EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
Exhibit
10.1
This
Employment Agreement (this “Agreement”), is made and
entered into as of the 21st day of January, 2010 (the “Effective Date”), by and
between INTERLEUKIN GENETICS, INC., a Delaware corporation (“Employer”), and XXXXX X. XXXXXX, an
individual (“Employee”).
RECITALS
A. Employer
desires to obtain the benefit of the services of Employee and Employee desires
to render such services to Employer.
B. The
Board of Directors of Employer (the “Board”) has determined that
it is in Employer’s best interest to employ Employee and to provide certain
benefits to Employee.
C. Employer
and Employee desire to set forth the terms and conditions of Employee’s
employment with Employer on the terms and subject to the conditions of this
Agreement.
AGREEMENT
In
consideration of the foregoing recitals and of the mutual covenants and
conditions contained herein, the parties, intending to be legally bound, agree
as follows:
1. Term and
Renewal. Subject to the terms hereof, Employee’s employment
hereunder will commence on the Effective Date and continue until the first
(1st) anniversary
thereof (the “Initial Term”),
unless earlier terminated in accordance with the provisions of this
Agreement. On each anniversary of the Effective Date, the term of
Employee’s employment hereunder will be automatically extended for an additional
period of one (1) year (each a “Subsequent Term”) unless either Employee
or Employer provides written notice to the other that such automatic extension
will not occur (a “Non-Renewal
Notice”), which notice is given not less than ninety (90) days prior to
the relevant anniversary of the Effective Date, and unless Employee’s employment
is not otherwise earlier terminated in accordance with the provisions of this
Agreement. The Initial Term and any Subsequent Term are referred to
herein collectively as the “Term.”
2. Employment of
Employee.
(a) Specific
Position. Employer and Employee hereby agree that, subject to
the provisions of this Agreement, Employer will employ Employee and Employee
will serve as an employee of Employer. Employee will report directly
to the Board, and Employee shall have the title and perform the duties of Chief
Executive Officer of Employer, and such other reasonable, usual and customary
duties of such office as may be delegated to Employee from time to time by the
Board, subject always to the policies as reasonably determined from time to time
by the Board. Employee will work from Employer’s Waltham, MA
office.
(b) Board
Membership. During the Term, Employee will serve as a member
of the Board, subject to any required approval of Employer’s
stockholders. Employee shall resign from the Board effective upon the
termination of Employee’s employment with Employer for any reason.
(c) Promotion of Employer’s
Business. During the Term, Employee shall not engage in any
business competitive with Employer. Employee agrees to devote his
full business time, attention, knowledge, skill and energy to the business,
affairs and interests of Employer and matters related thereto, and shall use his
best efforts and abilities to promote Employer’s interests; provided, however,
that Employee is not precluded from devoting reasonable periods to time
required: (i) for serving as a director, committee member or scientific editor
of any organization that does not compete with Employer or that does not involve
a conflict of interest with Employer; or (ii) for managing his personal
investments; so long as in either case, such activities do not interfere with
the regular performance of his duties under this Agreement.
3. Salary. Employer
shall pay to Employee during the Term of this Agreement a base salary (“Base Salary”) in the gross
amount of $340,000 per year, payable in equal monthly installments in accordance
with Employer’s usual payroll practices. The Base Salary may be
increased (but not decreased) annually at end of each calendar year at the
discretion of the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”) throughout the
Term.
4. Bonus/Stock
Options.
(a) Annual Bonus. In
addition to the Base Salary, Employee shall be eligible to receive a
discretionary annual performance bonus (the “Annual Bonus”) based on
Employer’s financial performance between January 1st and
December 31st of each
year (the “Bonus
Year”), under the following
terms and conditions:
(i) If
the Compensation Committee determines that Employer’s performance met the
threshold of the standards and measures (the “Threshhold Measures”) approved by
the Compensation Committee for the Bonus Year, Employee will be entitled to an
Annual Bonus in an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the Base
Salary;
(ii) If
the Compensation Committee determines that Employer’s performance met the target
of the standards and measures (the “Target Measures”) approved by the
Compensation Committee for the Bonus Year, Employee will be entitled to an
Annual Bonus in an amount equal to twenty percent (20%) of the Base Salary;
and
(iii) If
the Compensation Committee determines that Employer’s performance was
exceptional as compared to the standards and measures (the “Exceptional
Measures”) approved by the Compensation Committee for the Bonus Year, Employee
will be entitled to an Annual Bonus in an amount equal to fifty percent (50%) of
the Base Salary.
2
The Threshold Measures, Target Measures
& Exceptional Measures shall be determined and agreed upon by the parties
within thirty (30) days from the Effective Date. The Annual Bonus
shall be paid to Employee within thirty (30) days following the close of the
Bonus Year, in accordance with Employer’s usual payroll
practices. The Annual Bonus for the first Bonus Year, if any, will be
paid on a pro-rata basis according to the start date of Employee. The
Compensation Committee may, in its sole discretion, award an Annual Bonus that
exceeds the amounts listed in subsections (i) - (iii) above. Employee
must be employed by Employer at the time that the Annual Bonus is paid in order
to be eligible for, and to be deemed as having earned, such Annual
Bonus.
