CONSULTING AGREEMENT
This Consulting Agreement (“Agreement”)
is entered into as of September 16th, 2007, by and between
Panglobal Brands, Inc. (“Company”), a Delaware
corporation, with its principal place of business at Huntington
Park, California, and Lolly Factory, LLC, a California limited
liability company (“LF”), and Mark Cywinski
(“Consultant”), whose address is 11920 Laurel Hills
Rd., Studio City, California. This Agreement is effective as of the
date set forth above (Effective Date, August 20, 2007 the
“Effective Date”).
WHEREAS, the Company is in the business of design,
production and sale of clothing; and
WHEREAS, LF has substantial expertise in the sale
and merchandising of clothing and is in the business of providing
consulting services to apparel manufacturers; and
WHEREAS, Consultant has been a consultant to
Consultant’s prior client , pursuant to a verbal agreement
and prior thereto, written agreement between Consultant and
Consultant’s prior client; and
WHEREAS, the representations and obligations
contained herein by Company are a material inducement for
Consultant to terminate his relationship with his prior client;
and
WHEREAS, Cywinski is an employee of LF and has
experience and expertise in sales, merchandising and marketing;
and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to engage the services
of LF to conduct and direct the merchandising and sales of
Company’s products in its newly-formed Junior Division and
Contemporary Knit Division, upon the terms and conditions set forth
herein; and
WHEREAS, LF is willing to provide those services for
Company, upon the terms and conditions set forth herein;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual
covenants, promises and other valuable consideration as described
herein, the parties agree as follows:
(a)
The
Company hereby engages the services of LF, and LF hereby agrees to
provide consulting services to the Company, commencing on the
Effective Date upon the terms and conditions set forth
herein.
(b)
In carrying out its obligations hereunder, LF agrees
to assign Consultant to Company on a full-time and exclusive basis
to carry out LF’s obligations under this Agreement. The
availability and performance obligations of LF by Consultant is a
material inducement to Company to enter into this Agreement. The
performance by Company of its obligations to LF and/or Consultant
under this Agreement are premised and conditioned upon
Consultant’s being
made available and providing on a full-time and
exclusive basis sales, marketing and merchandising consulting to
Company.
2.
Term of Agreement. This
Agreement is for a fixed period, commencing as of the Effective
Date and continuing through December 31, 2010, except as earlier
terminated pursuant to the terms set forth herein.
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3.
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Duties and Responsibilities.
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(a)
Consultant shall use his exclusive best efforts and devote all
time, attention, knowledge and skills as are reasonably necessary
to perform, supervise and oversee merchandising, sales and
solicitation of orders for the Junior Division (including knits and
wovens) and Contemporary Knit Division of the Company. Consultant
shall report to the Chief Executive Officer of Company. The sales
and merchandising staff of Company shall report to Consultant.
Consultant shall not undertake any other clients or accounts or any
other consulting or employment of any type or nature during the
term of this Agreement.
(b)
Consultant shall have the right to solicit orders for the
products of Company for sale worldwide (but excluding any
territories outside of the United States for which exclusive
licensing or distribution agreements have been granted to any third
party).
(c)
Consultant shall follow and quote the pricing and sales
conditions, including, without limitation, gross profit margin,
delivery and payment terms, provided by Company to Consultant for
Company products that Consultant sells, subject to modification in
Consultant’s reasonable judgment. The Company agrees that
Consultant shall have the right to provide input into the
formulation (and amendment) of such terms.
(e)
Consultant shall forward to Company the original copy of each
completed purchase order (the “Purchase Order”) for
sales of Company products to customers that he receives no later
than one (1) business day following receipt of such Purchase Orders
by Consultant. The Purchase Order shall be subject to approval by
Company. Company shall promptly notify Consultant of its acceptance
or rejection of any Purchase Order for products of the Junior
Division or Contemporary Knit Division, including but not limited
to those solicited on Company’s behalf by others, and of any
subsequent modification or cancellation thereof.
Company shall be responsible for the issuance of
invoices to customers on approved Purchase Orders. All payments on
invoices must be made payable to Company (or its factor).
