Filed by Bowne Pure Compliance





Exhibit 10.2




EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT




P R E A M B L E


This Employment Agreement defines the essential terms and conditions of our employment relationship
with you. The subjects covered in this Agreement are vitally important to you and to the Company.
Thus, you should read the document carefully and ask any questions before signing the Agreement.
Given the importance of these matters to you and the Company, you are required to sign the
Agreement as a condition of employment.




This EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT, dated and effective this 3rd day of November, 2008 is entered into
by and between Hillenbrand, Inc. (“Company”) and Hinesh Patel (“Employee”).



W I T N E S S E T H:




WHEREAS, the Company is engaged in the design, manufacture, promotion and sale of funeral and
burial-related products and services throughout the United States and North America including, but
not limited to, burial caskets, cremation products and other memorial products.



WHEREAS, the Company is willing to employ Employee in an executive or managerial position and
Employee desires to be employed by the Company in such capacity based upon the terms and conditions
set forth in this Agreement;



WHEREAS, in the course of the employment contemplated under this Agreement, and as a
continuation of Employee’s past employment with the Company, if applicable, it will be necessary
for Employee to acquire and maintain knowledge of certain trade secrets and other confidential and
proprietary information regarding the Company as well as any of its parent, subsidiary and/or
affiliated entities (hereinafter jointly referred to as the “Companies”); and



WHEREAS, the Company and Employee (individually referred to as a “Party” and collectively
referred to as the “Parties”) acknowledge and agree that the execution of this Agreement is
necessary to memorialize the terms and conditions of their employment relationship as well as to
safeguard against the unauthorized disclosure or use of the Company’s confidential information and
to otherwise preserve the goodwill and ongoing business value of the Company;


 


 









 





NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of Employee’s employment, the Company’s willingness to
disclose certain confidential and proprietary information to Employee and the mutual covenants
contained herein as well as other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby
acknowledged, the Parties agree as follows:




	1.	 	Employment. As of the effective date of this Agreement, the Company agrees to employ
Employee and Employee agrees to serve as Vice President, Strategy & Business Development.
Employee agrees to perform all duties and responsibilities traditionally assigned to, or
falling within the normal responsibilities of, an individual employed in the above-referenced
position. Employee also agrees to perform any and all additional duties or responsibilities
as may be assigned by the Company in its sole discretion. The Parties acknowledge that both
Employee’s title and the underlying duties may change.

	 
	2.	 	Best Efforts and Duty of Loyalty. During the term of employment with the Company,
Employee covenants and agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to perform all assigned duties in
a diligent and professional manner and in the best interest of the Company. Employee agrees
to devote Employee’s full working time, attention, talents, skills and best efforts to further the
Company’s business and agrees not to take any action, or make any omission, that deprives the
Company of any business opportunities or otherwise act in a manner that conflicts with the
best interest of the Company or is otherwise detrimental to its business. Employee agrees not
to engage in any outside business activity, whether or not pursued for gain, profit or other
pecuniary advantage, without the express written consent of the Company. Employee shall act
at all times in accordance with the Company’s Code of Ethical Business Conduct, and all other
applicable policies which may exist or be adopted by the Company from time to time.

	 
	3.	 	At-Will Employment. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth below, Employee
specifically acknowledges and accepts such employment on an “at-will” basis and agrees that
both Employee and the Company retain the right to terminate this relationship at any time,
with or without cause, for any reason not prohibited by applicable law upon notice as required
by this Agreement. Employee acknowledges that nothing in this Agreement is intended to
create, nor should be interpreted to create, an employment contract for any specified length
of time between the Company and Employee.

	 
	4.	 	Compensation. For all services rendered by Employee on behalf of, or at the request
of, the Company, Employee shall be paid as follows:







	 	(a)	 	A base salary at the bi-weekly rate of Nine Thousand Two Hundred Thirty Dollars
and Seventy-Seven Cents ($9,230.77), less usual and ordinary deductions;

	 
	 	(b)	 	Incentive compensation, payable solely at the discretion of the Company,
pursuant to the Company’s existing Incentive Compensation Program or any other program
as the Company may establish in its sole discretion; and

	 
	 	(c)	 	Such additional compensation, benefits and perquisites as the Company may deem
appropriate.





 


2









 











	5.	 	Changes to Compensation. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary,
Employee acknowledges that the Company specifically reserves the right to make changes to
Employee’s compensation in its sole discretion including, but not limited to, modifying or
eliminating a compensation component. The Parties agree that such changes shall be deemed
effective immediately and a modification of this Agreement
unless, within seven (7) days after receiving notice of such change, Employee exercises
Employee’s right to terminate this Agreement without cause. The Parties anticipate that
Employee’s compensation structure will be reviewed on an annual basis but acknowledge that
the Company shall have no obligation to do so.

	 
	6.	 	Direct Deposit. As a condition of employment, and within thirty (30) days of the
effective date of this Agreement, Employee agrees to make all necessary arrangements to have
all sums paid pursuant to this Agreement direct deposited into one or more bank accounts as
designated by Employee.

	 
	7.	 	Warranties and Indemnification. Employee warrants that Employee is not a party to
any contract, restrictive covenant, or other agreement purporting to limit or otherwise
adversely affecting Employee’s ability to secure employment with the Company or any other
potential employer. Alternatively, should any such agreement exist, Employee warrants that
the existence thereof has been disclosed to the Company and that the contemplated services to
be performed hereunder will not violate the terms and conditions of any such agreement. In
either event, Employee agrees to fully indemnify and hold the Company harmless from any and
all claims arising from, or involving the enforcement of, any such restrictive covenants or
other agreements.

	 
	8.	 	Restricted Duties. Employee agrees not to disclose, or use for the benefit of the
Company, any confidential or proprietary information belonging to any predecessor employer(s)
that otherwise has not been made public and further acknowledges that the Company has
specifically instructed Employee not to disclose or use such confidential or proprietary
information. Based on Employee’s understanding of the anticipated duties and responsibilities
hereunder, Employee acknowledges that such duties and responsibilities will not compel the
disclosure or use of any such confidential and proprietary information.

	 
	9.	 	Termination Without Cause. The Parties agree that either Party may terminate this
employment relationship at any time, without cause, upon sixty (60) days’ advance written
notice or, if terminated by the Company, pay in lieu of notice (hereinafter referred to as
“notice pay”) if the Company so elects. In such event, Employee shall only be entitled to
such compensation, benefits and perquisites that have been paid or fully accrued as of the
effective date of Employee’s separation and as otherwise explicitly set forth in this
Agreement. However, in no event shall Employee be entitled to notice pay if Employee is
eligible for and accepts severance payments pursuant to the provisions of Paragraphs 15 and
16, below.





 


3









 





	10.	 	Termination With Cause. Employee’s employment may be terminated by the Company at
any time “for cause” without notice or prior warning. For purposes of this Agreement, “cause”
shall mean the Company’s good faith determination that Employee has:







	 	(a)	 	Acted with gross neglect or willful misconduct in the discharge of Employee’s
duties and responsibilities or refused to follow or comply with the lawful direction of
the Company or the terms and conditions of this Agreement, provided such
refusal is not based primarily on Employee’s good faith compliance with applicable
legal or ethical standards;

	 
	 	(b)	 	Acquiesced or participated in any conduct that is dishonest, fraudulent,
illegal (at the felony level), unethical, involves moral turpitude or is otherwise
illegal and involves conduct that has the potential, in the Company’s reasonable
opinion, to cause the Company, its officers or its directors embarrassment or ridicule;

	 
	 	(c)	 	Violated a material requirement of any Company policy or procedure,
specifically including a violation of the Company’s Code of Ethics or Associate Policy
Manual;

	 
	 	(d)	 	Disclosed without proper authorization any trade secrets or other Confidential
Information (as defined herein);

	 
	 	(e)	 	Engaged in any act that, in the reasonable opinion of the Company, is contrary
to its best interests or would hold the Company, its officers or directors up to
probable civil or criminal liability, provided that, if Employee acts in good faith in
compliance with applicable legal or ethical standards, such actions shall not be
grounds for termination for cause; or

	 
	 	(f)	 	Engaged in such other conduct recognized at law as constituting cause. Upon
the occurrence or discovery of any event specified above, the Company shall have the
right to terminate Employee’s employment, effective immediately, by providing notice
thereof to Employee without further obligation to Employee other than accrued wages or
other accrued wages, deferred compensation or other accrued benefits of employment
(collectively referred to herein as “Accrued Obligations”), which shall be paid in
accordance with the Company’s past practice and applicable law. To the extent any
violation of this Paragraph is capable of being promptly cured by Employee (or cured
within a reasonable period to the Company’s satisfaction), the Company agrees to
provide Employee with a reasonable opportunity to so cure such defect. Absent written
mutual agreement otherwise, the Parties agree in advance that it is not possible for
Employee to cure any violations of sub-paragraph (b) or (d) and, therefore, no
opportunity for cure need be provided in those circumstances.





