Amended and Restated Retention Agreement, effective as of March 30, 2018, by and between the Registrant and Reginald D. Davis
Exhibit 10.10.7
DOCUSIGN, INC.
AMENDED AND RESTATED RETENTION AGREEMENT
This Amended and Restated Retention Agreement (the Agreement) is effective as of March 30, 2018, by and between Reginald Davis (Executive) and DocuSign, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), and amends and restates the prior Retention Agreement between Executive and the Company dated September 10, 2016.
RECITALS
A. The Companys Board of Directors (the Board) believes it is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to retain Executive and to provide Executive with certain protections in the event of Executives termination of employment or a Change in Control of the Company under certain circumstances.
B. To accomplish the foregoing objectives, the Board has directed the Company, upon execution of this Agreement by Executive, to agree to the terms provided in this Agreement. Capitalized terms not defined below shall have the meanings set forth in Exhibit A or Exhibit B, as applicable.
AGREEMENT
The parties hereto agree as follows:
1. At-Will Employment. Nothing in this Agreement alters the at-will nature of Executives employment. Executive and the Company remain free to terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason, with or without notice.
2. Benefits Upon Qualifying Termination Generally. Upon Executives Qualifying Termination, and subject to the conditions in Section 5, the Company will provide Executive with the following severance benefits:
(a) Severance Pay. The Company will pay Executive a lump sum cash payment, less all applicable withholdings and deductions, in an amount equal to:
(i) 6 months of Executives then-current base salary (ignoring any decrease in base salary that forms the basis for Good Reason); and
(ii) 50% of Executives target annual bonus for the performance year in which the Qualifying Termination occurs.
(b) Continued Health Insurance Coverage. Provided Executive timely elects COBRA continuation coverage, the Company will pay the COBRA premiums to continue and maintain health care coverage for Executive and any dependents who are covered at the time of the Executives termination of employment under the Companys group health plans. The Company will make such payments until the earliest of: (i) 6 months following the Qualifying Termination date; (ii) the date when Executive becomes eligible for substantially equivalent health insurance coverage in connection with new employment or self-employment; or (iii) the
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date Executive ceases to be eligible for COBRA continuation coverage for any reason. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company determines in its sole discretion that it cannot pay the COBRA premiums without potentially incurring financial costs or penalties under applicable law, the Company may pay Executive a taxable cash payment equal to the amount that the Company would have otherwise paid for COBRA premiums (based on the premium for the first month of coverage), which payment will be made regardless of whether Executive or Executives eligible dependents elect COBRA continuation coverage and will be paid in monthly installments on the same schedule and over the same time period that the COBRA premiums would otherwise have been paid on behalf of Executive.
(c) Equity Vesting Acceleration. The vesting of each of Executives then-outstanding equity compensation awards granted under any of the Companys equity incentive plans will accelerate as to the number of shares subject to each such award that would have become vested, in the ordinary course, within the first 6 months following Executives termination date, effective on Executives date of termination and subject to Section 5(a).
Subject to the payment timing rules contained in Exhibit B, any severance payments and benefits under this Section 2 will be paid on the later of (x) 10 business days after the effective date of the Release and (y) the date of Executives Qualifying Termination.
3. Qualifying Termination During the Change in Control Period. Upon Executives Qualifying Termination during the Change in Control Period, and subject to the conditions in Section 5, the Company will provide Executive with the following severance benefits:
(a) Severance Pay. The Company will pay Executive a lump sum cash payment, less all applicable withholdings and deductions, in an amount equal to 12 months of Executives then-current base salary (ignoring any decrease in base salary that forms the basis for Good Reason).
(b) Continued Health Insurance Coverage. Provided Executive timely elects COBRA continuation coverage, the Company will pay the COBRA premiums to continue and maintain health care coverage for Executive and any dependents who are covered at the time of the Executives termination of employment under the Companys group health plans. The Company will make such payments until the earliest of: (i) 12 months following the Qualifying Termination date; (ii) the date when Executive becomes eligible for substantially equivalent health insurance coverage in connection with new employment or self-employment; or (iii) the date Executive ceases to be eligible for COBRA continuation coverage for any reason. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company determines in its sole discretion that it cannot pay the COBRA premiums without potentially incurring financial costs or penalties under applicable law, the Company may pay Executive a taxable cash payment equal to the amount that the Company would have otherwise paid for COBRA premiums (based on the premium for the first month of coverage), which payment will be made regardless of whether Executive or Executives eligible dependents elect COBRA continuation coverage and will be paid in monthly installments on the same schedule and over the same time period that the COBRA premiums would otherwise have been paid on behalf of Executive.
