Document:

exv10w1

 

September 13, 2005

John F. O’Brien, Lead Director

The TJX Companies, Inc.

770 Cochituate Road

Framingham, MA 01701

Re:      Resignation

Dear Jack:

By this letter I am resigning as President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of The TJX
Companies, Inc. (the “Company”), effective immediately. I also hereby resign, effective
immediately, all officer and other positions, including as a member of fiduciary and other
committees, with the Company, the Company’s subsidiaries and The TJX Foundation, Inc. As you and I
discussed, my resignations are subject to the Company’s agreement that my resignation as President
and Chief Executive Officer of the Company will be treated for all purposes of my employment
agreement with the Company dated as of June 3, 2003 (my “Agreement”), other than for purposes of
Section 8 of my Agreement, as though I had been involuntarily terminated by the Company other than
for cause. I agree that for purposes of Section 8 of my Agreement (“Agreement Not To Solicit Or
Compete”) I will be treated as having ended my employment voluntarily other than for “Valid Reason”
(as that term is defined in my Agreement). I also agree that in Section 8(b) of my Agreement, the
words “off-price family apparel and/or home furnishings” are hereby replaced wherever they appear
with the words “off-price apparel, footwear, jewelry, accessories, home furnishings and/or home
fashions” and that the words “on-line, “e-commerce”” are hereby replaced wherever they appear with
the words “on-line, catalog, “e-commerce””. I also agree that I will not disparage the Company or
any of its employees, officers, directors or agents in communications with third parties.

Following my resignation, in addition to the benefits owed to me under my Agreement as modified by
the preceding paragraph, the Company will pay to me a lump sum payment of $1.5 million, less
applicable withholdings. That amount will be paid to me (or, if I should die, to my estate) on the
date I attain or would have attained age 55.

Also as we discussed, in view of the fact that regulations have not yet been issued clarifying
certain aspects of recently enacted legislation regulating “nonqualified deferred compensation,”
and notwithstanding the payment timing provisions set forth in my Agreement, the Company will
cooperate with me and make reasonable efforts to adjust the timing of any payments owed to me under
my Agreement or this letter agreement to avoid to the extent possible any additional tax that might
otherwise be owed by me under those “nonqualified deferred compensation” rules with respect to
those payments.

Although upon my resignation I will cease to be employed by the Company, I would be happy to
arrange to consult with the acting President and CEO, as he may request,

 

 

consistent with my availability and other commitments, to promote a smooth transition of my duties.

If the Company agrees to these terms, please so indicate by executing this letter agreement in the
space indicated below, whereupon my resignations will take effect on the terms indicated above.

/s/ Edmond J. English                     

Edmond J. English

The Company agrees to the terms

hereinabove specified, effective as of

the date of this letter agreement.

THE TJX COMPANIES, INC.

/s/ John F. O’Brien
                    

By: John F. O’Brien, Lead Director

-2-exv10w1

 

Exhibit 10.1

September 15, 2005

Charles Berger

Dear Charles,

I am pleased to extend you an offer of employment with ScanSoft, Inc. (“ScanSoft”) on the terms set
forth in this letter, contingent on the closing of the acquisition of Nuance Communications
(“Nuance”) by ScanSoft (the “Merger”). If you accept the terms of this offer letter, your
employment with ScanSoft will commence immediately following the Closing Date, concurrent with the
termination of your employment with Nuance. As part of a corporate reorganization associated with
the acquisition of Nuance, your employment with ScanSoft will terminate on December 15, 2005 or
such earlier date as ScanSoft may determine (the “Termination Date”). This letter agreement will
become effective at the Effective Time of the Merger.

During the period from the date the Merger is consummated (the “Closing Date”) through the
Termination Date (the “Transition Period”), you will be employed by ScanSoft and asked to assist
with specific integration activities to ensure the success of the acquisition and allow for an
orderly transition of your duties.

You will be appointed to serve as a member of the ScanSoft Board of Directors as of the Closing
Date. You understand that you will not be eligible to receive an initial option grant upon your
appointment to the Board of Directors and you will not be eligible to receive an annual option
grant made to members of the Board of Directors, if applicable, until January, 2007, at the
earliest. Provided you are otherwise eligible, you will be entitled to receive regular Board of
Directors fees beginning after the Termination Date and the annual cash retainer beginning in July,
2006.

