EXHIBIT
10.7
EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT
THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
(this "Agreement"), is
entered into as of April 1, 2008, by and between Waste2Energy,
Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and
Christopher d'Arnaud-Taylor (the "Executive").
WHEREAS, Company desires to employ Executive, and
Executive desires to be employed by Company, upon the terms and
conditions hereinafter set forth.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants herein
contained, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt
and adequacy of which are hereby forever acknowledged, the parties,
with the intent of being legally bound hereby, agree as
follows:
1. Term. The term of this Agreement shall commence on the
first day of April, 2008 (the "Effective Date") and shall
end on the date which is the third anniversary of the Effective
Date unless Executive's employment is terminated earlier in
accordance with this Agreement (the "Initial Term");
provided, however, that the term of this Agreement shall
automatically be extended beyond the Initial Term for a one year
period, effective upon the third anniversary of the Effective Date
(the "Renewal Term") unless either party notifies the other
by a date which is ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the
Initial Term that such party desires not to extend the Initial Term
beyond the third anniversary of the Effective Date. This Agreement
shall continue for successive one-year Renewal Terms unless and
until either party gives ninety (90) days notice to the other of
its desire not to extend further the term of this Agreement beyond
the end of the then-current Renewal Term, or this Agreement is
otherwise terminated pursuant to Section 5 hereof. The term
of this Agreement, whether during the Initial Term or any Renewal
Term, shall be referred to as the "Term."
2. Position and
Responsibilities.
2.1 Position. Executive will be employed
by Company to render services to Company in the position of
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, reporting to the Company's
Board of Directors. In that capacity, Executive shall be
responsible for Company's long-term and short-term strategy, which
includes, but is not limited to overseeing the Company's
operations, business activities, implementation of its budgets, and
financing strategies. Executive shall also perform such other
duties as may be consistent with Executive's position. Executive
shall report directly to the Board of Directors of Company.
Executive shall, in all material respects, abide by all material
and written Company rules, policies, and practices as adopted or
modified, from time to time, in Company's sole discretion; and
Executive shall attempt to use his best efforts in the performance
of his duties hereunder. Executive's principal place of business in
the performance of his duties and obligations under this Agreement
shall be in the New York City metropolitan area. Notwithstanding
the preceding sentence, Executive will engage in such travel and
spend such time in other places as may be necessary or appropriate
in furtherance of his duties hereunder.
2.2 Other Activities. While employed by
Company, Executive shall devote at least 80% of his work time to
Company's business utilizing his full, attention, and skill to
perform his assigned duties, services, and responsibilities
hereunder, and shall act at all times in the furtherance of
Company's business and interests. Executive shall not, during the
term of this Agreement engage, directly, in any other business
activity which could reasonably be expected to materially interfere
with Executive's duties and responsibilities hereunder or create a
conflict of interest with Company. The foregoing limitations shall
not prohibit Executive from making and managing his personal and
family investments in such form or manner as will neither require
Executive's services in the operation or affairs of the companies.
Company acknowledges that Executive will from time-to-time serve on
the boards of corporations, advisory committees, trade
organizations, philanthropic organizations or other
entities.
2.3 No Conflict. Executive represents and
warrants that Executive's execution of this Agreement, Executive's
employment with Company, and the performance of Executive's duties
under this Agreement shall not violate any obligations Executive
may have to any other employer, person, or entity, including but
not limited to any obligations with respect to not disclosing any
proprietary or confidential information of any other person or
entity.
3
.
Compensation and Benefits.
3.1 Base Salary. In consideration of the
services to be rendered under this Agreement, Company shall pay
Executive an initial base salary of three hundred thousand dollars
($300,000) per annum. ("Base Salary"), exclusive of Business
Expenses as defined in Article 3.5, and in accordance with
Company's standard payroll and expense reimbursement policies.
Executive agrees to draw the Base Salary at the rate of $15,000 per
month and defer the balance until the earlier of December 31, 2008
or when Company receives more than $1 million in funding.
Executive's Base Salary will be reviewed, from time to time, and
may be adjusted (upward, but not downward) at the discretion of the
Board. The first such review shall be at the earlier of December
31, 2008 or upon the closing of the second round of capital funding
in the amount of $8 million dollars. Salary shall be paid in
arrears on the I s '
and 15 th
of each month commencing on the
effective date hereof.
