SEVERANCE AND RETENTION AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.29
SEVERANCE AND RETENTION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) dated as of December 19, 2005, by
and between CSK Auto, Inc., an Arizona corporation (the “Company”), and Xxxxx Xxxxxxx (the
“Executive”).
R E C I T A L S
The Company considers it essential and in the best interest of its stockholders to xxxxxx the
continuous employment of key management personnel. The Company further recognizes that, as in the
case of many publicly held corporations, the possibility of a change of control of the Company may
exist and that such possibility, and the uncertainty and questions which it may raise among
management, may create concerns for, and the distraction of, management personnel and may even
result in departures which might have otherwise not have taken place, all to the detriment of the
Company and its stockholders. The Company now desires to take steps to reinforce and encourage the
continued attention and dedication of members of the Company’s management, including the Executive,
to their assigned duties without distraction in the face of potentially disturbing circumstances
arising from the possibility of a Change of Control (as defined below) of the Company.
A G R E E M E N T
1. Definitions
1.1. An “Affiliate” of the Company is an entity controlling, controlled by or under
common control with the Company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities and Exchange Commission
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
1.2. “Base Salary” shall mean the Executive’s regular annual rate of base pay as of
the date in question.
1.3. “Cause” shall mean that Executive: (i) has been convicted of a felony, or has
entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a felony; (ii) has committed an act of fraud
involving dishonesty for personal gain which is injurious to the Company or any of its
subsidiaries; (iii) has willfully and continually refused to substantially perform his duties with
the Company or any of its subsidiaries (other than any such refusal resulting from his incapacity
due to mental illness or physical illness or injury), after a demand for substantial performance
has been delivered to the Executive by the Board of Directors of the Company, where such demand
reasonably identifies the manner in which the Board of Directors believes that the Executive has
refused to substantially perform his duties and the passage of a reasonable period of time as
specified by the Board of Directors for Executive to comply with such demand; or (iv) has willfully
engaged in gross misconduct injurious to the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
1.4. A “Change of Control” shall be deemed to have taken place if, after the date
hereof:
(a) any person, corporation, or other entity or group, including any “group” as defined
in Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, other than any employee benefit
plan then maintained by CSK Auto Corporation (“Parent”), becomes the beneficial
owner of shares of Parent having 50% or more of the total number of votes that may be cast
for the election of directors of Parent (including any shares owned by such beneficial owner
or members of its “group” as of the date hereof);
(b) as the result of, or in connection with, any contested election for the Board of
Directors of Parent, or any tender or exchange offer, merger or other business combination
or sale of assets, or any combination of the foregoing (a “Transaction”), the persons who
were directors of Parent before the Transaction shall cease to constitute a majority of the
Board of Directors of Parent or any successor to Parent or its assets;
(c) at any time Parent shall consolidate or merge with any other Person and Parent
shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation, or any Person shall consolidate or
merge with Parent and Parent shall be the continuing or surviving corporation, and in
connection therewith, all or part of the outstanding Parent stock shall be changed into or
exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person or cash or any other property;
(d) Parent shall be a party to a statutory share exchange with any other Person after
which Parent is a subsidiary of any other Person; or
(e) Parent shall sell or otherwise transfer all or substantially all of the assets or
earning power of Parent and its subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any Person or Persons.
1.5. The “Change of Control Date” shall mean the date immediately prior to the
effectiveness of the Change of Control.
