AGREEMENT dated as
of June 1, 2008 between 4Kids Ad Sales, Inc. with offices at 1414
Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10019 ("Employer"), and
Daniel Barnathan, 15 West 72 nd Street, Apt. 19A, New
York, New York 10023 ("Employee").
WHEREAS, Employer
desires to retain the services of Employee and Employee desires to
be employed by Employer upon the terms and conditions hereinafter
set forth;
NOW, THEREFORE, in
consideration of the covenants herein contained, the parties hereto
agree as follows:
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1.
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Employment and
Duties .
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(a) Employer
hereby employs Employee and Employee hereby agrees to serve as
President of Employer. Employee agrees to perform such services for
Employer and affiliates consistent with Employee's position as
shall, from time to time, be assigned to Employee by the Chief
Executive Officer, (“CEO”), Chief Operating Officer
(“COO”) and/or Board of Directors of Employer’s
parent company, 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (“4Kids”).
Employee shall also perform such services customary to such office
as are necessary for the operations of Employer. Employee shall use
Employee's best efforts to promote the interests of Employer and
shall devote Employee's full business time, energy and skill
exclusively to the business and affairs of Employer during the Term
set forth below in Paragraph 2.
(b) Employee’s
principal duties shall be to (i) sell advertising time on the Fox
Saturday Morning 8 a.m.-12 p.m. block (“4Kids TV
Block”) licensed by Employer from Fox Broadcasting
Corporation (“Fox”) during the 2007 -- 2008 Broadcast
Season and the 2008 -- 2009 Broadcast Season, (ii) sell advertising
time on The CW Network Saturday Morning 7 a.m.-12 p.m. block
(“ CW 4Kids TV Block”) licensed by Employer from The CW
Network beginning with the 2008 -- 2009 Broadcast Season, (iii)
sell advertising space on the websites owned, managed or controlled
by 4Kids, including without limitation, 4Kids TV and YUGIOH.com,
and on dvds distributed through 4Kids Entertainment Home Video,
Inc. (iv) manage the advertising sales department, including,
without limitation, any Vice Presidents of Sales, Inventory
Managers, Directors of Research, Commercial Schedulers and Sales
Administrators,
(v) work with the promotions
department of Employer in connection with promotions for potential
advertisers on and sponsors of the 4Kids TV Block and the CW 4Kids
TV Block, and (v) assist, to the extent required by the CEO and COO
of Employer, in the management of the business operations of
Employer related to the 4Kids TV Block and the CW 4Kids TV
Block.
2.
Term of Employment . (a)The term of Employee's employment
hereunder ("Term") shall commence on June 1, 2008 and shall
conclude on August 31, 2012 unless earlier terminated as provided
in Paragraph 8 of this Agreement.
(b) Employer
shall have the option of extending the Term for one (1) year
concluding on August 31, 2013, which option may be exercised by
Employer delivering a written notice of exercise to Employee by no
later than June 30, 2013.
(a)
Salary . (i) As compensation for Employee's services during
the Term, Employer shall pay Employee a salary at the rate of Four
Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($450,000) per year. The CEO and the
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors
(“Compensation Committee”) of 4Kids shall have the
right, but not the obligation, from time to time, to provide
Employee with salary increases, in the sole and absolute discretion
of the CEO and the Compensation Committee of 4Kids.
(ii) In the event
that Employee’s annual salary has not been increased by the
CEO and the Compensation Committee to $500,000 or more by January
1, 2010, then notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary,
Employer shall pay Employee a salary at the rate of Five Hundred
Thousand Dollars ($500,000) per year beginning with calendar year
2010.
(iii) In the event
that Employee’s annual salary has not been increased by the
CEO and the Compensation Committee to Five Hundred Fifty Thousand
Dollars ($550,000) or more by January 1, 2012, then notwithstanding
anything herein to the contrary, Employer shall pay Employee a
salary at the rate of Five Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars
($550,000) per year beginning with calendar year 2012.
(b) Commencing
with Employer’s 2008 fiscal year, in addition to the Salary
specified in Paragraph 3 (a), Employee shall be eligible to receive
an annual cash bonus (the “Bonus”) for each full fiscal
year or portion of a fiscal year during the Term based upon such
quantitative and qualitative criteria as shall be established by
the Compensation Committee in its sole discretion.
