XEME BIOPHARMA, INC. EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

 

 

8.2 Benefit Plans & Vacation

The Company shall provide Executive with such benefits as are provided to other senior management of the Company. Benefits shall include at a minimum: (i) paid vacation of four (4) weeks per year, from which a maximum of 2 weeks are consecutive and at such times as approved by the President & CEO, (ii) paid 10 days’ sick/medical leaves, (iii) paid holidays as per the Company’s policies, and (iv) such other benefits and perquisites as are approved by the Board of Directors. The BOD has the right to modify conditions of participation, terminate any benefit, or change insurance plans and other providers of such benefits in its sole discretion.

 

9.	CLIENTS AND CLIENT RECORDS

 

The Executive shall abide by the authority of the President & CEO to determine who will be accepted as clients of the Company, and the Executive recognizes that such clients accepted are clients of the Company and not the Executive. The Executive shall have the authority to designate, or to establish a procedure for designating, which professional manager within his Division will handle relevant clients. All client records and files of any type concerning clients of the Company shall belong to and remain the property of the Company, notwithstanding the subsequent termination of this Agreement.

 

10.	POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

The BOD shall have the authority to establish from time to time the policies and procedures to be followed by the Executive in performing services for the Company. Executive shall abide by the provisions of any contract under which the Executive represents the Company.

 

11.	TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT

 

11.1  For Cause

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the President & CEO in consultation with the BOD may terminate Executive’s employment hereunder for cause for any one of the following reasons: 1) conviction of a felony, any act involving moral turpitude, or a misdemeanor where imprisonment is imposed, 2) commission of any act of theft, fraud, dishonesty, or falsification of any employment or Company records, 3) improper disclosure of the Company’s confidential or proprietary information, 4) any action by the Executive which has a detrimental effect on the Company’s reputation or business, 5) Executive’s failure or inability to perform any reasonable assigned duties after written notice from the BOD, and a reasonable opportunity to cure such failure or inability, 6) any breach of this Agreement, which breach is not cured within 30 days following written notice of such breach, 7) a course of conduct amounting to gross incompetence, 8) chronic and unexcused absenteeism, 9) unlawful appropriation of a corporate opportunity, or 10) misconduct in connection with the performance of any of Executive’s duties, including, without limitation, misappropriation of funds or property of the Company, securing or attempting to secure personally any profit in connection with any transaction entered into on behalf of the Company, misrepresentation to the Company, or any violation of law or regulations on Company premises or to which the Company is subject. Upon termination of Executive’s employment with the Company for cause, the Company shall be under no further obligation to Executive, except to pay all accrued but unpaid base salary and accrued vacation to the date of termination thereof.

 

11.2  Without Cause

The President & CEO in consultation with the BOD may terminate Executive’s employment hereunder at any time without cause, provided, however, that Executive shall be entitled to severance compensation. If termination occurs within the first two (2) years from the Commencement Date of this Contract, the severance compensation will consist of any unpaid Base Salary, Healthcare Insurance Allowance and accrued vacation plus the greater of either: 1) the remaining Base Salary that would have been paid up till the second anniversary of the Commencement Date or 2) two (2) months Base Salary. The Executive will also be entitled to the full bonus compensation before or on the second anniversary from the Commencement Date as detailed in Article 7.3. If termination occurs after the second anniversary of the Commencement Date, the severance compensation will be in the amount of two months Base Salary. Severance compensation (other than the bonus compensation) will be paid within 30 days from the termination date and will be subject to all tax withholding deductions required by law. Severance compensation will be paid if, and only if, the Executive executes a valid and comprehensive release of any and all claims (with the exception of the severance compensation detailed above and the bonus compensation detailed in Article 7.3) that the Executive may have against the Company in a form provided by the Company and Executive executes such form within 14 days of tender.

 

 

11.3  Cooperation

After notice of termination, Executive shall cooperate with the Company, as reasonably requested by the Company, to affect a transition of Executive’s responsibilities and to ensure that the Company is aware of all matters being handled by Executive.

 

11.4  Compensation After Notice of Termination

After notice of termination has been given by either Company or Executive, as provided in this Article, Executive shall be entitled to receive the compensation provided for in this Agreement until the notice period has expired. It is understood that after the written notice is given by either the BOD or Executive, Executive shall continue to devote substantially all of the Executive’s time to the Executive’s normal services for the Company during the notice period, with sufficient time allowed, in the sole discretion of the Company, for Executive to seek new employment.

