Employment Agreement, dated December 4, 2023, between G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. and Jeffrey Goldfarb
Exhibit 10.1
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) made as of the fourth day of December, 2023, between G-III Apparel Group, Ltd., a Delaware corporation, (the “Company”), and Jeffrey Goldfarb (the “Executive”).
W I T N E S S E T H :
WHEREAS, the Company and the Executive are parties to an Employment Agreement (the “Prior Agreement”), dated December 9, 2016; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires that the Executive enter into this Agreement so that the Company may be assured of the services of the Executive for the term of this Agreement and the Executive is desirous of providing such services on the terms and conditions as provided for in this Agreement; and
WHEREAS, it is the intention of the Company and the Executive that this Agreement supersede the Prior Agreement, and that from and as of the date hereof the Prior Agreement shall be cancelled and of no further force and effect.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the mutual promises, representations and covenants herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
The Company hereby employs Executive as an Executive Vice President of the Company and Executive hereby agrees to accepts such employment, subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth. Executive currently serves as an Executive Vice President of the Company and shall have substantially the same duties, responsibilities and authority as he had prior to the execution of this Agreement. Executive hereby agrees to diligently, faithfully and competently perform such services and such additional duties and responsibilities, consistent with his position, as shall from time to time be reasonably assigned to him by the Company’s Board of Directors or its Chief Executive Officer, and to diligently, faithfully and competently devote his entire business time, skill and attention to the performance of his duties and responsibilities to the Company. Executive shall report to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.
The term of the Executive’s employment under this Agreement (the “Employment Term”) shall be from the date hereof until January 31, 2027, unless sooner terminated in accordance with the terms hereof; provided, however, that on each December 1st prior to the end of the then Employment Term, commencing with December 1, 2026, the Employment Term shall be automatically extended for an additional one-year period unless prior to such December 1st either party shall have given written notice to the other that the Employment Term shall not be extended any further.
(a)As compensation for the employment services to be rendered by Executive hereunder, the Company agrees to pay, or cause to be paid, to Executive during the Employment Term, and Executive agrees to accept, payable in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll policy at the time in effect, a salary at the rate of Nine Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($950,000) per year, subject to such increases as may be approved in the discretion of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Compensation Committee”) in its annual review of executive compensation.
(b)During each of the Company’s fiscal years during the Employment Term, commencing with the fiscal year ending January 31, 2024, Executive shall be entitled to participate in the Company’s Annual Incentive Program with a target bonus in the amount of $1,500,000 (the “Target Bonus”) for each fiscal year. The amount of the annual incentive paid to Executive with respect to any fiscal year shall be based on each year’s Annual Incentive Program that will contain performance metrics and adjustments thereto as determined with respect to each fiscal year by the Compensation Committee.
(c)During the Employment Term, Executive shall be eligible to participate in equity grant programs established by the Compensation Committee with an annual guideline award value of $1,500,000, subject to the discretion of the Compensation Committee to increase or decrease the actual equity award value and establish other terms and conditions of the award as it deems appropriate.
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Executive represents and warrants that he is free to enter into this Agreement and to perform the duties required hereunder, and that there are no employment contracts or understandings, restrictive covenants or other restrictions, whether written or oral, preventing the performance of his duties hereunder.
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Executive agrees that if he breaches, or threatens to commit a breach of, any of the provisions of Sections 7, 8 or 9 (the “Restrictive Covenants”), the Company shall have, in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other rights and remedies available to the Company under law and in equity, the right to injunctive relief and/or to have the Restrictive Covenants specifically enforced by a court of competent jurisdiction, without the posting of any bond or other security, it being agreed that any breach or threatened breach of the Restrictive Covenants would cause irreparable injury to the G-III Group and that money damages would not provide an adequate remedy to the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall constitute a waiver by Executive of his right to contest whether a breach or threatened breach of any Restrictive Covenant has occurred.
No amendment or alteration of the terms of this Agreement shall be valid unless made in writing and signed by both of the parties hereto.
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed therein.
The holding of any provision of this Agreement to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect.
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For the purposes of this Agreement, notices, demands and all other communications provided for in the Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when delivered against receipt therefor or mailed by United States certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:
If to the Executive: | (On file with the Company) |
If to the Company: | G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. |
512 Seventh Avenue
New York, New York 10019
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
This Agreement may be signed in counterparts with the same effect as if the signatures to each counterpart were upon a single instrument, and all such counterparts together shall be deemed an original of this Agreement. For purposes of this Agreement, a facsimile copy of a party’s signature shall be sufficient to bind such party.
It is agreed that a waiver by either party of a breach of any provision of this Agreement shall not operate, or be construed, as a waiver of any subsequent breach by that same party.
