EXHIBIT
10.38
CONSULTING
AGREEMENT
This CONSULTING AGREEMENT (the
“Agreement”) is entered into as of June 30, 2008 by and
between TRUE NORTH ENERGY
CORPORATION , a Nevada corporation, with its
principal offices at 2 Allen Center, 1200 Smith Street, Houston, TX
77002 (the “Company”) and PRIME NATURAL RESOURCES, INC.
with an address at 2500 CityWest Blvd, Suite 1750, Houston, TX
77042 (“Prime”).
WHEREAS,
the Company
wishes to engage Prime to provide accounting and related services
to the Company and the Prime wishes to accept such engagement, all
upon the terms and subject to the conditions contained in this
Agreement;
NOW,
THEREFORE, the parties hereto, in
consideration of the mutual consideration and promises contained
herein and intending to be bound, hereby agree as
follows:
1.
Retention of
Prime . The Company hereby retains
Prime, and Prime agrees to be retained by the Company, upon the
terms in, and subject to the conditions of, this
Agreement.
2.
Term
.
Subject to
Section 7 hereof, the term of this Agreement shall commence on July
1, 2008 (the “Effective Date”) and shall continue in
effect for one year thereafter through and including June 30,
2008.
3.
Duties
of Prime . During the term of this
Agreement, Prime shall provide such bookkeeping, accounting and
financial reporting services and work with the Company’s
chief executive officer as may be directed by the Company from time
to time. Prime makes NO WARRANTY, express or implied, as to
merchantability, fitness for purpose sold, description, quality or
productiveness concerning the services provided
hereunder.
(a) Consulting Fee:
As
compensation to Prime for the services to be rendered under this
Agreement, the Company shall pay to Prime a consulting fee
consisting of a monthly $5,000 cash payment (the “Cash
Consulting Fee”) and grant to Prime an issuance of $60,000 in
common stock of the Company (the “Stock Consulting
Fee”) for each calendar year quarterly period (
i.e. , the three
months ending on September 30, 2008, December 31, 2008, March 31,
2009 and June 30, 2009 and each being a
“Quarter”).
(b) Payment of Cash Consulting
Fee: The Company will pay the Cash Consulting Fee to Prime monthly
in advance no later than the 20 th day of the month prior to the
month in which services will be performed.
(c) Payment of Stock Consulting
Fee: In connection with the Stock Consulting Fee, the Company will
issue to Prime an amount of stock equal to the Stock Consulting Fee
no later than ten (10) business days of the completion of each
Quarter. The number of shares to be issued for each such Quarter
will be determined by taking the sum of the shares for each month
in such Quarter as the shares for each such month are determined by
apportioning a number of shares equal to the amount of $20,000 as
based upon the average closing price of the Company’s common
stock on the OTC Bulletin Board for the last five business days of
each month in each such calendar year quarterly period then ended.
In connection with the payment of the Cash Consulting Fee,
Prime
shall be granted
“piggyback” rights pursuant to which Prime may request
that the Company include the stock provided as the Stock Consulting
Fee in any registration statement filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission to register other common stock of the Company
(other than a registration on Form S-4 or S-8, or any successor or
other forms promulgated for similar purposes).
(d) Adjustments: In the event of
early termination of this Agreement by either party, Prime’s
cash payment for the month in which the Agreement will terminate
will be subject to a pro rata adjustment to reflect the number of
days in such month that Prime will be providing consulting
services. In the event of early termination by the Company
“With Cause” or by the Prime other than for “Good
Reason,” as such terms are defined in Section 7 hereof,
Prime’s stock payment will be subject to a pro rata, downward
adjustment to reflect the number of days during which this
Agreement was in effect.
(e) Expenses: The Company shall
reimburse Prime for all reasonable out-of-pocket business expenses
incurred by Prime in the performance of this Agreement. Any single
expense amount in excess of $1,000 will require advance written
approval from the Company.
5.
Status
as Independent Contractor . The parties intend and
acknowledge that Prime is acting as an independent contractor. The
Company shall not be responsible for any withholding in respect of
taxes or any other deductions in respect of the fees to be paid to
Prime and all such amounts shall be paid without any deduction or
withholding. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to create
any partnership, joint venture or similar arrangement between the
Company and Prime or to render either party responsible for any
debts or liabilities of the
6.
Indemnity and Limitation of
Liability . Except as otherwise arising
from or attributable to the gross negligence of Prime, the
Co