 

12. DISABILITY OF EXECUTIVE

 

The Company may terminate this Agreement if Executive shall be permanently prevented from properly performing his essential duties hereunder with reasonable accommodation by reason of illness or other physical or mental incapacity for a period of more than 30 consecutive days. Upon such termination, Executive shall be entitled to all accrued but unpaid Base Salary and vacation and severance compensation of two months Base Salary. If the disability termination occurs before the second anniversary of the Commencement Date, the Executive will be entitled on the second anniversary of the Commencement Date to a pro-rated share of the bonus compensation outlined in Article 7.3.

 

12.1  Definitions

For purposes of this Agreement, whenever used in this Article 12:

 

“Total disability” shall mean that the Executive is unable, mentally or physically, whether it be due to sickness, accident, age or other infirmity, to engage in any aspect of the Executive’s normal duties as set forth in this Agreement.

 

“Partial disability” shall mean that the Executive is able to perform, to some extent, on behalf of the Company, the particular services in which the Company specializes, and which the Executive previously performed for the Company, but that the Executive is unable, mentally or physically, to devote the same amount of time to such services as was devoted prior to the occurrence of such sickness or accident.

 

“Normal monthly salary” shall mean the salary which the Executive is being paid by the Company per month as of the commencement date of the period of disability, as specified hereinabove or as determined by the Board of Directors pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

12.2  Total Disability

During a single period of total disability of the Executive, the Executive shall be entitled to receive from the Company, the Executive’s normal monthly salary for the shorter of first three (3) months of disability or until any disability insurance policy available through the Executive’s employment begins to pay benefits. If the single period of disability should continue beyond three (3) months, the Executive shall receive only such amount as the Executive shall be entitled to receive under disability insurance coverage on the Executive, if any.

 

 

12.3  Partial Disability

During a period of partial disability of the Executive, the Executive shall receive an amount of compensation computed as follows:

 

That portion of the Executive’s normal monthly basic compensation which bears the same ratio to the Executive’s normal monthly basic compensation as the amount of time which the Executive is able to devote to the usual performance of services on behalf of the Company during such period bears to the total time the Executive devoted to performing such services prior to the commencement date of the single period of disability, and

 

Such amount shall be calculated by multiplying the Executive’s basic compensation by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the percentage of normal services that the Executive is able to perform and the denominator which shall be the total services that the Executive is able to perform absent the partial disability.

 

12.4  Combination of Total and Partial Disability

If a single period of disability of the Executive consists of a combination of total disability and partial disability, the maximum total disability compensation to which the Executive shall be entitled from the Company under this disability provision shall not exceed an amount equal to one (1) times the Executive’s normal monthly basic compensation.

 

12.5  Broken Periods of Disability

A period of disability may be continuous or broken. If broken into partial periods of disability which are separated by intervening periods of work, there shall be aggregated together all of such successive partial periods of disability except any period prior to the time when any single period of work extends for two months or longer; and such aggregated periods of disability shall be treated as a single period in determining the amount of disability compensation to which an Executive shall be entitled under any provision of this Section.

 

12.6  Termination Due to Disability

If and when the period of total or partial disability of the Executive totals six (6) months, the Executive’s employment with the Company shall automatically terminate. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the disabled Executive and the Company agree, the disabled Executive may thereafter be employed by the Company upon such terms as may be mutually agreeable.

 

12.7  Commencement Date of Disability

The commencement date of a period of disability, whether it be a continuous period or the aggregate of successive partial periods, shall be the first day on which the Executive is disabled.

 

12.8  Dispute Regarding Existence of Disability

Any dispute regarding the existence, extent or continuance of the disability shall be resolved by the determination of a majority of three (3) competent physicians, one (1) of whom shall be selected by the BOD, one (1) of whom shall be selected by the Executive and the third (3rd) of whom shall be selected by the other two (2) physicians so selected.

 

12.9  Death of Executive

In the event the Executive shall die during the term hereof, the Company shall pay to the Executive’s surviving spouse, or if the Executive shall leave no surviving spouse, then to the Executive’s estate, only such amounts as may have been earned by the Executive prior to the Executive’s date of death, but which were unpaid at date of death.

