Amyris 2013 Q1 10-Q Exhibit 10.09 Offer Letter Mark Patel (July 29, 2010)






Mark Patel
1577 Campus Drive
Berkeley, CA, 94708  


July 29, 2010


Re:  Offer of Employment with Amyris Biotechnologies, Inc.




Dear Mark:


On behalf of Amyris Biotechnologies, Inc. (“Amyris”), I am delighted to offer to you employment with Amyris.  If you accept this offer and satisfy the conditions of acceptance set forth herein, your employment with Amyris will commence on August 23, 2010 or a mutually agreeable date under the following terms: 


		
	1.
	Position  


You will be employed full-time by Amyris as Vice President of Strategy reporting to me, John Melo, CEO. 


		
	2.
	Salary  


Your base salary will be $280,000 per year ($23,333.33 per month) payable in accordance with Amyris' regular payroll schedule which is currently semi-monthly.  Your salary will be subject to adjustment from time to time pursuant to Amyris' employee compensation policies then in effect. 


		
	3.
	Bonus


You will be eligible for a performance based bonus. Subject to the approval of the Board, your annual bonus target will be up to thirty percent (30%) of your earned base salary.  Such bonus will be payable provided that (i) you achieve certain performance objectives which shall be established during the first month of your employment with Amyris, (ii) you are still employed by Amyris at year-end and when the bonus is paid out. 


		
	4.
	Equity  


Amyris will recommend to its Board of Directors that you be granted an option to purchase 120,000 shares of common stock of Amyris at the fair market value of the common stock on the date of Board approval. Such shares would vest as follows: (i) twenty percent (20%) upon completion of your twelfth (12th) month of employment, and (ii) the balance in a series of forty-eight (48) equal monthly installments upon completion of each additional month of employment with Amyris thereafter.  


		
	5.
	Benefits  


You will be eligible to participate in the employee benefits and benefit plans that are available to full-time employees of Amyris subject to the terms of such plans. Currently, these include (i) 12 paid holidays, (ii) 3 weeks of paid vacation (pro-rated by hiring date), (iii) up to 6 days of paid sick leave per 









year (pro-rated by hiring date), (iv) medical insurance, (v) dental insurance, (vi) supplemental health and flexible spending accounts,  (vii) group term life insurance, (viii) accidental death & disability insurance, (ix) long-term disability insurance, and (x) 401K plan.  You will also be eligible to receive paid access to gym facilities.  The terms of your benefits will be governed by the applicable plan documents and Amyris' policies.  Enclosed is an Employee Benefit Overview.


		
	6.
	Termination of Employment


If you resign your employment with Amyris or if Amyris terminates your employment for Cause (as defined below) at any time, you will receive your base salary as well as any accrued but unused vacation (if applicable) earned through the effective resignation or termination date and no additional compensation.  If Amyris terminates your employment for any reason other than Cause, it will give you written notice of termination, any base salary and accrued but unused vacation that is earned through the effective termination date and, conditioned on your (i) signing and not revoking a release of any and all claims, in a form prescribed by Amyris, and (ii) returning to Amyris all of its property and confidential information that is in your possession, you will receive the following: 


 (A) If you elect to continue your health insurance coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended (“COBRA”) following the termination of your employment, then Amyris shall pay your monthly premium under COBRA until the earlier of (x) twelve (12) months following the effective termination date, or (y) the date upon which you commence employment with an entity other than Amyris or any other Engagement; and 


(B) If your employment is terminated by Amyris for any reason other than for Cause within your first year of employment, a portion of your options granted under Section 4 above for 120,000 shares that has a time based vesting schedule will vest as follows: the number of shares that shall vest shall be equal to the number obtained by multiplying the number of shares of common stock subject to the option granted pursuant to Section 4 by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of complete months you have been employed by Amyris up to the date of termination and the denominator of which shall be 60.    


