EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
Exhibit
10.1
THIS
EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (“Agreement”)
is
made and entered into as of 16th day of March, 2006 (the “Agreement
Date”),
by
and between DYADIC INTERNATIONAL, INC., a Delaware corporation (the
“Company”),
and
XXXXX X. XXXXXX (the “Executive”)
and
effective as of the date Executive is able to commence his employment by the
Company, but in no event later than the date fixed by the provisions of Section
1.11 hereof (the “Effective
Date”)
. The
Company and the Executive are sometimes hereinafter collectively referred to
as
the “parties”
and
individually as a “party.”
Certain capitalized terms used in this Agreement are defined in Article VII
hereof.
RECITALS
A. The
Company wishes to employ the Executive, and the Executive wishes to be employed
by the Company, as (i) the Company’s Chief Scientific Officer, (ii) an Executive
Vice President of the Company and (iii) the President of the BioSciences
business (the “BioSciences
Business”)
of the
Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Dyadic International (USA), Inc., a Florida
corporation (“Dyadic-Florida”).
As a
condition of, and as consideration for, that employment, the Company requires
that this Agreement be entered into pursuant to which the Executive is hereby
knowingly and intentionally furnishing the Company with, among other things,
the
suite of proprietary covenants of the Executive in favor of the Company set
forth in Article IV hereof.
B. As
of the
date of this Agreement the Company intends and expects to open a research and
development (“R
& D”)
facility in or near Davis, California (the “California
Facility”)
within
two (2) years after the Effective Date, in the sole discretion and business
judgment of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”),
which
is a material inducement to Executive to enter into this Agreement, provided
that the Executive, by his execution and delivery of this Agreement, expressly
acknowledges that the Board must act in the best interests of the Company’s
stockholders and will be governed accordingly in its decisions regarding the
California Facility.
C. The
Company maintains the “Dyadic International, Inc. 2001 Equity Compensation Plan”
(as the same may be amended, restated or otherwise modified, the “Equity
Compensation Plan”)
pursuant to which the Company is authorized to grant stock options to purchase
shares of Common Stock of the Company (“Shares”)
to
employees, officers, directors, consultants and advisors of the Company and
its
Subsidiaries.
D. As
additional consideration for the Executive’s execution and delivery of this
Agreement, and to incentivize and reward his effort, loyalty and commitment
to
the Company, concurrent therewith the Company has granted to the Executive
two
certain stock options (each an “Option”
and
collectively, the “Options”)
to
purchase Shares under and pursuant to the terms of the Equity Compensation
Plan
and Stock Option Agreements in the form of Exhibit
A-1
and
Exhibit
A-2
attached
hereto and by this reference made a part hereof (the “Time-Vested
Option”
and
the
“Performance-Vested
Option,”
respectively, and without distinction, each a “Stock
Option Agreement”
and
collectively, the “Stock
Option Agreements”).
E. The
Executive expressly acknowledges that as a member of the Company’s senior
management, he is one of the persons charged with primary responsibility for
the
implementation of the Company’s business plans, and that he will have regular
access to various confidential and/or proprietary information relating to the
Company, its Subsidiaries, their Affiliates and their businesses. Further,
the
Executive expressly acknowledges that the suite of proprietary covenants of
the
Executive in favor of the Company set forth in Article IV hereof which the
Executive is knowingly and intentionally furnishing to the Company, are (i)
being made both in consideration of the Company’s employment of the Executive
and in consideration of the Company’s grant of the Options to the Executive and
(ii) necessary to protect the legitimate business interests of the Company,
its
Subsidiaries and Affiliates and their respective businesses.
AGREEMENT
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing recitals, and the mutual agreements
herein contained and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
sufficiency of which are hereby mutually acknowledged, the parties hereby agree
as follows:
ARTICLE
I
EMPLOYMENT
RELATIONSHIP
1.1 Recitals.
The
Recitals to this Agreement are hereby incorporated herein and made a part
hereof.
1.2 Employment.
Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company hereby agrees to
employ the Executive to serve as (i) the Company’s Chief Scientific Officer,
(ii) an Executive Vice President of the Company and (iii) the President of
Dyadic-Florida’s BioSciences Business, and the Executive hereby accepts such
employment, and agrees to perform
his duties and responsibilities to the best of his abilities in a diligent,
trustworthy, businesslike and efficient manner, and in compliance with the
Dyadic International, Inc. Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, a copy of which
appears on the Company’s website.
1.3 Duties;
Reporting Authority.
(a) The
Executive shall report to the Company’s CEO, President or such other person or
persons as may be designated by the Board or the CEO of the
Company.
(b) With
respect to his role as Chief Scientific Officer of the Company, the Executive
shall be responsible for all scientific and R&D related activities of the
Company and each of its Subsidiaries, including but not limited to their
respective relationships with their third party collaborators, the employment
of
all scientific personnel, and such other duties as shall be assigned him by
the
Board, the CEO or the President of the Company related thereto from time to
time.
(c) With
respect to his role as President of the BioSciences Business, the Executive
shall be responsible for strategic business development of corporate partnering,
strategic alliance and material collaborative
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research
relationships (each a “Corporate
Partnering Transaction”
as
determined by the Board, in good faith), and such other duties as shall be
assigned to him from time to time by the Board, the CEO or the President of
the
Company.
(d) With
respect to his role as an Executive Vice President of the Company, the Executive
shall have such other duties and responsibilities as the Board, the CEO or
the
President of the Company may delegate to the Executive from time to time, and
which are not inconsistent with any of his other assigned duties.
1.4 Exclusive
Employment.
Except
as expressly set forth in this Section 1.4, while he is employed by the Company
hereunder, the Executive covenants to the Company that he will devote his entire
business time, energy, attention and skill to the Company, its Subsidiaries
and
their Affiliates (except for permitted vacation periods and reasonable periods
of illness or other incapacity), and use his good faith best efforts to promote
the interests of the Company, its Subsidiaries and their Affiliates. The
foregoing shall not be construed as prohibiting the Executive from spending
such
time as may be reasonably necessary to attend to his personal affairs and
investments so long as such activities do not conflict or interfere with the
Executive’s obligations and\or timely performance of his duties to the Company,
its Subsidiaries and their Affiliates hereunder. The preceding to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Executive is entitled to remain on the Boards of Directors
of Air MD, Inc. and UC Xxxxx Foundation, respectively, so long as (i) his duties
to those entities do not conflict with his duties to the Company and (ii) such
membership does not materially interfere with Executive’s performance of his
duties for the Company.
1.5 Executive
Representations. The
Executive hereby represents and warrants to the Company that:
(a) the
Executive’s biographical information, job history and education heretofore
furnished by him to the Company is true and complete in all material
respects;
(b) the
execution, delivery and performance by the Executive of this Agreement and
any
other agreements contemplated hereby to which the Executive is a party, as
a
matter of California law, do not and shall not conflict with, breach, violate
or
cause a default under any contract, agreement, instrument, order, judgment
or
decree to which the Executive is a party or by which he is bound;
(c) except
for that certain employment agreement dated December 5, 1991 by and between
the
Executive and his immediately prior employer, a true, complete and correct
copy
of which the Executive has heretofore furnished to the Company, and certain
confidentiality agreements which the Executive is a party to which the Executive
hereby warrants to the Company will have no material adverse affect on the
Executive’s ability to perform his duties and obligations under this Agreement,
the Executive is not a party to or bound by any employment agreement,
non-competition agreement or confidentiality agreement with any other Person;
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(d) upon
the
execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company, this Agreement shall
be
the valid and binding obligation of the Executive, enforceable in accordance
with its terms; and
(e) Executive
has consulted with independent legal counsel regarding his rights and
obligations under this Agreement and fully understands the terms and conditions
contained herein.
1.6 Company
Representations.
The
Company hereby represents and warrants to the Executive that:
(a) the
execution, delivery and performance by the Company
of this Agreement and any other agreements contemplated hereby to which the
Company is a party do not and shall not conflict with, breach, violate or cause
a default under any contract, agreement, instrument, order, judgment or decree
to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound; and
(b) upon
the
execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Executive, this Agreement shall
be the valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable in accordance
with its terms.
