EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT
(“Agreement”) made as of the 4th day of October 2006 by and between THE
SINGING MACHINE COMPANY INC.
a
Delaware corporation with its principal offices at 0000 Xxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx, XX 00000 (the “Company”) and M. Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx whose residence address is
0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxx 0X, Xxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxxx, 00000 (the
“Employee”).
The
Company and the Employee hereby agree as follows with respect to the Employee’s
relationship with the Company.
1.
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Relationship
Term:
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The
Company shall retain the Employee and the Employee shall be retained by the
Company, on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, as an Employee
for a
period (the “Employment Period”) commencing on November 1, 2006 (the
Commencement Date), and ending on October 31, 2008 (the “Termination Date”),
unless terminated sooner pursuant to the provisions hereof. During the entire
term of this Agreement, the Employee shall be the Company’s Senior Vice
President Sales and Product Development.
2.
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Efforts
on Company’s Behalf:
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The
Employee shall devote all of her time and best efforts, skills and attention
to
the business and affairs of the Company; she shall serve the Company faithfully
and competently and shall at all times act in the Company’s best interest. The
services to be rendered by Employee during the term hereof shall be as Senior
Vice President, Sales & Product Development, subject at all times to the
direction and control of the Chief Executive Officer. Nothing herein shall
be
construed to prevent Employee from investing in or participating in the
management of companies or other entities, which do not compete with the Company
or from serving on the board of directors of any other company.
3.
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Compensation
Package:
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(a)
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The
Company shall pay to the Employee, and the Employee agrees to accept,
base
salary of one hundred and sixty thousand dollars ($160,000) per year,
payable in accordance with normal payroll policies of the Company
and
shall be subject to all usual and customary payroll deductions including
all applicable withholding taxes.
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(b)
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In
addition, the Employee will be compensated based on the following
performance sales target starting April 1,
2007.
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Sales
bonus based on the hardware sales revenue (this will exclude music) exceeding
the net sales of US$30 million ending March 31, 2007, on the following
formula:
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0.85%
on net sales with the exception of sales generated and/or affiliated
with
Xxxx Xxxx and Xxxxxxx International which will be at 0.15%.
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- |
Net
sales shall be defined as gross sales revenue minus deductions for
returns
and defective goods.
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-
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This
sales bonus format will be calculated from April 1 to March 31 of
each
year and will be paid on or before June 30 of each year for the previous
year.
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-
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By
way of example, the compensation which the employee shall receive
is set
forth on Attachment A.
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1
(c)
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Any
base salary increase or bonus during the term hereof should be at
the sole
discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors based on the Company’s and
the Employee’s performances
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4.
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Bonus/Benefits
Compensation:
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(a)
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At
the sole discretion of the Company’s board of Directors, the Employee may
receive a bonus (the “profit Bonus”) for each fiscal year of the Company
(“Fiscal year”) during the employment period based on Company’s and the
Employee’s performances
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(b)
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The
Company shall pay to the employee a car allowance of $ 500 per month.
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5.
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Benefit
Plans:
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(a)
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The
Employee shall be entitled to participate in all Company-sponsored
benefit
plans in accordance with terms, conditions and costs with usual or
customary Company policy.
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(b)
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In
the event that the Company purchases insurance on the life of Employee,
Employee shall be entitled to purchase said policy from the Company
in the
event of her termination, pursuant to the terms hereof, for an amount
equal to the cash surrender value
thereof.
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6.
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Business
Expenses:
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The
Employee shall be reimbursed for all usual and customary expenses incurred
on
behalf of the Company, in accordance with Company practices and procedures;
provided that each such expense is of a nature qualifying it as a proper
deduction on the Federal income tax returns of the Company, exclusive of any
limitation rules as a business expense of the Company and not as compensation
to
Employee, and Employee furnishes the Company with adequate documentary evidence
to substantiate such expenses.
7.
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Vacation:
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Employee
shall be entitled to a paid vacation of three weeks per each year of this
Agreement. Such vacation time allowance shall cumulatively accrue, and any
unused vacation time for each year can be used in the following year. The
Company shall make all reasonable efforts to enable Employee to use her vacation
leave each year. Employee shall also be entitled to all paid holidays made
generally available by the Company to its employees.
8.
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Death
or Disability:
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(a)
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Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained in Paragraph 1 above if, during
the
term hereof, the Employee suffers a disability (as defined below)
the
Company shall, subject to the provisions of Paragraph 8 (c) hereof,
continue to pay Employee the compensation provided in Paragraph 3
hereof
during the period of her disability; provided, however, that, in
the event
Employee is disabled for a continuous period of ninety (90) consecutive
days or for shorter periods aggregating ninety (90) days in any
twelve-month period that the Employee is incapable of substantially
fulfilling the duties set forth in Section 2 or hereafter assigned
to him
by the Chief Executive Officer or Board of Directors because of physical,
mental or emotional incapacity resulting from injury, sickness or
disease
as determined by an independent physician agreed upon by both the
Company
and the Employee, the Company may, at its election, terminate this
Agreement. In the event of such termination, the Company, shall continue
to be obligated to pay Employee his compensation earned up to the
date of
termination.
