CHANGE IN CONTROL AGREEMENT FOR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Exhibit 10.4
CHANGE IN CONTROL AGREEMENT
FOR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
CHANGE IN CONTROL AGREEMENT
THIS CHANGE IN CONTROL AGREEMENT (Agreement) is entered into effective as of , by and between VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC., a Delaware corporation (the Company)1, and , an employee of the Company (Employee).
The Companys Board of Directors (the Board) has determined that it is in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders for the Company to agree to pay Employee termination compensation in the event Employee should leave the employ of the Company under the circumstances described below. The Board recognizes that the possibility of a proposal from a third person, whether or not solicited by the Company, concerning a possible Change in Control of the Company (as such language is defined in Section 3(d)) will be unsettling to Employee. Therefore, the arrangements set forth in this Agreement are being made to help assure a continuing dedication by Employee to Employees duties to the Company notwithstanding the proposal or occurrence of a Change in Control. The Board believes it imperative, should the Company receive any proposal from a third party, that Employee, without being influenced by the uncertainties of Employees own situation, be able to assess and advise the Board whether such proposals are in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders, and to enable Employee to take action regarding such proposals as the Board might determine to be appropriate. The Board also wishes to demonstrate to key personnel that the Company desires to enhance management relations and its ability to retain and, if needed, to attract new management, and intends to ensure that loyal and dedicated management personnel are treated fairly.
In view of the foregoing, the Company and Employee agree as follows:
1. EFFECTIVE DATE AND TERM OF AGREEMENT.
This Agreement is effective and binding on the Company and Employee as of the date hereof; provided, however, that, subject to Section 2(d), the provisions of Sections 3 and 4 shall become operative only upon the Change in Control Date.
1 | Company shall include the Company, any successor to the Companys business and/or assets, and any party which executes and delivers the agreement required by Section 6(e) or which otherwise becomes bound by the terms and conditions of this Agreement by operation of law or otherwise. |
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2. EMPLOYMENT OF EMPLOYEE.
(a) Except as provided in Sections 2(b), 2(c) and 2(d), nothing in this Agreement shall affect any right which Employee may otherwise have to terminate Employees employment, nor shall anything in this Agreement affect any right which the Company may have to terminate Employees employment at any time in any lawful manner.
(b) In the event of a Potential Change in Control, to be eligible to receive the benefits provided by this Agreement, Employee will not voluntarily leave the employ of the Company, and will continue to perform Employees regular duties and the services specified in the recitals of this Agreement until the Change in Control Date. Should Employee voluntarily terminate employment prior to the Change in Control Date, this Agreement shall lapse upon such termination and be of no further force or effect.
(c) If Employees employment terminates on or after the Change in Control Date as provided under Sections 3 and 4, the Company will provide to Employee the payments and benefits as provided in Sections 3 and 4.
(d) If Employees employment is terminated by the Company without Cause prior to the Change in Control Date but on or after a Potential Change in Control Date, then the Company will provide to Employee the payments and benefits as provided in Sections 3 and 4 unless the Company reasonably demonstrates that Employees termination of employment neither (i) was at the request of a third party who has taken steps reasonably calculated to effect a Change in Control nor (ii) arose in connection with or in anticipation of a Change in Control. Solely for purposes of determining the timing of payments and the provision of benefits in Sections 3 and 4 under the circumstances described in this Section 2(d), Employees date of termination shall be deemed to be the Change in Control Date.
3. TERMINATION FOLLOWING CHANGE IN CONTROL.
(a) If a Change in Control shall have occurred, Employee shall be entitled to the benefits provided in Section 4 upon the subsequent termination of Employees employment within the applicable period set forth in Section 4 unless such termination is due to Employees death, Retirement or Disability or is for Cause or is effected by Employee other than for Good Reason (as such terms are defined in Section 3(d)).
(b) If within eighteen (18) months after a Change in Control, Employees employment is terminated by reason of Employees death or Disability, Employee (or, if applicable, his or her estate) shall be entitled to death or long-term disability benefits from the Company no less favorable than the most favorable benefits to which Employee would have been entitled had the death or Disability occurred at any time during the period commencing one (1) year prior to the Change in Control.
