Exhibit 10.1
CONSULTING AGREEMENT
This Consulting Agreement
(hereinafter the “ Agreement ”), is entered into
and effective as of September 1, 2007, between JOHN T. La
DUC (hereinafter “ Consultant ”) and
FOSTER WHEELER INC. , a Delaware corporation (collectively
with its direct and indirect parents, subsidiaries and affiliates,
the “ Company ” or “ FW
”).
WHEREAS, Consultant retired as an
employee of Foster Wheeler Inc effective August 13, 2007;
and
WHEREAS, FW desires to retain
Consultant to provide certain services to FW as specified herein;
and
WHEREAS, Consultant is able to
provide said services and desires to provide the same to FW, its
affiliates, and its representatives on the terms and conditions set
forth herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, for good and valuable
consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby
acknowledged, and in further consideration of the following mutual
promises, covenants and undertakings, the parties agree as
follows:
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Term. The term of this Agreement shall commence
as of September 1, 2007 and shall continue in effect through
February 29, 2008. Termination of this Agreement, except for
cause, before February 29, 2008, may occur only by mutual
consent or the death or permanent and total disability of
Consultant as a result of bodily injury, disease or mental
disorder. This Agreement may be renewed for such term, and upon
such terms and conditions, as the parties may agree in a further
writing. |
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2. |
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Consulting Services . |
2.1. Consultant
shall perform non-exclusive consulting services for FW primarily in
the nature of the services provided when consultant was Executive
Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of FW, which
employment ended on August 13, 2007. A listing of subject
areas in which FW and Consultant have agreed that Consultant will
provide services to the Company is attached to this Agreement and
incorporated herein by reference.
2.2. Any
additional services by Consultant beyond those referenced in
Article 2.1 above shall be performed by Consultant only as
agreed between Consultant and FW’s CFO.
2.3. Consultant
shall at all times act in accordance with his own best judgment,
experience and expertise as an independent Consultant. Consultant
shall routinely communicate the status and progress of the services
being performed by Consultant to FW’s CFO.
2.4 Consultant
may perform consulting services and/or serve on boards of directors
for persons other than FW so long as such other services do not
present a conflict of interest for Consultant. Consultant shall
advise FW if he enters into
any agreements
to perform consulting services for any other entity or has agreed
to serve on the board of directors of any other entity. Consultant
will arrange his schedule and other work to ensure that FW work
remains the primary priority for Consultant’s time. Should
Consultant request a waiver of any potential conflict with respect
to either other services or time, FW will not unreasonably withhold
its consent to such waiver.
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3. |
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Fees and Reimbursements/Invoices . |
3.1. Consultant’s compensation
will be as follows:
3.1.1. A base fee of $14,400 per
month (“Base Fee”), exclusive of expenses, for which
Consultant will provide up to 36 hours of services. The
Consultant’s mere travel time (i.e. time when Consultant is
traveling, but not also performing other types of work) will be
counted at one-half the number of hours spent so traveling, and
there will be no premium for weekend or holiday work.
3.1.2. Monthly hours worked in excess
of 36, up to a maximum of 104 (“Additional Fee”),
exclusive of expenses, will be billed at $400 per hour, subject to
the same terms and conditions for travel, weekend and holiday work
as provided in Article 3.1.1. In the absence of a written
agreement signed by Consultant and FW, Consultant shall neither
work, nor be paid for, more than 104 hours per month.
3.2. Consultant’s compensation
and expense reimbursement shall be paid as follows:
3.2.1 Beginning in
September 2007 and each month thereafter during the term of
the Agreement, Consultant’s Base Fee will be paid
automatically in advance by FW by wire transfer monthly on the
first business day between the first and fifth day of the
month.
3.2.2 Beginning in October 2007
and each month thereafter during the term of the Agreement, by the
fifth day of the month, Consultant will provide an invoice for the
previous month that provides a summary of time and activities as to
the Base Fee, and a reasonably detailed description of services and
time, rounded up to the nearest tenth of the hour, for any
Additional Fee earned during the previous month. Consultant will
also submit a reasonably detailed schedule of expenses for
reimbursement including receipts. Bills and receipts may be
submitted electronically.
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3.2.3 Statements for services and
requests for expense reimbursement shall be submitted to
Foster Wheeler,
Inc.
