EMPLOYMENT AND OPTION AMENDMENT AGREEMENTEmployment Agreement |
|
|
|
You are currently viewing: This Employment Agreement involves
FIRST AVENUE NETWORKS INC. RealDealDocs™ contains millions of easily searchable legal documents and clauses from top law firms. Search for free - click here. |
|
|
|
Search Employment Agreement by:
EMPLOYMENT AND OPTION AMENDMENT AGREEMENT
THIS
EMPLOYMENT AND OPTION AMENDMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”)
is effective as of September 23, 2005, between First Avenue Networks,
Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Sandra G.
Thomas (the “Executive”).
IN
CONSIDERATION FOR the mutual promises set forth below, the parties agree as
follows:
1.
Term. Subject to earlier termination as hereafter provided, this
Agreement shall have an original term of six months commencing on September 23,
2005 and shall be automatically extended thereafter for successive terms of six
months each (together, the “Term”), unless either party provides
written notice to the other at least thirty (30) days prior to the
expiration of the original or any extension Term that the Agreement is not to
be extended or renewed. During the Term, the Executive shall be paid a base
annual salary of $150,000, payable in accordance with the Company’s
standard payroll practices and subject to increase from time to time, in the
sole discretion of the Company’s board of directors and the compensation
committee thereof.
2.
Removal and Resignation.
2.1.
Removal by Company Without Cause or Resignation by Executive for Good Reason.
Subject to the Executive meeting her obligations hereunder in all material
respects, including those set forth in the last paragraph of this Section 2.1
and in Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6, if the Executive’s employment is
terminated by the Company without Cause or the Executive resigns for Good
Reason prior to the expiration of the Term (the date of such removal or
resignation, the “Transition Date”) (and, for this purpose, in the
event the Company provides written notice under Section 1 to the Executive
that the Agreement will not be extended or renewed at the expiration of the
then existing six-month Term, the Executive will be deemed, without any further
action being required on the part of any party, to have resigned for Good
Reason prior to the expiration of the Term):
(i)
The Company shall pay the Executive severance in the amount of $75,000 cash
(the “Severance Amount”). The Severance Amount will be paid in six
equal monthly installments, in accordance with the Company’s standard
payroll practices, beginning on the Company’s next regular payday
following the effective date of the General Release described below, and will
be reduced by all required withholdings; provided, however, that if required
pursuant to Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(“Section 409A”), the timing of the payment of the Severance
Amount shall be adjusted as necessary to comply with Section 409A;
-1-
(ii)
The Company shall pay the Executive a cash bonus payment equal to $60,000,
pro-rated for a partial calendar year based on the Transition Date (the
“Annual Bonus”) (e.g. if the Transition Date is June 30, the
Annual Bonus would be 50% of $60,000). The Annual Bonus shall be paid in one
lump sum following the effective date of the General Release described below
and at least 45 days after the Transition Date, and will be reduced by all
required withholdings;
(iii)
If the Executive elects to continue her participation and that of her eligible
dependents in the Company’s group health and dental plans pursuant to her
so-called “COBRA” continuation rights by signing and returning the
election form that is provided, then, for a period of 6 months from the
Transition Date or, if earlier, until the Executive ceases to be eligible for
participation under COBRA or the terms of the plans, the full premium cost of
such coverage will be borne by the Company and either paid on behalf of or
reimbursed to the Executive (the “Medical Benefit”);
(iv)
If the Transition Date occurs during the original Term, the Company shall pay
the Executive a cash bonus payment equal to $75,000 (the “Transition
Bonus”), in full and without pro-ration. The Transition Bonus shall be
paid in one lump sum following the effective date of the General Release
described below and at least 45 days after the Transition Date, and will
be reduced by all required withholdings; provided, however, that if required
pursuant to Section 409A, the Transition Bonus shall be paid in connection with
the Company’s first regular payday as permitted pursuant to
Section 409A; and
(v)
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Company’s Stock
Option Plan or any option grant certificate issued to the Executive, eight days
following the Executive’s execution of the General Release (as defined
below), (i) those options to purchase shares of the common stock of the
Company issued to the Executive pursuant to that certain option grant
certificate dated as of September 22, 2003 (the “Legacy Certificate”)
that remain unvested as of the Transition Date and (ii) those options to
purchase shares of the common stock of the Company issued to the Executive
pursuant to any other option grant certificate or otherwise (together with the
Legacy Certificate, the “Option Certificates”) that would have, but
for the Executive’s removal or resignation, become vested and exercisable
within the six month period following the Transition Date shall become
immediately vested and exercisable (collectively, the “Accelerated
Options”). Section 1 of the Legacy Certificate is hereby amended so
as to give effect to the first sentence of this Section 2.1(v). Except as
otherwise expressly provided in this Section 2.1(v), the terms and
conditions of the Accelerated Options shall remain unchanged and shall be
governed by the terms of the Stock Option Plan, the Option Certificates and any
other restrictions or provisions generally applicable to shares purchased by
Company employees.
