Three Months Ended
EX-10.19 4 k46944exv10w19.htm EXHIBIT 10.19 EX-10.19
Exhibit 10.19
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
RELATING TO CHANGE OF CONTROL
RELATING TO CHANGE OF CONTROL
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT RELATING TO CHANGE OF CONTROL (the Agreement) by and between TechTeam Global, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company) and (the Executive) dated as of the day of .
The Board of Directors of the Company (the Board) has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to diminish the inevitable distraction to the Executive from the personal uncertainties and risks created by a pending or potential Change of Control, and to encourage the Executives full attention and dedication to the Company currently and in the event of any pending or potential Change of Control, and to provide the Executive with a severance package if the Executive is terminated after a Change of Control. Therefore, in order to accomplish these objectives, the Board has caused the Company to enter into this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY AGREED AS FOLLOWS:
1. Certain Definitions.
(a) The Effective Date shall mean the date on which a Change of Control occurs. Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, if a Change of Control occurs and if the Executives employment with the Company is terminated prior to the date on which the Change of Control occurs, and if it is reasonably demonstrated by the Executive that such termination of employment (i) was at the request of a third party who has taken steps reasonably calculated to effect the Change of Control or (ii) otherwise arose in connection with or in anticipation of the Change of Control, then for all purposes of this Agreement, the Effective Date shall mean the date immediately prior to the date of such termination of employment.
(b) Change of Control of the Company shall mean:
(i) The sale of all then outstanding shares of common stock of the Company or 51% of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of the directors (the Outstanding Company Voting Securities); or
(ii) The consummation of the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets or operations of the Company.
2. Change Period. The Change Period shall be the period commencing on the Effective Date and ending on the first anniversary of such date.
3. Terms of Employment.
(a) Position and Duties. During the Change Period, Executive agrees to devote reasonable attention and time during normal business hours to the business and affairs of the Company and, to the extent necessary to discharge the responsibilities assigned to the Executive hereunder, to use the Executives reasonable best efforts to perform faithfully and
efficiently such responsibilities.
(b) Compensation. During the Change Period, the Executive shall receive an annual base salary (Annual Base Salary) at least equal to twelve times the highest monthly base salary paid or payable to the Executive by the Company in the twelve-month period immediately preceding the month in which the Effective Date occurs. During the Change Period, Executive shall be eligible to participate in any bonus program in force on the Effective Date, or otherwise adopted by the Company, and shall be entitled to participate in all savings and retirement plans, practices, policies and programs applicable generally to other peer executives of the Company. Executive and/or the Executives family, as the case may be, shall be eligible for participation in and shall receive all benefits under welfare benefit plans, practices, policies and programs provided by the Company (including, without limitation, medical, prescription, dental, disability, salary continuance, employee life, group life, accidental death and travel accident insurance plans and programs).
4. Termination of Employment.
(a) Death or Disability. The Executives employment shall terminate automatically upon the Executives death or Disability that continues for 30 days after the Company provides Executive of notice of its determination of Disability. For purposes of this Agreement, Disability shall mean the absence of the Executive from the Executives duties with the Company on a full-time basis for 180 consecutive business days as a result of incapacity due to mental or physical illness, which is determined to be total and/or permanent by a physician selected by the Company or its insurers and acceptable to the Executive or the Executives legal representative (such agreement as to acceptability not to be withheld unreasonably).
(b) Cause. The Company may terminate the Executives employment during the Change Period for Cause. For purposes of this Agreement, Cause means any of the following: (i) Eligible Employees conviction of or a plea of no contest to a felony, fraud or a crime involving moral turpitude under any state or federal statute; (ii) Eligible Employees continued failure to substantially perform the Eligible Employees duties, or any other intentional action or omission by Eligible Employee that is injurious to the Company; or (iii) any material breach of any employee handbook of the Company by the Eligible Employee, which breach is not remedied within fourteen (14) days after written notice thereof.
(c) The Executives employment may be terminated during the Change Period by the Executive for Good Reason. For purposes of this Agreement, Good Reason shall mean:
(i) the assignment to the Executive of any duties inconsistent in any respect with the Executives position, authority, duties or responsibilites prior to the Change of Control, or any other action by the Company (or its successor) which results in a diminution in such position, authority, duties or responsibilities, and the continuance of such assignment of duties or other such action for a period of sixty (60) days;
(ii) the Companys requiring the Executive to be based at any office or location other than in [Executives Home Location], except for any short-term assignment (under three (3) months) where the Company pays all travel or temporary relocation costs incurred by the Executive;
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(iii) any failure by the Company to comply with and satisfy Section 9(c), or any failure by any successor to assume and offer to perform this Agreement in accordance with Section 9(c) provided that such successor has received at least ten days prior written notice from the company or the Executive of the requirements of Section 10(c).
