Exhibit 10.39
ORANGE 21 INC.
EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT
This Executive Employment Agreement
(the “ Agreement ”) is entered effective
October 12, 2006, by and between Orange 21 Inc., a Delaware
corporation (“ Employer ”), and Jerry Collazo
(“ Employee ”), with respect to the following
facts:
A. Whereas, Employee has agreed to
serve as Chief Financial Officer of Employer;
B. Whereas, Employer is a Delaware
corporation engaged in the business of the design, manufacture,
sale, and distribution of sunglasses and related products bearing
Employer’s trade name; and
C. Whereas, Employer wishes to
secure and Employee wishes to provide ongoing services on the terms
and conditions set forth herein;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of
the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth, the parties agree as
follows:
1. Employment . Employer
hereby agrees to employ Employee as its Chief Financial Officer,
and Employee hereby agrees to be employed by Employer in such
capacity, subject to the terms and conditions in this
Agreement.
2. At Will Employment . The
parties acknowledge and agree that: (a) Employee’s
employment is not for a specified term and may be terminated by
Employer or Employee at any time with or without cause;
(b) this provision is intended to be the complete and final
expression of the parties’ understanding regarding the terms
and conditions under which Employee’s employment may be
terminated; (c) no representation contrary to this provision
is valid; and (d) this provision may not be augmented,
contradicted, or modified in any way, except by a writing signed by
Employee and by Employer’s Chief Executive Officer. Nothing
in this Agreement is intended to or shall be construed to
contradict, modify or alter this at-will relationship.
3. Compensation . Employer
shall pay Employee the following forms of compensation:
a. Base Salary . Employee
shall be paid a gross annual salary of $250,000 (“ Base
Salary ”), payable on a pro-rated basis according to
Employer’s payroll schedule and subject to applicable
withholdings and other payroll deductions. The Base Salary is
subject to adjustment at the end of each calendar year by the Board
of Directors of Employer (the “ Board ”) in its
sole and absolute discretion.
b. Commissions, Profit Sharing
and Bonuses. Each year, in the sole and absolute discretion of
the Board, Employee may be entitled to participate in commission
programs, profit sharing programs and bonus programs. The terms and
conditions of any such programs will be established by the Board
each year and Employee will be notified of such
terms and conditions for such year.
For 2006, the terms and conditions of such programs as such
programs apply to Employee are outlined on Exhibit A ,
attached hereto.
e. Stock Options; Restricted
Stock .
(i) Pursuant to the terms and
conditions of a Notice of Stock Option Grant and Stock Option
Agreement and Employer’s 2004 Stock Incentive Plan, Employee
shall be granted an option to purchase up to 20,000 shares of
Employer’s common stock. Beginning in 2007, from time to
time, in the sole and absolute discretion of the Board, Employee
may be granted additional options to purchase shares of common
stock of Employer on terms and conditions established by the
Board.
(ii) Pursuant to the terms and
conditions of a Notice of Restricted Share Award and Restricted
Share Agreement and Employer’s 2004 Stock Incentive Plan,
Employee shall be granted 20,000 restricted shares of
Employer’s common stock.
d. Car; Phone . During the
term of this Agreement, Employee shall be entitled to a monthly car
allowance of $500.00. In addition, Employer shall either provide or
pay the cost of a mobile telephone for Employee’s use in
connection with the performance of his duties under this
Agreement.
4. Duties . Employee will
expend his best efforts on behalf of Employer and will abide by all
applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations or
ordinances. As an employee of the Company, Employee agrees:
(a) to devote Employee’s utmost knowledge and best skill
to the performance of Employee’s duties under this Agreement;
(b) to devote Employee’s full business time to the
rendition of such services, subject to absences for customary
vacations and for temporary illness; and (c) not to engage in
any other gainful occupation, business, or activity that requires
Employee’s personal attention or creates a conflict of
interest with Employee’s responsibilities under this
Agreement without the prior approval of the Board of Directors.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Employee shall be permitted, to the
extent such activities do not interfere with his performance of his
duties and responsibilities and do not violate Section 11 of
this Agreement, to serve on civic or charitable boards or
committees and serve on the boards of other companies.
5. Personnel Policies and
Procedures . Employer shall have the authority to establish
from time to time personnel policies and procedures to be followed
by its employees. Employee agrees to comply with the policies and
procedures of Employer. To the extent any provisions in
Employer’s personnel policies and procedures differ from the
terms of this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall
control.
6. Expenses . Employee is
authorized to incur ordinary and necessary expenses in connection
with the performance of his duties that are consistent with the
policies of Employer as outlined in Employer’s Travel and
Expense Guidelines, which may from time to time be modified or
amended by Employer’s Chief Executive Officer. Employer will
reimburse Employee for all such expenses upon the presentation by
Employee of an itemized account of
such expenditures with supporting documentation.
Employee agrees to submit expense reimbursement requests within
thirty (30) days after he incurs such expenses.
7. Insurance . Employee shall
be entitled to participate in any insurance or other employee
benefit program maintained by Employer for the benefit of similarly
situated employees, subject to the terms and conditions of
Employer’s benefit program documents.
