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Exhibit
99.2
EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT
THIS EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT (the “ Agreement ”),
effective as of December 6, 2007 (the “ Effective
Date ”), is entered into by and between Guidance
Software, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “
Company ”), and Victor Limongelli (the “
Executive ”).
WHEREAS, the Company and
Executive desire that, effective as of the Effective Date, the
Company shall employ Executive, and Executive shall accept such
employment, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth
herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, in
consideration of the mutual agreements set forth herein and for
other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency
of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree
as follows:
1. Position, Duties and
Responsibilities .
(a) Position . As of
the Effective Date, the Company shall employ Executive, and
Executive hereby agrees to serve the Company, as President and
Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Executive shall perform
such employment duties as are usual and customary for such position
and shall report to the Board of Directors of the Company (the
“ Board ”). Executive shall devote his
best efforts and his full business time and attention to the
performance of services hereunder for the Company and its
subsidiaries and affiliates and as may reasonably be requested by
the Board. At the Company’s request, Executive shall serve
the Company and/or its subsidiaries and affiliates in such other
capacities in addition to the foregoing as the Company shall
designate, provided that such additional capacities are consistent
with Executive’s position as President and Chief Executive
Officer of the Company. In the event that Executive serves in any
one or more of such additional capacities, Executive’s
compensation will not be increased on account of such additional
service beyond that specified in this Agreement.
(b) Board Member .
Executive shall be appointed to serve as a member of the Board as
of the Effective Date. Thereafter, to the extent permitted by
applicable law and the Company’s bylaws and other governing
documents, during Executive’s employment with the Company
hereunder, the Company shall, at each annual meeting of the
Company’s stockholders at which Executive’s term as a
director would otherwise expire, nominate Executive to serve as a
member of the Board.
(c) Place of
Employment . During the period of Executive’s employment
with the Company hereunder (the “ Employment
Period ”), Executive shall perform the services
required by this Agreement at the Company’s principal place
of business, currently located at 215 N. Marengo Avenue, Pasadena,
CA 91101. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may from time
to time require Executive to travel temporarily to other locations
on the Company’s business.
(d) Exclusivity .
Except with the prior written approval of the Board
(which
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the Board may grant or withhold in its
sole and absolute discretion), during the Employment Period,
Executive shall devote his entire working time, attention and
energies to the business of the Company and will not
(i) accept any other employment or consultancy,
(ii) serve on the board of directors or similar body of any
other entity, or (iii) engage, directly or indirectly, in any
other business activity (whether or not pursued for pecuniary
advantage) that is or may be competitive with, or that might place
him in a competing position to, that of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries or affiliates; provided, however, that nothing
in this Agreement shall limit Executive’s ability to provide
services to or participate in non-profit, charitable or civic
organizations or to manage personal investments to the extent that
such activities do not materially interfere with Executive’s
performance of his duties hereunder.
2. Compensation and Related
Matters .
(a) Salary . During
the Employment Period, the Company shall pay Executive an annual
base salary of at least $350,000 per year, which shall be paid to
Executive in accordance with the Company’s standard payroll
practices ( e.g. , timing of payments and standard employee
deductions, such as income tax withholdings, social security,
etc.). The Board, or a committee thereof, shall review
Executive’s base salary on an annual basis and may in its
discretion increase his base salary as it deems
appropriate.
(b) Bonuses . During
the Employment Period, in addition to the base salary set forth
above, Executive shall be eligible to participate in the
Company’s annual incentive bonus plan applicable to the
Company’s senior executive officers. The amount of
Executive’s annual bonus (the “ Annual
Bonus ”) will be based on the attainment of
performance criteria established by the Board or the compensation
committee of the Board (the “ Compensation
Committee ”) after consultation with Executive and
evaluated by the Board or the Compensation Committee in accordance
with the terms of such bonus plan as in effect from time to time,
provided that Executive’s target Annual Bonus shall be one
hundred (100%) of Executive’s annual base salary for the
year of performance (or such higher amount as may determined by the
Board), prorated for any partial year of service in which an Annual
Bonus is earned. Any Annual Bonus that becomes payable to Executive
shall be paid to Executive after January 1, but no later than
March 15, of the year immediately following the calendar year
to which such Annual Bonus relates. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
in the event that the Company is required to prepare an accounting
restatement due to its material noncompliance, as a result of
misconduct, with any financial reporting requirement under United
States securities laws for any period(s) during the Employment
Period, Executive shall, within 30 days following notification by
the Company, repay to the Company the aggregate amount of any
Annual Bonuses and other incentive bonuses paid to Executive with
respect to such period(s).
