EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “
Agreement ”) is
made and entered into as of October _____, 2006 by and between
Securus Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
“ Corporation ”), and Richard Falcone (the “
Executive ”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Executive and the Corporation, entered
into an employment contract effective September 9, 2004 (the
“ Former Contract
”) pursuant to which the Executive was
entitled to certain compensation and benefits;
WHEREAS, the execution and delivery of this
Agreement, will supersede and replace the Former
Contract;
WHEREAS, the Corporation desires to employ the
Executive in the capacity, hereinafter stated (referred to in
Section 1 below), and the Executive desires to become employed
by the Corporation in such capacity for the period and on the terms
and conditions set forth herein; and
WHEREAS, the Executive and the Corporation each
acknowledge and agree that the terms and conditions of employment
set forth below are reasonable and necessary in order to protect
the legitimate business interests of the Corporation and to
compensate the Executive for information, knowledge and experience
brought to or gained from the Corporation.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and
the mutual agreements set forth below, the parties hereby agree as
follows:
1.
EMPLOYMENT / NOMINATION. Effective immediately the
Corporation hereby agrees to employ the Executive as its Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer, and the Executive hereby accepts such
employment, on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth. So
long as the Executive continues to be employed by the Corporation,
the Corporation agrees to cause the Executive to be nominated for
election as a member of the Board of Directors (the “
Board ”) of the
Corporation.
2.
EMPLOYMENT PERIOD. The period of employment of the
Executive by the Corporation hereunder (the “
Employment Period ”) shall commence on the signing of this Agreement, and
the Employment Period shall terminate on the earlier of (i) January
5, 2009 (the “ Termination
Date ”) or (ii) the date
Executive’s employment hereunder is earlier terminated in
accordance with Section 5 of this Agreement.
3.
POSITION AND DUTIES. The Executive shall devote his
full time, attention, skills and energies during the Employment
Period exclusively to the business of the Corporation, performing
such specific functions on behalf of the Corporation that are
generally incident to and consistent with the Executive’s
position as the Board may direct. The Executive shall hold the
position of President and Chief Executive Officer of the
Corporation and shall report directly to the Board and have all
powers and duties which are associated with such position in
the
industries in which the Corporation is engaged. The
Executive shall not, without prior written consent from the Board
(which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld):
(a)
serve as or be a consultant to or employee, officer,
agent or director of any corporation, partnership or other entity
other than the Corporation and/or its subsidiaries (other than
civic, charitable, or other public service organizations);
or
(b)
have more than a five percent (5%) ownership
interest in any enterprise other than the Corporation if such
ownership interest would have a material adverse effect upon the
ability of the Executive to perform his duties
hereunder.
Nothing herein shall preclude the Executive from
performing charity work and managing his own personal investments
and affairs so long as such activities do not interfere with the
performance of the Executive’s duties hereunder.
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4.
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COMPENSATION AND RELATED MATTERS.
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(a)
BASE SALARY. During the Employment Period, the
Corporation shall pay the Executive a base salary at the rate
specified in Exhibit A
(the “ Base
Salary ”), which Base Salary shall
be paid in equal installments in accordance with the
Corporation’s payroll policy, subject to Section 5
below.
(b)
BONUS. During the Employment Period, the Executive
shall receive the bonuses as specified in Exhibit A .
(c)
RESTRICTED SHARES. The Executive shall be awarded
additional restricted shares of the Corporation’s Class B
Common Stock, no par value, per share (the “
Class B Stock ”),
of the Corporation as specified in Exhibit
A .
(d)
OTHER BENEFITS. During the Employment Period, the
Executive shall be entitled to and eligible for group health
insurance coverage and any other fringe benefits in accordance with
policies applicable generally to salaried employees of the
Corporation. The Executive shall also be entitled to five (5) weeks
paid vacation and other paid absences during the Employment Period
in accordance with policies applicable generally to salaried
employees of the Corporation. The Executive shall be reimbursed for
reasonable expenses incurred in connection with the business of the
Corporation and the performance of his duties hereunder in
accordance with the policies established by the Corporation for
reimbursement of such expenses, provided that (i) such expenses
constitute valid business expenses that are deductible from the
Corporation’s taxable income under the Internal Revenue Code
and (ii) such expenses do not exceed the amounts allocable for such
expenses in budgets that are approved from time to time by the
Board. In order that the Corporation reimburse the Executive for
such allowable expenses, the Executive shall furnish to the
Corporation, in a timely fashion, the appropriate documentation
required by the Internal Revenue Code in connection with such
expenses and shall furnish such other documentation and accounting
as are consistent with the Corporation’s policies.