8. Vacation . Employee shall
be entitled to three (3) weeks of vacation in each calendar
year. Vacation shall be earned on a monthly basis at a rate
calculated by dividing the number of days of vacation per year by
twelve (12). For example – if the Employee is entitled to 15
days of vacation per year, the Employee will accrue 1.25 days of
vacation for each month worked during the year. Vacation not taken
during the applicable fiscal year shall be carried over to the
following fiscal year, for a maximum vacation accrual of six
(6) weeks vacation time. Vacation shall be taken at times
consistent with the reasonable needs of the business of Employer.
Accrued but unused vacation days shall be paid in a cash lump sum
upon Employee’s Termination Date, as defined in
Section 9 below.
9. Termination .
Employee’s employment may be terminated upon occurrence of
one of the following events:
a. By Death . This Agreement
shall automatically terminate upon Employee’s
death.
b. By Mutual Agreement . This
Agreement may be terminated at any time by mutual agreement of the
parties hereto.
c. Disability . If Employee
is prevented from fully performing the essential functions of
Employee’s duties under this Agreement because of any illness
or physical or mental disability, with or without reasonable
accommodation, for a period or periods of more than ninety
(90) days in the aggregate during any calendar year or thirty
(30) consecutive days in any twelve (12)-month period,
Employer may terminate Employee’s employment in its sole
discretion in accordance with state and federal law.
d. By Employer For Cause .
This Agreement may be terminated by Employer at any time for Cause.
For purposes of this Agreement, “ Cause ” shall
mean, as determined by the Chief Executive Officer in his sole
discretion:
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(i)
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Commission of a
felony or any lesser crime or offense involving fraud,
embezzlement, dishonesty, breach of trust, or breach of fiduciary
duty; or
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(ii)
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Conduct that
has caused demonstrable and serious injury to Employer or any of
its affiliates, monetary or otherwise; or
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(iii)
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The order of a
regulatory agency that Employee be removed from any office,
authority, or employment with Employer; or
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(iv)
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Willful
misconduct, refusal to perform, or substantial disregard of duties
properly assigned to Employee by Employer; or
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(v)
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Breach of duty
of loyalty to Employer or any of its affiliates or other act of
fraud or dishonesty with respect to Employer or any of its
affiliates; or
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(vi)
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Breach by
Employee of the terms of any agreement between or among Employee
and Employer; or
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(vii)
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Employee’s violation of any policy of
Employer
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“ Termination Date
” shall mean the date Employee’s employment
relationship with Employer terminates. This Agreement terminates
effective the Termination Date.
e. By Employer Without Cause
. Employer may, at any time, terminate Employee’s employment
without Cause and for reasons not specified above.
10. Effect of Termination .
Upon termination of the employment relationship, all rights of
Employee under this Agreement shall cease (but not obligations) and
Employee shall cease to be an employee of Employer. Employee shall
have no right to receive any payments or benefits hereunder except
for the following, where applicable:
a. Employee’s Base Salary
payable pursuant to Section 3(a) hereof up to the
Termination Date, including any accrued and unused
vacation;
b. Any commissions, profit sharing
or bonuses, in accordance with the terms established by the Board
from time to time, as provided by Section 3(b) above
(provided that any such commissions, profit sharing or bonuses
shall, where applicable and to the extent earned in accordance with
the criteria established by the Board, be pro-rated through the
Termination Date).
c. Reimbursement of expenses
incurred in accordance with Section 6 hereof prior to
the Termination Date to the extent not previously reimbursed by
Employer; and
d. If Employee is terminated
pursuant to Section 9(e), a severance payment in the amount
established by the Board from time to time for such Employee (it be
understood and acknowledged that the severance payment for the year
2006 shall be set forth on Exhibit A , attached hereto, and
that the Board shall not reduce such amounts for future years of
service). Employee acknowledges and agrees that his receipt of the
severance payment shall be conditioned upon Employee executing and
delivering a separation and release agreement in a form acceptable
to Employer.
11. Non-Competition;
Nondisclosure of Proprietary Information .
a. Non-Competition . During
Employee’s employment by Employer, Employee shall not,
directly or indirectly, own, manage, operate, control, invest or
acquire an interest in, or otherwise engage or participate (whether
as a proprietor, partner, stockholder, director,
officer, employee, joint venturer,
investor, or other participant) in any “Competitive
Business” (as hereinafter defined) in the United States,
without regard to: (i) whether the Competitive Business has
its office or other business facilities within the United States;
(ii) whether any of the activities of Employee occur or are
performed within the United States; or (iii) whether Employee
resides in, or reports to an office within, the United States. For
purposes of this Section 11 , “ Competitive
Business ” shall mean the business of design,
manufacture, sale, and distribution of sunglasses, motocross or
snow goggles, and related products and accessories, and any other
business in which Employer becomes engaged during the term of
Employee’s employment with Employer.
b. Nondisclosure . During the
period that Employee is employed by Employer, and for an infinite
period thereafter, Employee shall not disclose, directly or
indirectly, any confidential or proprietary information regarding
any aspect of Employer, including any information relating to its
finances, business, operations, products, procedures, business
practices, marketing plans, trademarks, customer lists, and pricing
information, that is not public knowledge (“ Proprietary
Inf