Exhibit 10.24
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT, dated as of the
fourteenth day of February, 2006, between Morgans Hotel Group Co.,
a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), and W.
Edward Scheetz (the “ Executive ”) which shall
become effective upon the closing date (the “ Effective
Date ”) of the initial public offering of the shares of
common stock, par value $0.01 per share, (the “ Common
Stock ”) of the Company pursuant to the registration
statement on Form S-1 (Reg. No. 333-129277) (the “
IPO ”).
1.
Employment Period.
The
Company hereby agrees to employ the Executive, and the Executive
hereby agrees to work in the employ of the Company, subject to the
terms and conditions of this Agreement, for the period commencing
on the Effective Date and ending on the fourth anniversary of the
Effective Date (the “ Employment Period
”). Commencing on the fourth anniversary of the
Effective Date and on each anniversary thereafter, the Employment
Period shall be automatically extended for one year terms unless
either the Company or the Executive shall give the other party not
less than 90
days prior
written notice of the intention to not extend this Agreement (a
“ Non-Renewal Notice ”).
2.
Terms of Employment.
(a)
Position and
Duties .
(i)
During the
Employment Period, the Executive shall serve as President and Chief
Executive Officer of the Company with the appropriate authority,
duties and responsibilities attendant to such position and any
other duties that may reasonably be assigned by the Company’s
Board of Directors (the “ Board ”) consistent
with his position as President and Chief Executive Officer.
The Executive shall be appointed to the Board on or prior to the
Effective Date and the Company shall use its reasonable best
efforts to cause the Executive to be nominated and elected to the
Board during the Employment Period.
(ii)
During the
Employment Period, and excluding any periods of vacation and sick
leave to which the Executive is entitled, the Executive agrees to
devote substantially all of the Executive’s business time,
attention and energies to the performance of the duties assigned to
the Executive hereunder, and to perform such duties faithfully,
diligently and to the best of the Executive’s abilities and
subject to such laws, rules, regulations and policies from time to
time applicable to the Company’s other executives.
Notwithstanding the above, (x) nothing in this Agreement shall
preclude the Executive from devoting a portion of the
Executive’s business time, attention and energies to the
performance of the Executive’s duties as co-CEO of NorthStar
Capital Investment Corp. (and such activity shall not violate
Section 7 of this Agreement) and (y) Executive shall be
entitled to attend to personal and family affairs and investments,
be involved in not for profit, charitable and professional
activities and serve on up to two for
profit boards,
provided that the foregoing does not, in the aggregate, materially
interfere with Executive’s responsibilities hereunder.
The Board hereby approves Executive’s service on the boards
set forth in Exhibit A hereto.
(b)
Compensation
.
(i)
Annual Base
Salary . During the Employment
Period, the Executive shall receive an annual base salary (“
Annual Base Salary ”) of at least $750,000, which
shall be subject to annual review and increase. No
increase in
Annual Base Salary shall limit or reduce any other right of or
obligation to the Executive under this Agreement. Annual Base
Salary shall not be reduced at any time (including after any such
increase) without the Executive’s written consent and the
term Annual Base Salary as utilized in this Agreement shall refer
to Annual Base Salary as so increased.
(ii)
Annual
Bonus . During the Employment
Period, the Executive shall be paid an annual cash bonus (“
Annual Bonus ”) with a target level of 100% of Annual
Base Salary and a maximum level of 200% of Annual Base
Salary. The applicable corporate and individual performance
targets shall be determined by the Compensation Committee of the
Board (the “ Compensation Committee ”), after
consultation with the Executive, within the first 90 days of
each calendar year or within 30 days after the IPO if later.
The actual Annual Bonus for each calendar year shall be
determined in good faith by the Compensation Committee based upon
actual corporate and individual performance for such year and shall
be payable in accordance with the procedures specified by the
Compensation Committee; provided that the Annual Bonus shall be
paid no later than March 15 of the following year. To
the extent the Annual Bonus would exceed 100 percent of Annual
Base Salary, the Compensation Committee may in its discretion pay
such excess in the form of fully vested equity compensation awards
under Section 2(b)(v) (which may be subject to other
conditions that the Compensation Committee may
determine).
