Document:

Exhibit 10.04

 

PROOFPOINT, INC.

2012 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

 

1.             PURPOSE.  Proofpoint, Inc. adopted the Plan effective as of the date of the IPO.  The purpose of this Plan is to provide eligible employees of the Company and the Participating Corporations with a means of acquiring an equity interest in the Company through payroll deductions, to enhance such employees’ sense of participation in the affairs of the Company and the Participating Corporations, and to provide an incentive for continued employment.  Capitalized terms not defined elsewhere in the text are defined in Section 27.

 

2.             ESTABLISHMENT OF PLAN.  The Company proposes to grant rights to purchase shares of Common Stock to eligible employees of the Company and its Participating Corporations pursuant to this Employee Stock Purchase Plan.  The Company intends this Plan to qualify as an “employee stock purchase plan” under Section 423 of the Code (including any amendments to or replacements of such Section), and this Plan shall be so construed.  Any term not expressly defined in this Plan but defined for purposes of Section 423 of the Code shall have the same definition herein.  However, with regard to offers of options to purchase shares of the Common Stock under the Plan to employees outside the United States working for a Subsidiary or an affiliate of the Company that is not a Subsidiary, the Board may offer a subplan or an option that is not intended to meet the Code Section 423 requirements, provided, if necessary under Section 423 of the Code, the other terms and conditions of the Plan are met.  Subject to Section 14, a total of 744,778 shares of Common Stock is reserved for issuance under this Plan.  In addition, on each January 1 for the first eight calendar years after the first Offering Date, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance under the Plan shall be increased automatically by the number of shares equal to one (1%) of the total number of outstanding shares of the Common Stock on the immediately preceding December 31 (rounded down to the nearest whole share), but not to exceed 1,489,556 shares; provided, that the Board or the Committee may in its sole discretion reduce the amount of the increase in any particular year.  The number of shares reserved for issuance under this Plan and the maximum number of shares that may be issued under this Plan shall be subject to adjustments effected in accordance with Section 14.

 

3.             ADMINISTRATION.  The Plan will be administered by the Committee.  Subject to the provisions of this Plan and the limitations of Section 423 of the Code or any successor provision in the Code, all questions of interpretation or application of this Plan shall be determined by the Committee and its decisions shall be final and binding upon all Participants.  The Committee will have full and exclusive discretionary authority to construe, interpret and apply the terms of the Plan, to determine eligibility and decide upon any and all claims filed under the Plan.  Every finding, decision and determination made by the Committee will, to the full extent permitted by law, be final and binding upon all parties.  Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in this Plan, the Committee may adopt rules and/or procedures relating to the operation and administration of the Plan to accommodate requirements of local law and procedures outside of the United States. The Committee will have the authority to determine the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock (which determination shall be final, binding and conclusive for all purposes) in accordance with Section 8 below and to interpret Section 8 of the Plan in connection with circumstances that impact the Fair Market Value.  Members of the Committee shall receive no compensation for their services in connection with the administration of this Plan, other than standard fees as established from time to time by the Board for services rendered by Board members serving on Board committees.  Unless the Committee determines otherwise, all expenses incurred in connection with the administration of this Plan shall be paid by the Company.  For purposes of this Plan, the Committee may designate separate offerings under the Plan (the terms of which need not be identical) in which eligible

 

 

employees of one or more Participating Corporations will participate, even if the dates of the applicable Offering Periods of each such offering are identical.

 

4.             ELIGIBILITY.

 

(a)           Any employee of the Company or the Participating Corporations is eligible to participate in an Offering Period under this Plan, except that one or more of the following categories of employees may be excluded from coverage under the Plan by the Committee (other than where prohibited by applicable law):

 

(i)            employees who are customarily employed for twenty (20) hours or less per week;

 

(ii)           employees who are customarily employed for five (5) months or less in a calendar year; and

 

(iii)          employees who do not meet any other eligibility requirements that the Committee may choose to impose (within the limits permitted by the Code).

 

The foregoing notwithstanding, an individual shall not be eligible if his or her participation in the Plan is prohibited by the law of any country that has jurisdiction over him or her or if he or she is subject to a collective bargaining agreement that does not provide for participation in the Plan.

 

(b)           No employee who, together with any other person whose stock would be attributed to such employee pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code, owns stock or holds options to purchase stock possessing five percent (5%) or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the Company or its Parent or Subsidiary or who, as a result of being granted an option under this Plan with respect to such Offering Period, would own stock or hold options to purchase stock possessing five percent (5%) or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the Company or its Parent or Subsidiary shall be granted an option to purchase Common Stock under the Plan.

 

5.             OFFERING DATES.

 

(a)           Each Offering Period of this Plan may be of up to twenty-seven (27) months duration and shall commence and end at the times designated by the Committee.  Each Offering Period may consist of one or more Purchase Periods during which payroll deductions of Participants are accumulated under this Plan.

 

(b)           The initial Offering Period shall run coterminous with the initial Purchase Period and shall commence on the Effective Date, and shall end with the Purchase Date that occurs on or prior to the October 31, or April 30 that first occurs six (6) months or more after the Effective Date.  The initial Offering Period shall consist of a single Purchase Period.  Thereafter, a six-month Offering Period shall commence on each May 1 and November 1, with each such Offering Period also consisting of a single six-month Purchase Period.  The Committee may at any time establish a different duration for an Offering Period or Purchase Period to be effective after the next scheduled Purchase Date.

 

6.             PARTICIPATION IN THIS PLAN.

 

(a)           Any employee who is an eligible employee determined in accordance with Section 4 immediately prior to the initial Offering Period will be automatically enrolled in the initial Offering Period under this Plan.  With respect to subsequent Offering Periods, any eligible employee 

 

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determined in accordance with Section 4 will be eligible to participate in this Plan, subject to the requirement of Section 6(b) hereof and the other terms and provisions of this Plan.

 

(b)           Notwithstanding the foregoing, an eligible employee may elect to decrease the number of shares of Common Stock that such employee would otherwise be permitted to purchase for the initial Offering Period under the Plan and/or purchase shares of Common Stock for the initial Offering Period through payroll deductions by delivering a subscription agreement to the Company within thirty (30) days after the filing of an effective registration statement pursuant to Form S-8.  With respect to Offering Periods after the initial Offering Period, a Participant may elect to participate in this Plan by submitting a subscription agreement prior to the commencement of the Offering Period (or such earlier date as the Committee may determine) to which such agreement relates.

 

(c)           Once an employee becomes a Participant in an Offering Period, then such Participant will automatically participate in each subsequent Offering Period commencing immediately following the last day of the prior Offering Period unless the Participant withdraws or is deemed to withdraw from this Plan or terminates further participation in an Offering Period as set forth in Section 11 below.  Such Participant is not required to file any additional subscription agreement in order to continue participation in this Plan.

