Exhibit 10.2
Employment
Agreement
This
employment agreement (“Agreement“) is effective as of
July 26, 2007 (“Effective Date”), by and between
Kreido Biofuels, Inc., a Nevada corporation located at 1140 Avenida
Acaso, Camarillo, California 93012 and Kreido’s wholly-owned
subsidiary, Kreido Laboratories, Inc. (collectively
“Kreido” or the “Company”) and George A.
“Ben” Binninger, an individual
(“Executive”).
Recitals
A. The
Company is desirous of engaging Executive’s services on a
part-time basis as interim chief executive officer (“Interim
CEO”) on the terms and conditions set forth in this
Agreement; and
B. Executive is desirous of accepting such part-time interim
employment, title, and attendant responsibilities on the terms and
conditions set forth in this Agreement.
Now, therefore, in consideration of the foregoing and good and
valuable consideration, the sufficiency and receipt of which are
hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:
Terms and
Conditions
| 1. |
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Executive
’ s
Duties ; Title ;
Location . As
of the Effective Date, Executive is employed as Kreido’s
Interim CEO under the terms and conditions below. Executive shall
do and perform all services, acts, or things necessary or advisable
to manage and conduct the business of the Company which are
normally associated with the position of CEO. However, at all times
during his employment, Executive shall be subject to the direction
and policies from time to time established by the Board of
Directors (the “Board”). |
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| 2. |
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Term and
Termination . It is the expectation of the parties that
Executive’s tenure as Interim CEO will be approximately 90 to
120 days. The foregoing notwithstanding, the Company’s
employment of Executive as Interim CEO shall commence on
July 26, 2007 and shall continue for an indefinite period of
time to be determined at the sole discretion of the Board (the
“Interim Period”). The Parties understand and agree
that upon two (2) days’ written notice from the Board to
the Executive of the conclusion of the Interim Period,
Executive’s employment by the Company shall terminate
effective the last day of the Interim Period. Notwithstanding
anything contained herein to the contrary, the Parties agree
Executive is an at-will employee and either Party may terminate
Executive’s employment under this Agreement at any time, with
or without cause upon two (2) days’ notice. |
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| 3. |
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Hours
. Executive shall provide his services to Company on a
half-time basis, which the parties agree will be an average of
2.5 days per week, unless Executive, in his sole discretion,
determines additional time is necessary. Executive shall work at
Kreido’s Camarillo, California, office or such other location
as Kreido deems appropriate; provided, however, that Executive
shall not be required routinely to provide services outside of a
reasonable commuting distance from the current Camarillo office
except when traveling on Kreido business. |
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| 4. |
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Compensation . |
4.1 Base
Salary . Executive shall receive an annual base salary of
$140,000.00 in accordance with Kreido’s regular payroll
practices. Such salary shall be prorated for any partial year of
employment on the basis of a 365-day fiscal year. Executive agrees
to waive all compensation to which Executive would otherwise be
entitled as a director of the Company and for serving on committees
and sub-committees of the Company’s board of directors during
the Interim Period, .
Page 1 of 13
4.2 Stock
Options. Executive shall be entitled to participate in the
Kreido Biofuels 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (“Plan”).
Executive’s participation in the Plan shall be governed by
the terms and conditions set forth in the applicable Plan
documents. Capitalized words not defined in this Agreement but used
in this Section shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the
Plan.
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4.2 (a) |
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Grant of Options. On the Effective Date, the
Company will grant Executive an option to purchase 125,000 shares
of the Company’s common voting stock under the Plan (the
“Options”). Subsequently, the Executive shall be
eligible for such additional grants of options and other
permissible grants (collectively “Awards”) under the
Plan as the Compensation Committee of the board of directors of the
Company shall determine in its absolute discretion. |
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4.2 (b) |
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Option Exercise Price; Term . The per
share exercise price of the Option shall be the closing bid price
per share of Company common stock on the date of grant. The Term of
the Option shall be ten years from the date of grant. |
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4.2 (c) |
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Vesting and Exercise . The Options shall
vest and be exercisable as follows: (A) 50,000 options shall
vest upon signing of this Employment Agreement (“Signing
Grant”); (B) 50,000 options shall vest in four equal
installments of 12,500 options at the conclusion of each month of
employment the Executive completes with the Company beginning with
the month of August, 2007 (“Monthly Installments”) up
to a maximum of four Monthly Installments; and (C) the
remaining 25,000 options shall vest in two equal installments of
12,500 options each on April 15, 2008 and October 15,
2008 if the Executive is employed by the Company or is a member of
the Company’s board of directors on those dates. All vested
options shall remain exercisable for ten years from the date of the
Grant. |
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4.2 (d) |
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Lock-Up Agreement . The Executive shall
enter into a Lock-Up Agreement with the Company in the form
attached hereto as Exhibit B . During any period
that Executive is precluded by the Lock-Up Agreement from
exercising the Option granted to Executive in Section 4.2(a),
then the exercise period in Section 4.2(b) will be extended by
the amount of time during which Executive could not exercise the
Option, but in no event beyond ten years from the date of
grant. |
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4.2 (e) |
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Payment . The full consideration for
shares purchased by the Executive upon exercise of the Option shall
be paid: (a) by delivery of a certified check payable to the
order of the Company; (b) by delivery and attestation of
Mature Shares (valued at their Fair Market Value on the date of
delivery) or (c) by delivery of a properly executed exercise
notice with irrevocable instructions to a broker to deliver to the
Company the amount necessary to pay the exercise price from the
sale of proceeds of a loan from the broker with respect to the sale
of such award or a broker loan secured by Mature Shares. |
4.3 Expense
Reimbursement . Kreido shall reimburse Executive for all
ordinary and necessary expenses reasonably incurred by Executive on
Kreido’s behalf (“Business Expenses”). Executive
shall provide Kreido with documentation for all Business Expenses
at the time reimbursement is requested. In the event it is
necessary for Executive to travel on
Kreido’s
behalf, Executive shall be entitled to fly and have travel
accommodations on the same level as Kreido’s other most
senior management Executives.
