AMENDED EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT
An executive employment agreement was made and
entered into effective as of March 5, 2008, between PetroQuest
Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation having its principal executive
office at 400 E. Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 6000, Lafayette,
Louisiana 70508 (hereinafter referred to as the
“Company”), and J. Bond Clement (hereinafter referred
to as the “Employee”) (the “Agreement”).
The Agreement is hereby amended effective December 31, 2008
(hereinafter the “Amended Agreement”) as
follows:
WHEREAS, the Company and the Employee terminated
that certain Severance Agreement dated as of December 11, 2006
(the “Prior Agreement”) and the Company and the
Employee entered into the Agreement on the Original Effective Date;
and
WHEREAS, the Company and the Employee desire to
amend the Agreement to comply with Code
Section 409A.
NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the
mutual promises, covenants and obligations contained herein, and
other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency
of which is hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Employee
hereby agree as follows:
1.
Certain Definitions . As used in this Amended Agreement, the
following terms have the meanings prescribed below:
Affiliate is used in this Amended Agreement to define a
relationship to a person or entity and means a person or entity
who, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries,
controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such
person or entity.
Annual
Bonus shall have the
meaning assigned thereto in Section 4.2 hereof.
Base
Salary shall have the
meaning assigned thereto in Section 4.1 hereof.
Beneficial Owner shall have the meaning assigned thereto in
Rule 13(d)-3 under the Exchange Act; provided, however, and
without limitation, that any individual, corporation, partnership,
group, association or other person or entity that has the right to
acquire any Voting Stock at any time in the future, whether such
right is (a) contingent or absolute or (b) exercisable
presently or at any time in the future, pursuant to any agreement
or understanding or upon the exercise or conversion of rights,
options or warrants, or otherwise, shall be the Beneficial Owner of
such Voting Stock.
Cause shall have the meaning assigned thereto in
Section 5.3 hereof.
Code shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended, and the applicable rules, notices and regulations
thereunder, as amended from time to time.
Common
Stock means the
Company’s common stock, par value $.001 per share.
Company means PetroQuest Energy, Inc., a Delaware
corporation, the principal executive office of which is located at
400 E. Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 6000, Lafayette, Louisiana
70508.
Confidential Information shall have the meaning assigned thereto in
Section 8.2 hereof.
Date of Termination means the earliest to occur of (i) the date
of the Employee’s death, (ii) the date on which the
Employee terminates this Amended Agreement and his employment for
any reason or (iii) the date of receipt of the Notice of
Termination, or such later date as may be prescribed in the Notice
of Termination in accordance with Section 5.5 hereof;
provided, however, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary,
for the purposes of Code Section 409A, with respect to any
amounts payable hereunder that are deferred compensation subject to
Code Section 409A or that are intended to be exempt from Code
Section 409A that require Employee’s termination, the
Employee’s termination shall mean a “Separation from
Service” within the meaning of Code
Section 409A.
Disability means an illness or other disability which
prevents the Employee from discharging his responsibilities under
this Amended Agreement for a period of 180 consecutive calendar
days, or an aggregate of 180 calendar days in any calendar year,
during the Employment Period, all as determined in good faith by
the Board of Directors of the Company (or a committee
thereof).
Employee means J. Bond Clement, whose business address is
400 E. Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 6000, Lafayette, Louisiana
70508.
Employment
Period shall have the
meaning assigned thereto in Section 3 hereof.
Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the
Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder, all as in effect
from time to time during the Employment Period.
Initial
Term shall have the
meaning assigned thereto in Section 3 hereof.
Notice of
Termination shall have
the meaning assigned thereto in Section 5.5 hereof.
Original
Effective Date means
March 5, 2008.
Termination Agreement means the Termination Agreement dated the
Original Effective Date between the Company and the Employee, as
amended effective December 31, 2008 by the Amended Termination
Agreement and as amended from time to time.
Voting Stock means all outstanding shares of capital stock of
the Company entitled to vote generally in an election of directors;
provided, however, that if the Company has shares of Voting Stock
entitled to more or less than one vote per share, each reference to
a proportion of the issued and outstanding shares of Voting Stock
shall be deemed to refer to the proportion of the aggregate votes
entitled to be cast by the issued and outstanding shares of Voting
Stock.
Without
Cause shall have the
meaning assigned thereto in Section 5.4 hereof.
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2. General
Duties of Company and Employee .
2.1 The Company agrees to employ the Employee,
and the Employee agrees to accept employment by the Company and to
serve the Company as Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting
Officer. The authority, duties and responsibilities of the Employee
shall be consistent with those of executive officers in a public
company with a similar title, and such other or additional duties
as may from time to time be assigned to the Employee by the Board
of Directors (or a committee thereof) and agreed to by the
Employee. While employed hereunder, the Employee shall devote full
time and attention during normal business hours to the affairs of
the Company and use his best efforts to perform faithfully and
efficiently his duties and responsibilities. The Employee may
(i) serve on corporate, civic or charitable boards or
committees, (ii) deliver lectures, fulfill speaking
engagements or teach at educational institutions and
(iii) manage personal investments, so long as such activities
do not significantly interfere with the performance of the
Employee’s duties and responsibilities.