 


4









 











	11.	 	Termination Due to Death or Disability. In the event Employee dies or suffers a
disability (as defined herein) during the term of employment, this Agreement shall
automatically be terminated on the date of such death or disability without further obligation
on the part of the Company other than the payment of Accrued Obligations. For purposes of
this Agreement, Employee shall be considered to have suffered a “disability” upon a
determination by the Company, or an admission by Employee, that Employee cannot perform the
essential functions of Employee’s position as a result of a such a disability and the
occurrence of one or more of the following events:







	 	(a)	 	Employee becomes eligible for or receives any benefits pursuant to any
disability insurance policy as a result of a determination under such policy that
Employee is permanently disabled;

	 
	 	(b)	 	Employee becomes eligible for or receives any disability benefits under the
Social Security Act; or

	 
	 	(c)	 	A good faith determination by the Company that Employee is and will likely
remain unable to perform the essential functions of Employee’s duties or
responsibilities hereunder on a full-time basis, with or without reasonable
accommodation, as a result of any mental or physical impairment.







	 	 	Notwithstanding anything expressed or implied above to the contrary, the Company agrees to
fully comply with its obligations under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and the
Americans with Disabilities Act as well as any other applicable federal, state, or local
law, regulation, or ordinance governing the provision of leave to individuals with serious
health conditions or the protection of individuals with such disabilities as well as the
Company’s obligation to provide reasonable accommodation thereunder.

	 
	12.	 	Exit Interview. Upon termination of Employee’s employment for any reason, Employee
agrees, if requested, to participate in an exit interview with the Company and reaffirm in
writing Employee’s post-employment obligations as set forth in this Agreement.

	 
	13.	 	Section 409A Notification. Employee acknowledges that Employee has been advised of
the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, which added Section 409A to the Internal Revenue Code
(“Section 409A”), and significantly changed the taxation of nonqualified deferred compensation
plans and arrangements. Under proposed and final regulations as of the date of this
Agreement, Employee has been advised that Employee’s severance pay and other termination
benefits may be treated by the Internal Revenue Service as providing “nonqualified deferred
compensation,” and therefore subject to Section 409A. In that event, several provisions in
Section 409A may affect Employee’s receipt of severance compensation, including the timing
thereof. These include, but are not limited to, a provision which requires that distributions
to “specified employees” of public companies on account of separation from service may not be
made earlier than six (6) months after the effective date of such separation. If applicable,
failure to comply with Section 409A can lead to immediate taxation of such deferrals, with
interest calculated at a penalty rate and a 20% penalty. As a result of the requirements
imposed by the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, Employee agrees that if Employee is a
“specified employee” at the time of Employee’s termination of employment and if payments in
connection with such termination of employment are subject to Section 409A and not otherwise
exempt, such payments (and other benefits to the extent applicable) due Employee at the time
of termination of employment shall not be paid until a date at least six (6) months after the
effective date of Employee’s termination of employment (“Employee’s Effective Termination
Date”). Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, to the extent that
any payment under the terms of this Agreement would constitute an impermissible acceleration
of payments under Section
409A or any regulations or Treasury guidance promulgated thereunder, such payments shall be
made no earlier than at such times as allowed under Section 409A. If any provision of this
Agreement (or of any award of compensation) would cause Employee to incur any additional tax
or interest under Section 409A or any regulations or Treasury guidance promulgated
thereunder, the Company or its successor may reform such provision; provided that it will
(i) maintain, to the maximum extent practicable, the original intent of the applicable
provision without violating the provisions of Section 409A and (ii) notify and consult with
Employee regarding such amendments or modifications prior to the effective date of any such
change.





 


5









 





	14.	 	Section 409A Acknowledgement. Employee acknowledges that, notwithstanding anything
contained herein to the contrary, both Parties shall be independently responsible for
assessing their own risks and liabilities under Section 409A that may be associated with any
payment made under the terms of this Agreement or any other arrangement which may be deemed to
trigger Section 409A. Further, the Parties agree that each shall independently bear
responsibility for any and all taxes, penalties or other tax obligations as may be imposed
upon them in their individual capacity as a matter of law. To the extent applicable, Employee
understands and agrees that Employee shall have the responsibility for, and Employee agrees to
pay, any and all appropriate income tax or other tax obligations for which Employee is
individually responsible and/or related to receipt of any compensation or benefits provided in
this Agreement. Employee agrees to fully indemnify and hold the Company harmless for any
taxes, penalties, interest, cost or attorneys’ fee assessed against or incurred by the Company
on account of such compensation or benefits having been provided to Employee or based on any
alleged failure to withhold taxes or satisfy any claimed obligation. Employee understands and
acknowledges that neither the Company, nor any of its employees, attorneys, or other
representatives has provided or will provide Employee with any legal or financial advice
concerning taxes or any other matter, and that Employee has not relied on any such advice in
deciding whether to enter into this Agreement. 

	 
	15.	 	Severance. In the event Employee’s employment is terminated by the Company without
cause, and subject to the normal terms and conditions imposed by the Company as set forth
herein and in the attached Separation and Release Agreement, Employee shall be eligible to
receive severance pay based upon Employee’s base salary at the time of termination for a
period determined in accordance with any guidelines as may be established by the Company or
for a period up to six (6) months (whichever is longer).

	 
	16.	 	Severance Payment Terms and Conditions. No severance pay shall be paid if Employee
voluntarily leaves the Company’s employ or is terminated for cause. Any severance pay made
payable under this Agreement shall be paid in lieu of, and not in addition to, any other
contractual, notice or statutory pay or other accrued compensation obligation (excluding
accrued wages and deferred compensation). Additionally, such severance pay is contingent upon
Employee fully complying with the restrictive covenants contained herein and executing a
Separation and Release Agreement in a form not substantially different from that attached as
Exhibit A. Further, the Company’s obligation to provide severance hereunder shall be deemed
null and void should Employee fail or refuse to execute and deliver to the Company the
Company’s then-standard





 


6









 





	 	 	 Separation and Release Agreement (without modification) within any time period as may be prescribed by law or, in
the absence thereof, twenty-one (21) days after the Employee’s Effective Termination Date.
Conditioned upon the execution and delivery of the Separation and Release Agreement as set
forth in the prior sentence, severance pay benefits shall be paid as follows: (i) in one
lump sum equivalent to six (6) months’ base salary on the day following the date which is
six (6) months following Employee’s Effective Termination Date with any remainder to be paid
in bi-weekly installments equivalent to Employee’s bi-weekly base salary commencing upon the
next regularly scheduled payroll date if both the severance pay benefit is subject to
Section 409A and if Employee is a “specified employee” under Section 409A or (ii) for any
severance pay benefits not subject to clause (i), in bi-weekly installments equivalent to
Employee’s bi-weekly base salary commencing upon the next regularly scheduled payroll date
following the earlier to occur of fifteen (15) days from the Company’s receipt of an
executed Separation and Release Agreement or the expiration of sixty (60) days after
Employee’s Effective Termination Date and shall be paid on the Company’s regularly scheduled
pay dates; provided, however, that if the before-stated sixty (60) day period ends in a
calendar year following the calendar year in which the sixty (60) day calendar period
commenced, then any benefits not subject to clause (i) shall only begin on the next
regularly scheduled payroll following the expiration of sixty (60) days after the Employee’s
Effective Termination Date. Excluding any lump sum payment due as a result of the
application of Section 409A (which shall be paid regardless of reemployment), all other
severance payments provided hereunder shall terminate upon reemployment.

	 
	17.	 	Assignment of Rights.







	 	(a)	 	Copyrights. Employee agrees that all works of authorship fixed in any
tangible medium of expression by Employee during the term of this Agreement relating to
the Company’s business (“Works”), either solely or jointly with others, shall be and
remain exclusively the property of the Company. Each such Work created by Employee is
a “work made for hire” under the copyright law and the Company may file applications to
register copyright in such Works as author and copyright owner thereof. If, for any
reason, a Work created by Employee is excluded from the definition of a “work made for
hire” under the copyright law, then Employee does hereby assign, sell, and convey to
the Company the entire rights, title, and interests in and to such Work, including the
copyright therein. Employee will execute any documents that the Company deems
necessary in connection with the assignment of such Work and copyright therein.
Employee will take whatever steps and do whatever acts the Company requests, including,
but not limited to, placement of the Company’s proper copyright notice on Works created
by Employee, to secure or aid in securing copyright protection in such Works and will
assist the Company or its nominees in filing applications to register claims of
copyright in such Works. The Company shall have free and unlimited access at all times
to all Works and all copies thereof and shall have the right to claim and take
possession on demand of such Works and copies.