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2
(b) |
As
used in this Agreement, the term “disability” shall mean the substantial
inability of Employee to perform her duties under this Agreement
as
determined by an independent physician agreed upon by both the Company
and
the Employee.
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(c)
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In
the event that employment ceases prior to the end of a calendar month
as a
result of death or disability or in the event of a termination described
in Paragraph 10 below, the Company shall pay Employee or her legal
representatives, as the case may be, in addition to any other amounts
payable by the Company hereunder, a lump cash sum which shall in
no event
be less than the salary plus any bonus to which Employee would have
been
entitled, had she continued to be affiliated with the Company until
the
end of the calendar month during which her affiliation
terminates.
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9.
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Termination:
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(a)
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Termination
Without Cause by the Company: The Company may terminate this Agreement
without cause at anytime upon written notice to the Employee, whereupon
this Agreement shall terminate on the date specified therein. The
Company
shall pay the Employee a severance amount equal to the remaining
amount of
Employee’s Base Salary left on this agreement (the “Severance Amount”),
payable in full within thirty (30) days from the date specified therein
(hereinafter, the “Severance Payout Period”) and shall be subject to all
usual and customary payroll deductions, including applicable withholding
taxes. At the same time, all the options granted to Employee shall
be
vested immediately upon termination without
causes.
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(b)
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Termination
Without Cause by the Employee: Employee may terminate this agreement
for
any reason upon giving 60 days advance notice. Upon termination by
Employee, all of Employees unvested options shall be forfeited and
Employee shall abide by the termination Without Cause non-competition
agreements set forth herein. In such an event of termination, the
Company
shall be obligated only to continue to pay to Employee her Base Salary
earned up to the effective date of
termination.
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(c)
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Termination
for Cause: The Company may immediately terminate this Agreement at
any
time during the Employment Period for “cause”. In such an event of
termination, the Company shall be obligated only to continue to pay
to
Employee her Base Salary earned up to the effective date of termination.
“Cause” for purposes hereof shall mean a breach of any of the provisions
of this Agreement by Employee, wilful misconduct or neglect of duties,
conviction of any criminal offence involving a felony, gross negligence,
refusal or failure to follow the legal and legitimate directives
of the
Board of Directors, malfeasance or a crime of moral turpitude.
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(d)
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Continuing
Effect: Notwithstanding any termination of the Employee as provided
in
this Section 9 or otherwise, the provisions of Section 11 and 12
shall
remain in full force and effect and shall be binding on the Employee
and
her legal representatives, successors and
assigns.
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10. |
Consolidation,
Merger or Sale of Assets:
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Nothing
in this Agreement shall preclude the Company from consolidating or merging
into
or with, or transferring all or substantially all of its assets to, another
corporation, which assumes this Agreement, and all obligations of the Company
hereunder, in writing. Upon such consolidation, merger, or transfer of assets
and assumption, the term “the Company” as used herein, shall mean such other
corporation and this Agreement shall continue in full force and
effect.
11.
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Restrictive
Covenants:
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(a)
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The
Employee acknowledges that her services and responsibilities are
unique in
character and are of particular significance to the Company, that
the
Company is a competitive business and that the Employee’s continued and
exclusive service to the Company under this Agreement is of a high
degree
of importance to the Company. Therefore, during the Employment Period
and
for the applicable periods specified below (each, the “Noncompete
Period”), the Employee shall not, directly or indirectly, as owner,
partner, joint venture, Employee, Broker, Corporate Officer, Agent,
Principal, Licensor, Shareholder unless as owner of no more than
five
percent (5%) of the issued and outstanding capital stock of such
entity if
such stock is traded on a major securities exchange, or in any other
his
capacity whatsoever, engage in or have any connection with any business
which is competitive with the Company, and which operates anywhere
in the
world on the effective date of termination of this Agreement.
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Reason
for Termination
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Non-compete
Period
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Termination
without cause
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for
balance of contract term
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Termination
for cause
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2
years
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(b)
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For
the purposes of this Agreement, a business will be deemed to be
competitive with the Company if it is an importer/re-seller of consumer
products including hardware and/or software, which is in the same
product
categories as those sold by the Company in the United States mass
merchant
marketplace.
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(c)
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In
addition to the restrictions set forth in Section 11(a), during the
Noncompete period, the Employee shall
not:
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i.