(b) Stock Options.
(i) Employer
and Employee acknowledge that Employee has been granted options to purchase
500,000 shares of common stock in Employer (the “Options”) at an exercise price
equal to the fair market value of such stock on the date of grant (the “Grant Date”), pursuant to an
Incentive Stock Option Agreement dated January 22, 2008 (the “Incentive Stock Option
Agreement”) and a Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement dated January 22,
2008 (the “Non-Qualified Stock
Option Agreement”). Employer and Employee acknowledge that Employee
already has vested in 200,000 shares subject to the Options, which remain
subject to the terms and conditions of the Incentive Stock Option Agreement and
Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement. Employer and Employee further acknowledge
that Employee is scheduled to vest in 94,339 shares of Employer’s common stock
($.001 par value per share) on each of February 1, 2011, February 1, 2012, and
February 1, 2013 pursuant to the Incentive Stock Option Agreement, and that
Employee is scheduled to vest in 5,661 shares of Employer’s common stock ($.001
par value per share) on each of February 1, 2011, February 1, 2012, and February
1, 2013 pursuant to the Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement. Both
the Incentive Stock Option Agreement and the Non-Qualified Stock Option
Agreement are expressly incorporated herein and shall survive the execution of
this Agreement. Employee must be employed by Employer on the date of
vesting in order to be eligible for and be entitled to the vesting of options
under the Incentive Stock Option Agreement and the Non-Qualified Stock Option
Agreement.
(ii) Subject
to approval of Board or an appropriate committee thereof, Employee will be
granted a stock option to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock in Employer at
the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant (the “Supplemental Option”),
pursuant to the terms of Employer’s 2004 Employee, Director and Consultant Stock
Plan (the “Plan”) and a standard form of stock option agreement to be executed
by Employee pursuant thereto (the “Supplemental Option
Agreement”). To the maximum extent permissible, the
Supplemental Option shall be treated as an “incentive stock option” within the
meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended. One hundred percent (100%) of the Supplemental Option shall
be vested as of the date of grant.
3
(c) Accelerated Vesting Of Stock
Options. Subject to approval by the Board or an appropriate
committee thereof, the vesting of the Options described in Section 4(b)(i) may
be accelerated upon Employer’s attainment of certain milestones (e.g., earnings, products to
market, execution of strategic agreements, etc.), with any such milestones and
the terms and conditions of any such acceleration to be agreed upon in writing,
in advance, by Employee and Employer. In addition, in the event of Employee’s
death or in the event that Employer undergoes a Change of Control and Employee’s
employment hereunder is terminated by Employer without Cause or by Employee for
Good Reason (as these terms are defined in Section 6(c) below) within six (6)
months following the consummation of such Change of Control, then Employer will
accelerate the vesting of all remaining unvested Options granted to Employee
pursuant to the Incentive Stock Option Agreement and Non-Qualified Stock Option
Agreement and all remaining unvested Supplemental Options granted to Employee
pursuant to this Agreement and the Supplemental Option Agreement that are
outstanding as of the date of termination of employment, with such vesting
occurring immediately prior to the Change of Control or on the date of
Employee’s death, as applicable.
(d)
Additional Option
Grants. Subject to approval by the Board or an appropriate
committee thereof, Employee may be granted additional stock options during the
course of his employment with Employer, with the terms of the award and amount
of any such grant to be determined by Employer in its sole discretion, and with
such grant (if made) to be made pursuant to the terms of a formal stock option
agreement and stock plan.
5. Benefits.
(a) Fringe
Benefits. During Employee’s employment by Employer under this
Agreement, Employee shall be eligible for participation in and shall be covered
by any and all such medical, disability, life and other insurance plans and such
other similar benefits available to other executive employees.
(b) Reimbursements. During
Employee’s employment with Employer under this Agreement, Employee shall be
entitled to receive prompt reimbursement of all reasonable expenses incurred by
Employee in performing services hereunder, including all expenses of travel at
the request of or in the service of Employer, provided that such expenses are
incurred and accounted for in accordance with the policies and procedures
established by Employer. Employee must
submit any request for reimbursement no later than ninety (90) days following
the date that such business expense is incurred. Any reimbursement in
one calendar year shall not affect the amount that may be reimbursed in any
other calendar year and a reimbursement (or right thereto) may not be exchanged
or liquidated for another benefit or payment. Any business expense
reimbursements subject to Section 409A (“Code Section 409A”) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”) and any successor
statute, regulation and guidance thereto shall be
made no later than the end of the calendar year following the calendar year in
which such business expense is incurred by Employee.
(c) Vacation. During
Employee’s employment with Employer hereunder, Employee shall be entitled to an
annual vacation leave of four (4) weeks at full pay.
4
6. Termination And Termination
Payment.
(a) Termination. Notwithstanding
anything else contained in this Agreement, Employee’s employment hereunder will
terminate upon the earliest to occur of the following:
(i)
Expiration of the
Term. If a Non-Renewal Notice has been given pursuant to
Section 1, immediately upon expiration of the Term.
(ii)
Death or Disability. Immediately
upon Employee’s death or Disability (as defined below).
