Exhibit 2.4
EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT
THIS EXECUTIVE
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this " Agreement ") is made this 30th
day of July, 2009, by and between Advocate, MD Financial Group
Inc., a Nevada corporation (the " Company "), and Mark E.
Adams, an individual (" Executive "), with reference to the
following facts:
RECITALS
A. The
Company and Executive entered into and executed that certain
Executive Employment Agreement dated effective August 1, 2003 (the
" Original Agreement "), pursuant to which Executive was
employed by the Company as Senior Vice President of Sales and
Marketing, an Executive Employment Agreement dated effective May 1,
2004 (the " 2004 Agreement ") pursuant to which Executive
was employed by the Company as President and Chief Operating
Officer, and an Executive Employment Agreement dated effective June
1, 2005 (the " 2005 Agreement ") pursuant to which Executive
was employed by the Company as President and Chief Executive
Officer and Chairman of the Board of the Company and President and
Chairman of the Board of Advocate, M.D. Insurance of the Southwest
Inc. (“ MD Insurance ”).
B. The
Company has entered into that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger
dated as of the same date as this Agreement with FPIC Insurance
Group, Inc. (“ FIG ”), among others, (the
“ Merger Agreement ”) pursuant to which the
Company will become a subsidiary of FIG.
C. The
Company and FIG believe that Executive has been and will continue
to be an integral part of the operation, management and development
of the medical professional liability insurance business of the
Company (the " Business "); and, subject to the terms and
conditions set forth in this Agreement, the Company desires that
from and after the Closing Date, as defined in the Merger
Agreement, Executive continue to be employed as President and Chief
Executive Officer of the Company and MD Insurance, and Executive
desires to accept such employment.
D. Effective
on the Closing Date (as defined in the Merger Agreement), the
Company and Executive now desire to amend and restate the 2005
Agreement in its entirety as hereinafter provided.
AGREEMENT
In consideration of
the mutual covenants and agreements hereinafter contained, and for
other good and valuable consideration, it is hereby agreed by and
between the parties hereto, effective on the Closing Date, as
follows:
1. Employment,
Services and Duties
1.1
Employment . Subject to the terms and conditions
set forth in this Agreement, the Company hereby employs Executive
as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and MD
Insurance (the “ Offices ”), and Executive
hereby accepts such employment under the terms of this Agreement
effective only at and as of the Closing Date.
1.2
Duties . Executive shall perform all duties
assigned to him to the best of his ability and in a manner
satisfactory to the Company. Executive shall report to
the Board of Directors or the officer of the Company designated by
it and shall perform all duties and have all powers which are set
forth in the Company's bylaws and which are otherwise commonly
incident to the Offices and shall perform such additional duties
assigned to him and exercise such additional powers as provided to
him by the Board of Directors.
1.3
Primary Business Efforts . Executive shall devote
his primary efforts, attention and energies to the Business of the
Company. Although Executive may, at his option, work flexible
hours, he agrees that during the Term of Employment, he will not
directly or indirectly engage in any business that is competitive
in any manner with the Business of the Company or in any other way
constitutes a conflict of interest or that, in the reasonable
judgment of Executive, whether on an individual basis or in the
aggregate, would materially interfere with the performance of
Executive’s duties hereunder. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, Company acknowledges and agrees that Executive may
continue with his roles, activities and involvement in (a) his
various existing business ventures (e.g., Viva Chocolato, Murphy
Adams Restaurant Group, Employers Trust Management Group, Sozo,
Endowment Development Group, etc.) and (b) Board of Directors
service positions (e.g., AstroTech (NASD), McCoy College of
Business at Texas State University, KLD Energy Technologies, etc.),
as to both of which Executive represents in his reasonable judgment
do not and will not materially interfere with Executive’s
duties hereunder.
1.4
Prior Agreements . Executive and the Company
hereby acknowledge and agree that, as of the Closing Date, the 2005
Agreement is superseded in its entirety by this Agreement;
provided , however , that any and all
representations, warranties and covenants made by the Executive to
or for the benefit of the Company which are intended to survive the
termination or expiration of the 2005 Agreement shall continue to
survive after the Closing Date. Executive hereby further
acknowledges and agrees that as of the Closing Date, except for
accrued but unpaid salary, bonuses and vacation pay and as
Executive shall have given the Company notice prior to the Closing
Date, and except for unreimbursed expenses, neither the Company nor
any of its subsidiaries will owe Executive any amounts for
compensation or otherwise related to the 2005 Agreement and that
neither the Company nor any subsidiary of the Company has any
outstanding debts, liabilities or obligations to Executive under
the 2005 Agreement; any such debts, liabilities or obligations
having been discharged by the Company prior to the Closing Date or
hereby waived by Executive as of the Closing Date.
