EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
THIS
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT is made and entered into this 25th day of February 18, 2009
by and between Kiwa Bio-tech Products Group Corp., a Delaware corporation having
its principal place of business at 000 X. Xxxxxx Xxxx Xxxx., #000 Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxx Xx, an individual, whose address is Xxxx 000, 00 Xxxx
000, Xxxxxxxxxxx Xxxx 200030
Shanghai, P. R. of China, (“Executive”), with reference to the following
facts:
RECITALS
(a) Executive
shall devote his entire productive time, ability, and attention to the business
of Company during the term of this Agreement.
(b) During
the term of this Agreement, Executive shall not engage in any other business
duties or pursuits whatsoever. Furthermore, during the term of this Agreement,
Executive shall not, whether directly or indirectly, render any services of a
commercial, or professional nature to any other person or organization, whether
for compensation or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Company’s
President. However, the expenditure of reasonable amounts of time for
educational, charitable, or professional activities shall not be deemed a breach
of this Agreement if those activities do not materially interfere with the
services required under this Agreement.
(c) This
Agreement shall not be interpreted to prohibit Executive from making passive
personal investments or conducting private business affairs if those activities
do not materially interfere with the services required under this Agreement.
However, Executive shall not, directly or indirectly, acquire, hold, or retain
any interest in any business competing with or similar in nature to the business
of Company.
(a)
Executive has the right to enter into this Agreement and is not subject to any
Agreement, commitment, agreement, arrangement or restriction of any kind which
would prevent Executive from performing Executive’s duties and obligations
hereunder; and
(b) Executive
is currently in good health and to the best of Executive’s knowledge; Executive
is not subject to any undisclosed medical condition which might have a material
effect on Executive’s ability to perform satisfactorily Executive’s services
hereunder.
(a) As
compensation for the services to be rendered by Executive hereunder, Company
shall pay Executive an annual salary at the rate per annum of RMB636,000
(approximately $93,000), of which RMB508,800 (approximately $74,400) shall be
paid in equal monthly installments of RMB42,400 (approximately $6,200) during
the period of employment, prorated for any partial employment period, and
RMB127,200 (approximately 18,600) shall be paid as an annual performance bonus
in three months after each employment year. If a major round of financing has
been accomplished after the Executive takes office, the performance bonus shall
be paid on monthly basis.
(b) Executive
shall receive such annual increases in salary as may be determined by Company’s
CEO in his sole discretion at least annually on or about each anniversary of the
execution of this Agreement.
(c)
Executive shall pay the due individual income tax levied by the applicable laws
and other individual tax (if applicable) levied for the above benefits paid by
Executives. Company shall be entitled to deduct from each salary payment, all
deductions as may be required by applicable laws, including, without limitation,
deductions for U.S.A. federal, state and local income taxes and FICA, and
deductions for P.R.C. applicable laws.
(a) As
additional compensation, Company agrees to grant Executive each year certain
number of stock options pursuant to Company’s Stock Incentive Plan and the board
resolutions on stock option allocation plan each fiscal year.
(c) All
terms and conditions of Company’s Stock Incentive Plan, including but not
limited to option grant, exercise and any other items are applicable for
Executive as a plan participant.
(a) Company
shall promptly reimburse Executive for all reasonable business expenses incurred
by Executive in promoting the business of Company, including expenditures for
entertainment, gifts, and travel.
(b) Each
such expenditure shall be reimbursable only if it is of a nature qualifying it
as a proper deduction on the federal and state income tax return of
Company.
(c) Each
such expenditure shall be reimbursable only if Executive furnishes to Company
adequate records and other documentary evidence required by federal and state
statutes and regulations issued by the appropriate taxing authorities for the
substantiation of that expenditure as an income tax deduction.
8.02. Repayment
by Executive of Disallowed Business Expenses. In the event that any expenses
paid for Executive or any reimbursement of expenses paid to Executive shall, on
audit or other examination of Company's income tax returns, be determined not to
be allowable deductions from Company's gross income, and in the further event
that any such determination is acceded to by the Company or made final by the
appropriate federal or state taxing authority or a final judgment of a court of
competent jurisdiction, and no appeal is taken from the judgment or the
applicable period for filing notice of appeal has expired, Executive shall repay
to Company the amount of the disallowed expenses.
10. Non-Competition
Agreement.
10.01.
Competition with Company. Until termination of his employment and for a period
of 12 months commencing on the date of termination, Executive, directly or
indirectly, in association with or as a stockholder, director, officer,
consultant, employee, partner, joint venturer, member or otherwise of or through
any person, firm, corporation, partnership, association or other entity, shall
not compete with Company or any of its affiliates in any line of business which
is competitive with the business of Company within any metropolitan area in the
United States and the People’s Republic of China; provided, however, the
foregoing shall not prevent Executive from accepting employment with an
enterprise engaged in two or more lines of business, one of which is the same or
similar to Company's business (the "Prohibited Business") if Executive's
employment is totally unrelated to the Prohibited Business; provided, further,
the foregoing shall not prohibit Executive from owning up to 5% of the
securities of any publicly-traded enterprise provided Executive is not an
executive, director, officer, consultant to such enterprise or otherwise
reimbursed for services rendered to such enterprise.
10.02.
