Amended and Restated Employment Agreement



 Exhibit 10.26 
 AMENDED AND RESTATED EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT 
 This AMENDED AND RESTATED EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of March 1, 2006 and amended and restated as of May 1, 2007, by and between GeoVera Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Employer”), and Brian T. Sheekey
(the “Employee”). 
 WHEREAS, the parties previously entered into an Employment Agreement dated as of March 1,
2006, pursuant to which the Employee was employed as an executive officer of the Employer (the “Existing Employment Agreement”); and 
 WHEREAS, the parties wish to amend the Existing Employment Agreement in certain respects as reflected in this Agreement. 
 NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereby agree that the Existing Employment Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety as follows: 
 1. EMPLOYMENT. The Employer hereby employs the Employee and the Employee accepts such employment, upon the terms and subject to the
conditions hereinafter set forth. 
 2. DUTIES. The Employee shall be employed as the Chief Financial Officer of the Employer.
In such capacity, the Employee shall have such executive responsibilities and duties as are assigned by the Employer’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) and are consistent with such position. 
 3. TERM. Unless earlier terminated pursuant to Section 6, the initial term of
employment of the Employee hereunder shall commence on the date hereof (“Commencement Date”) and shall continue until the third (3rd) anniversary of the Commencement Date (the “Initial Term”), and shall be automatically renewed for additional one (1) year terms thereafter unless terminated by either party
by written notice to the other given at least thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of the then current term. 
 4.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS. In consideration for the services of the Employee hereunder, the Employer shall compensate the Employee as follows: 
 (a) Base Salary. Commencing on the Commencement Date until the termination of the Employee’s employment hereunder, the Employer shall pay the Employee, in accordance with the Employer’s payroll
practices, a base salary (the “Base Salary”). The Base Salary will be paid at an annual rate of $375,000. The Base Salary will be reviewed by the Board annually and may be increased from time to time at the sole discretion of the
Board. 
 (b) Bonus. The Employee shall be entitled to receive a performance based bonus equal to the Pro Rated Bonus Amount
(as defined below) with respect to the fiscal year of the Employer ending December 31, 2006. The Employee shall be entitled to receive an annual performance based bonus targeted at $175,000 with respect to each fiscal year of the Employer
ending after December 31, 2006. The bonus criteria for each fiscal year (i) will be determined 







 
by the Board in its sole discretion, and (ii) will be based on the achievement of individual performance criteria and on the achievement by the Employer
of elements of its business plan. The performance based bonus for any fiscal year, shall be payable to the Employee in the following fiscal year, on or about May 15. As used herein, (i) the term “Pro Rata Fraction” means a
fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days between the Commencement Date and December 31, 2006, and the denominator of which is 365 and (ii) the term “Pro Rated Bonus Amount” means an amount equal to
(A) the $175,000, multiplied by (B) the Pro Rata Fraction. 
 (c) Vacation. Employee shall be entitled to four
(4) weeks vacation (which shall include time taken for personal leave) each calendar year. Any vacation shall be taken at the reasonable and mutual convenience of the Employer and the Employee. Accrued vacation not taken in any calendar year
will not be carried forward or used in any subsequent calendar year. 
 (d) Insurance. Accident, disability, life and health
insurance for the Employee shall be provided by the Employer under group accident, disability, life and health insurance plans maintained by the Employer for its full-time, salaried employees as such employment benefits may be modified from time to
time by the Board for all full-time, salaried employees. The amount and extent of such accident, disability, life and health insurance coverage shall be subject to the discretion of the Board. 
 (e) Signing Bonus. On or before March 31, 2006, the Employer shall pay to the Employee a one-time signing bonus in the amount of
$150,000. 
 5. EXPENSES. The Employer shall reimburse the Employee for all reasonable expenses of types authorized by the
Employer and incurred by the Employee in the performance of his duties hereunder. The Employee shall comply with such budget limitations and approval, reporting and documentation requirements with respect to expenses as the Employer may establish
from time to time. 
 6. TERMINATION. The Employee’s employment hereunder shall commence on the Commencement Date and
continue until the expiration of the Initial Term, and any extension of such term pursuant to Section 3, except that the employment of the Employee hereunder shall earlier terminate: 
 (a) Death or Disability. Upon the death of the Employee during the term of his employment hereunder or, subject to applicable law, at the
option of the Employer, in the event of the Employee’s disability, upon thirty (30) days written notice. The Employee shall be deemed disabled if the Board (in its sole discretion) determines that the Employee is disabled by reason of any
medically determinable physical or mental impairment in a manner which seriously interferes with his ability to perform his responsibilities under this Agreement. 
 (b) For Cause. For “Cause” immediately upon written notice by the Employer to the Employee. For purposes of this Agreement, a termination shall be for Cause if the Board shall determine in good
faith that any one or more of the following has occurred: 
 (i) the Employee shall have committed an act of fraud, embezzlement,
misappropriation or breach of fiduciary duty against the Employer or any of its 