(c) Other Benefits .
During the Employment Period, Executive shall be eligible to
participate in all savings and retirement plans, and all group
welfare benefit plans (including, if applicable, medical, dental,
disability, employee life, group life and accidental death
insurance plans and programs) maintained by the Company from time
to time which are applicable to the Company’s senior
executive officers, subject to the terms and conditions of such
plans. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein is intended,
or shall be construed to
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require the Company to institute or
continue any, or any particular, plan or benefits.
(d) Business Expenses
. The Company shall reimburse Executive for reasonable business
expenses actually incurred by Executive in connection with the
conduct of the Company’s business upon presentation of
sufficient evidence of such expenditures consistent with the
Company’s policies as in effect from time to time. To the
extent that any such expenses are deemed to constitute compensation
to Executive, such expenses shall be reimbursed no later than
December 31 of the year following the year in which the
expense was incurred. The amount of any such expenses reimbursed in
one year shall not affect the amount eligible for reimbursement in
any subsequent year and Executive’s right to reimbursement of
any such expenses shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange
for any other benefit.
(e) Vacation, Etc .
During the Employment Period, Executive shall be entitled to
vacation (but in no event less than three (3) weeks per year),
sick leave, holidays and other paid time-off benefits provided by
the Company from time to time which are applicable to the
Company’s senior executive officers.
(f) Fringe Benefits .
During the Employment Period, Executive shall be eligible to
receive such fringe benefits and perquisites as are provided by the
Company to its senior executive officers from time to time, in
accordance with the policies, practices and procedures of the
Company.
(g) Equity Awards .
Subject to the approval of such grants by the Board and the
Compensation Committee, on the Effective Date, Executive shall be
granted an option to purchase up to 500,000 shares of Company
common stock and 100,000 restricted shares of Company common stock
in accordance with the Stock Option Agreement and Restricted Stock
Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit B and Exhibit C
, respectively. Executive shall be eligible to receive additional
equity awards in the future as the Board or the Compensation
Committee deems appropriate in its sole and absolute
discretion.
3. At-Will Employment
. Executive’s employment with the Company is
“at-will,” and, subject to the terms and conditions of
this Agreement, either Executive or the Company may terminate
Executive’s employment at any time and for any reason (or for
no reason). This at-will employment relationship cannot be changed,
modified, rescinded or superseded except pursuant to a writing
signed by Executive and an authorized representative of the
Company. However, as described in Section 5 below, Executive
may be entitled to certain severance payments and benefits in
connection with certain terminations of his employment.
4. Termination .
Executive’s employment hereunder shall be terminated, or may
be terminated, as the case may be, under the following
circumstances:
(a) Death .
Executive’s employment hereunder shall automatically
terminate upon his death.
(b) Disability .
Executive’s employment hereunder shall terminate upon
his
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physical or mental disability or
infirmity which would entitle Executive to disability benefits
under the Company’s long-term disability plan applicable to
senior executives.
(c) Cause . The
Company may terminate Executive’s employment hereunder for
Cause. For purposes of this Agreement, “ Cause
” shall mean (i) Executive’s material breach of
any of the terms of this Agreement or any confidentiality,
non-compete or similar agreement with the Company, which breach, if
capable of cure, shall continue after the expiration of a cure
period of 30 days following receipt of written notice from the
Company, (ii) Executive’s commission of a felony or a
crime involving moral turpitude, (iii) Executive’s
commission of an act of fraud, embezzlement or dishonesty involving
or relating to the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates or
which otherwise adversely affects the Company’s business or
reputation, or (iv) Executive’s intentional misconduct
in the performance of his duties or habitual or deliberate neglect
of the performance of his duties, including without limitation, his
failure or refusal to carry out any proper direction by the Board
with respect to the services to be rendered by him or the manner of
rendering such services, which misconduct or neglect, if capable of
cure, shall continue after the expiration of a cure period of 30
days following receipt of written notice from the
Company.
(d) Non-Cause
Termination . Subject to Section 5(c) below, the Company
may terminate Executive’s employment hereunder without
Cause.
(e) Resignation .