 


7









 





	 	(b)	 	Inventions. Employee agrees that all discoveries, concepts, and ideas,
whether patentable or not, including, but not limited to, apparatus, processes,
methods,
compositions of matter, techniques, and formulae, as well as improvements thereof or
know-how related thereto, relating to any present or prospective product, process,
or service of the Company (“Inventions”) that Employee conceives or makes during the
term of this Agreement relating to the Company’s business, shall become and remain
the exclusive property of the Company, whether patentable or not, and Employee will,
without royalty or any other consideration:







	 	(i)	 	Inform the Company promptly and fully of such Inventions by
written reports, setting forth in detail the procedures employed and the
results achieved;

	 
	 	(ii)	 	Assign to the Company all of Employee’s rights, title, and
interests in and to such Inventions, any applications for United States and
foreign Letters Patent, any United States and foreign Letters Patent, and any
renewals thereof granted upon such Inventions;

	 
	 	(iii)	 	Assist the Company or its nominees, at the expense of the
Company, to obtain such United States and foreign Letters Patent for such
Inventions as the Company may elect; and

	 
	 	(iv)	 	Execute, acknowledge, and deliver to the Company at the
Company’s expense such written documents and instruments, and do such other
acts, such as giving testimony in support of Employee’s inventorship, as may be
necessary, in the opinion of the Company, to obtain and maintain United States
and foreign Letters Patent upon such Inventions and to vest the entire rights
and title thereto in the Company and to confirm the complete ownership by the
Company of such Inventions, patent applications, and patents.







	18.	 	Company Property. All records, files, drawings, documents, data in whatever form,
business equipment (including computers, PDAs, cell phones, etc.), and the like relating to,
or provided by, the Company shall be and remain the sole property of the Company. Upon
termination of employment, Employee shall immediately return to the Company all such items
without retention of any copies and without additional request by the Company. De minimis
items such as pay stubs, 401(k) plan summaries, employee bulletins, and the like are excluded
from this requirement.

	 
	19.	 	Confidential Information. Employee acknowledges that the Company and its affiliated
entities (herein collectively referred to as “Companies”) possess certain trade secrets as
well as other confidential and proprietary information which they have acquired or will
acquire at great effort and expense. Such information may include, without limitation,
confidential information, whether in tangible or intangible form, regarding the Companies’
products and services, marketing strategies, business plans, operations, costs, current or
prospective customer information (including customer identities, contacts, requirements,
creditworthiness, preferences, and like matters), product concepts, designs, prototypes or
specifications, research and development efforts, technical data and know-
how, sales information, including pricing and other terms and conditions of sale, financial
information, internal procedures, techniques, forecasts, methods, trade information, trade
secrets, software programs, project requirements, inventions, trademarks, trade names, and
similar information regarding the Companies’ business(es) (collectively referred to herein
as “Confidential Information”). Employee further acknowledges that, as a result of
Employee’s employment with the Company, Employee will have access to, will become acquainted
with, and/or may help develop, such Confidential Information. Confidential Information
shall not include information readily available to the public through so long as such
information was not made available through fault of Employee or wrong doing by any other
individual.





 


8









 





	20.	 	Restricted Use of Confidential Information. Employee agrees that all Confidential
Information is and shall remain the sole and exclusive property of the Company and/or its
affiliated entities. Except as may be expressly authorized by the Company in writing,
Employee agrees not to disclose, or cause any other person or entity to disclose, any
Confidential Information to any third party while employed by the Company and for as long
thereafter as such information remains confidential (or as limited by applicable law).
Further, Employee agrees to use such Confidential Information only in the course of Employee’s
duties in furtherance of the Company’s business and agrees not to make use of any such
Confidential Information for Employee’s own purposes or for the benefit of any other entity or
person.

	 
	21.	 	Acknowledged Need for Limited Restrictive Covenants. Employee acknowledges that the
Companies have spent and will continue to expend substantial amounts of time, money and effort
to develop their business strategies, Confidential Information, customer identities and
relationships, goodwill and employee relationships, and that Employee will benefit from these
efforts. Further, Employee acknowledges the inevitable use of, or near-certain influence by
Employee’s knowledge of, the Confidential Information disclosed to Employee during the course
of employment if allowed to compete against the Company in an unrestricted manner and that
such use would be unfair and extremely detrimental to the Company. Accordingly, based on
these legitimate business reasons, Employee acknowledges each of the Companies’ need to
protect their legitimate business interests by reasonably restricting Employee’s ability to
compete with the Company on a limited basis.

	 
	22.	 	Non-Solicitation. During Employee’s employment and for a period of twenty-four (24)
months thereafter, Employee agrees not to directly or indirectly engage in the following
prohibited conduct:







	 	(a)	 	Solicit, offer products or services to, or accept orders for, any Competitive
Products or otherwise transact any competitive business with, any customer or entity
with whom Employee had contact or transacted any business on behalf of the Company (or
any Affiliate thereof) during the eighteen (18) month period preceding Employee’s date
of separation or about whom Employee possessed, or had access to, confidential and
proprietary information;

	 
	 	(b)	 	Attempt to entice or otherwise cause any third party to withdraw, curtail or
cease doing business with the Company (or any Affiliate thereof), specifically
including customers, vendors, independent contractors and other third party entities;





 


9









 





	 	(c)	 	Disclose to any person or entity the identities, contacts or preferences of any
customers of the Company (or any Affiliate thereof), or the identity of any other
persons or entities having business dealings with the Company (or any Affiliate
thereof);

	 
	 	(d)	 	Induce any individual who has been employed by or had provided services to the
Company (or any Affiliate thereof) within the six (6) month period immediately
preceding the effective date of Employee’s separation to terminate such relationship
with the Company (or any Affiliate thereof);

	 
	 	(e)	 	Assist, coordinate or otherwise offer employment to, accept employment
inquiries from, or employ any individual who is or had been employed by the Company (or
any Affiliate thereof) at any time within the six (6) month period immediately
preceding such offer or inquiry;

	 
	 	(f)	 	Communicate or indicate in any way to any customer of the Company (or any
Affiliate thereof), prior to formal separation from the Company, any interest, desire,
plan, or decision to separate from the Company; or

	 
	 	(g)	 	Otherwise attempt to directly or indirectly interfere with the Company’s
business, the business of any of the Companies or their relationship with their
employees, consultants, independent contractors or customers.







	23.	 	Limited Non-Compete. For the above-stated reasons, and as a condition of employment
to the fullest extent permitted by law, Employee agrees during the Relevant Non-Compete Period
not to directly or indirectly engage in the following competitive activities:







	 	(a)	 	Employee shall not have any ownership interest in, work for, advise, consult,
or have any business connection or business or employment relationship in any
competitive capacity with any Competitor unless Employee provides written notice to the
Company of such relationship prior to entering into such relationship and, further,
provides sufficient written assurances to the Company’s satisfaction that such
relationship will not jeopardize the Company’s legitimate interests or otherwise
violate the terms of this Agreement;

	 
	 	(b)	 	Employee shall not engage in any research, development, production, sale or
distribution of any Competitive Products, specifically including any products or
services relating to those for which Employee had responsibility for the eighteen (18)
month period preceding Employee’s date of separation;





 


10









 





	 	(c)	 	Employee shall not market, sell, or otherwise offer or provide any Competitive
Products within Employee’s Geographic Territory (if applicable) or Assigned Customer
Base, specifically including any products or services relating to those
for which Employee had responsibility for the eighteen (18) month period preceding
Employee’s date of separation; and

	 
	 	(d)	 	Employee shall not distribute, market, sell or otherwise offer or provide any
Competitive Products to any customer of the Company with whom Employee had contact or
for which Employee had responsibility at any time during the eighteen (18) month period
preceding Employee’s date of separation.







	24.	 	Non-Compete Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the Parties agree that the
following terms shall apply:







	 	(a)	 	“Affiliate” includes any parent, subsidiary, joint venture, or other entity
controlled, owned, managed or otherwise associated with the Company;

	 
	 	(b)	 	“Assigned Customer Base” shall include all accounts or customers formally
assigned to Employee within a given territory or geographical area or contacted by
Employee at any time during the eighteen (18) month period preceding Employee’s date of
separation;

	 
	 	(c)	 	“Competitive Products” shall include any product or service that directly or
indirectly competes with, is substantially similar to, or serves as a reasonable
substitute for, any product or service in research, development or design, or
manufactured, produced, sold or distributed by the Company;

	 
	 	(d)	 	“Competitor” shall include any person or entity that offers or is actively
planning to offer any Competitive Products and may include (but not be limited to) any
entity identified on the Company’s Illustrative Competitor List, attached hereto as
Exhibit B, which shall be amended from time to time to reflect changes in the Company’s
business and competitive environment (updated competitor lists will be provided to
Employee upon reasonable request);

	 
	 	(e)	 	“Geographic Territory” shall include any territory formally assigned to
Employee as well as all territories in which Employee has provided any services, sold
any products or otherwise had responsibility at any time during the eighteen (18) month
period preceding Employee’s date of separation;

	 
	 	(f)	 	“Relevant Non-Compete Period” shall include the period of Employee’s employment
with the Company as well as a period of eighteen (18) months after such employment is
terminated, regardless of the reason for such termination provided, however, that this
period shall be reduced to the greater of (i) nine (9) months or (ii) the total length
of Employee’s employment with the Company, including employment with any parent,
subsidiary or affiliated entity, if such employment is less than twenty-four (24)
months;

	 
	 	(g)	 	“Directly or indirectly” shall be construed such that the foregoing
restrictions shall apply equally to Employee whether performed individually or as a
partner, shareholder, officer, director, manager, employee, salesperson, independent
contractor, broker, agent, or consultant for any other individual, partnership,
firm, corporation, company, or other entity engaged in such conduct.