1.7 Indemnification.
(a) By
the
Executive.
The
Executive shall indemnify and hold the Company and its Subsidiaries and
Affiliates harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, losses,
judgments, costs, expenses, or liabilities incurred by the Company and/or any
of
its Subsidiaries or Affiliates arising out of or in connection with the breach
of any representation or warranty of the Executive contained in this
Agreement.
(b) By
the
Company.
The
Company shall indemnify and hold the Executive harmless from and against any
and
all claims, demands, losses, judgments, costs, expenses, or liabilities incurred
by the Executive arising out of or in connection with the breach of any
representation or warranty of the Company contained in this Agreement. Further,
the Company shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless the Executive (including
without limitation, the prompt advance payment of all reasonable legal fees
and
expenses) to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and the by-laws
of
the Company. Finally, the Executive shall enjoy such coverage as is afforded
him
under the terms of the D&O Insurance Policy maintained by the Company in
effect from time to time.
1.8 Board
Seat.
On or
within ten (10) days following the Effective Date, the Company shall cause
the
Executive to be elected to the Board as a Class III director, whose term shall
expire on the date of the Company’s 2007 annual stockholders’ meeting. During
the Employment Period, the Executive shall continue to be eligible for
reelection to the Board, unless he is unable or unwilling to serve on the
Board.
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1.9 Regular
Travel to Company’s Florida Offices.
The
Executive expressly acknowledges and agrees that he will be required to spend
a
significant amounts of time at the Company’s Florida headquarters, consistent
with the Company’s business needs or as requested by the Board, the CEO or the
President of the Company. The Executive further expressly acknowledges that
the
Company anticipates requiring the Executive to spend at least sixty (60) days
per calendar year at the Company’s Florida headquarters.
1.10 Davis,
California Office.
Until
such time as the Company is ready to open the California Facility, the Executive
shall maintain an office in his home, or, at the election of either of the
Executive or the Company, at an executive office suite. In either event, the
Company shall furnish the Executive with a photocopier, personal computer,
color
printer, cell phone, fax, file cabinets and shredder, and such other office
equipment as he and the Company shall reasonably determine are necessary, for
his use. If and when the California Facility is opened, as determined by the
Board, in its absolute discretion, the Executive shall relocate his office
to
the California Facility.
1.11 Commencement
of Employment.
The
Executive shall endeavor to commence the Employment Period as soon as possible,
but in any event, not later than April 20, 2006. In the event that the Executive
is unable or unwilling to commence the Employment Period on or before April
20,
2006, at the election of the Company, in its absolute discretion, this Agreement
and the Option Agreements shall become null and void, and without further
effect.
ARTICLE
II
PERIOD
OF EMPLOYMENT
2.1 Employment
Period.
The
Executive’s employment hereunder shall commence on the Effective Date and shall
continue hereunder until the date fixed by the provisions of Section 2.2 hereof,
subject to the early termination provisions of Article V hereof (the
“Employment
Period”),
it
being acknowledged that the Company’s fiscal year ends on December 31, and that
the Employment Period shall therefore be denominated in calendar
years.
2.2 Initial
Term of Employment Period and Extension Terms.
The
Employment Period shall initially continue for a term commencing on the
Effective Date and ending on December 31, 2008 (the
“Initial
Term”).
The
Employment Period shall be automatically extended for successive calendar years
of the Company following the expiration of the Initial Term (each such one
year
period being hereinafter referred to as an “Extension
Term”)
upon
the same terms and conditions provided for herein unless either party provides
the other party with advance written notice of its or his intention not to
extend the Employment Period; provided, however, that such notice must be
delivered by the non-extending party to the other party not later than one
hundred twenty (120) days prior to the expiration of the Initial Term or any
Extension Term, as the case may be.
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ARTICLE
III
COMPENSATION
3.1 Annual
Base Compensation.
During
the Employment Period the Company shall pay to the Executive an annual base
salary (the “Annual
Base Compensation”)
in the
amount of $300,000.00, on a pro rata basis. The Annual Base Compensation shall
be paid in regular installments in accordance with the Company’s general payroll
practices, and shall be subject to all required federal, state and local
withholding taxes. The Executive’s Annual Base Compensation shall be reviewed by
the Chief Executive Officer and the Compensation Committee of the Board (the
“Compensation
Committee”)
annually, and may, in the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer and the
Compensation Committee be increased, provided that there shall be no obligation
on the part of the Company to increase the Executive’s Annual Base Compensation.
3.2 Potential
Annual Target Bonuses.
In
respect of each calendar year falling within the Employment Period, the
Executive shall be eligible to earn an annual bonus, depending upon the results
of operation of the Company, its Subsidiaries and their Affiliates and the
personal performance of the Executive, of up to twenty-five (25%) of the
Executive’s Annual Base Compensation for that calendar year (the “Potential
Annual Target Bonus”)
in
accordance with the terms of a bonus plan which shall be adopted and maintained
in effect by the Compensation Committee for that calendar year. The amount
of
the Potential Annual Target Bonus, if any, which is earned by the Executive
(the
“Bonusable
Amount”)
shall
be paid by the Company to the Executive following the close of the Company’s
calendar year consistent with the timing of similar bonus payments being made
to
other executives of the Company for such year, provided that, unless expressly
provided otherwise herein, it shall be a condition precedent to the Executive’s
right to receive any Bonusable Amount that the Executive be employed by the
Company on the last day of that calendar year, regardless of any subsequent
termination of employment. For calendar year 2006, the Executive shall be
entitled to earn a pro rata share of his Potential Annual Target Bonus. In
the
absolute discretion of the Compensation Committee, the Executive may be entitled
to receive an additional bonus, as and if the Compensation Committee shall
determine from time to time.
3.3 Expenses.
During
the Employment Period, the Executive shall be entitled to reimbursement of
all
travel, entertainment and other business expenses reasonably incurred in the
performance of his duties for the Company, upon submission of all receipts
and
accounts with respect thereto, and approval by the Company thereof, in
accordance with the business expense reimbursement policies adopted by the
Company from time to time.
3.4 Vacation.
In
respect of each calendar year falling within the Employment Period, the
Executive shall be entitled to five (5) weeks of vacation time, provided that
unused vacation may be used by the Executive in the following calendar year
only
in accordance with and as permitted by the Company’s then current vacation
policies in effect from time to time.
3.5 Other
Fringe Benefits.
During
the Employment Period, the Executive shall be entitled to receive such of the
Company’s other fringe benefits as are being provided to other employees of the
Company holding officer positions with the Company comparable to the Executive’s
position, including but not limited to health insurance benefits, disability
benefits and retirement benefits.
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3.6 Grant
of Stock Options.
As
additional consideration for the Executive’s execution and delivery of this
Agreement, conferral upon the Company of the covenants set forth in Article
IV
hereof, and the Executive’s performance of his duties hereunder, concurrently
with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the parties are executing
and
delivering each of the Option Agreements pursuant to which the Company has
granted to the Executive (i) the Time-Vested Option to purchase Four Hundred
Forty Five Thousand Twenty Two (445,022) Shares for a per Share purchase price
equal to the closing trading price of the Company’s shares on the American Stock
Exchange (the “Amex”)
on the
Agreement Date, and (ii) the Performance-Vested Option to purchase Six Hundred
Sixty-Seven, Five Hundred and Thirty Three (667,533) Shares for a per Share
purchase price equal to two times the closing trading price of the Company’s
shares on the Amex on the Agreement Date, each in accordance with and subject
to
all of the provisions of the Equity Compensation Plan, said exercise prices
to
be inserted into the Option Agreements by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer
immediately following the close of trading on the Amex on the Agreement
Date.
3.7 Stock
Award as Signing Bonus.
