Exhibit 10.1
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
(“Agreement”), dated as of June 1, 2009, between Scott
Flanders, residing at 45 Echo Glen, Irvine, California 92603,
(“Executive”) and PLAYBOY ENTERPRISES, INC., a Delaware
corporation (“Employer” or the “Company”),
with an office at 680 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois
60611.
RECITAL
Employer is primarily engaged in the business
of multimedia entertainment. Employer desires to hire Executive,
and Executive desires to be employed by Employer on the terms and
subject to the conditions set forth below.
In consideration of the premises and the
mutual covenants hereinafter set forth, the parties hereto hereby
agree as follows:
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Employment of the Executive
. Employer hereby agrees to employ Executive and
Executive hereby agrees to be and remain in the employ of Employer,
as the Chief Executive Officer of Employer, upon the terms and
conditions hereinafter set forth.
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Employment Period . The term
of Executive’s employment under this Agreement (the
“Employment Period”) shall commence July 1, 2009 (the
“Commencement Date”) and remain in effect for four
years (the “Initial Term”) unless terminated as
permitted herein. Thereafter, this Agreement shall
automatically renew for successive one year terms (each a
“Renewal Term”) unless either party provides written
notice of termination at least one year prior to the end of the
Initial Term or Renewal Term, in which case, the Agreement will
terminate at the end of such Initial Term or Renewal
Term. The Initial Term and any Renewal Term(s) shall
collective be the “Term.”
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Duties and Responsibilities .
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During the Employment Period, Executive (i)
shall have the title of Chief Executive Officer, (ii) shall devote
his full business time and attention and expend his best efforts,
energies and skills on a full-time basis to the business of the
Company, and shall not engage in any other activity that would
materially interfere with the performance of his duties under this
Agreement (provided that Executive is permitted to serve on the
board of directors of eHealth, Inc. and IMAX Corporation - to the
extent that doing so does not create any conflict of interest with
Executive’s obligations or duties under this Agreement - or
other organizations, subject to approval of the Company’s
Board of Directors (the “Board”), such approval not to
be unreasonably withheld, or engage in endeavors related to the
community, his faith, personal finances and effects and other
charitable functions which do not materially interfere with the
performance of his duties hereunder) and (iii) shall perform such
duties, and comply with all reasonable directions and instructions
of a majority of the Company’s Board.
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Anything in paragraph 3.(a) above or this
Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, nothing herein will be
construed so as to prevent or limit the Company’s good faith
determination for bona fide business reasons to cease any or all of
its operations or to operate one or more of any such activities
through a joint venture, third party license or other arrangement
with a third party.
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During the Employment Period, (i) Executive
will report only to the Company’s Board, (ii) Executive will
be the Company’s most senior and highest ranking executive,
(iii) all other Company senior executives will report to Executive,
and (iv) the Chairman of the Board of the Company will not be an
executive of the Company.
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For all services rendered and required to be
rendered by, covenants of and restrictions in respect to, Executive
under this Agreement, Employer shall pay to Executive during and
with respect to the Employment Period, and Executive agrees to
accept, annual base salary (“Base Salary”) computed at
the following rates:
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July 1, 2009
through June 30, 2010: $875,000;
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July 1, 2010
through June 30, 2011: $900,000;
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July 1, 2011
through June 30, 2012: $925,000;
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July 1, 2012
through June 30, 2013: $950,000;
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payable on a biweekly basis in accordance with
the Employer’s standard payroll practices. Should
the Term be extended beyond June 30, 2013, Company and Executive
will negotiate Base Salary for any such extension in good
faith. In addition, for fiscal 2010 and each calendar
year of the Term thereafter, Executive will be eligible to
participate in a Board approved incentive compensation plan, with
Executive being eligible to earn up to a maximum potential of 100%
of his Base Salary (with “Target” being 75% of such
maximum potential).
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Executive will be eligible for a one-time
bonus based on Executive’s performance from the Commencement
Date through December 31, 2009. Whether such bonus is
payable at all, and, if it is, the amount thereof (which will be a
maximum of 100% of his Base Salary with Target being 75% of such
maximum potential) will be solely at the discretion of the Board
and will be payable, if at all, on or before January 31, 2010.
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Upon commencement of Executive’s
employment by the Company, Executive will receive a one-time grant
of nonqualified options to purchase 1,200,000 shares of the Class B
common stock of the Company. This option will be subject
to the Company’s stock option plan and contain the terms and
conditions determined by the Company’s Compensation
Committee. Subject to paragraph 5.5 hereof, the vesting
period of such options will be four years in equal installments
from the date of grant. The strike price of such options
will be the closing price of the Company’s Class B common
stock at the close of business on the date set forth in the grant
by the Company’s Compensation Committee (which is expected to
be the Commencement Date).
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Upon commencement of Executive’s
employment by the Company, Executive will receive a one-time grant
of 150,000 restricted stock units of the Company’s Class B
common stock. This grant will be subject to the
Company’s stock option
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plan and contain the terms and conditions
determined by the Company’s Compensation
Committee. Subject to paragraph 5.5 hereof, the vesting
period of such grant will be four years in equal installments from
the date of the grant (which is expected to be the Commencement
Date).