 


11









 











	25.	 	Employment by National or Regional Accounts. Employee acknowledges that Employee
will have acquired and/or have access to confidential and proprietary information regarding
the Company’s business dealings with, and business strategies concerning, its national or
regional accounts (a/k/a Key Accounts, Prime Accounts, and National Accounts). Employee
further acknowledges that such knowledge would provide Employee with a competitive advantage
if used against the Company or used against a competitor of a national or regional account.
Accordingly, as a term and condition of employment, Employee agrees that the foregoing
restrictive covenants shall apply with equal force to restrict Employee from seeking any
employment or any other business relationship with such national or regional account, whether
or not serviced by Employee, for the duration of Employee’s Relevant Non-Compete Period.
Employee agrees that such accounts shall include, but not be limited to, the following:






	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	Arbor Memorial Services
	 	•
	 	Brooke Funeral Services Co., LLC (Brooke
Franchise Corp.)
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	Buckner Management Services
	 	•
	 	Calvert Group
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	Carriage Funeral Holdings, Inc.
	 	•
	 	Celebris Memorial Services, Inc.
(Urgel Bourgie)
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	Citadel Funeral Service, Inc.
(Wisconsin Vault Company)
	 	•
	 	Concord Family Services, Inc.
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	Family Choices
	 	•
	 	Gibralter Mausoleum Company (A division of
Matthews International)
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	Keystone Group Holdings, Inc.
	 	•
	 	Legacy Funeral Group (Legacy Funeral Holdings,
Inc.; Legacy Funeral Holdings of Louisiana,
LLC; Legacy Funeral Holdings of Mississippi,
LLC; Legacy Funeral Properties, Inc.)
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	Memory Gardens Management Corporation
	 	•
	 	Newcomer Funeral Homes and Crematories
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	Northstar Memorial Group
	 	•
	 	Paxus Services, Inc. (Paxus Services (Kansas),
Inc.; Paxus Services (Tennessee), Inc.; Paxus
Services (Louisiana), Inc.; Paxus Services
(Texas), Inc.; Paxus Services (Oklahoma), Inc.)
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	Pioneer Enterprises, Inc.
	 	•
	 	Rollings Funeral Service, Inc.
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	Security National Financial Corporation
	 	•
	 	Service Corporation International
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	Stewart Enterprises, Inc.
	 	•
	 	StoneMor Partners, L.P.
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	Vertin Companies Family Funeral Homes
	 	•
	 	Washburn-McReavy Funeral Chapels
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	Wilson Financial Group, Inc.	 	 	 	 






 


12









 






	26.	 	Consent to Reasonableness. In light of the above-referenced concerns, including
Employee’s knowledge of and access to the Companies’ Confidential Information, Employee
acknowledges that the terms of the foregoing restrictive covenants are reasonable and
necessary to protect the Company’s legitimate business interests and will not unreasonably
interfere with Employee’s ability to obtain alternate employment. As such, Employee hereby
agrees that such restrictions are valid and enforceable, and affirmatively waives any argument
or defense to the contrary. Employee acknowledges that this limited non-competition provision
is not an attempt to prevent Employee from obtaining other employment in violation of IC §
22-5-3-1 or any other similar statute. Employee further acknowledges that the Company may
need to take action, including litigation, to enforce this limited non-competition provision,
which efforts the Parties stipulate shall not be deemed an attempt to prevent Employee from
obtaining other employment.

	 
	27.	 	Survival of Restrictive Covenants. Employee acknowledges that the above restrictive
covenants shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the termination of Employee’s
employment for any reason. Employee further acknowledges that any alleged breach by the
Company of any contractual, statutory or other obligation shall not excuse or terminate the
obligations hereunder or otherwise preclude the Company from seeking injunctive or other
relief. Rather, Employee acknowledges that such obligations are independent and separate
covenants undertaken by Employee for the benefit of the Company.

	 
	28.	 	Effect of Transfer. Employee agrees that this Agreement shall continue in full force
and effect notwithstanding any change in job duties, job titles or reporting responsibilities.
Employee further acknowledges that the above restrictive covenants shall survive, and be
extended to cover, the transfer of Employee from the Company to its parent, subsidiary, or any
other affiliated entity (hereinafter collectively referred to as an “Affiliate”) or any
subsequent transfer(s) among them. Specifically, in the event of Employee’s temporary or
permanent transfer to an Affiliate, Employee agrees that the foregoing restrictive covenants
shall remain in force so as to continue to protect such company for the duration of the
Non-Compete Period, measured from Employee’s effective date of transfer to an Affiliate.
Additionally, Employee acknowledges that this Agreement shall be deemed to have been
automatically assigned to the Affiliate as of Employee’s effective date of transfer such that
the above-referenced restrictive covenants (as well as all other terms and conditions
contained herein) shall be construed thereafter to protect the legitimate business interests
and goodwill of the Affiliate as if Employee and the Affiliate had independently entered into
this Agreement. Employee’s acceptance of Employee’s transfer to, and subsequent employment
by, the Affiliate shall serve as consideration for (as well as be deemed as evidence of
Employee’s consent to) the assignment of this
Agreement to the Affiliate as well as the extension of such restrictive covenants to the
Affiliate. Employee agrees that this provision shall apply with equal force to any
subsequent transfers of Employee from one Affiliate to another Affiliate.





 


13









 





	29.	 	Post-Termination Notification. For the duration of Employee’s Relevant Non-Compete
Period or other restrictive covenant period, whichever is longer, Employee agrees to promptly
notify the Company no later than five (5) business days of Employee’s acceptance of any
employment or consulting engagement. Such notice shall include sufficient information to
demonstrate Employee’s compliance with Employee’s non-compete obligations and must include at
a minimum the following information: (i) the name of the employer or entity for which
Employee is providing any consulting services; (ii) a description of Employee’s intended
duties as well as (iii) the anticipated start date. Such information is required to
demonstrate Employee’s compliance with Employee’s non-compete obligations as well as all other
applicable restrictive covenants. Such notice shall be provided in writing to the Office of
Vice President and General Counsel of the Company at One Batesville Boulevard, Batesville,
Indiana 47006. Failure to timely provide such notice shall be deemed a material breach of
this Agreement and entitle the Company to the immediate return of any severance payments paid
to Employee plus attorneys’ fees. Employee further consents to the Company’s notification to
any new employer of Employee’s obligations under this Agreement.

	 
	30.	 	Scope of Restrictions. If the scope of any restriction contained in any preceding
paragraphs of this Agreement is deemed too broad to permit enforcement of such restriction to
its fullest extent, then such restriction shall be enforced to the maximum extent permitted by
law, and Employee hereby consents and agrees that such scope may be judicially modified
accordingly in any proceeding brought to enforce such restriction.

	 
	31.	 	Specific Enforcement/Injunctive Relief. Employee agrees that it would be difficult
to measure any damages to the Company from a breach of the above-referenced restrictive
covenants, but acknowledges that the potential for such damages would be great, incalculable
and irremediable, and that monetary damages alone would be an inadequate remedy. Accordingly,
Employee agrees that the Company shall be entitled to immediate injunctive relief against such
breach, or threatened breach, in any court having jurisdiction. In addition, if Employee
violates any such restrictive covenant, Employee agrees that the period of such violation
shall be added to the term of the restriction. In determining the period of any violation,
the Parties stipulate that in any calendar month in which Employee engages in any activity in
violation of such provisions, Employee shall be deemed to have violated such provision for the
entire month, and that month shall be added to the duration of the non-competition provision.
Employee acknowledges that the remedies described above shall not be the exclusive remedies,
and the Company may seek any other remedy available to it either in law or in equity,
including, by way of example only, statutory remedies for misappropriation of trade secrets,
and including the recovery of compensatory or punitive damages. Employee further agrees that
the Company shall be entitled to an award of all costs and attorneys’ fees incurred by it in
any attempt to enforce the terms of this Agreement.





 


14









 





	32.	 	Publicly Traded Stock. The Parties agree that nothing contained in this Agreement
shall be construed to prohibit Employee from investing Employee’s personal assets in any stock
or corporate security traded or quoted on a national securities exchange or national market
system provided, however, such investments do not require any services on the part of Employee
in the operation or the affairs of the business or otherwise violate the Company’s Code of
Ethics.

