Employment Agreement
This
Employment Agreement dated as of March 23, 2009 (the “
Agreement ”), is made by and between Skilled
Healthcare, LLC., a Delaware limited liability company (together
with its Parent and any successor thereto, the “
Company ”) and Kelly J. Gill (the “
Executive ”).
RECITALS
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A.
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It is the
desire of the Company to assure itself of the continued services of
the Executive by entering into this Agreement.
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B.
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The Executive
and the Company mutually desire that Executive provide services to
the Company on the terms herein provided.
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AGREEMENT
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and of the respective
covenants and agreements set forth below the parties hereto agree
as follows:
1.
Employment.
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(a)
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General . The Company shall employ the Executive and the
Executive shall enter the employ of the Company, for the period set
forth in Section 1(b) , in the position set forth in
Section 1(c) , and upon the other terms and conditions
herein provided.
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(b)
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Employment
Term . The initial term
of employment under this Agreement (the “ Initial Term
”) shall be for the period beginning on March 23, 2009,
(the “ Effective Date ”) and ending on (and
including) the first anniversary thereof, unless earlier terminated
as provided in Section 3 . The employment term
hereunder shall automatically be extended for successive one-year
periods (“ Extension Terms ” and, collectively
with the Initial Term, the “ Term ”) unless
either party gives written notice of non-extension to the other no
later than sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of the
then-applicable Term and subject to earlier termination as provided
in Section 3 .
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(c)
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Position and
Duties . The Executive
shall serve as the Executive Vice President of the Company, and
upon the position of President of Hallmark Rehabilitation GP, LLC
and Hospice Care of the West, LLC becoming vacant, the Executive
shall serve as the Executive Vice President of the Company and
President of Hallmark Rehabilitation GP, LLC and Hospice Care of
the West with such customary responsibilities, duties and authority
as may from time to time be assigned to the Executive by the Chief
Executive Officer of the Company, the Board of Directors of the
Company or by the Board of Directors of Parent (the “
Board ”) The Executive shall devote substantially all
his working time and efforts to the business and affairs of the
Company (which may include service to Parent, the Company and their
respective direct and indirect subsidiaries). The Executive agrees
to observe and comply with the rules and policies of the Company as
adopted by or under the authority of the Board from time to time.
During the Term, it shall not be a violation of this Agreement for
the Executive to serve on industry trade, civic or charitable
boards or committees and manage his personal investments and
affairs, as long as such activities do not materially interfere
with the performance of the Executive’s duties and
responsibilities as an employee of the Company. During his
employment and following termination of his employment with the
Company, the Executive agrees not to disparage the Company, any of
its products or practices, or any of its directors, officers,
agents, representatives, stockholders or affiliates, either orally
or in writing.
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(d)
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Location . The Executive acknowledges that the
Company’s principal executive offices are currently located
at Foothill Ranch, California. The Executive shall operate
principally out of such executive offices, as they may be moved
from time to time within 40 miles of their current location in
Foothill Ranch, California. The Company expects, and the Executive
agrees, that the Executive shall be required to travel from time to
time in order to fulfill his duties to the Company.
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2. Compensation and
Related Matters.
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(a)
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Annual Base
Salary . During the Term,
the Executive shall receive a base salary at a rate of $330,000 per
annum (the “ Annual Base Salary ”), which shall
be paid in accordance with the customary payroll practices of the
Company, subject to upward adjustment as may be determined by the
Board in its discretion.
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(b)
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Annual
Bonus . During the Term,
the Executive will be eligible to participate in an annual
performance-based bonus plan that provides an opportunity of 60% of
the Executive’s pro-rata Annual Base Salary on terms
established by the Compensation Committee of the Board and
substantially the same as the bonus plan adopted by the Board for
other senior officers of the Company.
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(c)
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Equity
Plan . During the Term,
and subject to Board approval, the Executive shall be entitled to
participate in the 2007 Equity Award Plan (the “ Equity
Plan ”) of Parent pursuant to which, on the date the
Board selects as the grant date (the “ Grant Date
”), the Executive shall receive (i) 45,000 shares of
performance-based restricted common stock of Parent, with vesting
to occur over four years subject to the performance standards and
only to the extent the Executive remains continuously employed by
the Company through the applicable vesting date; and (ii) 90,000
stock options with an exercise price based upon the closing market
price of the Parent’s publicly traded stock on the Grant Date
pursuant to Board discretion and policy, and vesting as to 25% on
each of the first four anniversaries of the Grant Date, but only to
the extent the Executive remains continuously employed by the
Company through the applicable vesting date.
