EX-10.26



 








Exhibit 10.26




CHANGE OF CONTROL




SEVERANCE AGREEMENT





     THIS AGREEMENT is entered into and effective as of the IPO Date, by and between Ross Winston
(the “Executive”) and SYNACOR, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”). All terms will be as
defined in this Agreement.



     1. Severance Benefits.



     (a) Cash Severance. In the event that the Company experiences a Change of Control during the
Executive’s employment with the Company and the Executive is subject to an Involuntary Termination
in connection with or within twelve (12) months following such Change of Control, then the Company
shall pay the Executive a total amount equal to (a) the Executive’s annual base salary plus (b) the
Executive’s annual target bonus amount. Such annual base salary shall be paid at the rate in effect
at the time of the termination of employment and in accordance with the Company’s standard payroll
procedures over a twelve-month period, commencing on the Company’s first regular payroll date
following the effective date of the general release described in Subsection (d) below. Such
annual target bonus amount shall be paid, based on the annual target bonus amount for the year in
which the termination occurs, and in accordance with the Company’s standard payroll procedures over
a twelve-month period, commencing on the Company’s first regular payroll date following the
effective date of the general release described in Subsection (d) below.



     (b) COBRA Premiums. The Executive will receive information about the Executive’s right to
continue his or her group health insurance coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act (“COBRA”) after the effective date of the Involuntary Termination. In order to
continue the Executive’s coverage, the Executive must timely file the required election form. The
Company will pay the monthly premium under COBRA for the Executive and, if applicable, the
Executive’s dependents for a twelve-month period following the effective date of the Involuntary
Termination.



     (c) Vesting
Acceleration. In the event that the Company experiences a Change of Control
during the Executive’s service with the Company and the Executive is subject to an Involuntary
Termination in connection with or within twelve (12) months following such Change of Control, then
the Executive will become vested in an additional number of unvested shares of the Company’s Common
Stock, Company options or other Company equity that have been granted to the Executive, as
applicable, as if the Executive provided another twelve (12) months of service with the Company
following the effective date of the Involuntary Termination. In no event will the Executive become
vested in more Company equity than was originally issued or granted to the Executive.



     (d) General Release. Any other provision of this Agreement notwithstanding, Subsections
(a), (b) and (c) above shall not apply unless the Executive (i) has returned



 









 







all Company
property in the Executive’s possession, (ii) has executed a general release of all claims that the
Executive may have against the Company or persons affiliated with the Company and (iii) has
resigned from the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) or the board of directors of any of
the Company’s subsidiaries, to the extent applicable. The release must be in the form
prescribed by the Company, without alterations. The Company will deliver the form to the
Executive within 30 days after the Executive’s employment terminates. The Executive must execute
the release within the period set forth in the prescribed form.



     (e) Mandatory Deferral of Payments. If the Company determines that
the Executive is a “specified employee” under Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), when the Executive’s employment terminates, then (i) the
payments under Subsections l(a) and l(b) above to the extent not exempt from Section 409A of the
Code, will commence on the earliest practicable date that occurs more than six months after the
termination of the Executive’s employment and (ii) the installments that otherwise would have been
paid during the first six months after the termination of the Executive’s employment will be paid
in a lump sum on the first day of the seventh month after the termination of the Executive’s
employment.



     (f) Non-competition. For the period of 12 months immediately following
the effective date of the Involuntary Termination, the Executive will not directly or indirectly
act in Any Capacity (as defined herein) in or with respect to any commercial activity which
competes or is reasonably likely to compete with any business that the Company conducts, or
demonstrably anticipates conducting, at any time during the Executive’s employment with the
Company (a “Competing Business”) if the Competing Business is located within the State of New
York, the rest of the United States, or anywhere else in the world. “Any Capacity” includes,
without limitation, to (i) be an owner, founder, shareholder, partner, member, advisor, director,
consultant, contractor, agent, employee, affiliate or co-venturer, (ii) otherwise invest, engage
or participate in, (iii) be compensated by or (iv) prepare to be or do any of the foregoing or
assist any third party to do so; provided, Any Capacity will not include being a holder of
less than one percent (1%) of the outstanding equity of a public company.