The term of
employment under this Agreement (the " Term of Employment ")
shall commence on the Closing Date and, subject to the provisions
of Section 4 below, shall continue for a period of two (2)
years.
As the total
consideration for Executive's services rendered hereunder,
Executive shall be entitled to the following:
3.1 Base
Salary . A salary of Four Hundred Twenty-four
Thousand and No/l00 Dollars ($424,000.00) per year (" Base
Salary ") beginning as of the Closing Date through the one-year
anniversary of the Closing Date, payable in regular installments in
accordance with the customary payroll practices of the Company.
Executive's Base Salary shall be subject to such payroll deductions
as required by law or as appropriate under the Company's payroll
deduction procedures and policies. Executive's base salary shall be
adjusted upwards effective at the one-year anniversary of the
Closing Date to Four Hundred Thirty-Six Thousand and No/100 Dollars
($436,000.00) per year.
3.2
Performance Incentive .
(a)
Tier I Performance Incentive . In addition to
Executive's Base Salary, Executive shall receive for each of the
two successive years ending on the first and second anniversary of
the Closing Date a performance incentive payment, payable in cash
as soon as reasonably practicable after determination of the amount
of the Earnout Payment (as defined in the Earnout Agreement), based
upon the Company's performance for the Measurement Period (as
defined in the Earnout Agreement) ending immediately after such
date in accordance with the following terms.
The amount of such
performance incentive, if any, for the first year shall be equal to
one-sixth (1/6) of the Gross Earnout Amount (as defined in the
Earnout Agreement), or, if applicable under the Earnout Agreement,
the Gross Alternate Earnout Amount (as defined in the Earnout
Agreement), excluding in either such case the amounts described in
clauses (d), (e) and (f) of the definition of Gross Earnout Amount,
for the first Measurement Period (as defined in the Earnout
Agreement), as finally determined in accordance with the procedures
set out in the Earnout Agreement.
The amount of such
performance incentive, if any, for the second year shall be equal
to one-sixth (1/6) of the Gross Earnout Amount or, if applicable
for such period under the Earnout Agreement, the Gross Alternate
Earnout Amount, excluding in either such case the amounts described
in clauses (d), (e) and (f) of the definition of Gross Earnout
Amount, for the Earnout Period (as defined in the Earnout
Agreement), as finally determined in accordance with the procedures
set out in the Earnout Agreement, less the amount of the payment,
if any, made to Executive pursuant to the immediately preceding
paragraph.
Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the amount of the first performance incentive payment
described in this Section 3.2(a) shall not exceed $500,000,
and the aggregate amount of both performance incentive payments
described in this Section 3.2(a) shall not exceed
$1,000,000.
(b)
Tier II Performance Incentive . In addition to
Executive's Base Salary and the performance incentive provided by
Section 3.2(a) , Executive shall receive for the two-
year period ending
on the second anniversary of the Effective Date a performance
incentive payment, payable in cash as soon as reasonably
practicable after determination of the amount of the Earnout
Payment, based upon and the Company's performance for the Earnout
Period (as defined in the Merger Agreement) in accordance with the
following terms.
The amount of such
performance incentive, if any, for the first year shall be equal to
the product of forty percent (40%) of one-quarter (1/4) of the
Gross Earnout Amount or, if applicable under the Earnout Agreement,
the Gross Alternate Earnout Amount, for the first Measurement
Period, as finally determined in accordance with the procedures set
out in the Earnout Agreement.
The amount of such
performance incentive, if any, for the second year shall be equal
to one-quarter (1/4) of the Gross Earnout Amount or, if applicable
under the Earnout Agreement, the Gross Alternate Earnout Amount, as
finally determined in accordance with the procedures set out in the
Earnout Agreement, less the amount of the payments, if any, made to
Executive pursuant to the immediately preceding paragraph, and
pursuant to Section 3.2(a) .
Performance
incentive compensation under this Section 3.2(b) shall be
(i) earned by Executive notwithstanding that Executive may no
longer be employed on a Measurement Period date or at the end of
the Earnout Period and (ii) not exceed $1,500,000 in the
aggregate.