(iii)
IPO Stock
Options . On the Effective
Date, the Executive shall be granted options under the
Company’s 2006 Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan (the “
SIP ”) to purchase $6,000,000 worth of shares of the
Common Stock (using the offering price shown on the cover of the
Company’s IPO Form S-1) at an exercise price equal to
the offering price shown on the cover of the Company’s IPO
Form S-1 (the “ IPO Stock Options ”).
Such IPO Stock Options shall be evidenced by, and subject to, the
stock option agreement attached hereto as
Exhibit B.
(iv)
IPO
Units . On the Effective
Date, the Executive shall be granted $6,500,000 worth of LTIP Units
in Morgans Group LLC (for this purpose each unit shall be valued at
the offering price of a share of Common Stock shown on the cover of
the Company’s IPO Form S-1) in accordance with the
Company’s SIP (the “ IPO Units ”).
Such IPO Units shall be evidenced by, and subject to, the unit
agreement attached hereto as Exhibit C.
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(v)
Subsequent
Annual Equity Grants . The Company may grant
the Executive at the end of each year equity awards under the
Company’s SIP, in an amount determined, and on terms and
conditions specified, by the Compensation Committee in its sole
discretion, which terms and conditions shall be no less favorable
than the terms and conditions of equity awards granted to other
senior executives of the Company.
(c)
Benefits
.
(i)
Employee
Benefits . During the Employment
Period, the Executive shall be entitled to participate in all
employee benefit and other plans, practices, policies and programs
and fringe benefits and perquisites on a basis no less favorable
than that provided to other executives of the Company. The
Executive shall be entitled to a car and driver, financial advisory
and tax preparation assistance and travel arrangements to the same
extent currently provided by NorthStar Capital Investment
Corp.
(ii)
Indemnification
. To the
fullest extent permitted by law, the Company will indemnify the
Executive against any actual or threatened action, suit or
proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or
investigative, arising by reason of the Executive’s status as
a current or former director, officer, employee and/or agent of the
Company. The Executive shall be covered under any director
and officer insurance policy obtained by the Company, if any, and
shall be entitled to benefit from any officer indemnification
arrangements adopted by the Company, if any, to the same extent as
other directors or senior executive officers of the Company
(including the right to such coverage or benefit following the
Executive’s employment to the extent liability continues to
exist). However, the Executive agrees to repay any expenses
paid or reimbursed by the Company if it is ultimately determined
that the Executive is not legally entitled to be indemnified by the
Company.
(iii)
Vacations
. The
Executive shall be eligible for up to five weeks of annual vacation
to be accrued in accordance with the Company’s policy for its
other executives.
3.
Termination of
Employment.
(a)
Death or
Disability . The Executive’s
employment shall terminate automatically upon the Executive’s
death during the Employment Period. If the Company determines
in good faith that the Disability of the Executive has occurred
during the Employment Period (pursuant to the definition of
Disability set forth below), it may give to the Executive written
notice in accordance with Section 10(b) of its intention to
terminate the Executive’s employment. In such event,
the Executive’s employment with the Company shall terminate
effective on the 30th day after receipt of such notice by the
Executive (the “ Disability Effective Date ”),
provided that, within the 30 days after such receipt, the
Executive shall not
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have returned to full-time
performance of the Executive’s duties. For purposes of
this Agreement, “ Disability ” shall mean the
inability of the Executive to perform the Executive’s duties
with the Company on a full-time basis for 180 business days
during any consecutive twelve month period as a result of
incapacity due to mental or physical illness which is determined to
be total and permanent by a physician selected by the Company and
acceptable to the Executive or the Executive’s legal
representative or by the insurance company which insures the
Company’s long-term disability plan in which the Executive is
eligible to participate.
(b)
Cause . The Company may
terminate the Executive’s employment during the Employment
Period with or without Cause. For purposes of this Agreement,
“ Cause ” shall mean that the
Executive:
(i)
willfully and
continually refuses to substantially perform the Executive’s
responsibilities under this Agreement, after demand for substantial
performance has been given by the Board that specifically
identifies how the Executive has refused to perform such
responsibilities;
(ii)
willfully engages
in misconduct (including violations of Sections 7(a), (b) or (c) of
this Agreement) which is materially and demonstrably injurious to
the Company; or
(iii)
is convicted of a
felony or pleads guilty or nolo contendere to a
felony.
