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EXHIBIT 10.1

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT is
effective the 31st day of December, 2001 by and between
BioReliance Corporation, a Delaware corporation with principal offices located
at 14920 Broschart Road, Rockville, Maryland 20850, and all of its subsidiary
companies and its successors or assigns (the Corporation) and Ronald R. Baker
(the Executive).



|A. |  | POSITION AND EMPLOYMENT
RELATIONSHIP:
|-- |  | -------------------------------------



| | 1. |  | The Executive is currently employed as the Vice President,
Sales and Marketing (Vice President). Commencing on the effective
date of this Agreement for a term of twelve (12) months, the
Corporation hereby agrees to continue to employ the Executive in his
current position or a comparable position consistent with his
qualifications and experience, and the business needs of the
Corporation, as determined by the Corporations President and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO), in consultation with the Corporations
Board of Directors (the Board).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
| | -- |  | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
| | 2. |  | Such employment relationship is not at-will and is instead
governed by the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
The Employment relationship, however, may be terminated by the
Corporation or the Executive prior to the expiration of this twelve
(12) month term pursuant to sections E, H and I respectively of this
Agreement.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
|
| | 3. |  | As Vice President, the Executive shall perform such duties as
may be assigned to the Executive from time to time by the CEO or the
Board, including, but not limited to the following: developing and
executing plans toward attainment of current and long-range
objectives, including achieving orders, revenue, revenue growth and
income objectives, maximum return on invested capital, and quality,
client satisfaction and employee development goals; developing financial
plans and budgets; overseeing all reporting functions; coordinating
activities with other vice presidents and supporting departmental
directors; supporting Corporate activities including market and sales analyses,
strategic planning, R&D planning and project selection, engagement and
assessments of potential partners, and the like; supporting the evaluation
and analysis of acquisition opportunities, if any, as may be identified
from time to time by the President and CEO; helping develop and document novel
or typical service programs, procedures and the like; meeting with clients,
understanding their product and production methods, and developing timely
and cost-effective strategies acceptable to them and to various national
regulatory authorities; helping design major projects and, as appropriate,
assist in writing major project plans; closing key proposals; directing

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| |  |  | complex business activities, in particular projects of significant scale
and scope; solving challenging business and service problems; building client
relationships; and anticipating follow-on client engagements.
| |  |  | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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|B.
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|C.

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| |  |  | other terms will be determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board
and governed by the applicable incentive plan.
| |  |  | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



|D. |  | BENEFITS AND
PERQUISITES:
|-- |  | -------------------------



| | 1. |  | Medical and Other Insurance Coverage:The Corporation shall
provide such medical and other insurance coverage to the Executive
to the extent and on the terms that such benefits are made available
to other similarly situated employees. This provision does not
alter the Corporations right to modify or eliminate any employee
benefit plan from time to time and does not guarantee the
continuation of any kind or level of benefit or perquisite.
| | -- |  | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
| | 2. |  | Paid Personal Leave:The Executive shall receive vacation, sick and
personal holiday leave pursuant to the Corporations Paid Personal Leave Policy
(PPL) under the schedule for an Executive of the Company, which is attached
hereto as Exhibit 1 and incorporated herein by reference.                                                                                                                                                               
|
| | 3. |  | Other Perquisites and Benefits:The Corporation will provide
the Executive with appropriate office space, as it deems necessary,
and will provide telephone, computer, email and internet access as
required to perform the Executives duties during the term of his
employment.                                                                                                                                                                         



|E. |  | TERMINATION AND RIGHTS
UPON TERMINATION:During the term of this
Agreement, Executives employment is not at-will and may be terminated by
the Corporation only on two bases: (1) Cause; or (2) Without Cause. As
used in this Agreement,Cause shall mean that the Executive:
|-- |  | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | (1) |  | committed an act or acts of personal dishonesty
intended to result in the Executives personal enrichment at
the expense of the Corporation, and which constitute(s) fraud,
embezzlement, grand larceny or any felonious act;
| | --- |  | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
| | (2) |  | failed or refused to perform the Executives
duties and obligations as an employee of the Corporation;                                                                                                                       
|
| | (3) |  | committed an act of willful misconduct;                                                                                                                                                                                      
|
| | (4) |  | was convicted of a criminal act;                                                                                                                                                                                             
|
| | (5) |  | has engaged in the unlawful use of narcotics;                                                                                                                                                                                

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| | (6) |  | engaged in abusive use of alcohol to a degree, or
in a manner, that would materially and adversely affect the
performance of the Executives assigned work or degrade the
reputation of the Corporation;
| | --- |  | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
| | (7) |  | violated the terms of the Confidentiality, Trade
Secrets and Noncompetition Agreement he signed on December 4,
2000; or                                                                                 
|
| | (8) |  | violated or breached the terms of this Agreement.                                                                                                                                                       



|   |  | Any reason for termination other than those set forth above and in
section H below will be deemed to be Without Cause.                                                                      
|-- |  | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  
|F. |  | TERMINATION WITHOUT
CAUSE  EFFECT ON FUTURE COMPENSATION:In the event
Executive is terminated Without Cause, Executive will be entitled to
receive the following compensation and benefits:



| | 1. |  | Base Compensation:The Corporation shall pay the Executive
his then current salary for the remaining term of this agreement or
for a period of six (6) months, which ever period is greater. Such
compensation shall be paid in equal monthly
payments and will be subject to all appropriate federal, state and
local withholding requirements.                                                                                                                                                                                  
| | -- |  | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
| | 2. |  | Other Benefits:The Corporation shall continue to make available, for a
period equal to the remaining term of this agreement or for a period of
six (6) months, which ever period is greater, the same medical and other
insurance benefits made available to other similarly situated employees
and their dependents at a cost equal to the cost the Executive would have
paid if the Executive had continued to be employed by the Corporation,
provided the Executive elects to continue medical benefits coverage under
COBRA.