 

 

13.	CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION AND INVENTION ASSIGNMENTS

 

Executive hereby assigns to Company all of his right, title and interest in and to all inventions, discoveries, improvements, ideas, designs, computer programs, software and its related components, protocols, systems and related documentation and other works of authorship directly pertinent to the Company’s business (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”), whether or not patentable, copyrightable or entitled to or eligible for other forms of protection, which during the term of Executive’s employment, Executive may create, develop, write or conceive, during regular working hours and on the Company’s premises. Executive further recognizes and acknowledges that all records with respect to clients, business associates, customer or referral lists, contracting parties and referral sources of the Company, and all personal, financial and business and proprietary information of the Company, its Executives, officers, directors and shareholders obtained by the Executive during the term of this Agreement and not generally known in the public (the “Confidential Information”) are valuable, special and unique and proprietary assets of the Company’s business. The Executive hereby agrees that during the term of this Agreement and following the termination of this Agreement, whether the termination shall be voluntary or involuntary, or with or without cause, or whether the termination is solely due to the expiration of the term of this Agreement, the Executive will not at any time, directly or indirectly, disclose any Confidential Information, in full or in part, in written or other form, to any person, firm, Company, association or other entity, or utilize the same for any reason or purpose whatsoever other than for the benefit of and pursuant to authorization granted by the Company. “Confidential Information” shall also include any information (including, but not limited to, technical or non-technical data, a formula, a pattern, a compilation, a program, a device, a method, a technique, a drawing, a process, financial data, financial plans, product plans, or a list of actual or potential customers) that: (i) derives economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by, other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use; and (ii) is the subject of efforts that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain its secrecy. In the case of Company’s business, Company’s Trade Secrets include (without limitation) information regarding names and addresses of any customers, sales personnel, account invoices, training and educational manuals, administrative manuals, prospective customer leads, in whatever form, whether or not computer or electronically accessible “on-line.”

 

14.	EXCLUSIVE EMPLOYMENT

 

During employment with the Company, Executive will not do anything to compete with the Company’s present or contemplated business, nor will he plan or organize any competitive business activity. Executive will not enter into any agreement which conflicts with his duties or obligations to the Company. Executive will not during his employment or within 3 year after it ends, without the Company’s express written consent, directly or indirectly, solicit or encourage any manager, agent, contractor, supplier, customer, consultant or any other person or company to terminate or alter a relationship with the Company.

 

15.

HIRING

 

The Executive agrees that after a notice of termination and for a period of 1 year following the termination of this Agreement, whether the termination shall be voluntary or involuntary, or with or without cause, or whether the termination is solely due to the expiration of the term of this Agreement, the Executive will not attempt to hire any other Executive or independent contractor of the Company or otherwise encourage or attempt to encourage any other Executive or independent contractor of the Company to leave the Company’s employ.

 

16.	ASSIGNMENT AND TRANSFER

 

Executive’s rights and obligations under this Agreement shall not be transferable by assignment or otherwise, and any purported assignment, transfer or delegation thereof shall be void. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon and enforceable by, any purchaser of substantially all of Company’s assets, any corporate successor to Company or any assignee thereof.

 

 

17.	NO INCONSISTENT OBLIGATIONS

 

Executive is aware of no obligations, legal or otherwise, inconsistent with the terms of this Agreement or with his undertaking employment with the Company. Executive will not disclose to the Company, or use, or induce the Company to use, any proprietary information or trade secrets of others. Executive represents and warrants that he or she has returned all property and confidential information belonging to all prior employers.

 

18.	ATTORNEYS’ FEES

 

The parties hereto agree that, in the event of breach or threatened breach of any covenants of Executive described in Article 11.1 (Termination for Cause), the damage or imminent damage to the value and the goodwill of the Company’s business shall be inestimable, and that therefore any remedy at law or in damages shall be inadequate. Accordingly, the parties hereto agree that the Company shall be entitled to injunctive relief against Executive in the event of any breach or threatened breach of any of such provisions by Executive, in addition to any other relief (including damages) available to the Company under this Agreement or under law. The prevailing party in any action instituted pursuant to this Agreement shall be entitled to recover from the other party its reasonable attorneys’ fees and other expenses incurred in such action.

 

In the event that either party is required to engage the services of legal counsel to enforce the terms and conditions of this Agreement against the other party, regardless of whether such action results in litigation, the prevailing party shall be entitled to reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs of legal assistants, and other costs from the other party, which shall include any fees or costs incurred at trial or in any appellate proceeding, and expenses and other costs, including any accounting expenses incurred.

