Document:

Exhibit 10.1

 

SPORT-HALEY, INC.

_____________________________________

 

WRITTEN CONSENT IN LIEU OF MEETING OF THE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

_____________________________________

 

We, the

undersigned, being all of the members of the Board of Directors of Sport-Haley,

Inc., a Colorado corporation (the “Corporation”), do hereby vote for, adopt,

approve and consent to the following resolutions and actions contemplated

thereby, it being our understanding and intention that the execution of this

written consent shall have the same effect as if a meeting of the Board of

Directors had been properly called pursuant to notice and all directors had

been present and voted in favor of the resolutions presented herein:

 

WHEREAS, this

Corporation’s directors previously approved, and this Corporation’s

shareholders approved on February 14, 1997, an Amended and Restated 1993 Stock

Option Plan (the “Plan”) as described in the Proxy Statement dated January 3,

1997 (the “Proxy Statement:); and

 

WHEREAS, Section 15

of the Plan provides that “The Board of Directors shall have the authority to

amend the Plan from time to time without shareholder approval, provided

however, that the adoption of any such amendment shall be permitted by Rule

16b-3.  Rights and obligations under any

Award granted before any amendment of the Plan shall not be materially altered

or impaired adversely by such amendment, except with consent of the person to

whom the Award was granted.”; and

 

WHEREAS, the Board

of Directors deems it advisable to amend the Plan to make provision for the

acceleration of the vesting of the periods in which the options granted under

the Plan are exercisable;

 

WHEREAS, adoption of

an amendment to Plan to include such provision will not materially alter or

impair adversely any rights and obligations under any Award granted prior to

the date hereof; now, therefore, be it

 

RESOLVED, that this

Corporation’s Amended and Restated 1993 Stock Option Plan be amended by adding

a new section as follows:

 

Section 3. 

Administration

 

A.  The Plan shall be administered by the

Committee.  The Committee shall have the

authority to:

 . . .

(viii)  accelerate the vesting or exercisability of

an option granted pursuant to the Plan.

 

RESOLVED, that any

and all actions heretofore taken and any and all documents,

 

1

 

instruments,

certificates or instructions (however characterized or described) heretofore

executed and delivered or filed and recorded, as the case may be, on behalf of

this Corporation by the officers of this Corporation in order to carry into effect

the purposes and intent of the foregoing resolutions or the transactions

contemplated therein or thereby be, and the same hereby are, in all respects

ratified, confirmed and approved; and finally

 

RESOLVED, that the

proper officers of this Corporation be, and each of them, hereby is,

authorized, empowered and directed to take any and all such actions and to

execute, deliver, file and record, as the case may be, any and all such

documents, instruments, certificates or instructions (however characterized or

described) as they or any of them may deem necessary or advisable to carry into

effect the purposes and intent of the foregoing resolutions or the transactions

contemplated therein or thereby, as shall be evidenced conclusively by the

taking of such actions or the execution, delivery, filing and recording, as the

case may be, of such documents, instruments, certificates or instructions.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF,

the undersigned, being all of the members of the Board of Directors of this

Corporation, have hereunto set their hands on the date set forth below, the

resolutions contained herein to be effective as of January 17, 2003.

 

 

	

  /s/Robert G.

  Tomlinson

  	

   

  	

  /s/Ronald J.

  Norick

  	

   

  
	

  Robert

  G. Tomlinson

  	

   

  	

  Ronald

  J. Norick

  	

   

  
	

   

  	

   

  	

   

  
	

   

  	

   

  	

   

  
	

  /s/Kevin M.

  Tomlinson

  	

   

  	

  /s/James H.

  Everest

  	

   

  
	

  Kevin

  M. Tomlinson

  	

   

  	

  James

  H. Everest

  	

   

  
	

   

  	

   

  	

   

  
	

   

  	

   

  	

   

  
	

  /s/Robert W.

  Haley

  	

   

  	

   

  
	

  Robert W.

  Haley

  	

   

  	

   

  
	

   

  	

   

  	

   

  
	

   

  	

   

  	

   

  
	

  /s/Mark J.

  Stevenson

  	

   

  	

   

  
	

  Mark J.

  Stevenson

  	

   

  	

   

  

 

2

SPORT-HALEY, INC.