Executive may resign his position and terminate his employment with
the Company at any time with or without Good Reason by delivery of
a written notice of resignation to the Company (the “
Notice of Resignation ”). In the event of a
resignation without Good Reason, the Notice of Resignation shall
set forth the date such resignation shall become effective, which
date shall, in any event, be at least thirty (30) days and no
more than such number of days as the Company may determine
following the date the Notice of Resignation is delivered to the
Company. For purposes of this Agreement, “ Good
Reason ” means the occurrence of any of the following
without the prior consent of the Executive:
(i) a reduction by the
Company of Executive’s then current annual base salary or
target annual bonus;
(ii) a material adverse
change by the Company in Executive’s title, position,
authority, duties or responsibilities;
(iii) prior to an
Acquisition, the Company requiring Executive to report to any
person other than the Board;
(iv) a change by the Company
in Executive’s principal place of employment to a location
more than 30 miles from the Company’s offices in Pasadena,
California; or
(v) a material breach by the
Company or any successor of any provision of this Agreement, other
than a breach of Section 1(b) above.
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provided, however, that a change
in Executive’s title, position, authority, duties,
responsibilities or reporting relationship which results solely by
virtue of the Company ceasing to be a publicly-held corporation or
by virtue of the Company becoming a subsidiary of another entity,
shall not, in and of itself, constitute Good Reason for purposes of
this Agreement (provided that, in the event that the Company ceases
to be publicly-held but is not acquired, Executive remains in
charge of the Company, or, in the event of an acquisition,
Executive remains directly in charge of the portion of the combined
company consisting of the Company’s business).
Notwithstanding the foregoing,
Executive’s resignation shall only constitute a resignation
for Good Reason hereunder if (x) Executive provides the
Company with a Notice of Resignation setting forth the specific
facts or circumstances constituting Good Reason within thirty
(30) days after the initial existence of such facts or
circumstances (or, if later, such time as Executive first knows or
reasonably should have known of such facts or circumstances),
(y) the Company has failed to cure such facts or circumstances
within thirty (30) days after receipt of such notice, and
(z) the date of Executive’s termination of employment
occurs no later than ninety (90) days after the initial
occurrence of the event constituting Good Reason (or, if later,
such time as Executive first knows or reasonably should have known
of such occurrence).
5. Obligations upon
Termination .
(a) Executive’s
Termination Obligations .
(i) Executive hereby
acknowledges and agrees that all Personal Property and equipment
furnished to, or prepared by, Executive in the course of, or
incident to, his employment, belongs to the Company and shall be
promptly returned to the Company upon termination of his
employment. For purposes of this Agreement, “ Personal
Property ” includes, without limitation, all books,
manuals, records, reports, notes, contracts, lists, blueprints, and
other documents, or materials, or copies thereof (including
computer files), and all other proprietary information relating to
the business of the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates.
Following termination, Executive shall not retain any written or
other tangible material containing any proprietary information of
the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates.
(ii) Upon termination of the
Employment Period for any reason, Executive shall be deemed to have
resigned from all offices and directorships, if any, then held with
the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate, and, at the
Company’s request, Executive shall execute such documents as
are necessary or desirable to effectuate such
resignations.
(iii) The representations and
warranties contained herein and Executive’s obligations under
Subsection 5(a)(i), and Section 7 shall survive the
termination of Executive’s employment and the termination of
this Agreement.
(b) Payments of Accrued
Obligations Upon Termination of Employment . In the event of
Executive’s termination of employment with the Company for
any reason, the
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Company shall pay Executive or
Executive’s estate or legal representative (as applicable)
(i) all unpaid salary and unpaid vacation accrued by Executive
through the date of termination, (ii) any accrued, unpaid
bonuses for any fiscal year of the Company ended prior to the date
of termination, and (iii) any unreimbursed business expenses
incurred by Executive, in accordance with Company policy for senior
executives, prior the date of termination (the “
Accrued Obligations ”).
