Exhibit 10.9
EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT
(Joseph Camaratta)
This Employment Agreement dated as
of January 5, 2009 (this “ Agreement ”) is
made by and between Power Medical Interventions, Inc., a
Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), and
Joseph Camaratta (“ Executive ”).
BACKGROUND
The Company desires to employ
Executive, and employee desires to be employed by the Company in
accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this
Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of
the premises, the respective covenants and commitments of the
parties hereto set forth in this Agreement and for other good and
valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are
hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as
follows:
1.
Employment . The Company offers and Executive accepts
employment and agrees to perform services for the Company, for the
period and upon the other terms and subject to the conditions set
forth in this Agreement.
2.
Employment Term . Executive’s employment
pursuant to this Agreement shall be from January 5, 2009 (the
“ Effective Date ”), through December 31,
2011, unless earlier terminated pursuant to the provisions of
Section 9 below. If Executive’s employment
continues beyond December 31, 2011, such employment shall be
at will, unless and to the extent this Agreement is extended or
renewed by a written agreement between the parties.
3.
Title and Duties; Representations and Warranties
.
3.1.
Service With Company . Company hereby employs
Executive to perform those executive duties and services as the
Company shall from time to time set forth, and Executive accepts
employment with the Company, upon the terms and conditions
hereinafter set forth. Executive shall serve as the Senior
Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing of the Company and shall
report to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
Executive may also serve as an officer or director of one or more
subsidiaries of the Company; provided , however, that
Executive shall not be entitled to any additional compensation for
serving in such additional capacities.
3.2.
Performance of Duties . Executive agrees to serve the
Company faithfully and to the best of his ability and to devote his
full time, attention and best efforts to the business and affairs
of the Company after the Effective Date and during the term of this
Agreement. Except to the extent the restrictions contained in
Section 5 may apply, nothing in this Agreement shall prohibit
Executive from (i) making and managing passive investments,
and (ii) engaging in religious, academic, charitable or other
community or non-profit activities, in a manner, and to an extent,
that will not interfere with his duties to the Company.
3.3.
Compliance with Company Policies . Executive agrees
that in the rendering of all services to the Company and in all
aspects of employment hereunder, he shall comply in all material
respects with all directives, policies, standards and regulations
from time to time established by the Company, including without
limitation Section 104 of Company’s Employment Policies
and Procedures Manual, to the extent they are not in conflict with
this Agreement.
3.4.
Other Obligations .
(a)
Between Executive and Third Parties . Executive hereby
represents, warrants and agrees: (i) that Executive has the
full right to enter into this Agreement and perform the services
required of him hereunder, without any restriction whatsoever;
(ii) that in the course of performing services hereunder,
Executive will not violate the terms or conditions of any agreement
between him and any third party or infringe or wrongfully
appropriate any patents, copyrights, trade secrets or other
intellectual property rights of any Person anywhere in the world;
(iii) that Executive has not and will not disclose or use
during his employment by the Company any
confidential information that he acquired as a result of any
previous employment or consulting arrangement or under a previous
obligation of confidentiality; and (iv) that Executive has
disclosed to the Company in writing any and all continuing
obligations to previous employers or others that require him not to
disclose any information to the Company.
(b)
Between Company and Third Parties . Executive
acknowledges that the Company from time to time may have agreements
with other Persons, including the government of the United States
or other countries and agencies thereof, which impose obligations
or restrictions on Company regarding inventions made during the
course of work thereunder or regarding the confidential nature of
such work. Executive agrees to be bound by all such
obligations and restrictions and to take all action necessary to
discharge the obligations of the Company thereunder.
3.5.
Location . Executive initially shall be based at the
Company’s principal executive offices in Langhorne,
Pennsylvania and shall maintain a residence within 75 miles of
Langhorne.
4.
Compensation and Benefits .
4.1.
Salary . Company shall pay Executive a base salary
(“ Salary ”), payable in equal installments in
accordance with Company’s standard schedule for salary
payments to its executive employees, at an initial annual rate
equal to $225,000. Executive’s Salary shall be reviewed
annually by the Chief Executive Officer and may be increased at the
beginning of each calendar year.
4.2.