_____________________________________

 

WRITTEN CONSENT IN LIEU OF MEETING OF THE BOARD

OF DIRECTORS

______________________________________

 

We, the

undersigned, being all of the members of the Board of Directors of Sport-Haley,

Inc., a Colorado corporation (the “Corporation”), do hereby vote for, adopt,

approve and consent to the following resolutions and actions contemplated

thereby, it being our understanding and intention that the execution of this

written consent shall have the same effect as if a meeting of the Board of

Directors had been properly called pursuant to notice and all directors had

been present and voted in favor of the resolutions presented herein:

 

WHEREAS,

this Corporation’s directors previously approved, and this Corporation’s

shareholders approved on February 14, 1997, an Amended and Restated 1993 Stock

Option Plan (the “Plan”) as described in the Proxy Statement dated January 3,

1997 (the “Proxy Statement”); and

 

WHEREAS,

for at least the last three fiscal years, the summary of the Plan contained in

the Company’s annual reports on Form 10-K or 10-KSB, as the case may be, filed

with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), has stated that the

non-qualified options authorized to be granted to employees, consultants and

non-employee directors must have an exercise price of not less than 85% of the

fair market price of the Company’s common stock;

 

WHEREAS,

the Summary of the Plan contained in the Proxy Statement stated that the

exercise price of all nonqualified stock options granted under the Plan shall

be determined by the Compensation Committee, but shall not be less than 85% of

the fair market value of the Common Stock;

 

WHEREAS,

the Plan, as amended, provides that non-qualified options may be granted to

non-employee directors at an exercise price of equal to 100% of the fair market

value of the Company’s underlying common stock on the date of grant, and to

consultants at an exercise price of not less than 100% of the fair market value

of the Company’s underlying common stock on the date of grant;

 

WHEREAS,

non-qualified options have been granted under the Plan on the following

occasions at less than 100% of the current fair market value: 166,000 options

issued on January 5, 2000 at an exercise price of $3.00 per share; 304,000

options issued on February 12, 2002 at an exercise price of $3.60 per share;

25,000 options issued on June 1, 2001 at an exercise price of $3.00 per share;

and, 25,000 options issued on August 1, 2001 at an exercise price of $3.00 per

share (the “Option Grants”);

 

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WHEREAS,

the Board of Directors has been advised that the provision for granting

non-qualified stock options to employees, non-employee directors and

consultants at an exercise price of not less than 85% of the fair market value

of the Company’s underlying common stock on the date of grant (the

“provision”), was inadvertently omitted from the Plan included as an exhibit to

the proxy statement; and

 

WHEREAS,

Section 15 of the Plan provides that “The Board of Directors shall have the

authority to amend the Plan from time to time without shareholder approval,

provided however, that the adoption of any such amendment shall be permitted by

Rule 16b-3.  Rights and obligations

under any Award granted before any amendment of the Plan shall not be

materially altered or impaired adversely by such amendment, except with consent

of the person to whom the Award was granted.”; and

 

WHEREAS,

adoption of an amendment to Plan to include such provision will not materially

alter or impair adversely any rights and obligations under any Award granted

prior to the date hereof and failure to include such provision could materially

alter or impair adversely any rights and obligations under any Award granted

prior to the date hereof which holders of Awards granted prior to the date

hereof believed they had based on the disclosure in the Corporation’s SEC Reports;

now, therefore, be it

 

RESOLVED,

that this Corporation’s Amended and Restated 1993 Stock Option Plan be amended

by amending and superseding the following sections of the Plan, the other

sections of the Plan which shall remain as is, as follows:

 

7.             Awards

to Non-Employee Directors

Options granted to Directors who are not

Employees of the Corporation or a Subsidiary shall be subject to the           following terms:

(i)            The

exercise price shall be not less than 85% of the Fair Market Value of the

underlying shares of Common Stock on the date of the grant, payable in

accordance with the alternatives stated in Section 9.B.(ii) of the Plan; . . .

 

8.             Awards

to Consultants

Consultants shall receive Awards in

accordance with the following terms:

. . .

B.            Awards

of non-qualified stock options to such Consultants shall be subject to the  following terms:

 

(i)            The

exercise price shall be not less than 85% of the Fair Market Value of the

underlying shares of Common Stock on the date of the grant, payable in 

 

4

 

                accordance with the alternatives stated in Sections 9.B(ii) and (iii)

of the Plan; . . .

 

9.             Stock

Options

. . .

B.            Subject

to Section 9.C. relating to incentive stock options and to Sections 7 and 8

relating to awards to Directors who are not Employees and to Consultants,

options shall be in such form and contain such terms as the Committee deems

appropriate.  While the terms of options

need not be identical, each option shall be subject to the following terms:

(i)            The

exercise price shall be the price set by the Committee but may not be less than

100% of the Fair Market Value of the underlying shares of Common Stock on the

date of the grant for incentive options and not less than 85% of the Fair

Market Value of the underlying shares of Common Stock on the date of the grant

for non-qualified options, whether granted to employees, non-employee directors

or consultants. . .