(c) Severance upon
Termination Without Cause or for Good Reason . In the event
that Executive incurs a “separation from service” from
the Company (within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of
the Code and Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h)) (a
“ Separation from Service ”) by reason of
a termination of Executive’s employment by the Company
without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason, and Executive
executes a general release of claims (the “
Release ”) substantially in the form attached
hereto as Exhibit A within twenty-one (21) days after
the date of such termination (the “ Termination
Date ”) and does not revoke such Release, then, in
addition to the Accrued Obligations, the Company shall:
(x) pay Executive a lump-sum
cash amount (the “ Severance Payment ”)
equal to the sum of (A) Executive’s annual base salary
as in effect on the Termination Date, plus
(B) Executive’s then-current target annual bonus. The
Company shall pay the Severance Payment to Executive within
forty-five (45) days after Executive’s Separation from
Service; and
(y) at the Company’s
expense, provide continued group healthcare coverage for Executive
and his eligible dependents until the earlier of twelve
(12) months following the Termination Date or such time as
Executive and his eligible dependents are covered under another
employer’s group health plan without exclusion for any
pre-existing medical condition (other than any pre-existing
condition that limited Executive’s or his eligible
dependents’ eligibility under the Company’s group
health plan immediately prior to Executive’s termination) ,
provided that Executive properly elects continuation healthcare
coverage under Section 4980B of the Code and the regulations
thereunder; following such continuation period, any further
continuation of such coverage under applicable law shall be at
Executive’s sole expense.
(d) Six-Month Delay .
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, no
compensation or benefits, including without limitation any
severance payments or benefits payable under this Section 5,
shall be paid to Executive prior to the earlier of (i) the
expiration of the six (6)-month period following his Separation
from Service or (ii) the date of Executive’s death, to
the extent that paying such amounts at the time or times indicated
in this Agreement would result in a prohibited distribution under
Section 409A(a)(2)(b)(i) of the Code. If the payment of any
such amounts is delayed as a result of the previous sentence, then
on the first day following the end of such six-month period, the
Company shall pay Executive a lump-sum amount equal to the
cumulative amount that would have otherwise been payable to
Executive during such six-month period.
(e) Incentive Awards .
In the event of a termination of Executive’s
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employment for any reason or in the
event of an Acquisition or other corporate transaction involving
the Company, any stock options, restricted stock and other
equity-based incentive awards held by Executive shall be governed
by and subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable award
agreements evidencing such awards and any governing incentive award
plans or programs (together, the “ Incentive Award
Documents ”), including, without limitation, any
terms relating to accelerated vesting or changes in the vesting
conditions of such awards.
(f) No Other Payments
. Except as expressly provided in Sections 5(b) and (c) above
or in applicable Incentive Award Documents, upon Executive’s
termination of employment with the Company, Executive shall have no
rights to any payments or benefits in connection with
Executive’s employment with the Company or the termination
thereof, other than those expressly required under applicable law (
e.g. , COBRA). In the event of a termination of
Executive’s employment with the Company, Executive’s
sole and exclusive remedy shall be to receive the payments and
benefits described in this Section 5 and applicable Incentive
Award Documents.
6. Attorneys Fees .
The Company shall promptly pay or reimburse Executive for attorneys
fees actually incurred by Executive in connection with the
negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. The Company shall pay
or reimburse such attorneys fees only to the extent that such fees
are incurred by Executive on or prior to the Effective Date. The
attorneys fees paid to or for the benefit of the Executive for any
taxable year of the Executive shall not affect the attorneys fees
paid to or for the benefit of the Executive for any other taxable
year of the Executive. The Executive’s right to payment or
reimbursement of attorneys fees shall not be subject to liquidation
or exchange for any other benefit.
7. Executive Covenants
.
(a) Confidentiality .
As a condition of Executive’s employment with the Company,
Executive agrees that during the term of such employment and any
time thereafter, except as is required in connection with
Executive’s services rendered for the Company, Executive will
not directly or indirectly disclose or appropriate to his own use,
or the use of any third party, any trade secret or confidential or
proprietary information concerning the Company or its subsidiaries
or affiliates or their businesses, whether or not developed by
Executive, including, without limitation, information with respect
to the Company’s operations, processes, products, inventions,
business practices, finances, principals, vendors, suppliers,
customers, potential customers, marketing methods, costs, prices,
contractual relationships, regulatory status, business plans,
designs, marketing or other business strategies, compensation paid
to employees or other terms of employment, or deliver to any
person, firm, corporation or other entity any document, record,
notebook, computer program or similar repository of or containing
any such confidential or proprietary information or trade secrets.
The Company and the Executive stipulate and agree that as between
them the foregoing matters are important, material and confidential
proprietary information and trade secrets and affect the successful
conduct of the businesses of the Company (and any successor or
assignee of the Company).
(b) Covenant Not to
Solicit Employees . Executive agrees that during his
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employment with the Company and for a
period of one year thereafter, he will not, directly or indirectly,
solicit, induce or encourage any employee of the Company or its
subsidiaries or affiliates to terminate such employee’s
relationship therewith.
