Exhibit 10.1
BOARD OF DIRECTORS -
RETAINER AGREEMENT
This agreement (" Agreement
") is made as of August 7, 2009 between NF Energy Saving
Corporation of America, a Delaware corporation, with its principal
place of business at 21-Jia Bei Si Dong Road, Tie Xi Qu Shenyang,
P. R. China (" NF "), and Mia Kuang, Ching, with an address
of 12 th Floor, Shartex Plaza No.88 Rd(South), Shanghai
Pr China. (" Director "), whereby Director agrees to serve
as a director of NF and provide all necessary services in
connection therewith, according to the following:
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Termination of Letter
Agreement
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NF and Director
each agree that this Agreement is intended to memorialize the terms
of their agreement and the terms and conditions set forth in this
Agreement supersede the terms and conditions set forth in any prior
written or of any prior oral understanding in their
entirety.
Subject to the
rights of its stockholders set forth in the constituent documents
of NF or the laws of the State of Delaware, NF agrees to engage
Director to serve, and Director agrees to serve, as a member of the
Board of Directors and the Chairman of Audit Committee of NF (the "
Board of Directors ") and to provide those services required
of a director pursuant to (i) NF’s Certificate of
Incorporation and Bylaws, as each may be amended from time to time
(the " Certificate and Bylaws "), (ii) the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (" DGCL "), the
federal securities laws and other state and federal laws and
regulations, as applicable, and (iii) as otherwise directed by the
Board of Directors and shareholders of NF (collectively, the "
Services ").
Director is an
independent contractor and this Agreement will not create any
partnership, joint venture or employer/employee relationship for
purposes of employee benefits, income tax withholding, F.I.C.A.
taxes or otherwise. Except as provided by law, Director,
as a director, shall have no right, authority or power to enter
into any agreement or incur any obligation on behalf of NF or its
Affiliates (as defined below) or to bind NF or its
Affiliates. For purposes hereof, " Affiliate "
shall mean with respect to any individual, partnership, joint
venture, corporation, limited liability company, trust,
unincorporated association or other entity (each, a " Person
"): (i) any other Person that directly or indirectly through one or
more intermediaries controls or is controlled by or is under common
control with such Person; (ii) any other Person owning or
controlling 10% or more of the outstanding voting securities of or
other ownership interests in such Person; (iii) any officer,
director, member or partner of such Person; (iv) if such Person is
an officer, director, member or partner, any other Person for which
such Person acts in any such capacity; or (v) any company in which
NF has and maintains an investment through itself or any other
Affiliate.
NF will supply,
at no cost to Director: periodic briefings on the business,
director packages for each board and committee meeting, copies of
minutes of meetings and any other materials that are required under
NF’s Certificate and Bylaws or the charter of any committee
of the board on which Director serves and any other materials which
may, by mutual agreement, be necessary for performing the Services
requested under this Agreement.
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Director’s Representations and Warranties;
Covenants
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Director
represents and warrants that no other party has exclusive rights to
his services in the specific areas described herein and that
Director is in no way compromising any rights, duties or trust
between any other party and Director. Director further
represents, warrants and agrees that no other agreement, written or
otherwise, now exists or will be entered into that will create a
conflict of interest with this Agreement or otherwise impair
Director's ability to perform his obligations under this Agreement
or otherwise with respect to NF. Director further
covenants and agrees that Director will comply with all applicable
state and federal laws and regulations, as applicable, including,
but not limited to, Director's fiduciary duties to NF set forth in
the DGCL and Sections 10 and 16 of the Securities and Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended.
During the term
of this Agreement and for a period of six months thereafter (the "
Non-Competition Period "), Director shall not, without
obtaining NF’s prior written consent, directly or indirectly,
as an officer, director, employee, consultant, owner, shareholder,
adviser, joint venturer or otherwise, participate in, assist, aid,
engage in, prepare to engage in or advise in any way any business
or enterprise that is in competition with the Company anywhere that
the Company is conducting business during the Non-Competition
Period.
NF agree pay
Director $24,000 per year, Director will receive the payment
monthly, 2,000 per month.
On the
Effective Date (as defined below) of this Agreement, Director shall
receive options to purchase 20,000 shares of NF common stock with
an exercise price of US $ 1.60, exercisable for a period of 5
years. This option grant shall be subject to the terms of an equity
incentive plan to be adopted by NF's Board of Directors, and made
pursuant to the terms of an option agreement between NF and
Director. Half of the total number of options shall vest
on each annually anniversary of the Effective Date; provided, that
upon the termination of Director’s service as a director of
NF, all unvested options shall be terminated and
forfeited.
NF will
reimburse Director for reasonable expenses approved in advance by
NF's Chief Executive Officer, such approval not to be unreasonably
withheld. Invoices for approved expenses, with receipts
attached, shall be submitted to and must be approved by NF’s
Chief Executive Officer as to form and completeness.
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Indemnification and Insurance
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NF and Director
will execute an indemnification agreement substantially in the form
of the agreement attached hereto as Exhibit B (the "
Indemnification Agreement "). In addition, NF
will use its commercially reasonable efforts to procure and
maintain directors’ and officer’s liability insurance,
provided such insurance can be obtained on reasonable terms at
regular rates. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
failure of NF to obtain or maintain such insurance shall not be a
breach of this Agreement.
The term of
this Agreement shall commence on the date that Director is formally
appointed to fill a directorship by the existing Board of Directors
(the " Effective Date ") and shall continue through the date
that is the earlier to occur of: (i) a termination of this
Agreement in accordance with Section VIII; and (ii) the two year
anniversary of the Effective Date. Any amendment to this
Agreement must be approved in a meeting or by a written action of
NF’s Board of Directors.