(c)
Withholding . All payments of compensation shall be made in
appropriate installments to conform with the regular payroll dates
for salaried personnel of Employer. Employer shall be entitled to
deduct from each salary payment, all
deductions as may be required
by law, including, without limitation, deductions for federal,
state and local income taxes and FICA.
(d)
Fringe Benefits . During the Term, Employee shall be
entitled to participate in all insurance, and other benefits
(collectively "Fringe Benefits") as are now, or hereafter may be,
established by Employer for the benefit of all employees of
Employer (exclusive of severance and life insurance), subject,
however, to the provisions of the various benefit plans and
programs in effect from time to time.
(e)
Vacation . Employee shall be entitled to accrued vacation at
the rate of three (3) weeks per calendar year during the Term,
which vacation shall only be taken at such times that will not
materially interfere with the performance of Employee's duties and
responsibilities hereunder. Any vacation days not used by Employee
may not be accrued for future years. All vacation days must be
utilized in accordance with the policy of Employer.
(f)
Expenses . Employer shall reimburse Employee in conformity
with the expense reimbursement practices of Employer for the
reasonable, ordinary and necessary business expenses incurred by
Employee in the performance of Employee's duties hereunder.
Employee shall submit all receipts, invoices and other such
documents evidencing such expenses as may be required by the policy
of Employer.
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(g)
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Incentive
Compensation . Employee shall be eligible
to participate
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in such Long Term Incentive
Plans as may be approved by the Board of Directors of 4Kids and
approved by a majority of the shareholders of 4Kids. The CEO and
the Compensation Committee shall have the right to decide on the
amount of stock options, restricted stock and/or stock appreciation
rights, if any, to be awarded to Employee.
During the Term,
Employee shall be required to perform Employee's
duties at the principal
office of Employer in the New York City metropolitan area. Employee
shall undertake all reasonable travel required by Employer in
connection with the performance of Employee's duties
hereunder.
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5.
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Non-Competition and
Protection of Confidential Information .
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(a) Employee
agrees that Employee's services hereunder are of a special, unique,
extraordinary and intellectual character and his position with
Employer places him in a position of confidence and trust with the
clients (“s defined below) and employees of Employer.
Employee acknowledges that inasmuch as the business of Employer is
carried on in several states of the United States and that it is
the intention of Employer to continue to expand the geographic area
in which Employer engages in its business and marketing efforts and
accordingly, it is reasonable that the restrictive covenants set
forth below are not limited by specific geographic area but by the
location
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of Employer's clients and
potential clients. Employee further acknowledges that the rendering
of services to the clients of Employer necessarily requires the
disclosure of confidential information and trade secrets of
Employer (such as, without limitation, marketing and licensing
plans and strategies for the 4Kids TV Block, the CW 4Kids TV Block
and for specific properties owned or represented by Employer and
marketing budgets of clients and Employer). Employee and Employer
agree that in the course of employment hereunder, Employee has and
will continue to develop a personal acquaintanceship and
relationship with Employer's clients, and knowledge of those
clients' affairs and requirements. Employee acknowledges that
Employer's relationships with its established clientele may
therefore be placed in Employee's hands in confidence and trust.
Employee consequently agrees that it is reasonable and necessary
for the protection of the goodwill and business of Employer that
Employee make the covenants contained herein.
Accordingly,
Employee agrees that while he is in Employer's employ and for a
period of one (1) year thereafter, Employee shall not directly or
indirectly:
(i) attempt in any
manner to solicit from any client (except on behalf of Employer)
business of the type solicited by Employer from client (e.g., the
sale of advertising time) or performed by Employer for client,
or
(ii) attempt in
any manner to persuade any client of Employer to cease to do
business or to reduce the amount of business which any such client
has customarily done or contemplates doing with Employer;
or
(iii) employ or
attempt to employ or assist anyone else to employ any person who is
then or at any time during the preceding year was in Employer's
employ.
(iv) render any
services of the type rendered by Employer to its clients to or for
any client of Employer unless such services are rendered as an
employee or consultant of Employer.
Notwithstanding
anything herein to the contrary, the term "Employer," as used in
this Paragraph 5, shall mean Employer and its affiliates,
including, without limitation, 4Kids. The term "client" shall mean
any person (whether individual or busi