(iii)
Termination by
Employer.
(A) If
by Employer for Cause (as defined below), written notice by Employer to Employee
that Employee’s employment is being terminated for Cause and that sets forth the
factual basis supporting the alleged Cause, which termination shall be effective
on the date of such notice or such later date as specified in writing by
Employer; or
(B) If
by Employer for reasons other than under Sections 6(a)(i), or 6(a)(iii)(A),
written notice by Employer to Employee that Employee’s employment is being
terminated, which termination shall be effective thirty (30) days after the date
of such notice, provided
that Employer, at its exclusive option, may elect to provide Employee
with pay in lieu of any or all of the aforementioned notice period.
(iv) Termination by
Employee.
(A) If
by Employee for Good Reason (as defined below), written notice by Employee to
Employer that Employee is terminating Employee’s employment for Good Reason and
that sets forth the factual basis supporting the alleged Good Reason, which
termination shall be effective thirty (30) days after Employer’s receipt of such
notice, provided that
Employer, at its exclusive option, may elect to provide Employee with pay in
lieu of any or all of the aforementioned notice period, and further provided that if
Employer has cured the circumstances giving rise to the Good Reason within
thirty (30) days after Employer’s receipt of such notice, then such termination
shall not be effective; or
(B) If
by Employee without Good Reason, written notice by Employee to Employer that
Employee is terminating Employee’s employment, which termination shall be
effective ninety (90) days after the date of such notice.
Notwithstanding
anything in this Section 6(a), Employer may at any point terminate Employee’s
employment for Cause prior to the effective date of any other termination
contemplated hereunder.
5
(b)
Termination
Payments.
(i) Termination for Cause by Employer, by
Employee Without Good Reason, as Result of Employee’s Disability or Death, or as
Result of Expiration of Term. If Employee’s employment
hereunder is terminated by Employer for Cause, by Employee without Good Reason,
as a result of Employee’s Disability or death, or as a result of the expiration
of the Term, Employer will pay the Accrued Obligations (as defined below) to
Employee (or Employee’s estate, as the case may be) promptly (within fifteen
(15) days) following the effective date of such termination, and Employee (or
Employee’s estate, as the case may be) shall be entitled to no further
compensation hereunder.
(ii) Termination Without Cause or for Good
Reason. If Employee’s employment hereunder is terminated by Employer
without Cause or by Employee for Good Reason, then:
(A) Employer
will pay the Accrued Obligations to Employee promptly (within fifteen (15) days)
following the effective date of such termination.
(B) Employer
will provide Employee with additional separation pay in an amount equal to
eighteen (18) months of the Base Salary, paid in equal monthly installments in
accordance with Employer’s usual payroll practices, or in a single lump sum
payment in Employer’s sole discretion.
(C) Should
Employee continue his medical and dental insurance pursuant to the Consolidated
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), Employer will reimburse to
Employee the cost of the COBRA payments made by Employee to continue his
participation in Employer’s medical and dental insurance plans, less Employee’s
co-pay if any (which shall be deducted from any payments made to Employee under
this subsection), through the applicable eighteen (18) month period described in
subsection (ii)(B), to the extent permissible under COBRA, and to the same
extent that such insurance is provided to persons employed by
Employer.
(D) The
payments and benefits described in this subsection (ii) will begin on the first
regular pay date following the effective date of the separation agreement set
forth in subsection (iv) below.
(E) In
the event that Employee is eligible for payments and benefits under subsection
(iii) below, Employee shall not be eligible for and shall not receive any
payments and benefits described in this subsection (ii).
(iii) Termination Without Cause or for Good
Reason After Change Of Control. If Employer undergoes a Change
of Control (as defined below) and Employee’s employment hereunder is terminated
by Employer without Cause or by Employee for Good Reason within six
(6) months following the consummation of such Change of Control,
then:
6
(A) Employer
will pay the Accrued Obligations to Employee promptly (within fifteen (15) days)
following the effective date of such termination.
(B) Employer
will provide Employee with additional separation pay in an amount equal to
twenty four (24) months of the Base Salary, paid in equal monthly installments
in accordance with Employer’s usual payroll practices, or in a single lump sum
payment in Employer’s sole discretion.
(C) Should
Employee continue his medical and dental insurance pursuant to the Consolidated
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), Employer will reimburse to
Employee the cost of the COBRA payments made by Employee to continue his
participation in Employer’s medical and dental insurance plans, less Employee’s
co-pay if any (which shall be deducted from any payments made to Employee under
this subsection), through the applicable twenty four (24) month period described
in subsection (iii)(B), to the extent permissible under COBRA, and to the same
extent that such insurance is provided to persons employed by
Employer.
(D) The
payments and benefits described in this subsection (iii) will begin on the first
regular pay date following the effective date of the separation agreement set
forth in subsection (iv) below.
(E) In
the event that Employee is eligible for payments and benefits under subsection
(ii) above, Employee shall not be eligible for and shall not receive any
payments and benefits described in this subsection (iii).