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(c) If Employees employment shall be terminated by the Company for Cause or by Employee other than for Good Reason during the term of this Agreement, the Company shall pay Employees base salary through the date of termination at the rate in effect at the time notice of termination is given, and the Company shall have no further obligations to Employee under this Agreement.
(d) For purposes of this Agreement:
Base Salary shall mean the annual base salary paid to Employee immediately prior to a Change in Control, provided that such amount shall in no event be less than the annual base salary paid to Employee during the one (1) year period immediately prior to the Change in Control.
A Change in Control shall be deemed to have occurred if:
(i) Any individual or group constituting a person, as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act (other than (A) the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (B) any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or of any of its subsidiaries), is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing thirty percent (30%) or more of the combined voting power of the Companys outstanding securities then entitled ordinarily (and apart from rights accruing under special circumstances) to vote for the election of directors; or
(ii) Continuing Directors cease to constitute at least a majority of the Board; or
(iii) there occurs a reorganization, merger, consolidation or other corporate transaction involving the Company (a Transaction), in each case with respect to which the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such Transaction do not, immediately after the Transaction, own more than 50% of the combined voting power of the Company or other corporation resulting from such Transaction; or
(iv) all or substantially all of the assets of the Company are sold, liquidated or distributed;
provided, however, that a Change in Control shall not be deemed to have occurred under this Agreement if, prior to the occurrence of a specified event that would otherwise constitute a Change in Control hereunder, the disinterested Continuing Directors then in office, by a majority vote thereof, determine that the occurrence of such specified event shall not be deemed to be a Change in Control with respect to Employee hereunder if the Change in Control results from actions or events in which Employee is a participant in a capacity other than solely as an officer, employee or director of the Company.
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Change in Control Date shall mean the date on which a Change in Control occurs.
Cause shall mean:
(i) The continued willful failure of Employee to perform Employees duties to the Company (other than any such failure resulting from Employees incapacity due to physical or mental illness) after written notice thereof (specifying the particulars thereof in reasonable detail) and a reasonable opportunity to be heard and cure such failure are given to Employee by the Board or a committee thereof; or
(ii) The willful commission by Employee of a wrongful act that caused or was reasonably likely to cause substantial damage to the Company, or an act of fraud in the performance of Employees duties on behalf of the Company; or
(iii) The conviction of, or plea of nolo contendere by, Employee for commission of a felony in connection with the performance of Employees duties on behalf of the Company; or
(iv) The order of a federal or state regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company or its operations or by a court of competent jurisdiction requiring the termination of Employees employment by the Company.
Continuing Directors shall mean the directors of the Company in office on the date hereof and any successor to any such director who was nominated or selected by a majority of the Continuing Directors in office at the time of the directors nomination or selection and who is not an affiliate or associate (as defined in Regulation 12B under the Exchange Act) of any person who is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of securities representing ten percent (10%) or more of the combined voting power of the Companys outstanding securities then entitled ordinarily to vote for the election of directors.
Disability shall mean Employees incapacity due to physical or mental illness such that Employee shall have become qualified to receive benefits under the Companys long-term disability plan as in effect on the date of the Change in Control.
Dispute shall mean, in the case of termination of Employees employment for Disability or Cause, that Employee challenges the existence of Disability or Cause, and in the case of termination of Employees employment for Good Reason, that the Company challenges the existence of Good Reason for termination of Employees employment.
Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
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Good Reason shall mean:
(i) The failure to appoint Employee as Chief Executive Officer of the combined or acquiring entity, reporting to its Board of Directors; or
(ii) A reduction of Employees total compensation as the same may have been increased from time to time after the Change in Control Date other than (A) a reduction implemented with the consent of Employee or (B) a reduction that is generally comparable (proportionately) to compensation reductions imposed on senior executives of the Company generally; or
(iii) The failure to provide to Employee the benefits and perquisites, including participation on a comparable basis in the Companys stock option, incentive, and other similar plans in which employees of the Company of comparable title and salary grade participate, as were provided to Employee immediately prior to a Change in Control, or with a package of benefits and perquisites that are substantially comparable in all material respects to such benefits and perquisites provided prior to the Change in Control; or
(iv) The relocation of the office of the Company where Employee is providing Employees services to the Company immediately prior to the Change in Control Date (the CIC Location) to a location which is more than 50 miles away from the CIC Location or the Companys requiring Employee to be based more than 50 miles away from the CIC Location (except for required travel on the Companys business to an extent substantially consistent with Employees customary business travel obligations in the ordinary course of business prior to the Change in Control Date);
(v) The failure of the Company to obtain promptly upon any Change in Control the express written assumption of an agreement to perform this Agreement by any successor as contemplated in Section 6(e); or
(vi) The attempted termination of Employees employment for Cause on grounds insufficient to constitute a basis of termination for Cause under this Agreement; or
(vii) The failure of the Company to promptly make any payment into escrow when so required by Section 3(f).
Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, a termination for Good Reason shall not occur unless the Employee has provided written notice to the Company of the Employees intention to terminate employment and the specific reason(s) for such Good Reason. Following receipt of such notice, the Company shall have the right, within fifteen (15) days of receiving such written notice, to cure the circumstances giving rise to such Good Reason.
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Potential Change in Control shall mean the earliest to occur of (a) the execution of an agreement or letter of intent, the consummation of the transactions described in which would result in a Change in Control, (b) the approval by the Board of a transaction or series of transactions, the consummation of which would result in a Change in Control, or (c) the public announcement of a tender offer for the Companys voting stock, the completion of which would result in a Change in Control; provided, that no such event shall be a Potential Change in Control unless (i) in the case of any agreement or letter of intent described in clause (a), the transaction described therein is subsequently consummated by the Company and the other party or parties to such agreement or letter of intent and thereupon constitutes a Change in Control, (ii) in the case of any Board-approved transaction described in clause (b), the transaction so approved is subsequently consummated and thereupon constitutes a Change in Control or (iii) in the case of any tender offer described in clause (c), such tender offer is subsequently completed and such completion thereupon constitutes a Change in Control.
Potential Change in Control Date shall mean the date on which a Potential Change in Control occurs.
Retirement shall mean Employees actual retirement after reaching the normal or early retirement date provided for in the Companys Retirement and Profit-Sharing Program as in effect on the date of Employees termination of employment.
(e) Any termination of employment by the Company or by Employee shall be communicated by written notice, specify the date of termination, state the specific basis for termination and set forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances of the termination in order to provide a basis for determining the entitlement to any payments under this Agreement.
(f) If within thirty (30) days after notice of termination is given, the party to whom the notice was given notifies the other party that a Dispute exists, the parties will promptly pursue resolution of such Dispute with reasonable diligence; provided, however, that pending resolution of any such Dispute, the Company shall pay 75% of any amounts which would otherwise be due Employee pursuant to Section 4 if such Dispute did not exist into escrow pending resolution of such Dispute and pay 25% of such amounts to Employee. Employee agrees to return to the Company any such amounts to which it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled. If, following a final, nonappealable determination that Employee is not entitled to retain all or any portion of this amount, Employee fails to return such excess amount, then Employee shall be required to pay the full costs of recovering such amount.
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4. PAYMENTS AND BENEFITS UPON TERMINATION.
(a) If within eighteen (18) months after a Change in Control, the Company terminates Employees employment other than by reason of Employees death, Disability, Retirement or for Cause, or if Employee terminates Employees employment for Good Reason, then the Employee shall be entitled to the following payments and benefits:
(i) The Company shall pay to Employee as compensation for services rendered, no later than five (5) business days following the date of termination, a lump sum severance payment equal to 3.00 multiplied by the sum of: (A) Employees Base Salary; and (B) the greater of (x) the Employees most recently established target annual bonus under the Companys Management Incentive Plan (the MIP) and (y) the average annual bonus that was paid to Employee in the three (3) fiscal years ending prior to the date of termination under the MIP. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Employee has not completed at least three (3) full fiscal years of service with the Company prior to Employees termination date, then the amount determined in (y) above, shall be based on the average annual bonus for the number of full fiscal years Employee has completed.