Subject
to the provisions of this Section 3.7, as
additional consideration for entering into this Agreement, within twenty (20)
business days following the Effective Date, in accordance with the provisions
of
the Equity Compensation Plan, the Company hereby grants to a “Stock Award” (as
that term is defined in therein) of a number of shares of stock of the Company
(“Stock
Award Shares”)
equal
to the quotient of (x) $50,000 divided by (y) the closing price of the Company’s
shares on the AmEx on the Effective Date, provided that as consideration
therefore, the Executive shall, if
he
is
paid a bonus from his immediately prior employer for services rendered by him
in
respect of that employment, pay to the Company an amount equal to the lesser
of
(x) the net after-tax cash bonus he collects from that former employer or (y)
$50,000 (the “Bonus
Share Payment”).
The
Executive shall be solely responsible for all individual income taxes and
Executive’s portion of all payroll taxes imposed on Executive by reason of the
issuance of the Stock Award Shares to him (i.e., the amount by which $50,000
exceeds the amount of any Bonus Share Payment, if any), and prior to delivery
of
the stock certificate evidencing the Bonus Shares, as a condition to the
delivery thereof, the Company shall collect from the Executive the aggregate
amount of all such taxes, as reasonably determined by the Company.
ARTICLE
IV
COVENANTS
OF THE EMPLOYEE
4.1 Proprietary
Rights.
The
Executive hereby expressly agrees that all research, Biological Materials,
discoveries, inventions and innovations (whether or not reduced to practice
or
documented), improvements, developments, methods, designs, analyses, drawings,
reports and all similar or related information (whether patentable or
unpatentable, and whether or not reduced to writing), trade secrets (being
information about the business of the Company, its Subsidiaries and their
Affiliates which is considered by the Company or any such Subsidiary or
Affiliate to be confidential and is proprietary to the Company or any such
Subsidiary or Affiliate) and confidential information, copyrightable works,
and
similar and related information (in whatever form or medium), which (x) either
(i) relate to the Company’s, its Subsidiaries’ or their Affiliates’ actual or
anticipated business, research and
7
development
or existing or future products or services or (ii) result from any work
performed by the Executive for the Company, its Subsidiaries or any of their
Affiliates and (y) are conceived, developed, made or contributed to in whole
or
in part by the Executive during the Employment Period (“Work
Product”)
shall
be and remain the sole and exclusive property of the Company, such Subsidiary
or
such Affiliate. The Executive shall communicate promptly and fully all Work
Product to the Company.
(a) Work
Made for Hire.
The
Executive acknowledges that, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Company,
all Work Product eligible for any form of copyright protection made or
contributed to in whole or in part by the Executive within the scope of the
Executive’s employment by the Company during the Employment Period shall be
deemed a “work made for hire” under the copyright laws and shall be owned by the
Company, its Subsidiaries or their Affiliates, as applicable.
(b) Assignment
of Proprietary Rights.
The
Executive hereby assigns, transfers and conveys to the Company, and shall
assign, transfer and convey to the Company, all right, title and interest in
and
to all inventions,
ideas, improvements, designs, processes, trademarks, service marks, trade names,
trade secrets, trade dress, data, discoveries and other proprietary assets
and
proprietary rights in and of the Work Product (the “Proprietary
Rights”)
for
the Company’s exclusive ownership and use, together with all rights to xxx and
recover for past and future infringement or misappropriation thereof, provided
that if a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company is the owner thereof, such
assignment, transfer and conveyance shall be made to such Subsidiary or
Affiliate, which shall enjoy exclusive ownership and use, together with all
rights to xxx and recover for past and future infringement or misappropriation
thereof.
(c) Further
Instruments. At
the
request of the Company (its Subsidiaries or their Affiliates, as the case may
be), at all times during the Employment Period and thereafter, the Executive
will promptly and fully assist the Company (its Subsidiaries or their
Affiliates, as the case may be) in effecting the purpose of the foregoing
assignment, including but not limited to the further acts of executing any
and
all documents necessary to secure for the Company (its Subsidiaries or their
Affiliates, as the case may be) such Proprietary Rights and other rights to
all
Work Product and all confidential information related thereto, providing
cooperation and giving testimony.
(d) Inapplicability
of Section 4.1 In Certain Circumstances. The
Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that, and the Executive is hereby
advised that, this Section 4.1 does not apply to any invention for which no
equipment, supplies, facilities or trade secret information of the Company,
its
Subsidiaries or any of their Affiliates was used and which was developed
entirely on the Executive’s own time, unless (i) the invention relates to
the business of the Company, its Subsidiaries or any of their Affiliates or
to
the Company’s, its Subsidiaries’ or any of their Affiliates’ actual or
demonstrably anticipated research or development or (ii) the invention results
from any work performed by the Executive for the Company, its Subsidiaries
or
any of their Affiliates. The Executive has read and acknowledged Exhibit
B-1,
which
provides notice of California Labor Code Section 2870. The Executive understands
that the acknowledgement and assignment by him to the Company of Proprietary
Rights does not apply to inventions that qualify fully under California Labor
Code Section 2870(a).
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The Executive understands that such assignment does not relate to any inventions
on the Executive's own time using no resources of the Company, its Subsidiaries’
or Affiliates’ and which do not relate to the business,
actual or reasonably contemplated, of the Company, its Subsidiaries or
Affiliates. Executive has set out in Exhibit
B-2 a
description of all inventions (if any) developed or conceived by the Executive
in which he claims any
ownership or other right. The Executive understands that, by not listing an
invention on Exhibit
B-2,
he is
acknowledging that the invention was not developed or conceived before the
commencement of his employment
pursuant to this Agreement.
4.2 Ownership
and Covenant to Return Documents, etc.
The
Executive agrees that all Work Product and all documents or other tangible
materials (whether originals, copies or abstracts), including without
limitation, price lists, quotation guides, outstanding quotations, books,
records, manuals, files, sales literature, training materials, customer records,
correspondence, computer disks or print-out documents, contracts, orders,
messages, phone and address lists, invoices and receipts, and all objects
associated therewith, which in any way relate to the business or affairs of
the
Company, its Subsidiaries and their Affiliates either furnished to the Executive
by the Company, its Subsidiaries or any of their Affiliates or are prepared,
compiled or otherwise acquired by the Executive during the Employment Period,
shall be the sole and exclusive property of the Company, such Subsidiaries
or
such Affiliates. The Executive shall not, except for the use of the Company,
its
Subsidiaries or any of their Affiliates, use, copy or duplicate any of the
aforementioned documents or objects, nor remove them from the facilities of
the
Company or such Subsidiaries or such Affiliates, nor use any information
concerning them except for the benefit of the Company, its Subsidiaries and
their Affiliates, either during the Employment Period or thereafter. The
Executive agrees that he will deliver all of the aforementioned documents and
objects that may be in his possession to the Company on the termination of
his
employment with the Company, or at any other time upon the Company’s request,
together with his written certification of compliance with the provisions of
this Section 4.2 in the form of Exhibit
C
to this
Agreement in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.3 hereof.
4.3 Non-Disclosure
Covenant.