 

7.             GRANT OF OPTION ON ENROLLMENT.  Becoming a Participant with respect to an Offering Period will constitute the grant (as of the Offering Date) by the Company to such Participant of an option to purchase on the Purchase Date up to that number of shares of Common Stock of the Company determined by a fraction, the numerator of which is the amount accumulated in such Participant’s payroll deduction account during such Purchase Period and the denominator of which is the lower of (i) eighty-five percent (85%) of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the Offering Date (but in no event less than the par value of a share of the Common Stock), or (ii) eighty-five percent (85%) of the Fair Market Value of a share of the Common Stock on the Purchase Date (but in no event less than the par value of a share of the Common Stock) provided, however, that for the Purchase Period within the initial Offering Period the numerator shall be fifteen percent (15%) of the Participant’s compensation for such Purchase Period, or such lower percentage determined by the Committee prior to the start of the Offering Period, and provided, further, that the number of shares of Common Stock subject to any option granted pursuant to this Plan shall not exceed the lesser of (x) the maximum number of shares set by the Committee pursuant to Section 10(b) below with respect to the applicable Purchase Date, or (y) the maximum number of shares which may be purchased pursuant to Section 10(a) below with respect to the applicable Purchase Date.

 

8.             PURCHASE PRICE.  The Purchase Price per share at which a share of Common Stock will be sold in any Offering Period shall be eighty-five percent (85%) of the lesser of:

 

(a)           The Fair Market Value on the Offering Date; or

 

(b)           The Fair Market Value on the Purchase Date.

 

9.             PAYMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE; PAYROLL DEDUCTION CHANGES; SHARE ISSUANCES.

 

(a)           The Purchase Price shall be accumulated by regular payroll deductions made during each Offering Period, unless the Committee determines with respect to categories of Participants outside the United States that contributions may be made in another form due to local legal requirements.  The deductions are made as a percentage of the Participant’s compensation in one percent (1%) increments not less than one percent (1%), nor greater than fifteen percent (15%) or such lower limit set

 

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by the Committee.  Compensation shall mean base salary (or in foreign jurisdictions, equivalent cash compensation); however, the Committee may at any time prior to the beginning of an Offering Period determine that for that and future Offering Periods, Compensation shall mean all W-2 cash compensation, including without limitation base salary or regular hourly wages, bonuses, incentive compensation, commissions, overtime, shift premiums, plus draws against commissions (or in foreign jurisdictions, equivalent cash compensation).  For purposes of determining a Participant’s Compensation, any election by such Participant to reduce his or her regular cash remuneration under Sections 125 or 401(k) of the Code (or in foreign jurisdictions, equivalent salary deductions) shall be treated as if the Participant did not make such election.  Payroll deductions shall commence on the first payday following the last Purchase Date (with respect to the initial Offering Period, first payday following the effective date of filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission a securities registration statement for the Plan) and shall continue to the end of the Offering Period unless sooner altered or terminated as provided in this Plan.

 

(b)           A Participant may decrease the rate of payroll deductions during an Offering Period by filing with the Company a new authorization for payroll deductions, with the new rate to become effective no later than the second payroll period commencing after the Company’s receipt of the authorization and continuing for the remainder of the Offering Period unless changed as described below.  A decrease in the rate of payroll deductions may be made once during an Offering Period or more frequently under rules determined by the Committee.  A Participant may increase or decrease the rate of payroll deductions for any subsequent Offering Period by filing with the Company a new authorization for payroll deductions prior to the beginning of such Offering Period, or such other time period as specified by the Committee.

 

(c)           A Participant may reduce his or her payroll deduction percentage to zero during an Offering Period by filing with the Company a request for cessation of payroll deductions.  Such reduction shall be effective beginning no later than the second payroll period after the Company’s receipt of the request and no further payroll deductions will be made for the duration of the Offering Period.  Payroll deductions credited to the Participant’s account prior to the effective date of the request shall be used to purchase shares of Common Stock in accordance with Section (e) below.  A reduction of the payroll deduction percentage to zero shall be treated as such Participant’s withdrawal from such Offering Period, and the Plan, effective as of the day after the next Purchase Date following the filing date of such request with the Company.

 

(d)           All payroll deductions made for a Participant are credited to his or her account under this Plan and are deposited with the general funds of the Company, except to the extent required to be segregated due to local legal restrictions outside the United States.  No interest accrues on the payroll deductions.  All payroll deductions received or held by the Company may be used by the Company for any corporate purpose, and the Company shall not be obligated to segregate such payroll deductions, except to the extent necessary to comply with local legal requirements outside the United States.

 

(e)           On each Purchase Date, so long as this Plan remains in effect and provided that the Participant has not submitted a signed and completed withdrawal form before that date which notifies the Company that the Participant wishes to withdraw from that Offering Period under this Plan and have all payroll deductions accumulated in the account maintained on behalf of the Participant as of that date returned to the Participant, the Company shall apply the funds then in the Participant’s account to the purchase of whole shares of Common Stock reserved under the option granted to such Participant with respect to the Offering Period to the extent that such option is exercisable on the Purchase Date.  The Purchase Price per share shall be as specified in Section 8 of this Plan.  The Committee may determine with respect to all Participants that any fractional share, as calculated under this Subsection (c) shall be (i) rounded down to the next lower whole share or (ii) credited as a fractional share.  Any amount remaining in a Participant’s account on a Purchase Date which is less than the amount necessary to purchase a full

 

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share of Common Stock shall be returned to the Participant, without interest (except to the extent required due to local legal requirements outside the United States).  In the event that this Plan has been oversubscribed, all funds not used to purchase shares on the Purchase Date shall be returned to the Participant, without interest (except to the extent required due to local legal requirements outside the United States).  No Common Stock shall be purchased on a Purchase Date on behalf of any employee whose participation in this Plan has terminated prior to such Purchase Date.

 

(f)            As promptly as practicable after the Purchase Date, the Company shall issue shares for the Participant’s benefit representing the shares purchased upon exercise of his or her option.

 

(g)           During a Participant’s lifetime, his or her option to purchase shares hereunder is exercisable only by him or her.  The Participant will have no interest or voting right in shares covered by his or her option until such option has been exercised.

 

(h)           To the extent required by applicable federal, state, local or foreign law, a Participant shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Company for the satisfaction of any withholding tax obligations that arise in connection with the Plan. The Company shall not be required to issue any shares of Common Stock under the Plan until such obligations are satisfied.

