Document:

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                                                                   Exhibit 10.15
                                                                   -------------

                                PROMISSORY NOTE
                                ---------------
$2,000,000                                                      January 25, 1999
                                                           Cupertino, California

          FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned, Brenda Rhodes ("Borrower"),
promises to pay to Hall, Kinion & Associates, Inc. (the "Company"), at its
principal offices at 19925 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 180, Cupertino, California
95014, the principal sum of $2,000,000, together with interest from the date of
this Note on the unpaid principal balance upon the terms and conditions
specified below.

          1.   Principal and Interest. The principal balance of this Note
               ----------------------
together with interest accrued and unpaid to date shall be due and payable three
(3) years from the date of this Note.

          2.   Rate of Interest. Interest shall accrue under the Note on any
               ----------------
unpaid principal balance at the rate of the Company's cost of borrowing plus
1/8% per annum, compounded monthly.

          3.   Prepayment. Prepayment of principal and interest may be made at
               ----------
any time without penalty.

          4.   Events of Acceleration. The entire unpaid principal sum and
               ----------------------
unpaid interest of this Note shall become immediately due and payable upon one
or more of the following events:

               A.   the failure of the Borrower to pay when due the principal
balance and accrued interest on this Note and the continuation of such default
for more than thirty (30) days; or

               B.   the insolvency of the Borrower, the commission of an act of
bankruptcy by the Borrower, the execution by the Borrower of a general
assignment for the benefit of creditors, the filing by or against the Borrower
of a petition in bankruptcy or a petition for relief under the provisions of the
federal bankruptcy act or another state or federal law for the relief of debtors
and the continuation of such petition without dismissal for a period of ninety
(90) days or more; or

               C.   the occurrence of an event of default under the Stock Pledge
Agreement securing this Note or any obligation secured thereby.

          Borrower, in addition to the collateral under the Stock Pledge
Agreement, may be applied to the satisfaction of the Borrower's obligations
hereunder.
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          5.   Collection. If action is instituted to collect this Note, the
               ----------
Borrower promises to pay all reasonable costs and expenses (including reasonable
attorney fees) incurred in connection with such action.

          6.   Waiver.  No previous waiver and no failure or delay by the
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Company or Borrower in acting with respect to the terms of this Note or the
Stock Pledge Agreement shall constitute a waiver of any breach, default, or
failure of condition under this Note, the Stock Pledge Agreement, or the
obligations secured thereby. A waiver of any term of this Note, the Stock Pledge
Agreement, or of any of the obligations secured thereby must be made in writing
and signed by a duly authorized officer of the Company and shall be limited to
the express terms of such waiver.

          Borrower hereby expressly waives presentment and demand for payment at
such time as any payments are due under this Note.

          7.   Conflicting Agreements.  In the event of any inconsistencies
               ----------------------
between the terms of this Note and the terms of any other document related to
the loan evidenced by the Note, the terms of this Note shall prevail.

          8.   Governing Law.  This Note shall be construed in accordance with
               -------------
the laws of the State of California.

                                By: /s/ Brenda Rhodes
                                    -----------------
                                        Signature of Borrower: Brenda Rhodes

                                        Address:

                                       2<PAGE>

                                                                 Exhibit 10.26.1

                              Amendment No. 1 to
                               Therma-Wave, Inc.
                    2000 Employee Stock Purchase Agreement

     The Therma-Wave, Inc. 2000 Employee Stock Purchase Agreement (the "ESPP")
is hereby amended effectively as of July 28, 2001 by amending and restating
Section 13 of the ESPP as follows:

     13.  STOCK

          (a)  Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 19, the maximum
     number of Shares which shall be made available for sale under the Plan
     shall be 1,500,000 Shares or such lesser number of Shares as is determined
     by the Board. If the Board determines that, on a given Purchase Date, the
     number of shares with respect to which options are to be exercised may
     exceed (i) the number of shares of Common Stock that were available for
     sale under the Plan on the Offering Date of the applicable Offering Period,
     or (ii) the number of shares available for sale under the Plan on such
     Purchase Date, the Board may in its sole discretion provide (x) that the
     company shall make a pro rata allocation of the Shares of Common Stock
     available for purchase on such Offering Date or Purchase Date, as
     applicable, in as uniform a manner as shall be practicable and as it shall
     determine in its sole discretion to be equitable among all participants
     exercising options to purchase Common Stock on such Purchase Date, and
     continue all Offering Periods then in effect, or (y) that the company shall
     make a pro rata allocation of the sharees available for purchase on such
     Offering Date or Purchase Date, as applicable, in as uniform a manner as
     shall be practicable and as it shall determine in its sole discretion to be
     equitable among all participants exercising options to purchase Common
     Stock on such Purchase Date, and terminate any or all Offering Periods then
     in effect pursuant to Section 20 below. The company may make pro rata
     allocation of the Shares available on the Offering Date of any applicable
     Offering Period pursuant to the preceding sentence, notwithstanding any
     authorization of additional Shares for issuance under the Plan by the
     company's stockholders subsequent to such Offering Date.