Attn: Franco Baseotto, Executive Vice President and CFO
Perryville Corporate Park
Clinton, NJ 08809-4000
Fax: (908) 730-5300
E-mail : franco_baseotto@fwc.com
3.2.4 FW will promptly review the
statements submitted with respect to the Additional Fee and
requests for expense reimbursement, and will pay all undisputed
Additional Fee and expense reimbursement amounts within
15 days of FW’s receipt of such statement. Questions
regarding any Additional Fee and/or expenses will be addressed
promptly with a view toward reaching an agreement, and payment for
any questioned Additional Fee and/or expense amounts will be paid
on the later of 15 days after the statement was received or
10 days after the questions are resolved. As to the Base Fee,
FW may request additional information concerning the content of the
Base Fee description and time but may not withhold payment of the
Base Fee.
3.3 If this
Agreement is terminated before its expiration date as a result of
Consultant’s death or disability, FW shall pay Consultant or
his estate any Additional Fees that he earned prior to his death or
disability, but shall have no further obligation pursuant to
Article 3 of this Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated
before its expiration date for “Cause,” FW shall have
no further obligation pursuant to Article 3 of this Agreement.
For the purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” shall have
the same meaning as in the Employment Agreement (as defined in
Article 4 of this Agreement). If FW otherwise terminates this
Agreement before its expiration date, FW shall remain liable for
the Base Fees otherwise due through the expiration date, but shall
have no further obligation pursuant to Article 3 of this
Agreement.
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4. |
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No Employee Benefits . Consultant and FW agree
that Consultant (including his employees and agents) shall not be
entitled to participate in any employee benefit plans or
arrangements or fringe benefit plans or programs or payroll
practice maintained or contributed to by FW or its affiliates for
their employees as a result of providing consulting services or
otherwise with relation to this Agreement, provided, however
, it is understood that Consultant may be entitled to certain
benefits related to his April 14, 2004 employment agreement
with Foster Wheeler Ltd., as amended, (“Employment
Agreement”) and his retirement from FW, which entitlement
shall not be affected by this Agreement. Consultant hereby waives
any and all claims to any Company sponsored benefits related to his
provision of consulting services or otherwise with relation to this
Agreement even if Consultant (including his employees and agents)
at a later date is determined or adjudged to be a common law or
statutory employee of the Company as a result of performing the
consulting services under this Agreement. Accordingly, there |
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will be no withholdings from the compensation described in
Articles 2 and 3 above. |
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5. |
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Nature of Relationship . |
5.1. It is
expressly acknowledged and agreed that, in performing any
consulting services pursuant to this Agreement, Consultant shall be
an independent contractor to FW and Consultant shall not be
considered as having employee or agent status with respect to FW or
any of its subsidiaries or affiliates for any purpose. Accordingly,
FW shall not supervise, control or direct the manner or means by
which Consultant performs the consulting services, and Consultant
shall have no authority to contractually bind FW without FW’s
express written consent.
5.2. Consultant
shall be solely responsible for payment of all Federal, state and
local taxes arising out of or imposed on Consultant as a result of
Consultant’s performance of the consulting services or
receipt of the compensation described in Articles 2 and 3 above,
including by way of illustration but not limitation, Federal, state
and local income taxes, Social Security taxes or social insurance
obligations and any other taxes or business license fees required
to be paid by Consultant by applicable law. FW shall not carry
workers’ compensation insurance or any health or accident
insurance to cover Consultant nor pay any amounts on account of
Consultant for purposes of Social Security or social insurance,
unemployment insurance, or Federal, state or local withholding and
employment taxes, and shall not provide any other contributions or
benefits on account of the Consultant which might be required or
customary in connection with an employer-employee
relationship.
5.3. Consultant
agrees to indemnify and hold harmless FW and its subsidiaries and
affiliates, and their respective directors, officers and employees
(“ FW Indemnified Parties ”), from and against
any taxes, penalties, interest, liabilities, costs or expenses
(including, without limitation, reasonable attorney’s fees
and disbursements) incurred by FW Indemnified Parties arising out
of or related to Consultant’s material breach of his
obligations under Article 5.2 hereof. Consultant agrees to
reimburse FW and its subsidiaries and affiliates for any amounts
that the Internal Revenue Service and/or any state or local tax
authority claims should have been withheld by FW from monies paid
to Consultant in accordance with this Agreement or as a result of
the reclassification of Consultant as an employee of FW or its
subsidiaries or affiliates or a determination that FW or any of its
subsidiaries or affiliates shall be considered the employer of
Consultant for any purpose.
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6. |
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Indemnity . The Company agrees to the provisions
of Annex 1 hereto which provide for indemnification by the Company
of Consultant. Such indemnification is an integral part of this
Agreement and the terms thereof are incorporated by reference as if
fully stated herein. The |
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