SEPARATION AGREEMENT AND MUTUAL RELEASE IN FULL
Exhibit
10.3
THIS
SEPARATION AGREEMENT AND MUTUAL RELEASE IN FULL (this “Agreement”) is made by
and between Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx (the “Former Director”) and Bluegate Corporation, a
Nevada corporation (together with its subsidiaries, the “Company”).
PRELIMINARY
STATEMENT
The
Former Director served on the Board of Directors of the Company;
The
Former Director holds shares of the Company’s common stock and stock options
exercisable for shares of the Company’s common stock; and
The
Former Director and the Company desire to settle fully and finally all matters
between them, including any matters that may have arisen out of Former
Director’s service on the Board of Directors and his employment with the Company
and his separation therefrom.
AGREEMENT
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NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and promises contained
in this Agreement, the Former Director and the Company agree as
follows:
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1.
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The
Former Director’s employment with the Company terminated effective as of
the close of business on May 31, 2009 (the “Separation
Date”).
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2.
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The
Former Director resigned as a Director of the Company, such resignation
took effect as of the close of business on October 27, 2009 (“the
Resignation Date”).
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3.
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The
Former Director agrees that he will not, directly or indirectly, and will
not cause or permit any person or entity controlled by him
to: a) make or in any way participate in any “solicitation” of
“proxies” (as such terms are used in the proxy rules of the Securities and
Exchange Commission) to vote, or seek to advise or influence any person
with respect to the voting of any voting securities of the Company; b)
form, join, or in any way participate in a “group” (within the meaning of
Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) with respect
to any voting securities of the Company; c) form, join, or in any way
participate in any shareholder action regarding the Company; and/or d)
advise, assist or encourage any other persons in connection with any of
the foregoing.
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4.
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For
a period of five years after the Effective Date, without the prior written
consent of the Board of Directors of the Company, the Former Director
agrees that he will not, directly or indirectly, and will not cause or
permit any person or entity controlled by him to: (a) induce or
attempt to induce any employee to leave the employ of the Company or an
independent contractor to terminate its retention by the Company, (b)
solicit for employment, attempt to employ or employ (whether as an
employee, independent contractor or otherwise) any employee or independent
contractor of the Company or (c) in any way interfere with the
relationship between the Company and any of its employees or independent
contractors.
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5.
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The
Former Director and Company agrees that he/it will not make any
disparaging comments regarding the other or any of its former, current, or
future stockholders, directors, officers, or employees. The
phrase “disparaging comments” will mean any comment, remark, or statement,
whether written or oral, that is harmful to the reputation of the Former
Director or Company or any such other person in the
community.
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6.
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The
Former Director agrees that on or prior to November 11, 2009 he will
return to the Company all credit cards, keys, identification, computer
software and hardware, telecommunications equipment, and all other
property belonging to the Company.
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7.
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The
Company agrees that it will return to the Former Director no later than
the date he vacates the Company’s offices all personal information along
with the furniture, artwork, and computer software and hardware (as
detailed in Schedule 2) belonging to the Former Director. The
Company also agrees to provide the Former Director with a schedule listing
the capital contributions made by the Former Director to the Company to
date that can be readily documented, with no warranty of accuracy by the
Company. The Company further agrees that any and all public
filings needed to be completed as a result of this Agreement
will be done at Company expense, including but not limited to Form 4 and
13D and an Opinion Letter to remove the restrictive legend from Former
Directors’ and his affiliates’ restricted
shares.
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8.
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The
Former Director hereby waives any rights or entitlements to any employee
benefits or other obligations of the Company (including any wage claims,
Director’s fees, vehicle allowances or expense account reimbursements) up
to and including the Resignation Date, other than those rights or
entitlements which may be required by law; provided
that: (a) the Former Director will be entitled to receive any
401k plan benefits for which the Former Director is eligible in accordance
with the terms of the plans and law based on the Former Director’s
compensation and length of service through the Separation Date and all
post-termination health insurance continuation benefits required to be
provided by law and (b) this Agreement will not be deemed to constitute a
waiver of the Former Director’s rights, if any, to indemnification or
advancement of expenses in accordance with the certificate or articles of
incorporation and bylaws of the Company, as in effect as of the Effective
Date, with respect to any claim, action, suit or proceeding relating to or
involving the Former Director’s service as a Director or officer of the
Company prior to the Resignation
Date.
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9.
