Exhibit 10.34
AGREEMENT TO SEPARATION AGREEMENT
AND RELEASE TERMS
1. Carol Barnhart (the
“Employee’s Spouse”) and GoAmerica, Inc. (the
“Company”) hereby acknowledge that Don Barnhart’s
(“Employee”) employment with the Company was scheduled
to terminate on November 15, 2008 (“Employee Last
Day”) according to the terms of a mutually agreed to
Separation Agreement and General Release (in the form attached
hereto as Exhibit A, the “Separation Agreement”),
however Employee passed away prior to execution of the Agreement
and prior to the Employee Last Day.
2. In order to acknowledge and
confirm the terms of the separation compensation to be paid to
Employee’s Spouse and for the provision of a general release,
as was contemplated under the Separation Agreement, the parties
agree to the terms of herein.
3. Employee’s Spouse
acknowledges that she is the authorized representative of
Employee’s estate, as executor, beneficiary and otherwise,
and is authorized to enter into the terms herein, including the
general release.
4. Pursuant to the terms of
Employee’s stock option agreements with the Company, Employee
Spouse will have ninety (90) days from November 10, 2008,
in which to exercise any or all of those options.
5. In reliance on the terms herein,
the Company agrees to provide Employee’s Spouse, as
authorized beneficiary and executor of Employee’s estate, the
compensation set forth in Section 5 of the Separation
Agreement, including salary continuation in the gross amount of
fifteen thousand four hundred sixteen dollars and sixty-seven cents
($15,416.67) per month, less legally required withholdings, payable
on the Company’s normal paydays for the period beginning
November 16, 2008 and continuing through November 15,
2009, and payment of the health insurance premiums for
Employee’s Spouse and covered dependents for the period from
December 2008 through November 2009 provided timely election to
continue such coverage under COBRA has been made. “The
Company also agrees to provide Employee’s Spouse (and all
intended beneficiaries) with all of the protections
afforded pursuant to the terms of Indemnification
attached as Exhibit B to the Separation
Agreement.”
6. In exchange for the consideration
provided to Employee’s Spouse described herein,
Employee’s Spouse agrees to the terms of the general release
of claims and confidentiality included in sections 6 through 10 of
the Separation Agreement, which shall be applicable to
Employee’s Spouse, Employee’s Estate and
Employee’s beneficiaries, as a release of claims against the
Company, and such sections 6 through 10 of the Separation Agreement
are incorporated herein so that the terms thereof are applicable to
Employee’s Spouse., Employee’s Estate, and
Employee’s beneficiaries, to the extent they were intended to
be applicable to Employee under the Separation
Agreement.
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Dated:
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CAROL BARNHART,
“Employee’s Spouse”
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Dated:
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GoAmerica,
Inc.
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1
Exhibit A
2
SEPARATION AGREEMENT AND GENERAL
RELEASE
Don Barnhart (the
“Employee”) and GoAmerica, Inc. (the
“Company”) hereby agree to terminate their employment
relationship on the following basis:
1. Employee’s employment with
the Company was initially scheduled to terminate in September 2008
due to layoff resulting from a corporate restructuring. In lieu of
this layoff date, the Company and Employee have mutually agreed to
postpone Employee’s layoff until November 15,
2008.
2. Employee represents and agrees
that he has received all compensation owed to him by the Company
through his layoff date, including any and all wages, bonuses,
commissions, overtime, earned but unused vacation, stock, stock
options, reimbursable business expenses, and any other payments,
benefits, or other compensation of any kind to which he/she was
entitled from the Company.
3. As a result of the above
agreement to postpone Employee’s layoff date, Employee
understands that all stock option vesting will now cease effective
with his termination on November 15, 2008, unless the parties
enter into a consulting or other arrangement providing for the
continued vesting and/or exercisability of the options. Pursuant to
the terms of Employee’s stock option agreements with the
Company, Employee will then have ninety (90) days from his
date of termination in which to exercise any or all of those
options. The Company agrees to indemnify Employee, in his past
capacity as an executive officer of the Company, according to the
terms of Indemnification attached in Exhibit B
hereto.
4. Employee represents to the
Company that he is signing this Separation Agreement and General
Release voluntarily and with a full understanding of and agreement
with its terms for the purpose of receiving additional
consideration from the Company beyond that which is owed to
him.