  

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subsidiaries (collectively, the “Companies”), including, but not limited to, the offer, payment, solicitation or acceptance of any unlawful
bribe or kickback with respect to the business of any of the Companies; or 
 (ii) the Employee shall have been convicted by a court of
competent jurisdiction of, or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to, any felony or any crime involving moral turpitude; or 
 (iii) the
Employee shall have breached in any material respects any one or more of the covenants, terms and provisions of Section 7 or 8 hereof; or 
 (iv) the Employee shall have breached in any material respects any one or more of the provisions of this Agreement (excluding Section 7 or 8 hereof) or any one or more of the provisions of the members agreement to be entered into by
and among Holdings and certain of its management members, and, in each case, such breach shall have continued for a period of ten (10) days after written notice to the Employee specifying such breach in reasonable detail; or 

(v) the Employee shall have refused, within ten (10) days after explicit written notice, to obey any lawful resolution of or direction by the
Board that is reasonable and consistent with his duties under this Agreement; or 
 (vi) the Employee shall have been chronically absent from
work (excluding vacations, disabilities or other illnesses or leaves of absence approved by the Board) and shall have failed, within ten (10) days after explicit written notice, to devote his full time and best efforts to the performance of his
duties to the Employer; or 
 (vii) the Employee shall have engaged in the unlawful use (including being under the influence) or possession
of illegal drugs or shall have possessed illegal, unpermitted or unregistered weapons, in each case on the premises of any of the Companies or any of their affiliates. 
 (c) Resignation or Termination Without Cause. At any time, upon written notice by either the Employer or the Employee to the other party hereto. 
 (d) Resignation For Good Reason. The Employee may terminate his employment for “Good Reason” upon thirty (30) days prior
written notice to the Employer specifying in reasonable detail the basis for such termination. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Good Reason” shall mean a material reduction in Employee’s title or duties from those set forth
in this Agreement without the Employee’s consent and the Employer’s failure to correct such condition after written notice from the Employee and a reasonable opportunity to cure, provided that such written notice is given by the
Employee within ninety (90) days of the occurrence of the applicable event or condition. 
 (e) Rights and Remedies on
Termination. 
 (i) If the Employee’s employment is terminated pursuant to Section 6(a) or Section 6(b), by the
Employee pursuant to Section 6(c) or pursuant to Section 3 in connection 

  