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As
consideration for the Former Director’s acceptance of the terms and
conditions in this Agreement, the Company will pay a separation payment of
One Dollar (the “Separation Payment”), which will be subject to all
applicable federal and state tax withholding and statutory
deductions. The Separation Payment will be made no later than
November 11, 2009.
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1
10.
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In
exchange for the valuable consideration
hereunder:
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a.
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The
Former Director, for and on behalf of himself and his heirs,
beneficiaries, executors, administrators, attorneys, successors and
assigns, hereby releases and waives all claims, causes of action and
demands of any kind against the Company, any of its affiliates (including
each stockholder of the Company), or any creditors of the Company, any of
their respective employee plans and any of their respective stockholders,
Directors, officers, trustees, employees, attorneys and agents, in their
individual and official capacities, and all of their predecessors, heirs,
executors, administrators, successors and assigns (collectively, the
“Released Parties”), which the Former Director had, has or may have
through the date the Former Director executes this Agreement, whether
known or unknown, arising out of or relating to: (i) the Former
Director’s employment with the Company or the termination thereof, (ii)
the Former Director’s service as a Director or officer of the Company or
his resignation as a Director or officer, (iii) the Former Director’s
ownership of capital stock of the Company, or of options, warrants, rights
or other securities or instruments exercisable or exchangeable for or
convertible into shares of the capital stock of the Company, or the sale
and assignment of such capital stock or other securities to the Company
pursuant to this Agreement, (iv) any notes, indebtedness, obligations,
liabilities of the Company, including, without limitation, the amounts
described in Schedule 1, or (v) to matters otherwise arising up to and
including the Resignation Date, including any wages, bonuses or
commissions, or on account of any alleged conduct of the Released Parties
which might be alleged by the Former Director to constitute race, color,
sex, religious, age, national origin, ancestry, genetic information or
disability discrimination, or any claim or right under Title VII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, the Civil Rights Act of
1991 and the laws amended thereby, the Americans with Disabilities Act,
the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended, the Older
Workers Benefit Protection Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the
Equal Pay Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Texas
Commission on Human Rights Act, the Texas Persons with Mental Retardation
Act, the Texas Tests for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and Related
Disorders law, Texas wage and hour laws, or any other provision of
federal, state or local statutory or common law or
regulation. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as a
waiver or relinquishment of any right that Former Director may have in any
stock, options, or warrants that currently exist and that are held by
Former Director, the terms of which are in full force and effect and shall
not be modified hereby. In the event anyone claiming to be
released hereby files any claim against the Former Director, this release
will become null and void and of no effect for that party making the claim
against the Former Director.
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b.
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The
Company, for and on behalf of itself and its heirs, beneficiaries,
executors, administrators, attorneys, successors and assigns, hereby
releases and waives all claims, causes of action and demands of any kind
against the Former Director in his individual and official capacities,
which the Company had, has or may have through the date the Former
Director executes this Agreement, whether known or unknown, arising out of
or relating to: (i) the Former Director’s employment with the
Company or the termination thereof, (ii) the Former Director’s service as
a director or officer of the Company or his resignation as a director or
officer, (iii) the Former Director’s ownership of capital stock of the
Company, or of options, warrants, rights or other securities or
instruments exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into shares of
the capital stock of the Company, or the sale and assignment of such
capital stock or other securities to the Company pursuant to this
Agreement, (iv) any notes, indebtedness, obligations, liabilities of the
Former Director, including, without limitation, the amounts described in
Schedule 1, or (v) to matters otherwise arising up to and including the
Resignation Date, including any wages, bonuses or commissions, or on
account of any alleged conduct of the Former Director which might be
alleged by the Company.
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11.
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To
the extent not prohibited by applicable law, the Former Director and the
Company hereby warrants that he/it has and will not institute any lawsuit,
claim, action, charge, complaint, petition, appeal, accusatory pleading,
or proceeding of any kind against the other Party or any other Released
Party, and both Parties waive, or at a minimum assign to the other Party,
any and all rights to any and all forms of recovery or compensation from
any legal action brought by the other Party or on that other Party’s
behalf in connection with the matters that are the subject of this
Agreement. To the extent not prohibited by applicable law, in
the event that a lawsuit or any of the foregoing actions are filed by the
Former Director or the Company in breach of this covenant, it is expressly
understood and agreed that:
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a.
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This
covenant will constitute a complete defense to any such lawsuit or
action.
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b.
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Any
material breach by a Party of any of the terms contained in this Agreement
relieves the other Party of any and all obligations it may have pursuant
to this Agreement.
