EX-10.1



 







Exhibit 10.1









EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

DR. MICHAEL DAMASK




EMPLOYEE NON-DISCLOSURE, NON-SOLICITATION AND

ASSIGNMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AGREEMENT




     In consideration and as a condition of my employment or continued employment by EpiCept
Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and of the compensation to be paid to me, and
in recognition of the fact that as an employee of the Company I will or may have access to
confidential information as of July 17, 2006, I agree with the Company as follows:



1. Performance; Prior Obligations.




          (a) I agree to perform my assigned duties diligently, conscientiously, and with reasonable
skill, and shall comply with all rules, procedures and standards promulgated from time to time by
the Company with regard to my conduct and my access to and use of the Company’s property, equipment
and facilities. Among such rules, procedures and standards are those governing ethical and other
professional standards for dealing with customers, government agencies, vendors, competitors,
consultants, fellow employees, and the public-at-large, security provisions designed to protect
Company property and the personal security of Company employees, rules respecting attendance,
punctuality, and hours of work, and rules and procedures designed to protect the confidentiality of
proprietary information. The Company agrees to make reasonable efforts to inform me of such rules,
standards and procedures as are in effect from time to time.



          (b) I hereby represent, warrant and agree (i) that I have the full right to enter into this
Agreement and perform the services required of me hereunder, without any restriction whatsoever;
(ii) that in the course of performing services hereunder, I will not violate the terms or
conditions of any agreement between me and any third party or infringe or wrongfully appropriate
any patents, copyrights, trade secrets or other intellectual property rights of any person or
entity anywhere in the world; (iii) that I have not and will not disclose or use during my
employment by the Company any confidential information that I acquired as a result of any previous
employment or consulting arrangement or under a previous obligation of confidentiality; and (iv)
that I have disclosed to the Company in writing any and all continuing obligations to previous
employers or others that require me not to disclose any information to the Company.



1









 





     2. Compensation and Severance Pay.



          (a) During the period of my employment by the Company, the Company shall pay me a gross annual
salary of $240,000, payable in equal, bimonthly installments. I shall be eligible to participate in
all of the Company’s current employee benefits plans. I shall accrue vacation days at the rate of
13.34 days per full month of employment.



          (b) In the event that my employment by the Company is terminated by the Company without cause
after one year of service, then I shall receive severance pay of six (6) months, calculated on the
basis of my then gross annual salary, which shall be payable within forty-five (45) days after the
effective date of my termination; provided, however, that payment of the
aforementioned severance pay is contingent upon my execution of a general release in favor of the
Company and its officers, directors, shareholders and other authorized agents and representatives,
as well as its subsidiaries, affiliated entities, successors and assigns. If employment is
terminated by the Company after six months of service, but before one year, then I shall receive
three (3) months of severance.



          (c) I will be eligible to receive 100,000 common stock options, at an exercise price equal to
the closing market price on July 17, 2006. Such options will vest monthly over 4 years and subject
to the terms and conditions of the EpiCept Corporation Stock Option Plan.



          (d) I will be eligible for a target bonus of up to 25% of base salary, based upon achievement
of defined milestones.



     3. Confidential Information. While employed by the Company and thereafter, I shall not,
directly or indirectly, use any Confidential Information (as hereinafter defined) other than
pursuant to my employment by and for the benefit of the Company, or disclose any Confidential
Information to anyone outside of the Company, whether by private communication, public address,
publication or otherwise, or disclose any Confidential Information to anyone within the Company who
has not been authorized to receive such information, except as directed in writing by an authorized
representative of the Company. The term “Confidential Information” as used throughout this
Agreement shall mean all trade secrets, proprietary information, know-how, data, designs,
specifications, processes, customer lists and other technical or business information (and any
tangible evidence, record or representation thereof), whether prepared, conceived or developed by
an employee of the Company (including myself) or received by the Company from an outside source,
which is in the possession of the Company (whether or not the property of the Company), which in
any way relates to the present or future business of the Company, which is maintained in confidence
by the Company, or which might permit the Company or its customers to obtain a competitive
advantage over competitors who do not have access to such trade secrets, proprietary information,
or other data or information. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Confidential
Information shall include:



          (a) any idea, improvement, invention, innovation, development, technical data, design,
formula, device, pattern, concept, art, method, process, machine, manufacturing method, composition
of matter, computer program, software, firmware, source code, object code, algorithm, subroutine,
object module, schematic, model, diagram, flow chart, chip masking specification, user



2









 







manual, training or service manual, product specification, plan for a new or revised product,
compilation of information, or work in process, and any and all revisions and improvements relating
to any of the foregoing (in each case whether or not reduced to tangible form); and



          (b) the name of any employee, consultant, customer or prospective customer, or any other
customer or prospective customer information, any sales plan, marketing material, plan or survey,
business plan or opportunity, product or development plan or specification, business proposal,
financial record, or business record or other record or information relating to the present or
proposed business of the Company or any customer.



     Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term Confidential Information shall not apply to
information which the Company has voluntarily disclosed to the public without restriction, or which
has otherwise lawfully entered the public domain.



     I understand that the Company from time to time has in its possession information which is
claimed by customers and others to be proprietary and which the Company has agreed to keep
confidential. I agree that all such information shall be Confidential Information for purposes of
this Agreement.



     4. Ownership and Assignment of Intellectual Property. I agree that all originals and all
copies of all manuscripts, drawings, prints, manuals, diagrams, letters, notes, notebooks, reports,
models, records, files, memoranda, plans, sketches and all other documents and materials
containing, representing, evidencing, recording, or constituting any Confidential Information (as
defined in Section 3 above), however and whenever produced (whether by myself or others) during the
course of my employment, shall be the sole property of the Company.



     I agree that all Confidential Information and all other discoveries, inventions, ideas,
specifications, designs, concepts, research and other information, processes, products, methods and
improvements, or parts thereof conceived, developed, or otherwise made by me, alone or jointly with
others and in any way relating to the Company’s present or proposed products, programs or services
or to tasks assigned to me during the course of my employment, whether or not patentable or subject
to copyright protection and whether or not reduced to tangible form or reduced to practice, during
the period of my employment with the Company, whether or not made during my regular working hours,
and whether or not made on the Company’s premises, and whether or not disclosed by me to the
Company (hereinafter referred to as “Intellectual Property”) together with all products or services
which embody or emulate any Intellectual Property shall be the sole property of the Company.



     I agree to, and hereby do, assign to the Company all my right, title and interest throughout
the world in and to all Intellectual Property and to anything tangible which evidences,
incorporates, constitutes, represents or records any Intellectual Property. I agree that all
Intellectual Property shall constitute works made for hire under the copyright laws of the United
States and hereby assign and, to the extent any such assignment cannot be made at present, I hereby
agree to assign to the Company all copyrights, patents and other proprietary rights I may have in
any Intellectual Property, together with the right to file for and/or own wholly without
restriction United States and foreign patents, trademarks, and copyrights. I agree to waive, and
hereby waive, all moral rights or



3









 







proprietary rights in or to any Intellectual Property and, to the extent that such rights may
not be waived, agree not to assert such rights against the Company or its licensees, successors or
assigns.



     I hereby certify Exhibit A sets forth any and all confidential information and
intellectual property that I claim as my own or otherwise intend to exclude from this Agreement
because it was developed by me prior to the date of this Agreement. I understand that after
execution of this Agreement I shall have no right to exclude Confidential Information or
Intellectual Property from this Agreement.



     5. Employee’s Obligation to Keep Records. I shall make and maintain adequate and current
written records of all Intellectual Property, including notebooks and invention disclosures, which
records shall be available to and remain the property of the Company at all times. I shall disclose
all Intellectual Property promptly, fully and in writing to the Company immediately upon production
or development of the same and at any time upon request.



     6. Employee’s Obligation to Cooperate. I will, at any time during my employment, or after it
terminates, upon request of the Company, execute all documents and perform all lawful acts which
the Company considers necessary or advisable to secure its rights hereunder and to carry out the
intent of this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, I will assist the
Company in any reasonable manner to obtain for its own benefit patents or copyrights in any and all
countries with respect to all Intellectual Property assigned pursuant to Section 4, and I will
execute, when requested, patent and other applications and assignments thereof to the Company, or
persons designated by it, and any other lawful documents deemed necessary by the Company to carry
out the purposes of this Agreement, and I will further assist the Company in every way to enforce
any patents and copyrights obtained, including, without limitation, testifying in any suit or
proceeding involving any of said patents or copyrights or executing any documents deemed necessary
by the Company, all without further consideration than provided for herein. It is understood that
reasonable out-of-pocket expenses of my assistance incurred at the request of the Company under
this Section will be reimbursed by the Company.



     7. Non-Competition. During my employment with the Company I shall devote my full working
time, skill, energy and efforts to the Company. During my employment with the Company I shall not,
on my own behalf, or as owner, manager, stockholder, consultant, director, officer, or employee of
any business entity (except as a holder of not more than one (1%) percent of the stock of a
publicly held company) participate, directly or indirectly, in any capacity, in any business
activity that is in competition with the Company.



     During my employment with the Company and for a period of one year after the termination of my
employment with the Company for any reason, I shall not (i) solicit, induce, attempt to hire, or
hire any employee of the Company (or any person who may have been employed by the Company during
the term of my employment with the Company), or assist in such hiring by any other person or
business entity or encourage any such employee to terminate his or her employment with the Company
or (ii) solicit any customer of the Company in connection with any service or business that is
competitive with any service or business in which the Company is at that time engaged.