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with the expiration of the Initial Term or any subsequent term hereunder then the Employee (or his estate, as applicable) shall be entitled to receive his
Base Salary through the date of termination or expiration. 
 (ii) Except as provided in Section 6(e)(iii) below, if the Employee’s
employment hereunder is terminated by the Employer pursuant to Section 6(c) or by the Employee for Good Reason pursuant to Section 6(d), then the Employee shall be entitled to receive as severance pay, (A) payment of Base Salary in
effect at the time of such termination (the “Termination Date”), in accordance with the Employer’s then current payroll practices for a twelve (12) month period following the Termination Date and (B) a payment equal
to the target bonus amount set forth in Section 4(b) hereof for the fiscal year in which the Termination Date occurs, such payment to be payable in the fiscal year following the Termination Date, on or about April 30. 
 (iii) If the Employee’s employment hereunder is terminated by the Employer pursuant to Section 6(c) or by the Employee for Good Reason pursuant
to Section 6(d), either such event occurring within one hundred eighty (180) days following any “Change of Control,” then the Employee shall be entitled to receive as severance pay, (A) payment of Base Salary in effect on
the Termination Date, in accordance with the Employer’s then current payroll practices for a twenty-four (24) month period following the Termination Date, and (B) two payments, each equal to the target bonus amount set forth in
Section 4(b) hereof for the fiscal year in which the Termination Date occurs, the first such payment to be payable in the fiscal year following the Termination Date, on or about April 30 of that fiscal year, and the second such payment to
be payable in the second fiscal year following the Termination Date, on or about April 30 of that fiscal year. The period during which the Employer is obligated to pay severance pursuant to Sections 6(e)(ii) or 6(e)(iii), as applicable, is
hereinafter refereed to as the “Severance Period.” 
 For purposes of this Section, the phrase “Change of Control”
shall mean the occurrence of any of the following events: (i) the approval by the shareholders of GeoVera Insurance Holdings, Ltd. (the “Parent”) of a plan of complete liquidation of the Company; (ii) the consummation of a
sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company’s and its subsidiaries’; (iii) the consummation of a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation, other than a merger or
consolidation which would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity) more than
fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power represented by the voting securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or (iv) any “person” (as such term is used in
Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) (other than any current shareholder of the Parent or any affiliate of the Parent) becoming the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under said Act),
directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing fifty percent (50%) or more of the total voting power represented by the Company’s then outstanding voting securities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a “Change of
Control” shall not be deemed to have occurred if the Company files for bankruptcy protection or if a petition for involuntary relief is filed against the Company, 

  

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prior to the occurrence of any of the events described in the definition of “Change of Control”. 
 (iv) Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, the Employee’s right to receive any of the foregoing payments in Sections 6(e)(ii) or 6(e)(iii) is
expressly conditioned upon receipt by the Employer within twenty-one (21) days following the Termination Date of a written release executed by the Employee, in the form of Exhibit A hereto, and the expiration of the revocation period
described therein without such release having been revoked. In the event that the Employee (x) breaches any of the covenants, terms or provisions of Section 7 or Section 8 hereof or (y) engages in any Competitive Activity (as
defined below) as described in Section 9 hereof, without limiting any other rights that the Employer may have, the Employer’s obligation to make payments under Sections 6(e)(ii) or 6(e)(iii) shall immediately terminate. 
 (v) Except as otherwise set forth in this Section 6(e), the Employee shall not be entitled to any severance, bonus or other compensation after
termination other than payment of any expense reimbursements under Section 5 hereof for expenses incurred in the performance of his duties after the Commencement Date and prior to termination or benefits or compensation to which the Employee is
entitled pursuant to applicable law (e.g. COBRA). 
 (vi) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding: 
 (1) No payment of severance under this Section 6(e) which constitutes “deferred compensation” within the meaning of
Section 409A (“Section 409A”) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, shall commence except upon the Employee’s “separation from service” as defined for purposes of Section 409A. 
 (2) No change in the Employer’s payroll practices shall be take into account in determining the date on which a payment of severance
under this Section 6(e) shall be made if, as a result, such payment would be paid in a different taxable year of the Employee relative to the taxable year of the Employee in which it would have been paid under the Employer’s payroll
practices in effect on the date this Agreement was first entered into. 
 (3) If at the time of the Employee’s
separation from service within the meaning of Section 409A, the Employee is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) and if any payment or benefit that the Employee becomes entitled to under this
Agreement is considered deferred compensation subject to interest, penalties, and additional tax imposed pursuant to Section 409A(a) of the Code as a result of the application of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, then no such payment
shall be payable or benefit shall be provided prior to the date that is the earlier of (i) six months and one day after the Employee’s date of termination, and (ii) the Employee’s death, and the initial payment or provision of
benefit shall include a catch-up amount covering amounts that would otherwise have been paid during the first six-month period but for the application of this Section 6(e)(vi). For purposes of the application of Section 409A, each payment
under this Section 6(e) shall constitute a separate payment. 
  