2.2 The Employee agrees and acknowledges that he
owes a fiduciary duty of loyalty, fidelity and allegiance to act at
all times in the best interests of the Company and to do no act and
to make no statement, oral or written, which would injure
Company’s business, its interests or its
reputation.
2.3 The Employee agrees to comply at all times
during the Employment Period with all applicable policies, rules
and regulations of the Company, including, without limitation, the
Company’s code of ethics and the Company’s policy
regarding trading in the Common Stock, as each is in effect from
time to time during the Employment Period.
3.
Term . Unless sooner terminated pursuant to other provisions
hereof, the Employee’s period of employment under this
Amended Agreement shall be a period of three years beginning on the
Original Effective Date (the “Initial Term”). After the
expiration of the Initial Term, the Employee’s period of
employment under this Amended Agreement shall be automatically
renewed for successive one-year terms on each anniversary of the
Original Effective Date (the Initial Term and any and all renewals
thereof are referred to herein collectively as the
“Employment Period”).
4.
Compensation and Benefits .
4.1 Base Salary . As compensation for
services to the Company, the Company shall pay to the Employee
until the Date of Termination an annual base salary of $200,000,
including any increases thereon from time to time (the “Base
Salary”). The Board of Directors (or a committee thereof), in
its discretion, may increase the Base Salary based upon relevant
circumstances. The Base Salary shall be payable in equal
semi-monthly installments or in accordance with the Company’s
established policy, subject only to such payroll and withholding
deductions as may be required by law and other deductions applied
generally to employees of the Company for insurance and other
employee benefit plans.
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4.2 Bonus . In addition to the Base
Salary, the Employee may be awarded, for each fiscal year until the
Date of Termination, an annual bonus (either pursuant to a bonus or
incentive plan or program of the Company or otherwise) in an amount
to be determined by the Board of Directors (or a committee
thereof), in its sole discretion (the “Annual Bonus”).
Each such Annual Bonus shall be payable at a time to be determined
by the Board of Directors (or a committee thereof) in its sole
discretion.
4.3 Incentive, Savings and Retirement
Plans . Until the Date of Termination, the Employee shall be
eligible to participate in and shall receive all benefits under all
executive incentive, savings and retirement plans (including 401(k)
plans) and programs currently maintained or hereinafter established
by the Company for the benefit of its executive officers and/or
employees.
4.4 Welfare Benefit Plan . Until the Date
of Termination, the Employee and/or the Employee’s family, as
the case may be, shall be eligible to participate in and shall
receive all benefits under each welfare benefit plan of the Company
currently maintained or hereinafter established by the Company for
the benefit of its employees. Such welfare benefit plans may
include, without limitation, medical, dental, disability, group
life, accidental death and travel accident insurance plans and
programs.
4.5 Reimbursement of Expenses . The
Employee may from time to time until the Date of Termination incur
various business expenses customarily incurred by persons holding
positions of like responsibility, including, without limitation,
travel, entertainment and similar expenses incurred for the benefit
of the Company. Subject to the Company’s policy regarding the
reimbursement of such expenses as in effect from time to time
during the Employment Period, which does not necessarily allow
reimbursement of all such expenses, the Company shall reimburse the
Employee for such expenses from time to time, at the
Employee’s request, and the Employee shall account to the
Company for all such expenses by providing reasonable written
documentation thereof to the Company and all such expenses shall be
paid promptly, but in no event, later than 2
1 / 2
months after the end of
Employee’s tax year in which such expenses were
incurred.
4.6 Life Insurance . The Company shall
provide to the Employee life insurance on terms that are mutually
agreeable to the Company and the Employee.
5.1 Death . This Amended Agreement shall
terminate automatically upon the death of the Employee.
5.2 Disability . The Company may
terminate this Amended Agreement and Employee’s employment,
upon written notice to the Employee delivered in accordance with
Sections 5.5 and 12.1 hereof, upon the Disability of the
Employee.
5.3 Cause . The Company may terminate
this Amended Agreement and Employee’s employment, upon
written notice to the Employee delivered in accordance with
Sections 5.5 and 12.1 hereof, for Cause. For purposes of this
Amended Agreement, “Cause” means (i) the
conviction of the Employee of a felony (which, through lapse of
time or otherwise, is not subject to appeal), (ii) the
Employee’s willful refusal, without proper legal cause, to
perform his duties and responsibilities as contemplated in this
Amended Agreement or (iii) the Employee’s willful
engaging in activities which would (A) constitute a breach of
any term of this Amended Agreement, the Company’s code of
ethics, the Company’s policies regarding trading in the
Common Stock or reimbursement of business expenses or any other
applicable policies, rules or regulations of the Company, or
(B) result in a material injury to the business, condition
(financial or otherwise), results of operations or prospects of the
Company or its Affiliates (as determined in good faith by the Board
of Directors of the Company or a committee thereof).