For purposes of this provision, no act or
omission on the part of the Executive shall be considered “
willful ” unless it is done or omitted in bad faith or
without reasonable belief that the act or omission was in the best
interests of the Company. Any act or omission based upon a
resolution duly adopted by the Board or advice of counsel for the
Company shall be conclusively presumed to have been done or omitted
in good faith and in the best interests of the Company. The
cessation of employment of the Executive shall not be deemed to be
for Cause unless and until there shall have been delivered to the
Executive a copy of a resolution duly adopted by the affirmative
vote of not less than 75% of the entire membership of the Board
(excluding the Executive) at a meeting of the Board called and held
for such purpose (after reasonable notice is provided to the
Executive and the Executive is given an opportunity, together with
counsel, to be heard before the Board) finding that, in the good
faith opinion of the Board, the Executive is guilty of the conduct
described above, and specifying the particulars thereof in
detail. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Board
reasonably believes in good faith that facts exist that may justify
a termination for Cause, the Board retains the right to
(i) immediately terminate the Executive’s employment
(without any obligation to pay or provide any benefits described in
Section 4) and (ii) call the Board meeting and comply
with the other requirements described in the preceding sentence
within 30 days thereafter (the “ Determination
Period ”); provided that promptly following the
Determination Period, the Executive shall be paid or provided the
applicable benefits described in Section 4. If the Company
does not deliver to the Executive a
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Notice of Termination within 90
days after the Board has knowledge that an event constituting Cause
has occurred, the event will no longer constitute Cause.
(c)
Good
Reason . The Executive’s
employment may be terminated by the Executive with or without Good
Reason. For purposes of this Agreement, “ Good
Reason ” shall mean in the absence of a written consent
of the Executive:
(i)
the assignment to
the Executive of duties materially inconsistent with the
Executive’s title, position, status, reporting
relationships,
authority, duties or responsibilities as contemplated by
Section 2(a)(i), or any other action by the Company which
results in a diminution in the Executive’s title, position,
status, reporting relationships, authority,
duties or responsibilities, other than insubstantial or inadvertent
actions not taken in bad faith which are remedied by the Company
promptly after receipt of notice thereof given by the
Executive;
(ii)
any failure by
the Company to comply with any of the provisions of
Section 2(b) or 2(c), other than insubstantial or inadvertent
failures not in bad faith which are remedied by the Company
promptly after receipt of notice thereof given by the
Executive;
(iii)
any purported
termination by the Company of the Executive’s employment
otherwise than as expressly permitted by this
Agreement;
(iv)
any failure by
the Company to comply with and satisfy
Section 8(c);
(v)
following a
Change in Control (as defined in the SIP), any requirement that the
Executive’s principal place of employment be at a location
more than 50 miles from New York, New York;
(vi)
if Executive is
not re-elected to the Board; or
(vii)
any material
failure by the Company to comply with any other material provision
of this Agreement (including the equity award
agreements).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, placing the
Executive on a paid leave for up to 30 days, pending
the determination of whether there is a basis to terminate the
Executive for Cause, shall not constitute a “Good
Reason” event; provided, further, that, if the Executive is
subsequently terminated for Cause, then the Executive shall repay
any amounts paid by the Company to the Executive during such paid
leave period. If the Executive does not deliver to the
Company a Notice of Termination (as defined below) within
90 days after the Executive has knowledge that an event
constituting Good Reason has occurred, the event will no longer
constitute Good Reason.
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(d)
Notice of
Termination . Any termination by
the Company or by the Executive shall be communicated by Notice of
Termination to the other party hereto given in accordance with
Section 10(b). For purposes of this Agreement, a “
Notice of Termination ” means a written notice which
(i) indicates the specific termination provision in this
Agreement relied upon, (ii) to the extent applicable, sets
forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to
provide a basis for termination of the Executive’s employment
under the provision so indicated and (iii) if the Date of
Termination (as defined below) is other than the date of receipt of
such notice, specifies the Date of Termination. The failure
by the Executive or the Company to set forth in the Notice of
Termination any fact or circumstance which contributes to a showing
of Good Reason or Cause shall not waive any right of the Executive
or the Company, respectively, hereunder or preclude the Executive
or the Company, respectively, from asserting such fact or
circumstance in enforcing the Executive’s or the
Company’s rights hereunder.