Except for the Executive Transition Agreement, dated the date hereof, between the Company and the Executive (the “Transition Agreement”), this Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, both written and oral, between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and may be modified only by a written instrument signed by each of the parties hereto. To the extent that payments to Executive in connection with a termination of his employment in connection with a “Change of Control” (as such term is defined in the Transition
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Agreement) could be determined by the terms of both this Agreement and the Transition Agreement, the terms of the Transition Agreement shall apply to determine such payments to Executive upon such a termination of his employment; provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, it is understood that the foregoing shall not affect Executive’s rights under this Agreement in respect of a termination by the Company without justifiable cause or a termination by Executive for good reason, notwithstanding the occurrence of any such “Change in Control,” if for any reason such termination does not entitle Executive to the severance payments provided for under the Transition Agreement. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective legal representatives, heirs, distributors, successors and assigns; provided, however, that Executive shall not be entitled to assign or delegate any of his rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Company. It is intended that Sections 7, 8, 9 and 10 benefit each of the Company and each other member of the G-III Group, each of which is entitled to enforce the provisions of Sections 7, 8, 9 and 10. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, Executive shall be entitled to indemnification by the Company pursuant to the terms of any separate indemnification agreement as may be in effect from time to time for the benefit of Executive, and in any event the Company agrees that in the event Executive is made a party, or is threatened to be made a party, to any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or otherwise, by reason of the fact that Executive is or was an officer, director, manager or employee of the Company or any of its affiliates, Executive shall be indemnified by the Company to the fullest extent permitted or authorized by the Company’s articles of incorporation, bylaws or other governing documents.
The termination of Executive’s employment hereunder or the expiration of this Agreement shall not affect the enforceability of Sections 7, 8, 9 and 10 hereof.
The parties agree to execute and deliver all such further documents, agreements and instruments and take such other and further action as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes and intent of this Agreement.
No provision of this Agreement or any related document shall be construed against or interpreted to the disadvantage of any party hereto by any court or other governmental or judicial authority by reason of such party having or being deemed to have structured or drafted such provision.
The Section headings appearing in this Agreement are for the purposes of easy reference and shall not be considered a part of this Agreement or in any way modify, demand or affect its provisions.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date and year first above written.
| G-III APPAREL GROUP, LTD. | |
| | |
| By: | /s/ Neal S. Nackman |
| | Name: Neal S. Nackman |
| | Title: Chief Financial Officer |
| | |
| | /s/ Jeffrey Goldfarb |
| | Jeffrey Goldfarb |
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EXHIBIT A
[Letterhead of G-III Apparel Group, Ltd.]
[Date]
[Executive]
[Address]
Dear [Executive]:
This will confirm that your employment with G-III Apparel Group, Ltd.. (the “Company”) has been terminated as of [date]. In exchange for your general release and fulfillment of all of your commitments in this Agreement, which are set forth below, the Company will pay you the severance amounts set forth in Section 5(f) of your employment agreement with the Company (the “Employment Agreement”). In addition, you agree (i) to comply with the terms of Sections 7, 8 and 9 of the Employment Agreement, (ii) not to disparage the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates (collectively, the “G-III Group”) or make or cause to be made any statement that is critical of or otherwise maligns the business reputation of the G-III Group and (iii) not to tortiously interfere in any manner with the present or future business activities of the G-III Group.
The foregoing voluntary payment is given in return for your discharge and release of all claims, obligations, and demands which you have, ever had, or in the future may have, against any member of the G-III Group and any of its or their stockholders, officers, directors, employees, or agents, arising out of or relating to your employment and the termination thereof up to the date of this Release, including, but not limited to, claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Labor Standards Act, applicable New York State law, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Older Workers Benefits Protection Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Americans With Disabilities Act, and all other federal, state, and local discrimination laws, and claims for wrongful discharge. You further waive and release any claimed right to reemployment, or employment in the future with the Company or any other member of the G-III Group. You do not, however, waive or release any claims which arise after the date that you execute this agreement or any claims to enforce your rights to any payments or benefits owed under the Employment Agreement or pursuant to any Benefit Plans (as defined in the Employment Agreement) or any claims or rights to indemnification by the Company pursuant to any indemnification agreement as may be in effect for your benefit or pursuant to the Company’s articles of incorporation, bylaws or other governing documents.
The Company has advised you to consult with an attorney and/or governmental agencies prior to executing this agreement. By executing this agreement you acknowledge that you have been provided an opportunity to consult with an attorney or other advisor of your choice regarding the terms of this agreement, that you have been given a minimum of twenty-one days in which to consider whether you wish to enter into this agreement, and that you have elected to enter into this agreement knowingly and voluntarily. You may revoke your assent to this agreement within seven days of its execution by you (the “Revocation Period”), and the agreement will not become effective or enforceable until the Revocation Period has expired.
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If this is in accordance with our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed copy of this letter, which shall then be a binding agreement between us.
| G-III APPAREL GROUP, LTD. | |
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| By: | |
| Title: | |
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Agreed and Accepted: | | |
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Jeffrey Goldfarb | | |
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