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(c) Equity Vesting Acceleration. The vesting of each of Executives then-outstanding compensatory equity awards granted under any of the Companys equity incentive plans will accelerate in full, subject to Section 5(a). In order to accommodate this potential accelerated vesting, if Executive experiences a Qualifying Termination within three months prior to a Change in Control, any then-unvested compensatory equity awards will not terminate with respect to shares that have not vested as of Executives termination date until three months and one day after Executives termination date.
Subject to the payment timing rules contained in Exhibit B, any severance payments and benefits under this Section 3 will be paid on the latest of (x) 10 business days after the effective date of the Release, (y) the date of Executives Qualifying Termination, and (z) the date of the Change in Control.
4. Change in Control Acceleration. In the event of a Change of Control, the vesting of each of Executives then-outstanding equity compensation awards granted under any of the Companys equity incentive plans will accelerate as to 25% of any then-unvested shares subject to each such award as of immediately prior to the Change in Control subject to Executives continued employment through the Change in Control, and subject to Section 5(a).
5. Limitations and Conditions on Termination Benefits
(a) Treatment of Performance-Based Awards. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the accelerated vesting provisions contained in this Agreement will only apply to service-based vesting provisions, and will not result in a waiver of any performance or milestone-based vesting conditions (a Performance Condition) contained in any such equity compensation award. The terms and conditions of the applicable award agreement will control the treatment of any vesting provision conditioned on the satisfaction of a Performance Condition in connection with Executives termination
(b) Release Prior to Payment of Benefits. In order to be eligible to receive any benefits under Sections 2 or 3, Executive must (i) execute and return a general waiver and release, in a form provided by the Company and reasonably acceptable to Executive, of all employment related obligations of and claims and causes of action against the Company (a Release), to the Company within the applicable time period set forth therein and (ii) not revoke the Release within the revocation period (if any) set forth therein; provided, however, that in no event may the applicable time period or revocation period extend beyond sixty (60) days following Executives termination date.
(c) Income and Employment Taxes. Executives agrees that Executive will be responsible for any applicable taxes of any nature (including any penalties or interest that may apply to such taxes) that the Company reasonably determines apply to any payment made hereunder, that Executives receipt of any benefit hereunder is conditioned on Executives satisfaction of any applicable withholding or similar obligations that apply to such benefit, and that any cash payment owed hereunder will be reduced to satisfy any such withholding or similar obligations that may apply.
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(d) Related Matters. Executive further acknowledges and agrees that as a condition to receipt of any severance benefits, Executive must (i) comply with Executives obligations under Executives At-Will Employment, Confidential Information, Invention Assignment and Arbitration Agreement; and (ii) resign from all officer and director positions with the Company and/or any affiliate (unless otherwise requested by the Company).
(e) Section 409A and Section 280G. Executive and the Company understand that payments under this Agreement may be subject to Sections 409A and 280G of the Code, and the parties agree to abide by the Section 409A and Section 280G provisions contained in Exhibit B to this Agreement.
6. Miscellaneous Provisions.
(a) Interaction with Other Benefits. In the event that Executive would be entitled to a greater level of payments or benefits under the terms and conditions of an individual equity compensation award, offer letter or other employment-related agreement, or a severance plan or policy provided by the Company or its successor, but for the existence of this Agreement, Executive shall be entitled to receive the greater of the payments and benefits provided for hereunder or the benefits under such other agreement, plan or policy subject to the applicable terms and conditions thereof.
(b) Complete Agreement. This Agreement supersedes any agreement (or portion thereof) concerning similar subject matter dated prior to the date of this Agreement, and by execution of this Agreement both parties agree that any such predecessor agreement (or portion thereof) shall be deemed null and void; provided that, for clarification purposes, this Agreement shall not affect any agreement between the Company and Executive regarding intellectual property matters, non-solicitation or non-competition restrictions or confidential information. The parties further agree that this Agreement does not supersede the provisions of Executives offer letter or employment agreement with the Company which do not address termination or severance benefits or Executives At-Will Employment, Confidential Information, Invention Assignment and Arbitration Agreement.
(c) Waiver. No provision of this Agreement may be waived unless the waiver is agreed to in writing and signed by Executive and by an authorized officer of the Company. No waiver by either party of any breach of, or of compliance with, any condition or provision of this Agreement shall be considered a waiver at another time.
(d) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement is personal to Executive and will not be assignable by Executive otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company and its successors and assigns. From and after a Change in Control, the term Company when used in this Agreement will also be read to include any entity that actually employs Executive, if different from the Company.
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(e) Choice of Law. The validity, interpretation, construction and performance of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California without reference to conflict of laws provisions, and the parties hereto submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts of the State of California.
(f) Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision hereof, which shall remain in full force and effect.