3.3 Car
Allowance . During the Term of Employment, Executive
is entitled to a car allowance of Two Thousand and No/100 Dollars
($2,000.00) plus a Gross Up (as defined below) with respect to
such car allowance per month for the purchase or lease of an
automobile for use in connection with the performance of
Executive's duties hereunder. The car allowance is in
lieu of reimbursement of local automotive expenses incurred by
Executive on behalf of the Company. "Gross Up" means an
amount of additional cash compensation that the Company shall pay
Executive so that the amount received by Executive hereunder with
respect to the applicable amount payable or benefit equals such
amount payable or benefit after deducting the federal and state
income, excise, employment and other taxes payable by Executive on
the applicable amount payable or benefit and the Gross Up, in any
case assuming the maximum federal and state income tax rates for
individuals residing in Executive's state of residency.
3.4
Personal Time . Executive shall be entitled to
seven (7) weeks vacation for each year during the Term of
Employment; provided, however, that, with the exception of
grandfathered accrued vacation, only one week of unused vacation
time shall carry over from year to year. Executive's
sick leave, holidays and any other paid days off shall be governed
by the Company's usual policies applicable to all of its
executives. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with the
exception of the grandfathered accrued vacation, in no event shall
Executive receive payment for more than four (4) weeks unused
vacation on termination of employment.
(a) Executive
shall be entitled to participate in or receive benefits under any
employee benefit plan or other arrangement made available by the
Company to its
officers and key
management employees, subject to and on a basis consistent with the
terms, conditions and overall administration of such plans and
arrangements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, all health
insurance premiums for Executive, his spouse and dependents shall
be paid by the Company. The decisions of the Board of
Directors (or its compensation committee, if applicable) in such
matters shall be final.
(b) Additionally,
the Company shall either pay or reimburse Executive for one hundred
percent (100%) of the following up to a combined maximum payment or
reimbursement equal to Twenty-five Thousand and No/100 Dollars
($25,000.00) per year in the aggregate: (i) any and all costs or
expenses for medical and dental treatment, including but by no
means limited to surgeries, prescriptions, eye care (including, but
not limited to, optometrist visits and exams, glasses, contact
lenses, laser surgery, and prescriptions) and dental care
(including, but not limited to, dental exams and procedures,
orthodontics, implants, oral surgery, and aesthetic dentistry) for
Executive, his spouse, and his eligible dependents; (ii) any and
all costs or expenses for health and fitness for Executive, his
spouse, and his eligible dependents; (iii) any and all costs or
expenses for the preparation, by a professional of Executive's
choosing, of Executive's annual and estimated federal income tax
returns, and personal financial, tax and estate plans and related
consultation for Executive by professionals of Executive's
choosing; (iv) any and all costs or expenses for an annual physical
examination by a physician of Executive's choosing for each year
during the Term of Employment for Executive; (v) any and all costs
or expenses for the education, including tuition, for Executive;
(vi) any and all dues, fees and expenses of club memberships for
Executive's use during the Term of Employment; and (vii) any and
all costs or expenses for life insurance coverage of up to Four
Million and No/100 Dollars ($4,000,000.00) during the Term of
Employment (subject to Executive's insurability as a normal risk at
ordinary rates without surcharge) ( provided ,
however , that the amount of such insurance to be so
provided shall be offset by life insurance coverage provided to
Executive under any other group or other life insurance programs
provided by the Company). If and to the extent that, for
any year during the Term of Employment, any of the benefits
described in and by this Section 3.5(b) shall, upon
Executive's receipt of same, constitute taxable income to Executive
for income tax purposes, then the Company shall pay a Gross Up to
Executive with respect to such taxable benefit as soon as possible
but in no case later than 2.5 months following the end of the
taxable year in which the underlying benefit was taxable.
(c) Employee’s
entitlement to such “benefits” shall be in accordance
with Employer’s employee benefit plans and other applicable
programs, policies, and practices then in effect, to be interpreted
so that payment of such “benefits” does not violate
Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended (the "
Code ").
3.6 Expense
Reimbursement . The Company will pay, upon
submission of appropriate supporting documentation, all expenses of
Executive incurred in connection with the rendering of services to
the Company as an employee pursuant to this Agreement in accordance
with the Company's usual and ordinary practices. In
addition, Company will reimburse Executive for 100% of his cellular
telephone expenses.
3.7 Source of
Payments and Other Compensation . Executive hereby
acknowledges and agrees that all payments provided under this
Agreement represent an unfunded and
unsecured
obligation of the Company, shall be paid in cash solely from the
general funds of the Company, and, except as required by law, no
special or separate trust or fund shall be established and no other
segregation of assets shall be made to assure payment.