-2-
The
provision of any of the above benefits by the Company to the Executive are
expressly conditioned upon the Executive executing a general release of claims
in substantially the form of the General Release attached hereto as Exhibit B
(the “General Release”) within twenty-one days (or such greater
period as may be specified by the Company) following the latest of the date on
which the Executive receives notice of her removal as a senior financial
officer of the Company, the date on which the Executive gives notice of her
resignation or the date she receives a copy of the General Release, and upon
the Executive not revoking the General Release in a timely manner thereafter.
The Executive acknowledges and agrees that she will not receive any Severance
Amount, Annual Bonus, Transition Bonus or Medical Benefit, and will not be
eligible for Accelerated Options, if she does not sign the General Release and
thereby waive those claims against the Company and the related entities
specified in the General Release, and that there is good consideration for said
General Release. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event the Executive fails
to execute the General Release, any outstanding stock options held by the
Executive as of the Transition Date will be exercisable only as provided in the
Company’s Stock Option Plan and the Option Certificates (without giving
effect to the first sentence of Section 2.1(v) hereto). Further, if the
Executive fails to comply with any provision of this Agreement during the
period in which she is entitled to receive the Severance Amount or Medical
Benefit described above, she shall no longer be entitled to receive the
Severance Amount or the Medical Benefit and the Company will have no further
obligation to pay or provide them.
2.2.
Death. In the event of the Executive’s death prior to the
expiration of the Term hereof, the Executive’s employment and all of her
rights hereunder shall terminate, and no further payments of any kind shall be
made except for base salary (including without limitation the Severance Amount)
earned and unpaid through the termination date; provided, however, that under
such circumstances, the Executive’s options shall be exercisable in
accordance with the Company’s Stock Option Plan, the Option Certificates
(without giving effect to the first sentence of Section 2.1(v) hereof),
and any other restrictions or provisions generally applicable to shares
purchased by Company employees.
2.3.
Disability. In the event of the Executive’s Disability, as defined
below, prior to the expiration of the Term hereof, the Company shall thereafter
have the right, upon written notice to the Executive, to terminate the
employment of the Executive, in which case the date of termination shall be the
date of such written notice to the Executive. “Disability”
shall mean a physical or mental disability of the Executive that prevents the
Executive from substantially performing the essential functions of her position
notwithstanding the provision of any reasonable accommodation. In the event of
termination of the Executive’s employment pursuant to this
Section 2.3, all of the Executive’s rights hereunder shall terminate
and no further payments of any kind shall be made except for base salary
(including without limitation the Severance Amount) earned and unpaid through the
termination date; provided, however, that under such circumstances,
-3-
and so long as it does not constitute a new grant under Section 409A, (i) those options to purchase shares of the common stock of the Company issued to the Executive pursuant to the Legacy Certificate that remain unvested as of the time of the Executive’s termination shall become immediately vested and exercisable and (ii) the Executive’s other outstanding options






