Exhibit 10.74
ARTHROCARE
CORPORATION
EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT
This Employment Agreement (the “
Agreement ”) is effective as of March 30, 2009 (the
“ Effective Date ”), by and between David
Fitzgerald (“ Executive ”) and ArthroCare
Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company
”). Certain capitalized terms used in the
Agreement are defined in Section 7 below.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company believes
that it is in the best interests of the Company and its
stockholders to provide Executive with an incentive to continue his
employment with the Company and to motivate Executive to maximize
the value of the Company in the event of a Change of Control for
the benefit of its stockholders; and
WHEREAS, the Company and Executive wish to set forth the
terms and conditions related to Executive’s employment in
this Agreement.
AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and
agreements contained herein, the parties hereby agree as
follows:
1. Term of
Agreement . The Agreement shall commence on the
Effective Date and shall expire on February 18, 2010 (such period,
including any extensions pursuant to this Section 1, the “
Term ”). This Agreement shall be
automatically renewable for one-year periods after the expiration
of the initial period, unless otherwise terminated pursuant to
Section 5. This Agreement may be terminated by either
party, with or without cause, at the end of the then-current Term
with six months’ advance written notice to the other
party.
(a) Position
. Executive shall be employed as Acting President
and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. In such
capacity he shall have overall responsibility for the management of
the Company and report to and be subject to the direction and
control of the Company’s Board of Directors. So
long as Executive remains the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the
Company, and subject to the fiduciary duties of the Board of
Directors as directors of the Company, Executive will be nominated
to, and if elected by the stockholders of the Company, be a member
of, the Company’s Board of Directors.
(b) Obligations to the
Company . During his employment with the
Company, Executive agrees to the best of his ability and experience
that he will loyally and conscientiously perform all of the duties
and obligations required of and from Executive pursuant to the
express and implicit terms hereof, and to the reasonable
satisfaction of the Company. During Executive’s
employment with the Company, Executive further agrees that he will
devote all of his business time and attention to the business of
the Company, Executive will not render commercial or professional
services of any nature to any person or organization, whether or
not for compensation, without the prior written consent of the
Company’s Board of Directors, and Executive will not directly
or indirectly engage or participate in any business that is
competitive in any manner with the business of the Company;
provided, however, that Executive will be allowed to continue to
serve as a member of the board of directors (or board of advisors)
of the companies listed on Exhibit A attached
hereto. Nothing in this Agreement will prevent Executive
from accepting speaking or presentation engagements in exchange for
honoraria or from serving on boards of charitable organizations, or
from owning no more than 1% of the outstanding equity securities of
a corporation whose stock is listed on a national stock
exchange. Executive will comply with and be bound by the
Company’s operating policies, procedures and practices from
time to time in effect during Executive’s employment with the
Company.
3. At-Will
Employment . The Company and Executive
acknowledge that Executive’s employment is and shall continue
to be at-will, as defined under applicable law, and that
Executive’s employment with the Company may be terminated by
either party at any time for any or no reason. If
Executive’s employment terminates for any reason, Executive
shall not be entitled to any payments, benefits, damages, award or
compensation other than as provided in this
Agreement. The rights and duties created by this Section
3 may not be modified in any way except by a written agreement
executed by the Board of Directors of the Company and
Executive.
4. Compensation
. For the duties and services to be performed by
Executive hereunder, the Company shall pay Executive, and Executive
agrees to accept, the Base Salary, Equity Awards, Annual Bonus and
other benefits described below in this Section 4. Upon
the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company
for any reason, Executive will receive payment(s) for all accrued
but unpaid Base Salary (and any portion of the Annual Bonus that
has been awarded by the Board of Directors or compensation
committee thereof or earned pursuant to the terms of the applicable
bonus plan or program with respect to the applicable year and was
unpaid on the termination date, except in the event of a
Termination for Cause), and all accrued but unused vacation as of
the date of Executive’s termination, and Executive’s
benefits will be continued under the Company’s then existing
benefit plans and policies in accordance with such plans and
policies in effect on the date of termination and in accordance
with applicable law.