4









 





     8. Return of Property. Upon termination of my employment with the Company, or at any other
time upon request of the Company, I shall return promptly any and all customer or prospective
customer lists, other customer or prospective customer information or related materials, computer
programs, software, electronic data, specifications, drawings, blueprints, data storage devices,
reproductions, sketches, notes, notebooks, memoranda, reports, records, proposals, business plans,
or copies of them, other documents or materials, tools, equipment, or other property belonging to
the Company or its customers which I may then possess or have under my control. I further agree
that upon termination of my employment I shall not take with me any documents or data in any form
or of any description containing or pertaining to Confidential Information or Intellectual
Property.



     9. Other Obligations. I acknowledge that the Company from time to time may have agreements
with other persons, including the government of the United States or other countries and agencies
thereof, which impose obligations or restrictions on the Company regarding inventions made during
the course of work thereunder or regarding the confidential nature of such work. I agree to be
bound by all such obligations and restrictions and to take all action necessary to discharge the
obligations of the Company thereunder.



     10. Miscellaneous



          (a) This Agreement contains the entire and only agreement between me and the Company with
respect to the subject matter hereof, superseding any previous oral or written communications,
representations, understandings, or agreements with the Company or any officer or representative
hereof. In the event of any inconsistency between this Agreement and any other contract between me
and the Company, the provisions of this Agreement shall prevail.



          (b) My obligations under this Agreement shall survive the termination of my employment with
the Company regardless of the manner of or reasons for such termination, and regardless of whether
such termination constitutes a breach of any other agreement I may have with the Company. My
obligations under this Agreement shall be binding upon my heirs, assigns, executors, administrators
and representatives, and the provisions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be
binding on the successors and assigns of the Company.



          (c) If any provision of this Agreement shall be determined to be unenforceable by any court
of competent jurisdiction by reason of its extending for too great a period of time or over too
large a geographic area or over too great a range of activities, it shall be interpreted to extend
only over the maximum period of time, geographic area or range of activities as to which it may be
enforceable. If, after application of the immediately preceding sentence, any provision of this
Agreement shall be determined to be invalid, illegal or otherwise unenforceable by any court of
competent jurisdiction, the validity, legality and enforceability of the other provisions of this
Agreement shall not be affected thereby. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, any
invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision of this Agreement shall be severable, and after any
such severance, all other provisions hereof shall remain in full force and effect.



          (d) I acknowledge and agree that violation of this Agreement by me would cause irreparable
harm to the Company not adequately compensable by money damages alone, and I



5









 







therefore agree that,
in addition to all other remedies available to the Company at law, in equity or
otherwise, the Company shall be entitled to injunctive relief to prevent an actual or
threatened violation of this Agreement and to enforce the provisions hereof, without showing or
proving any actual damage to the Company or posting any bond in connection therewith.



          (e) No failure by the Company to insist upon strict compliance with any of the terms,
covenants, or conditions hereof, and no delay or omission by the Company in exercising any right
under this Agreement, will operate as a waiver of such terms, covenants, conditions or rights. A
waiver or consent given by the Company on any one occasion is effective only in that instance and
will not be construed as a bar to or waiver of any right on any other occasion.



          (f) This Agreement may not be changed, modified, released, discharged, abandoned, or
otherwise amended, in whole or in part, except by an instrument in writing signed by me and the
Company.



          (g) This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the
laws of the State of New York, without regard to its principles of conflicts of laws. This
Agreement is executed under seal.



6









 




BY PLACING MY SIGNATURE HEREUNDER, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I HAVE READ ALL THE PROVISIONS OF THIS
EMPLOYEE NON-DISCLOSURE, NON-COMPETITION AND
ASSIGNMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AGREEMENT AND THAT I AGREE TO ALL OF ITS TERMS.




	 	 	 	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	EMPLOYEE:
	 
	 	 	 	 
	Date: July 12, 2006
	 	 	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	/s/ Dr. Michael Damask
	 

	 	 	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	Employee’s Signature

Dr. Michael Damask

EpiCept Corporation

270 Sylvan Avenue

Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
	 
	 	 	 	 
	 
	 	 	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	Accepted and Agreed:
	 
	 	 	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	EPICEPT CORPORATION
	 
	 	 	 	 
	 
	 	 	 	 
	Date: July 12, 2006

	 	By:
	 	/s/ John V. Talley
	 

	 	 	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	Name: John V. Talley
Title: CEO






7









 





EXHIBIT A




Excluded Confidential Information and Intellectual Property




[TO BE PROVIDED BY DR. MICHAEL DAMASK]





8