(e)
AUTOMOBILE. The Executive shall be entitled to $850
per month for an automobile.
(a)
TERMINATION FOR CAUSE. Prior to the end of the
Employment Period, the Corporation may terminate the
Executive’s employment under this Agreement for
“Cause.” For purposes of this Agreement, the
Corporation shall have Cause to terminate the Executive’s
employment hereunder in the event: (i) the Executive becomes
habitually addicted to alcohol or illegal drugs and such addiction
materially and adversely affects (A) the performance of the
Executive’s obligations under this Agreement or (B) the
Corporation; (ii) the Executive discloses confidential information
in violation of paragraph 6(a) and such disclosure has a material
adverse effect on the Corporation: (iii) the Executive engages in
competition in violation of paragraph 6(d) or 6(e); (iv) the
Executive has committed any act of willful misconduct, embezzlement
or wrongful conversion of money or property belonging to the
Corporation, or any act of fraud that adversely affects the
business of or relates to the Corporation; (v) the Executive is
convicted of a felony at any time hereafter, which is reasonably
likely to either (A) have an adverse effect on the Corporation
or its business or (B) result in the incarceration of the
Executive; (vi) the Executive has failed to comply with any
material directive of the Board related to his employment duties
promptly following notice to the Executive of such failure;
(vii) the Executive has willfully and continually failed to
substantially perform his duties hereunder (other than any such
failure resulting from the Executive’s death or health), and
such failure continues for more than 10 days after written notice
thereof to the Executive; or (viii) the Executive has been
convicted of any criminal act of egregious misconduct involving
serious moral turpitude to the extent that the Executive’s
credibility and reputation no longer conform to the standard of the
Corporation’s executives. The Executive will be furnished an
opportunity upon reasonable notice to state his case to the Board
with counsel prior to any termination for “Cause.” If
the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Corporation
for Cause, the Corporation shall pay the Executive any Base Salary
accrued or owing to the Executive hereunder through the date of
termination and shall reimburse the Executive for any expenses
incurred prior to the date of termination and otherwise
reimbursable pursuant to Section 4(e), less any amounts owed by the
Executive to the Corporation, and the Corporation shall have no
further liability or obligation to the Executive hereunder. Any
amount due under this Section 5(a) shall be paid in a lump sum
within 30 days after the end of the Employment Period; provided,
however, that if the Executive is a “specified
employee” within the meaning of Internal Revenue Code Section
409A(a)(2)(B)(i), no Severance Payment will be made before the date
that is six (6) months after the payment date provided in the
previous clause.
(b)
TERMINATION WITHOUT CAUSE. Prior to the end of the
Employment Period; (i) the Corporation may terminate the
Executive’s employment under this Agreement for a reason
other than Cause or no reason whatsoever (i.e., without Cause); or
(ii) the Executive may terminate his employment under this
Agreement due to Constructive Discharge (as defined below) so long
as the Executive gives notice of such Constructive Discharge within
sixty (60) days of the occurrence thereof and such Constructive
Discharge remains uncured by the Corporation thirty (30) days after
the Corporation’s receipt of such notice;
provided that if the
Corporation has not cured a breach of this Agreement within the
thirty (30) day period referenced in clause (iii) of the definition
of Constructive Discharge set forth below this sentence will not be
deemed to grant the Corporation an additional thirty (30) days cure
period with respect to such breach. If the Executive’s
employment is terminated
pursuant to this Section 5(b) prior to the
expiration of the Employment Period, the Corporation shall pay to
the Executive an amount equal to (A) the lesser of (1) two-times
the Executive’s annual Base Salary or (2) the amount of
remaining Base Salary that would have been payable to the Executive
from the date of such termination of employment through the
Termination Date (as defined in Section 2), plus (B) the benefits
set forth in Section 4(d) which were paid to the Executive in the
year prior to the year in which his employment was terminated, plus
(C) a pro-rated bonus for the year in which Executive was
terminated (based on the number of months the Executive was
employed by the Corporation in such year), if the bonus target for
such year was being achieved on the date of termination (on a pro
rata basis, based on the number of months the Executive was
employed by the Corporation in such year) (collectively, the
“ Severance Payment
”); provided that the Severance Payment
shall be conditioned upon the Executive’s voluntary execution