     2. Definitions.



     (a) Definition of “Cause.” For all purposes under this Agreement,
“Cause” means: (i) the Executive’s willful failure substantially to perform his or her duties and
responsibilities to the Company or deliberate violation of a Company policy; (ii) the Executive’s
commission of any act of fraud, embezzlement, dishonesty or any other willful misconduct that has
caused or is reasonably expected to result in material injury to the Company; (iii) unauthorized
use or disclosure by the Executive of any proprietary information or trade secrets of the Company
or any other party to whom the Executive owes an obligation of nondisclosure as a result of his or
her relationship with the Company; or (iv) the Executive’s willful breach of any of his or her
obligations under any written agreement or covenant with the Company. The determination as to
whether the Executive is being terminated for Cause shall be made in good faith by the Company and
shall be final and binding on the Executive. The foregoing definition does not in any way limit the
Company’s ability to terminate the Executive’s employment at any time, with or without Cause or
notice.



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     (b) Definition of “Change of Control.” For all purposes under this
Agreement, “Change of Control” shall mean:




(i) The consummation of any merger or consolidation of the
Company with or into another corporation other than a merger or
consolidation in which the holders of more than 50% of the shares of
capital stock of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such
transaction continue to hold (either by the voting securities remaining
outstanding or by their being converted into voting securities of the
surviving entity) more than 50% of the total voting power represented by
the voting securities of the Company, or such surviving entity, outstanding
immediately after such transaction;




(ii) The sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all
of the Company’s assets;

(iii) A change in the composition of the Board, as a result of which
fewer than 50% of the incumbent directors are directors who either:



     (A) Had been directors of the Company on the date 24
months prior to the date of such change in the composition of
the Board (the “Original Directors”); or



     (B) Were appointed to the Board, or nominated for
election to the Board, with the affirmative votes of at least
a majority of the aggregate of (A) the Original Directors who
were in office at the time of their appointment or
nomination and (B) the directors whose appointment or
nomination was previously approved in a manner consistent
with this Paragraph (B); or




     (iv) Any transaction as a result of which any person is the
“beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended), directly or indirectly, of securities of the
Company representing at least 50% of the total voting power represented by
the Company’s then outstanding voting securities. For purposes of this
Subsection (iv), the term “person” shall have the same meaning as when used
in sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, but shall exclude (i) a trustee or other fiduciary holding
securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company and (ii)a
corporation owned directly or indirectly by the stockholders of the Company
in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the common stock
of the Company.



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     A transaction shall not constitute a Change of Control if its sole purpose is to change the
state of the Company’s incorporation or to create a holding company that will be owned in
substantially the same proportions by the persons who held the Company’s securities immediately
before such transaction.



     (c) Definition of “Involuntary Termination.” For all purposes under this Agreement,
“Involuntary Termination” means termination of the Executive’s service to the Company under the
following circumstances: (i) termination without Cause by the Company; or (ii) voluntary
termination by the Executive within 60 days following (A) a material reduction in the Executive’s
job responsibilities, provided that neither a mere change in title alone nor reassignment following
a Change of Control to a position that is substantially similar to the position held prior to the
Change of Control shall constitute a material reduction in job responsibilities; (B) relocation by
the Company of the Executive’s work site to a facility or location more than 50 miles from the
Executive’s principal work site for the Company at the time of the Change of Control; or (C) a
reduction in the Executive’s then-current base salary by at least 10%, provided that an
across-the-board reduction in the salary level of all other employees in positions similar to the
Executive’s by the same percentage amount as part of a general salary level reduction shall not
constitute such a salary reduction. Prior to a voluntary termination as defined in this
Subsection, the Executive must provide the Company with written notice within fifteen (15) days of
the initial existence of (A), (B) or (C) above and the Company will have 30 days after its receipt
of such written notice to cure (A), (B) or (C).



     (d) Definition of “IPO Date.” For all purposes under this Agreement, “IPO Date” means the
effective date of the registration statement filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange
Commission for its initial offering of its Common Stock to the public.