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c.
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Should
a Party bring any type of administrative or legal action arising out of
claims waived under this Agreement, the Party bringing the action will
bear all legal fees and costs associated therewith, including those of any
Released Parties.
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12.
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For
a period of five years after the Effective Date, as necessary, the Former
Director agrees to provide thorough and accurate information and testimony
voluntarily to or on behalf of the Company or any affiliate thereof
regarding any investigation, litigation or claims initiated by or against
the Company or any affiliate thereof or by any entity or person (a
“Proceeding”), but he agrees not to disclose or to discuss with anyone who
is not directing or assisting in any Proceeding, other than his attorney,
the fact of or the subject matter of any Proceeding, except as required by
law. The Former Director will take all reasonable steps to
cooperate fully with the Company or any affiliate in supplying thorough
and accurate information in each Proceeding and during the defense or
prosecution thereof. The Former Director will make commercially
reasonable efforts to accommodate his schedule to cooperate with the
Company or any affiliate and provide such information as soon as is
reasonable under the circumstances. In requesting information
the Company or any affiliate will attempt to work with the Former Director
to arrange times that reasonably accommodate his schedule and, to the
extent permitted by law, the Company will reimburse the Former Director
for reasonable travel, commuting, parking or other similar out-of-pocket
expenses incurred by him in connection with providing such information or
testimony.
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13.
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This
Agreement will be binding upon and will inure to the benefit of the
successors, assigns, heirs, executors and administrators of the respective
parties.
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14.
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The
Former Director acknowledges and agrees that the Company has not made any
representations to the Former Director regarding the tax consequences of
any amounts received by the Former Director pursuant to this Agreement and
further the Former Director agrees that he will be solely responsible for
payment of all his personal tax liabilities due on any and all payments to
him set forth in this Agreement, including federal, state and local taxes,
and interest and penalties, which are or may become
due.
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15.
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Nothing
contained in this Agreement, or the fact of its submission to the Former
Director, will be admissible evidence in any judicial, administrative or
other legal proceeding, or be construed as an admission of any liability
or wrongdoing on the part of the Company or the other Released Parties of
any violation of federal or state statutory or common law or
regulation.
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16.
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Should
any provision of this Agreement be held invalid or unenforceable by
operation of law or otherwise, all other provisions will remain in full
force and effect; provided that a court
may modify any provision to make it valid and
enforceable.
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17.
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This
Agreement sets forth the entire agreement between the parties and
supersedes any and all prior oral or written agreements or understandings
between the Former Director and the Company. This Agreement may
not be altered, amended, or modified except by a further written document
signed by the Former Director and an authorized officer of the
Company.
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2
18.
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This
Agreement will be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of
the State of Texas without reference to its or any other state’s conflicts
of law rules.
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19.
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This
Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which will be deemed to
be an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same
instrument. A facsimile signature will be deemed to be an
original signature for all
purposes.
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20.
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The
Former Director acknowledges that he has had adequate time to review this
Agreement, that he has been advised by the Company to consult with legal
counsel of his choosing regarding this Agreement, that he has received
adequate consideration for this Agreement, and that he enters into this
Agreement freely, knowingly and
voluntarily.
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21.
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The
provisions of this Agreement shall become effective once both parties have
executed the Agreement below (the “Effective
Date”).
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3
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have executed this Separation Agreement and
Mutual Release In Full as of the date specified below.
Bluegate
Corporation
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx X.
Xxxxxxx November 7, 2009
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxx
Chief
Financial Officer
Accepted
and agreed to this Seventh (7th) day
of November, 2009
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
Witness:
/s/ Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
4
SCHEDULE 1
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx Amounts Payable and Accrued Through
10/31/09
Amount
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Description
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$ | 34,628 |
Note
payable as of 10/31/09
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$ | 9,004 |
Accrued
interest on note payable as of 10/31/09
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$ | 22,499 |
Accrued
director's fees through 10/31/09
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$ | 6,000 |
Accrued
vehicle allowance from 5/1/08 through 12/31/08
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$ | 742 |
Accrued
interest on payroll checks held until cashed
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$ | 72,873 |
Total
Accrued
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Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx Texas Wage
Claim = $42,000
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SCHEDULE 2
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx – Furniture, Artwork, and Computer
Software and Hardware
Reference
Asset Sale and Purchase Agreement for Trilliant Technology Group (“TTG”) to be
purchased by Trilliant Corporation from Bluegate Corporation.
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