(c) Covenant Not to
Solicit Customers . Executive agrees that during his employment
with the Company and thereafter, he will not use any trade
secret of the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates to solicit,
induce, or encourage any customer, client, vendor, or other party
doing business with the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates
to terminate its relationship therewith or transfer its business
from the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates.
(d) Injunctive Relief and
Enforcement . Executive hereby acknowledges that irreparable
injury will result to the Company in the event of a breach by
Executive of his obligations under Section 5(a)(i) or this
Section 7, that monetary damages for such breach would not be
readily calculable, and that the Company would not have an adequate
remedy at law therefor. Executive further acknowledges, consents
and agrees that in the event of breach or threatened breach by
Executive of the terms of such Sections, the Company shall be
entitled to damages for any such breach and/or to specific
performance or other injunctive relief to restrain any further
violation or threatened violation of such Sections and to exercise
such remedies cumulatively or in conjunction with all other rights
and remedies provided by law. In addition, in the event that the
agreements set forth in such Sections shall be determined by any
court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable by reason of
extending for too great a period of time or over too great a
geographical area or by reason of being too extensive in any other
respect, each such agreement shall be reformed and interpreted to
extend over the maximum period of time for which it may be
enforceable and to the maximum extent in all other respects as to
which it may be enforceable, and enforced as so interpreted, all as
determined by such court in such action.
8. Withholding . All
amounts payable under this Agreement shall be subject to reduction
to reflect such federal, state, local or foreign taxes as shall be
required to be withheld pursuant to any applicable law or
regulation.
9. Code
Section 409A . Certain payments and benefits under this
Agreement may constitute “nonqualified deferred
compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the
Code (“ Section 409A ”), the payment of
which is intended to comply with Section 409A. To the extent
applicable, this Agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with
Section 409A. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement
to the contrary, if at any time Executive and the Company mutually
determine that any payments or benefits payable hereunder may be
subject to Section 409A, the parties shall work together to
adopt such amendments to this Agreement or take any other actions
(including amendments or actions with retroactive effect) that the
parties determine are necessary or appropriate to (i) exempt
such payments and benefits from Section 409A and/or preserve
the intended tax treatment of such payments or benefits, or
(ii) comply with the requirements of
Section 409A.
10. Severability . The
invalidity or unenforceability of any provision or provisions of
this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of
any other provision of this
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Agreement, which shall remain in full
force and effect.
11. Assignment . This
Agreement may not be assigned by Executive, but may be assigned by
the Company to any subsidiary or affiliate thereof or to successor
to its business or assets, and will inure to the benefit and be
binding upon any such entities.
12. Counterparts .
This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of
which shall be deemed to be an original but all of which together
will constitute one and the same instrument.
13. Choice of Law
. This Agreement (including any claim or controversy arising
out of or relating to this Agreement) shall be construed,
interpreted and the rights of the parties determined in accordance
with the laws of the State of California (without regard to
conflict of law principles that would result in the application of
any law other than the law of the State of California).
14. Entire Agreement .
As of the Effective Date, this Agreement, together with any
Incentive Award Documents, constitutes the final, complete and
exclusive agreement between the parties with respect to the subject
matter hereof and replaces and supersedes any and all other
agreements, termsheets, understandings, offers or promises, whether
oral or written, made to Executive by the Company or any
representative thereof. This Agreement may not be modified unless
in writing and signed by both Executive and a duly authorized
representative of the Company.
15. Executive’s
Acknowledgment . Executive acknowledges (a) that he has
consulted with or has had the opportunity to consult with
independent counsel of his own choice concerning this Agreement and
has been advised to do so by the Company, and (b) that he has
read and understands the Agreement, is fully aware of its legal
effect, and has entered into it freely based on his own
judgment.
[ Signature page
follows ]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the
parties have executed this Agreement as of the date and year first
above written.
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| GUIDANCE SOFTWARE, INC. |
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| By: |
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/s/ Dale Fuller
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| Name: |
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Dale
Fuller |
| Title: |
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Director |
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| EXECUTIVE |
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/s/ Victor
Limongelli
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| Victor Limongelli |
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EXHIBIT
A
GENERAL
RELEASE
For a valuable consideration,
the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the
undersigned does hereby release and forever discharge the “
Releasees ” hereunder, consisting of Guidance
Software, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “
Company ”
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