COMPROMISE AGREEMENT
WITHOUT
PREJUDICE
SUBJECT
TO CONTRACT
PRIVATE
AND CONFIDENTIAL
13
August 2007
|
CLEARONE
COMMUNICATIONS UK LIMITED
and
XXXXXX
XXXXX OFFWOOD
XXXXXX
XXXXXXX LLP
Carmelite
00
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx
XX0X 0XX
x00
(0)00
0000 0000
x00
(0)00
0000 0000
DX 41
London
Ref:
PYC
Index
Clause
No.
|
Page
No.
|
|
1.
|
Definitions
|
1
|
2.
|
Termination
of Employment
|
2
|
3.
|
Remuneration
|
2
|
4.
|
P45
|
2
|
5.
|
Severance
Payment
|
2
|
6.
|
Tax
|
3
|
7.
|
Secrecy
|
3
|
8.
|
Post-Termination
Restrictions
|
3
|
9.
|
New
Employment
|
4
|
10.
|
Company
Property
|
4
|
11.
|
Legal
Expenses
|
4
|
12.
|
Claims
against the Employer
|
4
|
13.
|
Interpretation
|
7
|
14.
|
Third
Party Rights
|
7
|
15.
|
Enforcement
of the Compromise Agreement
|
7
|
16.
|
Without
Prejudice
|
7
|
17.
|
Entire
Agreement
|
7
|
18.
|
Jurisdiction
and Governing Law
|
7
|
SCHEDULE
1
|
9
|
|
SCHEDULE
2
|
10
|
|
SCHEDULE
3
|
11
|
WITHOUT
PREJUDICE
SUBJECT
TO CONTRACT
THIS
AGREEMENT is made on 13 August 2007.
BETWEEN
(1)
|
CLEARONE
COMMUNICATIONS UK LIMITED of 00 Xxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxx XX0 0XX (the
"Employer"); and
|
(2)
|
XXXXXX
XXXXX OFFWOOD of West Bull House, 00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxx
XX0 0XX (the
"Employee”).
|
INTRODUCTION
(A)
|
The
Employee's employment with the Employer will terminate on 13 August
2007.
|
(B)
|
The
parties wish to compromise any claims which may be made in connection
with
the employment and make other arrangements for an orderly
transition. This agreement does not, except to the extent
expressly stated, vary the Service Agreement, but rather sets out
terms
for the compromise of such claims and the required
arrangements.
|
(C)
|
The
Employer is entering into this agreement for itself and as agent
for all
Group Members and is duly authorised in that
behalf.
|
AGREED
TERMS
1.
|
Definitions
|
In
this
agreement:
"Adviser"
means the person referred to in clause 12.3(d);
"Group"
means the Employer and its Group Members;
"Group
Member" means the Employer, any holding company of the Employer (as
defined in section 736 of the Companies Act 1985) and any subsidiary
undertakings of the Employer or such holding company;
"Service
Agreement" means the service agreement dated 11 July 2003 between the
Employee and the Employer;
"Share
Option Scheme" means 1998 Stock Option Plan; and
"Termination
Date" means 13 August 2007.
2.
|
Termination
of Employment
|
2.1
|
With
effect from the Termination Date the Employee will cease to be
an employee
of the Employer and shall not hold himself out as having any continuing
connection with the Employer or with any Group
Member.
|
2.2
|
On
or before the Termination Date, the Employee shall, without any
claim for
damages or compensation for loss of office, resign with immediate
effect
from any office which the Employee may hold as director or other
officer
of the Employer or a Group Member by completing and returning to
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Human Resources Manager a letter in the form set out in
schedule
2. The Employee undertakes not to hold himself out as a
director or other officer of the Employer or a Group
Member. The Employee irrevocably appoints the Employer as
attorney to execute letters of resignation of such offices or appointments
on the Employee's behalf.
|
2.3
|
Until
the Termination Date the terms of the Service Agreement will remain
in
full force and effect save to the extent that they have been expressly
varied by the terms of this
agreement.
|
2.4
|
The
Employee will do everything necessary to resign as Director of
the
Employer’s German entity.
|
3.