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(d)
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Benefits . During the Term, the Executive shall be
entitled to participate in group medical insurance, and other
standard benefits provided by the Company, as may be amended from
time to time, which are applicable to the Executive Vice President
of the Company.
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(e)
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Vacation . During the Term, the Executive shall not
participate in any Company sponsored vacation plan; however the
Executive will be expected to work a minimum of 48 weeks per
calendar year which will allow four weeks off with pay. The minimum
work threshold is tied to the calendar year and no rollover is
permitted from one year to the next. Any vacation shall be taken at
the reasonable and mutual convenience of the Company and the
Executive. The minimum threshold weeks for the first partial
calendar year following the Effective Date shall be 38.
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(f)
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Expenses . During the Term, the Company shall reimburse
the Executive for all reasonable travel and other business expenses
incurred by him in the performance of his duties to the Company in
accordance with the Company’s expense reimbursement
policy.
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(g)
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Key Person
Insurance . At any time
during the Term, the Company shall have the right to insure the
life of the Executive for the Company’s sole benefit. The
Company shall have the right to determine the amount of insurance
and the type of policy. The Executive shall cooperate with the
Company in obtaining such insurance by submitting to physical
examinations, by supplying all information reasonably required by
any insurance carrier, and by executing all necessary documents
reasonably required by any insurance carrier. The Executive shall
incur no financial obligation by executing any required document,
and shall have no interest in any such policy.
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(h)
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Annual
Review . Approximately
every 12 months during the Term, the Executive and the
Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Board or appropriate
committees of the Board shall meet to discuss the Executive’s
performance and terms of the Executive’s employment by the
Company.
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(i)
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Relocation
Compensation . Upon the
Effective Date the Company will pay an amount equal to $25,000
(grossed-up after tax) in consideration for Executives need to
Relocate his primary residence in California reasonably near the
Company’s Foothill Ranch office.
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3.
Termination.
The
Term and the Executive’s employment hereunder may be
terminated by the Company or the Executive, as applicable, without
any breach of this Agreement only under the following
circumstances:
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(i)
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Death . The Term and the Executive’s employment
hereunder shall terminate upon his death.
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(ii)
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Disability . If the Executive has incurred a Disability,
the Company may terminate the Term and the Executive’s
employment hereunder.
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(iii)
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Termination
for Cause . The Company
may terminate the Term and the Executive’s employment
hereunder for Cause.
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(iv)
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Termination
without Cause . The
Company may terminate the Term and the Executive’s employment
hereunder without Cause.
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(v)
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Resignation
by the Executive . The
Executive may resign his employment and terminate the Term for any
reason.
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(vi)
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Non-extension of Term by the Company
. The Company may give notice of
non-extension to the Executive pursuant to
Section 1(b).
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(vii)
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Non-extension of Term by the
Executive. The Executive
may give notice of non-extension to the Company pursuant to
Section 1(b).
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(b)
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Notice of
Termination . Any
termination of the Executive’s employment by the Company or
by the Executive under this Section 3 (other than
termination pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)) shall be
communicated by a written notice to the other party indicating the
specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon, and
specifying a Date of Termination which, if submitted by the
Executive, shall be at least two weeks following the date of such
notice (a “ Notice of Termination ”). A Notice
of Termination submitted by the Company may provide for a Date of
Termination on the date the Executive receives the Notice of
Termination, or any date thereafter elected by the Company in its
sole discretion.
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(c)
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Company
obligations upon termination . Upon termination of the Executive’s
employment, the Executive (or the Executive’s estate) shall
be entitled to receive the sum of the Executive’s Annual Base
Salary through the Date of Termination not theretofore paid, any
expenses owed to the Executive under Section 2(f) , and
except as otherwise provided herein, any amount accrued and arising
from the Executive’s participation in, or benefits accrued
under any employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements under
Section 2(d) , which amounts shall be payable in
accordance with the terms and conditions of such employee benefit
plans, programs or arrangements, and such other or additional
benefits as may be, or become, due to him under the applicable
terms of applicable plans, programs, agreements, corporate
governance documents and other arrangements of the Company and its
parent and subsidiaries (collectively, the “ Company
Arrangements ”).
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4. Severance
Payments.