 

10.          LIMITATIONS ON SHARES TO BE PURCHASED.

 

(a)           Any other provision of the Plan notwithstanding, no Participant shall purchase Common Stock with a Fair Market Value in excess of the following limit:

 

(i) In the case of Common Stock purchased during an Offering Period that commenced in the current calendar year, the limit shall be equal to (A) $25,000 minus (B) the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock that the Participant previously purchased in the current calendar year (under this Plan and all other employee stock purchase plans of the Company or any parent or Subsidiary of the Company).

 

(ii) In the case of Common Stock purchased during an Offering Period that commenced in the immediately preceding calendar year, the limit shall be equal to (A) $50,000 minus (B) the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock that the Participant previously purchased (under this Plan and all other employee stock purchase plans of the Company or any parent or Subsidiary of the Company) in the current calendar year and in the immediately preceding calendar year.

 

(iii) In the case of Common Stock purchased during an Offering Period that commenced in the second preceding calendar year, the limit shall be equal to (A) $75,000 minus (B) the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock that the Participant previously purchased (under this Plan and all other employee stock purchase plans of the Company or any parent or Subsidiary of the Company) in the current calendar year and in the two preceding calendar years.

 

For purposes of this Subsection (a), the Fair Market Value of Common Stock shall be determined in each case as of the beginning of the Offering Period in which such Common Stock is purchased. Employee stock purchase plans not described in section 423 of the Code shall be disregarded. If a Participant is precluded by this Subsection (a) from purchasing additional Common Stock under the Plan, then his or her employee contributions shall automatically be discontinued and shall automatically resume at the beginning of the earliest Purchase Period that will end in the next calendar year (if he or she then is an eligible employee), provided that when the Company automatically resumes such payroll deductions, the Company must apply the rate in effect immediately prior to such suspension.

 

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(b)           In no event shall a Participant be permitted to purchase more than 1,750 Shares on any one Purchase Date or such lesser number as the Committee shall determine.  If a lower limit is set under this Subsection (b), then all Participants will be notified of such limit prior to the commencement of the next Offering Period for which it is to be effective.

 

(c)           If the number of shares to be purchased on a Purchase Date by all Participants exceeds the number of shares then available for issuance under this Plan, then the Company will make a pro rata allocation of the remaining shares in as uniform a manner as shall be reasonably practicable and as the Committee shall determine to be equitable.  In such event, the Company will give notice of such reduction of the number of shares to be purchased under a Participant’s option to each Participant affected.

 

(d)           Any payroll deductions accumulated in a Participant’s account which are not used to purchase stock due to the limitations in this Section 10, and not covered by Section 9(e), shall be returned to the Participant as soon as practicable after the end of the applicable Purchase Period, without interest (except to the extent required due to local legal requirements outside the United States).

 

11.          WITHDRAWAL.

 

(a)           Each Participant may withdraw from an Offering Period under this Plan pursuant to a method specified for such purpose by the Company.  Such withdrawal may be elected at any time prior to the end of an Offering Period, or such other time period as specified by the Committee.

 

(b)           Upon withdrawal from this Plan, the accumulated payroll deductions shall be returned to the withdrawn Participant, without interest, and his or her interest in this Plan shall terminate.  In the event a Participant voluntarily elects to withdraw from this Plan, he or she may not resume his or her participation in this Plan during the same Offering Period, but he or she may participate in any Offering Period under this Plan which commences on a date subsequent to such withdrawal by filing a new authorization for payroll deductions in the same manner as set forth in Section 6 above for initial participation in this Plan.

 

12.          TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT.  Termination of a Participant’s employment for any reason, including retirement, death, disability, or the failure of a Participant to remain an eligible employee of the Company or of a Participating Corporation, immediately terminates his or her participation in this Plan.  In such event, accumulated payroll deductions credited to the Participant’s account will be returned to him or her or, in the case of his or her death, to his or her legal representative, without interest (except to the extent required due to local legal requirements outside the United States).  For purposes of this Section 12, an employee will not be deemed to have terminated employment or failed to remain in the continuous employ of the Company or of a Participating Corporation in the case of sick leave, military leave, or any other leave of absence approved by the Company; provided that such leave is for a period of not more than ninety (90) days or reemployment upon the expiration of such leave is guaranteed by contract or statute.  The Company will have sole discretion to determine whether a Participant has terminated employment and the effective date on which the Participant terminated employment, regardless of any notice period or garden leave required under local law.

 

13.          RETURN OF PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS.  In the event a Participant’s interest in this Plan is terminated by withdrawal, termination of employment or otherwise, or in the event this Plan is terminated by the Board, the Company shall deliver to the Participant all accumulated payroll deductions credited to such Participant’s account.  No interest shall accrue on the payroll deductions of a Participant in this Plan (except to the extent required due to local legal requirements outside the United States).

 

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14.          CAPITAL CHANGES.  If the number of outstanding Shares is changed by a stock dividend, recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, subdivision, combination, reclassification or similar change in the capital structure of the Company, without consideration, then the Committee shall adjust the number and class of Common Stock that may be delivered under the Plan, the Purchase Price per share and the number of shares of Common Stock covered by each option under the Plan which has not yet been exercised, and the numerical limits of Sections 1 and 10 shall be proportionately adjusted, subject to any required action by the Board or the stockholders of the Company and in compliance with applicable securities laws; provided that fractions of a Share will not be issued.

 

15.          NONASSIGNABILITY.  Neither payroll deductions credited to a Participant’s account nor any rights with regard to the exercise of an option or to receive shares under this Plan may be assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise disposed of in any way (other than by will, the laws of descent and distribution or as provided in Section 22 below) by the Participant.  Any such attempt at assignment, transfer, pledge or other disposition shall be void and without effect.

 

16.          USE OF PARTICIPANT FUNDS AND REPORTS.  The Company may use all payroll deductions received or held by it under the Plan for any corporate purpose, and the Company will not be required to segregate Participant payroll deductions (except to the extent required due to local legal requirements outside the United States).  Until Shares are issued, Participants will only have the rights of an unsecured creditor.  Each Participant shall receive promptly after the end of each Purchase Period a report of his or her account setting forth the total payroll deductions accumulated, the number of shares purchased, the per share price thereof and the remaining cash balance, if any, carried forward to the next Purchase Period or Offering Period, as the case may be.

 

17.          NOTICE OF DISPOSITION.  Each U.S. taxpayer Participant shall notify the Company in writing if the Participant disposes of any of the shares purchased in any Offering Period pursuant to this Plan if such disposition occurs within two (2) years from the Offering Date or within one (1) year from the Purchase Date on which such shares were purchased (the “Notice Period”).  The Company may, at any time during the Notice Period, place a legend or legends on any certificate representing shares acquired pursuant to this Plan requesting the Company’s transfer agent to notify the Company of any transfer of the shares.  The obligation of the Participant to provide such notice shall continue notwithstanding the placement of any such legend on the certificates.