1.6. The Executive shall have “Good Reason” to terminate employment if:
(a) the Executive is not elected, reelected, or otherwise continued in the office of
the Company or any of its subsidiaries or the continuing or surviving corporation in the
case of a Change of Control that he held immediately prior to the Change of Control Date, or
he is removed as a member of the Board of Directors of Parent or the continuing or surviving
corporation in the case of a Change of Control if the Executive was a director immediately
prior to the Change of Control Date;
(b) the Executive’s duties, responsibilities or authority are materially reduced or
diminished without the Executive’s consent;
(c) the Executive’s compensation or benefits are reduced;
(d) the Company reduces the potential earnings of the Executive under any
performance-based bonus or incentive plan of the Company;
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(e) the Company requires that the Executive’s employment be based at a location outside
a 50 mile radius from the location of the Executive’s employment location
as of the date hereof or the Executive’s employment location immediately prior to a
Change of Control Date, as the case may be;
(f) any purchaser, assign, continuing or surviving corporation, or successor of the
Company or its business or assets (whether by acquisition, merger, liquidation,
consolidation, reorganization, sale or transfer of assets or business, or otherwise) fails
or refuses to expressly assume in writing this Agreement and all of the duties and
obligations of the Company hereunder pursuant to Section 9 hereof; or
(g) the Company breaches any of the material provisions of this Agreement or the
Executive’s employment agreement, if any.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, none of the events referred to in (a) through (g) above shall
constitute Good Reason unless the Executive gives written notice to the Company of his election to
terminate his employment for such reason within 90 days after he becomes aware of the existence of
facts or circumstances constituting Good Reason. Such notice shall set forth in reasonable detail
the facts and circumstances constituting the Good Reason and, if the Good Reason is a curable
condition, shall provide the Company with 30 days to cure such condition. The notice shall also
specify the date when the termination of employment is to become effective (if the Good Reason is
not curable or is curable, but not cured within the 30 days), which date shall be not less than 60
days and not more than 180 days from the date the notice is given.
1.7. “Person” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(a)(9) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof, including a “group”
as defined in Section 13(d).
1.8. “Target Bonus” shall mean the target bonus (100% level) established for the
Executive for the year in question under the Company’s “Annual Incentive Plan” or “Performance Unit
Plan,” as applicable.
2. Retention Bonus. If (i) the Executive remains continuously employed by the Company
or its Affiliates or the continuing or surviving corporation in the case of Section 1.4 hereof on a
full-time basis through the date that is six months following a Change of Control Date or (ii) the
Executive’s employment with the Company is terminated (a) by the Company without Cause or (b) by
the Executive for Good Reason, in each case before the date that is six months following a Change
of Control Date, the Company shall pay to the Executive a gross lump sum cash amount equal to three
(3) months of the Executive’s then current Base Salary (the “Retention Bonus”). In
accordance with the preceding sentence, such payments, if any, shall be made to the Executive
within 10 days following the date that is six months following a Change of Control Date. Any
payment of the Retention Bonus shall be paid net of any applicable withholding required under
federal, state or local law.
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3. Change of Control Severance Benefits
3.1. Eligibility for Change of Control Severance Benefits. The Executive shall be
eligible for the benefits described in Section 3.2 (the “Change of Control Severance
Benefits”)
if there has been a Change of Control and during the twelve (12) month period commencing on
the Change of Control Date (the “Post Change of Control Period”), the Executive’s
employment with the Company is terminated (i) by the Company without Cause or (ii) by the Executive
for Good Reason.
3.2. Severance Benefit. Upon satisfaction of the terms and conditions of this
Agreement, and subject to Section 6, the Executive shall be entitled to the following Change of
Control Severance Benefits:
(a) Cash Payments. The Executive shall be entitled to receive an amount in
cash equal to the sum of:
(i) 100% of the greater of (x) the sum of the Executive’s Base Salary, benefits
and Target Bonus, in each case as in effect upon the date Executive’s employment was
terminated, or (y) the sum of the Executive’s Base Salary, benefits and Target
Bonus, in each case as in effect on the Change of Control Date; and
(ii) accrued and unused vacation.
The payment shall be made in equal monthly installments over a twelve (12) month period and
shall be paid net of any applicable withholding required under federal, state or local law.
Any such payment shall be in lieu of any payment otherwise due under the Company’s “Annual
Incentive Plan” or “Performance Unit Plan” for the year in which the Executive’s termination
occurs.
(b) Outplacement Services. The Company shall provide the Executive with
outplacement counseling services from an outplacement firm of national reputation to assist
the Executive in obtaining new employment, provided that the amount required to be expended
on such services by the Company shall not exceed 15% of the greater of Executive’s Base
Salary as in effect upon the date Executive’s employment was terminated or as in effect on
the Change of Control Date.
4. Standard Severance Benefits
4.1. Eligibility for Standard Severance Benefits. If the Executive’s employment with
the Company is terminated (i) by the Company without Cause or (ii) by the Executive for Good
Reason, in each case other than during the Post Change of Control Period, the Executive shall be
eligible for the benefits described in Section 4.2 (the “Standard Severance Benefits”).