	 
	33.	 	Notice of Claim and Contractual Limitations Period. Employee acknowledges the
Company’s need for prompt notice, investigation, and resolution of any claims that may be
filed against it due to the number of relationships it has with employees and others (and due
to the turnover among such individuals with knowledge relevant to any underlying claim).
Accordingly, Employee agrees prior to initiating any litigation of any type (including, but
not limited to, employment discrimination litigation, wage litigation, defamation, or any
other claim) to notify the Company, within One Hundred and Eighty (180) days after the claim
accrued, by sending a certified letter addressed to the Company’s General Counsel setting
forth: (i) claimant’s name, address, and phone; (ii) the name of any attorney representing
Employee; (iii) the nature of the claim; (iv) the date the claim arose; and (v) the relief
requested. This provision is in addition to any other notice and exhaustion requirements that
might apply. For any dispute or claim of any type against the Company (including but not
limited to employment discrimination litigation, wage litigation, defamation, or any other
claim), Employee must commence legal action within the shorter of one (1) year of accrual of
the cause of action or such shorter period that may be specified by law.

	 
	34.	 	Non-Jury Trials. Notwithstanding any right to a jury trial for any claims, Employee
waives any such right to a jury trial, and agrees that any claim of any type (including but
not limited to employment discrimination litigation, wage litigation, defamation, or any other
claim) lodged in any court will be tried, if at all, without a jury.

	 
	35.	 	Choice of Forum. Employee acknowledges that the Company is primarily based in
Indiana, and Employee understands and acknowledges the Company’s desire and need to defend any
litigation against it in Indiana. Accordingly, the Parties agree that any claim of any type
brought by Employee against the Company or any of its employees or agents must be maintained
only in a court sitting in Marion County, Indiana, or Ripley County, Indiana, or, if a federal
court, the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division. Employee further understands
and acknowledges that in the event the Company initiates litigation against Employee, the
Company may need to prosecute such litigation in such state where the Employee is subject to
personal jurisdiction. Accordingly, for purposes of enforcement of this Agreement, Employee
specifically consents to personal jurisdiction in the State of Indiana as well as any state in
which resides a customer assigned to the Employee. Furthermore, Employee consents to appear,
upon Company’s request and at Employee’s own cost, for deposition, hearing, trial, or other
court proceeding in Indiana or in any state in which resides a customer assigned to the
Employee.





 


15









 





	36.	 	Choice of Law. This Agreement shall be deemed to have been made within the County of
Ripley, State of Indiana and shall be interpreted and construed in accordance with the
laws of the State of Indiana without regard to the choice of law provisions thereof. Any
and all matters of dispute of any nature whatsoever arising out of, or in any way connected
with the interpretation of this Agreement, any disputes arising out of the Agreement or the
employment relationship between the Parties hereto, shall be governed by, construed by and
enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Indiana without regard to any
applicable state’s choice of law provisions.

	 
	37.	 	Titles. Titles are used for the purpose of convenience in this Agreement and shall
be ignored in any construction of it.

	 
	38.	 	Severability. The Parties agree that each and every paragraph, sentence, clause,
term and provision of this Agreement is severable and that, in the event any portion of this
Agreement is adjudged to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining portions thereof shall
remain in effect and be enforced to the fullest extent permitted by law. Further, should any
particular clause, covenant, or provision of this Agreement be held unreasonable or contrary
to public policy for any reason, the Parties acknowledge and agree that such covenant,
provision or clause shall automatically be deemed modified such that the contested covenant,
provision or clause will have the closest effect permitted by applicable law to the original
form and shall be given effect and enforced as so modified to whatever extent would be
reasonable and enforceable under applicable law.

	 
	39.	 	Assignment-Notices. The rights and obligations of the Company under this Agreement
shall inure to its benefit, as well as the benefit of its parent, subsidiary, successor and
affiliated entities, and shall be binding upon the successors and assigns of the Company.
This Agreement, being personal to Employee, cannot be assigned by Employee, but Employee’s
personal representative shall be bound by all its terms and conditions. Any notice required
hereunder shall be sufficient if in writing and mailed to the last known residence of Employee
or to the Company at its principal office with a copy mailed to the Office of the General
Counsel.

	 
	40.	 	Amendments and Modifications. Except as specifically provided herein, no
modification, amendment, extension or waiver of this Agreement or any provision hereof shall
be binding upon the Company or Employee unless in writing and signed by both Parties. The
waiver by the Company or Employee of a breach of any provision of this Agreement shall not be
construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed
as a limitation upon the Company’s right to modify or amend any of its manuals or policies in
its sole discretion and any such modification or amendment which pertains to matters addressed
herein shall be deemed to be incorporated herein and made a part of this Agreement.

	 
	41.	 	Outside Representations. Employee represents and acknowledges that in signing this
Agreement Employee does not rely, and has not relied, upon any representation or statement
made by the Company or by any of the Company’s employees, officers, agents, stockholders,
directors or attorneys with regard to the subject matter, basis or effect of this Agreement
other than those specifically contained herein.





 


16









 





	42.	 	Voluntary and Knowing Execution. Employee acknowledges that Employee has been
offered a reasonable amount of time within which to consider and review this Agreement; that
Employee has carefully read and fully understands all of the provisions of this Agreement; and
that Employee has entered into this Agreement knowingly and voluntarily.

	 
	43.	 	Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire employment agreement between
the Parties hereto concerning the subject matter hereof and shall supersede all prior and
contemporaneous agreements between the Parties in connection with the subject matter of this
Agreement. Any pre-existing Employment Agreements shall be deemed null and void. Nothing in
this Agreement, however, shall affect any separately-executed written agreement addressing any
other issues (e.g., the Inventions, Improvements, Copyrights and Trade Secrets Agreement,
etc.).






IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have signed this Agreement effective as of the day and year
first above written.



	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	“EMPLOYEE”	 	COMPANY
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	Signed:

	 	/s/ Hinesh Patel
	 	 	 	By:
	 	/s/ P. Douglas Wilson
	 

	 	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	Printed:

	 	Hinesh Patel
	 	 	 	Title:
	 	Senior V.P. Human Resources
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	Dated:

	 	November 3, 2008
	 	 	 	Dated:
	 	November 3, 2008






CAUTION: READ BEFORE SIGNING





 


17









 







Exhibit A




SAMPLE SEPARATION AND RELEASE AGREEMENT




THIS SEPARATION and RELEASE AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is entered into by and between
                     (“Employee”) and                                          (together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, the
“Company”). Employee and the Company (together the “Parties”) agree as follows:




	1.	 	Employee’s active employment by the Company shall terminate effective [date of termination]
(Employee’s “Effective Termination Date”). Except as specifically provided by this Agreement,
or in any other non-employment agreement that may exist between the Company and Employee,
Employee agrees that the Company shall have no other obligations or liabilities to Employee
following Employee’s Effective Termination Date and that Employee’s receipt of the severance
compensation and benefits provided herein shall constitute a complete settlement, satisfaction
and waiver of any and all claims Employee may have against the Company.

	 
	2.	 	Employee further submits, and the Company hereby accepts, Employee’s resignation as an
employee, officer and director, as applicable, as of Employee’s Effective Termination Date,
for any position Employee may hold. The Parties agree that this resignation shall apply to
all such positions Employee may hold with the Company or any parent, subsidiary or affiliated
entity thereof. Employee agrees to execute any documents needed to effectuate such
resignations. Employee further agrees to take whatever steps are necessary to facilitate and
ensure the smooth transition of Employee’s duties and responsibilities to others.

	 
	3.	 	Employee acknowledges that Employee has been advised of the American Jobs Creation Act of
2004, which added Section 409A (“Section 409A”) to the Internal Revenue Code, and
significantly changed the taxation of nonqualified deferred compensation plans and
arrangements. Under proposed and final regulations as of the date of this Agreement, Employee
has been advised that Employee’s severance compensation and benefits may be treated by the
Internal Revenue Service as providing “nonqualified deferred compensation,” and therefore
subject to Section 409A. In that event, several provisions in Section 409A may affect
Employee’s receipt of severance compensation and benefits. These include, but are not limited
to, a provision which requires that distributions to “specified employees” of public companies
on account of separation from service may not be made earlier than six (6) months after the
effective date of such separation. If applicable, failure to comply with Section 409A can
lead to immediate taxation of deferrals, with interest calculated at a penalty rate and a 20%
penalty. As a result of the requirements imposed by the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004,
Employee agrees that if Employee is a “specified employee” at the time of Employee’s
termination and if the severance compensation payable to Employee is covered by Section 409A
as “non-qualified deferred compensation” or is otherwise not exempt from Section 409A, the
severance compensation shall not be paid until a date at least six (6) months after
Employee’s Effective Termination Date from the Company, as more fully explained in Section 4
below.





