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EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

Employment Agreement

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT | Document Parties: ENTERTAINMENT PROPERTIES TRUST You are currently viewing:
This Employment Agreement involves

ENTERTAINMENT PROPERTIES TRUST

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Title: EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
Date: 5/20/2009
Industry: Real Estate Operations     Sector: Services

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT, Parties: entertainment properties trust
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Exhibit 10.1

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

     THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is entered into as of May 14, 2009, by ENTERTAINMENT PROPERTIES TRUST, a Maryland real estate investment trust (the “Company”) and Morgan G. Earnest II (“Employee”). In consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein, the parties agree as follows:

     1. DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings.

          “ANNUAL INCENTIVE PROGRAM” shall mean the annual incentive program of the Company, as amended from time to time, or any successor incentive program adopted by the Board or the Compensation Committee, pursuant to which annual Performance Bonuses and Incentive Bonuses may be awarded to Employee. Pursuant to the Annual Incentive Program, the Compensation Committee may make recommendations to the Board, and the Board may adopt, an annual bonus for the Employee which will be based primarily on the Employee’s performance, as measured by the Board, for the most recently completed fiscal year.

          “BOARD” shall mean the Board of Trustees of the Company. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Board may authorize the Compensation Committee to take any action required to be taken by the Board pursuant to this Agreement.

          “CAUSE” shall mean and be limited to an affirmative determination by the Board that any of the following has occurred: (a) Employee’s willful and continued failure or refusal to perform his duties with the Company (other than as a result of his Disability or incapacity due to mental or physical illness) which is not remedied in the reasonable good faith determination of the Board within 30 days after Employee’s receipt of written notice from the Board specifying the nature of such failure or refusal, or (b) the willful engagement by Employee in misconduct which is materially and demonstrably injurious to the Company. For purposes of this Agreement, no act or failure to act shall be considered “willful” unless done or omitted in bad faith and without reasonable belief that the act or omission was in the best interests of the Company. A failure or refusal to perform duties materially and adversely inconsistent with Employee’s position, as contemplated in paragraph (a) of the definition of “Good Reason,” shall not be considered willful or in bad faith.

          “CHANGE IN CONTROL” shall mean the occurrence of any of the following events:

          (a) Incumbent Trustees cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board.

          (b) Any “person” (as defined in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act and as used in Sections 13(d)(3) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) or “group” (within the contemplation of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act and Rule 13d-5 thereunder) is or becomes a “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) or controls the voting power, directly or indirectly, of shares of the Company representing 25% or more of the Company Voting Securities, other than (i) an acquisition of Company Voting Securities by an

 


 

underwriter pursuant to an offering of shares by the Company, (ii) a Non-Qualifying Transaction, or (iii) an acquisition of Company Voting Securities directly from the Company which is approved by a majority of the Incumbent Trustees.

          (c) The shareholders of the Company approve a Business Combination, other than a Non-Qualifying Transaction.

          (d) The shareholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company.

          (e) The acquisition of direct or indirect Control of the Company by any “person” or “group.”

          (f) Any transaction or series of transactions which results in the Company being “closely held” within the meaning of the REIT provisions of the Code, after any applicable grace period, and with respect to which the Board has either waived or failed to enforce the “Excess Share” provisions of the Company’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust.

          (g) For purposes of this definition:

               (A) “Company Voting Securities” shall mean the outstanding shares of the Company eligible to vote in the election of trustees of the Company.

               (B) “Company 25% Shareholder” shall mean any “person” or “group” which beneficially owns or has voting control of 25% or more of the Company Voting Securities.

               (C) “Business Combination” shall mean a merger, consolidation, acquisition, sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or properties, statutory share exchange or similar transaction involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries that requires the approval of the Company’s shareholders, whether for the transaction itself or the issuance or exchange of securities in the transaction.

               (D) “Incumbent Trustees” shall mean (1) the trustees of the Company as of the date of this Agreement or (2) any trustee elected subsequent to the date of this Agreement whose election or nomination was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Incumbent Trustees then on the Board (either by specific vote or approval of a proxy statement of the Company in which such person is named as a nominee for trustee).

