Exhibit 10.1
AGREEMENT AND GENERAL
RELEASE
THIS AGREEMENT AND GENERAL RELEASE
(“Agreement”) is made by and between TerreStar Networks
Inc., a Delaware corporation (hereinafter referred to as
“Employer”), and Neil Hazard, his heirs, executors,
administrators, successors, and assigns (collectively referred to
herein as “Employee”) (Employer and Employee shall be
collectively referred to herein as
“Parties”). Capitalized terms used herein
and not otherwise defined herein are used as defined in the
Employment Agreement (as defined below).
RECITALS
WHEREAS,
Employer and Employee are parties to a certain executive employment
agreement dated January 15 th ,
2008 (the “Employment Agreement”), pursuant to which
Employee was employed as Employer’s Chief Financial Officer;
and
WHEREAS, the
Employment Agreement provided that, in the event Employee were
terminated without Cause (as defined in the Employment Agreement),
Employee would be entitled to certain severance benefits,
conditioned upon Employee’s executing and delivering to the
Employer a mutual release in form and substance acceptable to
Employer; and
WHEREAS,
Employer has decided to terminate Employee’s employment with
Employer without Cause, and has provided Employee with written
notice of its intent to do so, and Employee seeks the severance
benefits contemplated under his Employment Agreement;
and
WHEREAS, the
parties desire to avoid any conflict arising out of their
employment relationship and the cessation of that relationship, and
to resolve and settle any potential disputes, claims, allegations,
charges, issues, differences or matters pertaining to, arising
from, or associated with Employee’s employment with Employer
and/or the separation from service;
NOW, THEREFORE,
in consideration of the mutual agreements and promises contained
herein, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of
which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereby agree as
follows:
1.
Last Day of Employment . Employee’s
last day of employment with Employer is November 30,
2008.
2.
Consideration . In consideration for
Employee’s execution of this Agreement and General Release
(“Agreement”) and compliance with its terms, and in
accordance with Section 5(e) of the Employment Agreement, Employer
agrees to provide Employee with the following:
(i) A
payment equal to one (1) times the Employee’s current annual
Total Cash Compensation, as defined in the Employment Agreement, as
severance pay. This severance pay shall be paid in
substantially equal bi-weekly installments (consistent with the
Company’s payroll practice currently in effect for active
employees at the executive level) over a period of twelve (12)
months, commencing no later than thirty (30) days after the
Employee’s separation from service by the Company without
Cause, except as otherwise provided in this
Agreement. For avoidance of doubt, the above referenced
payments shall be made in accordance with the amounts and dates set
forth on Schedule 1 , attached hereto.
(ii) To
the extent that the Employee qualifies for, complies with the
requirements of and otherwise remains eligible for continuation of
his health care insurance benefits under COBRA, and payment of
COBRA premiums is permitted under applicable laws and regulations,
the Employer shall pay the COBRA premiums until the earlier of (A)
such time as Employee obtains alternative employment and becomes
eligible for health insurance through his new employer and (B)
eighteen (18) months following the date of his separation from
service.
(iii) The
vesting period for any unvested options, shares of restricted
stock, or other rights to purchase equity securities of the
Employer, or its subsidiaries, or respective affiliates
(collectively, the “ Award Shares ”) that were
previously awarded to Employee pursuant to any Plan shall be
accelerated such that any unvested Award Shares awarded to Employee
shall become fully vested effective immediately prior to the
effective date of Employee’s separation from
service.
3.
No Consideration Absent Execution of this
Agreement . Employee understands and agrees
that Employee would not receive the monies or other consideration
specified in Section 2 above, except for Employee’s execution
of this Agreement and fulfillment of the promises contained
herein.
4.
General Release of All Claims
.
(i) Employee
knowingly and voluntarily releases and forever discharges, to the
fullest extent permitted by law, TerreStar Networks Inc., TerreStar
Corporation, Motient Corporation, TerreStar Networks Holdings
(Canada) Inc., TerreStar Networks (Canada) Inc., TerreStar Global,
Ltd., their parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions,
predecessors, insurers, successors and assigns, and their current
and former employees, attorneys, officers, directors, insurers,
shareholders, and agents thereof, both individually and in their
business capacities, and their employee benefit plans and programs
and their administrators and fiduciaries, all of whom are intended
third-party beneficiaries of this Agreement (collectively referred
to throughout the remainder of this Agreement as
“Employer”), of and from any and all
claims, known and unknown, asserted or unasserted, which the
Employee has or may have against Employer as of the date of
execution of this Agreement, including, but not limited to, any
alleged violation of:
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Title VII of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964;
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Sections 1981
through 1988 of Title 42 of the United States Code;
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The Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”)
(except for any vested benefits under any tax qualified benefit
plan);
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The Immigration
Reform and Control Act;
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The Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990;
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The Age
Discrimination in Employment Act;
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The Workers
Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act;
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The Fair Credit
Reporting Act;
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The
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002;
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The
Occupational Safety and Health Act;
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The Virginia
Human Rights Act – Va. Code § 2.2-3900 et seq., any
regulations thereunder, and any human rights law of any Virginia
county or municipality;
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Virginia
Statutory Provisions Regarding Retaliation/Discrimination for
Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim – Va. Code §
65.2-308(A) and (B);
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The Virginia
Equal Pay Act – Va. Code § 40.1-28.6;
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The Virginians
With Disabilities Act – Va. Code § 51.5-1 et
seq.;
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AIDS Testing
Law – Va. Code Ann. §32.1-36.1;
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Virginia Wage
Payment and Hour Laws – Va. Code § 40.1-28.8 et
seq.;
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Virginia
Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) Law – Va. Code §
401-49.3 et seq.;
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Virginia Code
§ 8.01-40 regarding unauthorized use of name or picture of any
person;
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Virginia Code
§ 40.1-27 regarding preventing employment by others of former
employee;
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Virginia Code
§ 40.1-28.7:2 regarding protection of crime victims’
employment;
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Virginia Code
§ 18.2-465.1 regarding protection of court witnesses’
and jurors’ employment;
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any other
federal, state or local law, rule, regulation, or
ordinance;
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any public
policy, contract, tort, or common law; or
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any basis for
recovering costs, fees, or other expenses including
attorneys’ fees incurred in these matters.
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EMPLOYEE
ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THIS IS A GENERAL RELEASE OF ALL CLAIMS AGAINST
EMPLOYER.
(ii) In
return, Employer agrees to release Employee of and from any and all
claims, causes of action, demands, obligations, agreements,
promises
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