This Agreement
shall automatically terminate upon the earlier to occur of (i) the
death of Director, (ii) Director’s resignation or removal
from, or failure to be elected or reelected to, the NF Board of
Directors, or (iii) upon the approval of the Board of Directors, in
its sole discretion.
In the event of
the termination of this Agreement, Director agrees to return any
materials transferred to Director under this Agreement, except as
may be necessary to fulfill any outstanding obligations
hereunder. Director agrees that NF has the right of
injunctive relief to enforce this provision.
In the event of
termination, Director shall be entitled to receive the number of
options which have vested under the terms of the options granted to
the Director as of the date of termination pursuant to Paragraph A
of Section V above. The unvested options as of the date
of termination shall be forfeited by Director.
Termination
shall not relieve either party of its continuing obligation under
this Agreement, the Indemnification Agreement or the
Confidentiality Agreement (as defined below) with respect to
confidentiality of proprietary information.
Director agrees
to sign and abide by NF’s Director Proprietary Information
and Inventions Agreement, a copy of which is attached hereto as
Exhibit A (the " Confidentiality Agreement
").
Any dispute
regarding this Agreement (including without limitation its
validity, interpretation, performance, enforcement, termination and
damages) shall be determined in accordance with the laws of the
State of Delaware and the United States of America. Any
action under this paragraph shall not preclude any party hereto
from seeking injunctive or other legal relief to which each party
may be entitled.
This Agreement
(including the Confidentiality Agreement and the Indemnification
Agreement) supersedes all prior or contemporaneous written or oral
understandings or agreements, and may not be added to, modified, or
waived, in whole or in part, except by a writing signed by the
party against whom such addition, modification or waiver is sought
to be asserted.
This Agreement
and all of the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and inure to
the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors
and permitted assigns and, except as otherwise expressly provided
herein, neither this Agreement, nor any of the rights, interests or
obligations hereunder shall be assigned by either of the parties
hereto without the prior written consent of the other
party.
Any and all
notices, requests and other communications required or permitted
hereunder shall be in writing, registered mail or by facsimile, to
each of the parties at the addresses set forth above or the numbers
set forth below:
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Director:
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Attention: Mia Kuang, Ching 12th
Floor, Shartex Plaza No.88 Zunyi Rd(South), Shanghai PR
China.
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Telephone: +86
021 6270 2215 ext.128
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Facsimile:
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Attention: Li
Gang, at the address of the company first written above.
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Any such notice
shall be deemed given when received and notice given by registered
mail shall be considered to have been given on the tenth (10th) day
after having been sent in the manner provided for above.
Notwithstanding
the expiration of termination of this Agreement, neither party
hereto shall be released hereunder from any liability or obligation
to the other which has already accrued as of the time of such
expiration or termination (including, without limitation,
NF’s obligation to make any fees and expense payments
required pursuant to Section V hereof) or which thereafter might
accrue in respect of any act or omission of such party prior to
such expiration or termination.
Any provision
of this Agreement which is determined to be invalid or
unenforceable shall not affect the remainder of this Agreement,
which shall remain in effect as though the invalid or unenforceable
provision had not been included herein, unless the removal of the
invalid or unenforceable provision would substantially defeat the
intent, purpose or spirit of this Agreement. Further, to
the extent that any provision of this Agreement is inconsistent
with any provision in NF's Certificate or Bylaws, such provision in
the Certificate or Bylaws shall control.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have caused this Agreement
to be executed by their duly authorized officers, as of the date
first written above.
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DIRECTOR:
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By:
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Name: Mia
Kuang, Ching
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Title: Director
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NF:
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NF Energy
Saving Corporation of America
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By:
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Name: Li
Gang
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Title: Chief Executive
Officer
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[Signature page
to Board of Directors - Retainer Agreement]
EXHIBIT A
BOARD OF DIRECTORS PROPRIETARY
INFORMATION
AND INVENTIONS
AGREEMENT
WHEREAS, Mia
Kuang, Ching (" Director ") and NF Energy Saving Corporation
of America, a Delaware corporation (" NF "), have entered
into the Board of Directors – Retainer Agreement dated as of
August 7, 2009 (the " Retainer Agreement "), whereby
Director agrees to serve as a member of the board of directors and
the Chairman of Audit Committee
of NF;
WHEREAS, the
parties agree that in connection with Director's services to NF as
a director, Director will receive certain confidential and
proprietary information of NF, the disclosure of which information
by Director would be damaging to NF; and
WHEREAS, the
parties desire to assure the confidential status of the information
which may be disclosed by NF to Director pursuant to the Retainer
Agreement and in connection with Director's services as a director
of NF.
NOW THEREFORE,
in reliance upon and in consideration of the following undertaking,
the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the
parties agree as follows:
1. Director
acknowledges that pursuant to its service as a director of NF: (i)
Director has had and will have access to Proprietary Information
(as defined below), all of which has been and shall be made
accessible to Director only in strict confidence; (ii) unauthorized
disclosure of the Proprietary Information will damage NF’s
business; (iii) Proprietary Information would be susceptible to
immediate competitive application by a competitor of NF; (iv)
NF’s business is substantially dependent on access to and the
continuing secrecy of Proprietary Information; (v) Proprietary
Information is novel, unique to NF and known only to Director,
other directors, NF and certain key employees and contractors of
NF; (vi) NF shall at all times retain ownership and control of all
Proprietary Information; and (vii) the restrictions contained in
this Agreement and the Retainer Agreement are reasonable and
necessary for the protection of NF’s legitimate business
interests.
2. Subject
to the limitations set f