 

19.	GOVERNING LAW

 

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey without regard to conflict of law principles.

 

20.

AMENDMENT

 

This Agreement may be amended only in writing signed by the Executive and by a duly authorized representative of the Company.

 

21.	SEVERABILITY

 

If any term, provision, covenant or condition of this Agreement, or the application thereof to any person, place or circumstance, shall be held to be invalid, unenforceable or void, the remainder of this Agreement and such term, provision, covenant or condition as applied to other persons, places and circumstances shall remain in full force and effect.

 

22.	CONSTRUCTION

 

The headings and captions of this Agreement are provided for convenience only and are intended to have no effect in construing or interpreting this Agreement. The language in all parts of this Agreement shall be in all cases construed according to its fair meaning and not strictly for or against the Company or Executive.

 

 

23.	RIGHTS CUMULATIVE

 

The rights and remedies provided by this Agreement are cumulative, and the exercise of any right or remedy by either party hereto (or by its successor), whether pursuant to this Agreement, to any other agreement, or to law, shall not preclude or waive its right to exercise any or all other rights and remedies.

 

24.

NONWAIVER

 

No failure or neglect of either party hereto in any instance to exercise any right, power or privilege hereunder or under law shall constitute a waiver of any other right, power or privilege or of the same right, power or privilege in any other instance. All waivers by either party hereto must be contained in a written instrument signed by the party to be charged and, in the case of the Company, by the Chairman of the BOD or other person duly authorized by the BOD.

 

25.

NOTICES

 

Any and all notices or other communication provided for herein, shall be given by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, in case of the Company to its principal office, and in the case of the Executive to the Executive’s residence address set forth on the first page of this Agreement or to such other address as may be designated by the Executive.

 

26.	ASSISTANCE IN LITIGATION

 

Executive shall, during and after termination of employment, upon reasonable notice, furnish such information and proper assistance to the Company as may reasonably be required by the Company in connection with any litigation in which it or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates is, or may become a party; provided, however, that such assistance following termination shall be furnished at mutually agreeable times and for mutually agreeable compensation.

 

27.	ARBITRATION

 

Any controversy, claim or dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the employment relationship, either during the existence of the employment relationship or afterwards, between the parties hereto, their assignees, their affiliates, their attorneys, or agents, shall be settled by arbitration in Monmouth Junction, State of New Jersey. Such arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the then prevailing commercial arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association New Jersey (but the arbitration shall be in front of an arbitrator, with the following exceptions if in conflict: (a) one arbitrator shall be chosen by the Chairman of the BOD; (b) each party to the arbitration will pay its pro rata share of the expenses and fees of the arbitrator(s), together with other expenses of the arbitration incurred or approved by the arbitrator(s); and (c) arbitration may proceed in the absence of any party if written notice of the proceedings has been given to such party. The parties agree to abide by all decisions and awards rendered in such proceedings. Such decisions and awards rendered by the arbitrator shall be final and conclusive and may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof as a basis of judgment and of the issuance of execution for its collection. All such controversies, claims or disputes shall be settled in this manner in lieu of any action at law or equity; provided however, that nothing in this subsection shall be construed as precluding the Company from bringing an action for injunctive relief or other equitable relief or relief under the Confidential Information and Invention Assignment Agreement. The arbitrator shall not have the right to award punitive damages, consequential damages, lost profits or speculative damages to either party. The parties shall keep confidential the existence of the claim, controversy or disputes from third parties (other than the arbitrator), and the determination thereof, unless otherwise required by law or necessary for the business of the Company. The arbitrator(s) shall be required to follow applicable law.

 

 

IF FOR ANY REASON THIS ARBITRATION CLAUSE BECOMES NOT APPLICABLE, THEN EACH PARTY, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY AS TO ANY ISSUE RELATING HERETO IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING, OR COUNTERCLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER MATTER INVOLVING THE PARTIES HERETO.

 

28.	SOLICITATION

 

The Executive further agrees that during the term of this Agreement and following the termination of this Agreement, whether the termination shall be voluntary or involuntary, or with or without cause, or whether the termination is solely due to the expiration of the term of this Agreement, the Executive will not, in any manner or at any time, solicit or encourage any person, firm, company or other business entity who are clients, business associates or referral sources of the Company to cease doing business with the Company or to do business with the Executive.

