Separation Agreement, dated August 18, 2024, by and between Akari Therapeutics, Plc and Rachelle Jacques
Exhibit 10.40
CERTAIN IDENTIFIED INFORMATION HAS BEEN EXCLUDED FROM THIS EXHIBIT BECAUSE IT IS BOTH NOT MATERIAL AND IS THE TYPE THAT THE REGISTRANT TREATS AS PRIVATE OR CONFIDENTIAL. INFORMATION THAT WAS OMITTED HAS BEEN NOTED IN THIS DOCUMENT WITH A PLACEHOLDER IDENTIFIED BY THE MARK “[***]”.
August 18, 2024
PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
Rachelle Jacques [***]
Re: Separation Agreement
Dear Rachelle,
This letter confirms your separation from employment with Akari Therapeutics, plc (the
“Company”). This letter also proposes an agreement between you and the Company. Entitlements and Obligations
Your employment with the Company ended on May 1, 2024 (the “Separation Date”). By signing below you acknowledge that the Company has:
on the Company’s behalf through the end of your employment;
For your part, you are subject to continuing obligations under your Employment Agreement, including your obligations to maintain the confidentiality of Company confidential information, return Company documents and other property and restrictive covenant obligations. A copy of the
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Exhibit 10.40
CERTAIN IDENTIFIED INFORMATION HAS BEEN EXCLUDED FROM THIS EXHIBIT BECAUSE IT IS BOTH NOT MATERIAL AND IS THE TYPE THAT THE REGISTRANT TREATS AS PRIVATE OR CONFIDENTIAL. INFORMATION THAT WAS OMITTED HAS BEEN NOTED IN THIS DOCUMENT WITH A PLACEHOLDER IDENTIFIED BY THE MARK “[***]”.
Employment Agreement is enclosed as Exhibit B.
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Agreement
The remainder of this letter proposes an agreement (the “Agreement”) between you and the Company. The purpose of this Agreement is to establish an amicable arrangement for ending your employment relationship, including resolving all differences and disputes and releasing the Company and related persons or entities from any claims and permitting you to receive certain Settlement Payments and Equity terms, all as described herein.
You acknowledge that you are entering into this Agreement knowingly and voluntarily. It is customary in employment separation agreements for the departing employee to release the employer from any possible claims, even if the employer believes, as is the case here, that no such claims exist. By proposing and entering into this Agreement, the Company is not admitting in any way that it violated any legal obligation that it owed to you.
With those understandings, you and the Company agree as follows:
Your employment with the Company ended effective on the Separation Date. The Settlement Payment (Section 2), the Equity provisions (Section 3) and the other terms set forth herein are being provided to you as part of an agreement between you and the Company to settle fully and finally all issues and/or differences between you and the Company, including without limitation regarding your employment with the Company and any other matters with respect to the Company including any claims related to the Employment Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, by entering into this Agreement you are waiving any right you had or may have had to payments, benefits or acceleration, other than as specifically set forth herein.
You confirm that you resigned from any and all other positions that you held with the Company as an officer, director or otherwise effective on the Separation Date (except that your resignation as a director was effective May 7, 2024). You acknowledge that you were fully paid for all wages then due to you. If you apply for unemployment compensation benefits under state law, the Company shall not dispute your eligibility for such benefits. This shall not affect the Company’s obligation to respond truthfully to governmental agency requests for information related to unemployment compensation eligibility.
You must immediately cease holding yourself out as a current employee of the Company in all forums and on all platforms including but not limited to, LinkedIn. Notwithstanding the foregoing and subject to Sections 8 and 9 below, you may continue to truthfully reference your professional history with the Company.
In exchange for you entering into, not revoking and complying with this Agreement:
$450,000 (“Settlement Payment”). The Company shall pay you the Settlement Payment the earlier of (i) within thirty (30) days of the closing date of the transactions contemplated by that certain
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Agreement and Plan of Merger, by and among Akari Therapeutics, plc, Peak Bio, Inc. and Pegasus
Merger Sub, Inc., dated as of March 4, 2024 (the “Closing Date”), and (ii) December 2, 2024.
