Financial Statements
EX-10.60 5 v51227exv10w60.htm EX-10.60 exv10w60
Exhibit 10.60
December 15, 2008
Mr. James Keegan
Re: | Amended and Restated Employment Agreement |
Dear Mr. Keegan:
On behalf of Lions Gate Films Inc. (the Company or Lions Gate), this letter is to confirm the terms of your employment by the Company. We refer to you herein as Employee. The employment agreement entered into as of February 21, 2006, between Employee and the Company (the Prior Employment Agreement), is hereby amended and restated in its entirety. The terms of Employees employment from the Effective Date (as defined below) are as follows:
1. The term of this agreement (this Agreement) will begin April 16, 2006 (the Effective Date) and end April 15, 2008, subject to early termination as provided in this Agreement (the Term). During the Term of this Agreement Employee will serve as Chief Financial Officer. Employee shall render such services as are customarily rendered by persons in Employees capacity in the motion picture industry and as may be reasonably requested by Company.
The Company may, at its sole discretion, extend the Term of this Agreement for an additional year, commencing April 16, 2008 and ending April 15, 2009 (the Option Year) by giving notice to Employee of its election to extend this Agreement at least ninety (90) days before that date.
So long as this Agreement shall continue in effect, Employee shall devote Employees full business time, energy and ability exclusively to the business, affairs and interests of the Company and matters related thereto, shall use Employees best efforts and abilities to promote the Companys interests and shall perform the services contemplated by this Agreement in accordance with policies established by the Company.
2. The following compensation will be paid to Employee during the Term of this Agreement:
Base Salary. During the Term of this Agreement, the Company agrees to pay Employee a base salary as follows:
April 16, 2006 through April 15, 2007 the rate of Four Hundred Thousand dollars ($400,000.00) per year (Base Salary Year 1), payable in accordance with the Companys normal payroll practices in effect.
April 16, 2007 through April 15, 2008 the rate of Four Hundred Twenty Five
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Thousand dollars ($425,000.00) per year (Base Salary Year 2), payable in accordance with the Companys normal payroll practices in effect.
In the event that this Agreement is extended for a third year at the Companys option (April 16, 2008 through April 15, 2009) in accordance with Section 1 above, Employees compensation shall be at the rate of Four Hundred Fifty Thousand dollars ($450,000.00) per year (Base Salary Option Year), payable in accordance with the Companys normal payroll practices in effect.
Nothing in this Agreement shall limit the Companys right to modify its payroll practices, as it deems necessary.
During the Term, Employee shall be entitled to receive performance bonuses at the full discretion of the CEO of the Company and the approval of the Board of the Company. Employee must be employed with the Company through the last day of the bonus year to be eligible to receive a discretionary performance bonus for that year, and any such bonus will be paid within the short-term deferral period provided under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(a)(4) (generally within two and one-half months after the end of the fiscal year for which the bonus is paid).
3. As an employee of the Company, Employee will continue to be eligible to participate in all benefit plans to the same extent as other salaried employees subject to the terms of such plans.
4. Employee shall be entitled to take paid time off without a reduction in salary, subject to (i) the approval of Employees supervisor, and (ii) the demands and requirements of Employees duties and responsibilities under this Agreement. There are no paid vacation days. Finally, Employee will be eligible to be reimbursed for any business expenses in accordance with the Companys current Travel and Entertainment policy.
5. Lions Gate shall request that the Compensation Committee of Lions Gate (CCLG) authorize and grant Employee 25,000 common shares (Grants) of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. in accordance with the terms and conditions of the existing and/or future Employee Stock Plan (collectively, the Plan). Employee acknowledges that this Grant of stock is subject to (i) the approval of the CCLG; and (ii) Lions Gate Entertainment Corps Shareholders (Shareholders) approving an increase to the number of options and shares available under the Plan. The next scheduled meeting of the Shareholders shall be in September, 2006. The award date (Award Date) shall be the date of the board meeting when the Grant is approved. The Grant shall vest as follows:
1/3 on the 1st anniversary of the Award Date;
2/3 on the 2nd anniversary of the Award Date;
3/3 on the 3rd anniversary of the Award Date.