 

29.	COVENANTS INDEPENDENT

 

Each restrictive covenant on the part of the Executive set forth in this Agreement shall be construed as a covenant independent of any other covenant or provisions of this Agreement or any other agreement which the Company and the Executive may have, fully performed and not executory, and the existence of any claim or cause of action by the Executive against the Company whether predicated upon another covenant or provision of this Agreement or otherwise, shall not constitute a defense to the enforcement by the Company of any other covenant.

 

30.	INJUNCTIVE AND EQUITABLE RELIEF

 

Executive and the Company recognize and expressly agree that the extent of damages to Company in the event of a breach by Executive of any restrictive covenant set forth herein would be impossible to ascertain, that the irreparable harm arising out of any breach shall be irrefutably presumed, and that the remedy at law for any breach will be inadequate to compensate the Company. Consequently, the Executive agrees that in the event of a breach of any such covenant, in addition to any other relief to which Company may be entitled, Company shall be entitled to enforce the covenant by injunctive or other equitable relief ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction.

 

31.	INDEMNIFICATION

 

The Executive hereby agrees to indemnify and hold the Company and its officers, directors, shareholders and Executives harmless from and against any loss, claim, damage or expense, and/or all costs of prosecution or defense of their rights hereunder, whether in judicial proceedings, including appellate proceedings, or whether out of court, including without limiting the generality of the foregoing, attorneys’ fees, and all costs and expenses of litigation, arising from or growing out of the Executive’s breach or threatened breach of any covenant contained herein.

 

32.	ACKNOWLEDGMENT

 

The Executive acknowledges that when this Agreement is concluded, the Executive will be able to earn a living without violating the foregoing restrictions and that the Executive’s recognition and representation of this fact is a material inducement to the execution of this Agreement and to Executive’s continued relationship with the Company.

 

 

33.	SURVIVAL OF COVENANTS

 

All restrictive covenants contained in this Agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

34.	LIMITATIONS ON AUTHORITY

 

Without the express written consent from the Chairman of the BOD, the Executive shall have no apparent or implied authority to: (i) Pledge the credit of the Company or any of its other Executives; (ii) Release or discharge any debt due the Company unless the Company has received the full amount thereof; or (iii) sell, mortgage, transfer or otherwise dispose of any assets of the Company.

 

35.	REPRESENTATION AND WARRANTY OF EXECUTIVE

 

The Executive acknowledges and understands that the Company has extended employment opportunities to Executive based upon Executive’s representation and warranty that Executive is in good health and able to perform the work contemplated by this Agreement for the term hereof.

 

36.	INVALID PROVISION; SEVERABILITY

 

The invalidity or unenforceability of a particular provision of this Agreement shall not affect the other provisions hereof, and the Agreement shall be construed in all respects as if such invalid or unenforceable provisions were omitted.

 

37.	MODIFICATION

 

No change or modification of this Agreement shall be valid unless the same be in writing and signed by the parties hereto.

 

38.	ENTIRE AGREEMENT

 

This Agreement contains the entire agreement and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be changed only by an agreement in writing signed by the party against whom any waiver, change, amendment, modification, or discharge is sought.

 

39.

DISPUTES

 

Any controversy, claim or dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the employment relationship, either during the existence of the employment relationship or afterwards, between the parties hereto, their assignees, their affiliates, their attorneys, or agents, shall be litigated solely in state or federal court in Monmouth Junction, State of New Jersey. Each party (1) submits to the jurisdiction of such court, (2) waives the defense of an inconvenient forum, (3) agrees that valid consent to service may be made by mailing or delivery of such service to the Secretary of State (the “Agent”) or to the party at the party’s last known address, if personal service delivery cannot be easily effected, and (4) authorizes and directs the Agent to accept such service in the event that personal service delivery cannot easily be effected.

 

EACH PARTY, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY AS TO ANY ISSUE RELATING HERETO IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING, OR COUNTERCLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER MATTER INVOLVING THE PARTIES HERETO.

 

 

IN WITNESS HEREOF, each party to this Agreement has caused it to be executed at ▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇-▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ on the date indicated below.

 

EXECUTIVE		COMPANY
Authorized Signature		Authorized Signature
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇, PhD / Executive VP		▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ MD, PhD / President & CEO
Print Name and Title		Print Name and Title
May 6, 2020		May 19, 2020
Date		Date