 

18.          NO RIGHTS TO CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT.  Neither this Plan nor the grant of any option hereunder shall confer any right on any employee to remain in the employ of the Company or any Participating Corporation, or restrict the right of the Company or any Participating Corporation to terminate such employee’s employment.

 

19.          EQUAL RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES.  All eligible employees granted an option under this Plan that is intended to meet the Code Section 423 requirements shall have equal rights and privileges with respect to this Plan or within any separate offering under the Plan so that this Plan qualifies as an “employee stock purchase plan” within the meaning of Section 423 or any successor provision of the Code and the related regulations.  Any provision of this Plan which is inconsistent with Section 423 or any successor provision of the Code shall, without further act or amendment by the Company, the Committee or the Board, be reformed to comply with the requirements of Section 423.  This Section 19 shall take precedence over all other provisions in this Plan.

 

20.          NOTICES.  All notices or other communications by a Participant to the Company under or in connection with this Plan shall be deemed to have been duly given when received in the form specified by the Company at the location, or by the person, designated by the Company for the receipt thereof.

 

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21.          TERM; STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL.  This Plan will become effective on the Effective Date.  This Plan shall be approved by the stockholders of the Company, in any manner permitted by applicable corporate law, within twelve (12) months before or after the date this Plan is adopted by the Board.  No purchase of shares that are subject to such stockholder approval before becoming available under this Plan shall occur prior to stockholder approval of such shares and the Board or Committee may delay any Purchase Date and postpone the commencement of any Offering Period subsequent to such Purchase Date as deemed necessary or desirable to obtain such approval (provided that if a Purchase Date would occur more than twenty-four (24) months after commencement of the Offering Period to which it relates, then such Purchase Date shall not occur and instead such Offering Period shall terminate without the purchase of such shares and Participants in such Offering Period shall be refunded their contributions without interest).  This Plan shall continue until the earlier to occur of (a) termination of this Plan by the Board (which termination may be effected by the Board at any time pursuant to Section 25 below), (b) issuance of all of the shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance under this Plan, or (c) the tenth anniversary of the first Purchase Date under the Plan.

 

22.          DESIGNATION OF BENEFICIARY.

 

(a)           A Participant may file a written designation of a beneficiary who is to receive any cash from the Participant’s account under this Plan in the event of such Participant’s death prior to a Purchase Date.  Such form shall be valid only if it was filed with the Company at the prescribed location before the Participant’s death.

 

(b)           Such designation of beneficiary may be changed by the Participant at any time by written notice filed with the Company at the prescribed location before the Participant’s death.  In the event of the death of a Participant and in the absence of a beneficiary validly designated under this Plan who is living at the time of such Participant’s death, the Company shall deliver such cash to the executor or administrator of the estate of the Participant, or if no such executor or administrator has been appointed (to the knowledge of the Company), the Company, in its discretion, may deliver such shares or cash to the spouse or, if no spouse is known to the Company, then to any one or more dependents or relatives of the Participant, or if no spouse, dependent or relative is known to the Company, then to such other person as the Company may designate.

 

23.          CONDITIONS UPON ISSUANCE OF SHARES; LIMITATION ON SALE OF SHARES.  Shares shall not be issued with respect to an option unless the exercise of such option and the issuance and delivery of such shares pursuant thereto shall comply with all applicable provisions of law, domestic or foreign, including, without limitation, the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and the requirements of any stock exchange or automated quotation system upon which the shares may then be listed, exchange control restrictions and/or securities law restrictions outside the United States, and shall be further subject to the approval of counsel for the Company with respect to such compliance.

 

24.          APPLICABLE LAW.  The Plan shall be governed by the substantive laws (excluding the conflict of laws rules) of the State of Delaware.

 

25.          AMENDMENT OR TERMINATION.  The Committee, in its sole discretion, may amend, suspend, or terminate the Plan, or any part thereof, at any time and for any reason. If the Plan is terminated, the Committee, in its discretion, may elect to terminate all outstanding Offering Periods either immediately or upon completion of the purchase of shares of Common Stock on the next Purchase Date (which may be sooner than originally scheduled, if determined by the Committee in its discretion), or may elect to permit Offering Periods to expire in accordance with their terms (and subject to any adjustment pursuant to Section 14). If an Offering Period is terminated prior to its previously-scheduled expiration,

 

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all amounts then credited to Participants’ accounts for such Offering Period, which have not been used to purchase shares of Common Stock, shall be returned to those Participants (without interest thereon, except as otherwise required under local laws) as soon as administratively practicable. Further, the Committee will be entitled to change the Purchase Periods and Offering Periods, limit the frequency and/or number of changes in the amount withheld during an Offering Period, establish the exchange ratio applicable to amounts withheld in a currency other than U.S. dollars, permit payroll withholding in excess of the amount designated by a Participant in order to adjust for delays or mistakes in the administration of the Plan, establish reasonable waiting and adjustment periods and/or accounting and crediting procedures to ensure that amounts applied toward the purchase of Common Stock for each Participant properly correspond with amounts withheld from the Participant’s base salary or regular hourly wages, and establish such other limitations or procedures as the Committee determines in its sole discretion advisable which are consistent with the Plan. Such actions will not require stockholder approval or the consent of any Participants.  However, no amendment shall be made without approval of the stockholders of the Company (obtained in accordance with Section 21 above) within twelve (12) months of the adoption of such amendment (or earlier if required by Section 21) if such amendment would: (a) increase the number of shares that may be issued under this Plan; or (b) change the designation of the employees (or class of employees) eligible for participation in this Plan.

 

26.          CORPORATE TRANSACTIONS.  In the event of a Corporate Transaction, each outstanding right to purchase Common Stock will be assumed or an equivalent option substituted by the successor corporation or a parent or a subsidiary of the successor corporation.  In the event that the successor corporation refuses to assume or substitute for the purchase right, the Offering Period with respect to which such purchase right relates will be shortened by setting a new Purchase Date and will end on the new Purchase Date.  The new Purchase Date shall occur on or prior to the consummation of the Corporate Transaction, and the Plan shall terminate on the consummation of the Corporate Transaction.

 

27.          DEFINITIONS.

 

(a)           “Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(b)           “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

(c)           “Committee” shall mean a committee of the Board that consists exclusively or one or more members of the Board appointed by the Board.

 

(d)           “Common Stock” shall mean the common stock of the Company.

 

(e)           “Company” shall mean Proofpoint, Inc.