2/3 on the 2nd anniversary of the Award Date;
3/3 on the 3rd anniversary of the Award Date.
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If the Grants described herein are not approved by the CCLG or Shareholders do not approve additional options and shares under the plan, Employee shall receive the cash equivalent (Cash Equivalent). The Cash Equivalent shall be the value of the shares on the date such shares (or a portion thereof) would have vested, and shall be paid on such date.
In the event of Employees death, the shares granted, if any, in this Section 5 shall be deemed fully vested.
In the event the Company does not elect to extend this Agreement to April 15, 2009 (Option Year) per paragraph 2 of Section 1, the Grants should be deemed fully vested at the end of Year 2.
6. Employee agrees that the Company Employee Handbook outlines other policies, which will apply to Employees employment, and Employee acknowledges receipt of such handbook. Please note, however, that the Company retains the right to revise, modify or delete any policy or benefit plan it deems appropriate.
7. This Agreement shall terminate upon the happening of any one or more of the following events:
(a) The mutual written agreement between the Company and Employee; or
(b) The death of Employee; or
(c) Employees having become so physically or mentally disabled as to be incapable, even with a reasonable accommodation, of satisfactorily performing Employees duties hereunder for a period of ninety (90) days or more, provided that Employee has not cured such disability within ten (10) days of written notice; or
(d) The determination on the part of the Company that cause exists for termination of this Agreement, with cause being defined as any of the following: 1) Employees conviction of a felony or plea of nolo contendere to a felony, except in connection with a traffic violation; 2) Employees commission, by act or omission, of any material act of dishonesty in the performance of Employees duties hereunder; 3) material breach of this Agreement by Employee; or 4) any act of misconduct by Employee having a substantial adverse effect on the business or reputation of the Company.
(e) Employee is terminated without cause. Termination without cause shall be defined as Employee being terminated by the Company for any reason other than as set forth in Sections 7(a)-(d) above. In the event of a termination without cause, Employee shall be entitled to receive (i) a severance payment equal to 50% of the amount of the Base Salary (or, if such termination occurs during the Option Year, 50% of the amount of the Base Salary Option Year) which Employee would have been entitled to receive for the period commencing on the date of such termination and ending on the last day of the Term (or, if such termination occurs
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during an Option Year, the last day of the Option Year) had Employee continued to be employed with the Company through such date, but in no event less than six (6) months Base Salary at the monthly rate in effect on the date of such termination, such payment to be made, subject to Section 13, in cash in a lump sum as soon as practicable after (and in all events not more than two and one-half (2 1/2) months after) the date of Employees Separation from Service with the Company, and (ii) payment by the Company of the cost of Employees COBRA coverage (for Employee and Employees eligible dependents at the levels in effect on the termination date) until the earlier of either six (6) months following the date of the termination of Employees employment with the Company or the date Employee secures new employment and is eligible for health care benefits. The Companys payment of the amounts described above in this Section 7(e) shall relieve the Company of any and all obligations to Employee. As used herein, a Separation from Service occurs when Employee dies, retires, or otherwise has a termination of employment with the Company that constitutes a separation from service within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h)(1), without regard to the optional alternative definitions available thereunder.
In the event that this Agreement is terminated pursuant to any of Sections 7(a)-(d) above, neither the Company nor Employee shall have any remaining duties or obligations hereunder, except that (i) the Company shall pay to Employee only such compensation as is earned under Section 2 as of the date of Employees termination of employment and (ii) Employee shall continue to be bound by Sections 9, 11, 12 and 13. For the sake of clarity, following the termination of this Agreement for any reason, Sections 9, 11, 12 and 13 shall survive and be binding upon Employee following his termination of employment with the Company.