For a
period commencing on the Agreement Date and ending on the last to occur of
five
(5) years following the date of execution of this Agreement or three (3) years
following the date of the termination of the Employment Period (the
“Non-Disclosure
Period”),
the
Executive shall not, either directly or indirectly, disclose to any
“unauthorized
person”
or
use
for the benefit of the Executive or any Person other than the Company, its
Subsidiaries or their Affiliates any Work Product or any knowledge or
information which the Executive may acquire while employed by the Company
(whether before or after the Agreement Date) relating to (i) the financial,
marketing, sales and business plans and affairs, financial statements, analyses,
forecasts and projections, books, accounts, records, operating costs and
expenses and other financial information of the Company, its Subsidiaries and
their Affiliates, (ii) internal management tools and systems, costing policies
and methods, pricing policies and methods and other methods of doing business,
of the Company, its Subsidiaries and their Affiliates, (iii) customers, sales,
customer requirements and usages, distributor lists, of the Company, its
Subsidiaries and their Affiliates, (iv) agreements with customers, vendors,
independent contractors, employees and others, of the Company, its Subsidiaries
and their Affiliates, (v) existing and future products or services and product
development plans, designs, analyses and reports, of the Company, its
Subsidiaries and their Affiliates, (vi) computer software and
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data
bases developed for the Company, its Subsidiaries or their Affiliates, trade
secrets, research, records of research, models, designs, drawings, technical
data and reports of the Company, its Subsidiaries and their Affiliates and
(vii)
correspondence or other private or confidential matters, information or data
whether written, oral or electronic, which is proprietary to the Company, its
Subsidiaries and their Affiliates and not generally known to the public
(individually and collectively “Confidential
Information”),
without the Company’s prior written permission. For purposes of this Section
4.3, the term “unauthorized
person” shall
mean any Person who is not (i) an officer or director of the Company or an
employee of the Company for whom the disclosure of the knowledge or information
referred to herein is necessary for his performance of his assigned duties,
or
(ii) an employee, officer or director of a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the
Company for whom the disclosure of the knowledge or information referred to
herein is necessary for his performance of his assigned duties, or (iii) a
Person expressly authorized by the Company to receive disclosure of such
knowledge or information. The Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that
the
term “Confidential Information” excludes information which is (A) in the public
domain or otherwise generally known to the trade, or (B) disclosed to third
parties other than by reason of the Executive’s breach of his confidentiality
obligation hereunder or (C) learned of by the Executive subsequent to the
termination of his employment hereunder from any other party not then under
an
obligation of confidentiality to the Company, its Subsidiaries and their
Affiliates. Further, the Executive covenants to the Company that in the
Executive’s performance of his duties hereunder, the Executive will violate no
confidentiality obligations he may have to any third Persons.
4.4 Non-Interference
Covenants.
The
Executive covenants to the Company that while the Executive is employed by
the
Company hereunder and for the two (2) year period thereafter (the “Non-Interference
Period”),
he
will not, for any reason, directly or indirectly:
(a) solicit,
hire, or otherwise do any act or thing which may induce either (x) any other
employee of the Company, its Subsidiaries or their Affiliates, or (y) any
employee of any Corporate Partners, in either case, whom the Executive worked
with or learned of while employed by the Company, to leave the employ of that
employer or otherwise interfere with or adversely affect the relationship
(contractual or otherwise) of that employer to any such employee, provided
that
the
foregoing restriction shall not apply to employees of Corporate Partners who
(i)
are not vendors to the Company, its Subsidiaries and Affiliates and
(ii) had
no involvement in the commercial relationship between that Corporate Partner
and
the Company, its Subsidiaries and Affiliates at any time within the three (3)
year period ending on the date of the termination of the Employment Period;
(b) solicit
any customer or Corporate Partners of the Company, its Subsidiaries and their
Affiliates, or any vendor of goods or services to the Company, its Subsidiaries
and their Affiliates or induce any such Persons to cease doing business with
the
Company, its Subsidiaries and their Affiliates; or
(c) except
for Competitive Activities (as defined in Section 4.5) engaged in by the
Employee after the expiration of the Non-Competition Period, if applicable,
do
any act or thing which may interfere with or adversely affect the relationship
(contractual or otherwise) of the Company, its Subsidiaries and their Affiliates
with any Corporate Partner or any customer of the Company, its Subsidiaries
and
their Affiliates or induce any such
10
Corporate
Partner or customer to cease doing business with the Company, its Subsidiaries
and their Affiliates.
4.5 Covenant
Not To Compete.
The
Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that the provisions of this Section
4.5 shall have no force and effect while the governing law of this Agreement,
as
set forth in Section 8.2, is California law. The Executive expressly
acknowledges that (i) the Executive’s performance of his services for the
Company hereunder will afford him access to and cause him to become highly
knowledgeable about the Company’s, its Subsidiaries’ and their Affiliates’
Confidential Information; (ii) the agreements and covenants contained in this
Section 4.5 are essential to protect the Confidential Information, business
and
goodwill of the Company, its Subsidiaries and their Affiliates, and the
restraints on the Executive imposed by the provisions of this Section 4.5 are
justified by these legitimate business interests of the Company; and (iii)
his
covenants to the Company, its Subsidiaries and their Affiliates set forth in
this Section 4.5 are being made both in consideration of the Company’s
employment of the Executive and in consideration of the Company’s grant of the
Option to the Executive. Accordingly, if Florida law shall become the governing
law for this Agreement, as set forth in Section 8.2 hereof, the Executive hereby
agrees that during the Non-Competition Period he
shall
not, anywhere in the Applicable Territory, directly or indirectly, own any
interest in, invest in, lend to, borrow from, manage, control, participate
in,
consult with, become employed by, render services to, or in any other manner
whatsoever engage in, any business which is competitive with any lines of
business actively being engaged in by the Company, its Subsidiaries and their
Affiliates in the Applicable Territory or actively (and demonstrably) being
considered by the Company, its Subsidiaries and their Affiliates for entry
into
on the date of the termination of the Employment Period (collectively,
“Competitive
Activities”).
The
preceding to the contrary notwithstanding, the Executive shall be free to make
investments in the publicly traded securities of any corporation, provided
that
such investments do not amount to more than 1% of the outstanding securities
of
any class of such corporation.
4.6 Remedies
For Breach.
If the
Executive commits a breach, or threatens to commit a breach, of any of the
provisions of this Article IV, the Company and its Subsidiaries shall have
the
right and remedy, in addition to any other remedy that may be available at
law
or in equity, to have the provisions of this Article IV specifically enforced
by
any court having equity jurisdiction, by the entry of temporary, preliminary
and
permanent injunctions and orders of specific performance, together with an
accounting therefor, it being expressly acknowledged and agreed by the Executive
that any such breach or threatened breach will cause irreparable injury to
the
Company and its Subsidiaries and that money damages will not provide an adequate
remedy to the Company and its Subsidiaries. Any such injunction shall be
available without the posting of any bond or other security, and the Executive
hereby consents to the issuance of such injunction. The Executive further agrees
that any such injunctive relief obtained by the Company or its Subsidiaries
shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, monetary damages and any other
remedies to which the Company or its Subsidiaries may be entitled. Further,
in
the event of an alleged breach or violation by the Executive of any of the
provisions of Sections 4.3, 4.4 or 4.5 hereof, the Non-Disclosure Period, the
Non-Interference Period and\or the Non-Competition Period, as the case may
be,
shall be tolled until such breach or violation has been cured. The parties
agree
that in the event of the institution of any action at law or in equity by either
party to enforce the provisions of this Article IV, the losing party shall
pay
all of the costs and expenses of the prevailing party, including reasonable
legal fees, incurred in connection therewith. If any covenant contained in
this
11
Article
IV or any part thereof is hereafter construed to be invalid or unenforceable,
the same shall not affect the remainder of such covenant or any other covenants,
which shall be given full effect, without regard to the invalid portions, and
any court having jurisdiction shall have the power to modify such covenant
to
the least extent necessary to render it enforceable and, in its modified form,
said covenant shall then be enforceable.
ARTICLE
V
TERMINATION
OF EMPLOYMENT
5.1 Termination
and Triggering Events.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary elsewhere contained in this Agreement,
the Employment Period shall terminate at the expiration of the Initial Term
or
any Extension Term if either party has timely issued a notice of non-renewal
to
the other, or prior to the expiration of the Initial Term or any Extension
Term
upon the occurrence of any of the following events (hereinafter referred to
as
“Triggering
Events”):
(a)
the Executive’s death; (b) the Executive’s Total Disability; (c) the Executive’s
Resignation; (d) a Termination by the Company for Cause; (e) a Termination
by
the Company Without Cause or (f) a Termination by the Executive for Good
Reason.
5.2 Rights
Upon Occurrence of a Triggering Event.