of a commercially reasonable, written release (to be drafted and
provided by the Corporation) of any and all employment-related
claims, including without limitation any claims related thereto for
lost wages or benefits, wrongful termination claims of any kind,
stock options, compensatory damages, punitive damages,
attorneys’ fees, equitable relief, or any other related form
of damages or relief the Executive may assert against the
Corporation; provided
, however
, such release will not release (i) any obligation
of the Corporation to fund the Severance Payment, (ii) any
obligations of the Corporation pursuant to Section 10 of this
Agreement, (iii) any obligations of the Corporation pursuant to the
Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement dated the date hereof,
(iv) any obligations of the Corporation pursuant to the
indemnification agreement contemplated by Section 10 or (v) any
obligations of the Corporation to indemnify the Executive pursuant
to applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation of the
Corporation or the Bylaws of the Corporation. The Corporation shall
pay fifty percent (50%) of the Severance Payment in one payment
within thirty (30) days after the end of the Employment Period
provided that such release has been in full force and effect for at
least ten (10) days, and pay the remaining portion of the Severance
Payment in equal monthly installments on the 15th day of each month
during the Post-Employment Non-Competition Period (defined below);
provided, however, that if the Executive is a “specified
employee” within the meaning of Internal Revenue Code Section
409A(a)(2)(B)(i), no Severance Payment will be made before the date
that is six (6) months after the payment date provided in the
previous clause. If the Corporation terminates the employment of
the Executive because he has become disabled such that he is unable
to perform the essential functions of his job with reasonable
accommodation for a period of not less than fifteen (15)
consecutive weeks, any such termination shall be deemed to be a
termination without Cause pursuant to this Agreement. Similarly,
the Executive’s employment shall terminate upon his death,
and shall be deemed a termination by the Corporation without Cause,
with payments of the Severance Payment hereunder to be made to the
Executive’s estate. For purposes of this Section 5(b), the
term “ Constructive
Discharge ” means:
(i)
a material adverse reduction in the
Executive’s job function, authority, duties or
responsibilities, or a similar change in the Executive’s
reporting relationships;
(ii)
a required relocation of Executive of more than
thirty-five (35) miles from the Executive’s current job
location;
(iii)
any breach of any of the terms of this Agreement by
the Corporation which is not cured within thirty (30) days
following written notice thereof by the Executive to the
Corporation; or
(iv)
during the Employment Period, any failure to
nominate and/or elect the Executive as a member of the Board and/or
any removal of the Executive as a member of the Board (other than
for cause).
(c) TERMINATION AS A RESULT OF CHANGE OF CONTROL.
This contract will also terminate if a change of control
occurs.
6.
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION, REMOVAL OF DOCUMENTS,
DEVELOPMENTS AND NON-COMPETITION, RELEASE.
(a)
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. The Executive shall hold
in a fiduciary capacity for the benefit of the Corporation and its
subsidiaries all trade secrets, confidential information,
proprietary information, knowledge and data relating to the
Corporation and/or the businesses or investments of the Corporation
which may have been obtained by the Executive during the
Executive’s employment by the Corporation and its
subsidiaries including such information with respect to any
products, improvements, formulas, designs or styles, processes,
services, customers, suppliers, marketing techniques, methods,
know-how, data, future plans or operating practices (“
Confidential Information ”); provided
that “Confidential Information” shall
not include information that (i) is or becomes generally available
to the public other than as a result of a disclosure by the
Executive or (ii) is or becomes available to the Executive on a
non-confidential basis from a source that is not known to the
Executive to be prohibited from disclosing such information to the
Executive by a legal, contractual or fiduciary obligation. Except
as may be required or appropriate in connection with his carrying
out his duties under this Agreement, the Executive shall not,
without the prior written consent of the Corporation or as may
otherwise be required by law or legal process, communicate or
divulge any such Confidential Information to anyone other than the
Corporation and those designated by the Corporation. The
Corporation, understands, acknowledges and agrees that,
notwithstanding this Section 6, the Executive may disclose the
terms and conditions of this Agreement to the extent reasonably
necessary to enforce this Agreement.