Consultant shall forward promptly to Company any and all money,
payment, or remittance in any form which Consultant has received
from any customer in connection with any invoices for any
customer’s purchase of Company products.
Company shall provide copies of all invoices for
Junior Division and Contemporary Knit Division sales simultaneously
with Company’s delivery of the invoices to its
customers.
Consultant shall perform such additional tasks that
are reasonably within the scope of his duties as directed by the
Company.
Company shall make available to Consultant an office
and access to telephone, computer and other standard operating
infrastructure during the term of this Agreement.
Consultant shall report to and take direction from
the President of Company or such other officer or representative as
shall be designated by him.
(a)
Company and Consultant each understand and agree
that LF is an independent contractor and that Consultant is an
employee of LF, and not an employee of Company. Except as provided
in this Agreement, Consultant shall use his own supplies and
equipment in the performance of his duties, and shall be solely
responsible for, and exercise independent judgment as to, the time,
place, method and manner in which those duties are performed. This
Agreement shall not be construed to create the relationship of
employer and employee between Company and Consultant or Company and
LF. Company does not have, and shall not exercise any control or
direction over the time, place, method and manner in which
Consultant performs his duties, except that Consultant agrees to
perform his work under the Agreement in accordance with currently
approved methods and practices in his industry.
(b)
Company
and LF and Company and Consultant each agree and understand that
there is no joint venture or partnership between them.
Consultant shall represent himself to all third
parties as an independent contractor although he may be provided
with a business card identifying him as “Director of
Sales” or such other title which is commensurate with the
services he is providing to Company.
Except as provided in this Agreement, Consultant is
not an agent of Company and shall not have the right to bind
Company, to transact any business in Company’s name or on
behalf of Company, or to make any promises or representations on
behalf of Company.
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5.
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Tax Liability of LF and
Consultant.
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(a)
LF and
Consultant understand and agree that because of their status as an
independent contractor and employee of independent contractor,
respectively, Company shall not have any obligation or liability
whatsoever to LF or Consultant for federal or state income or
employment tax withholding, payment of employment or unemployment
insurance contributions or benefits with respect to LF or
Consultant, minimum wage and overtime requirements, workers’
compensation coverage, or other similar taxes or
liabilities.
(b)
LF and Consultant agree, jointly and severally, to
indemnify and hold Company harmless for any claims made against
Company by any taxing or other governmental authority for failure
to withhold or pay any federal or state income or employment tax,
employment or unemployment insurance, contributions or benefits
with respect to LF or Consultant, any payment pursuant to
applicable employment statutes (including without limitation,
minimum wage or overtime payments), workers’ compensation
benefits, or other similar liabilities which would otherwise be an
obligation of the Company were LF or Consultant an employee of the
Company. In the event of any such claims made against the
Company,
Company shall promptly notify LF and Consultant
thereof and they shall have the opportunity to participate in the
defense thereof at their expense.
6.
Fees . Subject to the
terms of this Agreement, LF shall receive consulting fees as
follows:
(a)
On September 20, 2007, October 20, 2007, and
November 20, 2007, LF shall receive a consulting fee of $**** per
month, payable in two equal installments on the first and fifteenth
of each month.
(b)
LF shall receive a deferred consulting fee of $****
for the month of November 2007, payable on or before March 31,
2008. Such fee shall be deemed to have been earned as of November
30, 2007.
(c)
LF shall receive a deferred consulting fee of $****
for the month of December 2007, payable 1/3 on or before April 30,
2008, 1/3 on or before May 31, 2008 and 1/3 on or before June 30,
2008. Such fee shall be deemed to have been earned as of December
31, 2007.
(e)
Commencing January 20, 2008, LF shall be paid a
commission as follows:
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i.
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Junior Division : LF
shall be paid a ****% commission (the “Junior Rate”) on
“Net Sales” (as defined in Section 6(b)(iii) on the
Junior Division products sold by Company.
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“Junior Division” as used in this
Agreement shall mean Company’s junior knit and woven products
lines as reasonably designated by Company.
