|
COMVERGE, INC.
EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
THIS EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this
"Agreement") is entered into as of February 18, 2008 (the
"Agreement Date"), by and between Robert M. Chiste, an individual
("Executive"), and Comverge, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company").
WHEREAS, the Company desires to employ Executive
to provide personal services to the Company and wishes to provide
Executive with certain compensation and benefits in return for such
services; and
WHEREAS, Executive and the Company have entered
into an employment agreement dated September 1, 2001 and amended by
a First Amendment dated October 11, 2007 (together, the "Prior
Agreement") and now wish to amend and restate the Prior Agreement
as provided herein;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual
promises and covenants contained herein, Executive and the Company
hereby agree as follows:
SECTION 1. EMPLOYMENT BY THE COMPANY.
1.1 Position and Duties .
Effective as of the Agreement Date, Executive shall serve in the
positions of Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company
("Board") and as the Chief Executive Officer and President of the
Company with such powers, duties, and responsibilities as are
assigned to Executive by the Board and which are consistent with
Executive's positions. Executive will devote his best efforts,
business time, and attention exclusively (except for vacation
periods and periods of illness or other incapacities) to the
business of the Company, and shall faithfully and efficiently
discharge all duties and responsibilities assigned to him
hereunder. Effective with Executive's termination of employment
with the Company, Executive shall cease to be an officer of the
Company. During the term of this Agreement, the Company shall use
its best efforts to cause Executive to be the Chairman of the
Board. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, if during the term
of this Agreement Executive should not be re-elected to the Board
or as Chairman, the failure of Executive to continue to be the
Chairman of the Board shall not constitute a breach of this
Agreement by either party. Upon his termination of employment,
Executive may continue as a member of the Board for the remainder
of his then Board term, in his discretion.
1.2 Location . Executive's primary
office location shall be in Houston, Texas. From time to time,
however, Executive's duties may require him to travel and to work
at other locations.
1.3 Term . The term of Executive's
employment hereunder shall commence as of the Agreement Date and
shall continue through December 31, 2012, unless earlier terminated
pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.
SECTION 2.COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS.
2.1 Compensation . During the term
of this Agreement, Executive shall be paid an annual base salary,
annual retention bonuses and shall be eligible to receive incentive
compensation, all as described in Exhibit A attached hereto,
which is made a part of this Agreement for all purposes. All
incentive compensation payable pursuant to any plan or program
described in Exhibit A shall be governed by and subject to
the applicable plan or program documents, which may from time to
time be amended, modified or terminated on such terms and in such
manner as is permitted in respect of the applicable plan or
program.
2.2 Company Benefits . Subject to
the satisfaction of the general rules for eligibility and
participation under the Company's standard employee benefit plans
and practices, Executive shall be allowed to participate in the
Company's standard employee benefit plans and practices that may be
in effect from time to time during the term of Executive's
employment and are provided by the Company to its employees
generally. Such participation shall be governed by the applicable
plan documents, and the Company reserves the right, in its
discretion, to amend, modify, or discontinue any benefit plan or
practice. In addition, Executive shall receive such perquisites as
the Company may, from time to time, provide to other senior
executives of the Company.
2.3 Additional Benefits .
-
-
-
-
- The Company shall pay the cost for the preparation of
Executive's personal federal and state income tax returns for each
calendar year during Executive's employment by the Company. Such
returns shall be prepared by the tax preparation firm selected by
Executive and accepted by the Company, which will not unreasonably
withhold such acceptance.
-
- During Executive's employment by the Company, the Company shall
pay the direct cost (but not travel or other ancillary expenses)
for an annual physical examination of Executive to be conducted by
a doctor of medicine or clinic of Executive's choosing.
-
- The Company shall reimburse Executive up to $1,000 per month
(minus applicable taxes and withholdings) for the purchase by
Executive or his wife of airline tickets for travel between Texas
and New Jersey/New York City during the Executive's employment by
the Company.
-
- The Company shall pay or reimburse Executive up to an aggregate
of $50,000 of out-of-pocket relocation expenses (including, but not
limited to, closing costs and broker commissions on Executive's old
residence that was sold and on Executive's new residence purchased,
moving costs and travel expenses from Executive's place of
residence to his new place of residence) incurred or paid by
Executive in connection with the relocation of Executive and his
spouse to any place within 50 miles of Florham Park, New Jersey,
during Executive's employment by the Company hereunder.