     To record the due adoption of the foregoing amendment, Therma-Wave, Inc.
has caused the execution hereof by its duly authorized officer.

                                        Therma-Wave, Inc.

                                        By:/s/ L. Ray Christie
                                           -------------------
                                        Title: Vice President, Chief Financial
                                        Officer and Secretary<PAGE>

                                                                   Exhibit 10.37

                       AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

This Amendment to Employment Agreement (this "Amendment") is made and entered
into as of April 24, 2001 between Therma-Wave, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), and Martin M. Schwartz ("Executive").

                                   RECITALS:

     A.   The Company and Executive have entered to an Employment Agreement
          dated as of August 3, 1998 (the "Agreement"), which sets forth the
          terms and conditions of Executive's employment by the Company.

     B.   Since July 1999 Executive has served as the President and Chief
          Executive Officer of the Company.

     C.   The Company and Executive desire to amend the Agreement as set forth
          herein.

     In consideration of the continued employment of Executive by the Company,
     the mutual covenants contained herein, and other good and valuable
     consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby
     acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

     1.     Position and Duties. Executive currently serves as the President and
            -------------------
          Chief Executive Officer of the Company and shall have the normal
          duties, responsibilities and authority of the President and Chief
          Executive Officer, subject to the overall direction and authority of
          the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board"). All references to
          Executive's title and position in the Agreement are hereby amended to
          provide that Executive is the President and Chief Executive Officer,
          reporting to the Board.

     2.     Base Salary and Benefits.
            -------------------------

          (a)  Section 3(c) of the Agreement is hereby amended to read in its
          entirety as follows:

              "(c) In addition to the Base Salary for each of the Company's
              fiscal years beginning with the 2000 fiscal year, Executive will
              be eligible to earn a bonus base of up to fifty percent (50%) of
              his Base Salary (the "Bonus") based on the Company achieving
              certain corporate performance goals and Executive achieving
              certain individual goals. The target amount of the Bonus, the
              corporate performance goals and the individual goals each shall be
              set annually by the Board. The amount of the Bonus shall be
              determined in accordance with the procedures set forth on Exhibit
                                                                        -------
              B attached hereto."
              -

          (b)  All references in the Agreement to Executive's Bonus are hereby
          amended to provide that the amount of the Bonus is based on fifty
          percent (50%) of Executive's Base Salary.
<PAGE>

     3.     Stock Options. Section 5(a) of the Agreement provides for the grant
            -------------
         to Executive of nonstatutory options to purchase two hundred thousand
         (200,000) shares of the Company's Common Stock and further provides
         that the vesting of the options shall be accelerated and the options
         shall become immediately exercisable upon a Sale of the Company (as
                                                     -------------------
         such term is defined in Section 5(b) of the Agreement). Subsequent to
         the grant of the originally contemplated by the Agreement, Executive
         has been granted additional options to purchase shares of the Company's
         Common Stock pursuant to the Management and 2000 Equity Incentive Plan
         option agreements dated July 20, 1999 and July 28, 2000 and may be
         granted additional options to purchase shares of the Company's Common
         Stock in the future (collectively, the "Subsequent Options"). The stock
         option agreements with respect to all of the Subsequent Options shall
         provide that the vesting of the Subsequent Options shall be accelerated
         and the Subsequent Options shall become immediately exercisable upon a
         Sale of the Company (as such term is defined in Sections 5(b) of the
         -------------------
         Agreement).

     4.     Remainder of Agreement. Except as expressly set forth herein, the
            ----------------------
         terms of the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect without
         modification or amendment.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Amendment as of
the date first written above.

                                        Therma-Wave, Inc.

                                        By:  /s/ L. Ray Christie
                                             -------------------
                                             Name: L. Ray Christie
                                                   ---------------
                                             Title: Vice President, CFO
                                                    -------------------

                                        /s/ Martin M. Schwartz
                                        ----------------------
                                        Martin M. Schwartz

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