Solicitation of Customers. During the periods in which the provisions of Section
10.01 shall be in effect, Executive, directly or indirectly, will not seek
Prohibited Business from any Customer (as defined below) on behalf of any
enterprise or business other than Company that is in direct competition with
Company's business, refer Prohibited Business from any Customer to any
enterprise or business other than Company to any enterprise or business that is
in direct competition with Company's business or receive commissions based on
sales or otherwise relating to the Prohibited Business from any Customer that is
in direct competition with Company's business, or any enterprise or business
other than Company. For purposes of this Agreement, the term "Customer" means
any person, firm, corporation, partnership, association or other entity to which
Company or any of its affiliates sold or provided goods or services during the
six-month period prior to the time at which any determination is required to be
made as to whether any such person, firm, corporation, partnership, association
or other entity is a Customer, or who or which was approached by or who or which
has approached an employee of Company for the purpose of soliciting business
from the Company or the third party, as the case may be.
10.03. No
Payment. Executive acknowledges and agrees that no separate or additional
payment to him will be required in consideration of his undertakings in this
Section 10.
11.01.
Confidential Information. Confidential Information includes, but is not limited
to, trade secrets as defined by the common law and statute in the state of
California or any future Californian statute, processes, policies, procedures,
techniques, designs, drawings, know-how, show-how, technical information,
specifications, computer software and source code, information and data relating
to the development, research, testing, costs, marketing, Company's budgets and
strategic plans, and the identity and special needs of Customers, databases,
data, all technology relating to Company's businesses, systems, methods of
operation, client or Customer lists, Customer information, solicitation leads,
marketing and advertising materials, methods and manuals and forms, all of which
pertain to the activities or operations of Company, names, home addresses and
all telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of Company's executives, former
executives, clients and former clients. In addition, Confidential Information
also includes Customers and the identity of and telephone numbers, e-mail
addresses and other addresses of executives or agents of Customers (each a
"Contact Person") who are the persons with whom Company's executives and agents
communicate in the ordinary course of business. Confidential Information also
includes, without limitation, Confidential Information received from the
Company's subsidiaries and affiliates. For purposes of this Agreement, the
following will not constitute Confidential Information (i) information which is
or subsequently becomes generally available to the public through no act of
Executive, (ii) information set forth in the written records of Executive prior
to disclosure to Executive by or on behalf of Company which information is given
to Company in writing as of or prior to the date of this Agreement, and (iii)
information which is lawfully obtained by Executive in writing from a third
party (excluding any affiliates of Executive) who did not acquire such
confidential information or trade secret, directly or indirectly, from Executive
or Company.
(a) Company
and Executive recognize that the services to be rendered under this Agreement by
Executive are special, unique and of extraordinary character, and that in the
event of the breach by Executive of the terms and conditions of this Agreement
or if Executive, without the prior consent of the board of directors of Company,
shall leave his employment for any reason and take any action in violation of
Section 10 or Section 11, Company shall be entitled to institute and prosecute
proceedings in any court of competent jurisdiction referred to in Section 12(b)
below, to enjoin Executive from breaching the provisions of Section 10 or
Section 11. In such action, Company shall not be required to plead or prove
irreparable harm or lack of an adequate remedy at law or post a bond or any
security.
(b) Any
action must be commenced in Los Angeles County, California. Executive and
Company irrevocably and unconditionally submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of
such courts and agree to take any and all future action necessary to submit to
the jurisdiction of such courts. Executive and Company irrevocably waive any
objection that they now have or hereafter irrevocably waive any objection that
they now have or hereafter may have to the laying of venue of any suit, action
or proceeding brought in any such court and further irrevocably waive any claim
that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court has been
brought in an inconvenient forum. Final judgment against Executive or Company in
any such suit shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by
suit on the judgment, a certified or true copy of which shall be conclusive
evidence of the fact and the amount of any liability of Executive or Company
therein described, or by appropriate proceedings under any applicable treaty or
otherwise.
13. Conflicts
of Interest. While employed by Company, Executive shall not, directly or
indirectly:
(a) participate
as an individual in any way in the benefits of transactions with any of
Company's Customers, including, without limitation, having a financial interest
in Company's Customers, or making loans to, or receiving loans, from, Company's
Customers;
(b) realize
a personal gain or advantage from a transaction in which Company has an interest
or use information obtained in connection with Executive's employment with
Company for Executive's personal advantage or gain; or
(c) accept
any offer to serve as an officer, director, partner, consultant, manager with,
or to be employed in a technical capacity by, a person or entity which does
business with Company.
To
Company: Kiwa Bio-Tech Products Group, Corp.
000 X.
Xxxxxx Xxxx Xxxx., #000 Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx
To
Executive:
Xxxxxx
Xxxx Xx
_______________________________________
or to
such other address as either of them, by notice to the other may designate from
time to time. The transmission confirmation receipt from the sender's facsimile
machine shall be evidence of successful facsimile delivery. Time shall be
counted to, or from, as the case may be, the delivery in person or by
mailing
14.06. Law
Governing Agreement. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of California.
14.10.
Arbitration. Except for a claim for equitable relief, any controversy, dispute
or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or its interpretation,
application, implementation, breach or enforcement which the parties are unable
to resolve by mutual agreement, shall be settled by submission by either party
of the controversy, claim or dispute to binding arbitration in Los Angeles
County, California (unless the parties agree in writing to a different
location), before three arbitrators in accordance with the rules of the American
Arbitration Association then in effect. In any such arbitration proceeding the
parties agree to provide all discovery deemed necessary by the arbitrators. The
decision and award made by the arbitrators shall be final, binding and
conclusive on all parties hereto for all purposes, and judgment may be entered
thereon in any court having jurisdiction thereof.
[SPACE
BELOW INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
COMPANY:
|
EXECUTIVE:
|
Xxxxxx
Xxxx Xx
|
Xxx
Xx,
Chairman
of Board and CEO