 


 









 





	4.	 	In consideration of the promises contained in this Agreement and contingent upon Employee’s
compliance with such promises, the Company agrees to provide Employee the following:







	 	(a)	 	Severance compensation (“Severance Pay”), in lieu of and not in addition to any
other contractual, notice or statutory pay obligations (other than accrued wages and
deferred compensation), in the maximum total amount of [_____] Dollars and
[_____] Cents ($_____) (the “Maximum Amount”) (subject to applicable
deductions or other set-offs) determined and payable as follows:







[For 409A Severance Pay for Specified Employees Only]




	 	(i)	 	A lump sum payment in the gross amount of [_____] Dollars
and [_____] Cents ($_____) (subject to applicable deductions or other
set-offs) payable the day following the six (6) month anniversary of Employee’s
Effective Termination Date, and if such lump sum payment is less than the
Maximum Amount and Employee has not been Reemployed (hereafter defined) prior
to the payment of such lump sum amount, then an additional amount of Severance
Pay shall also be paid to Employee in the form of bi-weekly installments
equivalent to Employee’s gross base salary (i.e. _____ Dollars
and _____ Cents ($_____)) (subject to applicable deductions or other
set-offs) commencing on the Company’s next regularly scheduled bi-weekly
payroll date after the payment of the lump sum amount provided above and
continuing on such regularly scheduled bi-weekly payroll dates until the
Maximum Amount of Severance Pay (including therein the lump sum paid and all
bi-weekly payments paid) has been paid to Employee or until Employee becomes
Reemployed, whichever occurs first. If Employee is Reemployed prior to
receiving the Maximum Amount of Severance Pay, the provisions of Section 8 may
be applicable to Employee. For purposes of this subsection and Section 8 (if
applicable), Employee shall be deemed to have been “Reemployed” if Employee
becomes entitled to receive compensation for the performance of personal
services, whether as an employee, consultant or in any other capacity or
relationship, and references to a subsequent “employer” shall include the payer
of such compensation to Employee regardless of the exact legal relationship
existing between them.





 


2









 











[For Non- 409A Severance Pay or 409A Severance Pay for Non-Specified Employees Only]




	 	(i)	 	Commencing on the Company’s next regularly scheduled bi-weekly
payroll date immediately following the earlier to occur of (A) the date that is
fifteen (15) days after the date on which the Company received this
executed Agreement from Employee or (B) the date that is sixty (60) days
after Employee’s Effective Termination Date (assuming that Employee has not
been Reemployed prior to such commencement date), and continuing on such
regularly scheduled bi-weekly payroll dates until the Maximum Amount of
Severance Pay has been paid to Employee or until Employee becomes
Reemployed, whichever occurs first, Employee shall be paid Severance Pay
equivalent to Employee’s bi-weekly base salary (i.e., [_____] Dollars
and [_____] Cents ($[_____]) (subject to applicable deductions or
other set-offs); provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing,
severance payments payable to an employee whose Effective Termination Date
occurs in November or December shall begin on the Company’s next regularly
scheduled bi-weekly payroll date following the expiration of sixty (60) days
after the Employee’s Effective Termination Date, regardless of the earlier
date on which the Company received this signed Agreement from such employee.
If Employee is Reemployed prior to receiving the Maximum Amount of Severance
Pay, the provisions of Section 8 may be applicable to Employee. For
purposes of this subsection and Section 8 (if applicable), Employee shall be
deemed to have been “Reemployed” if Employee becomes entitled to receive
compensation for the performance of personal services, whether as an
employee, consultant or in any other capacity or relationship, and
references to a subsequent “employer” shall include the payer of such
compensation to Employee regardless of the exact legal relationship existing
between them.







	 	(b)	 	Payment for any earned but unused vacation as of Employee’s Effective
Termination Date, less applicable deductions permitted or required by law, payable in
one lump sum within fifteen (15) days after Employee’s Effective Termination Date; and

	 
	 	(c)	 	Group Life Insurance coverage until such date that the Company’s obligations to
make severance payments to Employee under Section 4(a)(i) above and Section 8 (if
applicable) have been satisfied in full.







	5.	 	Except as may be required by Section 409A, the severance payments payable under Section
4(a)(i) above and Section 8 (if applicable) shall be paid in accordance with the Company’s
standard payroll practices (e.g. bi-weekly). The Parties agree that the initial two (2) weeks
of such severance payments shall be allocated as consideration provided to Employee in
exchange for Employee’s execution of a release in compliance with the Older Workers Benefit
Protection Act. The balance of the severance compensation and benefits provided and other
obligations undertaken by the Company pursuant to this Agreement shall be allocated as
consideration for all other promises and obligations undertaken by Employee, including
execution of a general release of claims.





 


3









 





	6.	 	The Company further agrees to provide Employee with limited out-placement counseling with a
company of its choice provided that Employee participates in such counseling immediately
following termination of employment. Notwithstanding anything in this
Section 6 to the contrary, the out-placement counseling shall not be provided after the last
day of the second calendar year following the calendar year in which termination of
employment occurs.

	 
	7.	 	As of Employee’s Effective Termination Date, Employee will become ineligible to participate
in the Company’s health insurance program and continuation of coverage requirements under
COBRA (if any) will be triggered at that time. However, as additional consideration for the
promises and obligations contained herein (and except as may be prohibited by law), the
Company agrees to continue to pay the employer’s share of such coverage as provided under the
health care program selected by Employee as of Employee’s Effective Termination Date, subject
to any approved changes in coverage based on a qualified election, until the above-referenced
severance payments are terminated, Employee accepts other employment or Employee becomes
eligible for alternative healthcare coverage, whichever occurs first, provided Employee (i)
timely completes the applicable election of coverage forms and (ii) continues to pay the
employee portion of the applicable premium(s). Thereafter, if applicable, coverage will be
made available to Employee at Employee’s sole expense (i.e., Employee will be responsible for
the full COBRA premium) for the remaining months of the COBRA coverage period made available
pursuant to applicable law. In the event Employee is deemed to be a highly compensated
employee under applicable law, Employee acknowledges that the value of the benefits provided
hereunder may be subject to taxation. The medical insurance provided herein does not include
any disability coverage.

	 
	8.	 	Should Employee become Reemployed before the Maximum Amount of the above-referenced Severance
Pay has been paid to Employee, Employee agrees to so notify the Company in writing within five
(5) business days of Employee’s becoming Reemployed, providing the name of such employer,
Employee’s intended duties as well as the anticipated start date. Such information is
required to ensure Employee’s compliance with Employee’s non-compete obligations as well as
all other applicable restrictive covenants. This notice will also serve to trigger the
Company’s right to terminate the above-referenced severance pay benefits (specifically
excluding any lump sum payment due as a result of the application of Section 409A) as well as
all Company-paid or Company-provided benefits consistent with the above paragraphs. Failure to
timely provide such notice shall be deemed a material breach of this Agreement entitling the
Company to recover as damages the value of all benefits provided to Employee hereunder plus
attorneys fees. In the event Employee accepts employment at a lower rate of pay, the Company
will agree to continue to pay Employee the difference between the above severance payments and
Employee’s total compensation to be paid by a subsequent employer upon receipt of acceptable
proof of such compensation. All other severance compensation and benefits provided by the
Company to Employee hereunder, however, shall terminate upon Reemployment.





 


4









 





	9.	 	Employee agrees to fully indemnify and hold the Company harmless for any taxes, penalties,
interest, cost or attorneys’ fee assessed against or incurred by the Company on account of any
severance compensation or benefits having been provided to Employee or based on any alleged
failure to withhold taxes or satisfy any claimed obligation. Employee understands and
acknowledges that neither the Company, nor any of its
employees, attorneys, or other representatives, has provided Employee with any legal or
financial advice concerning taxes or any other matter, and that Employee has not relied on
any such advice in deciding whether to enter into this Agreement. To the extent applicable,
Employee understands and agrees that Employee shall have the responsibility for, and
Employee agrees to pay, any and all appropriate income tax or other tax obligations for
which Employee is individually responsible and/or related to receipt of any compensation or
benefits provided in this Agreement not subject to federal withholding obligations.

	 
	10.	 	In consideration for the making of this Agreement and the severance benefits provided
hereunder (whether Employee remains eligible to receive them or not), Employee, on behalf of
himself and on behalf of Employee’s heirs, representatives, agents and assigns, hereby
RELEASES, INDEMNIFIES, HOLDS HARMLESS, and FOREVER DISCHARGES (i) the Company and its parent,
subsidiary or affiliated entities, (ii) all of the present or former directors, officers,
employees, shareholders, and agents of each of such companies, as well as, (iii) all
predecessors, successors and assigns of any of the foregoing, from any and all actions,
charges, claims, demands, damages or liabilities of any kind or character whatsoever
(“Claims”), known or unknown, which Employee now has or may have had through the effective
date of this Agreement, excluding, however, Claims arising under this Agreement.