 

RESOLVED,

the previous Option Grants and any other grants of

non-qualified stock options at an exercise price less than 100% of the current

fair market value of the Company’s underlying common stock since the inception

of the Plan, as amended, are ratified and approved in accordance with the

foregoing amendment to the Plan;

 

RESOLVED,

that any and all actions heretofore taken and any and all documents,

instruments, certificates or instructions (however characterized or described)

heretofore executed and delivered or filed and recorded, as the case may be, on

behalf of this Corporation by the officers of this Corporation in order to

carry into effect the purposes and intent of the foregoing resolutions or the

transactions contemplated therein or thereby be, and the same hereby are, in

all respects ratified, confirmed and approved; and finally

 

RESOLVED,

that the proper officers of this Corporation be, and each of them, hereby is,

authorized, empowered and directed to take any and all such actions and to

execute, deliver, file and record, as the case may be, any and all such

documents, instruments, certificates or instructions (however characterized or

described) as they or any of them may deem necessary or advisable to carry into

effect the purposes and intent of the foregoing resolutions or the transactions

contemplated therein or thereby, as shall be evidenced conclusively by the

taking of such actions or the execution, delivery, filing and recording, as the

case may be, of such documents, instruments, certificates or instructions.

 

5

IN WITNESS WHEREOF,

the undersigned, being all of the members of the Board of Directors of this

Corporation, have hereunto set their hands on the date set forth below, the

resolutions contained herein to be effective as of January 17, 2003.

 

 

	

   

  	

   

  
	

  /s/Robert G.

  Tomlinson

  	

   

  	

  /s/Ronald J.

  Norick

  	

   

  
	

  Robert

  G. Tomlinson

  	

  Ronald

  J. Norick

  
	

   

  	

   

  
	

  /s/Kevin M.

  Tomlinson

  	

   

  	

  /s/James H. Everest

  	

   

  
	

  Kevin

  M. Tomlinson

  	

  James

  H. Everest

  
	

   

  	

   

  
	

  /s/Robert W.

  Haley

  	

   

  	

   

  
	

  Robert W.

  Haley

  	

   

  
	

   

  	

   

  
	

  /s/Mark J.

  Stevenson

  	

   

  	

   

  
	

  Mark J.

  Stevenson

  	

   

  

 

6Exhibit 10.47

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

                This agreement (the “Agreement”) between Tier technologies inc., a California corporation

(the “Company”) and Marty

V. Joyce Jr. (the “Employee”),

is entered into as of October 7, 2002 (the “Effective Date”). 

Those capitalized terms used in this Agreement and not otherwise defined

herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Agreement

Agreement

                In consideration of the mutual

benefits derived from this Agreement and of the agreements, covenants and

provisions hereof, the parties hereto agree as follows:

A.            AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT. 

The Company employs Employee as of Effective Date in the capacity of

Senior Vice President and General Manager, Commercial Services Strategic

Business Unit (SBU), reporting to Mr. James R. Weaver, President or his

designee.  Employee will be based at

Company’s offices in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Employee agrees to undertake such business travel as is customary to

such position, and as shall from time to time be requested of him by the Company.

The parties agree that employment at the Company is at will and may be

terminated by either the Company or Employee at any time with or without Cause

and with or without notice.  Employee

acknowledges that Employee has no right to be employed for a specific term and

no right to insist on specific grounds for termination.  Employee acknowledges and agrees that the at

will nature of this Agreement extends to all employment decisions and that any

change in the terms and conditions of employment, including without limitation

work assignments, production standards, job responsibilities, compensation and

promotions, shall be at the Company’s sole discretion.

1.                                      COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

1.1          Base Salary. 

In consideration of and as compensation for the services to be performed

by the Employee hereunder, the Company shall pay the Employee a base salary

(the “Base Salary”) of not

less than $300,000 per year, payable semi-monthly in arrears in accordance with

the Company’s regular payroll practices.

1.2            Incentive

Compensation.  At the

Company’s sole discretion, Employee may be eligible to receive additional

discretionary incentive compensation of up to 50% of base salary per year based

upon annual performance targets set for both the Commercial Strategic Business

Unit and the Company. Annual incentive compensation eligibility will be based

upon the Company’s fiscal year beginning October 1, 2002.

1.3          Options.  In addition, subject to approval by the

Compensation Committee of the Tier Board of Directors, the Employee will be

granted stock options for 100,000 shares, which are subject to the provisions

of the Tier Equity Incentive Plan. 

Options are typically granted during the first week of the calendar

quarter following the Effective Date of your employment and are priced by the

Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors according to the market price

at the time of grant.  Options vest over

five years with 20% of the total grant vesting after completion of each 12-month

period from the original date of grant. 