4.2. Severance Benefit. Upon satisfaction of the terms and conditions of this
Agreement, and subject to Section 6, the Executive shall be entitled to the following Standard
Severance Benefits:
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(a) Cash Payments. The Executive shall be entitled to receive an amount in
cash equal to the sum of:
A. For the one year period commencing on the effective date of this
agreement:
(i) 100% of the greater of (x) the sum of the Executive’s Base Salary, benefits
and Target Bonus, in each case as in effect upon the date Executive’s employment was
terminated, or (y) the sum of the Executive’s Base Salary, benefits and Target
Bonus, in each case as in effect on the date hereof; and
(ii) accrued and unused vacation.
The payment shall be made in equal monthly installments over a twelve (12) month period and
shall be paid net of any applicable withholding required under federal, state or local law.
Any such payment shall be in lieu of any payment otherwise due under the Company’s “Annual
Incentive Plan” or “Performance Unit Plan” for the year in which the Executive’s termination
occurs.
B. Thereafter:
(i) 50% of the greater of (x) the sum of the Executive’s Base Salary, benefits
and Target Bonus, in each case as in effect upon the date Executive’s employment was
terminated, or (y) the sum of the Executive’s Base Salary, benefits and Target
Bonus, in each case as in effect on the date hereof; and
(ii) accrued and unused vacation.
The payment shall be made in equal monthly installments over a six (6) month period and
shall be paid net of any applicable withholding required under federal, state or local law.
Any such payment shall be in lieu of any payment otherwise due under the Company’s “Annual
Incentive Plan” or “Performance Unit Plan” for the year in which the Executive’s termination
occurs.
(b) Outplacement Services. The Company shall provide the Executive with
outplacement counseling services from an outplacement firm of national reputation to assist
the Executive in obtaining new employment, provided that the amount required to be expended
on such services by the Company shall not exceed 15% of the greater of Executive’s Base
Salary as in effect upon the date Executive’s employment was terminated or as in effect on
the date hereof.
5. Release. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the
Retention Bonus, the Change of Control Severance Benefits nor the Standard Severance Benefits shall
be payable to the Executive pursuant to this Agreement unless and until the eighth (8th) day after
the Executive executes, in each case, a general release in the form of Exhibit A attached
hereto (the “Release”).
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6. Limitation on Payments to Executive. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to
the contrary, the total of all payments made to the Executive under this Agreement shall be reduced
such that no such payments will result, individually or in the aggregate, in (i) the payment
of any “excess parachute payments” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Internal Revenue
Code, as amended (the “Code”) or (ii) the non-deductibility of such payments under Section
162(m) of the Code.
7. Restrictive Covenants.
7.1. Confidentiality. The Executive understands and acknowledges that during the
Executive’s employment with the Company, the Executive has had and will have access to and has
learned and will learn (i) information proprietary to the Company and its Affiliates that concerns
the operation and methodology of the businesses conducted by the Company and its Affiliates and as
the same are hereafter conducted by the Company and its Affiliates (the “Business”) or (ii)
other information proprietary to the Company and its Affiliates, including, without limitation,
trade secrets, processes, patent and trademark applications, product development, price, customer
and supply lists, pricing and marketing plans, policies and strategies, details of client and
consultant contracts, operations methods, product development techniques, business acquisition
plans, new personnel acquisition plans and all other confidential information with respect to the
Business (collectively, “Proprietary Information”). The Executive agrees that, from and
after the date hereof, the Executive will keep confidential and will not disclose directly or
indirectly any such Proprietary Information to any third party, except as required to fulfill the
Executive’s duties as an Executive of the Company, and will not misuse, misappropriate or exploit
such Proprietary Information in any way. The restrictions contained herein shall not apply to any
information which (a) was already available to the public at the time of disclosure, or
subsequently becomes available to the public otherwise than by breach of this Agreement, or (b) was
disclosed due to a requirement of law, provided that the Executive shall have given prompt notice
of such requirement to the Company to enable the Company to seek an appropriate protective order
with respect to such disclosure. Upon any termination of the employment of the Executive, the
Executive shall promptly return to the Company and its Affiliates all documents, computer disks,
records, notebooks and similar repositories of any Proprietary Information in the Executive’s
possession, including copies thereof.