(iv) Separation Agreement; Release of
Claims; Timing of Payment and Benefits. Employer shall not be
obligated to pay Employee any of the payments or benefits set forth in Sections
6(b)(ii) or 6(b)(iii) (other than the Accrued Obligations) unless and until
Employee has executed (without revocation) a timely separation agreement in a
form that is acceptable to Employer and Employee, which will include, at a
minimum, a complete release of claims against Employer and its affiliated
entities. Provided that Employee executes (without revocation) such separation
agreement, Employer will pay the payments or benefits set forth in Sections
6(b)(ii) or 6(b)(iii), as applicable, no later than sixty (60) days following
the termination of employment, or earlier pursuant to applicable law and the
parties’ written agreement
7
(c) Definitions.
(i) Cause. As used
herein, “Cause” means
any of the following: (A) the continued failure or refusal by Employee to
substantially perform his duties hereunder (other than any such failure
resulting from his incapacity due to physical or mental illness); (B) the
engaging by Employee in misconduct which is injurious to Employer’s business or
reputation, monetarily or otherwise; (C) the disloyalty, deliberate dishonesty,
breach of fiduciary duty or violation by Employee of any provision of this
Agreement or any other Agreement he has with Employer; (D) Employee’s commission
of an act of fraud or embezzlement against Employer; (E) Employee is convicted
by a court of competent jurisdiction, or pleads “no contest” to, a felony (other
than minor traffic violations) by Employee; (F) the use by Employee of so-called
“street” or illicit drugs, whether or not during business hours, regardless of
whether such use results in arrest or conviction, or the abuse of any drug or
medication so as to materially and adversely affect Employee’s
performance.
(ii) Good Reason. As used
herein, “Good Reason”
means any of the following: (A) a change in the principal location at
which Employee provides services to Employer to over fifty (50) miles away from
Waltham, Massachusetts, without Employee’s prior written consent; (B) a change
in the lines of reporting such that Employee no longer reports to the Board; or
(C) a material breach of this Agreement by Employer, provided that “Good Reason”
shall not be deemed to have occurred unless: (1) Employee provides Employer with
written notice that he intends to terminate his employment hereunder for one of
the grounds set forth in Section 6(c)(ii) within sixty (60) days of such
reason(s) occurring, (2) if such ground is capable of being cured, Employer has
failed to cure such ground within a period of thirty (30) days from the date of
such written notice, and (3) Employee terminates his employment within one (1)
year from the date that Good Reason first occurs. For purposes of clarification,
the above-listed conditions shall apply separately to each occurrence of Good
Reason and failure to adhere to such conditions in the event of Good Reason
shall not disqualify Employee from asserting Good Reason for any subsequent
occurrence of Good Reason.
(iii) Disability. As used herein,
“Disability” means
Employee is unable to perform the essential functions of his job with or without
a reasonable accommodation because of a physical or mental impairment for a
period of at least three (3) months.
(iv) Accrued
Obligations. As used herein, “Accrued Obligations” means:
(A) the portion of Employee’s Base Salary that has accrued prior to any
termination of Employee’s employment with Employer and has not yet been paid;
and (B) the amount of any expenses properly incurred by Employee on behalf of
Employer prior to any such termination and not yet
reimbursed. Employee’s entitlement to any other compensation or
benefit under any plan of Employer shall be governed by and determined in
accordance with the terms of such plans, except as otherwise specified in this
Agreement.
(v) Change of
Control. As used herein, “Change of Control” means: any
person, entity or group (within the meaning of Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) (other than
Alticor Inc. and its affiliates), becomes the “beneficial owner” (as such term
is defined in Rule 13(d) under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of
outstanding securities of Employer representing more than 50% of the total
voting power represented by all voting securities of Employer entitled to vote
generally in the election of directors.
8
(d) No Other Payments or Benefits
Owing. The payments and benefits set forth in Section 6(b)
shall be the sole amounts owing to Employee upon termination of Employee’s
employment for any reason. Employee shall not be eligible for any
other payments or other forms of compensation or benefits. The
payments and benefits set forth in Section 6(b) shall be the sole remedy, if
any, available to Employee in the event that he brings any claim against
Employer relating to the termination of his employment under this
Agreement.
(e) 409A
Limitation. Notwithstanding any other provision with respect
to the timing of payments under Section 6, if, at the time of Employee’s
termination, Employee is deemed to be a “Specified Employee” of Employer within
the meaning of Code Section 409A and if any amount to be paid to Employee
pursuant to this Agreement as a result of Employee’s termination of employment
is “deferred compensation” within the meaning of Code Section 409A, then limited
only to the extent necessary to comply with the requirements of Code Section
409A, any payments to which Employee may become entitled under Section 6 which
are subject to Code Section 409A (and not otherwise exempt from its application)
will be withheld until the first (1st)
business day of the seventh (7th) month
following the termination of Employee’s employment, at which time Employee shall
be paid an aggregate amount equal to the accumulated, but unpaid, payments
otherwise due to Employee under the terms of Section 6.
7. Publicity. During
the Term and for a period of one (1) year thereafter, Employee shall not,
directly or indirectly, originate or participate in the origination of any
publicity, news release or other public announcements, written or oral, whether
to the public press or otherwise, relating to this Agreement, to any amendment
hereto, to Employee’s employment hereunder or to Employer, without the prior
written approval of Employer. No officer or director of Employer
shall make disparaging remarks regarding Employee during the Term or one (1)
year thereafter.