(g) Notice. Notices and all other communications contemplated by this Agreement will be in writing and will be deemed to have been duly given when personally delivered or when mailed by U.S. registered or certified mail, return receipt requested and postage prepaid. Mailed notices to Executive shall be addressed to Executive at the home address which Executive most recently communicated to the Company in writing. In the case of the Company, mailed notices shall be addressed to its corporate headquarters, and all notices shall be directed to the attention of the Board.
(h) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument, and facsimile and electronic signatures shall be equivalent to original signatures.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date written below.
DOCUSIGN, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Dan Springer | |
Dan Springer | ||
Chief Executive Officer | ||
Date: | March 30, 2018 | |
REGINALD DAVIS | ||
/s/ Reginald Davis | ||
Date: | March 30, 2018 |
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EXHIBIT A
DEFINITIONS
Cause will mean the occurrence of one or more of the following:
(i) Executives willful and continued failure to perform the duties and responsibilities of Executives position after there has been delivered to Executive a written demand for performance from the Company which describes the basis for the Companys belief that Executive has not substantially performed Executives duties and provides Executive with thirty (30) days to take corrective action;
(ii) any act of personal dishonesty taken by Executive in connection with Executives responsibilities as an employee of the Company with the intention or reasonable expectation that such action may result in substantial personal enrichment of Executive;
(iii) Executives conviction of, or plea of nolo contendere to, a felony;
(iv) Executives commission of any tortious act, unlawful act or malfeasance which causes or reasonably could cause (for example, if it became publicly known) material harm to the Companys standing, condition or reputation;
(v) any material breach by Executive of the provisions of the At-Will Employment, Confidential Information, Invention Assignment and Arbitration Agreement or other improper disclosure of the Companys confidential or proprietary information;
(vi) a breach of any fiduciary duty owed to the Company by Executive that has or could reasonably be expected to have a material detrimental effect on the Companys reputation or business; or
(vii) Executive (A) obstructing or impeding; (B) endeavoring to influence, obstruct or impede, or (C) failing to materially cooperate with, any investigation authorized by the Board or any governmental or self-regulatory entity (an Investigation). However, Executives failure to waive attorney-client privilege relating to communications with Executives own attorney in connection with an Investigation will not constitute Cause.
Change in Control will have the meaning set forth in the Companys Amended and Restated 2011 Equity Incentive Plan.
Change in Control Period means the period beginning three months prior to and ending on the 12-month anniversary of the effective date of a Change in Control.
COBRA means the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended together with any analogous provisions of applicable state law.
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Code means Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Treasury regulations and formal guidance promulgated thereunder, each as may be amended or modified from time to time.
Good Reason for Executives resignation of employment will exist following the occurrence of any of the following without Executives express written consent:
(i) a material reduction in Executives duties or responsibilities without Executives consent, provided that neither a change in title, nor a change in Executives reporting relationships by virtue of the Company being acquired or made part of a larger entity (as, for example, where the Company becomes a subsidiary or operating unit of the acquiring corporation following a Change in Control) will be deemed a material reduction in and of itself unless Executives new duties and responsibilities are materially reduced from the prior duties and responsibilities;
(ii) a material reduction in Executives base compensation, unless such reduction is made in connection with a similar action affecting all senior executives; or
(iii) a relocation of Executives principal place of employment to a place that increases Executives one-way commute by more than fifty (50) miles as compared to Executives then-current principal place of employment immediately prior to such relocation.
In order to resign for Good Reason, Executive must provide written notice to Board within 90 days after the first occurrence of the event giving rise to Good Reason setting forth the basis for Executives resignation, allow the Company at least 30 days from receipt of such written notice to cure such event, and if such event is not reasonably cured within such period, Executive must resign from all positions Executive then holds with the Company not later than 30 days after the expiration of the cure period.
Qualifying Termination shall mean the termination of Executives employment by the Company without Cause or by Executive with Good Reason.
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EXHIBIT B
SECTION 409A AND SECTION 280G MATTERS
1. Section 409A
(a) It is intended that the Agreement shall comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, and any payments hereunder are intended to be exempt from, or if not so exempt, to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, and this Agreement shall be interpreted, operated and administered accordingly. To the extent that any provision of the Agreement is ambiguous, but a reasonable interpretation of the provision would cause any payment or benefit to comply with or be exempt from the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, Executive and the Company intend the term to be interpreted as such in order to avoid adverse personal tax consequences under Section 409A.
(b) No severance or other payments or benefits otherwise payable to Executive upon a termination of employment under the Agreement or otherwise will be payable until Executive has a separation from service as defined under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h), without regard to any alternative definition thereunder.
(c) If the period during which Executive may sign the Release begins in one calendar year and ends in the following calendar year, then no severance payments or benefits that that would constitute deferred compensation within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code will be paid or provided until the later calendar year.