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Effective on the Commencement Date, Executive
will be entitled to participate in the Company’s health
benefit plans, together with the Company’s Executive vacation
policy (under which he will be entitled to five weeks of paid
vacation annually), matching 401-K plan and similar plans in effect
from time to time. Executive’s participation in
the foregoing plans, perquisites and travel and entertainment
policy will be at the highest level and on terms no less favorable
than afforded to other senior executives of the Company
commensurate with Executive’s level. Should any
other executive of the Company receive a car allowance or
reimbursement for club membership dues, Executive will also be
entitled to such perquisites.
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Subject to paragraph 6. hereof Company will
reimburse Executive for all reasonable business expenses and
Executive will comply with Company’s travel and entertainment
policies in incurring and seeking reimbursement for such
expenses.
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Termination of Employment Period; Change of
Control .
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Employer may, at any time during the
Employment Period by written notice to Executive (the
“Termination Notice”), terminate the Employment Period
for uncured “Cause” effective
immediately. The Termination Notice shall specify the
reason for termination. In such an event,
Executive’s sole remedy shall be to collect all unpaid Base
Salary and all unreimbursed expenses payable for all periods
through the effective date of termination and Executive shall not
be entitled to any compensation or other amount from the Company
after the effective date of termination. For purposes
hereof, “Cause” means a:
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willful failure or refusal by Executive to
substantially implement or follow material lawful policies or
directions of the Board after written notice from Company;
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willful commission by Executive of an act of
moral turpitude that results in material harm to the Company; or
commission of or conviction for any felony or any material
misdemeanor involving theft, fraud or other dishonest action that
results in material harm to the Company;
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material breach of this Employment Agreement
that results in material harm to the Company; or
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material misrepresentation or material and
willful nondisclosure by Executive that results in material harm to
the Company in connection with performance of Executive’s
duties.
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Provided that in the event any such wrongful
conduct is capable of being cured, Executive will have 14 business
days from his receipt of the Termination Notice to cure such
conduct to the reasonable satisfaction of Company.
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The Company may terminate this Agreement at
any time for any reason, by delivering a written notice to
Executive, effective 30 days after Executive receives such notice
in accordance with the terms hereof. In such an event,
Executive’s sole remedy shall be:
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to collect all unpaid Base Salary, accrued
incentive compensation, accrued vacation pay and all unreimbursed
expenses payable for all periods through the effective date of
termination; plus
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a severance payment in the amount of 12 months
of Executive’s then Base Salary (subject to Section 409A of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended); plus
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(c)
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a payout of 100% incentive compensation
payable at Target under the incentive compensation plan for
Executive in and only in the year of such termination;
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(the sum of paragraphs 5.2 (a), (b) and (c)
being collectively referred to as the “Severance
Payment”). Company will reasonably cooperate with
Executive to structure the payment of the Severance Payment in a
tax efficient manner. To the extent allowed by law and
requested by Executive, the Severance Payment will be made in a
lump sum within ten days of the effective date of Executive’s
termination. Executive will have the right to take the
Base Salary portion of the Severance Payment in equal installments
over the period set out in paragraph 5.2 (b). As long as
Executive is receiving such Base Salary, he, and to the extent he
has family coverage, his family, will remain covered by
Company’s health insurance plan, as applicable.
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In the event Executive becomes totally
disabled or disabled such that he is rendered unable to perform
substantially all of his usual duties for Company, and if such
disability shall persist for a continuous period in excess of six
months, or an aggregate period in excess of six months in any one
fiscal year, Company shall have the right at any time after the end
of such period during continuance of Executive’s disability
by the delivery of not less than 30 days’ prior written
notice to Executive to terminate Executive’s employment under
this Agreement whereupon the applicable provisions of paragraph 5.4
below shall apply.
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For purposes of this Agreement, if Executive
and Company shall disagree as to whether Executive is totally
disabled, or disabled such that he is rendered unable to perform
substantially all of his usual duties for Company as set forth
above, or as to the date at which time such total disability began,
the decision of a licensed medical practitioner, mutually agreed
upon by the parties, shall be binding as to both
questions. If the parties cannot agree as to the
identity of the licensed medical practitioner, Executive shall
select a licensed medical practitioner of his choice and the
Company shall select a licensed medical practitioner of its
choice. The
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two licensed medical practitioners so selected
shall select a third licensed medical practitioner, which third
individual shall resolve either or both of the questions referred
to above and which resolution shall be binding upon the
parties.
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If Executive’s employment with the
Company is terminated on account of Executive’s disability as
provided for in paragraph 5.3 above or on account of
Executive’s death, then Executive (or Executive’s
estate or personal representative, as applicable) shall only be
entitled to receive, and Company shall pay to Executive (or
Executive’s estate or personal representative, as applicable)
the following amounts:
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all unpaid Base Salary accrued incentive
compensation, accrued vacation pay and all un
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