5. In reliance on the
Employee’s promises, representations, and releases in this
Agreement, eight (8) days after the Company’s receipt of
this executed Separation Agreement and General Release and provided
the Employee does not revoke this Agreement pursuant to
Paragraph 8, the Company will provide Employee with salary
continuation in the gross amount of fifteen thousand four hundred
sixteen dollars and sixty-seven cents ($15,416.67) per month, less
legally required withholdings, payable on the Company’s
normal paydays for the period beginning November 16, 2008 and
continuing through November 15, 2009. The Company will also
pay the health insurance premiums for Employee and his currently
covered dependents for the period from December 2008 through
November 2009 provided Employee makes a timely election to continue
such coverage for himself and his dependents under
COBRA.
6. In exchange for the consideration
provided to Employee as set forth above, Employee agrees to waive
and release all claims, known and unknown, which he has or might
otherwise have had against the Company, on behalf of itself and its
parent, subsidiaries, and related entities, past and present
officers, directors, shareholders, executives, managers,
supervisors, agents, employees and successors (hereinafter
collectively referred to as “the Released Parties”)
arising at anytime prior to the date he signs this Agreement,
including but not limited to all claims regarding any aspect of his
employment, compensation, the termination of his employment with
the Company, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990,
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Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42
U.S.C. section 1981, the Fair Labor Standards Acts, the WARN Act,
the New Jersey Fair Employment and Housing Act, New Jersey
anti-discrimination statutes, labor laws, and wage and hours laws,
the Unruh Civil Rights Act, New Jersey Labor Code; the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act, 29 U.S.C. section 1001, et
seq. , and any other federal, state or local law, regulation
or ordinance or public policy, contract, tort or property law
theory, or any other cause of action whatsoever that arose on or
before the date Employee signs this Agreement.
7. It is further understood and
agreed that as a condition of this Agreement, all rights under
Section 1542 of the Civil Code of the State of California are
expressly waived by Employee. Such Section reads as
follows:
“A general release does not
extend to claims which the creditor does not know or suspect to
exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release,
which if known by him or her must have materially affected his or
her settlement with the debtor.”
Employee further expressly waives
any and all rights he may have under any other statute or common
law principle of any other state which is of similar force and
effect as California Civil Code section 1542. Thus, for the purpose
of implementing a full and complete release and discharge of the
Released Parties, Employee expressly acknowledges that this
Agreement is intended to include and does include in its effect,
without limitation, all claims which Employee does not know or
suspect to exist in his/her favor against the Released Parties at
the time of execution hereof, and that this Agreement expressly
contemplates the extinguishment of all such claims.
8. Employee agrees to withdraw with
prejudice all complaints or charges, if any, he has filed against
any of the Released Parties with any federal or state court,
agency, or other tribunal. Employee agrees that he/she will never
file any lawsuit, complaint, or charge against any of the Released
Parties based on the claims released in this Separation Agreement
and General Release.
9. The release in this Agreement
includes, but is not limited to, claims arising under federal,
state or local law for age, race, sex or other forms of employment
discrimination and retaliation. In accordance with the Older
Workers Benefit Protection Act, Employee acknowledges and agrees
that:
(a) Employee has read and
understands this Agreement in its entirety;
(b) Employee has been advised by
this writing to consult with an attorney concerning this Agreement
before signing it;
(c) Employee has forty-five
(45) calendar days after receipt of this Agreement to consider
its terms before signing it;
(d) Employee has the right to revoke
this Agreement in full within seven (7) calendar days of
signing it by notifying Michael Pendergast, the Company’s
General Counsel, in writing of such revocation, and none of the
terms and provisions of this Agreement shall become effective or be
enforceable until such revocation period has expired;
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(e) The Company has provided
Employee with information in writing (see Exhibit “A”
attached hereto) describing (1) the eligibility factors for
receipt of benefits, (2) the group of employees, including the
job title and age of each, eligible to receive benefits,
(3) the ages of all individuals in the same job classification
or organizational unit who are not eligible to receive benefits,
and (4) any time limit applicable to the availability of such
benefits;
(f) Nothing contained in this
Agreement waives any claim that may arise after the date of its
execution; and
(g) Employee executes this Agreement
knowingly and voluntarily, without duress or reservation of any
kind, and after having given the matter full and careful
consideration.
