: Xxxx X. Xxxxx, Esquire
Xxxxx & Xxxxx
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0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Facsimile (000)000-0000
To the Executive: Xx. Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx
0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxx, P.A. 19444
or to such other address as either of them, by notice to the other may designate
from time to time. The transmission confirmation receipt from the sender's
facsimile machine shall be conclusive evidence of successful facsimile delivery.
Time shall be counted to, or from, as the case may be, the delivery in person or
by mailing.
12. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
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counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which
together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The execution of this
Agreement may be by actual or facsimile signature.
13. Arbitration. Except for a claim for equitable relief, any controversy,
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dispute or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or its
interpretation, application, implementation, breach or enforcement which the
parties are unable to resolve by mutual agreement, shall be settled by
submission by either party of the controversy, claim or dispute to binding
arbitration in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the parties agree in writing to a
different location), before the arbitrators in accordance with the rules of the
American Arbitration Association then in effect. In any such arbitration
proceeding the parties agree to provide all discovery deemed necessary by the
arbitrators. The decision and award made by the arbitrators shall be final,
binding and conclusive on all parties
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hereto for all purposes, and judgment may be entered thereon in any court having
jurisdiction thereof.
14. Attorney's Fees. In the event that there is any controversy or claim
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arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or to the interpretation, breach
or enforcement thereof, and any action or proceeding is commenced to enforce the
provisions of this Agreement, the prevailing party shall be entitled to a
reasonable attorney's fee, costs and expenses.
15. Governing Law. This Agreement and any dispute, disagreement, or issue
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of construction or interpretation arising hereunder whether relating to its
execution, its validity, the obligations provided therein or performance shall
be governed or interpreted according to the internal laws of the State of
Pennsylvania without regard to choice of law considerations.
16. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire Agreement
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between the parties and supersedes all prior oral and written agreements between
the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. Neither this
Agreement nor any provision hereof may be changed, waived, discharged or
terminated orally, except by a statement in writing signed by the party or
parties against which enforcement or the change, waiver discharge or termination
is sought.
17. Additional Documents. The parties hereto shall execute such additional
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instruments as may be reasonably required by their counsel in order to carry out
the purpose and intent of this Agreement and to fulfill the obligations of the
parties hereunder.
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18. Section and Paragraph Headings. The section and paragraph headings in
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this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect the meaning
or interpretation of this Agreement.
19. Prior Agreement. The prior Employment Agreement among The Publishing
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Company of North America, Inc., New College Directory Publishing, Inc., and the
Executive dated June 21, 1998 is null and void.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company and the Executive have executed this
Agreement as of the date and year first above written.
COLLEGE DIRECTORY PUBLISHING
CORPORATION
_________________________
/s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
_________________________ By:_______________________________
Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx, President and Chief
Operating Officer
_________________________
/s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx
_________________________ __________________________________
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx
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