|G. |  | TERMINATION WITH CAUSE
 EFFECT ON FUTURE COMPENSATION:In the event
Executive is terminated for Cause, Executive will be entitled to no future
compensation from the Corporation. In addition, all rights of the
Executive to future vesting of stock options terminate on the date of the
occurrence forming the basis for a Cause termination of the Executive
and, moreover, the Executive will not earn any additional compensation
after the effective date of such termination.
|-- |  | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  
|H. |  | DISABILITY:If the Executive is unable to perform the essential
functions of his position due to illness, injury, or incapacity for a
period of more than twelve weeks, the compensation otherwise payable to
him under this Agreement shall cease and the Corporation may terminate his
employment unless the Executive is able to perform the essential functions
of his position with reasonable accommodation.                                                                      

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|I. |  | TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT
BY EXECUTIVE:Executive may terminate this
Agreement at any time, with or without Cause, upon thirty (30) days notice
to the President and CEO. In the event of termination by the Executive,
the Executive shall only be entitled to compensation through the last day
actually worked.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
|-- |  | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  
|J. |  | CONFIDENTIALITY AND
NONCOMPETITION:By signing below, the Executive
acknowledges his ongoing and continuing obligation to abide by the
Confidentiality, Trade Secrets and Noncompetition Agreement that he
executed on December 4, 2000 (Trade Secrets Agreements), which is
attached hereto as Exhibit 2 and incorporated herein by reference.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
|  
|K. |  | NO PRIOR AGREEMENTS:The Executive represents and warrants that he is
not a party or otherwise subject to or bound by the terms of any contract,
agreement or understanding which in any manner would limit or otherwise
affect his ability to perform his obligations hereunder. The Executive
further represents and warrants that his employment with the Corporation
will not require the disclosure or use of any confidential information
belonging to prior employers or to other persons or entities. The
Executive understands that the Corporation does not expect or desire and
in fact disapproves of and forbids the Executive to use or disclose, in
the performance of his duties for the Corporation, any such confidential
information belonging to prior employers or other persons or entities.  
|  
|L. |  | ASSIGNMENT:This Agreement is personal to Executive and may not be
assigned in any way by Executive without prior written consent by the
Board of Directors of the
Corporation. Any attempted assignment by Executive will be void.
Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, however, this
Agreement may be assigned by the Corporation to any parent, subsidiary,
successor, or affiliate entity. The rights and obligations under this
Agreement will inure to the benefit of and will be binding upon the
heirs, legatees, administrators, and personal representatives of
Executive and upon the successors, representatives, and assigns of the
Corporation.                                                                                                                                  
|  
|M. |  | ILLEGAL OR INVALID
PROVISION:The parties intend for all provisions of
this Agreement to be enforced and enforceable to the fullest extent
permitted by law. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be
illegal, invalid, or unenforceable under present or future laws in effect
during the term hereof, however, that provision will be fully severable.
This Agreement will be construed and enforced as if such illegal, invalid,
or unenforceable provision had never comprised a part hereof, and the
remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect and will not be
affected by the illegal, invalid, or unenforceable provision or by its
severance from this Agreement. Furthermore, in lieu of each such illegal,
invalid, or unenforceable provision, there will be added automatically,

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|   |  | as a part of this Agreement, a provision as similar in terms to such illegal,
invalid, or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be legal,
valid, and enforceable.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
|-- |  | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  
|N. |  | GOVERNING LAW:This Agreement shall be construed and governed by the
laws of the State of Maryland without regard to any conflict of laws rules
or provisions.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
|  
|O. |  | ENTIRE AGREEMENT:This Agreement constitutes the entire Agreement
between the Corporation and the Executive. This Agreement may not be
changed orally, but only by an agreement in writing signed by the parties.
This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements, discussions or statements
regarding the Executives employment, except for the Confidentiality,
Trade Secrets and Noncompetition Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit 2,
which will survive.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
|  
|P. |  | ARBITRATION:Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, any
claim or controversy relating to or arising out of this Agreement shall be
resolved exclusively by arbitration in accordance with the commercial
rules then obtaining of the American Arbitration Association. This
Arbitration provision, including any challenges to its enforceability, is
governed by the Federal Arbitration Act. The arbitration shall take place
in Montgomery County, Maryland. The Corporation and Executive shall bear
separately their respective attorneys fees. The Corporation shall bear
the cost of the arbitration and any fees required by the commercial rules
then obtaining of the American Arbitration Association.
|  
|Q. |  | MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING:Each party has read this entire Agreement, fully
understands the contents hereof, has had the opportunity to obtain
independent advice as to its legal effect, and is under no duress or
obligation of any kind to execute it. This
Agreement reflects the mutual understanding of the parties with the
respect to all subject matters addressed herein and will be construed
accordingly.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

|                          |                                                                       |                         |                
|------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------- | ---------------
|BioReliance Corporation   |                                                                       |                        
|                         
|By: /s/ William J. Gedale |                                                                       | By: /s/ Ronald R. Baker
|                          |                                                                       |                        
|                          | William J. Gedale
Chairman, Compensation Committee
Board of Directors |                         | Ronald R. Baker

|                                                  |  |      
|------------------------------------------------- |  | -----
|Address: 14920 Broschart Road
Rockville, MD 20850 |  |      
|                                                  |  |      
|Date:                                             |  | Date:
|                                                  |  |      

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