Executive's
employment shall terminate prior to the expiration of the Term of
Employment set forth in Section 2 above upon the happening
of any of the following:
4.1 Termination
for Cause . The Company may terminate this Agreement
for Cause. For purposes of this Agreement, " Cause " shall
mean:
(a) Any
intentional conduct which is materially detrimental to the Company
or any of its subsidiaries including, but not limited to, theft,
fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation or dishonesty;
(b) The
charging of Executive with a felony offense that is detrimentally
harmful to the Company or any offense described in 18 U.S.C. §
1033 (whether before or after the Closing Date);
(c) Executive's
willful misconduct which has not been cured after thirty (30) days'
written notice from the Company to Executive and which has had a
material detrimental effect on the Company, including:
(i) Material
failure of Executive to apply his primary efforts, attention and
energies to the Business of the Company (other than due to the
disability of Executive) in accordance with Section 1.3
;
(ii) Material
failure of Executive to perform consistently the duties assigned to
him by Company; or
(iii) Material
breach by Executive of this Agreement.
(d) Executive's
commission of an act constituting a material breach of fiduciary
duty to the Company; or
(e) Drug
or alcohol abuse which materially affects Executive's job
performance.
4.2 Termination
Without Cause . The Company may terminate the
employment of Executive and all of the Company's obligations
hereunder (except as expressly provided) at any time and for any
reason or for no reason during the Term of Employment without
"Cause."
4.3 Termination
Due to Disability or Death . Executive's employment
hereunder may be terminated by the Company:
(a) In
the event that (i) Executive receives proceeds of an insurance
policy funded by the Company insuring Executive against permanent
disability, or (ii) the
Company determines
in its sole discretion that Executive has been unable to
substantially perform his duties under this Agreement for an
aggregate of one hundred eighty (180) days within any twelve (12)
month period, or can reasonably be expected to be unable to do so
for such period, as the result of Executive's incapacity due to
physical disability or mental impairment (unless such incapacity is
the result of drug or alcohol abuse); or
(b) Immediately
upon the death of Executive.
4.4 Voluntary
Termination by Executive . Executive may terminate
his employment with the Company at any time during the Term of
Employment after the first anniversary of the Closing Date by
giving the Company written notice of such
termination. The Company, at its election, may require
Executive to continue to perform his duties hereunder for all or
some portion of the time prior to the effective date of his
termination.
4.5 Termination
by Executive for Good Reason . Executive may
terminate his employment with the Company for Good Reason (as
defined below) by giving the Board of Directors of the Company
written notice of intent to terminate, which notice sets forth in
reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a
basis for such Good Reason termination. For the purposes
of this Agreement, the term " Good Reason " shall mean the
occurrence of any one or more of the following: (i) the assignment
of Executive to duties materially inconsistent with Executive's
authority, duties, responsibilities and status (including offices
or removal therefrom, titles, and reporting requirement) as set
forth hereunder, or a material reduction or alteration in the
nature or status of Executive's authority, duties or
responsibilities; (ii) reduction by the Company in Executive's Base
Salary; (iii) the failure of the Company to obtain a satisfactory
agreement from any successor to the Company to assume and agree to
perform this Agreement; (iv) the movement of Executive's office by
more than twenty (20) miles from its current location; or (v) the
breach by the Company of any of its material obligations under this
Agreement.
4.6 Termination
by Mutual Agreement of the Parties . Executive's
employment pursuant to this Agreement may be terminated at any time
by written agreement signed by Executive and an authorized officer
of the Company. Any such termination of employment shall have the
consequences specified in such agreement.
4.7 Notice of
Termination . Any purported termination of the
Executive's employment (other than by mutual agreement) shall be
communicated by written notice (a " Notice of
Termination ") from one party hereto to the other party
hereto in accordance with the notice provision contained in
Section 14 hereof.
4.8 Termination
Date . For purposes of this Agreement, "
Termination Date " shall mean the date specified in the
Notice of Termination (provided that if Executive terminates the
notice period shall not exceed thirty (30) days unless otherwise
agreed by the parties) or the date of Executive's death, or in the
event of termination by mutual agreement, the effective date set
forth in the written agreement. The Notice of
Termination shall specify an effective date (1) which may be
immediate, in the case of termination under Section 4.1; (2)
of thirty (30) days following the notice date under Sections
4.2, 4.3 or 4.5 ; or (3) of ninety (90) days
following the notice date under Section 4.4 .