7.2. Agreement Not to Compete/Non-Solicitation.
(a) During the twelve (12) month period following the first monthly payment
constituting a Change of Control Severance Benefit, or during the six month period following
the first monthly payment constituting the Standard Severance Benefit, as applicable (the
“Non-Compete Period”), the Executive shall not become engaged in a managerial or
executive capacity for, or consultant to, Auto Zone, Inc., The Pep Boys – Manny, Moe & Xxxx,
X’Xxxxxx Automotive, Inc., Advance Stores Company, Incorporated or Discount Auto Parts, Inc.
(b) During the Non-Compete Period, the Executive shall not, directly or indirectly,
hire or attempt to hire any employee of the Company.
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(c) During the Non-Compete Period, the Executive shall not, directly or indirectly,
call on or solicit any person, firm, corporation, business or other entity who or
which is, or within two years prior to the Non-Compete Period had been, a customer of
the Company or any Affiliate of the Company.
7.3. Remedies. The Executive acknowledges and agrees that damages for a breach or
threatened breach of any of the covenants set forth in this Section 7 will be difficult to
determine and will not afford a full and adequate remedy, and therefore agrees that the Company, in
addition to seeking actual damages in connection therewith, may seek specific enforcement of any
such covenant in any court of competent jurisdiction, including, without limitation, by the
issuance of a temporary or permanent injunction. In addition, the Company may terminate the
payment of any remaining Change of Control Severance Benefits or Standard Severance Benefits in the
event of a breach or threatened breach of any of the covenants set forth in this Section 7.
8. Waiver of Other Severance Benefits. The Change of Control Severance Benefits and
Standard Severance Benefits payable pursuant to this Agreement are in lieu of any and all other
severance benefits that may otherwise be payable to the Executive upon termination of his or her
employment for any reason, (including, without limitation, any benefits to which the Executive
might otherwise have been entitled under the Stockholders Agreement, dated October 30, 1996, among
the stockholders named therein and the Company, any employment agreement and any letter agreements
to which the Executive is a party (collectively, “Contractual Benefits”), except those
benefits which are to be made available to the Executive as required by applicable law, and
Executive hereby waives all such Contractual Benefits in exchange for the Company’s agreement to
make the payments to be made hereunder.
9. Assumption of Agreement. The Company will require any successor (whether by
purchase of assets, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business
and/or assets of the Company to expressly assume and agree to perform all of the obligations of the
Company under this Agreement (including the obligation to cause any subsequent successor to also
assume the obligations of this Agreement) unless such assumption occurs by operation of law.
10. Notices. Any notice or communication given by either party hereto to the other
shall be in writing and personally delivered, delivered by overnight delivery service or mailed by
registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, to the following
addresses:
(a) | If to the Company: | |||
CSK Auto Corporation | ||||
000 Xxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx | ||||
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx 00000 | ||||
Attn.: General Counsel | ||||
with a copy to: |
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Xxxxxx, Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP | ||||
0000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000 | ||||
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000 | ||||
Attn.: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Esq. | ||||
(b) | if to the Executive, to the address of the Executive as it appears in the records of the Company |
Any notice shall be deemed given when actually delivered to such address, or five days after
such notice has been mailed or one day after such notice has been sent by overnight delivery
service, whichever comes earliest. Any person entitled to receive notice may designate in writing,
by notice to the other, such other address to which notices to such person shall thereafter be
sent.
11. Miscellaneous.
11.1. Entire Agreement. This Agreement, including the Release, contains the entire
understanding of the parties in respect of its subject matter, and any other agreement or
understanding between the parties, oral or written, made prior to the date of this Agreement is
hereby terminated in its entirety.
11.2. Amendment; Waiver. This Agreement may not be amended, supplemented, cancelled
or discharged, except by written instrument executed by the party affected thereby. No failure to
exercise, and no delay in exercising, any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a
waiver thereof. No waiver of any breach of any provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a
waiver of any preceding or succeeding breach of the same or any other provision.
11.3. Binding Effect; Assignment. The rights and obligations of this Agreement shall
bind and inure to the benefit of any successor of the Company by reorganization, merger or
consolidation, or any assignee of all or substantially all of the Company’s business and
properties. The Company may assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement to any of its
Affiliates without the consent of the Executive, but shall remain liable for any payments provided
hereunder not timely made by any Affiliate assignee. The Executive’s rights or obligations under
this Agreement may not be assigned by the Executive.