 

(f)            “Corporate Transaction” means the occurrence of any of the following events: (i) any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing fifty percent (50%) or more of the total voting power represented by the Company’s then outstanding voting securities; or (ii) the consummation of the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets; or (iii) the consummation of a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation, other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity or its parent) at least fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power represented by the voting securities of the Company or such surviving entity or its parent outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation.

 

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(g)           “Effective Date” shall mean the date on which the Registration Statement covering the initial public offering of the shares of Common Stock is declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

(h)           “Fair Market Value” shall mean, as of any date, the value of a share of Common Stock determined as follows:

 

(1)           if such Common Stock is then quoted on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the Nasdaq Global Market or the Nasdaq Capital Market (collectively, the “Nasdaq Market”), its closing price on the Nasdaq Market on the date of determination, or if there are no sales for such date, then the last preceding business day on which there were sales, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Board or the Committee deems reliable; or

 

(2)           if such Common Stock is publicly traded and is then listed on a national securities exchange, its closing price on the date of determination on the principal national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is listed or admitted to trading as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Board or the Committee deems reliable; or

 

(3)           if such Common Stock is publicly traded but is neither quoted on the Nasdaq Market nor listed or admitted to trading on a national securities exchange, the average of the closing bid and asked prices on the date of determination as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Board or the Committee deems reliable; or

 

(4)           with respect to the initial Offering Period, Fair Market Value on the Offering Date shall be the price at which shares of Common Stock are offered to the public pursuant to the Registration Statement covering the initial public offering of shares of Common Stock; and

 

(5)           if none of the foregoing is applicable, by the Board or the Committee in good faith.

 

(i)            “IPO” shall mean the initial public offering of Common Stock.

 

(j)            “Notice Period” shall mean within two (2) years from the Offering Date or within one (1) year from the Purchase Date on which such shares were purchased.

 

(k)           “Offering Date” shall mean the first business day of each Offering Period.  However, for the initial Offering Period the Offering Date shall be the Effective Date.

 

(l)            “Offering Period” shall mean a period with respect to which the right to purchase Common Stock may be granted under the Plan, as determined by the Committee pursuant to Section 5(a).

 

(m)          “Parent” shall have the same meaning as “parent corporation” in Sections 424(e) and 424(f) of the Code.

 

(n)           “Participant” shall mean an eligible employee who meets the eligibility requirements set forth in Section 4 and who is either automatically enrolled in the initial Offering Period or who elects to participate in this Plan pursuant to Section 6(b).

 

(o)           “Participating Corporation” shall mean any Parents or Subsidiary that the Board designates from time to time as a corporation that shall participate in this Plan.

 

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(p)           “Purchase Date” shall mean the last business day of each Purchase Period.

 

(q)           “Purchase Period” shall mean a period during which contributions may be made toward the purchase of Common Stock under the Plan, as determined by the Committee pursuant to Section 5(b).

 

(r)            “Purchase Price” shall mean the price at which Participants may purchase shares of Common Stock under the Plan, as determined pursuant to Section 8.

 

(s)            “Subsidiary” shall have the same meaning as “subsidiary corporation” in Sections 424(e) and 424(f) of the Code.

 

11Exhibit 10.11

 

 

November 9, 2011

 

Re:  Letter Agreement of Employment

 

Dear Faeth:

 

This letter agreement (this “Agreement”) sets forth the terms and conditions of your employment, and your employment relationship, with Lerner New York, Inc. (the “Company”).  Your execution of this Agreement will represent your acceptance of all of the terms set forth below.

 

1.                                                                                      Nature of Agreement and Relationship.  This Agreement does not represent an employment contract for any specified term.  Your employment relationship thus will remain “at will,” meaning that, subject to the terms hereof, either party to this Agreement may terminate the employment relationship at any time for any lawful reason.

 

2.                                                                                      Job Title and Duties.  Your job title will be EVP, Human Resources.  You will be expected to devote all of your full time efforts to the performance of the duties and responsibilities normally associated with this position, including those from time to time that may be assigned to you by your Supervisor, the Chief Executive Officer or the Board of Directors of the Company (or the designee of any of the foregoing).

 

3.                                                                                      Salary.  For the 12 month period ending on the last Saturday of each January (the last day of the fiscal year), you will receive a base salary at the rate of $300,000 per annum (“Base Salary”), subject to the remaining provisions of this Section.  For the remainder of the current fiscal year starting on the date of this Agreement, your Base Salary will be pro rated based on the number of days remaining in such fiscal year divided by 365.  At the Company’s sole discretion, your Base Salary may be increased or decreased based on your performance and the performance of the business.  You will be paid in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll policies and practices, with all applicable deductions being withheld from your paychecks.

 

4.                                                                                      Bonus.  You will be eligible to participate in the Company’s then current bonus plan, in accordance with its terms and conditions, and to receive performance based bonuses pursuant to any formula that may be established.  For the Company’s current fiscal year, your bonus target for the spring bonus (relating to the Company’s results for the first and second fiscal quarters of each fiscal year) will be 11.25% percent of your Base Salary; for the fall bonus (relating to the Company’s results for the third and fourth fiscal quarters of each fiscal year) will be 11.25% percent of your Base Salary; and for the annual bonus (relating to the Company’s results for the fiscal year) will be 22.50% percent of your Base Salary.  Any amount payable in respect of the spring bonus will be paid in the calendar month immediately following the end of 

 

 

the applicable performance period to which that bonus relates.  Any amount payable in respect of the fall or the annual bonus will be paid within two and one half months following the end of the applicable performance period to which that bonus relates.  All bonuses are determined at the Company’s sole discretion, and the Company has the sole discretion to modify or terminate any bonus plan and that plan will govern your right, if any, to a bonus payment upon termination of your employment.

 

5.                                                                                      SARs, and Other Long Term Incentives.  You will be eligible to receive awards under SARs, restricted stock or other equity based long term incentive plans established by the Company (or an Affiliate) that cover executive officers of the Company.  The term “Affiliate” means any corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity (other than the Company) that controls or is controlled by the Company, whether directly or indirectly, such as a parent company or subsidiary.  All equity awards described in this paragraph are determined at the Company’s sole discretion, and the Company has the sole discretion to modify or terminate any SARs, restricted stock or other equity based long term incentive plan and that plan will govern your rights, if any, relating to any equity award(s) you have received, or may be entitled to receive, upon termination of your employment.

 

6.                                                                                      Employee Benefits.  You will be entitled to participate in all employee benefits plans, practices and programs maintained by the Company and made available to senior executives generally and as may be in effect from time to time (the “Benefits Plans”).  Your participation in the Benefits Plans will be on the same basis and terms as are applicable to senior executives of the Company generally.  Benefits Plans include, but are not limited to, savings and retirement plans, deferred compensation, health and prescription drug benefits, disability benefits, other insurance programs, vacation and other leave, merchandise discounts and business expense procedures.  Plan documents setting forth terms of certain of the Benefits Plans are available upon request, which plan documents control all questions of interpretation concerning applicable Benefits Plans, including your rights, if any, upon termination of your employment.  The Benefits Plans are subject to modification or termination by the Company at any time, at its sole discretion, in accordance with their terms.