-
2.4 Reimbursements . Any
reimbursements of any costs or expenses by the Company to Executive
under this Agreement shall be made as is customary for expense
reimbursement by the Company but in no event later than January 31
of the year after the calendar year in which such expenses are
incurred. The expenses incurred by Executive in any calendar year
shall not affect the expenses incurred by Executive in any other
calendar year that are eligible for reimbursement under this
Agreement and Executive's right to receive any reimbursement under
this Agreement shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for
any other benefit.
SECTION 3. ASSIGNMENT OF INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY.
3.1 Assignment of Intellectual
Property . All processes, products, methods, improvements,
discoveries, inventions, ideas, creations, trade secrets, know-how,
machines, programs, designs, routines, subroutines, techniques,
ideas for formulae, writings, books and other works of authorship,
business concepts, plans, projections and other similar items, as
well as all business opportunities discovered, conceived, designed,
devised, developed, perfected or made by Executive, whether alone
or in conjunction with others, and related in any manner to the
actual or anticipated business of the Company or to actual or
anticipated areas of research and development of the Company (all
of the foregoing collectively, the "Intellectual Property"), shall
be promptly disclosed to and are the property of the Company, and
Executive hereby assigns, transfers and conveys all of the
Intellectual Property and all of Executive's rights therein to the
Company. The term "Intellectual Property" shall be given the
broadest interpretation possible and shall include any Intellectual
Property conceived, designed, devised, developed, perfected or made
by Executive during off-duty hours and away from the Company's
premises, as well as those conceived, designed, devised, developed,
perfected or made in the regular course of Executive's performance
under this Agreement.
3.2 Post-Employment Scope . All
Intellectual Property discovered, conceived designed, devised,
developed, perfected or made by Executive following the termination
of this Agreement shall be Intellectual Property covered by the
scope of Section 3.1 if it was conceived, in whole or in part,
while this Agreement remains in effect. All Intellectual Property
conceived, designed, devised, developed, perfected or made by
Executive within twelve (12) months after termination of this
Agreement shall be disclosed to the Company, and shall be presumed
to have been conceived, designed, devised, developed, perfected or
made by Executive during the Term, and Executive shall have the
burden of proving otherwise by clear and convincing evidence in
order to successfully rebut such presumption.
3.3 Written Assignments .
Executive shall execute and deliver, both during the Term and
thereafter, to and in favor of the Company such assignments
(including patent and copyright assignments), documents,
instruments and applications (including patent or copyright
applications) as the Company may deem appropriate or necessary to
claim, secure, acquire, perfect, defend, enforce and/or assign any
and all rights and privileges in and to or arising from the
Intellectual Property. Executive shall also, both during the Term
and thereafter, cooperate with the Company, and to render such
assistance as the Company may reasonably require, in connection
with any process (whether administrative, judicial or otherwise)
associated with the Company's efforts to claim, secure, protect,
perfect, defend, assign and/or enforce such rights and privileges
in favor of the Company and its successors, licensees and assigns.
Executive shall also, both during the Term and thereafter, promptly
disclose to the Company fully and in writing any Intellectual
Property that Executive may conceive, make, or develop, in whole or
in part, by himself or jointly with others, (a) whether or not it
is conceived, made, developed or worked on by Executive during his
Term with the Company; (b) whether or not the Intellectual Property
was created at the suggestion of the Company; (c) whether or not
the Intellectual Property was reduced to drawings, written
description, documentation, models or other tangible form; and (d)
whether or not the Intellectual Property is related to the business
of the Company.
3.4 Work Made for Hire. Executive
acknowledges and agrees that any work of authorship comprising
Intellectual Property shall be deemed to be a "Work Made for Hire,"
to the extent permitted by the United States Copyright Act (17
U.S.C. Section 101 (2000)). To the extent that any such work of
authorship may not be deemed to be a Work Made for Hire, Executive
hereby irrevocably assigns all ownership rights in and to such work
to the Company. If any such work of authorship cannot be assigned,
Executive hereby grants to the Company an exclusive, assignable,
irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, sub-licensable (through one or
multiple tiers), royalty-free, unlimited license to use, copy,
reproduce, distribute, modify, adapt, alter, translate, improve,
create derivative works of, practice, publicly perform, publicly
display and digitally perform and display such work in any media
now known or hereafter known. Outside the scope of his employment,
Executive agrees not to (a) practice, display, copy,
reproduce, distribute, transfer, modify, adapt, alter, translate,
improve, or create derivative works from, or otherwise use, any
such work of authorship or (b) incorporate any such work of
authorship into any product or invention unrelated to the Company's
business. To the extent moral rights may not be assignable under
applicable law and to the extent the following is allowed by the
laws in the various countries where Moral Rights exist, Executive
hereby irrevocably waives such moral rights and consents to any
action of the Company that would violate such moral rights in the
absence of such consent.
