EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
This Employment Agreement (the "Agreement") is made and entered into as of October 1, 2019, by and between Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx (the
"Executive") and Greenfield Xxxxxx Inc., a Nevada corporation (the "Company").
WHEREAS, the Company desires to employ the Executive on the terms and conditions set forth herein; and
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants, promises, and obligations set forth herein, the parties
agree as follows:
1. Term.
Subject to Section 4 of this Agreement, the Executive's initial term of employment hereunder shall be from the period beginning on October 1, 2019 (the "Effective Date") through September 31, 2022 (the "Initial Term"). Thereafter, the Agreement
shall be deemed to be automatically extended, upon the same terms and conditions, for successive periods of one year, unless either party provides written notice of its intention not to extend the term at least 60 days prior to the end of the
Initial Term or one-year extension thereof. The period during which the Executive is employed by the Company hereunder is hereinafter referred to as the "Employment Term."
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3.2
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Annual Bonus.
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(b)
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The Annual Bonus, if any, will be paid within one and a half (1 1/2) months after the end of the applicable calendar year.
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(c)
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In order to be eligible to receive an Annual Bonus, the Executive must be employed by the Company on the last day of the
applicable date that Annual Bonuses are paid.
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4. Termination of
Employment. The Employment Term and the Executive's employment hereunder may be terminated by either the Company or the Executive at any time and for any reason or for no particular reason. Upon termination of the Executive's
employment during the Employment Term, the Executive shall be entitled to the compensation and benefits described in this Section 4 and shall have no further rights to any compensation or any other benefits from the Company or any of its
affiliates.
(a)
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The Executive's employment hereunder may be terminated upon either party's failure to renew the Agreement in accordance
with Section 1, by the Company for Cause, or by the Executive without Good Reason and the Executive shall be entitled to receive:
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(i)
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(ii)
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reimbursement for unreimbursed business expenses properly incurred by the Executive, which shall be subject to and paid in
accordance with the Company's expense reimbursement policy; and
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(i)
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the Executive's failure to perform his duties (other than any such failure resulting from incapacity due to physical or
mental illness);
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(iii)
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the Executive's willful engagement in dishonesty, illegal conduct, or gross misconduct, which is, in each case, injurious
to the Company or its affiliates;
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(iv)
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the Executive's embezzlement, misappropriation, or fraud, whether or not related to the Executive's employment with the
Company;
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(vi)
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the Executive's material breach of any obligation under this Agreement or any other written agreement between the Executive
and the Company; or
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Except for a failure, breach, or refusal which, by its nature, cannot reasonably be
expected to be cured, the Executive shall have 10 business days from the delivery of written notice by the Company within which to cure any acts constituting Cause.
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(c)
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For purposes of this Agreement, "Good Reason" shall mean the occurrence of any of the following, in each case during the
Employment Term without the Executive's prior written consent:
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(i)
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a material reduction in the Executive's Base Salary other than a general reduction in Base Salary that affects all
similarly situated executives in substantially the same proportions;
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To terminate his employment for Good Reason, the Executive must provide written notice to
the Company of the existence of the circumstances providing grounds for termination for Good Reason within 30 days of the initial existence of such grounds and the Company must have at least 30 days from the date on which such notice is provided to
cure such circumstances. If the Executive does not terminate his employment for Good Reason within 60 days after the first occurrence of the applicable grounds, then the Executive will be deemed to have waived his right to terminate for Good Reason
with respect to such grounds.
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(c)
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The treatment of any outstanding equity awards shall be determined in accordance with the terms of the Company’s 2019 Equity
Incentive Plan and the applicable award agreements.
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(b)
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to the extent applicable, the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of the Executive's
employment under the provision so indicated; and
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5. Confidential
Information and Restrictive Covenants. As a condition of the Executive's employment with the Company, the Executive shall enter into and abide by the Company's Employee Non-Compete Agreement/Employee Confidentiality and Proprietary
Rights Agreement.
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6. Arbitration. Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or related to the Executive's employment by the Company, or termination of employment, including but not
limited to claims arising under or related to this Agreement or any breach of this Agreement, and any alleged violation of federal, state, or local statute, regulation, common law, or public policy, shall be submitted to and decided by binding
arbitration. Arbitration shall be administered exclusively by JAMS and shall be conducted in Orange County, California consistent with the rules of JAMS in effect at the time the arbitration is commenced and applying California law, except as modified by this Agreement. The Parties
can obtain a copy of the JAMS Rules (i) on the JAMS’ website (xxxxx://xxx.xxxxxxx.xxx/xxxxx-xxxxxxxxxx);
(ii) by calling JAMS directly at (000) 000-0000; or (iii) from the Company’s Human Resources Department. The JAMS Rules are incorporated herein by reference. The arbitrator shall administer and conduct any arbitration in accordance with
California law, including the California Code of Civil Procedure, and the arbitrator shall apply substantive and procedural California law to any Claim, without references to conflict-of-law provisions of any jurisdiction. To the extent that
the JAMS Rules are in irreconcilable conflict with California law, California law shall take precedence over the JAMS Rules. In the event of the requirement to arbitrate hereunder, the Parties shall mutually agree on single arbitrator, and in
the event that they cannot agree then each of them shall agree on an arbitrator and those two arbitrators shall appoint a third. Except for Excluded Claims (as defined below in Section 6.1), the Parties waive all
rights to have their disputes heard or decided by a jury or in a court trial and the right to pursue any class or collective action or representative claims against each other in court, arbitration, or any other proceeding. Any arbitral award
determination shall be final and binding upon the Parties. With respect to costs associated with the arbitration under this Section 6,
Executive shall only pay the JAMS filing or administrative fee up to the equivalent amount of the initial filing Executive would have paid to commence an action in the California Superior Court, county of Orange. The Company will pay any other
JAMS administrative fees, arbitrator’s fees, and any additional fees unique to arbitration.
