EXHIBIT 10.11
AMENDED AND RESTATED EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
---------------------------------------------------
This Amended and Restated Executive Employment Agreement ("AGREEMENT") is
made and entered into as of May 1, 1998 (the "EFFECTIVE DATE") by and between
United Road Services, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "COMPANY") and Xxxxxx
Xxxx, an individual resident of the State of New York ("EXECUTIVE"), with
reference to the following:
B a c k g r o u n d
A. The Company is a newly formed entity that intends to pursue
consolidation opportunities in the towing services business (the
"BUSINESS").
B. Executive has previously served in senior management capacities in
businesses similar to the Business.
C. The Company now desires to retain the full-time services of Executive
as Chief Financial Officer of the Company, and Executive is willing to
be employed by the Company in that capacity on the terms and conditions
set forth in this Agreement.
Now Therefore, the Company and Executive hereby agree as follows:
1. Employment. The Company hereby employs Executive on the terms set forth
----------
herein and Executive hereby accepts such employment commencing on the Effective
Date and ending February 2, 2001 (the "EMPLOYMENT TERM"), unless sooner
terminated under Section 6 below.
2. Duties. During the period of his employment with the Company hereunder,
------
Executive will be employed as Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Executive
will:
(a) devote his full business time, ability, knowledge and attention,
and give his best effort and skill solely to the Company's business affairs and
interests;
(b) perform such services and assume such duties and responsibilities
appropriate to the positions identified above as well as those which may from
time to time be reasonably assigned to him by the Chief Executive Officer of the
Company or by such other person to whom he may be directed to report by the
Chief Executive Officer or the Board of Directors of the Company; and
(c) in all respects use his best efforts to further, enhance and
develop the Company's business affairs, interests and welfare.
-1-
3. Compensation. In consideration of Executive's services to the Company
------------
during the Employment Term, the Company will pay Executive a gross base salary
of $75,000 and a bonus of $50,000 per annum during the Employment Term.
Executive's base salary will be paid in equal installments (pro rated for
portions of a pay period) on the Company's regular pay days and the Company will
withhold from such compensation all applicable federal and state income, social
security, and disability and other taxes as required by applicable laws. The
Company may also pay Executive such bonuses as are determined from time to time
by the Board of Directors.
4. Change of Control. In the event of any Change of Control of the Company
-----------------
pursuant to which Executive's employment is terminated either (i) by Executive
or (ii) by the Company (or a successor entity), in either case within ninety
(90) days following the effective date of such Change of Control, then (i) any
and all of Executive's stock options that are unvested as of the effective date
of such Change of Control will become vested immediately prior to such event and
(ii) Executive will receive from the Company an aggregate payment equal to three
(3) times his gross base salary and bonus, payable in accordance with the
provisions of Section 3 above; provided however, that in the event that the
Company determines, in its sole discretion, that any portion of the same
constitutes an excess parachute payment under '280G of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, as amended, then the Company will have no obligation to provide such
portion to the Executive. For purposes of this Agreement, a "Change of Control"
means (a) the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company to
any person or entity that, prior to such sale, did not control, was not under
common control with, or was not controlled by, the Company, or (b) a merger or
consolidation or other reorganization in which the Company is not the surviving
entity or becomes owned entirely by another entity, unless at least fifty
percent (50%) of the outstanding voting securities of the surviving or parent
corporation, as the case may be, immediately following such transaction are
beneficially held by such persons and entities in the same proportion as such
persons and entities beneficially held the outstanding voting securities of the
Company immediately prior to such transaction, or (c) the sale or other change
of beneficial ownership of at least fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding
voting securities of the Company to any person or "group" as that term is
defined under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; it being agreed,
in any event, that the issuances of shares to the stockholders of the founding
companies consolidating with the Company at the time of the IPO, and the
issuance of shares in the IPO, shall in no event constitute a Change of Control.
For purposes of this Agreement, "Initial Public Offering" or "IPO" means the
Company's first firm commitment underwritten offering of its securities pursuant
to a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
5. Benefits and Reimbursements.
---------------------------
5.1 Executive will, during the Employment Term, have the right to receive
such benefits as are generally made available to full-time executive officers of
the Company, including the right to participate in any retirement plan or
executive bonus
-2-
plan that the Company may create. In addition, or inclusive of such benefits,
the Company will provide Executive with the following:
(a) the opportunity to apply for coverage under the Company's medical,
life and disability plans, if any. If the Executive is accepted for coverage
under such plans, the Company will provide to Executive and his immediate
family such coverage on the same terms as is customarily provided by the
Company to the plan participants as modified from time to time.
(b) in addition to normal holidays recognized by the Company,
Executive will be entitled to three weeks paid vacation annually, provided
that any vacation may be taken by Executive at any time Executive deems
appropriate, upon consultation with the Board of Directors, which may
determine that the best interests of the Company require otherwise.