|
Remuneration
|
3.1
|
Except
as set out in this agreement all entitlements to payments or benefits
arising out of or in connection with the Employee's employment
with the
exception of accrued pension rights, if any, will cease from the
Termination Date and the Employee acknowledges that he has no further
claims in respect of them.
|
3.2
|
The
Employer shall within 14 days pay to the Employee the sum of £46,750.02,
representing six months' notice, less income tax at the marginal
rate and
employee National Insurance
contributions.
|
3.3
|
The
Employer shall within 14 days pay to the Employee the sum of £5,064.54,
representing 13 days of accrued but unused holiday
days.
|
3.4
|
The
Employee shall have 90 days from the date of termination to exercise
any
vested options in the Share Option
Scheme.
|
4.
|
P45
|
The
Employer undertakes that the Employee’s P45 will have been issued by the
Employer prior to any payment being made to the Employee under the terms
of
clause 5.
5.
|
Severance
Payment
|
Subject
to the Employee's compliance with his obligations under this agreement, the
Employer shall, as compensation for loss of employment but without admission
of
liability, pay to the Employee within 14 days following the later of (i)
the
date of this agreement, (ii) the Termination Date, (iii) receipt of the
completed and signed Adviser's Certification in the form set out in schedule
1
[and (iv) receipt of the signed resignation letter referred to in clause
2.2],
the sum of £15,618.95 (the "Severance Payment") inclusive of
any entitlement to a statutory redundancy payment [from which the Employer
will
deduct income tax at the basic rate from the balance of the Severance Payment
in
excess of £30,000 in accordance with its understanding of the income tax,
national insurance and pay as you earn legislation, and will account for
the
same to HM Revenue & Customs. No income tax or employee National
Insurance contributions will be deducted from the first £30,000 of the Severance
Payment.
2
6.
|
Tax
|
6.1
|
The
parties agree that the Severance Payment represents compensation
for the
termination of the Employee’s employment and as such does not represent
contractual remuneration.
|
6.2
|
The
Employer makes no warranty as to the taxable status of the Severance
Payment and, accordingly, the Employee agrees that any income tax
and
employee National Insurance payable pursuant to the Severance Payment
and
on any other benefits provided to the Employee pursuant to this
agreement
is the Employee’s personal
responsibility.
|
6.3
|
The
Employee undertakes that if the Employer or any Group Member is
called
upon to account to HM Revenue & Customs for any income tax, employee
National Insurance contributions, interest or penalties thereon
arising in
respect of the payments made or benefits provided under this agreement,
other than any income tax deducted under clause 5 above (such income
tax,
National Insurance contributions, interest or penalties referred
to in
this agreement as the "Excess Tax"), and if the Employer
or any other Group Member pays the Excess Tax to HM Revenue & Customs,
the Employee will, at the written request of such entity, immediately
pay
to such entity an amount equal to the Excess Tax provided that
no payment
of Excess Tax will be made to HM Revenue & Customs without particulars
of any proposed payment being given to the Employee and the Employee being
given the opportunity at his own expense to dispute any such
payment.
|
7.
|
Secrecy
|
7.1
|
The
Employee undertakes that he will not, whether directly or indirectly,
make, publish or otherwise communicate any disparaging or derogatory
statements, whether in writing or otherwise, concerning the Employer
or
any Group Member or any of its or their officers, shareholders
or
employees.
|
7.2
|
Each
of the Employee and the Employer undertakes to the other that neither
shall make any announcement, statement or comment
concerning:
|
|
(a)
|
the
terms of this agreement; and/or
|
|
(b)
|
events
during the Employee’s employment with the Employer or the circumstances of
the termination of the Employee's
employment,
|
and
shall
not disclose the same to any person, firm or company except as required by
law
or the rules of any relevant regulatory authority or in communications with
their professional or financial advisers who have agreed to keep such terms
and
events and circumstances confidential.
8.
|
Post-Termination
Restrictions
|
In
consideration of £150 (subject to prior deductions as required by law) the
Employee acknowledges and confirms that the obligations undertaken by the
Employee under clauses 8 (confidentiality) and 11 (post-termination restrictive
covenants) of the Service Agreement are now repeated and will remain in force
and effect notwithstanding the termination of the Employee's
employment.