Option grant and related documents are sent to each new employee within

30 days following the date of the grant.

 

1

 

Upon a Change of Control event, as defined in

Section 1.2, the vesting of these options shall accelerate.

1.4          “Change

in Control” means

(a)           a sale or other disposition of

all or substantially all of the assets of the Company;

(b)           a merger or consolidation in

which the Company is not the surviving entity and in which the shareholders of

the Company immediately prior to such consolidation or merger own less than

fifty percent (50%) of the surviving entity’s voting power immediately after

the transaction;

(c)           a reverse merger in which the

Company is the surviving entity but the shares of the Company’s Common Stock

outstanding immediately preceding the merger are converted by virtue of the

merger into other property, whether in the form of securities, cash or

otherwise, and in which the shareholders of the Company immediately prior to

such merger own less than fifty percent (50%) of the Company’s voting power

immediately after the transaction;

any other capital reorganization

in which more than fifty percent (50%) of the shares of the Company entitled to

vote are exchanged.

1.5          Participation in Benefit Plans. 

The Employee shall be entitled to participate in any pension plans,

profit-sharing plans and group insurance, medical, hospitalization, disability

and other benefit plans maintained by the Company from time to time, as such

are generally applicable to employees of the Company and to the extent Employee

is eligible under the general provisions thereof.

1.6          Reimbursement of Expenses. 

The Company shall reimburse the Employee for all business expenses,

including, without limitation, travel, entertainment and similar expenses,

incurred by the Employee on behalf of the Company if such expenses are ordinary

and necessary business expenses incurred on behalf of the Company pursuant to

standard expense reimbursement policy. 

The Employee shall timely provide the Company with such itemized

accounts, receipts or documentation for such expenses as are required under the

Company’s policy regarding the reimbursement of such expenses.

In addition, the Employee will be entitled to either the reimbursement of

parking expenses at the Boston office location or provided with Company paid

parking facilities, as appropriate.

1.7          Vacation and Personal Leave. 

The Employee shall be entitled to four (4) weeks of vacation per annum,

pro-rated in the year of hire and terminated and accrued on a semi-monthly

basis. The Employee shall also be entitled to other paid personal leave in

accordance with The Company’s policy.

2.                                      TERMINATION

2.1          Termination.

 

2

 

(a)           Termination  for Cause. 

The Company may terminate Employee’s employment under this Agreement, in

its sole discretion, “for Cause.” 

Grounds for the Company to terminate this Agreement “for Cause” shall be

limited to the occurrence of any of the following events:

(i)            the Employee’s failure to substantially perform

Employee’s duties with the Company in good faith (provided in the case of

illness, injury or disability that the Company has provided reasonable

accommodation under applicable disabilities laws), after a demand for substantial

performance is delivered to Employee by the Company which identifies, in

reasonable detail, the manner in which the Company believes that the Employee

has not substantially performed Employee’s duties in good faith and such

Employee has not, in the sole discretion of the Company, improved the

performance of Employee’s duties during a period of fourteen (14) days from

such demand for substantial performance;

(ii)           the Employee’s commission of any act which

detrimentally affects the Company, including, without limitation, an act of

dishonesty, fraud, willful disobedience, gross misconduct ,breach of duty,

intentional destruction or theft of Tier property, material violation of Tier

policies or falsification of Tier documents;

(iii)         the Employee’s commission of any act in contravention

of Employee’s undertakings contained in Section 3 hereof; or

(iv)          the Employee’s conviction of a felony or a misdemeanor

involving dishonesty or moral turpitude.

(b)           Termination Without Cause. 

The Company may terminate Employee’s employment under this Agreement

without Cause or notice at any time.

(c)           Notice of Termination. 

Any purported termination of employment by the Company or by the

Employee shall be communicated by written notice of termination to the other

party hereto in accordance with Section 4.1 hereof.  Any notice of termination of employment given hereunder shall

effect termination as of the date specified in such notice, or, in the event no

such date is specified, on the last day of the month in which such notice is

delivered or deemed delivered as provided in Section 4.1 hereof.

(d)           Effect of Termination.

(i)            Upon the termination of the Employee’s employment as a

result of Employee’s disability, the Employee shall be entitled to receive for

an additional thirty (30) days after the date of such termination, Employee’s

Base Salary in effect at the time of termination and any and all benefits to

which Employee is entitled on the date of such termination under the Company’s

pension, life, disability, accident and health and other benefit plans in

accordance with the provisions of such plans.