(d) The severance payments and benefits under the Agreement are intended to satisfy the exemptions from application of Section 409A of the Code provided under Treasury Regulations Sections 1.409A-1(b)(4), 1.409A-1(b)(5) and 1.409A-1(b)(9). However, if such exemptions are not available and Executive is a specified employee within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code at the time of Executives separation from service, then, solely to the extent necessary to avoid adverse personal tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code, any payments payable under the Agreement on account of a separation from service that would constitute deferred compensation within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and that would (but for this provision) be payable within 6 months following the date of termination, shall instead be paid on the next business day following the expiration of such six month period or, if earlier, upon Executives death. Each installment payment under the Agreement is a separate payment for purposes of Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-2(b)(2)(i).
2. Section 280G
(a) If any payment or benefit (including payments and benefits pursuant to the Agreement) that Executive would receive in connection with a Change in Control from the Company or otherwise (a Transaction Payment) would (i) constitute a parachute payment within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, and (ii) but for this sentence, be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the Excise Tax), then the Company shall cause to be determined, before any amounts of the Transaction Payment are paid to Executive, which of the following two alternative forms of payment would result in Executives receipt, on an after-tax basis,
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of the greater amount of Transaction Payments notwithstanding that all or some portion of the Transaction Payment may be subject to the Excise Tax: (1) payment in full of the entire amount of the Transaction Payments (a Full Payment), or (2) payment of only a portion of the Transaction Payments so that Executive receives the largest payment possible without the imposition of the Excise Tax (a Reduced Payment). For purposes of determining whether to make a Full Payment or a Reduced Payment, the Company shall cause to be taken into account all applicable federal, state, local and foreign income and employment taxes and the Excise Tax (all computed at the highest applicable marginal rate, net of the maximum reduction in federal income taxes which could be obtained from a deduction of such state and local taxes). If a Reduced Payment is made, (x) Executive shall have no rights to any additional payments and/or benefits constituting the forfeited portion of the Full Payment, and (y) reduction in payments and/or benefits will occur in the manner that results in the greatest economic benefit for Executive. If more than one method of reduction will result in the same economic benefit, the items so reduced will be reduced pro rata. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if such reduction would result in any portion of the Transaction Payments being subject to penalties pursuant to Section 409A that would not otherwise be subject to such penalties, then the reduction method shall be modified so as to avoid the imposition of penalties pursuant to Section 409A as follows: (A) Transaction Payments that are contingent on future events (e.g., being terminated without Cause), shall be reduced (or eliminated) before Transaction Payments that are not contingent on future events; and (B) Transaction Payments that are deferred compensation within the meaning of Section 409A shall be reduced (or eliminated) before Transaction Payments that are not deferred compensation within the meaning of Section 409A. In the event that acceleration of vesting of any equity compensation awards is to be reduced, such acceleration of vesting will be cancelled in the reverse order of the date of grant of Executives equity awards. In no event will the Company or any stockholder be liable to Executive for any amounts not paid as a result of the operation of this provision.
(b) The professional firm engaged by the Company for general tax purposes as of the day prior to the effective date of the Change in Control shall make all determinations required to be made under this Exhibit B. If the professional firm so engaged by the Company is serving as accountant or auditor for the individual, entity or group effecting the Change in Control, the Company shall appoint a nationally recognized independent registered public accounting firm to make the determinations required hereunder. The Company shall bear all expenses with respect to the determinations by such professional firm required to be made hereunder.
(c) The professional firm engaged to make the determinations hereunder shall provide its calculations, together with detailed supporting documentation, to the Company and Executive within a reasonable period after the date on which Executives right to a Transaction Payment is triggered or such other time as reasonably requested by the Company or Executive. If the professional firm determines that no Excise Tax is payable with respect to the Transaction Payment, either before or after the application of the Reduced Amount, it shall furnish the Company and Executive with detailed supporting calculations of its determinations that no Excise Tax will be imposed with respect to such Transaction Payment. Any good faith determinations of the professional firm made hereunder shall be final, binding and conclusive upon the Company and Executive.
(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company is privately held as of immediately prior to a Change in Control and it is deemed necessary by the Company to avoid any potential imposition of the adverse tax results provided for by Sections 280G and 4999 of the Code, then as a
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further condition to any payment or benefit provided for in the Agreement or otherwise, the Company may require Executive to submit any payment or benefit provided for in the Agreement or from any other source that the Company reasonably determines may constitute an excess parachute payment (as defined in Section 280G(b)(1) of the Code) for approval by the Companys stockholders prior to the Closing of the Change in Control in the manner required by the terms of Section 280G(b)(5)(B) of the Code, so that no payments or benefits will be deemed to constitute a parachute payment subject to the excise taxes under Sections 280G and 4999 of the Code.
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