3.2 Cashless Warrants. In consideration
of the services to be rendered under this Agreement, Company hereby
grants Executive "cashless" warrants to purchase 2,000,000 shares
of Company's Common Stock at a price of $0.50 per share vested upon
execution of this Agreement. Such Warrants shall be more fully
documented in the actual Warrant agreement. The warrants set forth
in this Section 3.1 shall expire on the tenth (10
1 ) anniversary of the Effective Date.
3.3 Additional Incentives. Bonuses and
Benefits. Executive understands that there are no additional
incentive, bonus or benefits plans in effect at the Effective Date.
During the Employment Period, subject to, and to the extent
Executive is eligible under their respective terms, Executive shall
be entitled to receive such fringe benefits as are, or are from
time to time hereafter, generally provided by Company to Company's
employees of comparable status (other than those provided under or
pursuant to separately negotiated individual employment agreements
or arrangements and other than as would duplicate benefits
otherwise provided to Executive)
under any
pension or retirement plan, disability plan or insurance, group
life insurance, medical insurance, travel accident insurance, or
other similar plan or program of Company.
3.5 Vacation. During the Term, Executive
shall be entitled to vacation each year in accordance with
Company's policies in effect from time to time, but in no event
less than six (6) weeks paid vacation per calendar year. Executive
shall also be entitled to such periods of sick leave as is
customarily provided by Company for its senior executive
employees.
3.6 Business Expenses. Throughout the
term of Executive's employment hereunder, Company shall promptly
reimburse Executive for all reasonable and necessary travel,
entertainment, promotional, and other business expenses that may be
incurred by Executive in the course of performing Executive's
duties, including but not limited to cell phone service, portable
e-mail service and such other customary expenses incurred by
principal executive officers. Authorized expenses shall be
reimbursed by Company in accordance with policies and practices
adopted, from time to time, by Company concerning expense
reimbursement for employees and shall be reimbursed upon timely
presentation to Company of an itemized expense statement with
respect thereto, including substantiation of expenses incurred and
such other documentation as may be required by Company's
reimbursement policies from time to time and in accordance with US
Internal Revenue Service guidelines.
3.7 Additional Benefits. Upon the request
of the Executive, the Company shall be required to maintain a
directors and officers insurance policy covering the executive with
a minimum coverage of $5,000,000.
4
.
Nondisclosure of Confidential and Proprietary Information.
At all times before and after the termination of Executive's
service (for any reason by Company or by Executive), Executive
agrees to keep all Confidential or Proprietary Information in
strict confidence and secrecy, and not to disclose or use the
Confidential or Proprietary Information in any way outside of
Executive's assigned responsibilities for Company. "Confidential or
Proprietary Information" means any non-public information or idea
(whether or not a trade secret) relating to the business of Company
that is not generally known outside Company or not generally known
in the industry or by persons engaged in businesses similar to that
of Company (including information which may be available from
sources outside Company, but not in the form, arrangement, or
compilation in which it exists within Company) that Company
considers confidential, including, but not limited to: (i) customer
lists and records of current, former, and prospective customers;
(ii) special needs and characteristics of current, former, or
prospective customers; (iii) present or future business plans; (iv)
trade secrets, proprietary, or confidential information of any
customer or other entity to which Company owes an obligation not to
disclose such information; (v) marketing, financing, business
development, or strategic plans; (vi) sales methods, practices, and
procedures; (vii) personnel information; (viii) research and
development data and projections; (ix) information or data
concerning Company's competitive position in its various lines of
business; (x) existing, new, or envisioned products, programs,
services, methods, techniques, processes, projects, or systems; and
(xi) sales, pricing, billing, costs, and other financial data and
projections. All documents containing this information will be
considered Confidential or Proprietary Information whether or not
marked with any proprietary or confidential notice or legend.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prohibit
Executive from disclosing any information: (1) in connection with
performance of his duties hereunder as he deems in
good faith to
be necessary or desirable; or (2) if compelled pursuant to the
order of a court or other governmental or legal body having
jurisdiction over such matter. In the event Executive is compelled
by order of a court or other governmental or legal body to
communicate or divulge any such information, knowledge or data, he
shall promptly notify Company.
5
.
Termination; Rights and Obligations on Termination.