3
9.
|
New
Employment
|
The
Employee represents and warrants that, at the date of this agreement, he
is not
employed or engaged in any business whether on behalf of himself or another,
that he is not in receipt of any remuneration and that he is not in negotiations
which are likely to lead to an offer of employment or any such engagement
or to
the receipt of remuneration and that he has not received or accepted or agreed
to accept any such offer.
10.
|
Company
Property
|
The
Employee represents and warrants that except as expressly provided for in
this
agreement he will on or before the Termination Date return to the Employer
all
property, equipment, records, correspondence, documents, files and other
information (whether originals, copies or extracts) belonging or relating
to the
Employer or any Group Member and that the Employee will not retain any
copies.
11.
|
Legal
Expenses
|
The
Employer shall, within 14 days of receipt by it of an appropriate copy VAT
invoice addressed to the Employee for payment by the Employer, pay to the
Employee's solicitors, Xxxxx Xxx LLP, the Employee's legal expenses relating
exclusively to the negotiation and preparation of this agreement, up to a
maximum of £350 plus VAT.
12.
|
Claims
against the Employer
|
12.1
|
Although
the Employer makes no admission of any liability, the terms set
out in
this agreement have been agreed in full and final settlement of
claims the
Employee has or may have against the Employer, Group Members, and
any of
its or their officers, employees, shareholders, consultants or
agents
arising directly or indirectly out of or in connection with the
Employee's
employment by the Employer, the Employee's holding of any office
or the
termination of such employment or office which he asserts including
and
limited to claims for unfair dismissal, accrued but untaken holiday,
unlawful deductions from wages or a statutory redundancy
payment.
|
12.2
|
It
is further the intention of the Employee and the Employer that
the terms
set out in this agreement have been agreed in full and final settlement
of
all or any claims, costs and expenses and any rights of action
of any kind
whatsoever whether under English or European Union law or the laws
of any
other jurisdiction that the Employee has or may have against the
Employer,
Group Members and any of its or their officers, employees, shareholders,
consultants or agents (in each case current or former) arising
directly or
indirectly out of or in connection with the Employee's employment
by the
Employer, the Employee's holding of any office or the termination
of such
employment or office under common law, statute or otherwise including,
without limitation, any claim or claims the Employee may have in
respect
of:
|
|
(a)
|
unfair
dismissal;
|
|
(b)
|
wrongful
dismissal;
|
|
(c)
|
breach
of contract;
|
4
|
(d)
|
a
redundancy payment pursuant to section 135 of the Employment Rights
Act
1996 (or otherwise pursuant to the Service
Agreement);
|
|
(e)
|
equal
pay;
|
|
(f)
|
sex
discrimination contrary to the Sex Discrimination Xxx
0000;
|
|
(g)
|
race
discrimination contrary to the Race Relations Xxx
0000;
|
|
(h)
|
disability
discrimination contrary to the Disability Discrimination Xxx
0000;
|
|
(i)
|
age
discrimination contrary to the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations
2006;
|
|
(j)
|
sexual
orientation discrimination contrary to the Employment Equality
(Sexual
Orientation) Regulations 2003;
|
|
(k)
|
religion
or belief discrimination contrary to the Employment Equality (Religion
or
Belief) Regulations 2003;
|
|
(l)
|
an
unlawful deduction from wages;
|
|
(m)
|
any
breach of the Working Time Regulations
1998;
|
|
(n)
|
any
breach of the Employee's rights in respect of accompaniment at
disciplinary or grievance hearings;
|
|
(o)
|
any
breach of the Part Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable
Treatment)
Regulations 2000;
|
|
(p)
|
any
breach of the Fixed Term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable
Treatment) Regulations 2002;
|
|
(q)
|
any
breach of the Maternity and Parental Leave etc Regulations
1999;
|
|
(r)
|
harassment
under section 3 Protection from Xxxxxxxxxx Xxx
0000;
|
|
(s)
|
dismissal
or action short of dismissal taken by the Employer on grounds related
to
the Employee's union membership activities and/or other relevant
statutory
provisions;
|
|
(t)
|
Employment
Xxx 0000;
|
|
(u)
|
Employment
Xxx 0000 (Dispute Resolution) Regulations
2004;
|
|
(v)
|
section
00 X-X Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxx 0000;
|
|
(w)
|
section
47B Employment Rights Xxx 0000; and
|
|
(x)
|
personal
injury,
|
including,
for the avoidance of doubt all claims (if any) arising out of or in connection
with the Share Option Scheme,
PROVIDED
ALWAYS THAT this clause 12 shall not apply to any claims in respect of
the Employee's accrued pension entitlement, if any, and any claims for personal
injury or any claims to enforce the terms of this agreement.