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5.4 Without Cause . The Company may
terminate this Amended Agreement Without Cause and Employee’s
employment, upon written notice to the Employee delivered in
accordance with Sections 5.5 and 12.1 hereof. For purposes of this
Amended Agreement, the Employee will be deemed to have been
terminated “Without Cause” if the Employee is
terminated by the Company for any reason other than Cause,
Disability or death.
5.5 Notice of Termination . Any
termination of this Amended Agreement and Employee’s
employment by the Company for Cause, Without Cause or as a result
of the Employee’s Disability shall be communicated by Notice
of Termination to the Employee given in accordance with this
Amended Agreement. For purposes of this Amended Agreement, a
“Notice of Termination” means a written notice which
(i) indicates the specific termination provision in this
Amended Agreement relied upon, (ii) sets forth in reasonable
detail the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for
termination of the Employee’s employment under the provision
so indicated and (iii) specifies the termination date, if such date
is other than the date of receipt of such notice (which termination
date shall not be more than 15 days after the giving of such
notice).
6.
Obligations of Company upon Termination .
6.1 Cause or by Employee . If this
Amended Agreement shall be terminated either by the Company for
Cause or by the Employee for any reason, the Company shall pay to
the Employee, in a lump sum in cash within 30 days after the
Date of Termination, the aggregate of the Employee’s Base
Salary (as in effect on the Date of Termination) through the Date
of Termination, if not theretofore paid, and, in the case of
compensation previously deferred by the Employee, all amounts of
such compensation previously deferred shall be paid in accordance
with the plan documents governing such deferrals. All other
obligations of the Company and rights of the Employee hereunder
shall terminate effective as of the Date of Termination.
6.2 Death or
Disability .
(a) Subject to the provisions of this
Section 6.2, if this Amended Agreement is terminated as a
result of the Employee’s death or Employee’s
termination in connection with a Disability, the Company shall pay
to the Employee or his estate, in equal semi-monthly installments,
the Employee’s Base Salary (as in effect on the Date of
Termination) for 12 months after such Date of Termination. The
Company may purchase insurance (which shall be owned by the
Company) to cover all or any part of the obligation contemplated in
the foregoing sentence, and the Employee agrees to submit to a
physical examination to facilitate the procurement of such
insurance.
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(b) Whenever compensation is payable to the
Employee hereunder during a period in which he is partially or
totally disabled, and such Disability would (except for the
provisions hereof) entitle the Employee to Disability income or
salary continuation payments from the Company according to the
terms of any plan or program presently maintained or hereafter
established by the Company but prior to Employee’s Disability
that is a bona fide disability plan under Treasury
Regulation 1.409A-1(a)(5), the Disability income or salary
continuation paid to the Employee pursuant to any such plan or
program shall be considered a portion of the payment to be made to
the Employee pursuant to this Section 6.2 and shall not be in
addition hereto. If Disability income is payable directly to the
Employee by an insurance company under the terms of an insurance
policy paid for by the Company that is a bona fide disability plan
under Treasury Regulation 1.409A-1(a)(5), the amounts paid to
the Employee by such insurance company shall be considered a
portion of the payment to be made to the Employee pursuant to this
Section 6.2 and shall not be in addition hereto.
6.3 Without Cause . If this Amended
Agreement shall be terminated by the Company Without
Cause:
(a) the Company shall pay to the Employee,
in a lump sum in cash within 30 days after the Date of
Termination, the aggregate of the following amounts:
(1) if not theretofore paid, the
Employee’s Base Salary (as in effect on the Date of
Termination) through the Date of Termination; and
(2) in the case of compensation previously
deferred by the Employee, all amounts of such compensation
previously deferred and not yet paid by the Company shall be paid
in accordance with the plan documents governing such
deferrals;
(b) the Company shall, promptly upon
submission by the Employee of supporting documentation, pay or
reimburse to the Employee any costs and expenses (including moving
and relocation expenses) paid or incurred by the Employee which
would have been payable under Section 4.5 of this Amended
Agreement if the Employee’s employment had not terminated, to
be paid no later than 2 1 / 2
months after the end of the calendar
year in which such expenses were incurred; and
(c) for the 12-month period commencing on
the Date of Termination, the Company shall pay the Company portion
of any premiums and shall otherwise continue benefits to the
Employee and/or the Employee’s family in accordance with the
Company’s normal payroll practices at least equal to those
which would have been provided to them under Sect
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