(a) Salary
. Executive shall receive an annual salary of $480,000
(the “ Base Salary
”). Executive’s Base Salary will be payable
biweekly pursuant to the Company’s normal payroll practices,
and shall be retroactive to February 18, 2009. The Base
Salary shall be reviewed annually by the Company’s Board of
Directors or its Compensation Committee, and adjusted as necessary
following such review, and any increase will be effective as of the
date determined appropriate by the Board of Directors or its
Compensation Committee and will thereafter be deemed a part of Base
Salary for purposes of Sections 6(a) and 6(b) of this
Agreement.
(b) Annual Bonus
. In addition to the Base Salary, for each fiscal year
ending during the Term, Executive shall have the opportunity to
earn an annual performance bonus (the “ Annual Bonus
”) that will include cash (in an amount up to 75% of
Executive’s Base Salary) and Equity Awards (having, with
respect to stock options and stock appreciation rights, a
Black-Scholes value and, with respect to restricted stock and
restricted stock units, underlying shares with a fair market value
on the date of grant of up to 25% of Executive’s Base
Salary). The exact amount and composition of the Annual
Bonus will be determined by the Board of Directors in consultation
with Executive, based upon mutually agreed performance objectives,
both personal and corporate.
(c) Equity Awards and
Acceleration of Vesting Upon Change of Control
. Subject to the discretion of the Company’s Board
of Directors (or its Compensation Committee), Executive shall be
eligible to receive additional Equity Awards, from time to time in
the future, on such terms and subject to such conditions as the
Board of Directors (or its Compensation Committee) shall determine
as of the date of any such grant. To the extent
permitted by Section 422(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
as amended (the “ Code ”), any stock options
shall be incentive stock options. Upon a Change of
Control (as defined in Section 7 below), the vesting and
exercisability of all of Executive’s outstanding Equity
Awards shall be automatically accelerated and any transfer or
forfeiture restrictions on such Equity Awards automatically lapse
as to 100% of the shares subject thereto. The foregoing
provision is hereby deemed to be a part of each Equity Award and to
supersede any contrary provision in any agreement relating
thereto.
(d) Additional
Benefits . Executive shall be eligible to
participate in the Company’s employee benefit plans of
general application, including without limitation, those plans
covering medical, disability, and life insurance in accordance with
the rules established for individual participation in any such plan
and under applicable law. Executive shall be eligible
for vacation and sick leave in accordance with the policies in
effect during the Term of this Agreement, and will receive such
other benefits as the Company generally provides to its other
employees of comparable position and experience. In
addition, the Company shall (i) provide Executive with an annual
physical examination, at the Company’s expense, with
Executive’s agreement that the doctor performing such
examination shall provide a copy of the examination report to the
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, and (ii)
reimburse Executive for attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred
by Executive in connection with the negotiation and execution of
this Agreement, up to a maximum of $5,000.
(e) Reimbursement of
Expenses . Executive shall be authorized to
incur reasonable expenses on behalf and for the benefit of the
Company, and shall be reimbursed by the Company for such expenses,
provided that such expenses are substantiated in accordance with
Company policies.
5. Termination of
Agreement . This Agreement may be terminated
during its Term upon the occurrence of any of the following
events:
(i) The Company’s
termination of Executive for Cause (as defined in Section 7 below)
(“ Termination for Cause ”);
(ii) The Company’s
termination of Executive without Cause (as defined in Section 7
below), which determination may be made by the Company at any time
at the Company’s sole discretion, for any or no reason
(“ Termination Without Cause ”);
(iii) The effective date of a
written notice sent to the Company from Executive stating that
Executive is electing to terminate his employment with the Company
(“ Voluntary Termination ”); or
(iv) Executive’s death or
Disability (as defined in Section 7 below).
6. Severance Benefits
. Executive shall be entitled to receive severance
benefits upon termination of employment only as set forth in this
Section 6:
(a) Termination Following a
Change of Control .