 

7.                                                                                      Severance Pay.  Upon your termination of employment by the Company and all Affiliates without Cause (as defined below), but subject to your performance of all post employment obligations set forth in this Agreement, you will be entitled to receive severance pay for six (6) months if employment is terminated prior to the one year anniversary of the start date of employment under this letter and twelve (12) months if terminated thereafter (“Severance Period”) at your final Base Salary (“Severance Pay”), beginning the first pay period following your separation date and ending upon the earlier of:  (i)  your receipt of the number of weekly payments coinciding with the length of the Severance Period (such number of payments to be adjusted if any change is made to the frequency of regularly scheduled payroll dates) or (ii) your first day of employment with another employer, whichever is earlier.  The Severance Pay shall be conditioned upon your execution and delivery to the Company of a general release of claims in favor of the Company in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Company.  Such release shall be executed and delivered (and no longer subject to revocation, if applicable) within sixty (60) days following your termination of employment.  If you fail to execute such release as provided above, you shall forfeit all of your rights to receive the Severance Pay.  If you obtain employment at an annual salary that is lower than your final Base Salary, you will continue to receive the differential between the two rates of pay for the balance of the Severance Period.  This Severance Pay, which will be subject to applicable deductions required by law, will be paid on the Company’s regular payroll dates as in effect on the date of each such payment for the balance of the “Severance Period” following your termination date, as outlined above.  For purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” means the occurrence of any of the following:  (i) your failure to perform your duties to the Company (other than as a result of death or a physical or mental incapacity); (ii) your commission of, indictment for, conviction of, or plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, a felony (regardless of the nature of the felony) or any other crime involving dishonesty, fraud or moral 

 

 

turpitude; (iii) your gross negligence or misconduct (including, but not limited to, acts of fraud, criminal activity, professional misconduct, dishonesty, or breach of trust or other fiduciary duty) in connection with the performance of your duties and responsibilities to the Company or with regard to the Company or its assets; (iv) your failure to comply with the rules and policies of the Company governing employee conduct or with the lawful directives of the Board of Directors of the Company or a more senior executive of the Company; or (v) your breach of this Agreement or any obligation under any non disclosure, non solicitation, non competition or other restrictive covenant, employment or any other agreement with the Company.  Any determination of Cause will be made in the good faith discretion of the Company.

 

8.                                                                                      Code Section 409A Compliance.

 

8.1.                            It is the Company’s intent that compensation and benefits to which you are entitled under this Agreement not be treated as “nonqualified deferred compensation” under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the treasury regulations and other official guidance promulgated thereunder (“Code Section 409A”), and that any ambiguities in the construction of this Agreement be interpreted in order to effectuate such intent.  In the event that the Company determines, in its sole discretion, that any compensation or benefits to which you are entitled under this Agreement could be treated as “nonqualified deferred compensation” under Code Section 409A unless this Agreement is amended or modified, the Company may, in its sole discretion, amend or modify this Agreement without obtaining any additional consent from you, so long as such amendment or modification does not materially affect the net present value of the compensation or benefits to which you otherwise would be entitled under this Agreement.

 

8.2.                            A termination of employment shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of any provision of this Agreement providing for the payment of any amounts or benefits upon or following a termination of employment unless such termination is also a “separation from service” within the meaning of Code Section 409A and, for purposes of any such provision of this Agreement, references to a “termination,” “termination of employment” or like terms shall mean “separation from service.”  If you are deemed on the date of termination to be a “specified employee” within the meaning of that term under Code Section 409A(a)(2)(B), then with regard to any payment or the provision of any benefit that is considered “nonqualified deferred compensation” under Code Section 409A payable on account of a “separation from service,” such payment or benefit shall be made or provided at the date which is the earlier of (a) the expiration of the six (6) month period measured from the date of your “separation from service,” and (b) the date of your death (the “Delay Period”).  Upon the expiration of the Delay Period, all payments and benefits delayed pursuant to this Section (whether they would have otherwise been payable in a single sum or in installments in the absence of such delay) shall be paid or reimbursed to you in a lump sum, and any remaining payments and benefits due under this Agreement shall be paid or provided in accordance with the normal payment dates specified for them herein.

 

8.3.                            If a general release of claims, as contemplated under Section 7 hereof, is executed and delivered (and no longer subject to revocation) in the manner provided in said Section 7, then the following shall apply:

 

(a)                                 To the extent that the Severance Pay is not “nonqualified deferred compensation” for purposes of Code Section 409A, then the Severance Pay shall commence upon the first scheduled payment date immediately following the date that the release is executed, delivered and no longer subject to 

 

 

revocation (the “Release Effective Date”).  The first such cash payment shall include payment of all amounts that otherwise would have been due prior to the Release Effective Date under the terms of this Agreement applied as though such payments commenced immediately upon your termination of employment, and any payments made thereafter shall continue as provided herein.

 

(b)                                 To the extent that the Severance Pay is “nonqualified deferred compensation” for purposes of Code Section 409A, then such payments or benefits shall be made or commence upon the sixtieth (60th) day following your termination of employment.  The first such cash payment shall include payment of all amounts that otherwise would have been due prior thereto under the terms of this Agreement had such payments commenced immediately upon your termination of employment, and any payments made thereafter shall continue as provided herein.

 

8.4.                            For purposes of compliance with Code Section 409A, (a) all expenses or other reimbursements hereunder shall be made on or prior to the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which such expenses were incurred by you, (b) any right to reimbursement or in kind benefits is not subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit, and (c) no such reimbursement, expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in kind benefits provided in any taxable year shall in any way affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in kind benefits to be provided, in any other taxable year.

 

8.5.                            For purposes of Code Section 409A, your right to receive any installment payments pursuant to this Agreement shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate and distinct payments.

 

8.6.                            In no event shall any payment under this Agreement that constitutes “nonqualified deferred compensation” for purposes of Code Section 409A be subject to offset by any other amount unless otherwise permitted by Code Section 409A.

 

8.7.                            In no event whatsoever shall the Company be liable for any additional tax, interest or penalty that may be imposed on you by Code Section 409A or damages for failing to comply with Code Section 409A.

 

9.                                                                                      Confidential Information, Intellectual Property.