8. Restrictive
Covenants.
(a) Non-Competition; Customer Lists;
Non-Solicitation. In consideration of the benefits of this
Agreement, including Employee’s access to and limited use of proprietary and
confidential information of Employer, as well as training, education and
experience provided to Employee by Employer directly and/or as a result of work
projects assigned by Employer with respect thereto, Employee hereby covenants
and agrees that during the Term and for a period of twelve (12) months following
termination of Employee’s employment, regardless of how such termination may be
brought about, Employee shall not, directly or indirectly:
(i) as
proprietor, partner, stockholder, director, officer, employee, consultant, joint
venturer, investor or in any other capacity, engage in, or own, manage, operate
or control, or participate in the ownership, management, operation or control,
of any entity which engages anywhere in the world in any business activity which
is competitive to current business activities in which Employer participates
during Employee’s employment with Employer, or take any action in preparation to
do any of the foregoing; provided, however, the
foregoing shall not, in any event, prohibit Employee from purchasing and holding
as an investment not more than 1% of any class of publicly traded securities of
any entity which conducts a business in competition with the business of
Employer, so long as Employee does not participate in any way in the management,
operation or control of such entity. It is further recognized and
agreed that, even though an activity may not be restricted under the foregoing
provision, Employee shall not during the Term and for a period of twelve (12)
months following termination of his employment, regardless of how such
termination may be brought about, provide services to any person or entity which
may be used against, or is or may be in conflict with the interests of, Employer
or its customers or clients;
9
(ii) use
or make known to any person or entity the names or addresses of any clients or
customers of Employer or any other information pertaining to them;
(iii) call
on for the purpose of competing, solicit, take away or attempt to call on,
solicit or take away any clients or customers of Employer on whom Employee
called or with whom he became acquainted during his employment with Employer;
or
(iv) recruit
or attempt to recruit or hire or attempt to hire any employees of
Employer.
(b) Confidentiality. Employee
agrees to execute the Confidentiality and Intellectual Property Agreement
attached hereto as Exhibit A and agrees
to fulfill his obligations thereunder.
(c) Judicial
Reformation. Employee acknowledges that, given the nature of
Employer’s business, the covenants contained in Section 8 establish reasonable
limitations as to time, geographic area and scope of activity to be restrained
and do not impose a greater restraint than is reasonably necessary to protect
and preserve the goodwill of Employer’s business and to protect its legitimate
business interests. If, however, Section 8 is determined by any court
of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable by reason of its extending for too
long a period of time or over too large a geographic area or by reason of it
being too extensive in any other respect or for any other reason, it will be
interpreted to extend only over the longest period of time for which it may be
enforceable and/or over the largest geographic area as to which it may be
enforceable and/or to the maximum extent in all other aspects as to which it may
be enforceable, all as determined by such court.
(d) Affiliates. When
used in this Section 8, the term “Employer” includes
Interleukin Genetics, Inc. and all affiliates, parents, and subsidiaries of
Interleukin Genetics, Inc.
9. Miscellaneous.
(a) Withholdings. All
payments to Employee hereunder shall be made after reduction for all federal,
state and local withholding and payroll taxes, all as determined under
applicable law and regulations, and Employer shall make all reports and similar
filings required by such law and regulations with respect to such payments,
withholdings and taxes.
10
(b) Taxation. Employee
acknowledges and agrees that Employer does not guarantee the tax treatment or
tax consequences associated with any payment or benefit arising under this
Agreement, including but not limited to consequences related to Code Section
409A. Employer and Employee agree that, in addition to abiding by
Section 6(e) if applicable, both will negotiate in good faith and jointly
execute an amendment to modify this Agreement to the extent necessary to comply
with the requirements of Code Section 409A, or any successor statute, regulation
and guidance thereto; provided, that no such amendment shall increase the total
financial obligation of Employer under this Agreement.
(c) Succession. This
Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and shall be binding upon Employer, its
successors and assigns. The obligations and duties of Employee
hereunder shall be personal and not assignable.
(d) Notices. Any and
all notices, demands, requests or other communications hereunder shall be in
writing and shall be deemed duly given when personally delivered to or
transmitted overnight express delivery or by facsimile to and received by the
party to whom such notice is intended (provided the original thereof is sent by
mail, in the manner set forth below, on the next business day after the
facsimile transmission is sent), or in lieu of such personal delivery or
overnight express delivery or facsimile transmission, on receipt when deposited
in the United States mail, first-class, certified or registered, postage
prepaid, return receipt requested, addressed to the applicable party at the
address set forth below such party's signature to this Agreement. The
parties may change their respective addresses for the purpose of this Section
9(d) by giving notice of such change to the other parties in the manner which is
provided in this Section 9(d).
(e) Entire
Agreement. This Agreement contains the entire agreement of the
parties relating to the subject matter hereof, and it replaces and supersedes
any prior agreements between the parties relating to said subject
matter.
(f) Headings. The
headings of Sections herein are used for convenience only and shall not affect
the meaning of contents hereof.