(d) Notice of Termination. Any termination by the Company for Cause, or by the Executive for Good Reason, shall be communicated by Notice of Termination to the other party hereto given in accordance with Section 10(b). For purposes of this Agreement, a Notice of Termination means a written notice which (i) indicates the specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon, and (ii) to the extent practicable, sets forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances relied upon to form Executives basis for termination of employment under the operative provisions. The Company and the Executive are not precluded from asserting any other fact or circumstance in enforcing the Executives or the Companys rights under this Agreement.
(e) Termination Date. Termination Date means (i) if the Executives employment is terminated by the Company for Cause, or by the Executive for Good Reason, the date of receipt of the Notice of Termination or any later date specified therein, as the case may be; (ii) if the Executives employment is terminated by the Company other than for Cause or Disability, the Termination Date shall be the date on which the Company notifies the Executive of such termination; and (iii) if the Executives employment is terminated by reason of death or Disability, the Termination Date shall be the date of death of the Executive or the date of Disability, as the case may be.
5. Obligations of the Company upon Termination.
(a) Good Reason: Other than for Cause, Death or Disability. If, during the Change Period, the Company shall terminate the Executives employment other than for Cause, Death or Disability, or the Executive shall terminate employment for Good Reason, the Company shall:
(i) pay to the Executive in a lump sum in cash within thirty (30) days after the Termination Date the aggregate of the following amounts:
A. the sum of: (1) the Executives Annual Base Salary through the Termination Date to the extent not theretofore paid; plus (2) the product of (x) the Annual Bonus as if earned at the target level and (y) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days from beginning of the calendar year in which the Termination Date occurs through the Termination Date, and the denominator of which is 365; plus (3) any accrued vacation pay, in which case to the extent not theretofore paid (the sum of the amounts described in clauses (1), (2) and (3) shall be hereinafter referred to as the Accrued Obligations); and
B. the amount (such amount shall be hereinafter referred to as the Severance Amount) equal to the Executives Annual Base Salary;
(ii) provide the Executive with executive outplacement services for a period of up to twelve (12) months through a recognized outplacement provider that is agreed to by the Company and the Executive;
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(iii) continue benefits to the Executive and/or the Executives family at least equal to those which would have been provided to them in accordance with the plans, programs, practices and policies of the company as if the Executives employment had not been terminated for a period of twelve (12) months; provided, however, that if the Executive becomes re-employed with another employer and is eligible to receive medical or other welfare benefits under another employer provided plan, the medical and other welfare benefits described herein shall be secondary to those provided under such other plan during such applicable period of eligibility (such continuation of such benefits for the applicable period herein set forth shall be hereinafter referred to as Welfare Benefit Continuation). Any benefits received by the Executive pursuant to this Section 6(a)(iii) shall not reduce the period of time the Executive is entitled to receive COBRA continuation health coverage as a result of the Executives termination of employment.
(iv) immediately upon termination vest any options, restricted stock, or performance stock granted to Executive, and the Executive will have six (6) months to exercise any such options.
(v) pay to the Executive the proceeds of the Executive Savings Plan, including all accumulated interest and dividends.
(b) Death, Retirement or Disability. If the Executives employment is terminated by reason of the Executives death, retirement or Disability during the Change Period, this Agreement shall terminate without further obligations to the Executives legal representatives or the Executive, as the case may be, under this Agreement.
(c) Cause, Other than for Good Reason. If the Executives employment shall be terminated for Cause during the Change Period or if the Executive terminates employment during the Change Period other than for Good Reason, this Agreement shall terminate without further obligations to the Executive, except the Company shall be obligated to pay the Executives Annual Base Salary through the Termination Date plus the amount of any compensation previously deferred by the Executive, in each case to the extent theretofore unpaid.
6. Limitation on Payment. In the event that the Executive is a disqualified individual within the meaning of Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), the parties expressly agree that the payments described in Paragraph 6 of this Agreement and all other payments to the Executive under any other agreements or arrangements with any persons that constitute parachute payments within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code are collectively subject to an overall maximum limit. The maximum limit shall be One Dollar ($1.00) less than the aggregate amount that would otherwise cause any such payments to be considered a parachute payment within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, as determined by the Corporation. Accordingly, to the extent that the payments would be considered a parachute payment with respect to the Executive, then the portions of such payments shall be reduced or eliminated in the following order until the remaining payments with respect to the Executive are within the maximum described in this Paragraph 7.