During the Transition Period, your base salary will continue to be $11,458.33, paid on a
semi-monthly basis, which annualized is $275.000.00. You will also be paid an enhanced severance
incentive of 100% of your current annual target incentive bonus (which is $178,750.00), prorated to
reflect the Transition Period (the “Pro-rated Target Bonus”), if you continue to use reasonable
efforts to complete and successfully achieve the duties assigned to you by ScanSoft during the
Transition Period. The Pro-Rated Target Bonus will be payable to you on the Termination Date.

You will be granted shares of restricted stock of ScanSoft covering that number of shares of
ScanSoft common stock having an aggregate value of $250,000 based on the closing market price of
ScanSoft common stock on the first day of your ScanSoft employment. The restricted stock award
will vest upon termination of your employment in recognition of your accomplishments of the
following transition goals: (i) completion of integration, including financial processes and
systems, research and development and sales functions, (ii) streamlining of the entity/subsidiary
structures, (iii) assurance of cost synergies, and (iv) joint work with Paul Ricci to solidify
directory assistance strategy and execution.

 

 

You will also continue to vest in your unvested Nuance options during the Transition Period and
during your tenure with the Board of Directors of ScanSoft that are assumed in connection with the
Merger at the same rate (after taking into account the option exchange ratio provided for in the
Merger Agreement (as defined below) at which your Nuance options vested prior to the Merger,
subject to your continued employment and service as a director with ScanSoft. For example, if you
vested as to 8,000 shares per month with respect to your Nuance options before the Merger, you will
continue to vest as to the same number of shares per month following the Merger, but such number
will be adjusted to reflect the option exchange ratio provided for in the Merger Agreement (as
defined below).

As a full-time employee during your transition, you will be eligible for our comprehensive benefits
package, as communicated. Please note that the Nuance medical, dental, and flexible spending plans
will remain in effect through December 31, 2005, after which time the new programs will be
communicated and your eligibility for enrollment will occur. The new programs will provide
benefits in accordance with the terms set forth in the Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among
ScanSoft, Nova Acquisition LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of
ScanSoft, and Nuance Communications, Inc, a Delaware corporation, dated as of May 9, 2005 (the
“Merger Agreement”).

Additionally, in connection with your employment by ScanSoft, you and ScanSoft agree to the
following schedule for payments of benefits that become payable to you pursuant to the employment
agreement between you and Nuance dated March 31, 2003, as amended May 6, 2005, (“Employment
Agreement”):

	 	•	 	Accelerated vesting of outstanding Nuance stock options or stock purchase rights
pursuant to Section 3.9(b) or 4.3(a) of the Employment Agreement will occur at the
Effective Time of the Merger, on the condition that you deliver a signed and effective
general release of claims, in the form provided to you by ScanSoft and attached hereto as
Exhibit A, and enter into a post-termination non-solicitation agreement.
	 
	 	•	 	The cash severance payable pursuant to Section 4.3(a) of the Employment Agreement will
be paid in a lump sum on the first payroll date following the date your signed general
release described in the preceding sentence cannot be revoked. You will also be entitled
to ScanSoft-paid insurance coverage following the Termination Date pursuant to Section
4.3of the Employment Agreement.

During the Transition Period, you will continue to perform services at your current principal place
of employment, subject to normal business travel as may be required from time to time. The terms
of your Employment Agreement remain unchanged except to the extent expressly modified pursuant to
this letter agreement.

ScanSoft is an employment-at-will employer, and this means that either you or ScanSoft are free to
terminate your employment at any time for any reason. Each Employee Proprietary Information and
Inventions Agreement in effect during your employment with Nuance shall carry forward in the new
organization. If you have further questions regarding our offer of employment, the transition
process or benefit programs please contact Erin DeStefano, Manager of Organizational Planning &
Integration, at 781-565-5308.

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

 

Please indicate your acceptance of this offer by signing and returning this offer letter to me no
later than 8:00pm EST on September 15, 2005.

Accepted
and Agreed: /s/ Charles W. Berger              

Date: September 16,
2005              

Sincerely,

Dawn Fournier

Vice President of Human Resources

			
	cc:	 	Employee File

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