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 (4) The parties intend that this Agreement will be administered in accordance with
Section 409A. The parties agree that this Agreement may be amended, as reasonably requested by either party, as may be necessary to fully comply with Section 409A and all related rules and regulations in order to preserve the payments and
benefits provided hereunder, without additional cost to either party. 
 7. INVENTIONS; ASSIGNMENT. All rights to discoveries,
inventions, improvements and innovations (including all data and records pertaining thereto) related to the business of any of the Companies as conducted at the time of the discovery, invention, improvement or innovation, whether or not patentable,
copyrightable or reduced to writing, that the Employee may discover, invent or originate during the term of his employment hereunder, and for a period of six (6) months thereafter, either alone or with others and whether or not during working
hours or by the use of the facilities of any of the Companies or any of their affiliates (“Inventions”), shall be the exclusive property of the Employer and/or the other Companies. The Employee shall promptly disclose all Inventions
to the Employer, shall execute at the request of the Employer any assignments or other documents the Employer may reasonably deem necessary to protect or perfect the Companies’ rights therein, and shall assist the Employer, at the
Employer’s expense, in obtaining, defending and enforcing the Companies’ rights therein. The Employee hereby appoints the Employer as his attorney-in-fact to execute on his behalf any assignments or other documents reasonably deemed
necessary by the Employer to protect or perfect its rights to any Inventions. 
 The Employee hereby acknowledges and confirms that he
understands that this assignment of Inventions is limited by California Labor Code Section 2870, which provides: 
 “(a) Any
provision in an employment agreement which provides that an employee shall assign, or offer to assign, any of his or her rights in an invention to his or her employer shall not apply to an invention that the employee developed entirely on his or her
own time without using the employer’s equipment, supplies, facilities, or trade secret information except for those inventions that either: 
 (1) Relate at the time of conception or reduction to practice of the invention to the employer’s business, or actual or demonstrably anticipated research or development of the employer; or 
 (2) Result from any work performed by the employee for the employer. 
 (b) To the extent a provision in an employment agreement purports to require an employee to assign an invention otherwise excluded from being required to
be assigned under subdivision (a), the provision is against the public policy of this state and is unenforceable.” 
 Nothing in this Agreement is
intended to expand the scope of protection provided the Employee by Sections 2870 through 2872 of the California Labor Code. 
  

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 8. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION; NON-INTERFERENCE. (a) The Employee recognizes and
acknowledges that certain assets of the Companies and their respective affiliates, including, without limitation, information regarding customers, pricing policies, methods of operation, proprietary computer programs, sales, profits, costs, markets,
key personnel, technical processes, and trade secrets (hereinafter called “Confidential Information”) are valuable, special, and unique assets of the Companies and their respective affiliates. The Employee shall not, during or after
his term of employment, use or disclose any Confidential Information to any person, firm, corporation, association or any other entity, for any reason or purpose whatsoever, directly or indirectly, except as may be required pursuant to his
employment hereunder or as required by law, unless and until such Confidential Information becomes publicly available other than as a consequence of the breach by the Employee of his confidentiality obligations hereunder. In the event of the
termination of his employment, whether voluntary or involuntary and whether by the Employer or the Employee, the Employee shall deliver to the Employer all documents and data pertaining to the Confidential Information and shall not take with him any
documents or data of any kind or any reproductions (in whole or in part) or extracts of any items relating to any Confidential Information. 
 (b) The Employee further recognizes and acknowledges that the pursuit of the activities forbidden by this subsection (b) would necessarily involve the use and disclosure of Confidential Information in breach of the Employee’s
obligations under this Section 8. To protect against such use, disclosure and breach, and in consideration of the employment under this Agreement, the Employee agrees that for a period of twenty-four (24) months after termination of
employment for any reason, the Employee will not directly or indirectly (including, without limitation, as an employee, consultant or advisor of another business organization or person), (i) solicit, induce, or influence any employee (including
any person the Employee actually knows was offered employment by one of the Companies), consultant, agent, broker or independent contractor of any of the Companies to terminate his or her employment or relationship or change an existing commercial
relationship with any of the Companies or to work for any other business organization or person; (ii) solicit (other than on behalf of any of the Companies), divert, or attempt to divert, the business, or change the existing commercial
relationship, of any client, customer, policyholder or vendor of any of the Companies or (iii) engage in the non-admitted homeowners insurance business with or through Hull & Company, Inc. in any jurisdiction in the United States.