5.2 The Company will reimburse Executive for travel and other out-of-
pocket expenses reasonably incurred by Executive in the performance of his
duties hereunder, provided that all such expenses will be reimbursed only (i)
upon the presentation by Executive to the Company of such documentation as may
be reasonably necessary to substantiate that all such expenses were incurred in
the performance of his duties, and (ii) if such expenses are consistent with all
policies of the Company in effect from time to time as to the kind and amount of
such expenses.
6. Termination of Employment.
-------------------------
6.1 Expiration of the Term of Agreement. This Agreement will terminate
-----------------------------------
automatically upon the expiration of the Employment Term. On or about three
months prior to the date of such termination, the Company will provide Executive
with written notice of non-renewal of this Agreement.
6.2 Death or Permanent Disability of Executive. This Agreement will
------------------------------------------
terminate upon the death or permanent disability of Executive. Executive will
be deemed permanently disabled for the purpose of this Agreement if, in the good
faith determination of the Board of Directors, based on sound medical advice,
Executive has become physically or mentally incapable of performing his duties
hereunder for a continuous period of one hundred eighty (180) days, in which
event Executive will be deemed permanently disabled upon the expiration of such
one hundred eighty (180) day period.
6.3 Executive's Discharge for Cause. The Company will have the right to
-------------------------------
terminate Executive's employment hereunder for "Cause" at any time effective
upon its giving of written notice setting forth with particularity the facts and
circumstances constituting such Cause. For such purposes, "CAUSE" means the
occurrence of one or more of the following: (i) the commission by Executive of
any act materially detrimental to the Company, including fraud, embezzlement,
theft, bad faith, gross negligence, recklessness or willful misconduct; (ii)
incompetence or repeated failure or refusal to
-3-
perform the duties required by this Agreement and as may be assigned to
Executive by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company or by such other person
to whom Executive is directed to report from time to time by the Chief Executive
Officer or the Board of Directors of the Company; (iii) conviction of a felony
or of any crime of moral turpitude to the extent materially detrimental to the
Company; (iv) any material misrepresentation by Executive to the Company
regarding the operation of the business; or (v) breach of any covenant of this
Agreement, provided that the action or conduct described in clauses (ii) or (v)
above will constitute "Cause" only if such action or conduct continues after the
Company has provided Executive with written notice thereof and a reasonable
opportunity (to be not less than 30 days) to cure the same.
6.4 The Company's Right to Terminate At Will. Subject to the payment to
----------------------------------------
Executive of the applicable severance payments as provided in Section 6.5 below,
the Company will have the right (in addition to its right of termination under
Section 6.1 above), exercisable at any time during the term of this Agreement,
to terminate Executive's employment with the Company without "Cause" (as defined
in Section 6.3 above), immediately upon written notice to Executive.
6.5 Compensation Upon Termination.
-----------------------------
(a) Upon termination of Executive's employment pursuant to this
Section 6, Executive will be entitled to only: (i) the compensation provided
for in Section 3 above for the period of time ending with the date of
termination; (ii) compensation for any unused vacation that Executive may have
accrued, as well as all earned benefits, up to and including the date of
termination; (iii) "COBRA" benefits to the extent required by applicable law;
and (iv) reimbursement for such expenses as Executive may have properly incurred
on behalf of the Company as provided in Section 6.2 above prior to the date of
termination.
(b) If (i) the Company terminates Executive's employment pursuant to
Section 6.4 above or (ii) Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx ceases to be employed by the Company
for any reason and Executive voluntarily terminates his employment with the
Company within 6 months thereafter, in addition to the amounts payable in
Section 6.5(a) above, Executive will be entitled to receive a severance payment
in an amount equal to the base salary and bonus payable to Executive by the
Company pursuant to Section 3 above for a period of one year. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary in this Section 6.5(b), Executive's severance payment
from the Company immediately will cease if Executive accepts new employment with
any person, persons, company, partnership, corporation or business of whatever
nature.
(c) The Company will pay the severance payment described in Section
6.5(b) above in periodic payments, in accordance with the payment schedule set
forth in Section 3 above.
-4-
(d) The payments set forth in this Section 6.5 will fully discharge
all responsibilities of the Company to Executive under this Agreement or
relating to or arising out of the termination of Executive's employment.
7. Unfair Competition by Executive.
-------------------------------
7.1 Executive agrees that all trade secrets, confidential or proprietary
information with respect to the activities and businesses of the Company,
including, without limitation, personnel information, secret processes, know-
how, customer lists, databases, ideas, techniques, processes, inventions
(whether patentable or not), and other technical plans, business plans,
marketing plans, product plans, forecasts, contacts, strategies and information
(collectively "PROPRIETARY INFORMATION") which were learned by Executive in the
course of his employment by the Company, and any other Proprietary Information
received, developed or learned by Executive hereafter in the course of his
future employment by or in association with the Company, are confidential and
will be kept and held in confidence and trust as a fiduciary by Executive.