The Junior Rate with respect to any order for Junior
Division products is based upon Company’s obtaining, at a
minimum, a 25% gross margin on such order. In the event that
Company’s gross margin for a specific order in the Junior
Division falls below 25%, the Junior Rate for such order shall be
based upon agreement between the parties; the parties agree to
negotiate such Junior Rate in good faith.
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ii.
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Contemporary Knit Division.
LF shall be paid a ****% commission (the
“Contemporary Rate”) from Net Sales on the Contemporary
Knit Division products sold by Company.
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“Contemporary Knit Division” as used in
this Agreement shall mean Company’s contemporary knit product
line as reasonably designated by Company.
The Contemporary Rate with respect to any order for
Contemporary Division products is based on upon Company’s
obtaining, at a minimum, a 50% gross margin on such order. In the
event that Company’s gross margin for a specific order in the
Contemporary Knit Division falls below 50%, the Contemporary Rate
shall be based upon agreement between the parties; the parties
agree to negotiate such Contemporary Rate in good faith.
“Net Sales” as used herein shall mean
the amount of gross sales for orders actually shipped to customers
less returns, discounts, allowances, chargebacks, customer
deductions of any type or nature and losses for bad debts on
client-risk or non-factored orders.
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iii.
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Payment of Commission .
Commissions shall be paid by Company to LF by the 25th day of the
month following the end of the month in which orders generated by
Consultant are shipped. For the purpose of calculating the
commissions, the shipment cut off date is the last day of each
month. Simultaneous with payment of any monthly commission, Company
shall provide LF with an accounting, reflecting Company’s
calculation of the commission. Such accounting shall include an
itemization of Company’s Net Sales of Junior Division
Products and Contemporary Knit Division products (separately
itemized) for such month. Any objection by LF to payment of any
commission or accounting thereof must be made to Company in writing
within thirty (30) days of receipt of the commission or the
accounting to which LF objects. Any commission or accounting to
which LF does not object timely is deemed correct and binding on
LF.
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(f)
Annual Draw. Commencing on
January 20, 2008, LF shall receive an annual draw in the amount of
$**** ($**** per month), which amount shall be an advance against
the commissions earned by LF. This amount shall be deducted from
the monthly commissions paid to LF pursuant to this Agreement and
shall be owing to Company in the event commissions due are not
sufficient to repay the advances.
7.
Sales Targets. LF and
Consultant shall use good-faith efforts to achieve the following
combined sales targets for the Junior Division and Contemporary
Knit Division, although such targets are not in any way a minimum
or guarantee of sales, and failure to achieve such targets shall
not be deemed a breach of this Agreement. These targets relate to
all sales by the Junior and Contemporary Knit Divisions, and not
merely those sales generated by Consultant.
January 1, 2008, through December 31,
2008 : Thirty million dollars
($30,000,000) in Net Sales (“First Year Sales
Target”);
January 1, 2009, through December 31,
2009 : Forty five million dollars
($45,000,000) in Net Sales (“Second Year Sales
Target”); and
January 1, 2010, through December 31,
2010 : Sixty million dollars
($60,000,000) in Net Sales (“Third Year Sales
Target”).
8.
Expenses. Consultant
may incur reasonable expenses for travel, meals, lodging,
entertainment and similar items, including but not limited to
cellphone, in the performance of his duties in accordance with
Company’s policies and procedures applicable to executive
employees of Company. Air travel shall be economy class on flights
under two (2) hours and business class on flights over two (2)
hours; if business class is not offered on such flight, Consultant
shall be entitled to a first-class ticket. Company will reimburse
LF for reasonable business expenses so incurred by Consultant;
provided, however, that such expenses are incurred and accounted
for in
accordance with the reasonable policies and
procedures established by Company. Any expense for which LF seeks
reimbursement must be submitted to Company within thirty (30) days
of the date the expense was incurred. Any expense submitted to
Company more than thirty (30) days after the expense was incurred
may be considered and paid at the sole discretion of
Company.
9.