Executive's employment under
this Agreement
may be terminated in any one of the followings ways:
(a)
Death. The death of Executive shall immediately and
automatically terminate Executive's employment under this
Agreement. If Executive dies while employed by Company, any
unvested equity compensation granted to Executive under any Plan
shall immediately vest and any vested warrants may be exercised on
or before the earlier of (i) the warrant's expiration date or (ii)
eighteen months after Executive's death. Any warrant that remains
unexercised after this period shall be forfeited. Upon Executive's
death, Executive's legal representative shall receive: (1) any
compensation earned but not yet paid, including and without
limitation, any bonus if declared or earned but not yet paid for a
completed fiscal year, any amount of Base Salary earned but unpaid,
any accrued vacation pay payable pursuant to Company's policies,
and any unreimbursed business expenses, which amounts shall be
promptly paid in a lump sum, and (2) any other amounts or benefits
owing to Executive under any then applicable employee benefit
plans, long term incentive plans or equity plans and programs of
Company which shall be paid or treated in accordance with the terms
of such plans and programs (subsections (1) and (2) shall be
collectively referred to as, the "Accrued Amounts"). Other
than the benefits described above, no further compensation or
benefits shall be due or owing upon Executive's death.
(b)
Disability. If as a result of incapacity due to physical or
mental illness or injury, Executive shall have been absent from
Executive's duties hereunder for six months, then thirty (30) days
after receiving written notice (which notice may occur before or
after the end of such six month period, but which shall not be
effective earlier than the last day of such six month period,
Company may terminate Executive's employment hereunder provided
Executive is unable to substantially perform his duties hereunder
at the conclusion of such notice period (a "Disability"), as
determined by a physician mutually selected by the parties hereto.
In the event Executive's employment is terminated as a result of
Disability, Executive shall receive from Company, in a lump-sum
payment due within ten (10) days of the effective date of
termination, an amount equal to the Accrued Amounts. Additionally,
if Executive is terminated due to a Disability, any unvested equity
compensation granted to Executive under any Plan shall immediately
vest and any vested warrants may be exercised on or before the
earlier of: (i) the warrant's expiration date or (ii) eighteen
months after Executive's termination due to the Disability. Any
warrant that remains unexercised after this period shall be
forfeited. Other than the benefits described above, no further
compensation or benefits shall be due or owing upon Executive's
termination due to Disability.
(c) Cause. Company may terminate this
Agreement immediately upon written notice to Executive for "Cause,"
which shall mean: (i) Executive's willful, material, and
irreparable breach of this Agreement; (ii) Executive's willful
misconduct in the performance of any of his material duties and
responsibilities hereunder that has a material adverse effect on
Company; (iii) Executive's intentional and continued
non-performance (other than by reason of
disability or
incapacity) of any of Executive's material duties and
responsibilities hereunder or of any reasonable, lawful
instructions from the Board, which continues for ten (10) days
after receipt by Executive of written notice from Company; (iv)
Executive's material and willful dishonesty or fraud with regard to
Company (other than good faith expense account disputes) that has a
material adverse effect on Company (whether to the business or
reputation of Company; or (v) Executive's conviction of a felony
(other than as a result of vicarious liability or a traffic related
offense). For purposes of this paragraph, no act, or failure to
act, on Executive's part shall be considered "willful" unless done
or omitted to be done, by him not in good faith and without
reasonable belief that his action or omission was in the best
interests of Company. In the event of Executive's termination of
employment by Company for Cause, Executive shall receive only the
Accrued Amounts.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, following
Executive's receipt of written notice from Company of any of the
events described in subsections (i) through (iv) above, Executive
shall have ten (10) days in which to cure the alleged conduct (if
curable).
(d)
Without Cause. At any time after Executive's commencement of
employment, Company may, without Cause, terminate Executive's
employment, effective thirty (30) days after written notice is
provided to Executive. In the event Executive is terminated by
Company without Cause, Executive shall receive from Company within
ten (10) days after such termination, in a lump sum payment, an
amount equal to the sum of the Base Salary and bonus, if any, that
would have been paid to Executive through the end of the then
remaining Term if Executive had not been terminated or for twelve
months, whichever is less. Executive shall also receive the Accrued
Amounts. Additionally, if Executive is tenninated by Company
without Cause, any unvested equity compensation granted to
Executive under any Plan shall immediately vest and any vested
warrants may be exercised on or before the earlier of: (i) the
warran
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