Subject
to the provisions of Section 5.3 hereof, the rights of the parties upon the
occurrence of a Triggering Event prior to the expiration of the Initial Term
or
any Extension Term shall be as follows:
(a) Resignation
and Termination by the Company for Cause:
If
the
Triggering Event was the Executive’s Resignation or a Termination by the Company
for Cause, the Executive shall be entitled to receive his Annual Base
Compensation and accrued but unpaid vacation through the last day of the
Employment Period in accordance with the policy of the Company, and to continue
to participate in the Company’s health, insurance and disability plans and
programs through that date and thereafter, only to the extent permitted under
the terms of such plans and programs.
(b) Death
or Total Disability:
If
the
Triggering Event was the Executive’s death or Total Disability, the Executive
(or the Executive’s designated
beneficiary) shall be entitled to receive the Executive’s Annual Base
Compensation and accrued but unpaid vacation through the date thereof plus
a pro
rata portion of the Executive’s Potential Annual Target Bonus for the calendar
year in which such death or Total Disability occurred (based on the number
of
days the Executive was employed during the applicable calendar year), in
accordance with the policy of the Company, and to continue to participate in
the
Company’s health, insurance and disability plans and programs through the date
of termination and thereafter only to the extent permitted under the terms
of
such plans and programs.
(c) Termination
by Company Without Cause or Termination by Executive for Good
Reason:
If
the
Triggering Event was a Termination by the Company Without Cause or a Termination
by the Executive for Good Reason, the Executive
shall be entitled to receive his Annual Base Compensation and accrued but unpaid
vacation through the date thereof plus,
in
the case of a Termination by the Company Without Cause and in the
12
reasonable discretion of the Chief Executive Officer based upon whether it
then
appears the Potential Annual Target Bonus for the year would have been earned
by
the Executive had he remained employed by the
Company,
a pro rata portion of the Executive’s Potential Annual Target Bonus for the
calendar year in which such Triggering Event occurred (based on the number
of
days the Executive was employed during the applicable
calendar
year), payable in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices;
provided
that
in
addition: (x) the Executive shall become fully vested in his Time-Vested Option
and (y) for each month of the Severance
Period (as that term is defined Glossary appearing in Article VII hereof),
the
Executive shall also be paid an amount equal to one-twelfth (1/12th)
of his
then current Annual Base Compensation, commencing with the last day
of the month of in which occurred the later of (A) the last day of the
Employment Period or (B) the expiration of the seven (7) day revocation period
within which the Executive could revoke the General Release referred to in
clause (i) below (such cash payments being collectively referred to as the
“Additional
Severance Benefits”);
further
provided that:
(i) the
Executive shall be entitled to receive such acceleration of vesting of the
Time-Vested Option and the Additional Severance Benefits during the Severance
Period if and only if the Executive has executed and delivered to the Company
the General Release substantially in form and substance as set forth in
Exhibit
D
to this
Agreement within twenty-one (21) days following the date of the termination
of
the Employment Period and not revokes same within seven (7) days thereafter,
provided that the Executive shall be entitled to receive the Additional
Severance Benefits only for so long as the Executive has not breached
any
of
his covenants to the Company set forth in Article IV of this Agreement; and
(ii) subject
to the provisions of this Section 5.2(c)(ii) the amount of the Executive’s
Additional Severance Benefits shall be reduced on a dollar-for-dollar basis
by
the amount of the Executive’s remuneration derived from either any full-time or
part-time employment or the performance of any services as an independent
contractor or agent during the Severance Period (collectively, “Offset
Remuneration”),
and
the Executive covenants and agrees as follows:
(A) within
ten (10) days following the close of each calendar month in the Severance Period
(each a “Reporting
Month”),
the
Executive will deliver to the Company a written statement fully and faithfully
disclosing to the Company the identity of any full-time employer or part-time
employer or Person for whom the Executive is performing services as an
independent contractor or agent and the amount of Offset Remuneration collected
by the Executive in that Reporting Month, if any, or otherwise certify to the
Company that the Executive has received no Offset Remuneration for that
Reporting Month, and also certifying the completeness and accuracy of the facts
therein set forth;
13
(B) all
Offset Remuneration collected in any Reporting Month shall reduce, first the
amount of the installment of Additional Severance Benefits for the month
following the Reporting Month, and then each consecutive subsequent monthly
installment of Additional Severance Benefits; and
(C) Offset
Remuneration shall not be applied against any Additional Severance Benefits
already paid by the Company to the Executive prior to the first Reporting Month
in which Executive reports Offset Remuneration upon the condition that the
Executive has fully performed his obligations to the Company under Section
5.3(c)(ii).
(d) Cessation
of Entitlements and Company Right of Offset. Except
as
otherwise expressly provided herein, all of the Executive’s rights to salary,
employee benefits, fringe benefits and bonuses hereunder (if any) which would
otherwise accrue after the termination of the Employment Period shall cease
upon
the date of such termination. The Company may offset any loans, cash advances
or
fixed amounts which the Executive owes the Company or its Affiliates against
any
amounts it owes the Executive under this Agreement from the Executive’s last
paycheck, provided that if the amount owed by the Executive exceeds the amount
of the Executive’s last paycheck, the Executive shall remain obligated to the
Company for any such excess.
5.3 Survival
of Certain Obligations and Termination Certificate.
The
provisions of Articles IV, V, VI and VIII shall survive any termination of
the
Employment Period, whether by reason of the occurrence of a Triggering Event
or
the expiration of the Initial Term or any Extension Term. Immediately following
the termination of the Employment Period, the Executive shall (i) promptly
resign all offices he may hold as an officer of the Company or any Subsidiary
or
Affiliate, or as a member of the Board of the Company or any Subsidiary or
Affiliate, (ii) promptly return to the Company all property required to be
returned to the Company pursuant to the provisions of Section 4.2 hereof and
(iii) promptly execute and deliver to the Company the Termination Certificate
attached hereto as Exhibit
C
and by
this reference made a part hereof.
ARTICLE
VI
ASSIGNMENT
6.1 Prohibition
of Assignment by Executive.
The
Executive expressly agrees for himself and on behalf of his executors,
administrators and heirs, that this Agreement and his obligations, rights,
interests and benefits hereunder shall not be assigned, transferred, pledged
or
hypothecated in any way by the Executive, his executors, administrators or
heirs, and shall not be subject to execution, attachment or similar process.
Any
attempt to assign, transfer, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of this
Agreement or any such rights, interests and benefits thereunder contrary to
the
foregoing provisions, or the levy of any attachment or similar process thereupon
shall be null and void and without effect and shall relieve the Company of
any
and all liability hereunder.
14
6.2 Right
of Company to Assign.
Except
as provided in the next sentence, the rights, but not the obligations of the
Company shall be assignable and transferable to any successor-in- interest
without the consent of the Executive. In the instance of a sale of the Company
or all or substantially all of its assets, the rights and obligations of the
Company may be assigned to the acquiring party without the Executive’s
consent.
ARTICLE
VII
DEFINITIONS
“Affiliate”
means,
with respect to any Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling,
controlled by, or under common control with that Person, provided that, for
purposes of this definition, the terms “controls,”
“controlled
by,”
or
“under
common control with”
shall
mean that Person’s possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or
cause the direction of the management and policies of such other Person, whether
through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
“Applicable
Territory”
means
the United States of America and each other country in which the Company, any
of
its Subsidiaries or any of their Affiliates is actively engaged in the conduct
of one or more lines of business.
“Board”
means
the Board of Directors of the Company.
“Biological
Materials”
means
(i) classical or genetically modified strains, micro or other organisms, genes,
proteins, peptides, sugars, metabolites, small molecules, enzymes or DNA,
vectors, plasmids, promoters, expression cassettes or other genomic tools and
assay materials which are being worked with or on by the Company, its
Subsidiaries or any of their Affiliates or which are being worked with or on
the
Company’s, its Subsidiaries’ or any of their Affiliates’ behalf by the
Company’s, its Subsidiaries’ or any of their Affiliates’ advisors, research and
business collaborators, and (ii) “Biological Materials” and fermentation or
other manufacturing processes being utilized by the Company, its Subsidiaries
or
any of their Affiliates, the Company’s, its Subsidiaries’ or any of their
Affiliates’ research or business collaborators or the Company’s, its
Subsidiaries’ or any of their Affiliates’ third party manufactures for research,
pilot scale and/or commercial manufacture of biotechnology and other
products.