(g) Waiver;
Amendment. No provision hereof may be waived except by a
written agreement signed by the waiving party. The waiver of any term
or of any condition of this Agreement shall not be deemed to constitute the
waiver of any other term or condition. This Agreement may be amended
only by a written agreement signed by the parties hereto.
(h) Severability. If
any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be held unenforceable by the final
determination of a court of competent jurisdiction and all appeals therefrom
shall have failed or the time for such appeals shall have expired, such
provision or provisions shall be deemed eliminated from this Agreement but the
remaining provisions shall nevertheless be given full effect. In the
event this Agreement or any portion hereof is more restrictive than permitted by
the law of the jurisdiction in which enforcement is sought, this Agreement or
such portion shall be limited in that jurisdiction only to the extent required
by the law of that jurisdiction.
11
(i) Governing Law. This
Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
(j) Arbitration. Except
for the provisions of Sections 7 and 8, and Exhibit
A hereto, with regard to which Employer expressly reserves the
right to petition a court directly for injunctive or other relief, any dispute
arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or the breach, termination or the
validity hereof, shall be settled by arbitration in Massachusetts, in accordance
with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration
Association. Judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator or
arbitrators may be entered in any court having jurisdiction
thereof. THE ARBITRATOR OR ARBITRATORS ARE NOT EMPOWERED TO AWARD
DAMAGES IN EXCESS OF COMPENSATORY DAMAGES (INCLUDING REASONABLE ATTORNEYS FEES
AND EXPERT WITNESS FEES) AND EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO
RECOVER SUCH DAMAGES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, PUNITIVE DAMAGES) IN ANY
FORUM. The arbitrator or arbitrators may award equitable relief in
those circumstances where monetary damages would be inadequate. The
arbitrator or arbitrators shall be required to follow the applicable law as set
forth in the governing law section of this Agreement. The arbitrator
or arbitrators shall award reasonable attorneys fees and costs of arbitration to
the prevailing party in such arbitration.
(k) Equitable
Relief. In the event of a breach or a threatened breach by
Employee of any of the provisions contained in Sections 7 or 8 of this Agreement
or Exhibit A
hereto, Employee acknowledges that Employer will suffer irreparable injury not
fully compensable by money damages and, therefore, will not have an adequate
remedy available at law. Accordingly, Employer shall be entitled to
obtain such injunctive relief or other equitable remedy from any court of
competent jurisdiction as may be necessary or appropriate to prevent or curtail
any such breach, threatened or actual, without having to post
bond. The foregoing shall be in addition to and without prejudice to
any other rights that Employer may have under this Agreement, at law or in
equity, including, without limitation, the right to xxx for
damages.
(l) Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, and by different parties
hereto on separate counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original, but
all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument.
[REMAINDER
OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
12
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Employment Agreement as of the
date first set forth above.
XXXXX
X. XXXXXX
|
INTERLEUKIN
GENETICS, INC.
|
||||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
|
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
|
||
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
|
|||||
Address:
|
Address:
|
||||
000
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
|
|||||
Xxxxxxx,
XX 00000
|
13
EXHIBIT
A
January
21, 2010
Xxxxx X.
Xxxxxx
Re: Confidentiality
And Intellectual Property Agreement
Dear
Xxxxx:
As a
condition of your continued employment with Interleukin Genetics, Inc. (the
“Employer”), you must sign and return this letter agreement (the
“Agreement”). This Agreement confirms your promise to protect and
preserve information and property which is confidential and proprietary to
Employer, its subsidiaries and affiliates, as well as other terms and conditions
of your employment. No provision of this Agreement shall be construed
to create an express or implied employment contract for any specific period of
time, and either party may terminate your employment at any time, subject to the
requirements of your employment agreement executed concurrently (the “Employment
Agreement”).
In
consideration of the employment offered to you, and for other good and valuable
consideration, you agree as follows:
1. Your
Duties Regarding Confidentiality. Employer has
developed, uses and maintains trade secrets1 and other confidential and proprietary
information including, without limitation, technical data and specifications,
business and financial information, product and marketing plans, customer and
client information, customer and client lists, customer, client and vendor
identities and characteristics, agreements, marketing knowledge and information,
sales figures, pricing information, marketing plans, business plans, strategy
forecasts, financial information, budgets, software, projections and procedures,
and Inventions (as defined in Section 2), in written, oral, electronic and/or
other forms (“Confidential Information”), and Employer has taken and shall
continue to take all reasonable measures to protect the confidentiality of such
Confidential Information. You acknowledge that during your employment
with Employer you will be given direct access to and knowledge of Confidential
Information.
You agree
that all such Confidential Information is and shall remain the sole property of
Employer and that you will hold in strictest confidence, and will not, either
during or after the termination of your employment (except as required in the
course of your duties on behalf of Employer), use, disclose or give to others
(whether a business, firm, entity, person or otherwise), either directly or
indirectly, any of the Confidential Information or any other scientific,
technical, trade or business secret or confidential or proprietary information
of Employer or of any third party provided to you during your employment by
Employer.