You will notify Amyris in writing within five (5) days of your receipt of an offer of employment with any entity other than Amyris or for any other type of Engagement, and will accordingly identify the date upon which you will commence such employment or Engagement in such writing.  These salary and benefits continuance benefits are intended to be provided to you as you actively seek future employment or another Engagement, and therefore, as noted, will cease once you have secured such employment or Engagement.1 
 
For all purposes under this Agreement, a termination for “Cause” shall mean a determination that your employment be terminated for any of the following reasons: (i) failure or refusal to comply in any material respect with lawful policies, standards or regulations of Amyris, (ii) a violation of a federal or state law or regulation applicable to the business of Amyris, (iii) conviction or plea of no contest to a felony or to a misdemeanour involving moral turpitude under the laws of the United States or any State, (iv) fraud or misappropriation of property belonging to Amyris or its affiliates, (v) non-performance, 


________________    
		
	1.
	Depending on the size of the option grant and the value of the shares at termination, the severance payments may become subject to IRC Section 280G.











non-compliance or interference with any third party's performance of the terms of any confidentiality, invention assignment or proprietary information agreement with Amyris or with a former employer, (vi)  your failure to satisfactorily perform your duties as assigned from time to time by Amyris after having received written notice of such failure and at least thirty (30) days to cure such failure, or (vii) your misconduct or gross negligence in connection with the performance of your duties. 


		
	7.
	Change of Control


If, during your employment with Amyris, there is a Change of Control event (as defined below), and Amyris terminates your employment without Cause or you are Constructively Terminated (as defined below) within six (6) months of that event, then you will be eligible to receive the benefits provided in Section 6, as well as immediate accelerated vesting of fifty percent (50%) of any of the unvested shares under your outstanding options as of the date of termination, conditioned on your complying with the requirements of Section 6 above.


“Change of Control” shall mean (i) a merger, reorganization, consolidation or other transaction (or series of related transactions of such nature) pursuant to which more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting power of all outstanding equity securities of Amyris is transferred by the holders of Amyris's outstanding shares (excluding a reincorporation to effect a change in domicile), (ii) a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of Amyris, or (iii) any other transaction or series of related transactions, in which Amyris' stockholders immediately prior to such transaction or transactions own immediately after such transaction less than fifty (50%) of the voting equity securities of the surviving corporation or its parent.
“Constructive Termination” shall mean a resignation of your employment because of the occurrence of any of the following events which occurs within six (6) months following a Change of Control: (i) a material reduction in your responsibilities, (ii) a material reduction in your base salary, unless such reduction in your base salary is comparable in percentage to, and is part of, a reduction in the base salary of all or substantially all executive officers of Amyris, or (iii) a relocation of your principal office to a location more than fifty (50) miles from the location of your principal office immediately preceding a Change of Control. Notwithstanding anything else contained herein, in the event of the occurrence of a condition listed above you must provide notice to Amyris within thirty (30) days of the occurrence of a condition listed above and allow the Amyris thirty (30) day in which to cure such condition.  Additionally, in the event that Amyris fails to cure the condition within the cure period provided, you must terminate employment with Amyris within thirty (30) days of the end of the cure period.


		
	8.
	Amyris' Policies  


As an employee of Amyris, you will be subject to, and expected to comply with its policies and procedures, personnel and otherwise, as such policies are developed and communicated to you.


		
	9.
	“At-Will” Employment  


Employment with Amyris is “at-will”.  This means that it is not for any specified period of time and can be terminated by you or by Amyris at any time, with or without advance notice, and for any or no particular reason or cause.  It also means that your job duties, title and responsibility and reporting level, compensation and benefits, as well as Amyris' personnel policies and procedures, may be changed at any time in the sole discretion of Amyris.  However, the “at-will” nature of your employment shall remain unchanged during your tenure as an employee of Amyris and may not be changed, except in an 









express writing signed by you and by Amyris' Chief Executive Officer.