(ii)           Upon termination of the Employee’s employment as a

result of Employee’s death, the Employee’s heirs, devisees, executors or other

legal representatives shall receive for an additional thirty (30) days from the

date of death, Employee’s Base Salary in effect at the time of death.

 

3

 

(iii)         If the Employee’s employment hereunder shall be

terminated by the Company without Cause, or if the Employee terminates his

employment for “Good Reason” (Good Reason being solely defined as the Company

reducing the Employee’s Base Pay as of the Effective Date of this Agreement by

more than 5% without the Employee’s consent or the Company requiring the

Employee to relocate to a location greater than 50 miles from the greater

Boston metropolitan area without the Employee’s consent), then, and only then,

shall the Employee shall be entitled to the Employee’s Base Salary and accrued

and unused vacation earned through the date of termination, subject to standard

deductions and withholdings, and upon the Employee’s furnishing to the Company

an executed waiver and release of claims, in the form of which is attached

hereto as Exhibit

A, the Employee shall also be entitled to continuation of the

Employee’s Base Salary in effect at the time of termination for a period of six

(6) months (the “Severance Period”), subject to Company standard payroll

schedule, deductions and withholdings. Where termination of employment occurs

as a result of a Change of Company Control, Employee will only be entitled to

continuation of base salary for the Severance Period where Employee provides

transition services for a period of one year at the request of the Buyer, where

such transition services will be compensated at the same level as Mr. Joyce’s

total compensation for the previous 12 month period. If such transition

services are requested by Buyer, Buyer shall pay Employee for transition

services at Employee’s current Base Salary immediately prior to the Change of

Control date.  Such payment by Buyer

shall not reduce the amount of the Severance payment under this Section.  In addition pursuant to this Section, if

Employee elects continued coverage under federal COBRA law, the Company shall

pay the premiums of Employee’s group health insurance coverage, including

coverage for Employee’s eligible dependents, for a maximum period of six (6)

months following such termination; provided, however, that:  (i) the Company shall pay premiums for

Employee’s eligible dependents only for coverage for which those eligible

dependents were enrolled immediately prior to the termination; and (ii) the

Company’s obligation to pay such premiums shall cease immediately upon the date

Employee becomes covered under any other group health plan (as an employee or

otherwise).

(iv)          If the Employee’s employment hereunder shall be

terminated by the Company for Cause or by the Employee by resignation for other

than Good Reason, the Company shall have no further obligation to the Employee

under this Agreement other than accrued Base Salary and other accrued benefits

required by law, prorated to the date of termination.

3.                                      NON-COMPETITION, NON-SOLICITATION AND CONFIDENTIALITY

3.1          Non-Competition. 

For the period of one year (1) from the date of termination of

Employee’s employment, the Employee shall not, directly or indirectly:

(a)           carry on or engage in with any Person engaged in, in

any territory in which the Continuing Business is carried on during Employee’s

employment, any activity that is in competition with the Continuing Business;

or

(b)           do or say anything which is harmful to the reputation

of the Continuing Business or which may lead any person to cease to deal with

the Continuing Business on substantially equivalent terms to those previously

offered or at all; or

 

4

 

(c)           seek to contract with or engage any person who has

been contracted with or engaged to manufacture, assemble, supply or deliver

products, goods, materials or services which will be competitive with the

Continuing Business.

3.2          Non-solicitation.  For the period of one (1) year from the date of

termination of Employee’s employment, the Employee shall not, directly or

indirectly:

(a)           employ or solicit for employment any person whom

Employee knows to be an employee of the Company or any subsidiary of the

Company or induce or attempt to induce any such person to terminate his or her

employment with the Company or such subsidiary; or

(b)           seek in competition with the Company to procure orders

from or do business with or procure directly or indirectly any other person to

procure orders from or do business with any person who has been a customer of

the Company during the time the Employee has been employed by the Company and

the two year period preceding his employment.

3.3          Confidential Information.

(a)           The Employee acknowledges that the Confidential

Information (as hereinafter defined) of the Company is valuable, special and

unique to the Continuing Business, and that such Continuing Business depends on

such Confidential Information; and that the Company wishes to protect such

Confidential Information by keeping it confidential for the use and benefit of

the Company.  Based on the foregoing,

the Employee undertakes:

(i)            to keep any and all Confidential Information in trust

for the use and benefit of the Company;

(ii)           except as required by the Employee’s duties hereunder

or as may be authorized in writing by the Company, not at any time during and

for a period of one (1) year after termination of Employee’s employment with

the Company, to disclose or use, directly or indirectly, any Confidential

Information of the Company;

(iii)         to take all reasonable steps necessary, or reasonably

requested by the Company, to ensure that all Confidential Information of the

Company is kept confidential for the use and benefit of the Company; and

(iv)          upon termination of Employee’s employment with the

Company or at any other time the Company may in writing so request, to promptly

deliver to the Company all materials constituting Confidential Information

(including all copies thereof) that are in Employee’s possession or under

Employee’s control.  Further, the

Employee undertakes that, if requested by the Company, Employee shall return

any Confidential Information pursuant to this subsection and shall not make or

retain any copy of or extract from such materials.