 

9.1.                            Confidentiality.  You agree not to disclose, distribute, publish, communicate or in any way cause to be disclosed, distributed, published, or communicated in any way or at any time, Confidential Information (as defined herein), or any part of Confidential Information, to any person, firm, corporation, association, or any other operation or entity except on behalf of the Company in performance of your duties and responsibilities for the Company, and then only in a fashion consistent with protecting the Confidential Information from unauthorized use or disclosure, except as otherwise approved by the Company.  You further agree not to use or permit the reproduction of any Confidential Information except on behalf of the Company in your capacity as an employee of the Company.  You agree to take all reasonable care to avoid the unauthorized disclosure or use of any Confidential Information.  You assume responsibility for and agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Company from and against any disclosure or use of the Confidential Information in violation of this Agreement.

 

 

9.2.                            Confidential Information.  For the purpose of this Agreement, “Confidential Information” shall mean any written or unwritten information which relates to or is used in the Company’s business (including, without limitation, information related to the names, addresses, buying habits and other special information regarding past, present and potential customers, employees and suppliers of the Company; customer and supplier contracts and transactions or price lists of the Company and suppliers; all agreements, files, books, logs, charts, records, studies, reports, processes, schedules and statistical information relating to the Company; all products, services, programs and processes sold, and all computer software licensed or developed by the Company; data, plans and specifications related to present or future development projects of the Company; financial or marketing data respecting the conduct of the present or future phases of business of the Company; computer programs, computer or web based training programs, systems or software; ideas, inventions, trademarks, business information, know how, processes, techniques, improvements, designs, redesigns, creations, discoveries and developments of the Company; and finances and financial information of the Company) which the Company deems confidential and proprietary, which is generally not known to others outside the Company, or which gives or tends to give the Company a competitive advantage over persons who do not possess such information or the secrecy of which is otherwise of value to the Company in the conduct of its business regardless of when and by whom such information was developed or acquired, and regardless of whether any of these are described in writing, copyrightable or considered copyrightable, patentable or considered patentable.  “Confidential Information” shall not include general industry information or information which is publicly available or otherwise known to those persons outside the Company working in the area of the business of the Company or is otherwise in the public domain without breach of this Agreement or information which you have lawfully acquired without an obligation to maintain the information in confidence from a source other than the Company.  “Confidential Information” specifically includes information received by the Company from others, including the Company’s clients, that the Company has an obligation to treat as confidential and also includes any confidential information acquired or obtained by you while in the employment of any Affiliate.

 

9.3.                            Invention Ownership.  With respect to information, inventions and discoveries developed, made or conceived by you, either alone or with others, at any time during your employment by the Company and whether or not within normal working hours, arising out of such employment or pertinent to any field of business or research in which, during such employment, the Company is engaged or (if such is known to or ascertainable by you) is considering engaging, you agree:

 

(a)                                 that all such information, inventions and discoveries, whether or not patented or patentable, shall be and remain the sole property of the Company;

 

(b)                                 to disclose promptly to an authorized representative of the Company all such information, inventions and discoveries and all information in your possession as to possible applications and uses thereof;

 

(c)                                  not to file any patent applications relating to any such invention or discovery except with the prior consent of an authorized representative of the Company; and

 

 

(d)                                 at the request of the Company, and without expense or additional compensation to you, to execute such documents and perform such other acts as the Company deems necessary, to obtain patents on such inventions in a jurisdiction or jurisdictions designated by the Company, and to assign to the Company or its designee such inventions and all patent applications and patents relating thereto.

 

Both the Company and you intend that all original works of authorship within the purview of the copyright laws of the United States authored or created by you in the course of your employment with the Company will be works for hire within the meaning of such copyright laws.

 

9.4.                            Confidentiality of Inventions; Return of Materials and Confidential Information.  With respect to the information, inventions and discoveries referred to in Section 9.3, and also with respect to all other information, whatever its nature and form and whether obtained orally, by observation, from graphic materials, or otherwise (except such as is generally available through publication) obtained by you during or as a result of your employment by the Company and relating to any product, service, process, or apparatus or to any use of any of them, or to materials, tolerances, specifications, costs (including manufacturing costs), prices, or to any plans of the Company, you agree:

 

(a)                                 to hold all such information, inventions and discoveries in strict confidence and not to publish or otherwise disclose any portion thereof except with the prior consent of an authorized representative of the Company;

 

(b)                                 to take all reasonable precautions to ensure that all such information, inventions, and discoveries are properly protected from access by unauthorized persons;

 

(c)                                  to make no use of any such information, invention, or discovery except as required or permitted in the performance of your duties and responsibilities for the Company; and

 

(d)                                 upon termination of your employment by the Company, or at any time upon request of the Company, to deliver to the Company all graphic materials and all substances, models, prototypes and the like containing or relating to Confidential Information or any such information, invention, or discovery, all of which graphic materials and other things shall be and remain the sole property of the Company.  The term “graphic materials” includes letters, memoranda, reports, notes, notebooks, books of account, drawings, prints, specifications, formulae, data printouts, microfilms, magnetic tapes and disks and other documents and recordings, together with all copies thereof.

 

10.                                                                               Non Solicitation.  Regardless of whether you are eligible to receive Severance Pay, you agree that, if your employment with the Company ends for any reason, you will not, for a period of twelve (12) months following such termination of employment, (i) directly or indirectly, either for yourself or for any other person, business, company or entity, hire from the Company or any Affiliate, or attempt to hire, divert or take away from the Company or any Affiliate, any of the then current officers or employees of the Company or any Affiliate, (ii) interfere with or harm, or attempt to interfere with or harm, the relationship of the Company or any Affiliate with any person who at any time was an employee, customer or supplier of the Company or any Affiliate or otherwise had a business relationship with the Company or any Affiliate, or (iii) unless compelled by law to do so, directly or indirectly, knowingly make any statement or other communication that impugns or attacks the reputation or character of the Company or any Affiliate, or damages the 

 

 

goodwill of the Company or any Affiliate, or knowingly take any action, directly or indirectly, that would interfere with any contractual or customer or supplier relationships of the Company or any Affiliate.

 

11.                                                                               Non Competition.  If you resign your employment, or if your employment is terminated with Cause, for a period of twelve (12) months following such employment termination, you may not and will not, within the United States of America, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer or its Board of Directors (which may be given or withheld in its sole discretion), own, manage, operate, join, control, be employed by, consult with or participate in the ownership, management, operation or control of, or be connected with (as a stockholder, partner or otherwise) any business, partnership, firm, company, corporation or other entity engaged in the retail business of moderate women’s fashion apparel, accessories and related products or any other product sold or intended to be sold by the Company or an Affiliate during your employment with the Company.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, your beneficial ownership after your termination of employment with the Company, either individually or as a member of a group, of not more than two percent (2%) of the voting stock of any publicly held corporation shall not be a violation of this provision.

