SEVERANCE AGREEMENT
This Severance Agreement (the
“Agreement”) is made effective as of the10
th
day of
February, 2009 (the “Effective Date”) between City
Loan, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”),
William R. Atkinson and Associates, Inc. (“WRA&A”),
and William R. Atkinson (“Atkinson” and hereinafter
with WRA&A called the “Atkinson
Parties”).
Recitals
A. In March 2008, WRA&A and the Company
entered into a consulting agreement providing for the terms and
conditions of Atkinson’s employment as Chief Executive
Officer (“CEO”) of the Company (the “Consulting
Agreement”).
B. Atkinson has been the CEO of the Company from
April 14, 2008 until the Effective Date.
C. WRA&A is ending its employment
relationship with the Company and Atkinson is concurrently
resigning as Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and from all
other positions he has with the Company.
D. In recognition of the past services of the
Atkinson Parties to the Company and the Atkinson Parties
willingness to provide the Company with the covenants provided
herein, the Atkinson Parties and the Company desire to amicably
conclude the Atkinson Parties employment with the Company and its
affiliates on the terms set forth in this Agreement.
In consideration of the mutual promises
contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable
consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are
acknowledged, the undersigned parties, intending to be legally
bound, agree as follows:
Agreements
1. Resignation from Officer Positions
. Atkinson hereby resigns as Chief Executive
Officer of the Company and from all other positions he has with the
Company and its affiliates, in each case as of the Effective
Date. Any employment relationships the Atkinson Parties
have with the Company and its affiliates, including that certain
Consulting Agreement, are also concluded and deemed to be
terminated as of the Effective Date.
2. Severance Payments .
Subject to the Atkinson Parties continuing compliance
with all the terms of this Agreement, the Company shall pay
WRA&A an aggregate of $3,000.00, representing a one-time cash
payment to WRA&A by the Company (the
“Severance”). The Severance shall be payable
in accordance with the Company’s customary payroll practices
and shall be reduced by all appropriate tax withholdings and other
customary payroll deductions.
3. Mutual Release of Claims
.
(a) The Atkinson Parties, and anyone claiming
through the Atkinson Parties or on the Atkinson Parties behalf,
agree to release the Company and the other Released Parties (as
defined below) with respect to any and all claims, whether
currently known or unknown, that the Atkinson Parties now have,
have ever had, or may ever have against the Company and any of the
other Released Parties arising from or related to any agreement,
act, omission, or thing occurring or existing at any time prior to
the Effective Date. Without limiting the foregoing, the
claims released by the Atkinson Parties hereunder include, but are
not limited to:
(i) All claims for or related in any way to the
Atkinson Parties employment, compensation, other terms and
conditions of employment, or termination from employment with the
Company, including without limitation all claims for salary, bonus,
severance pay, vesting of options or any other compensation or
benefit whether under an employment agreement, any other agreement,
any Company policy, plan or program or otherwise;
(ii) All claims that were or could have been
asserted by the Atkinson Parties or on the Atkinson Parties
behalf: (a) in any federal, state, or local court,
commission, or agency; (b) under any common law theory; or (c)
under any employment, contract, tort, federal, state, or local law,
regulation, ordinance, constitutional provision, or executive
order; and
(iii) All claims that were or could have been
asserted by the Atkinson Parties or on the Atkinson Parties behalf
arising under any of the following laws, as amended from time to
time: the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Title
VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with
Disabilities Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the
Family and Medical Leave Act, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining
Notification Act, or any other related laws, rules and regulations
enacted in the State of Nevada.
(b) The Company and the Released Parties agree
to release the Atkinson Parties and their heirs and assigns with
respect to any and all claims, whether currently known or unknown,
that the Company and the Released Parties now have, have ever had,
or may ever have against the Atkinson Parties arising from or
related to any agreement, act, omission, or thing occurring or
existing at any time prior to the Effective Date. The only
exception shall be that this release shall not prohibit the Company
with respect to any criminal or fraudulent acts or omissions by the
Atkinson Parties that are unknown by the Company as of the
Effective Date.
