EXHIBIT 10.03
RELEASE AND WAIVER OF AGE
DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS
June 30, 2008
William A. Roper, Jr.
Personally Delivered
Dear Mr. Roper:
Various federal, state and local
laws prohibit age discrimination. These laws are enforced through
the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the California
Department of Fair Employment and Housing. If you believe your
treatment by the VeriSign, Inc. (“Company”), violated
any of these laws, you have the right to consult with these
agencies and to file a charge with them, and/or to file
suit.
You may, instead, voluntarily
execute this Release and Waiver of any age discrimination claims,
which would release the claims and waive the right to recover any
amounts to which you may have been entitled under such laws,
including but not limited to, any claims you may have based on age
or under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA),
the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA) and the California
Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). You are hereby notified
that you may take up to and including twenty one (21) days to
review this Release and Waiver and to seek the advice of counsel
concerning its affect on your legal rights (the
“Consideration Period”). Should you sign this agreement
before expiration of the Consideration Period, your signature shall
mean that you have executed the agreement voluntarily and with a
full understanding of your rights.
Following your
execution of the this Release and Waiver of any age discrimination
claims, you may revoke your signature for up to and including seven
(7) days from the date thereof. To be effective, the
revocation must be in writing and delivered to Rick Goshorn, Senior
Vice President and General Counsel, and Secretary to
VeriSign’s Board of Directors, by close of business (5:00
p.m. PST) on the seventh (7 th ) day following your
execution of this Release and Waiver. Your revocation of your
signature on this Release and Waiver shall have no effect upon any
Settlement and General Release Agreement that you may have already
signed.
Provided that you sign Settlement
and General Release Agreement, and this Release and Waiver (and
tender both to Mr. Goshorn), and further provided that you do
not revoke your signature on the Release and Waiver, VeriSign will
provide consideration for your release as follows:
In connection with the commencement
of Roper’s employment, the Compensation Committee of
VeriSign’s Board of Directors granted to him a non-qualified
stock option to acquir