(ii) The Company shall pay to Employee as compensation for services rendered, no later than five (5) business days following the date of termination, a lump sum payment equal to a pro rata portion (based on the number of days elapsed during the fiscal year and/or other bonus performance period in which the termination occurs) of Employees target bonus under the MIP for the fiscal year and for any other partially completed bonus performance period in which the termination occurs.
(iii) All waiting periods for the exercise of any stock options granted to Employee and all conditions or restrictions of any restricted stock granted to Employee shall terminate, and all such options shall be exercisable in full according to their terms, and the restricted stock shall be transferred to Employee as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter.
(iv) Employees participation as of the date of termination in the life, medical/dental/vision and disability insurance plans and financial/tax counseling plan of the Company shall be continued on the same terms (including any cost sharing) as if Employee were an employee of the Company (or equivalent benefits provided) until the earlier of Employees commencement of substantially equivalent full-time employment with a new employer or twenty-four (24) months after the date of termination; provided, however, that after the date of termination, Employee shall no longer be entitled to receive Company-paid executive physicals or, upon expiration of the applicable memberships, Company-paid airline memberships. In the event Employee shall die before the expiration of the period during which the Company is required to continue Employees participation in such insurance plans, the participation of Employees surviving spouse and family in the Companys insurance plans shall continue throughout such period.
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(v) Employee may elect upon termination to purchase any automobile then in the possession of Employee and subject to a lease of which the Company is the lessor by payment to the Company of the residual value set forth in the lease, without any increase for remaining lease payments during the term or other lease breakage costs. Employee may elect to have any such payment deducted from any payments due the Employee hereunder.
(vi) All payments and benefits provided under this Agreement shall be subject to applicable tax withholding.
(b) Following Employees termination of employment for any reason, the Company shall have the unconditional right to reduce any payments owed to Employee hereunder by the amount of any due and unpaid principal and interest on any loans by the Company to Employee and Employee hereby agrees and consents to such right on the part of the Company.
(c) The Agreement is not intended to constitute a nonqualified deferred compensation plan within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event this Agreement or any compensation or benefit paid to Employee hereunder is deemed to be subject to Section 409A of the Code, Employee and the Company agree to negotiate in good faith to adopt such amendments that are necessary to comply with Section 409A of the Code or to exempt such compensation or benefits from Section 409A. In addition, to the extent (i) any compensation or benefits to which Employee becomes entitled under this agreement, or any agreement or plan referenced herein, in connection with Employees termination of employment with the Company constitute deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code and (ii) Employee is deemed at the time of such termination of employment to be a specified employee under Section 409A of the Code, then such compensation or benefits shall not be made or commence until the earliest of (i) the expiration of the six (6)-month period measured from the date of Employees separation from service (as such term is at the time defined in Treasury Regulations under Section 409A of the Code with the Company; or (ii) the date of Employees death following such separation from service; provided, however, that such deferral shall only be effected to the extent required to avoid adverse tax treatment to Employee, including (without limitation) the additional twenty percent (20%) tax for which Employee would otherwise be liable under Section 409A(a)(1)(B) of the Code in the absence of such deferral. During any period compensation or benefits to Employee are deferred pursuant to the foregoing, Employee shall be entitled to interest on such deferral at a per annum rate equal to the highest rate of interest applicable to six (6)-month money market accounts offered by the following institutions: Citibank N.A., Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. or Bank of America, on the date of such separation from service. Upon the expiration of the applicable deferral period, any compensation or benefits which would have otherwise been paid during that period (whether in a single sum or in installments) in the absence of this paragraph shall be paid to Employee or Employees beneficiary in one lump sum.