Stock Transfer. As a
material inducement to Consultant to enter into this Agreement with
Company, Company shall cause Jacques Ninio (“Ninio”),
the holder of at least 2,500,000 shares of common stock of the
Company, to transfer his ownership in two million five hundred
thousand (2,500,000) restricted shares of common stock of Company
(the “Shares”) to LF or such third party as LF shall
direct, free and clear of all liens and encumbrances (except only
as provided below), without any additional payment required of LF,
pursuant to the following terms and conditions:
Prior to the Effective Date, the Company shall cause
Ninio to deposit all of the Shares (evidenced by thirteen (13)
share certificates) with Michael C. Baum (“Escrow
Agent”), who shall act as escrow agent and release the Shares
only as set forth herein, pursuant to an Escrow Agreement in the
form of Exhibit “A” hereto. The Company shall also
cause Ninio to execute and deliver to Escrow Agent a power of
attorney, stock powers and such other instruments of transfer as
may be reasonably required by Escrow Agent or Consultant in order
for Consultant to obtain ownership of the Shares.
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(a)
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Escrow Agent shall transfer to Consultant the Shares
as follows:
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i.
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Escrow Agent shall transfer 100,000 shares on the
Effective Date and thereafter on the first day of each consecutive
month, and ending on and including May 1, 2008 up to an aggregate
of 1,000,000 shares, which shares shall be deemed vested and
released to LF or its designee on the date of each
transfer.
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ii.
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Escrow Agent shall transfer 500,000 shares to LF or
its designee upon meeting the First Year Sales Target, by no later
than March 1, 2009. In the event that LF and Consultant fail to
meet the First Year Sales Target, the number of shares transferred
to LF shall be proportionally reduced based on LF’s and
Consultant’s Net Sales as compared to the First Year Sales
Target.
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iii.
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Escrow Agent shall transfer 500,000 shares to LF or
its designee upon meeting the Second Year Sales Target, by no later
than March 1, 2010. In the event that LF or Consultant fails to
meet the Second Year Sales Target, the number of shares transferred
to Consultant shall be proportionally reduced based on LF’s
or Consultant’s Net Sales as compared to the Second Year
Sales Target.
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iv.
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Escrow Agent shall transfer 500,000 shares to LF or
its designee upon meeting the Third Year Sales Target, by no later
than March 1, 2011. In the event that LF or Consultant fails to
meet the Third Year Sales Target, the number of shares transferred
to Consultant shall be proportionally reduced
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based on LF’s or Consultant’s Net Sales
as compared to the Third Year Sales Target.
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v.
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Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections (b) (ii),
(iii) and (iv) above, Company shall calculate the Net Sales of the
Junior Division and Contemporary Knit Division on a cumulative
basis and transfer the Shares to LF or its designee on a cumulative
basis during the term of this Agreement, such that if LF or
Consultant shall have exceeded the Sales Target in any given year
and in a prior year LF or Consultant had failed to meet the Sales
Target (Deficit Year), then the excess sales in the subsequent
year(s) shall be added to the Deficit Year. The number of shares to
be transferred to LF or its designee in the Deficit Year shall be
recalculated at the conclusion of any year in which there was an
excess and sales beyond the Sales Target and Escrow Agent shall
transfer the shares based on the recalculated sales to LF or its
designee. Likewise, in the event that LF or Consultant shall have
exceeded the Sales Target(s) and there shall have been no prior
Deficit Year, then the excess sales should be added to the next
subsequent year to determine net sales.
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(b)
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All transfers of stock into escrow and/or to LF or
its designee shall be
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subject to applicable securities law and
restrictions, and LF and its designee agrees to be bound thereby;
provided that Company shall not take any action or permit Escrow
Agent or Ninio to take any action that would impose additional
restrictions on the Shares. LF agrees that the only permitted
designee under this Agreement is Consultant.
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(c)
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LF acknowledges and agrees that as between Company
and LF or its
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designee, they are solely responsible for payment of
any tax liabilities or obligations related to, or arising from the
transfer of the Shares to them as set forth herein and that Company
shall not have any obligation or liability whatsoever to LF or its
designee for federal or state income taxes relati