“Chief
Executive Officer”
means
the chief executive officer of the Company.
“Compensation
Committee”
means
the Compensation Committee of the Board.
“Corporate
Partner”
means
any Person (i) engaged in research and development, product development or
related activities in collaboration with the Company, its Subsidiaries or any
of
their Affiliates, whether as a vendor of goods or services to the Company,
its
Subsidiaries or any of their Affiliates or as a customer or prospective customer
of the Company, its Subsidiaries or any of their Affiliates or (ii) engaged
in
or performing contract manufacturing for the Company, its Subsidiaries or any
of
their Affiliates.
15
“Non-Competition
Period”
means,
if applicable (as set forth in Section 4.5 hereof) the Employment Period and
the
one (1) year period thereafter.
“Person”
means
an individual, partnership, limited liability company, trust, estate,
association, corporation, governmental body or other juridical
being.
“Resignation”
means
the voluntary termination of employment hereunder by the Executive (except
if
made in contemplation of a Termination by the Company for Cause), provided
that
if such action is taken by the Executive without the giving of at least one
hundred twenty (120) days prior written notice, such termination of employment
shall not be a “Resignation,” but instead shall constitute a Termination for
Cause.
“Severance
Period”
means
the
eighteen (18) month period immediately following the date of the termination
of
the Employment Period.
“Subsidiary”
means,
with respect to any Person of which (i) if a corporation, a majority of the
total voting power of shares of stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence
of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees
thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such
Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of such Person or a combination
thereof, or (ii) if a limited liability company, partnership, association or
other business entity, a majority of the partnership or other similar ownership
interest thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly,
by
any Person or one or more Subsidiaries of such Person or a combination thereof.
For purposes hereof, a Person or Persons shall be deemed to have a majority
ownership interest in a limited liability company, partnership, association
or
other business entity if such Person or Persons shall be allocated a majority
of
limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity
gains or losses or shall be or control any managing director or general partner
of such limited liability company, partnership, association or other business
entity.
“Termination
by the Company for Cause”
means
termination by the Company of the Executive’s employment on account of a finding
by the Compensation Committee that the Executive has: (i) materially breached
this Agreement or any other agreement between the Executive and the Company,
any
Subsidiary or any of their Affiliates; (ii) engaged in disloyalty to the
Company, including without limitation, the diversion of corporate opportunity,
fraud, embezzlement, theft, commission of a felony or proven dishonesty, in
the
course of his performance of his services hereunder; (iii) disclosed trade
secrets or other Confidential Information of the Company to Persons not entitled
to receive such information; or (iv) engaged in such other behavior detrimental
to the interests of the Company as the Compensation Committee determines;
provided
that
the
termination of the Executive’s employment hereunder by the Company shall not be
deemed a Termination by the Company for Cause unless and until there shall
have
been delivered to the Executive a written notice from the Chief Executive
Officer (after reasonable notice (in light of the circumstances surrounding
the
termination) to and an opportunity for the Executive, alone and in person,
to
have a face-to-face meeting with the Compensation Committee) stating that in
the
good faith opinion of the Compensation Committee, the Executive was guilty
of
the conduct set forth in one or more of the foregoing clauses.
16
“Termination
by the Company Without Cause”
means
a
termination of the Executive’s employment by the Company which is not a
Termination by the Company for Cause, provided that
the
termination of the Employment Period on account of the failure of the Company
to
extend the Employment Period in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.2
hereof shall constitute a Termination by the Company Without Cause.
“Termination
by the Executive for Good Reason”
means
a
termination of the Executive’s employment by the Executive by written notice to
the Company within thirty (30) days following the occurrence of any of the
following events: (i) the Executive is required to relocate his principal
residence outside a radius that is more than 50 miles from Davis, California,
unless Executive accepts such a relocation opportunity; (ii) the Company’s
significant and material reduction to the Executive’s position, duties or
responsibilities without his approval, provided that Executive must give the
Company reasonable advance written notice of the basis for his belief that
such
a reduction has occurred and afford the Company an opportunity to cure same;
(iii) the Company’s material reduction of the Executive’s compensation or
benefits, measured against such compensation or benefits as of the Effective
Date, unless all of the executive officers of the Company suffer reasonably
comparable reductions in their compensation or benefits at substantially the
same time; or (iv) the Executive is not nominated for re-election to the Board
by the Nominating Committee of the Board other than on account of his
unwillingness or inability to serve on the Board.
“Total
Disability”
means
the Executive’s inability, because of illness, injury or other physical or
mental incapacity, to perform his duties hereunder (as determined by the
Compensation Committee in good faith) for a continuous period of ninety (90)
consecutive days, or for a total of ninety (90) days within any three hundred
sixty (360) consecutive day period, in which case such Total Disability shall
be
deemed to have occurred on the last day of such ninety (90) day or three hundred
sixty (360) day period, as applicable.
ARTICLE
VIII
GENERAL
8.1 Notices.
All
notices under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed properly
sent, (i) when delivered, if by personal service or reputable overnight courier
service, or (ii) when received, if sent (x) by certified or registered mail,
postage prepaid, return receipt requested, or (y) via facsimile transmission
(provided that a hard copy of such notice is sent to the addressee via one
of
the methods of delivery or mailing set forth above on the same day the facsimile
transmission is sent); to the recipient at the address indicated
below:
Notices
to Executive:
Xxxxx
X.
Xxxxxx
0000
Xxxxxx Xxx
Xxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxx, 00000
The
parties agree that when Executive’s relocation is complete, his new address will
be substituted for the above temporary address.
17
Notices
to Company:
Dyadic
International,
Inc.
c/o
Chief
Executive Officer
000
Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxx 00000
Facsimile
(561-743-8513)
With
a
copy to:
Xxxxxx
X.
Xxxxxxxxx, Esq.
Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx, LLP
00
Xxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx 00000
Facsimile
(000) 000-0000
8.2 Governing
Law.
While
Executive is a resident of the State of California, this Agreement shall be
subject to and governed by the laws of the State of California without regard
to
any choice of law or conflicts of law rules or provisions, provided that
Executive expressly agrees that if, during the Employment Period, at the request
of the Company, Executive, in his absolute discretion, shall agree to relocate
his principal residence to another state, then in that event, this Agreement
shall, from and after that date, be subject to and governed by the laws of
the
State of Florida without regard to any choice of law or conflicts of law rules
or provisions (whether of the State of Florida or any other jurisdiction),
irrespective of the fact that the Executive may become a resident of a different
state.
8.3 Binding
Effect.
The
Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Company, its
successors and assigns, and the Executive and his executors, administrators,
personal representatives and heirs.
8.4 Complete
Understanding.
This
Agreement constitutes the complete understanding among the parties hereto with
regard to the subject matter hereof, and supersedes any and all prior agreements
and understandings relating to the employment of the Executive by the
Company.
8.5 Amendments.
No
change, modification or amendment of any provision of this Agreement shall
be
valid unless made in writing and signed by all of the parties
hereto.
8.6 Waiver.
The
waiver by the Company of a breach of any provision of this Agreement by the
Executive shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach
by the Executive. The waiver by the Executive of a breach of any provision
of
this Agreement by the Company shall not operate as a waiver of any subsequent
breach by the Company.
8.7 Venue,
Jurisdiction, Etc.
The
Executive hereby agrees that except as prohibited by operation of law, any
suit,
action or proceeding relating in any way to this Agreement may be brought and
enforced in the Circuit Court of Palm Beach County of the State of Florida
or in
the District Court of the United States of America for the Southern District
of
Florida, and in either case the Executive hereby submits to the jurisdiction
of
each such court.