Bonus . Executive will be eligible to participate in
Company’s Incentive Compensation Plan for Senior Managers
(the “ Bonus Plan ”). Any bonus awarded
under the Bonus Plan for a given year (“ Plan Bonus
”) will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Bonus
Plan and based on (i) Company’s performance during such
year measured against one or more Company goals set by the Chief
Executive Officer at the beginning of such year, and
(ii) Executive’s performance during such year measured
against one or more job-specific goals
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determined by the Chief
Executive Officer and Executive at the beginning of such
year. Executive’s Plan Bonus for a given year will be
targeted at 35% of Salary for such year, subject to approval by the
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “
Compensation Committee ”).
4.3.
Stock Options . Subject to approval by the
Compensation Committee, the Company shall grant to Executive a
nonqualified stock option (the “ Option ”) to
purchase 150,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock, $0.001
par value per share (“ Common Stock ”).
The Option shall have an exercise price per share equal to the fair
market value on the date of grant (as determined by the
Compensation Committee after considering advice from an independent
appraisal firm) and shall be substantially in the form of
Exhibit 4.3 . The Option shall vest as to
25% of the shares issuable thereunder on the first anniversary of
the Effective Date, and the remainder shall vest in equal monthly
portions over the following 36 months, for a total four-year
vesting period, all as set forth in greater detail in the
Option. Notwithstanding the vesting schedule set forth above,
upon a Change of Control (as defined below), vesting of the Option
shall accelerate such that if a Change of Control occurs on or
before the first anniversary of the Effective Date, then 50% of the
shares issuable pursuant to the Option shall be immediately vested
and if a Change of Control occurs after the first anniversary of
the Effective Date, then all unvested shares issuable pursuant to
the Option shall immediately become vested.
For purposes of the Option, a
“ Change of Control ” shall mean the sale of all
or substantially all of assets or issued and outstanding capital
stock of the Company in one or more related transactions, or a
merger or consolidation involving the Company in which stockholders
of the Company immediately before such merger or consolidation do
not own immediately after such merger or consolidation capital
stock or other equity interests of the surviving corporation or
entity representing more than fifty percent in voting power of
capital stock or other equity interests of such surviving
corporation or entity outstanding immediately after such merger or
consolidation.
4.4.
Other Benefits . Executive shall have the right to
participate in all benefit plans which may be in effect for the
Company’s executive employees from time to time, including,
without limitation, group health and dental insurance, group life
insurance, disability insurance, and 401(K) plans, in
accordance with the terms and conditions thereof.
4.5.
Expenses . During the term of this Agreement, the
Company shall pay or reimburse Executive for all reasonable and
necessary out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Executive in the
performance of his duties under this Agreement, subject to the
presentment by Executive of appropriate reports and receipts in
accordance with the Company’s normal policies for expense
verification.
4.6.
Vacation . Executive shall be entitled to twenty
vacation days each calendar year. Any vacation taken by
Executive shall be taken at such time as is reasonably convenient
in relationship to the needs of the business of the Company.
Vacation time shall not accrue beyond the year in question;
provided , however, that any vacation time not taken during
any year due to constraints imposed by the Company’s business
requirements shall accrue beyond the year in question.
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5.
Restrictive Covenants .
5.1.
Certain Definitions . The following terms shall have
the following meanings:
“ Competitive Activity
” means the development, manufacture, distribution, sale or
marketing of products or services which compete with the
Company’s products or services, including without limitation
computer-mediated wound closure devices, imaging devices and
vascular devices, whether as a proprietor, partner, shareholder,
owner, employer, employee, independent contractor, venturer or
otherwise.
“ Competitor ”
means (i) Ethicon Endo-Surgery (currently a unit of
Johnson & Johnson), (ii) United Stated Surgical
Corporation (currently a unit of Tyco International’s Tyco
Healthcare division, which is soon to be spun out as an independent
company), (iii) any other Person (other than Company) that
engages in any Competitive Activity during the Restriction Period,
and (iv) any affiliate or successor of any of the foregoing
entities.
“ Confidential
Information ” means all confidential, secret or
proprietary information of or relating to the Company, its business
or practice, which is not generally known or available to the
public (whether or not in written or tangible form) including,
without limitation, designs, technology, customer lists, supplier
lists, processes, know-how, trade secrets, pricing policies and
other confidential business information.