(b)           For purposes of this Section, “Confidential Information” means any and all

information developed by or for the Company of which the Employee gained

knowledge by reason of Employee’s employment with the Company under this A

 

 

5

 

known in the

industry in which the Company is or may become engaged.  Confidential Information includes, but is

not limited to, any and all information developed by or for the Company or

customers of the Company, concerning plans, marketing and sales methods,

materials, processes, business forms, procedures, devices used by the Company

or contractors or customers with which the Company has dealt, plans for

development of new products, services and expansion into new areas or markets,

internal operations and any trade secrets and proprietary information of any

type owned by the Company together with all written, graphic and other

materials relating to all or any part of the same.

(c)           Employee agrees that as a condition of employment

Employee will execute and abide by the Company’s Nondisclosure and

Proprietary/Confidential Information Agreement (the “Confidentiality Agreement”), attached

hereto as Exhibit

B. To the extent the Confidentiality Agreement conflicts with or is

inconsistent with this Agreement, this Agreement shall control.

3.4          Remedies.

(a)           Injunctive Relief. 

Employee acknowledges and agrees that the covenants and obligations

contained in Sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 hereof relate to special, unique and

extraordinary matters and that a violation of any of the terms of said Sections

will cause the Company irreparable injury for which adequate remedy at law is

not available.  Therefore, Employee

agrees that the Company shall be entitled to an injunction, restraining order,

or other equitable relief from any court of competent jurisdiction, restraining

the Employee from committing any violation of such covenants and obligations.

(b)           Remedies Cumulative.  The Company’s rights and remedies in respect of this

Section are cumulative and are in addition to any other rights and remedies the

Company may have at law or in equity.

4.                                      MISCELLANEOUS

4.1          Notices. 

Any written notice, required or permitted under this Agreement, shall be

deemed sufficiently given if either hand delivered or by fax (with written

confirmation of receipt) or nationally recognized overnight courier.  Written notices must be delivered to the

receiving party at its address or facsimile number on the signature page of

this Agreement.  The parties may change

the address or facsimile number at which written notices are to be received in

accordance with this Section.

4.2          Prevailing Party. 

If any litigation is commenced between the parties hereto concerning

this Agreement or their respective rights, duties and obligations hereunder,

the party prevailing in that litigation shall be entitled to reasonable

attorney’s fees, to be fixed by the court as part of the costs of the

litigation or established in a separate action brought to recover those fees,

in addition to any other relief that may be granted.

4.3          Assignment. The Employee may not assign, transfer or

delegate his rights or obligations hereunder, and any attempt to do so shall be

void.  This Agreement shall be binding

upon and shall inure to the benefit of the Company and its successors and

assigns.

 

6

 

4.4          Entire Agreement. 

This Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties hereto with

respect to the subject matter hereof, and all other prior agreements, written

or oral, are hereby merged herein and are of no further force or effect.  This Agreement may be modified or amended

only by a written agreement that is signed by the Company and the

Employee.  No waiver of any section or

provision of this Agreement shall be valid unless such waiver is in writing and

signed by the party against whom enforcement of the waiver is sought.  The waiver by the Company of any section or

provision of this Agreement shall not apply to any subsequent breach of this

Agreement.  Captions to the various

Sections of this Agreement are for the convenience of the parties only and

shall not affect the meaning or interpretation of this agreement.  This Agreement may be executed in several

counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but together they

shall constitute one and the same instrument.

4.5          Severability. 

The provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed severable, and if any

part of any provision is held illegal, void or invalid under applicable law,

such provision may be changed to the extent reasonably necessary to make the

provision, as so changed, legal valid and binding.  If any provision of this Agreement is held illegal, void or

invalid in its entirety, the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall not

in any way be affected or impaired but shall remain binding in accordance with

their terms.

4.6          Continuing Obligations. 

The provisions contained in Sections 2.1(d), 3, 4.2, 4.6 and 4.7 of this

Agreement shall continue and survive the termination of this Agreement.

4.7          Applicable Law. 

This Agreement and the rights and obligations of the Company and the

Employee hereunder shall be governed by and construed and enforced under the

laws of the Massachusetts, without reference to any principles of conflict of

laws.

IN

WITNESS WHEREOF,

the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above

written.