18
Except
as prohibited by law, the Executive hereby waives and agrees not to assert,
by
way of motion or otherwise, in any such suit, action or proceeding, any claim
that the Executive is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of the
above-named courts, that the suit, action or proceeding is brought in an
inconvenient forum or that the venue of the suit, action or proceeding is
improper. Except as prohibited by law, the Executive consents and agrees to
service of process or other legal summons for purpose of any such suit, action
or proceeding by registered mail addressed to the Executive at his or her
address listed in the business records of the Company. Nothing contained herein
shall affect the rights of the Company to bring suit, action or proceeding
in
any other appropriate jurisdiction. Except as prohibited by law, the Executive
and the Company do each hereby waive any right to trial by jury, he or it may
have concerning any matter relating to this Agreement.
8.8 Severability.
If any
portion of this Agreement shall be for any reason, invalid or unenforceable,
the
remaining portion or portions shall nevertheless be valid, enforceable and
carried into effect.
8.9 Headings.
The
headings of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and are not to
be
considered in the construction of the provisions hereof.
8.10 Counterparts.
This
Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which, taken
together, shall constitute one and the same agreement.
8.11 Legal
Fee Reimbursement of Executive.
As
additional consideration to the Executive for executing and delivering this
Agreement, the Company hereby agrees to promptly reimburse the Executive for
legal fees incurred by him in connection with the review and negotiation of
this
Agreement, to the extent of the lesser of (x) the aggregate sum of such legal
fees incurred by the Executive or (y) $3,000.00.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF,
the
parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date
first above-written.
COMPANY: EXECUTIVE:
DYADIC
INTERNATIONAL, INC., a
Delaware
Corporation
/s/
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
XXXXX X. XXXXXX
By:
/s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Chief Executive Officer
19
EXHIBIT
B-1
to
between
DYADIC
INTERNATIONAL, INC.
and
XXXXX
X. XXXXXX
California
Labor Code Section 2870
|
(a)
|
Any
provision in an employment agreement which provides that an employee
shall
assign, or offer to assign, any of his or her rights in an invention
to
his or her employer shall not apply to an invention that the employee
developed entirely on his or her own time without using the employer's
equipment, supplies, facilities, or trade secret information, except
for
those inventions that either:
|
(1)
|
Relate
at the time of conception or reduction to practice of the invention
to the
employer's business, or actual or demonstrably anticipated research
or
development of the employer; or
|
(2)
|
Result
from any work performed by the employee for the
employer.
|
(b)
|
To
the extent a provision in an employment agreement purports to require
an
employee to assign an invention otherwise excluded from being required
to
be assigned under subdivision (a), the provision is against the public
policy of this state and is unenforceable.
|
20
EXHIBIT
B-2
to
between
DYADIC
INTERNATIONAL, INC.
and
XXXXX
X. XXXXXX
EXECUTIVE’S
INVENTIONS
1.
|
Proprietary
Information.
Except as set forth below, I acknowledge that at this time I know
nothing
about the business or proprietary information of the Company, other
than
information I have learned from the Company in the course of being
hired:
_____________________________________________________
|
_________________________________________________________________
|
_________________________________________________________________
|
_________________________________________________________________.
|
2.
|
Reserved
Creations.
Except as set forth below, there are no ideas, processes, inventions,
technology, writings, programs, designs, formulas, discoveries, patents,
copyrights or trademarks, or any claims, rights, or improvements
to the
foregoing, that I wish to exclude from the operation of this Agreement:
__________________________________________________________________
|
__________________________________________________________________
|
__________________________________________________________________
|
_________________________________________________________________.
|
Signature: ________________________
Date:
_______________________
XXXXX
X.
XXXXXX
21
EXHIBIT
C
to
between
DYADIC
INTERNATIONAL, INC.
and
XXXXX
X. XXXXXX
TERMINATION
CERTIFICATE
This
is
to certify that, except as permitted by the Employment Agreement (as defined
below) I do not have in my possession, nor have I failed to return, any
software, inventions, designs, works of authorship, copyrightable works,
formulas, data, marketing plans, forecasts, product concepts, marketing plans,
strategies, forecasts, devices, records, data, notes, reports, proposals,
customer lists, correspondence, specifications, drawings, blueprints, sketches,
materials, patent applications, continuation applications, continuation-in-part
applications, divisional applications, other documents or property, or
reproductions of any aforementioned items belonging to DYADIC INTERNATIONAL,
INC. (the “Company”),
its
Subsidiaries and their Affiliates, successors or assigns.
I
further
certify that I have complied with all the terms of the Employment Agreement
dated as of March 16, 2006 between the Company and me (the “Employment
Agreement”),
relating to the reporting of any Work Product (as that term is defined therein),
conceived or made by me (solely or jointly with others) covered by the
Employment Agreement.
I
acknowledge that the provisions of the Employment Agreement relating to
Confidential Information, as defined in the Employment Agreement, continue
in
effect beyond the termination of the Employment Agreement, as set forth
therein.
Finally,
I further acknowledge that the provisions of the Employment Agreement relating
to my (i) non-interference covenants and (ii) if applicable, non-competition
covenants to the Company, its Subsidiaries and their Affiliates, also remain
in
effect following the date of my termination of employment with the
Company.
Date:____________ ______________________________
Executive
22
EXHIBIT
D
to
between
DYADIC
INTERNATIONAL, INC.
and
XXXXX
X. XXXXXX
GENERAL
RELEASE
I,
XXXXX
X.
XXXXXX,
in
consideration of and subject to the performance by DYADIC INTERNATIONAL, INC.,
a
Delaware corporation (the “Company”),
of
its material obligations under the Employment Agreement, dated as of March
16,
2006 (the “Agreement”),
do
hereby release and forever discharge as of the date hereof the Company, its
Subsidiaries and their Affiliates (as those terms are defined in the Agreement)
and all present and former directors, officers, agents, representatives,
employees, successors and assigns of the Company, its Subsidiaries and their
Affiliates and their direct or indirect owners (collectively, the “Released
Parties”)
to the
extent provided below.
1.
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I
understand that any payments or benefits paid or granted to me under
Section 5.2(c) of the Agreement represent, in part, consideration
for
signing this General Release and are not salary, wages or benefits
to
which I was already entitled. I understand and agree that I will
not
receive the payments and benefits specified in Section 5.2(c) of
the
Agreement unless I execute this General Release and do not revoke
this
General Release within the time period permitted hereafter or breach
this
General Release.
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2.
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Except
as provided in paragraph 4 of this General Release, I knowingly and
voluntarily release and forever discharge the Company and the other
Released Parties from any and all claims, controversies, actions,
causes
of action, cross-claims, counterclaims, demands, debts, compensatory
damages, liquidated damages, punitive or exemplary damages, other
damages,
claims for costs and attorneys’ fees, or liabilities of any nature
whatsoever in law and in equity, both past and present (through the
date
of this General Release) and whether known or unknown, suspected,
or
claimed against the Company or any of the Released Parties which
I, my
spouse, or any of my heirs, executors, administrators or assigns,
may
have, which arise out of or are connected with my employment with,
or my
separation from, the Company (including, but not limited to, any
allegation, claim or violation, arising under: Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, as amended; the Civil Rights Act of 1991; the
Age
Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended (including the
Older
Workers Benefit Protection Act); the Equal Pay Act of 1963, as amended;
the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; the Family and Medical
Leave
Act of 1993; the Civil Rights Act of 1866, as amended; the Worker
Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act; the Executive Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974; any applicable Executive Order Programs;
the
Fair Labor Standards Act; or their state or local counterparts; or
under
any other federal, state or local civil or human rights law, or under
any
other local, state, or federal law, regulation or ordinance; or under
any
public policy, contract or tort, or under common law; or arising
under any
policies, practices or procedures of the
Company;
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23
or
any
claim for wrongful discharge, breach of contract, negligent or intentional
infliction of emotional distress, defamation; or any claim for costs, fees,
or
other expenses, including attorneys’ fees incurred in these matters) (all of the
foregoing collectively referred to herein as the “Claims”).