“ Confidential
Materials ” means any and all documents, records,
reports, lists, notes, plans, materials, programs, software, disks,
diskettes, recordings, manuals, correspondence, memoranda, magnetic
media or any other tangible media (including, without limitation,
copies or reproductions of any of the foregoing) in which any
Confidential Information may be contained.
“ Customers ”
means any and all past, present and future customers of the
Company.
“ Company ” means
the Company and its subsidiaries, whether now or in the
future.
“ Non-Competition
Period ” means the period of time, commencing on the date
hereof and expiring 12 months after the termination of
Executive’s employment with the Company pursuant to, this
Agreement, voluntarily or involuntarily, for any reason whatsoever,
subject to extension pursuant to Section 5.6 below.
“ Person ” means
an individual, proprietorship, partnership, joint venture,
corporation, limited liability company, association, trust, estate,
unincorporated organization, a government or any branch,
subdivision, department or agency thereof, or any
entity.
“ Personnel ”
means any and all employees, contractors, agents, vendors,
consultants or other Persons rendering services or providing goods
to the Company for compensation in any form, whether employed by or
independent of the Company.
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“ Restricted Area
” means world-wide.
“ Restriction Period
” means the period of time, commencing on the date hereof and
expiring 12 months after the termination of Executive’s
employment with the Company pursuant to, this Agreement,
voluntarily or involuntarily, for any reason whatsoever, subject to
extension pursuant to Section 5.4 below.
5.2.
Confidentiality .
(a)
Confidential Information . Subject to
Section 5.2(c):
(i)
Duty to Maintain Confidentiality . Executive shall
maintain in strict confidence and duly safeguard to the best of his
ability any and all Confidential Information.
(ii)
Covenant Not to Disclose, Use or Exploit . Executive
shall not, directly or indirectly, disclose, divulge or otherwise
communicate to anyone or use or otherwise exploit for the benefit
of anyone, other than the Company, any Confidential
Information.
(iii)
Confidential Materials . All Confidential Information
and Confidential Materials are and shall remain the exclusive
property of the Company and no such materials or information may be
copied or otherwise reproduced, removed from the premises of the
Company or entrusted to any Person (other than Company itself or
authorized Personnel) without prior written permission from the
Company.
(b)
Survival of Covenants . Notwithstanding anything
herein to the contrary, the covenants set forth in this
Section 5.2 shall survive the termination of this Agreement
and any other agreement among the parties hereto (regardless of the
reason for such termination), unless terminated by a written
instrument that expressly terminates by specific reference the
covenants set forth in this Section 5.2.
(c)
Permitted Activities . If Executive receives a request
or demand for Confidential Information (whether pursuant to a
discovery request, subpoena or otherwise), Executive shall
immediately give the Company written notice thereof and shall at
the Company’s expense (provided the Company approves any and
all such expenses) exert his best efforts to resist disclosure,
including, without limitation, by fully cooperating and assisting
the Company in whatever efforts it may make to resist or limit
disclosure or to obtain a protective order or other appropriate
remedy to limit or prohibit further disclosure or use of such
Confidential Information. If Executive complies with the
preceding sentence but nonetheless becomes legally compelled to
disclose Confidential Information, Executive shall disclose only
that portion of the Confidential Information that he is legally
compelled to disclose.
5.3.
Covenant not to Compete . During the Non-Competition
Period, Executive shall not, directly, indirectly, whether as a
sole practitioner, owner, partner, shareholder, investor, employee,
Company, venturer, independent contractor, consultant or other
participant, (i) own,
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manage, invest in or acquire
any economic stake or interest in any Person involved in a
Competitive Activity, (ii) derive economic benefit from or
with respect to any Competitive Activity, or (iii) otherwise
engage or participate in any manner whatsoever in any Competitive
Activity; provided , however, this Section 5.3 shall
not restrict Executive from owning less than 1% of the publicly
traded debt or equity securities issued by a corporation or other
entity or from having any other passive investment that creates no
conflict of loyalty or interest with any duty owed to the
Company. Executive shall be deemed to have derived economic
benefit in viol
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