     3. Successors.



     (a) Company’s Successors. The Company shall require any successor (whether direct or
indirect and whether by purchase, lease, merger, consolidation, liquidation or otherwise) to all or
substantially all of the Company’s business and/or assets, by an agreement in substance and form
satisfactory to the Executive, to assume this Agreement and to agree expressly to perform this
Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent as the Company would be required to perform it
in the absence of a succession. For all purposes under this Agreement, the term “Company” shall
include any successor to the Company’s business and/or assets or which becomes bound by this
Agreement by operation of law.



     (b) Executive’s Successors. This Agreement and all rights of the Executive hereunder shall
inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by, the Executive’s personal or legal representatives,
executors, administrators, successors, heirs, distributees, devisees and legatees.



     4. Miscellaneous Provisions.



     (a) Other Severance Arrangements. In the event that the Executive is
eligible to receive severance benefits under this Agreement and another agreement between the




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Executive and the Company (each, an “Alternative Agreement”), the Executive will be entitled to
the severance benefits under this Agreement or the Alternative Agreement, whichever provides the
greatest benefits to the Executive with respect to each type of severance benefit, such as cash
payments, COBRA premiums and vesting acceleration. In no event shall the Executive be entitled to
severance benefits under both this Agreement and an Alternative Agreement with respect to the same
type of severance benefit. For example, if an event occurred that triggered the severance benefits
under this Agreement and full vesting acceleration under the Executive’s stock option agreement,
then the Executive would still receive the benefits described in Sections l(a) and l(b) of this
Agreement and the full vesting acceleration under the Executive’s stock option agreement. For the
avoidance of doubt, if an event triggered the severance benefits under this Agreement and an
Alternative Agreement that provided for six months of base salary as a severance benefit, then the
Executive would be entitled to the cash payments under Sections l(a) and l(b) of this Agreement
but not the six months of base salary under the Alternative Agreement because with respect
to cash payments, this Agreement provided greater benefits.




     (b) Notice. Notices and all other communications contemplated by this Agreement shall be in
writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when personally delivered or when mailed by
U.S. registered or certified mail, return receipt requested and postage prepaid or deposited with
Federal Express Corporation, with shipping charges prepaid. In the case of the Executive, mailed
notices shall be addressed to him or her at the home address which he or she most recently
communicated to the Company in writing. In the case of the Company, mailed notices shall be
addressed to its corporate headquarters, and all notices shall be directed to the attention of its
Secretary.



     (c) Waiver. No provision of this Agreement shall be modified, waived or discharged unless the
modification, waiver or discharge is agreed to in writing and signed by the Executive and by an
authorized officer of the Company (other than the Executive). No waiver by either party of any
breach of, or of compliance with, any condition or provision of this Agreement by the other party
shall be. considered a waiver of any other condition or provision or of the same condition or
provision at another time.



     (d) Withholding Taxes. All payments made under this Agreement shall be subject to reduction
to reflect taxes or other charges required to be withheld by law.



     (e) Severabiliity. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision or provisions of this
Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision hereof, which
shall remain in full force and effect.



     (f) No Retention Rights. Nothing in this Agreement shall confer upon the Executive any right
to continue in service for any period of specific duration or interfere with or otherwise restrict
in any way the rights of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company or of the Executive, which
rights are hereby expressly reserved by each, to terminate his or her service at any time and for
any reason, with or without Cause.




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     (g) Choice of Law. The validity, interpretation, construction and
performance of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York (other than
their choice-of-law provisions).



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     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has executed this Agreement, in the case of the
Company by its duly authorized officer, as of the day and year first above written.



	 	 	 	 	 
	 

	/s/ Ross Winston	 	 
	 

	 

Ross Winston, CTO
	 	 
	 

	 	 

	 	 
	 
	 	 	 	 
	 

	SYNACOR, INC.	 	 
	 
	 	 	 	 
	 

	By: /s/ Ronald Frankel	 	 
	 

	 	 

	 	 
	 

	 

Title: President & CEO
	 	 
	 

	 	 

	 	 







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