10. Unless otherwise required by
law, Employee agrees that he will keep this Agreement completely
confidential and will not disclose to any person that (a) this
Agreement exists, (b) the consideration provided pursuant to
this Agreement, or (c) any term or condition of this
Agreement, other than the fact that Employee’s employment
with the Company ended due to layoff; provided, however, that this
provision shall not preclude Employee from making such disclosures
(1) as are necessary to comply with a valid subpoena or court
order, (2) to his/her attorneys, accountants, or tax preparers
as necessary for them to comply with law or generally accepted
accounting principles, or (3) to his/her immediate family
members, provided that all individuals referenced above in
subparagraphs (2) and (3) above must first be informed of
this confidentiality provision and agree to be bound thereby. If
asked about Employee’s departure from the Company, Employee
shall state only that he/she was laid off as a result of a
corporate restructuring and that he/she and the Company parted
amicably.
11. Employee agrees not to disparage
the Company, its officers, directors, employees, shareholders and
agents), in any manner likely to be harmful to them or their
business, business reputation or personal reputation. The Company,
its directors and officers agree not to disparage the Employee in
any manner likely to be harmful to them or their business, business
reputation or personal reputation.
12. This Separation Agreement and
General Release shall not be construed against any party merely
because that party drafted or revised the provision in question,
and it shall not be construed as an admission by the Released
Parties of any improper, wrongful, or unlawful actions, or any
other wrongdoing against Employee, and the Released Parties
specifically disclaim any liability to or wrongful acts against
Employee.
13. Employee acknowledges that the
Released Parties have made no promises to him/her other than those
set forth herein in this Separation Agreement and General Release.
Employee further acknowledges and agrees that he/she is not
entitled to receive, and will not claim, any right, benefit,
compensation, or relief other than what is expressly set forth
herein in this Separation Agreement and General Release. This
Agreement may be modified only by written agreement signed by both
parties.
14. In the event any provision of
this Agreement is void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions
shall continue in full force and effect.
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15. This Separation Agreement and
General Release, along with the Employee’s
Confidentiality/Proprietary Information Agreement, contains the
entire agreement between the parties regarding the subject matter
hereof, and supersedes any and all prior and contemporaneous oral
and written agreements.
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Dated:
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Employee
Signature
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DON
BARNHART
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Dated:
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GoAmerica,
Inc.
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6
EXHIBIT A
Supplemental Older Workers
Benefit Protection Act Notice
The following supplemental
information is provided to employees age 40 or older pursuant to
the federal Older Workers Benefit Protection Act:
A. The class, unit, or group of
employees covered by this reduction in force consists of the
following management/administration.
B. The eligibility factors for this
reduction in force are as follows: The Company considered all
appropriate facts and circumstances in making the decision to
reorganize and reduce its workforce, including the Company’s
current and future business plans and needs and personnel levels
needed to perform necessary work.
C. The time limits for this
reduction in force are as follows: The reduction is expected to be
carried out on
, 2008.
D. The job titles and ages for all
employees selected for layoff are as follows:
E. The ages of the employees in your
same job classification or organizational unit who were not
selected for layoff are as follows:
.
[updated schedule to be provided
after termination date for execution copy]
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Exhibit B
TERMS OF INDEMNIFICATION
(referred to herein as
“AGREEMENT”)
1. Indemnification
.
(a) Indemnification of
Expenses . The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the
fullest extent permitted by law if Indemnitee was or is or becomes
a party to or witness or other participant in, or is threatened to
be made a party to or witness or other participant in, any
threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding or
alternative dispute resolution mechanism, or any hearing, inquiry
or investigation that Indemnitee in good faith believes might lead
to the institution of any such action, suit, proceeding or
alternative dispute resolution mechanism, whether civil, criminal,
administrative, investigative or other (hereinafter a
“Claim”) by reason of (or arising in part out of) any
event or occurrence related to the fact that Indemnitee is or was a
director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company, or
any subsidiary of the Company, or is or was serving at the request
of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary
of another corporation, partn