11.4. Headings. The headings contained in this agreement are for reference purposes
only and shall not affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
11.5. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and
governed for all purposes by the laws and public policy (other than conflict of laws principles) of
the State of Arizona applicable to contracts executed and to be wholly performed within such state.
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11.6. Arbitration. Any dispute or controversy arising under or in connection with
this Agreement, including any claim arising out of or in connection with any termination of the
Executive’s employment, shall be settled exclusively by arbitration in Phoenix, Arizona in
accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association then in effect. Judgment
may be entered on the arbitrator’s award in any court having jurisdiction.
11.7. Further Assurances. Each of the parties agrees to execute, acknowledge, deliver
and perform, and cause to be executed, acknowledged, delivered and performed, at any time and from
time to time, as the case may be, all such further acts, deeds, assignments, transfers,
conveyances, powers of attorney and assurances as may be reasonably necessary to carry out the
provisions or intent of this Agreement.
11.8 Severability. The parties have carefully reviewed the provisions of this
Agreement and agree that they are fair and equitable. However, in light of the possibility of
differing interpretations of law and changes in circumstances, the parties agree that if any one or
more of the provisions of this Agreement shall be determined by a court of competent jurisdiction
to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the provisions of this Agreement shall, to
the extent permitted by law, remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected,
impaired or invalidated. Moreover, if any of the provisions contained in this Agreement is
determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be excessively broad as to duration, activity,
geographic application or subject, it shall be construed, by limiting or reducing it to the extent
legally permitted, so as to be enforceable to the extent compatible with then applicable law.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the day and year
first above written.
CSK AUTO, INC. | ||||||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Title: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
|||||
EXECUTIVE | ||||||
/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxxx | ||||||
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx |
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Exhibit 10.29
EXHIBIT A
Date of Notification:
GENERAL RELEASE
This is a General Release (this “Release”) executed by (the
“Executive”) pursuant to Section 5 of the Severance and Retention Agreement dated as of
___, 2005 (the “Retention Agreement”) between CSK Auto, Inc., an Arizona
corporation (the “Company”), and the Executive.
WHEREAS, the Company and the Executive intend that the terms and conditions of the Retention
Agreement and this Release shall govern all issues related to the Executive’s employment and
termination of employment by the Company;
WHEREAS, the Executive has had at least 21 days to consider the form of this Release.
WHEREAS, the Company advised the Executive in writing to consult with a lawyer before signing
this Release;
WHEREAS, the Executive has represented and hereby reaffirms that the Executive has disclosed
to the Company any information in the Executive’s possession concerning any conduct involving the
Company or its affiliates that the Executive has any reason to believe involves any false claims to
the United States or is or may be unlawful or violates the policies of the Company in any respect;
WHEREAS, the Executive acknowledges that the consideration to be provided to the Executive
under the Retention Agreement is sufficient to support this Release;
WHEREAS, the Executive represents that the Executive has not filed any charges, claims or
lawsuits against the Company involving any aspect of the Executive’s employment which have not been
terminated as of the date of this Release; and
WHEREAS, the Executive understands that the Company regards the representations by the
Executive as material and that the Company is relying on these representations in paying amounts to
the Executive pursuant to the Retention Agreement.
THEREFORE, the Executive agrees as follows:
1. The Executive, on behalf of the Executive and anyone claiming through the Executive,
including the Executive’s heirs, assigns and agents, releases and discharges the Company and its
directors, officers, employees, subsidiaries, affiliates and agents, and the predecessors,
successors and assigns of any of them (the “Released Parties”), from each and every claim,
action or right of any sort, in law or in equity, known or unknown, asserted or unasserted,
foreseen or unforeseen, arising on or before the Effective Date (as defined in Section 7 hereof).
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(a) This Release includes, but is not limited to: any claim of discrimination on the basis of
race, sex, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, handicap or disability,
age, veteran status, special disabled veteran status or citizenship status; any other claim based
on a statutory prohibition or common law doctrine; any claim arising out of or related to the
Executive’s employment with the Company, the terms and conditions thereof or the termination or
cessation thereof; any express or implied employment contract, any other express or implied
contract affecting terms and conditions of the Executive’s employment or the termination or
cessation thereof, or a covenant of good faith and fair dealing; any tort claims and any personal
gain with respect to any claim arising under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, 31
U.S.C. 3730.