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(d) Any payment pursuant to this Section 4 shall be conditioned upon the Employee signing a release in the form attached as Exhibit A (the Release). The Employee shall not be entitled to such payment, and no payment shall be made to the Employee, until the period for revoking the Release has expired and the Release is effective.
5. GROSS-UP PAYMENT.
(a) If it is determined that any Payment would be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), or any interest or penalties with respect to such excise tax (such excise tax, together with any interest or penalties thereon, is herein referred to as an Excise Tax), then Employee shall be entitled to an additional payment (a Gross-Up Payment) in an amount that will place Employee in the same after-tax economic position that Employee would have enjoyed if the Excise Tax had not applied to the Payment; provided, however, that if the aggregate value of the Payments is less than 110% of the product (such product, the Excise Tax Threshold) of three times the Employees base amount (within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code), then the Employee shall not be entitled to a Gross-Up Payment and the Payments shall be reduced so their aggregate value is equal to $1.00 less than the Excise Tax Threshold. The amount of any Gross-Up Payment shall be determined by a nationally-recognized independent public accounting firm designated by agreement between Employee and the Company (the Accounting Firm). No Gross-Up Payments shall be payable hereunder if the Accounting Firm determines that (i) the Payments are not subject to an Excise Tax or (ii) the aggregate value of the payments is less than 110% of the Excise Tax Threshold.
Payment means (i) any amount due or paid to Employee under this Agreement, (ii) any amount that is due or paid to Employee under any plan, program or arrangement of the Company and its subsidiaries and (iii) any amount or benefit that is due or payable to Employee under this Agreement or under any plan, program or arrangement of the Company and its subsidiaries not otherwise covered under clause (i) or (ii) hereof which must reasonably be taken into account under Section 280G of the Code in determining the amount the parachute payments received by Employee, including, without limitation, any amounts which must be taken into account under Section 280G of the Code as a result of (A) the acceleration of the vesting of any option, restricted stock or other equity award, (B) the acceleration of the time at which any payment or benefit is receivable by Employee or (C) any contingent severance or other amounts that are payable to Employee.
(b) Subject to the provisions of Section 5(c), all determinations required under this Section 5, including whether a Gross-Up Payment is required, the amount of the Payments constituting excess parachute payments, and the amount of the Gross-Up Payment, shall be made by the Accounting Firm, which shall provide detailed supporting calculations both to Employee and the Company within fifteen days of the date reasonably requested by Employee or the Company on which a determination
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under this Section 5 is necessary or advisable. The Company shall pay to Employee the initial Gross-Up Payment within 5 days of the receipt by Employee and the Company of the determination of the Accounting Firm. If the Accounting Firm determines that no Excise Tax is payable by Employee (including by reason of reduction of the Employees Payments pursuant to Section 5(a)), the Company shall cause its accountants to provide Employee with an opinion that the Accounting Firm has substantial authority under the Code not to report an Excise Tax on Employees federal income tax return. Any determination by the Accounting Firm shall be binding upon Employee and the Company. If the initial Gross-Up Payment is insufficient to cover the amount of the Excise Tax that is ultimately determined to be owing by Employee with respect to any Payment (hereinafter an Underpayment), the Company, after exhausting its remedies under Section 5(c) below, shall promptly pay to Employee an additional Gross-Up Payment in respect of the Underpayment.