5
12.3
|
The
Employee represents and warrants
that:
|
|
(a)
|
the
claims and prospective claims listed at clauses 12.1 and 12.2 are
all the
claims or prospective claims which the Employee believes that he
has or
may have against the Employer or any Group Member or its or their
respective shareholders, officers, employees, consultants or agents
(in
each case current or former) arising out of or in connection with
his
employment, directorships or its or their
termination;
|
|
(b)
|
he
is not aware of any claims for personal
injury;
|
|
(c)
|
he
has instructed the Adviser to advise whether he has any claims,
including
without limitation claims under clauses 12.1 and 12.2 above, against
the
Employer or the persons referred to in clause 12.3(a) and that
he has
provided the Adviser with all available information which the Adviser
requires in order to do so;
|
|
(d)
|
the
Employee has received independent legal advice from a relevant
independent
adviser as to the terms and effect of this agreement and in particular
its
effect on the Employee's ability to pursue his rights before an
employment
tribunal. The name of the relevant independent adviser who has
advised the Employee is Linky Trott of 2 Stone Buildings, Lincoln’s Inn,
Xxxxxx XX0X 0XX;
|
|
(e)
|
the
Employee is advised by the Adviser that there is in force and was,
at the
time the Employee received the advice referred to above a contract
of
insurance or an indemnity provided for members of a profession
or
professional body covering the risk of a claim by the Employee
in respect
of loss arising in consequence of that advice;
and
|
|
(f)
|
the
Employee has not issued proceedings before the employment tribunals,
High
Court or County Court in respect of any claim in connection with
his
employment or its termination. The Employee undertakes that
neither the Employee, nor anyone acting on his behalf, will issue
or
continue any such proceedings in respect of such claims as are
referred to
in clauses 12.1 or 12.2, and if they do so, or if any of the warranties
given by him in this agreement is untrue, without prejudice to
any other
remedy which may be available the Employee agrees he will repay
the
Severance Payment to the Employer immediately as a debt and on
demand.
|
12.4
|
To
give full effect to the provisions in clauses 12.1 and 12.2 above
the
Employee hereby agrees to refrain from instituting or continuing
any
proceedings before an Employment Tribunal in relation to any claims
or
complaints set out in clauses 12.1 or
12.2.
|
12.5
|
The
Employer and the Employee agree and acknowledge that the conditions
regulating compromise agreements in the Employment Rights Xxx 0000
and
legislation specified in clauses 12.1 and 12.2 are intended to
be and have
been satisfied.
|
12.6
|
The
provisions of clauses 12.1 and 12.2 shall have effect irrespective
of
whether or not the Employee is or could be aware of such claims,
costs,
expenses or rights of action at the date of this agreement and
irrespective of whether or not such claims, costs, expenses or
rights of
action are in the express contemplation of the Employer and the
Employee
at the date of this agreement (including such claims, costs, expenses
or
rights of action of which the Employee becomes aware after the
date of
this agreement in whole or in part as a result of the commencement
of new
legislation or the development of common
law).
|
6
13.
|
Interpretation
|
The
headings to clauses are for convenience only and have no legal
effect.
14.
|
Third
Party Rights
|
The
parties to this agreement may vary or rescind it without notifying or seeking
the consent of any third party on whom rights are conferred under the Contracts
(Rights of Third Parties) Xxx 0000 and the rights conferred by section 2
of that
Act are excluded.