(e)
Date of
Termination . “ Date of
Termination ” means (i) if the Executive’s
employment is terminated by the Company other than for Disability,
the date of receipt of the Notice of Termination or any later date
specified therein within 30 days of such notice, (ii) if
the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Executive,
30 days after receipt of the Notice of Termination (provided,
that, the Company may accelerate the Date of Termination to an
earlier date by providing the Executive with notice of such action,
or, alternatively, the Company may place the Executive on paid
leave during such period) and (iii) if the Executive’s
employment is terminated by reason of death or Disability, the Date
of Termination shall be the date of death of the Executive or the
Disability Effective Date, as the case may be.
4.
Obligations of the Company upon
Termination.
(a)
Other Than for
Cause; For Good Reason. If, during the
Employment Period, the Company shall terminate the
Executive’s employment other than for Cause or Disability, or
the Executive shall terminate employment for Good Reason (or the
Executive dies after delivery of a valid Notice of Termination for
Good Reason or without Cause) (each, a “ Qualifying
Termination ”), except as provided in
Sections 2(c)(ii) and 6 of this Agreement, the Company shall
have no further obligations to the Executive other
than:
(i)
the Company shall
pay to the Executive in a lump sum in cash within 30 days
after the Date of Termination an amount equal to the sum of
(A) the amount equal to the Executive’s Annual Base
Salary through the Date of Termination to the extent theretofore
unpaid plus (B) a pro-rated bonus based upon the number
of days in the year of termination through the Date of Termination
relative to 365 and the greater of (i) the target Annual Bonus
in the year the Date of Termination occurs and (ii) the
average of the Annual Bonuses earned for the two years prior to the
year the Date of Termination occurs (the higher of (i) and (ii),
the “ Applicable Bonus Amount ”) plus
(C) 2.5 times the sum of the Annual
Base Salary plus the Applicable Bonus Amount;
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(ii)
for 30
months following the Date of
Termination, the Company shall continue to provide medical and
dental and life insurance benefits to the Executive, his spouse and
his eligible dependents on the same basis and at the same cost as
such benefits are then currently provided to the Executive (the
“ Welfare Benefits ”); provided that such
benefits shall be secondary to any other coverage obtained by the
Executive; provided, however, that if the Company’s welfare
plans do not permit such coverage, the Company will provide the
Executive the Welfare Benefits with the same after tax
effect;
(iii)
if applicable,
the Executive shall be deemed to have an additional 30 months of
service credit under the Company’s retirement plans,
programs, practices and policies;
(iv)
all Company
equity awards (including, without limitation, the IPO Stock Options
and IPO Units) shall fully vest and all stock options and stock
appreciation rights shall remain exercisable for the lesser of
(x) 30 months after the Date of Termination or (y) the
remainder of their term; and
(v)
to the extent not
theretofore paid or provided, the Company shall timely pay or
provide to the Executive any other amounts or benefits required to
be paid or provided or which the Executive is eligible to receive
under any plan, program, policy or practice or other contract or
agreement of the Company and its affiliated companies through the
Date of Termination, including, but not limited to, any accrued but
unused vacation, any unreimbursed business expenses and the
percentage of target bonus payable to other senior executives of
the Company with respect to any unpaid bonus for any completed
fiscal year prior to the Date of Termination (such other amounts
and benefits shall be hereinafter referred to as the “
Other Benefits ”).
(b)
Death;
Disability . If, during the
Employment Period, the Executive’s employment shall terminate
on account of death (other than via death after delivery of a valid
Notice of Termination for Good Reason or without Cause) or
Disability, except as provided in Sections 2(c)(ii) and 6 of this
Agreement, the Company shall have no further obligations to the
Executive other than to provide the Executive (or his estate):
(i) the Annual Base Salary through the Date of
Termination to the extent theretofore unpaid, (ii) a pro-rated
bonus as set forth in Section 4(a)(i)(B), (iii) the Other
Benefits and (iv) all Company equity awards shall be treated
as set forth in Section 4(a)(iv).
(c)
For Cause;
Other than For Good Reason; End of Employment Period
. If,
during the Employment Period, the Company shall terminate the
Executive’s employment for Cause or the Executive terminates
his employment without Good Reason, except as provided in
Sections 2(c)(ii) and 6 of this Agreement, the Company shall
have no further obligations to the Executive other than the
oblig
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