In exchange for you entering into, not revoking and complying with this Agreement and notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any other policy, plan or agreement, you and the Company agree as follows:
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that the Ordinary Shares with respect to the 15, 418 ADSs and the 52,295 ADSs will be “net settled” for required withholding taxes and will remit those required taxes to the taxing authorities. You agree to promptly pay the par value for the resulting “net” number of Ordinary Shares (with appropriate credit for the par value you previously paid with resect to the 15,418 ADSs) upon which you will receive the corresponding number of ADSs (such ADSs, together with the 14,000 ADSs referred to above, the “Private Placement ADSs”).
(1) the Private Placement Transaction; (2) any transfers to any stockholder, partner or member of, or owner of a similar equity interest in, you, as the case may be, if, in any such case, such transfer is not for value, (3) any transfer made by you to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business entity so long as the transferee is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act) of the Investor and such transfer is not for value, or (4) the transfer of Shares pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction made to all holders of the Company’s common stock involving a change of control of the Company (including, without limitation, the entry into any lock-up, voting or similar agreement pursuant to which the undersigned may agree to transfer, sell, tender or otherwise dispose of common stock or other such securities in favor of any such transaction, or vote any securities in favor of such transaction); provided that in the event that the tender offer, merger, consolidation or other such transaction is not completed, the Shares shall remain subject to the restrictions contained in this Agreement. For purposes of this Agreement, “change of control” shall mean the consummation of (1) any bona fide third-party tender offer approved by the board of directors of the Company, for any and all of the Company’s outstanding voting securities or (2) any merger, consolidation or other similar transaction, in one transaction or a series of related transactions, in each case, approved by the board of directors of the Company and the result of which is that any “person” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), or group of persons, other than the Company, becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 of the Exchange Act) of at least 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Company; provided, further, that a “change of control” shall not include the transactions contemplated by that
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certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, by and among Akari Therapeutics, plc, Peak Bio, Inc. and Pegasus Merger Sub, Inc., dated as of March 4, 2024.
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You acknowledge that your obligations under the Employment Agreement shall continue in effect, including without limitation your obligations to maintain the confidentiality of Confidential Information as defined in the Employment Agreement, to return documents and other property of the Company.
You confirm that you have, or within five business days of execution of this Agreement will have, returned to the Company all Company property, including, without limitation, computer equipment, keys and access cards, credit cards and any documents (including electronic documents as well as hard copies) containing information concerning the Company, its business or its business relationships. You also commit to deleting and finally purging any duplicates of files or documents that may contain Company information from any computer or other device that remains your property after the Separation Date. In the event that you discover that you continue to retain any such property, you shall return it to the Company immediately.
You understand and agree that you have been employed in a position of confidence and trust and have had access to information concerning the Company that the Company treats as confidential and the disclosure of which could negatively affect the Company’s interests (“Confidential Information”). Confidential Information includes, without limitation, confidential financial information; business forecasts; inventions; improvements and other intellectual property; trade secrets; know-how; designs, processes or formulae; confidential software; marketing or sales information or plans; customer lists; and business plans, prospects and opportunities. You agree that you shall not use or disclose any Confidential Information at any time without the written consent of the Company.
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provided, however, that this release shall not affect your rights under this Agreement or under any “employee benefit plan,” as that term is defined in Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, 29 U.S.C. §1002(3).
You agree not to accept damages of any nature, other equitable or legal remedies for your own benefit or attorney’s fees or costs from any of the Released Parties with respect to any Claim released by this Agreement. As a material inducement to the Company to enter into this Agreement, you represent that you have not assigned any Claim to any third party.
You agree, to the fullest extent permitted by law and subject to Section 12 of this Agreement, to keep all Agreement-Related Information completely confidential. “Agreement-Related Information” means any allegations of wrongful conduct by the Company or any of its representatives, the negotiations leading to this Agreement and the existence and terms of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may disclose Agreement-Related Information to your spouse, your attorney and your financial advisors, and to them only provided that they first
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agree for the benefit of the Company to keep Agreement-Related Information confidential. You represent that during the period since this Agreement was proposed to you, you have not made any disclosures that would have been contrary to the foregoing obligation if it had then been in effect. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent you from disclosing Agreement-Related Information to the extent required by a lawfully issued subpoena or duly issued court order; provided that you provide the Company with advance written notice and a reasonable opportunity to contest such subpoena or court order.
