Exhibit 10.3
EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT
between
POSHBABY, INC.
and
SUSAN LINDEMAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Article I -
Recitals
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1
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Article II -
Term
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1
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Article III -
Duties
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1
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Article IV -
Compensation And Other Benefits
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2
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Article V -
Business Expenses
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4
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Article VI -
Vacation
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4
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Article VII -
Termination of Employment
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4
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Article VIII -
Resignation
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5
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Article IX -
Non-Competition
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6
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Article X -
Notices
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8
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Article XI -
Construction of Contract
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8
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Article XII- Change in
Control
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9
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Article XIII -
Miscellaneous
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10
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EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT
THIS
EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT (“Contract”) is made and entered as
of the 13th day of January, 2006 between POSHBABY, INC., a Virginia
corporation (“Employer”), and Susan Lindeman
(“Employee”).
R E C I T A L S
A. Employee
and Employer desire to enter into this Contract to memorialize the
employment relationship between Employer and Employee.
B. Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Contract, Employee is the Chief
Operating Officer of Employer.
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises contained herein
and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto
mutually agree as follows:
Article I - Recitals
The
above stated Recitals are true and correct and are incorporated by
reference into this Contract.
Article II - Term
The
initial term of this Contract shall be three (3) years commencing
as of January 13, 2006 (the “Commencement Date”) and
ending three (3) years thereafter unless terminated earlier as
provided herein (the “Initial Term”). The Initial
Term shall be extended for successive one (1) year periods unless
either party gives the other thirty (30) days prior written notice
of its intent not to renew prior to the expiration of the then
current term.
Article III -
Duties
A.
In General . Upon the terms and subject to the
conditions of this Contract, Employer hereby employs Employee and
Employee hereby accepts such employment with Employer for the term
of this Contract as the Chief Operating Officer of Employer.
Employee shall have the powers and duties with respect to
Employer’s business interests (the “Businesses”)
as set forth in the Bylaws of Employer for its Chief Operating
Officer and such other executive and managerial duties as normally
associated with such positions, subject to the direction of the
Chief Executive Officer in accordance with the reasonable policies
adopted from time to time by the Chief Executive Officer and
communicated by written notice to Employee (the
“Duties”). During the term of this Contract and
subject to Article III.D below, Employee shall devote substantially
all of Employee’s business time, attention, skill and efforts
to the faithful performance of the Duties.
B.
Place of Performance . The Duties shall be performed
in Glen Allen, Virginia, except for such travel in the ordinary
course of Employer’s business as may from time to time be
reasonably required. Employee’s initial principal place
of business shall be at the executive offices of Employer in Glen
Allen, Virginia.
C.
Delegation . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
contained in this Article III, Employee shall have the right and
authority to delegate responsibility to one or more personnel as
Employee deems appropriate, and is hereby authorized to hire on
behalf of Employer additional agents, employees and other
representatives which in Employee’s reasonable opinion, and
subject to the prior approval of the Chairman of the Board of the
Employer, are necessary to handle the affairs of Employer, and to
terminate the employment of any and all agents, employees and other
representatives of Employer, other than appointed officers of
Employer, the termination of whom shall be subject to the prior
approval by Employer’s Board of Directors.
D.
Other Activities . Employee shall use Employee’s
best efforts for the benefit of Employer by whatever activities
Employee reasonably deems appropriate to maintain and improve
Employer’s standing in the community generally and among
other members of the industries in which Employer is from time to
time engaged, including such entertaining for business purposes as
Employee reasonably considers appropriate. Employee shall
not, without the approval of the Board of Directors of Employer,
render services of a business nature to any other person or entity,
if such activities would interfere with the performance of
Employee’s Duties as required under this Contract or
otherwise prevent Employee from devoting substantially all of
Employee’s business time, attention, skill and efforts to the
performance of Employee’s Duties as required under this
Contract. Subject to the foregoing limitations, the following
activities shall be deemed to be permissible: (i) owning or
managing real or personal property owned by Employee or
Employee’s family members; (ii) owning any business which
does not compete, directly or indirectly, with Employer; and (iii)
holding directorships or similar positions in any organization
which is not competing with Employer and which is approved by the
Board of Directors of Employer.
Article IV - Compensation And Other
Benefits
A.
Base Salary, Signing Bonus, Annual Bonus and Employee Benefit
Plans . For all services rendered by Employee in any
capacity during Employee’s employment under this Contract
(including any renewals hereof), Employer shall pay to Employee as
compensation the sum of the amounts set forth in the following
subparagraphs 1 through 4.
1.
Base Salary . Commencing upon the Commencement Date,
Employee shall be paid the sum Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00)
on an annualized basis (the “Base Salary”) which amount
shall be paid in accordance with Employer’s customary payroll
practices. The Base Salary shall increase to One Hundred Thousand
Dollars on the second anniversary of the Commencement
Date.
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2.
Annual Bonus . On or before one hundred twenty (120)
days subsequent to the completion of Employer’s preceding
fiscal year, Employee shall be eligible to receive a cash bonus,
such bonus to be within the sole discretion of the Company’s
Board of Directors.
3.
Benefit Plans . During the term of Employee’s
employment with Employer, Employee shall be entitled to participate
in all incentive, savings and retirement plans, practices, policies
and programs applicable generally to other executives of Employer
(“Investment Plans”) and Employee shall be eligible for
participation in and shall receive all benefits under, welfare
benefit plans, practices, policies and programs applicable
generally to other executives of Employer, including but not
limited to comprehensive medical and dental coverage
(“Welfare Plans”).
4.
Dues . Employer shall pay the dues of such
professional associations and societies of which Employee is a
member in furtherance of Employee’s Duties.