15.
|
Enforcement
of the Compromise
Agreement
|
15.1
|
The
parties agree that they consider the provisions of this agreement
to be
valid, reasonable and enforceable.
|
15.2
|
The
parties acknowledge and agree that the clauses and sub-clauses
of this
agreement are severable and that if any clause or sub-clause or
identifiable part is held to be invalid or unenforceable by any
court of
competent jurisdiction then such invalidity or unenforceability
shall not
affect the validity or enforceability of the agreement’s remaining
clauses, sub-clauses, or parts of the
agreement.
|
15.3
|
The
Employee agrees that if he breaches or violates any of the terms
of this
agreement damages alone may not compensate for such breach or violation
and that injunctive relief is reasonable and essential to safeguard
the
interests of the Employer and that an injunction in addition to
any other
remedy may accordingly be obtained by the Employer. No waiver
of any such breach or violation should be implied from the forbearance
or
failure by the Employer to take action in respect of such breach
or
violation.
|
16.
|
Without
Prejudice
|
Notwithstanding
that this agreement is marked “Without Prejudice” and “Subject to Contract”, it
will become open and binding when executed by both parties.
17.
|
Entire
Agreement
|
17.1
|
Except
for those provisions of the Service Agreement which are expressed
in that
document or herein to continue in effect, this agreement sets out
the
entire agreement between the Employer and the Employee with regard
to the
effect of termination of the employment and supersedes all prior
discussions between the parties or their advisers and all statements,
representations, terms and conditions, warranties, guarantees,
proposals,
communications and understandings whenever given and whether given
orally
or in writing.
|
17.2
|
The
Employee acknowledges that the Employer enters into this agreement
in
reliance on the Employee's warranties in clauses 9, 10 and
12.
|
18.
|
Jurisdiction
and Governing Law
|
This
agreement shall be governed by English law and the courts and employment
tribunals of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to determine
all disputes relating to this agreement.
7
Signed
by :
|
/s/
Xxxx XxXxxxxx
|
|
For
and on behalf of the Employer
|
||
Date:
|
13
August 2007
|
|
Signed
by :
|
/s/
Xxxxxx X. Offwood
|
|
The
Employee
|
||
Date:
|
13
August 2007
|
8
SCHEDULE
1
Certification
by Employee's Adviser
Addressed
to the Employer
I,
Linky
Trott
of
XXXXX
XXX LLP, 2 Stone Buildings, Lincoln’s Inn, London, WC2A3TH
certify
as follows:
1.
|
I
am a "relevant independent adviser" (as such term is defined in
section
203 of the Employment Rights Act
1996).
|
2.
|
Before
the Employee signed the agreement, I advised him as to the terms
and
effect of the agreement and in particular upon its effect on his
ability
to pursue his rights before an employment
tribunal.
|
3.
|
At
the time that I gave the advice referred to in paragraph 2 of this
certificate, there was in force a contract of insurance or an indemnity
provided for members of a profession or professional body covering
the
risk of a claim by the Employee in respect of any loss arising
as a
consequence of that advice.
|
Signed
|
/s/
Linky Trott
|
|
Name:
|
Linky
Trott
|
|
Address:
|
Xxxxx
Xxx LLP
|
|
2
Stone Buildings
|
||
Lincoln’s
Inn
|
||
WC2A3TH
|
||
Dated:
|
13
August 2007
|
9
SCHEDULE
2
Officer's
Letter of Resignation
PRIVATE
& CONFIDENTIAL
The
Directors
ClearOne
Communications UK Limited
00
Xxxx
Xxxx
Xxxxxx
XX0 0XX
[Date]
Dear
Sirs
Please
accept this letter as formal notice of my resignation as a Director [and
the
Secretary] of [the company] [each of the companies] listed above. My
resignation is to be effective immediately.
Please
arrange for particulars of my resignation to be filed with the Registrar
of
Companies.
Yours
faithfully
10
SCHEDULE
3
Agreed
Announcement
ClearOne
would prefer to keep this matter confidential and therefore wishes to refrain
from sending a public announcement.
However,
the following announcement will be sent at the Employee’s request:
Xxxxxx
Offwood, Managing Director of EMEA, has resigned to pursue other
interests. We wish him well in his future endeavours and thank him
for his service to ClearOne.
Please
contact Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx, VP of Worldwide Sales, for all EMEA
matters.
11