(a) First, any cash payment to the Executive;
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(b) Second, any parachute payments not described in this Agreement; and
(c) Third, any forgiveness of indebtedness of the Executive to the Corporation.
The Executive expressly and irrevocably waives any and all rights to receive any parachute payments that exceed the maximum limit described in this Paragraph 7.
7. Confidential Information. The Executive shall hold in a fiduciary capacity for the benefit of the Company all secret or confidential information, knowledge or data relating to the Company and its respective businesses, which has been obtained by the Executive during the Executives employment by the Company which shall not be or become public knowledge (other than by acts by the Executive or representatives of the Executive in violation of this Agreement). After termination of the Executives employment with the Company, the Executive shall not, without the prior written consent of the Company or as may otherwise be required by law or legal process, communicate or divulge any such information, knowledge or data to anyone other than the Company and those designated by it. In no event shall an asserted violation of the provisions of this Section 9 constitute a basis for deferring or withholding any amounts otherwise payable to the Executive under this Agreement.
8. Non-Solicitation Covenant. In consideration for entry into this Agreement, Executive reaffirms his/her agreement with the Company not to compete with, or solicit customers or employees of the Company as set forth in the Intellectual Property Assignment, Non-Solicitation, and Confidentiality Agreement.
9. Successors and Assigns.
(a) This Agreement is personal to the Executive and without the prior written consent of the Company shall not be assignable by the Executive otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Executives legal representatives.
(b) This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company and its successors and assigns.
(c) The Company will require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company to assume expressly and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform it if no such succession had taken place. As used in this Agreement, Company shall mean the Company as hereinbefore defined and any successor to its business and/or assets as aforesaid which assumes and agrees to perform this Agreement by operation of law, or otherwise.
10. Miscellaneous.
(a) This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Michigan, without reference to principles or conflict of laws. All litigation related to this Agreement shall be brought in a court located in the State of Michigan, and each party, for the purposes of such litigation, hereby submits to the exclusive jurisdiction
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and venue of that court. The captions of this Agreement are not part of the provisions hereof and shall have no force or effect.
(b) All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be given by hand delivery to the other party or by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:
If to the Executive:
or at the most current address of record designated in the Executives personnel file.
If to the Company:
Chief Executive Officer
TechTeam Global, Inc.
27345 West 11 Mile Road
Southfield, Michigan 48033-2231
TechTeam Global, Inc.
27345 West 11 Mile Road
Southfield, Michigan 48033-2231
or to such other address as either party shall have furnished to the other in writing in accordance herewith. Notice and communications shall be effective when actually received by the addressee.
(c) The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement.
(d) The Company may withhold from any amounts payable under this Agreement such federal, state or local taxes as shall be required to be withheld pursuant to any applicable law or regulation.
(e) The Executives or the Companys failure to insist upon strict compliance with any provision hereof or any other provision of this Agreement or the failure to assert any right the Executive or the Company may have hereunder, including, without limitation, the right of the Executive to terminate employment for Good Reason pursuant to Section 5(c)(i)-(iii), shall not be deemed to be a waiver of such provision or right or any other provision or right of this Agreement.
(f) The Executive and the Company acknowledge that, except as may otherwise be provided under any other written agreement between the Executive and the Company, the employment of the Executive by the Company is at will and, prior to the Effective Date, may be terminated by either the Executive or the Company at any time. Moreover, if prior to the Effective Date, the Executives employment with the Company terminates, then the Executive shall have no further rights under this Agreement. The Executive further acknowledges that this Agreement does not give the Executive any additional right to participate in any plan, program, etc. The Executive and the Company agree that this Agreement supercedes any separation policy of the Company.
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(g) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties concerning the subject matter hereof. Any prior understandings, representations, promises, undertakings, agreements or inducements, whether written or oral, concerning the subject matter hereof not contained herein shall have no force and effect.
(h) This Agreement may not be amended or modified otherwise than by a written agreement executed by the parties hereto or their respective successors and legal representatives. An agreement to amend this Agreement can be entered into on behalf of the Company only by the President of the Company after approval of the Company Board.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has by its appropriate officer executed this Agreement and Executive has executed this Agreement.
TECHTEAM GLOBAL, INC. | ||||
By: | ||||
Chief Executive Officer | ||||
EXECUTIVE | ||||
By: | ||||
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