B.
Payments Upon Termination .
1.
Termination by Employer for Cause; Voluntary Unilateral Decision
by Employee Without Cause; Death or Disability . If
Employee’s employment is terminated (i) by Employer for Cause
(as hereinafter defined at Article VII.B); (ii) by Employee by a
voluntary unilateral decision by Employee without Cause (as defined
at Article VII.A); or (iii) as a result of Employee’s death
or Disability (as defined below), then Employee shall be entitled
to: (1) the base salary pursuant to Article IV.A.1 earned through
the date of termination; (2) accrued vacation under Article VI
hereof; and (3) all applicable reimbursements from Employer due
under Article V hereof. As used in this Contract, the term
“Disability” means (A) Employee’s incapacity due
to a permanent mental or physical illness that prevents Employee
from performing Employee’s duties hereunder for 26
consecutive weeks or (B) a physical condition that renders the
performance by Employee of Employee’s duties hereunder a
serious threat to the health and well being of Employee.
Disability shall be determined by a physician selected by Employee
(or Employee’s legal representative) and reasonably
acceptable to Employer.
2.
Termination for Reasons Other than Termination by Employer for
Cause; Voluntary Unilateral Decision by Employee or Death or
Disability . If Employee’s employment is terminated
for any reason by either party, other than as a result of
termination by Employer for Cause (as defined at Article VII.B), a
termination by a voluntary unilateral decision by Employee without
Cause (as defined at Article VII.A) or a termination as a result of
Employee’s death or Disability, Employee shall be entitled
to: (1) any applicable Severance, as such term is defined below,
(2) all amounts set forth in items (1), (2) and (3) of Article
IV.B.1 above. For purposes of this Contract, clauses (1) and
(2) of this Article IV.B.2 of this Contract shall collectively be
referred to as the “Termination Benefits.”
Payment of the Termination Benefits shall be conditioned upon the
execution by Employee of a valid release, to be prepared by
Employer, in which Employee releases Employer, to the maximum
extent permitted by law, from any and all claims Employee may have
against Employer that relate to or arise out of Employee’s
employment or termination of employment.
“Severance” shall be calculated initially as one
twelfth of the Base Salary, with an additional one twelfth of the
Base Salary for each full year that this Agreement and any
extension thereof shall be in effect. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary in the foregoing, the Severance shall
never exceed one half of the Base Salary.
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Article V - Business
Expenses
A.
Business Expenses . Employee is authorized to incur
reasonable expenses to execute and/or promote the Businesses of
Employer, including, but not limited to, expenses related to
maintenance of professional licenses and expenses for reasonable
entertainment, travel, and similar items, in each case, in
accordance with the policies, practices and procedures of
Employer. Employer will reimburse Employee for all reasonable
travel or other expenses incurred while on business. Employer
will not reimburse Employee for automobile expense associated with
traveling to Employer’s offices.
Article VI -
Vacation
Employee
will be entitled to four (4) weeks paid vacation annually or such
other time as authorized by the Board of Directors during which
time Employee’s compensation shall be paid in full.
Vacation Days unused in any calendar year may not be accumulated
and carried forward and used in future years.
Article VII - Termination of
Employment
A.
Termination by Employee . Employee may terminate
Employee’s employment with Employer at any time upon notice
to Employer for “Cause.” As used in this
Paragraph A, the term “Cause” shall mean:
1. Employer’s
material breach of this Contract; provided, however, that in the
event Employee believes that this Contract has been materially
breached, Employee shall provide Employer with written notice of
such breach and provide Employer with a thirty (30) day period in
which to cure or remedy such breach;
2. Assignment
to Employee of regular duties inconsistent with Employee’s
position, or status with Employer; or
3. The
relocation of Employer’s principal executive offices to a
location more than seventy-five (75) miles outside of Glen Allen,
Virginia without Employee’s prior consent.
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B.
Termination by Employer . Employee’s employment
may be terminated by Employer at any time upon notice to Employee
for “Cause.” As used in this Paragraph B, the
term “Cause” shall mean:
1. Employee’s
material breach of any provision of this Contract; provided,
however, that in the event Employer believes that this Contract has
been breached, it shall provide Employee with written notice of
such breach and provide Employee with a thirty (30) day period in
which to cure or remedy such breach;
2. The
commission by Employee, in the reasonable determination of the
Employer’s Board of Directors, of a crime, or an act of fraud
or dishonesty against Employer, its subsidiaries or affiliates;
or
3. The
use by Employee of an illegal substance, including, but not limited
to, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and all other illegal substances,
and/or the dependence by Employee upon the use of alcohol, which,
in any case, in the opinion of both Employee’s family
physician and a physician chosen by Employer, materially impairs
Employee’s ability to perform Employee’s Duties
hereunder, which dependence is not cured or rehabilitated, as
determined by Employee’s physician, within three (3) months
of receipt of written notice from Employer to Employee.
C.
Death or Disability . This Contract shall terminate
upon the death or the Disability of Employee. Employee or
Employee’s heirs or estate (as the case may be) shall be
entitled to the compensation provided for with respect to a
termination by death or Disability in this Contract.
D.
Termination of Obligations . Upon the resignation of
Employee or termination of Employee’s employment in
accordance with the provisions of this Article VII, all obligations
of Employee and Employer hereunder shall be terminated except as
otherwise provided herein.
E.
No Mitigation . If Employee’s employment under
this Contract terminates for any reason, with or without Cause,
Employee shall have no obligation to seek other employment in
mitigation of damages; and no compensation received by Employee
from other employment or other sources shall be considered as a
mitigation of