		
	10.
	Full-Time Service to Amyris


Amyris requires that, as a full-time employee, you devote your full business time, attention, skills and efforts to the tasks and duties of your position as assigned by Amyris.  If you wish to request consent to provide services (for any or no form of compensation) to any other person or business entity while employed by Amyris, you must first receive permission from the Chief Executive Officer of Amyris.  


		
	11.
	Conditions of Offer  


In order to accept this offer, and for your acceptance to be effective, you must satisfy the following conditions:


		
	•
	You must provide satisfactory documentary proof of your identity and right to work in the United States of America on your first day of employment.




		
	•
	You must agree in writing to the terms of the enclosed Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement (“PIIA”) without modification. 




		
	•
	You must consent to, and Amyris must obtain satisfactory results from, reference and background checks.  Until you have been informed in writing by Amyris that such checks have been completed and the results satisfactory, you may wish to defer reliance on this offer.




		
	•
	You must agree in writing to the terms of the enclosed Mutual Agreement to Binding Arbitration (“Arbitration Agreement”) without modification.




By signing and accepting this offer, you represent and warrant that: (i) you are not subject to any pre-existing contractual or other legal obligation with any person or entity that may be an impediment to your employment with, or your providing services to, Amyris as its employee; and (ii) you have not and shall not bring onto Amyris' premises, or use in the course of your employment with Amyris, any confidential or proprietary information of another person or entity to whom you previously provided services.
		
	12.
	Tax Compliance


For purposes of this Agreement, a termination of employment will be determined consistent with the rules relating to a “separation from service” as defined in Section 409A of the Code and the regulations there under (“Section 409A”).  Notwithstanding anything else provided herein, to the extent any payments provided under this Agreement in connection with your termination of employment constitute deferred compensation subject to Section 409A, and you are deemed at the time of such termination of employment to be a “specified employee” under Section 409A, then such payment shall not be made or commence until the earlier of (i) the expiration of the 6-month period measured from your separation from service from Amyris or (ii) the date of your death following such a separation from service; provided, however, that such deferral shall only be effected to the extent required to avoid adverse tax treatment to you including, without limitation, the additional tax for which you would otherwise be liable under Section 409A(a)(1)(B) in the absence of such a deferral.  The first payment thereof will include a catch-up payment covering the amount that would have otherwise been paid during the period between your termination of employment and the first payment date but for the application of this 









provision, and the balance of the installments (if any) will be payable in accordance with their original schedule.  To the extent that any provision of this Agreement is ambiguous as to its compliance with Section 409A, the provision will be read in such a manner so that all payments hereunder comply with Section 409A.  To the extent any payment under this Agreement may be classified as a “short-term deferral” within the meaning of Section 409A, such payment shall be deemed a short-term deferral, even if it may also qualify for an exemption from Section 409A under another provision of Section 409A.  Payments pursuant to this section are intended to constitute separate payments for purposes of Section 1.409A-2(b)(2) of the Treasury Regulations.
		
	13.
	Entire Agreement


Provided that the conditions of this offer and your acceptance are satisfied, this letter together with the enclosed PIIA and Arbitration Agreement (collectively, the “Offer Documents”) shall constitute the full and complete agreement between you and Amyris regarding the terms and conditions of your employment.  The Offer Documents cancel, supersede and replace any and all prior negotiations, representations or agreements, written and oral, between you and Amyris or any representative or agent of Amyris regarding any aspect of your employment.  Any change to the terms of your employment with Amyris, as set forth in this letter, must be in an individualized writing to you, signed by the Chief Executive Officer of Amyris to be effective.  


Please confirm your acceptance of this offer by signing and returning the enclosed copy of this letter as well as the PIIA and Arbitration Agreement to me by July 2, 2010.  If not accepted by you as of that date, this offer will expire.  We look forward to having you join Amyris.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (510) 740-7440.


Sincerely,


/s/ John G. Melo
John G. Melo
Chief Executive Officer






I HAVE READ AND ACCEPT THIS EMPLOYMENT OFFER:


/s/ Mark Patel        July 30, 2010        
Mark Patel                                   Date






Enclosures