(c) Employee shall notify the Company in writing of any claim by the Internal Revenue Service that, if successful, would require the payment by the Employee of Excise Taxes in the case where Employee is determined to not be entitled to a Gross-Up Payment, or additional Excise Taxes such that the Gross-Up Payment is insufficient to cover all of the Excise Taxes . Such notice shall be given as soon as practicable after Employee knows of such claim and shall apprise the Company of the nature of the claim and the date on which the claim is requested to be paid. Employee agrees not to pay the claim until the expiration of the thirty (30) day period following the date on which Employee notifies the Company, or such shorter period ending on the date the Taxes with respect to such claim are due (the Notice Period). If the Company notifies Employee in writing prior to the expiration of the Notice Period that it desires to contest the claim; Employee shall: (i) give the Company any information reasonably requested by the Company relating to the claim; (ii) take such action in connection with the claim as the Company may reasonably request, including, without limitation, accepting legal representation with respect to such claim by an attorney reasonably selected by the Company and reasonably acceptable to Employee; (iii) cooperate with the Company in good faith in contesting the claim; and (iv) permit the Company to participate in any proceedings relating to the claim. Employee shall permit the Company to control all proceedings related to the claim and, at its option, permit the Company to pursue or forgo any and all administrative appeals, proceedings, hearings, and conferences with the taxing authority in respect of such claim. If requested by the Company, Employee agrees either to pay the tax claimed and sue for a refund or contest the claim in any permissible manner and to prosecute such contest to a determination before any administrative tribunal, in a court of initial jurisdiction and in one or more appellate courts as the Company shall determine; provided, however, that, if the Company directs Employee to pay such claim and pursue a refund, the Company shall advance the amount of such payment to Employee on an after-tax and interest-free basis (an Advance). The Companys control of the contest related to the claim shall be limited to the issues related to the Excise Taxes and Employee shall be entitled to settle or contest, as the case may be, any other issues raised by the Internal Revenue Service or other taxing authority. If the Company does not notify Employee in writing prior to the end of the Notice Period of its desire to contest the claim or if the Internal Revenue
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Service ultimately prevails on its claim, the Company shall pay to Employee a Gross-Up Payment or an additional Gross-Up Payment in respect of the excess parachute payments that are the subject of the claim, and Employee agrees to pay the amount of the Excise Tax that is the subject of the claim to the applicable taxing authority in accordance with applicable law.
(d) If, after receipt by Employee of an Advance, Employee becomes entitled to a refund with respect to the claim to which such Advance relates, Employee shall pay the Company the amount of the refund (together with any interest paid or credited thereon after Taxes applicable thereto). If, after receipt by Employee of an Advance, a determination is made that Employee shall not be entitled to any refund with respect to the claim, then the amount of the Advance shall not be required to be repaid by Employee and the amount thereof shall offset the amount of the Gross-Up Payment or additional Gross-Up Payment then owing to Employee.
(e) The Company shall indemnify Employee and hold Employee harmless, on an after-tax basis, from any costs, expenses, penalties, fines, interest or other liabilities (Losses) incurred by Employee with respect to the exercise by the Company of any of its rights under this Section 5, including, without limitation, any Losses related to the Companys decision to contest a claim or any imputed income to Employee resulting from any Advance or action taken on Employees behalf by the Company hereunder. The Company shall pay all legal fees and expenses incurred under this Section 5, and shall promptly reimburse Employee for the reasonable expenses incurred by Employee in connection with any actions taken by the Company or required to be taken by Employee hereunder. The Company shall also pay all of the fees and expenses of the Accounting Firm, including, without limitation, the fees and expenses related to the opinion referred to in Section 5(b).
6. GENERAL.
(a) Employee shall retain in confidence under the conditions of the Companys confidentiality agreement with Employee any proprietary or other confidential information known to Employee concerning the Company and its business so long as such information is not publicly disclosed and disclosure is not required by an order of any governmental body or court. If required, Employee shall return to the Company any memoranda, documents or other materials proprietary to the Company.
(b) While employed by the Company and following the termination of such employment after a Change in Control for a period of two (2) years, Employee shall not:
(i) whether for Employees own account or for the account of any other individual, partnership, firm, corporation or other business organization, intentionally solicit, endeavor to entice away from the Company or a subsidiary of the Company (each, a Protected Party), or otherwise interfere with the relationship of a Protected Party with, any person who is employed by a Protected Party or any person or entity who is, or was within the then most recent twelve (12) month period, a customer or client of a Protected Party; or
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(ii) without the prior written consent of the Protected Party, in any geographic area in which the Protected Party is then conducting business, directly or indirectly own an interest in, manage, operate, join, control, lend money or render financial or other assistance to or participate in or be connected with, as an officer, employee, partner, stockholder, consultant or otherwise, any individual, partnership, firm, corporation or other business organization or entity that is engaged in any business in which the Protected Party is actively engaged at the time; provided, however, that the restrictions in this Section 6(b)(ii) shall not apply to (A) any non-employee directorships held by Employee as of the date hereof or (B) ownership by Employee for personal investment purposes only of not in excess of 1% of the voting stock of any publicly held corporation.