	 
	11.	 	Without limiting the generality of the foregoing release, it shall include: (i) all Claims
or potential Claims arising under any federal, state or local laws relating to the Parties’
employment relationship, including any Claims Employee may have under: the Civil Rights Acts
of 1866 and 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 2000(e) et seq.; the Civil
Rights Act of 1991; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, as amended, 29 U.S.C. §§ 621
et seq.; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, 42 U.S.C §§
12,101 et seq.; the Fair Labor Standards Act 29 U.S.C. §§ 201 et
seq.; the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, 29 U.S.C. §§ 2101,
et seq.; the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, 29 U.S.C. §§ 1101
et seq.; the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, specifically including the Corporate
and Criminal Fraud Accountability Act, 18 USC §1514A et seq.; and any other
federal, state or local law governing the Parties’ employment relationship; (ii) any Claims on
account of, arising out of or in any way connected with Employee’s employment with the Company
or leaving of that employment; (iii) any Claims alleged or which could have been alleged in
any charge or complaint against the Company; (iv) any Claims relating to the conduct of any
employee, officer, director, agent or other representative of the Company; (v) any Claims of
discrimination, harassment or retaliation on any basis; (vi) any Claims arising from any legal
restrictions on an employer’s right to separate its employees; (vii) any Claims for personal
injury, compensatory or punitive damages or other forms of relief; and (viii) all other causes
of action sounding in contract, tort or other common law basis, including (a) the breach of
any alleged oral or written contract, (b) negligent or intentional misrepresentations, (c)
wrongful discharge, (d) just cause dismissal, (e) defamation, (f) interference with contract
or business relationship or (g) negligent or intentional infliction of emotional distress.





 


5









 





	12.	 	Employee further agrees and covenants not to sue the Company or any entity or individual
subject to the foregoing General Release with respect to any Claims released by this
Agreement, provided, however, that nothing contained in this Agreement shall:







	 	(a)	 	prevent Employee from filing an administrative charge with the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission or any other federal, state or local agency; or

	 
	 	(b)	 	prevent Employee from challenging, under the Older Worker’s Benefit Protection
Act (29 U.S.C. § 626), the knowing and voluntary nature of Employee’s release of any
age claims in this Agreement in court or before the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission.







	13.	 	Notwithstanding Employee’s right to file an administrative charge with the EEOC or any other
federal, state, or local agency, Employee agrees that with Employee’s release of claims in
this Agreement, Employee has waived any right Employee may have to recover monetary or other
personal relief in any proceeding based in whole or in part on claims released by Employee in
this Agreement. For example, Employee waives any right to monetary damages or reinstatement
if an administrative charge is brought against the Company, whether by Employee, the EEOC or
any other person or entity, including but not limited to any federal, state or local agency.
Further, with Employee’s release of Claims in this Agreement, Employee specifically assigns to
the Company Employee’s right to any recovery arising from any such proceeding.

	 
	14.	 	The Parties acknowledge that it is their mutual and specific intent that the above waiver
fully complies with the requirements of the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (29 U.S.C. §
626) and any similar law governing release of claims. Accordingly, Employee hereby
acknowledges that:







	 	(a)	 	Employee has carefully read and fully understands all of the provisions of this
Agreement and that Employee has entered into this Agreement knowingly and voluntarily;

	 
	 	(b)	 	the severance benefits offered in exchange for Employee’s release of claims
exceed in kind and scope that to which Employee would have otherwise been legally
entitled absent the execution of this Agreement;

	 
	 	(c)	 	prior to signing this Agreement, Employee had been advised, and is being
advised by this Agreement, to consult with an attorney of Employee’s choice concerning
its terms and conditions; and

	 
	 	(d)	 	Employee has been offered at least [twenty-one (21)/forty-five (45)] [SELECT 21
FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TERMINATION AND 45 FOR A GROUP TERMINATION] days within which to
review and consider this Agreement.





 


6









 











	15.	 	The Parties agree that this Agreement shall not become effective and enforceable until the
date this Agreement is signed by both Parties or seven (7) calendar days after its execution
by Employee, whichever is later. Employee may revoke this Agreement for
any reason by providing written notice of such intent to the Company within seven (7) days
after Employee has signed this Agreement, thereby forfeiting Employee’s right to receive any
severance benefits provided hereunder and rendering this Agreement null and void in its
entirety. This revocation must be sent to the Employee’s HR representative with a copy sent
to the Batesville Casket Company Office of General Counsel and must be received by the end
of the seventh day after Employee signs this Agreement to be effective.

	 
	16.	 	The Parties agree that nothing contained herein shall purport to waive or otherwise affect
any of Employee’s rights or claims that may arise after Employee signs this Agreement. It is
further understood by the Parties that nothing in this Agreement shall affect any rights
Employee may have under any Company sponsored Deferred Compensation Program, Executive Life
Insurance Bonus Plan, Stock Grant Award, Stock Option Grant, Restricted Stock Unit Award,
Pension Plan and/or Savings Plan (i.e., 401(k) plan) provided by the Company as of the date of
his/her termination, such items to be governed exclusively by the terms of the applicable
agreements or plan documents.

	 
	17.	 	Similarly, notwithstanding any provision contained herein to the contrary, this Agreement
shall not constitute a waiver or release or otherwise affect Employee’s rights with respect to
any vested benefits, any rights Employee has to benefits which cannot be waived by law, any
coverage provided under any Directors and Officers (“D&O”) policy, any rights Employee may
have under any indemnification agreement Employee has with the Company prior to the date
hereof, any rights Employee has as a shareholder, or any claim for breach of this Agreement,
including, but not limited to the benefits promised by the terms of this Agreement.

	 
	18.	 	Except as provided herein, Employee acknowledges that Employee will not be eligible to
receive or vest in any additional stock options, stock awards or restricted stock units
(“RSUs”) as of Employee’s Effective Termination Date. Failure to exercise any vested options
within the applicable period as set forth in the plan and/or grant will result in their
forfeiture. Employee acknowledges that any stock options, stock awards or RSUs held for less
than the required period shall be deemed forfeited as of the effective date of this Agreement.
All terms and conditions of such stock options, stock awards or RSUs shall not be affected by
this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, and shall govern the Parties’ rights
with respect to such equity based awards.

	 
	19.	 	[Option A] Employee acknowledges that Employee’s termination and the severance compensation
and benefits offered hereunder were based on an individual determination and were not offered
in conjunction with any group termination or group severance program and waives any claim to
the contrary.

	 
	 	 	[Option B] Employee represents and agrees that Employee has been provided relevant cohort
information based on the information available to the Company as of the date this Agreement
was tendered to Employee. This information is attached hereto as Exhibit A. The Parties
acknowledge that simply providing such information does not mean and should not be
interpreted to mean that the Company was obligated to comply with 29 C.F.R. § 1625.22(f).





 


7









 





	20.	 	Employee hereby affirms and acknowledges Employee’s continued obligations to comply with the
post-termination covenants contained in Employee’s Employment Agreement, including but not
limited to, the non-compete, trade secret and confidentiality provisions thereof, as well as
to comply with any other agreements between Employee and the Company or any of its affiliated
companies that remain in effect. Employee acknowledges that a copy of the Employment
Agreement has been attached to this Agreement as Exhibit A [B] or has otherwise been provided
to Employee and, to the extent not inconsistent with the terms of this Agreement or applicable
law, the terms thereof shall be incorporated herein by reference. Employee acknowledges that
the restrictions contained therein are valid and reasonable in every respect and are necessary
to protect the Company’s legitimate business interests. Employee hereby affirmatively waives
any claim or defense to the contrary. Employee hereby acknowledges that the definition of
Competitor, as provided in Employee’s Employment Agreement, shall include but not be limited
to those entities specifically identified in the updated Competitor List attached hereto as
Exhibit B [C].

	 
	21.	 	Employee acknowledges that the Company as well as its parent, subsidiary and affiliated
companies (“Companies” herein) possess, and Employee has been granted access to, certain trade
secrets as well as other confidential and proprietary information that they have acquired at
great effort and expense. Such information includes, without limitation, confidential
information regarding products and services, marketing strategies, business plans, operations,
costs, current or, prospective customer information (including customer contacts,
requirements, creditworthiness and like matters), product concepts, designs, prototypes or
specifications, regulatory compliance issues, research and development efforts, technical data
and know-how, sales information, including pricing and other terms and conditions of sale,
financial information, internal procedures, techniques, forecasts, methods, trade information,
trade secrets, software programs, project requirements, inventions, trademarks, trade names,
and similar information regarding the Companies’ business (collectively referred to herein as
“Confidential Information”).

	 
	22.	 	Employee agrees that all such Confidential Information is and shall remain the sole and
exclusive property of the Company. Except as may be expressly authorized by the Company in
writing, or as may be required by law after providing due notice thereof to the Company,
Employee agrees not to disclose, or cause any other person or entity to disclose, any
Confidential Information to any third party for as long thereafter as such information remains
confidential (or as limited by applicable law) and agrees not to make use of any such
Confidential Information for Employee’s own purposes or for the benefit of any other entity or
person. The Parties acknowledge that Confidential Information shall not include any
information that is otherwise made public through no fault of Employee or other wrong doing.