 9. COMPETITIVE ACTIVITY. If the Employee engages in any Competitive Activity during the Severance Period, the
Employee’s right to receive any remaining severance payments under clause (A) or (B) of Sections 6(e)(ii) or 6(e)(iii) hereof shall immediately terminate. The Employee shall be deemed to be engaged in a “Competitive
Activity” if he anywhere within the United States engages, directly or indirectly, alone or as a shareholder (other than as a holder of less than one percent (1%) of the common stock of any publicly traded corporation), partner,
officer, director, employee, consultant or advisor, or otherwise in any way participates in or becomes associated with, any other business organization that is engaged or becomes engaged in the personal lines earthquake insurance business in
California or the homeowners insurance business in any State that any of the Companies is conducting homeowners insurance business at the time of the Employee’s termination or has notified the Employee that it proposes to conduct homeowners
insurance business and for which any of the Companies have, prior to the time of such termination, expended substantial resources. 
  

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 10. GENERAL. 
 (a) Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing or by written telecommunication, and shall be deemed to have been duly given if delivered personally or if mailed by
certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid or sent by written telecommunication, to the relevant address set forth below, or to such other address as the recipient of such notice or communication shall have specified to the other
party hereto in accordance with this Section 10(a): 
 If to the Employer, to: 
 c/o Friedman Fleischer & Lowe, LLC 
 One Maritime Plaza Suite 1000 
 San Francisco, CA 94111 
 Attention: David Lowe Fax: 
 (415) 402-2111 
 and 
 c/o Hellman & Friedman LLC 
 One Maritime Plaza, 12th Floor 
 San
Francisco, CA 94111 
 Attention: David R. Tunnell 
                  Arrie R. Park 
 Fax: (415) 788-0176 
 With a copy to: 
 Bingham McCutchen LLP 
 399 Park Avenue 
 New York, NY 10022 
 Attention: Neil W.
Townsend, Esq. 
 Fax: (212) 752-5378 
 and 
 Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP 
 100 Federal Street, 34th Floor 
 Boston, MA 02110 
 Attention: James Westra, Esq. 
 Fax:
(617) 772-8333 
  

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 If to the Employee, to: 
 Brian T. Sheekey 
 7 Marsala Way 
 Napa, CA 94558 
 Any such notice shall be
effective (i) if delivered personally, when received, (ii) if sent by overnight courier, when receipted for, (iii) if mailed, five (5) days after being mailed as described above, and (iv) if sent by written
telecommunication, when dispatched. 
 (b) Equitable Remedies. The Employee acknowledges and agrees that upon any breach by the
Employee of his obligations under Sections 7 and/or 8 hereof, the Employer will have no adequate remedy at law, and accordingly will be entitled to specific performance and other appropriate injunctive and equitable relief. 
 (c) Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect under any law, the
validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof shall not in any way be affected or impaired. 
 (d)
Waivers. No delay or omission by either party hereto in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder shall impair such right, power or privilege, nor shall any single or partial exercise or any such right, power or privilege
preclude any further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. 
 (e) Withholding. All amounts
payable by the Employer to the Employee hereunder (including, but not limited to, Base Salary, bonus payments (if any) and severance payments (if any)) shall be reduced prior to the delivery of such payment to the Employee by an amount sufficient to
satisfy any applicable federal, state, local or other withholding tax requirements. 
 (f) Counterparts. This Agreement may be
executed in multiple counterparts (including by facsimile), each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. 
 (g) Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs and successors of each of the parties hereto.

 (h) Entire Agreement. This Agreement contains the entire understanding of the parties, supersedes all prior agreements and
understandings relating to the subject matter hereof and shall not be amended except by a written instrument hereafter signed by each of the parties hereto. 
 (i) Governing Law. This Agreement and the performance hereof shall be construed and governed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without reference to applicable principles of
conflicts of law that would mandate the application of the laws of another jurisdiction. 
 [Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank.]

  

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 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto have caused this
Employment Agreement to be duly executed as of the date and year first above written. 
  

			
	GEOVERA HOLDINGS, INC.
		
	 By:
	 	 /s/ Kevin M. Nish

		 	 
		 	 Name: Kevin M. Nish

		 	 Title: President

	
	 /s/ Brian T. Sheekey

	 
	Brian T. Sheekey