Employee acknowledges that a breach of any of the covenants contained in this Section 6(b) may result in material irreparable injury to the Company for which there is no adequate remedy at law, that it may not be possible to measure damages for such injuries precisely and that, in the event of such a breach, any payments remaining under the terms of this Agreement shall cease and the Company may be entitled to obtain a temporary restraining order and/or a preliminary or permanent injunction restraining Employee from engaging in activities prohibited by this Section 6(b) or such other relief as may be required to specifically enforce any of the covenants in this Section 6(b). Employee agrees to and hereby does submit to in personam jurisdiction before each and every such court in the State of California, County of Santa Clara, for that purpose. This Section 6(b) shall survive any termination of this Agreement.
(c) If litigation is brought by Employee to enforce or interpret any provision contained in this Agreement, the Company shall indemnify Employee for Employees reasonable attorneys fees and disbursements incurred in such litigation and pay prejudgment interest on any money judgment obtained by Employee calculated at the prime rate of interest in effect from time to time at the Bank of America, San Francisco, from the date that payment should have been made under the Agreement, provided that Employee shall not have been found by the court in which such litigation is pending to have had no cause in bringing the action, or to have acted in bad faith, which finding must be final with the time to appeal therefrom having expired and no appeal having been taken.
(d) Except as provided in Section 4, the Companys obligation to pay to Employee the compensation and to make the arrangements provided in this Agreement shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance, including, without limitation, any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which the Company may have against Employee or anyone else. All amounts payable by the Company hereunder shall be paid without notice or demand. Subject to Section 4(a)(iv), Employee shall not be required to mitigate the amount of any payment provided for in this Agreement by seeking other employment.
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(e) The Company shall 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, by written agreement to expressly assume 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.
(f) This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by Employees heirs, successors and assigns. If Employee should die while any amounts would still be payable to Employee hereunder if Employee had continued to live, all such amounts shall be paid in accordance with the terms of this Agreement to Employees heirs, successors and assigns.
(g) For the purposes of this Agreement, notices and all other communications provided for in this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when delivered or mailed by United States registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:
If to Employee: | If to the Company: | |
| Varian Medical Systems, Inc. 3100 Hansen Way Palo Alto, CA ###-###-#### Attn: Vice President, Human Resources |
or to such other address as either party furnishes to the other in writing in accordance herewith, except that notices of change of address shall be effective only upon receipt.
(h) This Agreement shall constitute the entire agreement between Employee and the Company concerning the subject matter of this Agreement.
(i) The validity, interpretation, construction and performance of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California without giving effect to the provisions, principles or policies thereof relating to choice or conflict of laws. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this Agreement in any circumstance shall not affect the validity or enforceability of such provision in any other circumstance or the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement, and, except to the extent such provision is invalid or unenforceable, this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. Any provision in this Agreement which is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective only to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating or affecting the remaining provisions hereof in such jurisdiction, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. This Section 6(i) shall survive any termination of this Agreement.
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(j) This Agreement may be amended or terminated by the Company pursuant to a resolution adopted by the Board at any time prior to a Potential Change in Control Date. After a Change in Control Date or a Potential Change in Control Date, this Agreement may only be amended or terminated in writing with the consent of Employee.
(k) No agreements or representations, oral or otherwise, express or implied, with respect to the subject matter hereof have been made by either party which are not expressly set forth in this Agreement and this Agreement shall supersede all prior agreements, negotiations, correspondence, undertakings and communications of the parties, oral or written, with respect to the subject matter hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties acknowledge that they have read and understand the terms of this Agreement and have executed this Agreement to be effective as of .
VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC. | EMPLOYEE | |||||
By: |
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Title: |
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