Page 2 of 13
4.4
Completion Payment. Executive shall be entitled to a
completion payment in an amount to be determined by the Board of
Directors of the Company in its sole discretion, but not to exceed
$25,000, at the date Executive’s employment is terminated by
the Company.
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Proprietary Covenants of Executive . |
5.1 No
Conflicts Of Interest. Executive acknowledges that he is bound
to use good judgment, to adhere to the highest ethical standards,
and to avoid situations that create an actual, potential, or
apparent conflict of interest. Executive warrants and represents to
Kreido that he is currently unaware of any actual, potential, or
apparent conflicts of interest. He also agrees to immediately
disclose to the Chairperson of Kreido any and all actual,
potential, or apparent conflicts of interest, should they later
arise. In addition, Executive covenants to Kreido that for so long
as he is employed by the Company, he shall inform the Company of
each and every business opportunity presented to the Executive that
reasonably could be feasible for the Company to undertake in the
areas of biofuels technology, supply, facilities, equipment,
production, sales, or services, and that he will not, directly or
indirectly, exploit any such opportunity for his own account or the
account of any third party. Nothing contained in this
Section 5.1 shall be construed to prevent Executive from
operating the consulting business in which he now is engaged.
5.2
Covenant Not to Use or Disclose Confidential
Information.
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5.2.1 |
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Definition of Confidential Information. For purposes of
this Agreement, the term Confidential Information means all and any
confidential information and/or trade secrets of Kreido and its
affiliates, including without limitation, scientific discoveries,
recipes, formulations, information encompassed in all advertising
and marketing plans, customer lists, costs, pricing information,
information concerning software and all concepts or ideas, in or
reasonably related to the business of Kreido as well as business
and financial information of Kreido’s customers and business
partners that has been disclosed to Kreido on a confidential basis
(“Confidential Information”). Confidential Information
shall not include any Kreido information that has been voluntarily
disclosed to the public by Kreido, independently developed and
disclosed by others, or otherwise enters the public domain through
lawful means. |
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5.2.2 |
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Non-disclosure of Confidential Information. During his
employment and after the termination of his employment, Executive
shall regard and preserve as confidential all Confidential
Information that has been or may be obtained by Executive in any
way by reason of Executive’s employment by Kreido
. Without the prior and specific written consent of
Kreido, or unless ordered to do so by a court order or subpoena,
Executive shall not (i) use, publicize, release or disclose
Confidential Information to others, either during or after the
period of employment, or (ii) take, retain or copy any Kreido
executive compensation plans, Executive benefit plans, business
plans, customer lists, costs, pricing information, documents,
reports, information encompassed in advertising and marketing
plans, or other concepts or ideas, in or reasonably related to the
business of Kreido. Executive agrees to notify Kreido’s Board
of Directors within two (2) business days of receipt of any
court order or subpoena that calls for information deemed
Confidential under |
Page 3 of 13
this
Agreement and to give Kreido reasonable opportunity to contest the
subpoena. The foregoing notwithstanding, nothing contained within
this Section 5.2 shall be construed to prevent Executive from using
or disclosing the Confidential Information when it is necessary for
Executive to do so in the course of conducting his regular
employment duties.
5.3
Covenant Not to Interfere With Kreido’s Business
Relationships. During his employment and for a period of one
(1) year after the termination of his employment, executive
shall not, whether for Executive’s own account or for the
account of a third-party, solicit or endeavor to entice any
Executive, client, customer or vendor of Kreido to end any business
and/or contractual relationship with Kreido.
5.4
Ownership and Use of Materials.
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5.4.1 |
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Kreido Materials. Executive agrees that all of its
executive compensation plans, Executive benefit plans, business
plans, advertising plans and marketing materials and other
Confidential Information concerning Kreido, its Executives and
shareholders, customer lists, costs, pricing information,
documents, reports, plans, proposals or other items made or created
by Executive during the period of employment or that come into
Executive’s possession during the Interim Period
(“Kreido Materials”) are the property of Kreido and
shall not be used by Executive in any way after the time this
Agreement is terminated. |
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5.4.2 |
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Delivery of Materials . Upon termination of this
Agreement, Executive shall promptly deliver to Kreido all
“Kreido Materials”. The foregoing notwithstanding, if
Executive is still a member of the board of directors of the
Company at the end of the Interim Period, Executive may retain
those Kreido Materials he acquired in his capacity as a director of
the Company and not as the Company’s Interim CEO. |
| 6. |
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Termination Due to Death or Disability . If Executive
dies during the employment, Executive’s employment shall
automatically cease and terminate as of the date of
Executive’s death. In the event of Executive’s
disability for a period of 21 consecutive days during any 30-day
period, Company shall thereafter have the right, upon written
notice to Executive, to terminate this Agreement, in which case the
date of termination shall be the date of such written notice to
Executive. As used herein, “disability” means a
physical and/or mental disability of Executive that prevents
Executive from substantially performing the essential functions of
his position even with reasonable accommodation
(“Disability”). Company does not currently offer
disability insurance to its employees. In the event Company, in its
sole discretion, elects to offer such insurance coverage
(“Disability Policy”) to its employees at any time in
the future, the definition of Disability as used herein
automatically shall be modified by the adoption of the definition
of disability as used in the Disability Policy. |
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In the event of the termination
of Executive’s employment due to his death or Disability,
Executive’s estate and/or Ex |
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