 

12.                                                                               Remedies.  You acknowledge that money will not adequately compensate the Company for the substantial damages that will arise upon the breach of any provision of Sections 9, 10 and 11 of this Agreement and that the Company would have no adequate remedy at law.  For this reason, any claim the Company may make that you have breached or are threatening to breach Sections 9, 10 or 11 is not subject to mandatory arbitration under Section 15.  Instead, if you breach or threaten to breach any provision of Sections 9, 10 or 11, the Company will be entitled, in addition to other rights and remedies, to specific performance, injunctive relief and other equitable relief to prevent or restrain any breach or threatened breach of Sections 9, 10 or 11.  The Company may obtain such relief from (i) any court of competent jurisdiction, (ii) an arbitrator acting pursuant to Section 15 hereof, or (iii) a combination of the two (e.g., by simultaneously seeking arbitration under Section 15 and a temporary injunction from a court pending the outcome of the arbitration).  It shall be the Company’s sole and exclusive right to elect which approach to use to vindicate its rights.  You also agree that in the event of a breach (or any threat of breach) the Company shall be entitled to obtain an immediate injunction and restraining order to prevent such breach or threatened breach or continued breach, without having to prove damages, and to obtain all costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.  In addition, the existence of any claim or cause of action by you against the Company, whether predicated on this Agreement or otherwise, shall not constitute a defense to the enforcement by the Company of the restrictive covenants of this Agreement.

 

13.                                                                               Acknowledgment of Reasonableness.  You and the Company specifically agree that the provisions of the restrictive covenants contained in this Agreement, including the post employment covenants regarding non solicitation and non competition, are reasonable and that the Company would not have entered into this Agreement but for the inclusion of such covenants.  You understand that the Company’s business is nationwide, and, therefore, a nationwide restrictive covenant is reasonable.  If a court or arbitrator determines that any provision of any such restrictive covenant is unreasonable, whether in period of time, geographical area, or otherwise, you and the Company agree that the covenant shall be interpreted and enforced to the maximum extent which a court or arbitrator deems reasonable.  In addition, you and the Company authorize any such court or arbitrator to reform these restrictions to the minimum extent necessary.

 

14.                                                                               Company Property.  Upon your termination of employment for any reason, you will promptly return to the Company all Company related documents and Company property within your possession or control.

 

 

15.                                                                               Arbitration of Disputes.  Except as set forth in Section 12, any dispute, claim or difference arising out of or in relation to your employment will be settled exclusively by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its National Rules for the Resolution of Employment Disputes before a single arbitrator.  You expressly understand and agree that claims subject to arbitration under this section include asserted violations of the Employee Retirement and Income Security Act of 1974; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; the Older Worker’s Benefit Protection Act; the Americans with Disabilities Act; Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (as amended); the Family and Medical Leave Act; and any law prohibiting discrimination, harassment or retaliation in employment, whether based on federal, state or local law; any claim of breach of contract, tort, promissory estoppel or detrimental reliance, defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress; or the public policy of any state, or any other federal, state or local law.  The arbitration will be held in New York, New York unless you and the Company (each a “Party,” and jointly, the “Parties”) mutually agree otherwise.  To the extent permitted by law, each Party will bear its own costs and fees of the arbitration, and other fees and expenses of the arbitrator will be borne equally by the Parties; provided, however, that the arbitrator will be empowered to require any one or more of the Parties to bear all or any portion of fees and expenses of the Parties or the fees and expenses of the arbitrator in the event that the arbitrator determines such Party has acted in bad faith.  The arbitrator will have the authority to award any remedy or relief that a court of the State of New York could order or grant.  The decision and award of the arbitrator will be binding on all Parties.  Either Party to the arbitration may seek to have the ruling of the arbitrator entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.  Each Party agrees that it will not file suit, motion, petition or otherwise commence any legal action or proceeding for any matter which is required to be submitted to arbitration as contemplated herein, except in connection with the enforcement of an award rendered by an arbitrator and except to seek the issuance of an injunction or temporary restraining order pending a final determination by the arbitrator.

 

16.                                                                               Post Termination Cooperation.  As is required of you during employment, you agree that during and after employment with the Company you will, without expense or additional compensation to you, cooperate with the Company or any Affiliate in the following areas:

 

16.1.                     Cooperation With the Company.  You agree (a) to be reasonably available to answer questions for the Company’s (or any Affiliate’s) officers regarding any matter, project, initiative or effort for which you were responsible while employed by the Company and (b) to cooperate with the Company (and with any Affiliate) during the course of all third party proceedings arising out of the Company’s (or any Affiliate’s) business about which you have knowledge or information.  For purposes of this Agreement, (c) “proceedings” includes internal investigations, administrative investigations or proceedings and lawsuits (including pre trial discovery and trial testimony) and (d) “cooperation” includes (i) your being reasonably available for interviews, meetings, depositions, hearings or trials without the need for subpoena or assurances by the Company (or any Affiliate), (ii) providing any and all documents in your possession that relate to the proceeding, and (iii) providing assistance in locating any and all relevant notes and documents.

 

16.2.                     Cooperation With Media.  You agree not to communicate with, or give statements to, any member of the media (including print, television or radio media) relating to any matter (including pending or threatened lawsuits or administrative investigations) about which you have knowledge or information (other than knowledge or information that is not Confidential Information as defined in Section 9.3) as a result of employment with the Company.  You also agree to notify the Chief Executive Officer or his designee immediately after being contacted by any member of the media with respect to any matter affected by this section.

 

 

17.                                                                               Entire Agreement.  This Agreement constitutes your entire agreement with the Company relating to the subject mater hereof, and supersedes in its entirety any and all prior agreements, understandings or arrangements with the Company.

 

18.                                                                               Governing Law.  All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to the choice of law principles thereof that would result in the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction.

 

19.                                                                               Survival of Provisions.  Sections 8 through 18 will survive the termination of your employment for any reason and shall not be affected by any transfer(s) between the Company and its Affiliate(s).

 

20.                                                                               Understandings and Representations.  You should not sign this Agreement until you understand its terms and conditions.  Your execution of this Agreement represents your acknowledgement that you have take all steps you believe necessary, including consultation with financial and legal advisors of your choice, to understand this Agreement.

 

 

	
Sincerely,
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
By:   
    	
/s/   Greg Scott
    	
 
    	
Dated:   
    	
November   9, 2011
    
	
 
    	
Greg   Scott
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Chief   Executive Officer
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
By:   
    	
/s/   Faeth Bradley
    	
 
    	
Dated:   
    	
November   14, 2011
    
	
 
    	
Faeth   Bradley
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
EVP, Human Resources

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