3.5 No License Granted. Executive
acknowledges and agrees that nothing in this Agreement shall be
deemed to grant, by implication, estoppel, certain rules of
construction, or otherwise, (a) a license from the Company to
Executive to make, develop, use, license, disclose, or transfer in
any way a Intellectual Property or (b) a license from the
Company to Executive regarding any of the Company's existing or
future ownership rights.
SECTION 4. CONFIDENTIALITY.
4.1 Confidentiality Obligation .
Executive acknowledges and the Company agrees to provide to
Executive access to new Confidential Information (as defined below)
as a result of his employment with the Company to which he did not
have access prior to signing this Agreement, the sufficiency and
receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, and that such information
constitutes valuable, special and unique property of the Company.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Executive
expressly confirms that, in the course of performing his services
pursuant to this Agreement, he will obtain confidential and
proprietary information regarding the Company including, without
limitation information regarding the Company's operations,
customers, suppliers and other matters. Accordingly, at all times
while employed by the Company, and continuing in perpetuity
following the termination of his employment with the Company for
whatever reason, Executive shall neither use nor disclose, nor
permit any person or entity within his reasonable control to use or
disclose, any Confidential Information, and shall maintain and
protect the secrecy of the Confidential Information, except to the
extent required in the ordinary course of Executive's employment
with the Company, and then only subject to the direction and
control of the Company. Additionally, Executive shall cause all
persons and entities within his reasonable control to use their
respective best efforts, to maintain and protect the secrecy of the
Confidential Information.
4.2 Definition of Confidential
Information . As used in this Agreement the term
"Confidential Information" means any knowledge, information or
property relating to, or used or possessed by, the Company, and
includes, without limitation, the following: trade secrets,
patents, copyrights, software (including, without limitation, all
programs, specifications, applications, routines, subroutines,
techniques, code and ideas for formulae); ideas, information,
concepts, data, drawings, designs and documents; names of clients,
customers, employees, agents, contractors and suppliers; business
plans, marketing plans and marketing information; financial
information and other business records; and all copies of any of
the foregoing. Executive agrees that all such information possessed
by him, or disclosed to him, or to which he obtains access during
his employment with the Company is Confidential Information under
the terms of this Agreement, and Executive shall have the burden of
proving otherwise by clear and convincing evidence.
4.3 Return of Confidential
Information . Executive agrees that he shall immediately,
upon the request of the Company, return to the Company all
Confidential Information and any other tangible material
containing, prepared on the basis of, or reflecting any
Confidential Information (whether prepared by the Company,
Executive or otherwise) and shall not retain any copies, extracts
or other reproductions, in whole or in part, of such Confidential
Information.
4.4 Return of Company Property .
All products, records, designs, patents, trademarks, copyrights,
plans, manuals, memoranda, lists and other documents or other
property of the Company or any of its affiliates in the possession
or control of Executive and all records compiled by the Executive
which pertain to the business of the Company or its affiliates,
shall be and remain the property of the Company and shall be
subject at all times to its discretion and control. Likewise, all
correspondence with customers or affiliates of the Company, all
reports, records, charts, and advertising materials and any data
pertaining to the Company, its affiliates or the business of the
Company or its affiliates that are held by or on behalf of
Executive shall be delivered promptly to the Company without
request on the date Executive's employment with the Company
terminates or at any other time promptly upon request by the
Company.
4.5 Nature of Obligation . The
obligations of Executive set forth in this Section 4 are in
addition to, and not in lieu of, any of Executive's duties or the
Company's rights and remedies, at law or in equity, with respect to
the Company's proprietary information and property. The Company may
pursue all such rights and remedies, as well as remedies for the
breach of the provisions set forth herein. Also, the Confidential
Information and other property referenced in this Section 4
constitute valuable property of the Company, the ownership of which
is not dependent upon the performance by the Company of any of its
obligations under this Agreement or the performance of any legal,
statutory or other duty, if any, to Executive. Accordingly,
Executive shall perform its obligations under this Section 4
regardless of any alleged or actual breach or failure to perform by
the Company.
SECTION 5. NONCOMPETITION AGREEMENT.