Subject to Section 12 of this Agreement, you agree to comply with your, and the Company agrees to comply with its, obligations under Section 11 (Non-Disparagement) of the Employment Agreement.
You shall not represent that you are employed by, engaged as a consultant for or in any other service relationship (collectively, an “Affiliation”) with the Company or any of its affiliates. Without limiting the foregoing, you shall ensure that at no time will your resume, CV, social media profiles and pages (including without limitation any LinkedIn or Facebook profile), website, email signature or business card indicate that you have any Affiliation with the Company or any affiliate. In addition, you agree that any statements that you make in social media, in resumes and otherwise about your activities on behalf of the Company and any affiliates shall be fully accurate.
Subject to Section 12, the provisions of Section 6 (Cooperation) of the Employment Agreement shall continue to apply as if set forth in full herein.
Nothing contained in this Agreement, any other agreement with the Company, or any Company policy limits your ability, with or without notice to the Company, to: (i) file a charge or complaint with any federal, state or local governmental agency or commission (a “Government Agency”), including without limitation, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National Labor Relations Board or the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”); (ii) communicate with any Government Agency or otherwise participate in any investigation or proceeding that may be conducted by any Government Agency, including by providing non-privileged documents or information; (iii) exercise any rights under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act, which are available to non-supervisory employees, including assisting co-workers with or discussing any employment issue as part of engaging in concerted activities for the purpose of mutual aid or protection; (iv) discuss or disclose information about unlawful acts in the workplace, such as harassment or discrimination or any other conduct that you have reason to believe is unlawful; or
(v) testify truthfully in a legal proceeding. Any such communications and disclosures must not violate applicable law and the information disclosed must not have been obtained through a
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communication that was subject to the attorney-client privilege (unless disclosure of that
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information would otherwise be permitted consistent with such privilege or applicable law). If a Government Agency or any other third party pursues any claim on your behalf, you waive any right to monetary or other individualized relief (either individually or as part of any collective or class action), but the Company will not limit any right you may have to receive an award pursuant to the whistleblower provisions of any applicable law or regulation for providing information to the SEC or any other Government Agency.
In addition, for the avoidance of doubt, pursuant to the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016, you shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any federal or state trade secret law or under this Agreement for the disclosure of a trade secret that (a) is made (i) in confidence to a federal, state, or local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney; and (ii) solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (b) is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal.
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shall not become effective or enforceable during the revocation period. This Agreement shall become effective on the first business day following the expiration of the revocation period (the “Effective Date”).
[Signature Page Follows]
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Sincerely,
AKARI THERAPEUTICS, PLC
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By: /s/ Dr. Raymond Prudo, M.D. |
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Dr. Raymond Prudo, M.D. | Date |
Enclosure - Employment Agreement
You are advised to consult with an attorney before signing this Agreement and you have, in fact, been represented by counsel in connection with this Agreement. This is a legal document. Your signature will commit you to its terms. By signing below, you acknowledge that you have carefully read and fully understand all of the provisions of this Agreement and that you are knowingly and voluntarily entering into this Agreement.
By: /s/ Rachelle Jacques |
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Rachelle Jacques | Date |
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Selected Roles | |
Title | Age |
Chief Executive Officer | 52 |
Chief Medical Officer | 71 |
Chief Operating Officer | 54 |
Associate Director, Clinical Operations | 45 |
Clinical Project Manager | 48 |
Senior Clinical Trial Associate/TMF Specialist | 37 |
Business Development Analyst | 35 |
Director, People Experience | 30 |
Non-Selected Roles | |
Title | Age |
Chief Scientific Officer | 55 |
Head of CMC | 57 |
UK Finance Director | 58 |
Senior Preclinical Development Scientist | 47 |
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Exhibit B
See attached.
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