(b)
REMOVAL OF DOCUMENTS. All records, files, drawings,
letters, memoranda, reports, computer data, computer disks,
electronic storage media, documents, models and the like relating
to the business of the Corporation and/or the business of any of
its subsidiaries, which the Executive prepares, uses or comes into
contact with and which contain Confidential Information shall be
the exclusive property of the Corporation to be used by the
Executive only in the performance of his duties for the Corporation
and shall not be removed by the Executive from the premises of the
Corporation (without the written consent of the Corporation) during
or after the Employment Period unless such removal shall be
required or appropriate in connection with his carrying out his
duties under this Agreement, and, if so removed by the Executive,
shall be returned to the Corporation immediately upon termination
of the Executive’s employment hereunder, or earlier request
by the Corporation (with the Executive retaining no copies thereof
nor any notes or other records relating thereto).
(c)
DEVELOPMENTS. The Executive will make full and
prompt disclosure to the Corporation of all inventions,
improvements, discoveries, methods, developments, software and/or
works of authorship relating in any way to the business, activities
or affairs of the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, whether
patentable or not, which are created, made, conceived or reduced to
practice (in whole or in part) by the Executive or under his
direction or jointly with others during the Employment Period,
whether or not during normal working hours or on the premises of
the Corporation (collectively, “ Developments ”). The Executive
agrees to assign and does hereby assign to the Corporation all of
his right, title and interest in and to all Developments and
related patents, copyrights and applications thereto. The Executive
shall do all permissible things, and take all permissible action,
necessary or advisable, in the Corporation’s sole discretion
and at the Corporation’s expense, to cause any other person
related to the Executive or an entity controlled by the Executive
having an interest in a Development to assign to the Corporation
all of such person’s or entity’s right, title and
interest in and to such Development and related patents, copyrights
and applications therefor. The Executive agrees to cooperate fully
with the Corporation at the Corporation’s expense, both
during and after the termination of the Employment Period, with
respect to the procurement, maintenance and enforcement of
copyrights and patents (both in the United States and foreign
countries) relating to Developments.
(d)
NON-COMPETITION. During (i) the Executive’s
employment with the Corporation and (ii) the Post-Employment
Non-Competition Period, the Executive (A) shall not engage,
anywhere within the geographical areas in which the Corporation or
any of its subsidiaries is then conducting its business operations,
directly or indirectly, alone, in association with or as a
shareholder, principal, agent, partner, officer, director,
executive or consultant of any other organization, in any business
which involves or relates to providing services to a Competitive
Business (defined below); (B) shall not solicit or encourage any
officer, executive, independent contractor, vendor or consultant of
the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries to leave the employ of,
or otherwise cease his relationship with, the Corporation or any of
its subsidiaries; and (C) shall not solicit, divert or take away,
or attempt to divert or to take away, the business or patronage of
any of the customers or accounts, of the Corporation or any of its
subsidiaries, which were served by any such entity during the time
the Executive was employed by the Corporation. If the Executive
violates any of the provisions of this Section 6(d), following his
termination of employment, the computation of the time period
provided herein shall be tolled from the first date of the breach
until the earlier of (i) the date judicial relief is obtained by
the Corporation, (ii) the Corporation states in writing that it
will seek no judicial relief for said violation, or (iii) the
Executive provides satisfactory evidence to the Corporation that
such breach has been remedied. If, at any time, the provisions of
this Section 6(d) shall be determined to be invalid or
unenforceable, by reason of being vague or unreasonable as to area,
duration or scope of activity, this Section 6(d) shall be
considered divisible and shall become and be immediately amended to
only such area, duration and scope of activity as shall be
determined to be reasonable and enforceable by the court or other
body having jurisdiction over the matter; and the Executive agrees
that this Section 6(d) as so amended shall be valid and binding as
though any invalid or unenforceable provision had not been included
herein. For purposes of this Section 6, Executive and the
Corporation agree that:
“ Competitive
Business ” shall mean (i) the
inmate telephone business, (ii) the business of selling, leasing or
otherwise providing law enforcement management
systems, jail management systems and/or other
tracking or record systems to inmate, jail or correctional
facilities, (iii) the billing, collection and/or validation
business within the inmate telephone industry, and/or (iv) any
material line of business that the Corporation or any of its
subsidiaries are engaged in on the date of termination, expiration
or non-extension of the Employment Period; provided , however , that Competitive Business
shall not include an organization where the activities described in
(i) through (iv) do not represent a material portion of such
organization’s revenues and (I) the Executive’s
primary duties do not relate to such activities or (II) the
Executive does not participate to a material extent in such
activities; and
“ Post-Employment
Non-Competition Period ” shall mean
the one-year period immediately following the expiration or earlier
termination of the Employment Period; provided that if, (A) pursuant to
Section 5(b), the Executive receives two-times his annual Base
Salary as contemplated by clause (A)(1) of such Section’s
second sentence, then “ Post-Employment Non-Competition Period ” shall mean the two-year period immediately following
the expiration or earlier termination of the Employment Period or
(B) the Executive receives the payment described in clause
(A)(2)(II) of such Section’s second sentence, then
“ Post-Employment Non-Competition
Period ” shall mean the period from
the expiration or earlier termination of the Employment Period
until January 1, 2009.