3.
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I
represent that I have made no assignment or transfer of any right,
claim,
demand, cause of action, or other matter covered by paragraph 2 of
this
General Release.
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4.
|
I
and the Company mutually agree that this General Release does not
waive or
release any rights or claims that I may have under: (a) the Age
Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 which arise after the date
I
execute this General Release; and (b) any agreements to which I and
the
Company are parties pertaining to any shares or options to purchase
shares
of capital stock of the Company owned by me. I acknowledge and agree
that
my separation from employment with the Company in compliance with
the
terms of the Agreement shall not serve as the basis for any claim
or
action (including, without limitation, any claim under the Age
Discrimination in Employment Act of
1967).
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5.
|
I
acknowledge the existence of and, with respect to the releases given
in
paragraph 2 above, expressly waive and relinquish any and all rights
and
benefits I have or may have under California Civil Code, Section
1542,
which provides:
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“A
GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS
WHICH
THE
CREDITOR DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT
TO
EXIST
IN HIS OR HER FAVOR AT THE TIME OF
EXECUTING
THE RELEASE, WHICH IF KNOWN BY HIM
OR
HER
MUST HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED
HIS
OR
HER SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR.”
I
acknowledge that I am aware that I may hereafter discover facts different from
and in addition to those which I or my attorneys now know or believe to be
true
with respect to the matters referred to in paragraph 2 above, and agree that
the
releases so given in paragraph 2 above, shall be and remain in effect as a
full
and complete release of the respective claims I may have, notwithstanding any
such different or additional facts. I expressly consent that this General
Release shall be given full force and effect according to each and all of its
express terms and provisions, including those relating to unknown and
unsuspected Claims (notwithstanding any state statute that expressly limits
the
effectiveness of a general release of unknown, unsuspected and unanticipated
Claims), if any, as well as those relating to any other Claims hereinabove
mentioned or implied. I acknowledge and agree that this waiver is an essential
and material term of this General Release and that without such waiver the
Company would not have agreed to the terms of the Agreement. I further agree
that in the event I should bring a Claim seeking damages against the Company,
or
in the event I should seek to recover against the Company in any Claim brought
by a governmental agency on my behalf, this General Release shall serve as
a
complete defense to such Claims. I further agree that I am not aware of any
pending charge
or
complaint of the type described in paragraph 2 as of the execution of this
General Release.
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6.
|
I
agree that neither this General Release, nor the furnishing of the
consideration for this General Release, shall be deemed or construed
at
any time to be an admission by the Company, any Released Party or
myself
of any improper or unlawful
conduct.
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7.
|
I
agree that if I challenge the validity of this General Release, I
will
forfeit all unpaid amounts otherwise payable by the Company pursuant
to
Section 5.2(c) of the Agreement other than the very first payment
due me
thereunder, provided
that nothing herein contained in this Agreement shall prohibit or
bar me
from filing a charge, including a challenge to the validity of the
Agreement, with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(“EEOC”),
or any state or local fair employment practices agency, or from
participating in any investigation, hearing or proceeding conducted
by the
EEOC, or any state or local fair employment practices agency. I also
agree
that if I violate this General Release by suing the Company or the
other
Released Parties, I will pay all costs and expenses of defending
against
the suit incurred by the Released Parties, including reasonable attorneys’
fees, and return all payments received by me pursuant to the
Agreement.
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8.
|
I
agree that this General Release is confidential and agree not to
disclose
any information regarding the terms of this General Release, except
to my
immediate family and any tax, legal or other counsel I have consulted
regarding the meaning or effect hereof or as required by law, and
I will
instruct each of the foregoing not to disclose the same to
anyone.
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9.
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Any
non-disclosure provision in this General Release does not prohibit
or
restrict me (or my attorney) from responding to any inquiry about
this
General Release or its underlying facts and circumstances by the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the EEOC (or a state or
local
fair employment practices agency), the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc. (NASD), any other self-regulatory organization or
governmental entity.
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10.
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I
agree to reasonably cooperate with the Company in any internal
investigation or administrative, regulatory, or judicial proceeding.
I
understand and agree that my cooperation may include, but not be
limited
to, making myself available to the Company upon reasonable notice
for
interviews and factual investigations; appearing at the Company’s request
to give testimony without requiring service of a subpoena or other
legal
process; volunteering to the Company pertinent information; and turning
over to the Company all relevant documents which are or may come
into my
possession all at times and on schedules that are reasonably consistent
with my other permitted activities and commitments, provided that
I shall
have no obligation to expend more than one week of my time in connection
with the performance of these activities which out reasonable recompense,
as mutually and reasonably agreed upon by me and the Company. I understand
that in the event the Company asks for my cooperation in accordance
with
this provision, the Company will reimburse me solely for reasonable
travel
expenses,
including lodging and meals, upon my submission of
receipts.
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25
11.
|
Notwithstanding
anything in this General Release to the contrary, this General Release
shall not relinquish, diminish, or in any way affect any rights or
claims
arising out of any breach by the Company or by any Released Party
of the
Agreement.
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12.
|
Whenever
possible, each provision of this General Release shall be interpreted
in,
such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but
if any
provision of this General Release is held to be invalid, illegal
or
unenforceable in any respect under any applicable law or rule in
any
jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall
not
affect any other provision or any other jurisdiction, but this General
Release shall be reformed, construed and enforced in such jurisdiction
as
if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had never been
contained herein.
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BY
SIGNING THIS GENERAL RELEASE, I REPRESENT AND AGREE THAT:
(a) I
HAVE
READ IT CAREFULLY;
(b)
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I
UNDERSTAND ALL OF ITS TERMS AND KNOW THAT I AM GIVING UP IMPORTANT
RIGHTS,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, RIGHTS UNDER THE AGE DISCRIMINATION
IN
EMPLOYMENT ACT OF 1967, AS AMENDED, TITLE VII OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS
ACT OF
1964, AS AMENDED; THE EQUAL PAY ACT OF 1963, THE AMERICANS WITH
DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990; AND THE EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY
ACT
OF 1974, AS AMENDED;
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(c) I
VOLUNTARILY CONSENT TO EVERYTHING IN IT;
(d)
|
I
HAVE BEEN ADVISED TO CONSULT WITH AN ATTORNEY BEFORE EXECUTING IT
AND I
HAVE DONE SO OR, AFTER CAREFUL READING AND CONSIDERATION I HAVE CHOSEN
NOT
TO DO SO OF MY OWN VOLITION;
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(e)
|
I
HAVE HAD AT LEAST 21 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF MY RECEIPT OF THIS RELEASE
SUBSTANTIALLY IN ITS FINAL FORM ON _______________ ____, ____ TO
CONSIDER
IT AND THE CHANGES MADE SINCE THE ______________ _____, _____VERSION
OF
THIS RELEASE ARE NOT MATERIAL AND WILL NOT RESTART THE REQUIRED 21-DAY
PERIOD;
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(f)
|
THE
CHANGES TO THE RELEASE SINCE ____________ ___, _____ EITHER ARE NOT
MATERIAL OR WERE MADE AT MY
REQUEST.
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(g)
|
I
UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE SEVEN DAYS AFTER THE EXECUTION OF THIS RELEASE
TO
REVOKE IT AND THAT THIS RELEASE SHALL NOT BECOME EFFECTIVE OR ENFORCEABLE
UNTIL THE REVOCATION PERIOD HAS
EXPIRED;
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26
(h)
|
I
HAVE SIGNED THIS GENERAL RELEASE KNOWINGLY AND VOLUNTARILY AND WITH
THE
ADVICE OF ANY COUNSEL RETAINED TO ADVISE ME WITH RESPECT TO IT;
AND
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(i)
|
I
AGREE THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS GENERAL RELEASE MAY NOT BE AMENDED,
WAIVED, CHANGED OR MODIFIED EXCEPT BY AN INSTRUMENT IN WRITING SIGNED
BY
AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMPANY AND BY
ME.
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DATE: _______________________________
________________________________________
27