6.1
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Excluded Claims. Excluded claims are causes of
action or claims: (i) under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act, (ii) for representative actions under the California’s Private Attorneys’ General Act (“PAGA”), (ii) under the California Workers’ Compensation Act, (iv) for
unemployment compensation benefits; (v) for benefits under a plan that is governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and (vii) expressly prohibited from mandatory arbitration under applicable law. To the extent
permitted by law, individual Claims under PAGA or claims under California Labor Code section 558(a) are not Excluded Claims, and thereby are subject to arbitration pursuant to this Agreement.
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7. Governing Law, Jurisdiction, and Venue. This Agreement, for all
purposes, shall be construed in accordance with the laws of California without regard to conflicts of law principles. Any action or proceeding by either of the parties to enforce this Agreement shall be brought only in a state or federal
court located in the state of California, county of Orange. The parties hereby irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts and waive the defense of inconvenient forum to the maintenance of any such action or proceeding in such
venue.
8. Entire Agreement. Unless specifically provided herein, this
Agreement, together with the Employee Non-Compete Agreement/Employee Confidentiality and Proprietary Rights Agreement and Indemnification Agreement contains all of the understandings and representations between the Executive and the Company
pertaining to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous understandings, agreements, representations and warranties, both written and oral, with respect to such subject matter.
9. Modification and Waiver. No provision of this Agreement may be
amended or modified unless such amendment or modification is agreed to in writing and signed by the Executive and an executive officer of the Company who is also a member of the Board. No waiver by either of the parties of any breach by the other
party hereto of any condition or provision of this Agreement to be performed by the other party hereto shall be deemed a waiver of any similar or dissimilar provision or condition at the same or any prior or subsequent time.
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10. Severability. Should any
provisions of this Agreement be held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions hereof, and if such provision or provisions are not modified as
provided above, this Agreement shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal, or unenforceable provisions had not been set forth herein.
11. Captions. Captions and headings of the sections
and paragraphs of this Agreement are intended solely for convenience and no provision of this Agreement is to be construed by reference to the caption or heading of any section or paragraph.
12. Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in separate counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
13.3
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Reimbursements. To the extent
required by Section 409A, each reimbursement or in-kind benefit provided under this Agreement shall be provided in accordance with the following:
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(b)
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any reimbursement of an eligible expense shall be paid to the Executive on or before the last day of the calendar year
following the calendar year in which the expense was incurred; and
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(c)
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any right to reimbursements or in-kind benefits under this Agreement shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for
another benefit.
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14. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement is
personal to the Executive and shall not be assigned by the Executive. Any purported assignment by the Executive shall be null and void from the initial date of the purported assignment. The Company may assign this Agreement to any successor or
assign (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation, or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of the Company and permitted successors and
assigns.
15. Notice. Notices and all
other communications provided for in this Agreement shall be given in writing by personal delivery, electronic delivery, or by registered mail to the parties at the addresses set forth below (or such other addresses as specified by the parties by
like notice):
Greenfield Xxxxxx Inc.
0000 Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Secretary
0000 Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Secretary
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx
0000 Xxxxxx Xxx
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
The Executive's acceptance of employment with the Company and the performance of his duties hereunder will not
conflict with or result in a violation of, a breach of, or a default under any contract, agreement, or understanding to which she is a party or is otherwise bound.
The Executive's acceptance of employment with the Company and the performance of his duties hereunder will not
violate any non-solicitation, non-competition, or other similar covenant or agreement of a prior employer or third-party.
17. Withholding. The Company
shall have the right to withhold from any amount payable hereunder any Federal, state, and local taxes in order for the Company to satisfy any withholding tax obligation it may have under any applicable law or regulation.
18. Survival. Upon the
expiration or other termination of this Agreement, the respective rights and obligations of the parties hereto shall survive such expiration or other termination to the extent necessary to carry out the intentions of the parties under this
Agreement.
19. Acknowledgement of
Full Understanding. THE EXECUTIVE ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT SHE HAS FULLY READ, UNDERSTANDS AND VOLUNTARILY ENTERS INTO THIS AGREEMENT. THE EXECUTIVE ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT SHE HAS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS AND
CONSULT WITH AN ATTORNEY OF HIS CHOICE BEFORE SIGNING THIS AGREEMENT.
[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.
COMPANY:
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GREENFIELD XXXXXX INC.
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By:
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/s/Lindsday Xxxxxxxx |
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Name:
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Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
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Title:
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President
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Address:
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0000 Xxx Xxxxxx Xx., Xxx. 0000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, XX 00000
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EXECUTIVE:
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By:
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/s/Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx |
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Name:
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Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx
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Address:
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0000 Xxxxxx Xxx
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
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