1 The
term “trade secrets,” as used in this Agreement, shall be given its broadest
possible interpretation under Massachusetts law and shall include, but not be
limited to, anything tangible or intangible or electronically kept or stored,
which constitutes, represents, evidences or records a secret scientific,
technical, merchandising, production or management information, design, process,
procedure, formula, invention or improvement; and other confidential and
proprietary information and documents.
Your
obligation of confidentiality under this Agreement does not apply to information
that (a) becomes a matter of public knowledge through no fault of your own or
(b) must be disclosed pursuant to lawful subpoena, court order or statutory
requirement. However, you agree that in the event you are questioned
by anyone not employed by Employer, or by an employee of or a consultant to
Employer not authorized to receive such information, in regard to any such
Confidential Information or any other secret or confidential work of Employer,
you will promptly notify Employer’s Board of Directors in
writing. You further agree that you will return all Confidential
Information, including all copies and versions of such Confidential Information
(including but not limited to information maintained on paper, disk, CD-ROM,
network server, or any other retention device whatsoever) and other property of
Employer, to Employer immediately upon termination of your
employment.
The terms
of this Section 1 of this Agreement are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any
other contractual, statutory or common law obligations that you may have
relating to the protection of Employer’s Confidential Information or its
property. The terms of this section shall survive indefinitely your
employment with Employer.
2.
Ownership of Ideas,
Copyrights and Patents.
(a) Property of
Employer. You agree that all ideas, discoveries, creations,
manuscripts and properties, innovations, improvements, know-how, inventions,
designs, developments, apparatus, techniques, methods, writings, specifications,
sound recordings, pictorial and graphical representations and formulae
(collectively, “Inventions”) which may be used by or which relate to the
business or activities of Employer, whether patentable, copyrightable or not,
which you may conceive, reduce to practice or develop during your employment
(or, if directly derived from any Confidential Information known by Employee,
made by you within one (1) year after the termination of such employment),
whether or not during normal working hours and whether or not on Employer’s
premises or with the use of its equipment, whether alone or in conjunction with
others, and whether or not at the request or suggestion of Employer or
otherwise, shall be “works made for hire,” and shall be the sole and exclusive
property of Employer, and that you shall not publish any such Inventions without
the prior written consent of Employer. You hereby assign to Employer
all of your right, title and interest in and to such Inventions. You
further represent and agree that to the best of your knowledge and belief none
of the Inventions will violate or infringe upon any right, patent, copyright,
trademark or right of privacy, or constitute libel or slander against or violate
any other rights of any person, firm or corporation, and that you will use
commercially reasonable efforts to prevent any such violation.
(b) Your Duty to
Cooperate. During your employment with Employer and
afterwards, you agree that you will fully cooperate with Employer, its attorneys
and agents in the preparation and filing of all papers and other documents as
may be required to perfect Employer’s rights in and to any such Inventions,
including, but not limited to, joining in any proceeding to obtain letters
patent, copyrights, trademarks or other legal rights of the United States and of
any and all other countries on such Inventions, provided that Employer will bear
the expense of such proceedings, and that any patent or other legal right so
issued to you, personally, shall be assigned by you to Employer without charge
by you.
2
(c) Licensing and Use of Data You Provide
to Employer. With respect to any Inventions, and work of any
similar nature (from any source), whenever created, which you have not prepared
or originated in the performance of your employment, but which you provide to
Employer or incorporate in any Employer product or system, you grant to Employer
a royalty-free, fully paid-up, non-exclusive, perpetual and irrevocable license
throughout the world to use, modify, create derivative works from, disclose,
publish, translate, reproduce, deliver, perform, dispose of, and to authorize
others so to do, all such Inventions. You promise that you will not
include in any Inventions you deliver to Employer or use on its behalf, without
the prior written approval of Employer, any material which is or will be
patented, copyrighted or trademarked by you or others unless you provide
Employer with the written permission of the holder of any patent, copyright or
trademark owner for Employer to use such material in a manner consistent with
then-current Employer policy.
(d) Data in Which You Claim Any
Interest. Listed on
Exhibit 1 to
this Agreement are any and all Inventions in which you claim or intend to claim
any right, title and interest, including but not limited to patent, copyright
and trademark interest, which to the best of your knowledge shall be or may be
delivered to Employer in the course of your employment, or incorporated into any
Employer product or system. You explicitly acknowledge that your
obligation to disclose such information is ongoing during your employment with
Employer, and that after you execute this Agreement, if you determine that any
additional Inventions in which you claim or intend to claim any right, title or
interest, including but not limited to patent, copyright and trademark interest,
has been or is likely to be delivered to Employer or incorporated in any
Employer product or system, you shall make immediate written disclosure of the
same to Employer.
3. Your Representations
Regarding Prior Work and Legal Obligations.
(a) No Other Agreement Prohibits You from
Working for Employer. By signing this Agreement, you represent
that you have no agreement with or other legal obligation to any prior employer
or any other person or entity that restricts your ability to engage in
employment discussions, to accept employment with, or to perform any function
for Employer. You acknowledge that Employer is basing important
business decisions on these representations, and affirm that your
representations made in this section of this Agreement are true.