(b) The Executive represents that the Executive understands this Release, that rights and
claims under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended, the Civil Rights Act of
1964, as amended, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the Older Workers’
Benefit Protection Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and
the Executive Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 are among the rights and claims against the
Released Parties the Executive is releasing, and that the Executive understands that the Executive
is not releasing any rights or claims arising after the Effective Date.
(c) The Executive further agrees never to xxx the Released Parties or cause the Released
Parties to be sued regarding any matter within the scope of this Release. If the Executive
violates this Release by suing any of the Released Parties or causing any of the Released Parties
to be sued, the Executive agrees to pay all costs and expenses of defending against the suit
incurred by the Released Parties, including reasonable attorneys’ fees.
(d) The Executive expressly represents and warrants that the Executive is the sole owner of
the actual or alleged claims, demands, rights, causes of action and other matters that are released
herein, that the same have not been transferred or assigned or caused to be transferred or assigned
to any other person, firm, corporation or other entity, and that the Executive has the full right
and power to grant, execute and deliver this Release.
2. The Executive acknowledges that the Executive is bound by the provisions of Section 6 of
the Retention Agreement.
3. The Executive understands that any and all Company covenants which relate to Company
obligations to the Executive following any Change of Control Date (as defined in the Retention
Agreement), including but not limited to the payments set forth in the Retention Agreement, are
contingent on the Executive’s satisfaction of the Executive’s obligations under this Release.
4. The Executive agrees that he or she will cooperate fully with the Company in connection
with any and all existing or future litigation or investigations brought by or against the Company
or any of its affiliates, agents, officers, directors or employees, whether
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administrative, civil
or criminal in nature, in which and to the extent the Company deems the Executive’s cooperation
necessary. The Executive understands that the Company will reimburse the
Executive for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a result of such cooperation.
Nothing herein shall prevent the Executive from communicating with or participating in any
government investigation. The Executive will act in good faith to furnish the information and
cooperation required by this Section 4 and the Company will act in good faith so that the
requirement to furnish such information and cooperation does not create a hardship for the
Executive.
5. The Executive agrees, subject to any obligations the Executive may have under applicable
law, that the Executive will not make or cause to be made any statements that disparage, are
inimical to, or damage the reputation of the Company or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries,
agents, officers, directors or Executives. In the event such a communication is made to anyone,
including but not limited to the media, public interest groups and publishing companies, it will be
considered a material breach of the terms of the Retention Agreement and this Release and the
Executive will be required to reimburse the Company for any and all payments made under the terms
of the Retention Agreement and all commitments to make additional payments to the Executive will be
null and void.
6. The Company is not obligated to offer employment to the Executive (or to accept services or
the performance of work from the Executive directly or indirectly) now or in the future.
7. The Executive may revoke this Release in writing within seven days of signing it. This
release will not take effect until the Effective Date. If the Executive revokes this Release, all
of its provisions and the payment provisions of the Retention Agreement shall be void and
unenforceable. The “Effective Date” shall be the day after the end of the revocation period
described in this Section 7 hereof.
8. The Executive shall keep strictly confidential all the terms and conditions, including
amounts, in the Retention Agreement and this Release and shall not disclose them to any person
other than the Executive’s spouse, the Executive’s legal or financial advisor or United States
governmental officials who seek such information in the course of their official duties, unless
compelled by law to do so. If a person not a party to the Retention Agreement requests or demands,
by subpoena or otherwise, that the Executive disclose or produce the Retention Agreement or this
Release or any terms or conditions thereof, the Executive shall immediately notify the Company and
shall give the Company an opportunity to respond to such notice before taking any action or making
any decision in connection with such request or subpoena.
9. The Retention Agreement and this Release constitute the entire understanding between the
parties. The Executive has not relied on any oral statements that are not included in the
Retention Agreement or this Release.
10. In the event that any provision of this Agreement is determined to be legally invalid or
unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction, and cannot be modified to be enforceable, the
affected provision shall be stricken from the Agreement, and the remaining terms of the Agreement
and its enforceability shall remain unaffected.
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11. This Release shall be construed, interpreted and applied in accordance with the law of the
State of Arizona (other than conflict of laws principles).
EXECUTIVE | ||||||||
Date: |
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