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(a)
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Termination
for Cause, Resignation by the Executive, Non-extension of Term by
the Executive or the Company, death or Disability
. If the Executive’s
employment is terminated pursuant to Section 3(a)(iii)
for Cause, pursuant to Section 3(a)(v) for Resignation
by the Executive, pursuant to Section 3(a)(vii) due to
non-extension of the Term by the Executive, or pursuant to
Section 3(a)(iv) without cause during the first six
months of employment, the Executive shall not be entitled to any
severance payment or benefits. If the Executive’s employment
is terminated pursuant to Section 3(a)(i) as a result
of Executive’s death or pursuant to
Section 3(a)(ii) as a result of the Executive’s
Disability, the Company shall, subject to the Executive signing and
not revoking, within sixty days following delivery to Executive, a
separation and release agreement in the form attached hereto,
(i) pay to the Executive an amount equal to the product of
(x) the bonus that the Executive would have earned during the
calendar year in which the Date of Termination occurs, if any, and
(y) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days
that elapsed in such calendar year through the Date of Termination
and the denominator of which is 365, payable when bonuses would
have otherwise been payable had the Executive’s employment
not terminated and (ii) in the case of termination pursuant to
Section 3(a)(ii) as a result of the Executive’s
Disability, pay to the Executive an amount equal to the excess, if
any, of (x) the amount that would have been payable to the
Executive pursuant to Section 4(b)(i) if the Executive
had been terminated by the Company without Cause pursuant to
Section 3(a)(iv) after six months of continuous
employment over (y) the present value of the benefits to be
received by the Executive (or his beneficiaries) under any
disability plan sponsored by the Company or its affiliates (for
purposes of this clause (ii) the amounts in (x) and
(y) shall be determined by the Company on an after-tax basis
to the extent that their receipt by the Executive (or his
beneficiaries) would be subject to tax and on actuarial assumptions
satisfactory to the Company). If the Executive’s employment
is terminated pursuant to Section 3(a)(vi) due to
non-extension of the Term by the Company, the Company shall,
subject to the Executive signing and not revoking, within sixty
days following delivery to Executive, a separation and release
agreement in the form attached hereto at Annex A, (i) pay
to the Executive an amount equal to the product of (x) the
bonus that the Executive would have earned during the calendar year
in which the Date of Termination occurs, if any, and (y) a
fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days that elapsed
in such calendar year through the Date of Termination and the
denominator of which is 365, payable when bonuses would have
otherwise been payable had the Executive’s employment not
terminated and (ii) pay to the Executive, in a lump sum, an
amount equal to the Annual Base Salary that the Executive would
have been entitled to receive if the Executive had continued his
employment hereunder for a period of twelve months following the
Date of Termination.
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(b)
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Termination
without Cause . If after
continuous employment with the Company for a period of six months
the Executive’s employment shall be terminated by the Company
without Cause pursuant to Section 3(a)(iv) the Company
shall, subject to the Executive signing and not revoking, within
sixty days following delivery to Executive, a separation and
release agreement in the form attached hereto:
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(i)
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pay to the
Executive, in a lump sum, an amount equal to the Annual Base Salary
that the Executive would have been entitled to receive if the
Executive had continued his employment hereunder for a period of
eighteen (18) months following the Date of
Termination;
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(ii)
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pay to the
Executive an amount equal to the product of (x) the bonus that
the Executive would have earned during the calendar year in which
the Date of Termination occurs, if any, and (y) a fraction,
the numerator of which is the number of days that elapsed in such
calendar year through the Date of Termination and the denominator
of which is 365, payable when bonuses would have otherwise been
payable had the Executive’s employment not terminated;
and
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(iii)
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cover the
premium costs for medical benefits under COBRA for the Executive
and, where applicable, his spouse and dependents, life insurance
and disability insurance (all as in effect immediately prior to the
Date of Termination) for a period of twelve (12) months
following the Date of Termination.
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(c)
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Survival . The expiration or termination of the Term
shall not impair the rights or obligations of any party hereto,
which shall have accrued prior to such expiration or
termination.
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(d)
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409A .
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 4, no
payments in this Section 4 will be paid during the six-month
period following the Executive’s termination of employment
unless the Company determines, in its good faith judgment, that
paying such amounts at the time or times indicated in this Section
would not cause the Executive to incur an additional tax under
Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the “Code”) (in which case such amounts shall be paid
at the time or times indicated in this Section). If the payment of
any amounts are delayed as a result of the previous sentence, on
the first day following the end of the six-month period, the
Company will pay the Executive a lump-sum amount equal to the
cumulative amounts that would have otherwise been previously paid
to the Executive under this Section 4 . Thereafter,
payments will resume in accordance with this Section.
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5.
Competition.
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(a)
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The Executive
shall not, at any time during the Term or during the two-year
period following the Date of Termination (unless the Executive is
terminated without cause during the first six months of
employment), directly or indirectly engage in, have any equity
interest in, or manage or operate any person, firm, corporation,
partnership or business (whether as director, officer, employee,
agent, representative, partner, security holder, consultant or
otherwise) that engages in any business (x) which competes
with any business of the Company anywhere in the States of
California, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Nevada or Texas,
(y) which competes with any busin
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