(b)
You Will Not
Provide Confidential Information from Other Employers. You
also acknowledge that Employer has advised you that at no time, either during
any pre-employment discussions or at any time thereafter, should you divulge to
or use for the benefit of Employer any trade secret or confidential or
proprietary information of any previous employer. By signing this
Agreement, you affirm that you have not divulged or used any such information
for the benefit of Employer, and that you have not and will not misappropriate
any Invention that you played any part in creating while working for any former
employer.
3
4.
Provisions
Necessary and Reasonable. You specifically agree
that the provisions of Sections 1 and 2 of this Agreement are necessary and
reasonable to protect Employer’s Confidential Information, property rights and
business interests. You further agree that a breach or threatened
breach by you of Sections 1 and 2 of this Agreement would pose the risk of
irreparable harm to Employer, and that in the event of a breach or threatened
breach of any of such covenants, in addition to such other remedies as Employer
may have at law, without posting any bond or security, Employer shall be
entitled to seek and obtain equitable relief, in the form of specific
performance, or temporary, preliminary or permanent injunctive relief, or any
other equitable remedy which then may be available. The seeking of
such injunction or order shall not affect Employer’s right to seek and obtain
damages or other equitable relief on account of any such actual or threatened
breach.
5.
Choice of Law;
Enforceability; Waiver of Jury Trial.
(a) The Law of Massachusetts Applies to
this Agreement. This Agreement shall be deemed to have been
made in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, shall take effect as an instrument
under seal within Massachusetts, and the validity, interpretation and
performance of this Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance
with, the internal law of Massachusetts, without giving effect to conflict of
law principles, and specifically excluding any conflict or choice of law rule or
principle that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of this
Agreement to the substantive law of another jurisdiction. We both
acknowledge that the last act necessary to render this Agreement enforceable is
its execution by Employer in Massachusetts, and that the Agreement shall be
maintained in Massachusetts.
(b) Any Dispute Regarding This Agreement Will
Take Place in Massachusetts. Both of us agree that any action,
demand, claim or counterclaim relating to, or arising under, the terms and
provisions of this Agreement, or to its breach, shall be commenced in
Massachusetts in a court of competent jurisdiction. We both further
acknowledge that venue shall exclusively lie in Massachusetts and that material
witnesses and documents would be located in Massachusetts.
(c) We Both Waive the Right to a Jury
Trial. Finally, we both agree that any action, demand, claim
or counterclaim related to, or arising under, this Agreement shall be resolved
by a judge alone, and we both waive and forever renounce the right to a trial
before a civil jury.
6.
General.
(a) Agreement Enforceable if You Are
Transferred. You acknowledge and agree that if you should
transfer between or among any affiliates of Employer, wherever situated, or be
promoted or reassigned to functions other than your present functions, all terms
of this Agreement shall continue to apply with full force.
(b) This Agreement along with the
Employment Agreement and Stock Option Agreements are the Entire Agreements
Between Us. This Agreement embodies the entire agreement and
understanding between us with respect to its subject matter and supersedes all
prior and contemporaneous oral and written agreements and understandings
relating to its subject matter. No statement, representation,
warranty, covenant or agreement of any kind not expressly set forth in this
Agreement shall affect, or be used to interpret, change or restrict, the express
terms and provisions of this Agreement.
4
(c) Modification and Amendment; Waiver;
Assignment and Benefit. The terms and provisions of this
Agreement may be modified or amended only by written agreement executed by both
parties. The terms and provisions of this Agreement may be waived, or
consent for the departure from its terms granted, only by a written document
executed by the party entitled to the benefits of such terms or
provisions. No such waiver or consent shall be deemed to be or shall
constitute a waiver or consent with respect to any other terms or provisions of
this Agreement, whether or not similar. Each such waiver or consent
shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which
it was given, and shall not constitute a continuing waiver or
consent. Employer may assign its rights and obligations under this
Agreement at its sole discretion. As this Agreement is personal to
you, you may not assign your rights and obligations under this
Agreement. All statements, representations, warranties, covenants and
agreements in this Agreement shall be binding on the parties, and shall inure to
the benefit of any successors and/or permitted assigns of the
parties.
(d) Severability. The
parties intend this Agreement to be enforced as written. However, if
any portion or provision of this Agreement shall to any extent be declared
illegal or unenforceable by a duly authorized court having jurisdiction, we both
desire that such portion or provision be modified by such a court so as to make
it enforceable, and that the remainder of this Agreement be enforced to the
fullest extent permitted by law.
(e) Meanings of
Headings. The headings in this Agreement are for convenience
only, and we both agree that they shall not be construed or interpreted to
modify or affect the construction or interpretation of any provision of this
Agreement.
7. Your
Acknowledgement. By signing this
Agreement, you are acknowledging that you have had adequate opportunity to
review this Agreement, to reflect upon and consider the terms and conditions of
this Agreement and how they may affect you, that you fully understand this
Agreement's terms, and that you are agreeing voluntarily to its
terms. If this document accurately reflects our agreement, please so
indicate by signing and returning to us the enclosed copy of this
letter.
INTERLEUKIN
GENETICS, INC.
|
||
By: Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
|
||
Accepted
and Agreed:
|
||
Xxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
|
||
/ /
|
||
Date
|
5
EXHIBIT
1