	

  Tier Technologies, Inc.

  
	

   

  	

   

  
	

  By:

  	

  /s/ James R. Weaver

  
	

   

  	

  Print Name:

  	

  James R. Weaver

  
	

   

  	

  Title:

  	

      President

  
	

   

  	

   

  
	

   

  	

   

  
	

   

  	

  /s/ Martin V. Joyce

  
	

  [Employee]

  	

   

  
	

   

  	

   

  
	

  Address:

  	

   

  
	

  Fax Number:

  	

   

  
				

 

 

7

 

EXHIBIT

A

RELEASE AND WAIVER OF CLAIMS

In consideration of the payments and other benefits set forth in

Section 2.1(d)(iii) of the Employment Agreement dated (Month) __ 2002, to which

this form is attached, I, ________, hereby furnish Tier Technologies, Inc (“the

Company”),  with the following

release and waiver (the “Release and Waiver”).

I hereby release, and forever discharge the Companies, its officers,

directors, agents, employees, stockholders, successors, assigns, affiliates,

parent, subsidiaries, and benefit plans, of and from any and all claims,

liabilities, demands, causes of action, costs, expenses, attorneys’ fees,

damages, indemnities and obligations of every kind and nature, in law, equity,

or otherwise, known and unknown, suspected and unsuspected, disclosed and

undisclosed, arising at any time prior to and including my employment

termination date with respect to any claims, including but not limited to those

claims relating to my employment and the termination of my employment;

including but not limited to, claims pursuant to any federal, state or local

law relating to employment, including, but not limited to, discrimination

claims, claims under any local statute governing discrimination, and the

Federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended (“ADEA”), or claims

for wrongful termination, breach of the covenant of good faith, contract

claims, tort claims, and wage or benefit claims, including but not limited to,

claims for salary, bonuses, commissions, stock, stock options, vacation pay,

fringe benefits, severance pay or any form of compensation.

I also acknowledge that I have read and understand Section 1542 of the

California Civil Code or any comparable statute under any other state, which

reads as follows:  “A general release does not extend to

claims which the creditor does not know or suspect to exist in his favor at the

time of executing the release, which if known by him must have materially

affected his settlement with the debtor.”  I hereby expressly waive and

relinquish all rights and benefits under that section and any law of any

jurisdiction of similar effect with respect to any claims I may have against

the Companies.

I acknowledge that, among other rights, I am waiving and releasing any

rights I may have under ADEA, that this Release and Waiver is knowing and voluntary,

and that the consideration given for this Release and Waiver is in addition to

anything of value to which I was already entitled as an employee of the

Companies.  I further acknowledge that I

have been advised, as required by the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act,

that:  (a) the Release and Waiver

granted herein does not relate to claims which may arise after this Release and

Waiver is executed; (b) I have the right to consult with an attorney prior to

executing this Release and Waiver (although I may choose voluntarily not to do

so); and if I am over 40 years of age upon execution of this Release and

Waiver: (c) I have twenty-one (21) days from the date of termination of my

employment with the Company in which to consider this Release and Waiver (although

I may choose voluntarily to execute this Release and Waiver earlier); (d) I

have seven (7) days following the execution of this Release and Waiver to

revoke my consent to this Release and Waiver; and (e) this Release and Waiver

shall not be effective until the seven (7) day revocation period has expired.

 

	

  Date:

  	

   

  	

   

  	

  By:

  	

   

  
	

   

  	

   

  	

   

  	

  Print Name:

  	

   

  	 

							

 

 

8

 

EXHIBIT

B

NONDISCLOSURE and PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL

INFORMATION AGREEMENT

 

1.             Introduction:

 

This is an agreement

between the employee named below, hereafter referred to as Employee, in which

the Employee agrees not to disclose trade secrets or other Confidential

Information belonging to TIER, hereafter referred to as TIER, and in which

Employee further agrees not to compete with TIER, as described below.

 

2.             Agreement:

 

In consideration of

Employee’s association with TIER, Employee agrees to keep all Confidential

Information, as described below, including but not limited to all trade secrets

and/or confidential or proprietary information of TIER (and of its customers,

suppliers, and other third parties who entrust confidential information to

TIER) in strict confidence and to take all reasonable precautions against

accidental disclosure of the same.  This

agreement encompasses all Confidential Information and TIER trade secrets known

to Employee as well as Confidential Information and/or trade secrets known to

Employee during his/her tenure with TIER. 

In addition, Employee agrees that he/she will not use the Confidential

Information or trade secrets of TIER, either directly or indirectly, for any

purposes except for the performance of the Employee responsibilities in

furtherance of TIER’s business, unless otherwise expressly authorized in

writing in advance.