(i) Involuntary
Termination . If Executive’s employment
with the Company is terminated at any time within 24 months after a
Change of Control as a result of an Involuntary Termination, then,
subject to Executive executing and not revoking a general mutual
release of claims in a form acceptable to the Company (which
Executive must execute and deliver to the Company within fifty (50)
days following the date of termination and shall not have been
revoked by Executive within any period permitted under applicable
law), Executive shall be entitled to receive the following
severance and other benefits, provided that such termination of
employment with the Company constitutes a Separation from
Service:
(A) Severance Pay
. During the Continuation Period, the Company shall pay
Executive as severance an amount equal to the sum of (i)
Executive’s Base Salary (on a monthly basis) multiplied by
the length of the Continuation Period, plus (ii) an amount equal to
the cash portion of Executive’s target Annual Bonus for the
fiscal year in which the termination occurs (with it deemed that
all performance goals have been met at 100% of budget or plan)
multiplied by (x) the number of months in the Continuation Period
divided by (y) 12. Such severance payments will be made
periodically in the same amounts and at the same intervals as the
payments of Base Salary were made immediately prior to termination
of employment; provided, however, that any such payments that would
otherwise have been made before the first normal payroll payment
date falling on or after the First Payment Date shall be made on
the First Payment Date. In addition, during the
Continuation Period, the Company shall continue to make available
to Executive and Executive’s spouse and dependents any group
health plans, life insurance plans and other benefit plans and
programs of the Company which were available to such individuals on
the date of such termination of employment (the “ Benefit
Programs ”), to the extent permitted by law and subject
to the terms and conditions of the relevant plan or
program. For purposes of this Section 6(a)(i)(A),
Benefit Programs will not include future participation in any
discretionary bonus or equity incentive pool, other than amounts as
contemplated in this subsection A.
(B) Medical Benefits
. During the Continuation Period, the Company shall pay
Executive an amount equal to $1,500 per month, which shall be
intended to reimburse Executive’s premium payments, if any,
for group health coverage elected by Executive pursuant to the
Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended
(“ COBRA ”).
(ii) Voluntary Termination;
Termination For Cause . If Executive’s
employment with the Company is terminated at any time within 24
months after a Change of Control as a result of a Voluntary
Termination or a Termination for Cause, then Executive shall not be
entitled to receive payment of any severance
benefits. Executive will receive payment(s) for all
accrued but unpaid Base Salary (and any portion of the Annual Bonus
that has been awarded by the Board of Directors or compensation
committee thereof or earned pursuant to the terms of the applicable
bonus plan or program with respect to the applicable year and was
unpaid on the termination date, except in the event of a
Termination for Cause), and all accrued but unused vacation as of
the date of Executive’s termination of employment, and
Executive’s benefits will be continued under the
Company’s then existing benefit plans and policies in
accordance with such plans and policies in effect on the date of
termination and in accordance with applicable law.
(b) Termination Apart from a
Change of Control .
(i) Involuntary
Termination . If Executive’s employment
with the Company terminates as a result of an Involuntary
Termination at any time prior to the occurrence of a Change of
Control or after the 24-month period following the effective date
of a Change of Control, then, subject to Executive executing and
not revoking a general release of claims against the Company in a
form acceptable to the Company (which Executive must execute and
deliver to the Company within fifty (50) days following the date of
termination and shall not have been revoked by Executive within any
period permitted under applicable law), Executive will be entitled
to receive the following severance and other benefits, provided
that such termination of employment with the Company constitutes a
Separation from Service:
(A) Severance Pay
. The Company shall pay to Executive in one lump-sum
payment on the First Payment Date, an amount equal to (i)
Executive’s Base Salary (on a monthly basis) multiplied by
the length of the Continuation Period, plus (ii) an amount equal to
the cash portion of Executive’s target Annual Bonus for the
fiscal year in which the termination occurs (with it deemed that
all performance goals have been met at 100% of budget or plan)
multiplied by (x) the number of months in the Continuation Period
divided by (y) 12. In addition, during the Continuation
Period, the Company shall continue to make available to Executive
and Executive’s spouse and dependents the Benefit Programs,
to the extent permitted by law and subject to the terms and
conditions of the relevant plan or program. For purposes
of this Section 6(b)(i)(A), Benefit Programs will not include
future participation in any discretionary bonus or equity incentive
pool, other than continuation of amounts as contemplated in this
subsection A.
(B) Medical Benefits
. During the Continuation Period, the Company shall pay
Executive an amount equal to $1,500 per month, which shall be
intended to reimburse Executive’s premium payments