 


8









 





	23.	 	On or before Employee’s Effective Termination Date or per the Company’s request, Employee
agrees to return the original and all copies of all things in Employee’s possession or control
relating to the Companies or their businesses, including but not limited to any and all
contracts, reports, memoranda, correspondence, manuals, forms, records, designs, budgets,
contact information or lists (including customer, vendor or supplier lists), ledger sheets or
other financial information, drawings, plans (including,
but not limited to, business, marketing and strategic plans), personnel or other business
files, computer hardware, software, or access codes, door and file keys, identification,
credit cards, pager, phone, and any and all other physical, intellectual, or personal
property of any nature that Employee received, prepared, helped prepare, or directed
preparation of in connection with Employee’s employment with the Company. Nothing contained
herein shall be construed to require the return of any non-confidential and de minimis items
regarding Employee’s pay, benefits or other rights of employment such as pay stubs, W-2
forms, 401(k) plan summaries, benefit statements, etc.

	 
	24.	 	Employee hereby consents and authorizes the Company to deduct as an offset from the
above-referenced Severance Pay the value of any Company property not returned or returned in a
damaged condition as well as any monies paid by the Company on Employee’s behalf (e.g.,
payment of any outstanding American Express bill).

	 
	25.	 	Employee agrees to cooperate with the Company in connection with any pending or future
litigation, proceeding or other matter which has been or may be brought against or by the
Company before any agency, court, or other tribunal and concerning or relating in any way to
any matter falling within Employee’s knowledge or former area of responsibility. Employee
agrees to immediately notify the Company, through the Office of the General Counsel, in the
event Employee is contacted by any outside attorney (including paralegals or other affiliated
parties) unless (i) the Company is represented by the attorney, (ii) Employee is represented
by the attorney for the purpose of protecting Employee’s personal interests or (iii) the
Company has been advised of and has approved such contact. Employee agrees to provide
reasonable assistance and completely truthful testimony in such matters including, without
limitation, facilitating and assisting in the preparation of any underlying defense,
responding to discovery requests, preparing for and attending deposition(s) as well as
appearing in court to provide truthful testimony. The Company agrees to reimburse Employee
for all reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred at the request of the Company associated
with such assistance and testimony.

	 
	26.	 	Employee agrees not to make any written or oral statement that may defame, disparage or cast
in a negative light so as to do harm to the personal or professional reputation of (a) the
Company, (b) its employees, officers, directors or trustees or (c) the services and/or
products provided by the Company and its subsidiaries or affiliate entities. The Parties
acknowledge that nothing contained herein shall be construed to prevent or prohibit the
Company or the Employee from providing truthful information in response to any court order,
discovery request, subpoena or other lawful request.

	 
	27.	 	EMPLOYEE SPECIFICALLY AGREES AND UNDERSTANDS THAT THE EXISTENCE AND TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT
ARE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL AND THAT SUCH CONFIDENTIALITY IS A MATERIAL TERM OF THIS AGREEMENT.
Accordingly, except as required by law or unless authorized to do so by the Company in
writing, Employee agrees that Employee shall not communicate, display or otherwise reveal any
of the contents of this Agreement to anyone other than Employee’s spouse, legal counsel or
financial advisor provided, however, that they are first advised of the confidential nature of
this Agreement and Employee obtains their agreement to be bound by the same. The Company
agrees that
Employee may respond to legitimate inquiries regarding the termination of Employee’s
employment by stating that the Parties have terminated their relationship on an amicable
basis and that the Parties have entered into a Confidential Separation and Release Agreement
that prohibits Employee from further discussing the specifics of Employee’s separation.
Nothing contained herein shall be construed to prevent Employee from discussing or otherwise
advising subsequent employers of the existence of any obligations as set forth in Employee’s
Employment Agreement. Further, nothing contained herein shall be construed to limit or
otherwise restrict the Company’s ability to disclose the terms and conditions of this
Agreement as may be required by business necessity.





 


9









 





	28.	 	In the event that Employee breaches or threatens to breach any provision of this Agreement,
Employee agrees that the Company shall be entitled to seek any and all equitable and legal
relief provided by law, specifically including immediate and permanent injunctive relief.
Employee hereby waives any claim that the Company has an adequate remedy at law. In addition,
and to the extent not prohibited by law, Employee agrees that the Company shall be entitled to
discontinue providing any additional severance compensation or benefits upon such breach or
threatened breach as well as an award of all costs and attorneys’ fees incurred by the Company
in any successful effort to enforce the terms of this Agreement. Employee agrees that the
foregoing relief shall not be construed to limit or otherwise restrict the Company’s ability
to pursue any other remedy provided by law, including the recovery of any actual, compensatory
or punitive damages. Moreover, if Employee pursues any Claims against the Company that have
been released by Employee, or breaches the above confidentiality provision, Employee agrees to
immediately reimburse the Company for the value of all benefits received under this Agreement
to the fullest extent permitted by law.

	 
	29.	 	Similarly, in the event that the Company breaches or threatens to breach any provision of
this Agreement, Employee shall be entitled to seek any and all equitable or other available
relief provided by law, specifically including immediate and permanent injunctive relief. In
the event Employee is required to file suit to enforce the terms of this Agreement, the
Company agrees that Employee shall be entitled to an award of all costs and attorneys’ fees
incurred by Employee in any wholly successful effort (i.e. entry of a judgment in Employee’s
favor) to enforce the terms of this Agreement. In the event Employee is wholly unsuccessful,
the Company shall be entitled to an award of its costs and attorneys’ fees.

	 
	30.	 	Both Parties acknowledge that this Agreement is entered into solely for the purpose of
terminating Employee’s employment relationship with the Company on an amicable basis and shall
not be construed as an admission of liability or wrongdoing by the Company or Employee, both
Parties having expressly denied any such liability or wrongdoing.

	 
	31.	 	Each of the promises and obligations shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of
the heirs, executors, administrators, assigns and successors in interest of each of the
Parties.





 


10









 





	32.	 	The Parties agree that each and every paragraph, sentence, clause, term and provision of this
Agreement is severable and that, if any portion of this Agreement should be deemed not
enforceable for any reason, such portion shall be stricken and the remaining portion or
portions thereof should continue to be enforced to the fullest extent permitted by applicable
law.

	 
	33.	 	This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State
of Indiana without regard to any applicable state’s choice of law provisions.

	 
	34.	 	Employee represents and acknowledges that in signing this Agreement Employee does not rely,
and has not relied, upon any representation or statement made by the Company or by any of the
Company’s employees, officers, agents, stockholders, directors or attorneys with regard to the
subject matter, basis or effect of this Agreement other than those specifically contained
herein.

	 
	35.	 	This Agreement represents the entire agreement between the Parties concerning the subject
matter hereof, shall supersede any and all prior agreements which may otherwise exist between
them concerning the subject matter hereof (specifically excluding, however, the
post-termination obligations contained in an Employee’s Employment Agreement, any obligations
contained in an existing and valid Indemnity Agreement or Change in Control or any obligation
contained in any other legally-binding document), and shall not be altered, amended, modified
or otherwise changed except by a writing executed by both Parties.






PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. THIS SEPARATION AND RELEASE

AGREEMENT INCLUDES A COMPLETE RELEASE OF ALL

KNOWN AND UNKNOWN CLAIMS.




IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have themselves signed, or caused a duly authorized agent
thereof to sign, this Agreement on their behalf and thereby acknowledge their intent to be bound by
its terms and conditions.



	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	[EMPLOYEE]	 	[COMPANY]
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	Signed:

	 	 	 	 	 	By:	 	 	 	 
	 

	 	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	Printed:

	 	 	 	 	 	Title:	 	 	 	 
	 

	 	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	Dated:

	 	 	 	 	 	Dated:	 	 	 	 
	 

	 	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 







 


11









 







Exhibit B




ILLUSTRATIVE COMPETITOR LIST




The following is an illustrative, non-exhaustive list of Competitors with whom Employee may
not, during his relevant non-compete period, directly or indirectly engage in any of the
competitive activities proscribed by the terms of his Employment Agreement.



	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	Astral Industries, Inc.
	 	•
	 	Aurora Casket Company, Inc.
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	Goliath Casket, Inc.
	 	•
	 	Milso Industries, Inc.
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	Milso Industries, LLC
	 	•
	 	New England Casket Company
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	R and S Marble Designs
	 	•
	 	Reynoldsville Casket Company
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	Schuykill Haven Casket Company, Inc. (A division
of The Haven Line Industries)
	 	•
	 	SinoSource International, Inc.
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	Thacker Caskets, Inc.
	 	•
	 	The York Group (a division of Matthews
International Corp.) and its distributors,
including Warfield Rohr, Artco, Newmark and AJ
Distribution
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	•

	 	The Victoriaville Group
	 	•
	 	Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc.






While the above list is intended to identify the Company’s primary competitors, it should not
be construed as all encompassing so as to exclude other potential competitors falling within the
Non-Compete definitions of “Competitor.” The Company reserves the right to amend this list at any
time in its sole discretion to identify other or additional Competitors based on changes in the
products and services offered, changes in its business or industry as well as changes in the duties
and responsibilities of the individual employee. An updated list will be provided to Employee upon
reasonable request. Employees are encouraged to consult with the Company prior to accepting any
position with any potential competitor.




 


12