In consideration of the Company's promise to
provide to Executive access to new Confidential Information to
which he did not have access prior to signing this Agreement and
the compensation paid or payable to Executive by the Company
pursuant to this Agreement (including, but not limited to, Section
2 hereof), Executive hereby agrees as follows:
5.1 Noncompetition . During the
term of this Agreement and for a period of thirty (30) months
following the termination of Executive's employment, Executive
shall not, directly or indirectly, for himself or on behalf of, or
in conjunction with any other person, persons, company,
partnership, limited liability company, corporation or other
business entity or venture of whatever nature: (i) call upon any
customer of the Company, past (within the one year period preceding
the termination if this Agreement) or present, including but not
limited to, any customers obtained for the Company by Executive,
for the purposes of (A) soliciting or selling any products or
services in competition with any products or services offered by
the Company or (B) persuading, inducing or soliciting any such
customer to discontinue conducting business with the Company or
purchasing any of its products or services; (ii) call upon any
employee, consultant or agent of the Company for the purpose or
with the intent of persuading or enticing any such employee,
consultant or agent away from or out of the employ of or engagement
by the Company; or (iii) establish, enter into, be employed by or
for, advise, consult with or become an owner in or a part of, any
company, partnership, limited liability company, corporation or
other business entity or venture of whatever nature or in any way
engage for himself or for others, in any business that sells
products or services that compete with the products or services
offered by the Company including but not limited to the business of
providing alternative energy, energy load control or demand
response products and services, energy capacity, energy efficiency,
or advanced metering solutions, which Executive acknowledges and
agrees is the business in which the Company is engaged, including
but not limited to within the United States of America. The Company
may, in its discretion, by advance written consent permit Executive
to take specified actions that, absent such consent, would
constitute a violation of this Section 5; but the Company is under
no obligation to grant any such written consent or permit any such
actions. The covenants in this paragraph are severable and
separate, and the unenforceability of any specific covenant shall
not affect the provisions of any other covenant. Moreover, in the
event any court of competent jurisdiction shall determine that the
scope, time or territorial restrictions set forth are unreasonable,
then it is the intention of the parties that such restrictions be
enforced to the fullest extent which the court deems reasonable,
and the Agreement shall thereby be reformed.
5.2 Enforcement . Because of the
difficulty of measuring economic losses to the Company as a result
of a breach of the foregoing covenant, and because of the immediate
and irreparable damage that could be caused by the Company for
which it would have no other adequate remedy, Executive agrees that
foregoing covenant may be enforced by the Company, in the event of
breach by him, by injunctions and restraining orders. Executive
further agrees to waive any requirement for the Company's securing
or posting of any bond in connection with such remedies. The
existence of any claim or cause of action of Executive against the
Company, whether predicated on this Agreement or otherwise, shall
not preclude the Company's enforcement of these covenants.
5.3 Reasonable Covenants .
Executive acknowledges and agrees that the covenants set forth in
this Section 5 are necessary and reasonable to protect the Company
and the conduct of its business and are a fair and reasonable
restraint on Executive in light of the activities and business of
the Company on the date of execution of this Agreement and the
future plans of the Company; and that such covenants also be
construed and enforced in light of the activities and business of
the Company (including business activities in the planning stage)
on the date of termination of Executive's employment with the
Company
5.4 Survival . The provisions of
this Section 5 shall survive any termination of this Agreement and
are subject to Section 7 of this Agreement.
SECTION 6. TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT.
6.1 Certain Definitions . As used
herein, the following terms shall have the following
definitions:
- Board Change. "Board Change" means any change
in directors after giving effect to any of the transactions
described below in the definition of Change of Control as a result
of which the individuals serving on the Board prior to such
transaction no longer comprise at least a majority of the directors
on the Board immediately after giving effect to such
transaction.
-
- Cause . "Cause" shall mean a termination of Executive by
the Company due to (i) Executive's material breach of any material
provision of this Agreement; (ii) Executive's material breach of
any material written Company policy contained in the Company's
manual of policies and procedures; (iii) Executive's material
non-compliance with any lawful direction given by the Board; (iv)
Executive's Disability; (v) Executive's fraud with respect of the
business or affairs of the Company; (vi) the conviction of
Executive, or his entering of a plea of nolo contendere with
regard to, a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude; or (vii)
alcohol abuse or illegal drug use by Executive, provided,
however , that in the event of Executive's breach as set forth
in sub-clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) hereof, no Cause for termination
shall be deemed to exist for any such breach which is curable and
which is in fact cured by Executive within 30 days after written
notice of such termination has been delivered to Executive; and in
the event of Executive's breach as set forth in clause (vii) above,
no Cause for termination shall be deemed to
|