(e)
NON-COMPETITION IN EXPANSION MARKETS. Executive
acknowledges that a valuable asset of the Corporation is the plan
of the Corporation to extend and expand their business, by
acquisition or otherwise, to areas of the United States of America
which the Corporation does not yet serve as of the date hereof.
Accordingly, during (i) the Executive’s employment with the
Corporation and (ii) Post-Employment Non-Competition Period, the
Executive shall not engage, anywhere in the United States of
America, directly or indirectly, alone, in association with or as a
shareholder, principal, agent, partner, officer, director,
executive or consultant of any other organization, in any
Competitive Business. If the Executive violates any of the
provisions of this Section 6(e), following his termination of
employment, the computation of the time period provided herein
shall be tolled from the first date of the breach until the earlier
of (i) the date judicial relief is obtained by the Corporation,
(ii) the Corporation states in writing that it will seek no
judicial relief for said violation, or (iii) the Executive provides
satisfactory evidence to the Corporation that such breach has been
remedied. If, at any time, the provisions of this Section 6(e)
shall be determined to be invalid or unenforceable, by reason of
being vague or unreasonable as to area, duration or scope of
activity, this Section 6(e) shall be considered divisible and shall
become and be immediately amended to only such area, duration and
scope of activity as shall be determined to be reasonable and
enforceable by the court or other body having jurisdiction over the
matter; and the Executive agrees that this Section 6(e) as so
amended shall be valid and binding as though any invalid or
unenforceable provision had not been included herein.
(f)
CONTINUING OPERATION. Any termination of the
Executive’s employment or of this Agreement shall have no
effect on the continuing operation of this Section 6.
(g)
LEGITIMATE BUSINESS INTERESTS. The Executive has
carefully read and considered the provisions of this Section 6 and,
having done so, agrees that the restrictions set forth herein,
including, without limitation, the time and geographic restrictions
set forth above, are fair and reasonable and are reasonably
required for the protection of the legitimate business interests
and goodwill of the Corporation.
(h)
REMEDIES. The Executive acknowledges that any
violation of any of the covenants and agreements contained in this
Section 6 may result in irreparable and continuing harm and damage
to the Corporation which would be extremely difficult to quantify
and for which money damages alone would not be adequate
compensation. Consequently, the Executive agrees that, in the event
he violates or threatens to violate any of these covenants and
agreements, the Corporation shall be entitled to seek: (1) entry of
an injunction enjoining such violation and/or requiring the
Executive to return all materials or other proprietary information
of the Corporation and (2) money damages insofar as they can be
determined. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to
prohibit the Corporation and its subsidiaries from also pursuing
any other legal or equitable remedy, the parties having agreed that
all remedies that are not inconsistent are cumulative.
7.
SEVERABILITY. Whenever possible, each provision and
term of this Agreement will be interpreted in a manner to be
effective and valid, but if any provision or term of this Agreement
is held to be prohibited or invalid, then such provision or term
will be ineffective only to the extent of such prohibition or
invalidity, without invalidating or affecting in any manner
whatsoever the remainder of such provision or term or the remaining
provisions or terms of this Agreement.
8.
WAIVER. The rights and remedies of the parties to
this Agreement are, to the extent not inconsistent, cumulative and
not alternative. Neither the failure nor any delay by any party in
exercising any right, power or privilege under this Agreement will
operate as a waiver of such right, power or privilege, and no
single or partial exercise of any such right, power or privilege
will preclude any other or further exercise of such right, power or
privilege. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, (a)
no claim or right arising out of this Agreement can be waived,
released or discharged by one party, in whole or in part, by a
waiver, release or renunciation of the claim or right unless in
writing signed by the other party; (b) no waiver that may be given
by a party will be applicable except in the specific instance for
which it is given; and (c) no notice to or demand on one party will
be deemed to be a waiver of any obligation of such party or of the
right of the party giving such notice or demand to take further
action without notice or demand as provided in this
Agreement.
9.
BINDING AGREEMENT. This Agreement shall be binding
upon the Corporation and its affiliates, and the Executive and his
assigns