8. Employees services shall be exclusive to Lions Gate during the Term. Employee shall render such services as are customarily rendered by persons in Employees capacity in the motion picture industry and as may be reasonably requested by Lions Gate. Employee hereby agrees to comply with all reasonable requirements, directions and requests, and with all reasonable rules and regulations made by Lions Gate in connection with the regular conduct of its business; to render services during Employees employment hereunder whenever and wherever and as often as Lions Gate may reasonably require in a competent, conscientious and professional manner, and as instructed by Lions Gate in all matters, including those involving artistic taste and judgment, but there shall be no obligation on Lions Gate to cause or allow Employee to render any services, or to include all or any of Employees work or services in any motion picture or other property or production.
9. Employee agrees that Lions Gate shall own all rights of every kind and character throughout the universe, in perpetuity to any material and/or idea suggested or submitted by Employee or suggested or submitted to Employee by a third party that occurs during the Term or any other period of employment with the Company, its parent, affiliates, or subsidiaries that are within the scope of Employees employment and responsibilities hereunder. Employee agrees that during the Term and any other period of employment with the Company, its parent, affiliates, or subsidiaries, Lions Gate shall own all other results and proceeds of Employees services that are related to Employees employment and responsibilities. Employee shall
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promptly and fully disclose all intellectual property generated by the Employee during the Term and any other period of employment with the Company, its parent, affiliates, or subsidiaries in connection with Employees employment hereunder. All copyrightable works that Employee creates in connection with Employees obligations under this Agreement and any other period of employment with the Company, its parent, affiliates, or subsidiaries shall be considered work made for hire and therefore the property of the Company. To the extent any work so produced or other intellectual property so generated by Employee is not deemed to be a work made for hire, Employee hereby assigns and agrees to assign to the Company(or as otherwise directed by the Company) Employees full right, title and interest in and to all such works and other intellectual property. Employee agrees to execute any and all applications for domestic and foreign copyrights or other proprietary rights and to do such other acts (including without limitation the execution and delivery of instruments of further assurance or confirmation) requested by the Company to assign the intellectual property to the Company and to permit the Company to enforce any copyrights or other proprietary rights to the intellectual property. Employee will not charge the Company for time spent in complying with these obligations. This Section 9 shall apply only to that intellectual property which related at the time of conception to the Companys then current or anticipated business or resulted from work performed by Employee for the Company. Employee hereby acknowledges receipt of written notice from the Company pursuant to California Labor Code Section 2872 that this Agreement (to the extent it requires an assignment or offer to assign rights to any invention of Executive) does not apply fully to an invention which qualifies fully under California Labor Code Section 2870.
10. Employee shall not assign any of Employees rights or delegate any of Employees duties under this Agreement.
11. The parties acknowledge and agree that during the Term of this Agreement and in the course of the discharge of Employees duties hereunder and at any other period of employment with the Company, its parent, affiliates, or subsidiaries, Employee shall have and has had access to information concerning the operation of Lions Gate and its affiliated entities, including without limitation, financial, personnel, sales, planning and other information that is owned by Lions Gate and regularly used in the operation of Lions Gates business and (to the extent that such confidential information is not subsequently disclosed) that this information constitutes Lions Gates trade secrets. Employee agrees that Employee shall not disclose any such trade secrets, directly or indirectly, to any other person or use them in any way, either during the Term of this Agreement or at any other time thereafter, except as is required in the course of Employees employment for Lions Gate. Employee shall not use any such trade secrets in connection with any other employment and/or business opportunities following the Term. In addition, Employee hereby expressly agrees that Employee will not disclose any confidential matters of Lions Gate that are not trade secrets prior to, during or after Employees employment including the specifics of this Agreement. Employee shall not use any such confidential information in connection with any other employment and/or business opportunities following the Term. In addition, in order to protect the Confidential Information, Employee agrees that during the Term and for a period of two (2) years thereafter, Employee will not, directly or indirectly, induce or entice any other executive of the Company to leave such employment or
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cause anyone else to leave such employment.
12. Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or in respect to this Agreement (or its validity, interpretation or enforcement), the employment relationship or the subject matter hereof shall at the request of either party be submitted to and settled by binding arbitration conducted before a single arbitrator in Los Angeles in accordance with the Federal Arbitration Act, to the extent that such rules do not conflict with any provisions of this Agreement. Said arbitration shall be under the jurisdiction of Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc. (JAMS) in Los Angeles, California. All such actions must be instituted within one year after the controversy or claim arose or forever be waived. Failure to institute an arbitration proceeding within such period shall constitute an absolute bar to the institution of any proceedings respecting such controversy or claim, and a waiver thereof. The arbitrator shall have the authority to award damages and remedies in accordance with applicable law. Any award, order of judgment pursuant to such arbitration shall be deemed final and binding and may be entered and enforced in any state or federal court of competent jurisdiction. Each party agrees to submit to the jurisdiction of any such court for purposes of the enforcement of any such award, order of judgment. Company shall pay for the administrative costs of such hearing and proceeding.
13. It is intended that any amounts payable under this Agreement and any exercise of authority or discretion hereunder by the Company or Employee shall comply with Section 409A of the Code (including the Treasury regulations and other published guidance relating thereto) (Section 409A) so as not to subject Employee to payment of any interest or additional tax imposed under Section 409A. To the extent that any amount payable under this Agreement would trigger the additional tax imposed by Section 409A, this Agreement shall be construed and interpreted in a manner to avoid such additional tax yet preserve (to the nearest extent reasonably possible) the intended benefit payable to Employee.
Notwithstanding any other provision herein, if Employee is a specified employee within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(i) as of the date of Employees Separation from Service, Employee shall not be entitled to any payment or benefit pursuant to Section 7(e) above until the earlier of (i) the date which is six (6) months after his or her Separation from Service for any reason other than death, or (ii) the date of Employees death. Any amounts otherwise payable to Employee upon or in the six (6) month period following Employees Separation from Service that are not so paid by reason of this paragraph shall be paid (without interest) as soon as practicable (and in all events within thirty (30) days) after the date that is six (6) months after Employees Separation from Service (or, if earlier, as soon as practicable, and in all events within thirty (30) days, after the date of Employees death). The provisions of this paragraph shall only apply if, and to the extent, required to avoid the imputation of any tax, penalty or interest pursuant to Section 409A of the Code.
Any reimbursements made to Employee hereunder will be made in accordance with the Companys reimbursement policies, practices and procedures in effect from time to time. To the extent that any benefits pursuant to Section 7(e)(ii) or reimbursements pursuant to Section 4 of this Agreement are taxable to Employee, any reimbursement payment due to Employee pursuant
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to any such provision shall be paid to Employee on or before the last day of Employees taxable year following the taxable year in which the related expense was incurred. The benefits and reimbursements pursuant to such provisions are not subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit and the amount of such benefits and reimbursements that Employee receives in one taxable year shall not affect the amount of such benefits or reimbursements that Employee receives in any other taxable year.
14. This Agreement expresses the binding and entire agreement between Employee and the Company and shall replace and supersede all prior arrangements and representations, either oral or written, as to the subject matter hereof (including, without limitation, the Prior Employment Agreement, except as expressly provided herein). All modifications or amendments to this Agreement must be in writing, signed by both parties.
Please acknowledge your confirmation of the above terms by signing below where indicated and returning this letter to me. If you have any questions relating to the matters described in this letter, please call at (310) 255-XXXX.
Very truly yours,
LIONS GATE FILMS, INC. | ||||
By: | /s/ Wayne Levin | |||
Executive Vice President and General Counsel |
AGREED AND ACCEPTED
This day of , 2008
This day of , 2008
By: | /s/ James Keegan |
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