 

3.             Confidential

Information and Proprietary Rights:

 

“Confidential

Information” is any information, process, idea, or know-how that is not

generally known in the industry; that TIER considers confidential; that gives

TIER a competitive advantage; or that affects or relates to TIER, its business,

or its methods of operation, or which is confidential information of third–party

customers, contractors, or other parties and which is in the possession of

TIER.  Examples of Confidential

Information include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

•               Computer program listing, source code, and object

code.

 

•                                            Customer lists, marketing information,

financial information, business strategies, project information, price lists,

cost information, business forms, and financial records.

 

•                                            Product design, contents, formulas,

packaging, marketing, or anything related to the unique character or products

or TIER’s business.

 

Employee understands that

the above list is intended to be illustrative rather than comprehensive, and

that other Confidential Information covered by the Agreement may currently

exist or arise in the future.  In the

event that Employee is not sure whether certain information is Confidential

Information within the scope of this Agreement, Employee will treat that information

as confidential unless informed in writing by TIER to the contrary.  In the event of any dispute  relating to use or disclosure of  Confidential Information, Employee agrees

that he/she shall have the burden of proof in establishing that the information

was not confidential or that its disclosure was authorized.  Employee understands and hereby agrees that

any misappropriation, disclosure, or misuse of Confidential Information as

provided in this Agreement would cause irreparable harm to TIER and to TIER’s

business.  Employee agrees to surrender

to TIER all notes, records, and documentation in any form that was supplied to

Employee by TIER or was used, created, or controlled by Employee during his/her

association with TIER upon request by TIER, and in any event upon termination

of Employee’s association with TIER. 

The materials to be surrendered include all materials whether in written

or machine-readable form.  Employee

agrees that he/she shall not, by virtue of his/her association with TIER, acquire

any rights in any Confidential Information, good will, or other asset or

property of TIER, whether tangible or intangible, and whether or not created by

Employee.  If any such rights become

vested in Employee by operation of laws or otherwise, Employee agrees to assign

the same to TIER without further consideration immediately upon TIER’s request.

 

Employee understands and

agrees a) that any and all of his/her work product created, or in the process

of being created, during hours Employee is performing services for TIER and/or

any and all of his/her work product created or in the process of being created

outside hours Employee is performing services for TIER, but which are related

to Confidential Information of TIER, defined above, is and shall remain the

property of TIER, b) that all proprietary rights therein shall be held by TIER,

and c) that Employee shall assist in all reasonable efforts to protect such

rights for TIER, to transfer such rights to TIER, and to verify that such

rights are owned by TIER.

 

Confidential Information

shall not be deemed to include the following: 

(i) information that becomes available to the public other than through

breach of this Agreement; or (ii) information that is lawfully received by

Employee from a third party without misappropriation or breach of this

Agreement.

 

4.             Remedies:

 

TIER shall have all

rights and remedies under the Uniform Trade Secret Act (California Civil Code

Section 3426 et seq.) and Business & Professions Code Section 17200 et seq.,

in addition to all other rights, damages, and remedies that the law and/or

equity may provide.  TIER’s customers,

clients, and other third parties who have entrusted TIER with Confidential

Information are intended third–party beneficiaries of this Agreement, and

may enforce it for their benefit.

 

9

 

5.             Attorneys’

Fees:

 

If any arbitration or

other action arises relating to this Agreement, the prevailing party shall be

entitled to recover all costs, expenses, and reasonable attorneys’ fees

incurred, specifically including expert witness fees.

 

6.             Duration

and Effect:

 

This Agreement is

considered by both parties to be a binding contract, and shall remain in effect

throughout the period of association between Employee and TIER and for one (1)

year following the termination of association, except that the obligations set

forth in Paragraph 2 shall survive termination of this Agreement.  Should any provision of this Agreement be

held to be invalid, void, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions of this

Agreement shall be unaffected and shall continue in full force and effect, and

such invalid, void, or unenforceable provisions shall be deemed not to be a

part of this Agreement.  If any court or

other decision-making body determines that the term or area of any covenant

herein is too long or too broad to be enforceable, the term and/or area shall

be automatically amended to come within a reasonable and enforceable term

and/or area.

 

7.             Applicable

Law:

 

This Agreement shall be

construed under the law of the District of Columbia, without giving any effect

to conflict of law principles.

 

                Execution:

 

This Agreement is

executed this ____ day of ___________________ .

                                                                                month/year

 

 

	

   

  	

   

  	

   

  
	

  Employee Signature

  	

   

  	

  Date

  

 

 

Marty Joyce

Please PRINT name here

 

10

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