(c) Specifically, but without limiting the
foregoing, the Atkinson Parties hereby waive any rights or claims
they may have pursuant to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act
of 1967, as amended (the “Act”) and under the laws of
any and all jurisdictions, including without limitation, the United
States. The Atkinson Parties recognize that they are not
waiving any rights or claims under the Act that may arise after the
date that they execute this Agreement and Release. Other than the
sums and benefits set forth in this Agreement and Release, there
are no other sums payable to the Atkinson Parties by the Released
Parties. In addition, the Atkinson Parties agree that there will be
no reinstatement or re-employment with the Released Parties and
agree not to bring any claim based upon the failure or refusal of
any of the Released Parties to employ him hereafter.
(d) The Atkinson
Parties acknowledge that they have read and understand
Section 1542 of the California Civil Code: “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.” The
Atkinson Parties hereby expressly waive and relinquish all rights
and benefits under Section 1542 and any law of any jurisdiction of
similar effect with respect to his release of any unknown or
unsuspected claims.
(e) The term “Released Parties” as
used in this Agreement includes: (i) the Company and its past,
present, and future parents, divisions, subsidiaries, partnerships,
affiliates, and other related entities (whether or not they are
wholly owned); and (ii) the past, present, and future owners,
trustees, fiduciaries, administrators, shareholders, directors,
officers, partners, agents, representatives, members, associates,
employees, and attorneys of each entity listed in subpart (i)
above; and (iii) the predecessors, successors, and assigns of each
entity listed in subparts (i) and (ii) above.
(f) The Atkinson Parties and the Company
acknowledge and agree that the releases provided in this Section 3
shall not apply to (i) breaches of the terms of this Agreement (ii)
vested benefits under any employee welfare plan, including without
limitation, 401(k), health and welfare plans, (iii) any rights to
indemnification under applicable statutes, bylaws or contracts
which existed prior to the date of this Agreement or as the same
may in the future be expanded, and (iv) rights under COBRA,
workmen’s compensation plans and HIPPA (Health Insurance
Protection Portability Act).
(g) By signing this Agreement, the
Atkinson Parties hereby acknowledge that: (i) the waiver and
release specified herein do not apply to any rights or claims that
may arise after the date the Atkinson Parties sign this Agreement
or with respect to their rights hereunder; (ii) the Atkinson
Parties have the right to consult with an attorney prior to signing
this Agreement; (iii) the Atkinson Parties have twenty-one
(21) days to consider this Agreement (although they may choose
to sign it earlier); and (iv) the Atkinson Parties have seven
(7) days after they sign this Agreement to revoke
it.
4. Mutual Covenant Not-to-Sue
.
(a) The Atkinson Parties covenant and agree not
to file or initiate a lawsuit against any of the Released Parties
in regard to any claims, demands, causes of action, suits, damages,
losses and expenses released herein, arising from acts or omissions
of the Company occurring on or before the Effective Date, and the
Atkinson Parties will ask no other person or entity to initiate
such a lawsuit on their behalf. If the Atkinson Parties
breach this covenant and agreement, the remaining payments and
benefits, if any, to be paid to the Atkinson Parties under Sections
2 and 3 shall immediately terminate, and the Atkinson Parties shall
indemnify and hold harmless the Company and any of the Released
Parties from any and all costs incurred by any and all of them,
including their reasonable attorneys’ fees, in defending
against such lawsuit.
(b) The Company covenants and agrees not to file
or initiate a lawsuit against the Atkinson Parties in regard to any
claims, demands, causes of action, suits, damages, losses and
expenses released herein, arising from acts or omissions of the
Atkinson Parties occurring on or before the Effective Date, and the
Company will ask no other person or entity to initiate such a
lawsuit on its behalf. The only exception shall be that this
covenant-not-to-sue shall not prohibit the Company with respect to
any criminal or fraudulent acts or omissions by the Atkinson
Parties that are unknown by the Company as of the Effective Date.
If the Company breaches this covenant and agreement, the Company
shall indemnify and hold harmless the Atkinson Parties from any and
all costs incurred by them, including his reasonable
attorneys’ fees, in defending against such
lawsuit.
5. No Proceedings Initiated .
The Atkinson Parties represent and warrant that neither
they nor anyone acting on their behalf has filed or initiated any
charge or claim against the Company in any administrative or
judicial proceeding. The Company represents and warrants
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