               (E) “Parent Corporation” shall mean the ultimate parent entity that directly or indirectly has beneficial ownership or voting control of a majority of the outstanding voting securities eligible to elect directors of a Surviving Corporation.

               (F) “Surviving Corporation” shall mean the entity resulting from a Business Combination.

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               (G) “Non-Qualifying Transaction” shall mean a Business Combination in which all of the following criteria are met: (1) more than 50% of the total voting power of the Surviving Corporation or, if applicable, the Parent Corporation, is represented by Company Voting Securities that were outstanding immediately prior to the Business Combination (or, if applicable, is represented by shares into which the Company Voting Securities were converted pursuant to the Business Combination and held in substantially the same proportion as the Company Voting Securities were held immediately prior to the Business Combination), (2) no “person” or “group” (other than a Company 25% Shareholder or any Employee Benefit Plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Surviving Corporation or the Parent Corporation) would become the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 25% or more of the total voting power of the outstanding voting securities eligible to elect directors of the Parent Corporation (or, if there is no Parent Corporation, the Surviving Corporation) and no Company 25% Shareholder would increase its percentage of such total voting power as a result of the transaction, and (3) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors or similar governing body of the Parent Corporation (or, if there is no Parent Corporation, the Surviving Corporation) following the consummation of the Business Combination were Incumbent Trustees at the time of the Board’s approval of the Business Combination.

          (h) Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Change in Control shall not be deemed to occur solely because any “person” or “group” acquires beneficial ownership or voting control of more than 25% of the Company Voting Securities as a result of any acquisition of Company Voting Securities by the Company, but if after that acquisition by the Company the “person” or “group” becomes the beneficial owner or obtains voting control of any additional Company Voting Securities, a Change in Control shall be deemed to occur unless otherwise exempted as set forth above.

          “CODE” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

          “COMPENSATION COMMITTEE” shall mean the compensation committee appointed by the Board.

          “CONTROL” shall mean the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of the Company, whether through the ownership of Company Voting Securities, by contract, or otherwise.

          “DISABILITY” shall mean (a) the adjudication of incompetence of Employee or (b) the failure of Employee to perform his duties with the Company on a full-time basis for a period of time until the Company’s Long-Term Disability Plan commences payment of benefits as a result of incapacity due to mental or physical illness which is determined to be permanent by a physician selected by the Company or its insurers and acceptable to Employee or his legal representative, which acceptance shall not be unreasonably withheld.

          “EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS” shall mean any and all 401(k) plans, profit sharing plans, retirement plans, savings plans, investment plans, Health Plans, group life insurance, disability insurance, salary continuation plans, accidental death and travel accident insurance plans, long-term care plans, fringe benefits and all other benefit plans, programs and

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policies of the Company adopted for peer management employees of the Company or agreed to by Employee and the Company during the Employment Period.

          “EMPLOYMENT PERIOD” shall mean the period from the date of this Agreement until the third anniversary of the date hereof, as extended automatically by adding one additional one year period on the third anniversary of the date hereof and on each anniversary thereafter.

          “EXCESS PARACHUTE PAYMENT” shall have the meaning given by such term in Section 280G of the Code.

          “EXCHANGE ACT” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

          “EXCISE TAX” shall mean any tax imposed by Section 4999 or 280G of the Code.

          “GOOD REASON” shall mean any of the following which is not remedied in the reasonable good faith determination of Employee within 30 days after the Company’s receipt of written notice specifying the event claimed to constitute Good Reason:

     (a) The assignment to Employee of duties materially and adversely inconsistent with Employee’s position as described in Section 2 or other position to which Employee may have been promoted prior to that time, or any material reduction in Employee’s office, status, position, title(s) or responsibilities which is not agreed to by Employee;

     (b) Any material reduction in Employee’s base compensation or eligibility under the Annual Incentive Program, eligibility for Long-Term Incentive Awards under the Long-Term Incentive Plan, or eligibility under Employee Benefit Plans which is not agreed to by Employee, or, after the occurrence of a Change in Control, a diminution of the Employee’s target opportunity under the Annual Incentive Plan, Long-Term Incentive Plan or any successor plan, or a failure to evaluate Employee’s performance relative to the target opportunity based upon the same metrics as peer management at the surviving or acquiring company;

     (c) A material breach of this Agreement by the Company, its successors or assigns, including any failure to pay Employee on a timely basis any amounts to which he is entitled under this Agreement; or

     (d) Any requirement that Employee be based at any office outside of a 35-mile radius of Employee’s principal residence as of the date hereof (as set forth in Section 16 hereof).