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directly
or indirectly, by initiating contact or otherwise, induce influence,
combine or conspire with, or attempt to induce, influence, combine
or
conspire with, any of the officers, employees or agents of the Company
to
terminate his, her or its employment or relationship with or to compete
against the company; or
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ii.
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Directly
or indirectly, by initiating contact or otherwise, divert or attempt
to
divert any or all of any customers’ or suppliers’ business with the
Company.
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4
(d) |
If,
in any judicial proceedings, a court shall refuse to enforce any
of the
covenants included in this Section 11 due to extent, geographic scope
or
duration thereof, or otherwise, then such unenforceable covenant
shall be
amended to relate to such lesser extent, geographic scope or duration
and
this Section 11 shall be enforceable, as amended. In the event the
Company
should bring any legal action or other proceeding against Employee
for
enforcement of this Agreement, the calculation of the Noncompete
Period
shall not include the period of time commencing with the filing of
legal
action or other proceeding to enforce this Agreement through the
date of
final judgement or final resolution, including all appeals, if any
of such
legal action or other proceeding unless the Company is receiving
the
practical benefits of this Section 11 during such time. The existence
of
any claim or cause of action by the Employee against the Company
predicated on this Agreement or otherwise shall not constitute a
defence
to the enforcement by the Company of these
covenants.
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(e)
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The
Employee has carefully considered the nature and extent of the
restrictions upon the Employee and the rights and remedies conferred
upon
the Company under this Section 11, and the Employee hereby acknowledges
that the restrictions on his activity as contained herein are reasonably
required for the Company’s protection, would not operate as a bar to the
Employee’s sole means of support, are fully required to protect the
legitimate interests of the Company, do not confer a benefit on the
Company disproportionate to the detriment to the Employee and are
material
inducements to the Company to enter into this Agreement. The Employee
hereby agrees that in the event of a violation by his of any of the
provisions of this Agreement, the Company will be entitled to institute
and prosecute proceedings at law or in equity to obtain damages with
respect to such violation or to enforce the specific performance
of this
Agreement by the Employee or to enjoin the Employee from engaging
in any
activity in violation hereof.
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12.
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Treatment
and Ownership of Confidential
Information:
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The
Employee acknowledges that during his employment he will learn and will have
access to Confidential Information regarding the Company. For purposes of this
Agreement, the term “Confidential” acquires or develops or has made use of,
acquires or develops or has made use of, acquires or develops or has made use
of, acquired or developed in whole or in part in connection with Employee’s
employment with the Company (whether before or after the date of this
Agreement), including any financial data, client names and addresses, employee
data, discoveries, processes, formulas, inventions, know-how, techniques and
any
other materials or information related to the business or activities of the
Company which are not generally known to others engaged in similar businesses
or
activities. The Employee acknowledges that such Confidential Information as
is
acquired and used by the Company or its affiliates is a special, valuable and
unique asset. The Employee will not, except in connection with and as required
by his performance of his duties under this Agreement, for any reason use for
his own benefit, or the benefit of any person or entity with which she may
be
associated, or disclose any such Confidential Information to any person, firm,
corporation, association or other entity for any reason or purpose whatsoever
without the prior written consent of the Company’s Board of Directors, unless
such Confidential Information previously shall be and shall remain the exclusive
property of the Company. The Employee agrees to promptly disclose to the Company
all Confidential Information developed in whole or in part by the Employee
within the scope of this Agreement and to assign to the Company any right,
title, or interest the Employee may have in such Confidential Information.
The
Employee agrees to turn over to the Company all physical manifestations of
the
Confidential Information in his possession or under his control at the request
of the Company.
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13. |
Employee
Representations and
Warranties:
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The
Employee represents and warrants that he is not a party to, or bound by, any
other his employment agreements. The Employee further represents and warrants
to
the Company that he is free of known physical and mental disabilities that
would, with or without reasonable accommodations that would create an undue
hardship for the Company, impair his performance hereunder and he is fully
empowered to enter and perform his obligations under this Agreement. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Employee represents and warrants
that he is under no restrictive covenants to any person or entity that will
be
violated by his entering into and performing this Agreement.
14.
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Arbitration:
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Except
as
provided in sections 11 and 24 hereof, any dispute, controversy or claim arising
under, out of, in connection with, or in relation to this Agreement, or the
breach, termination, validity or enforceability of any provision of this
Agreement, will be settled arbitrator (the “Arbitrator”) chosen according to the
rules of the American Arbitration Association’s National Rules for Resolution of
Employment Disputes, with the additional proviso that all steps necessary to
insure the confidentiality of the proceedings will be added to the basic rules.