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          “GROSS-UP PAYMENT” shall mean a payment to Employee in an amount equal to all Excise Tax imposed on Employee as a result of any of the events described in Section 6(d), plus an amount equal to all federal, state or local income or other tax imposed on Employee as a result of any payment of such Excise Tax amount.

          “HEALTH PLANS” shall mean any and all individual and family health and hospitalization insurance and/or self-insurance plans, medical reimbursement plans, prescription drug plans, dental plans and other health and/or wellness plans.

          “INCENTIVE BONUS” shall mean any portion of bonus awarded to Employee under the Annual Incentive Program in which the Employee elects to take restricted shares of the Company or other equity based compensation.

          “LONG-TERM INCENTIVE AWARDS” shall mean all grants of equity-based compensation awarded to Employee under the Company’s Long-Term Incentive Plan, other than Incentive Bonuses, together with amounts under the Long-Term Incentive Plan that Employee elects to contribute to the Section 79 insurance plan of the Company, or any successor plan.

          ‘LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN” means the 1997 Share Equity Plan and any successor, renewal or additional equity plan of the Company.

          “NOTICE OF TERMINATION” shall mean a written instrument delivered by Employee or the Board, as the case may be, which (a) gives notice of the termination of this Agreement and Employee’s employment hereunder, (b) indicates the provision of this Agreement under which the termination is made, (c) unless the termination is pursuant to Section 5(a), (d), (f) or (g), describes in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination, and (d) specifies the Termination Date (which shall be not more than 30 days after the date of the Notice). The failure by Employee or the Company to describe in a Notice of Termination any fact or circumstance which contributes to a showing of Disability, Good Reason or Cause (as applicable) shall not waive any right to assert such fact or circumstance in enforcing Employee’s or the Company’s rights hereunder.

          “PERFORMANCE BONUS” shall mean any portion of the bonus awarded to Employee under the Annual Incentive Program in which the Employee elects to take in the form of cash.

          “RESIGNATION” shall mean Employee’s resignation from the Company other than pursuant to Section 5(e) or (g). “Resign” shall have the correlative meaning.

          “SEVERANCE MULTIPLE” shall mean the number three (3).

          “TERMINATION DATE” shall mean: (a) if Employee is terminated pursuant to Section 5(b) or (c) or terminates pursuant to Section 5(e) or (g), the date of receipt of the Notice of Termination or any later date specified in the Notice, (b) if Employee is terminated by reason of death, the date of his death, or (c) if Employee is terminated pursuant to Section 5(d) or Resigns, 30 days after the date of receipt of the Notice of Termination.

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          “YEAR” shall mean a calendar year including, for purposes of Section 4, all of calendar year 2009.

     2. DUTIES. The Company employs Employee as its Chief Investment Officer and Vice President. During the Employment Period:

          (a) Employee shall perform, to the best of his ability, the duties commensurate with Employee’s position as Chief Investment Officer and Vice President, or such other position as Employee may be promoted in the future, as the Company shall assign from time to time.

          (b) Employee shall devote his full time and attention to the business of the Company and shall not engage in any other business activity for gain or profit, other than (i) Employee’s service as a consultant to Capmark Financial Group, Inc. and (ii) personal investments or service on corporate, civic or charitable boards or committees, in the case of both clause (i) and (ii), so long as such activities do not significantly interfere with the performance of his responsibilities under this Agreement.

Employee accepts his employment and agrees to faithfully observe and enforce the policies and decisions of the Company in effect from time to time, including but not limited to the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and Insider Trading and Regulation FD Compliance Policy.

     3. TERM. This Agreement and Employee’s employment shall remain in effect during the Employment Period, unless


 
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