Unless otherwise mutually agreed upon by the parties, the arbitration hearings
shall be held in the Broward County, Florida. The parties hereby agree that
the
Arbitrator has full power and authority to hear and determine the controversy
and make and award in writing in the form of a reasoned judicial opinion. The
parties hereby stipulate in advance that the award is binding and final. The
parties hereto also agree that judgement upon the arbitration award may be
entered in any federal or state court having jurisdiction thereof. Each party
is
responsible for their own legal fees and out-of-pocket expenses.
15.
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Severability:
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Invalidity
or unenforceability of any provisions hereof shall in no way affect the validity
or enforceability of any other provisions.
16.
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Terminology:
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All
personal pronouns used in this Agreement, whether used in the masculine,
feminine or neuter gender, shall include all other genders; the singular shall
include the plural and vice versa. Titles of Paragraphs are for convenience
only, and neither limit nor amplify the provisions of the Agreement
itself.
17.
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Governing
Law:
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This
Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the
State of Florida.
18.
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Entire
Agreement:
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This
Agreement contains the entire understanding between the parties and may not
be
changed or modified except by an Agreement in writing signed by all the parties.
By signing this agreement, both parties agree to terminate the Employment
Agreement dated November 1, 2000, any prior amendment agreed on by the Employee
with the Company in either orally or in writing regarding the employment and
compensation.
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19. |
Notice:
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Any
notice required or permitted to be delivered hereunder shall be deemed to be
delivered when deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, registered
or certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the parties at the
addresses first stated herein, or to such other address as either party hereto
shall from time to time designate to the other party by notice in writing as
provided herein.
20.
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No
Publicity:
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The
Employee agrees that she will not engage in any conduct that is injurious to
the
Company’s reputation and interests, including, but not limited to, publicly
disparaging (or inducing or encouraging others to publicly disparage) the
Company or any of the Company’s directors, officers, employees or
agent.
21.
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Co-operation:
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Employee
agrees to co-operate fully with the Company by providing information to the
Company and its representatives, agents or advisors regarding any business
matters with which the Employee may become involved with during the terms of
this Agreement and to co-operate fully in the event of any litigation or legal,
administrative or regulatory proceeding by providing information, including
but
not limited to, providing truthful testimony at any legal, administrative or
regulatory proceeding, regarding any facts or information of which Employee
has
knowledge and/or any business matters of which Employee has or had knowledge.
22.
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Assign
ability:
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The
rights and obligations of the Company under this Agreement shall insure the
benefit of and be binding upon the successors and assigns of the Company,
provided that such successor or assign shall acquire all or substantially all
of
the assets and business of the Company and, further provided that any such
assignment shall not release the Company from its obligations to the Employee
hereunder. The employee’s rights and obligations hereunder may not be assigned
or alienated without the prior written consent of the Company and any attempt
to
do so by the Employee will be void.
23.
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Injunctive
Relief:
|
The
Employee acknowledges and agrees that in the event Employee violates any term,
covenant or provision of Section 11 of this Agreement, the Company will suffer
irreparable harm for which the Company will have no adequate remedy at law.
The
Employee agrees that the Company shall be entitled to injunctive relief for
any
breach or violation of Section 11 of this Agreement, including but not limited
to the issuance of an ex-parte preliminary injunction, in addition to and not
in
limitation of any and all other remedies available to the Company at law or
in
equity.
24.
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Indemnification/Offsets:
|
The
Company agrees that the Employee shall be covered under applicable Directors
and
Officers insurance policies as may be purchased from time to time. As such
the
Company agrees to indemnify and hold Employee harmless from any and all claims
that arise as a result of the dutiful performance by Employee of his obligations
hereunder. Further, the Employee agrees to hold the Company harmless and
indemnify the Company from and against any claims that may be made against
Company as a result of the Employee’s negligent or wilful conduct. The existence
of any claim or cause of action of the Employee against the Company, whether
predicated on this Agreement or otherwise, shall not constitute a defence to
the
enforcement by the Company of this Agreement.
7
25. |
Employee
Acknowledgement:
|
The
Employee acknowledges and agrees that Employee has read and understands the
terms set forth in this Agreement and has been given a reasonable opportunity
to
consult with an attorney prior to execution of this Agreement.
26.
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Other
Instruments:
|
The
parties hereby covenant and agree that they will execute such other and further
instruments and documents as are or may become necessary or convenient to
effectuate and carry out the terms of this Agreement.
27.
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Counterparts:
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This
Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each such
counterpart shall for all purposes be deemed an original.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been duly signed by the Employee and on
behalf of the Company on the day and year first above written.
THE
SINGING MACHINE COMPANY INC
/s/ Yi Xxxx Xxxx | |||
By: Yi Xxxx Xxxx |
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Interim
Chief Executive Officer
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EMPLOYEE
/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx | |||
M. Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx |
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