Executive will not use or disclose Proprietary Information of the Company except
as necessary in the normal course of the business of the Company for its sole
and exclusive benefit, unless Executive is compelled so to disclose under
process of law, in which case Executive will first notify the Company promptly
after receipt of a demand to so disclose.
7.2 During the term of this Agreement and for a period of one year
following its termination for any reason, directly or on behalf of or in
conjunction with any other person, persons, company, partnership, corporation or
business of whatever nature, Executive will not:
(a) engage, as an officer, director, shareholder, owner, partner, joint
venturer, financier, or in a managerial capacity, whether as an employee,
independent contractor, consultant, advisor, or sales representative, in any
corporation, partnership, firm or other entity engaged in the Business that is
within 100 miles of the principal places of business of the Company or any of
the Company's subsidiaries, or of any geographic location in which Executive has
represented the interests of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (the
"Territory");
(b) call upon any prospective acquisition candidate engaged in the
Business on Executive's own behalf or on behalf of any competitor of the Company
or any of its subsidiaries, which candidate was either called upon by the
Company (including its subsidiaries) for the purpose of acquiring such entity.
(c) contact or solicit any employees of the Company or its subsidiaries
for the purposes of hiring them.
7.3 Except for activities expressly permitted by the prior written
approval of the Board of Directors of the Company, during the term of this
Agreement, the
-5-
Executive will not: (a) engage in business independent of the Executive's
employment by the Company that requires any substantial portion of the
Executive's time; (b) serve as an officer, general partner or member in any for-
profit corporation, partnership or firm; (c) serve as a director of any
corporation, partnership or firm having the Business as its principal
enterprise; or (d) directly, indirectly or through any Affiliate, invest in,
participate in or acquire an interest in any entity engaged in the Business. For
purposes of this Agreement, the terms: (i) "Affiliate" means as to any Person,
each other Person that directly or indirectly (through one (1) or more
intermediaries) controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such
person; and (ii) "Person" means an individual, corporation, partnership, limited
liability company, association, joint stock company, trust, associate (as
defined in regulations promulgated by the Securities Exchange Commission) or
other legally recognizable entity. The limitation in this paragraph will not
prohibit any investment by the Executive in securities that are listed on a
public exchange or the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated
Quotation National Market System and issued by a company, firm, corporation,
partnership, trust or other entity involved in the Business or otherwise.
7.4 Executive and the Company acknowledge that: (i) each covenant and
restriction contained in Sections 7.1, 7.2 and 8 of this Agreement is necessary,
fundamental, and required for the protection of the Company's business; (ii)
such relate to matters which are of a special, unique, and extraordinary
character that gives each of them a special, unique, and extraordinary value;
and (iii) a breach of any such covenant or restriction will result in
irreparable harm and damage to the Company which cannot be compensated
adequately by a monetary award. Accordingly, it is expressly agreed that, in
addition to all other remedies available at law or in equity, and
notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 10 below, the Company will
be entitled to the immediate remedy of a temporary restraining order,
preliminary injunction, or such other form of injunctive or equitable relief as
may be used by any court of competent jurisdiction to restrain or enjoin any of
the parties hereto from breaching any such covenant or restriction, or otherwise
specifically to enforce the provisions contained in Sections 7.1, 7.2 and 8 of
this Agreement.
8. Proprietary Matters. Executive expressly understands and agrees that any
-------------------
and all improvements, inventions, discoveries, processes, or know-how that are
generated or conceived by Executive during the term of this Agreement, whether
so generated or conceived during Executive's regular working hours or otherwise,
will be the sole and exclusive property of the Company, and Executive will,
whenever requested to do so by the Company (either during the term of this
Agreement or thereafter), execute and assign any and all applications,
assignments and/or other instruments and do all things which the Company may
deem necessary or appropriate in order to apply for, obtain, maintain, enforce
and defend patents, copyrights, trade names or trademarks of the United States
or of foreign countries for said improvements, inventions, discoveries,
processes, or know-how, or in order to assign and convey or otherwise make
available to the Company the sole and exclusive right, title, and interest in
and to said improvements, inventions, discoveries, processes, know-how,
applications, patents, copyrights, trade names or trademarks.
-6-
9. Key-Person Insurance. Executive agrees to make himself available and to
--------------------
undergo, at the Company's request and expense, any physical examination or other
procedure necessary to allow the Company to obtain a key-person insurance policy
on Executive. If the Company obtains such policy, it will maintain the policy
at its expense and all proceeds will be the sole property of the Company.
10. Resolution of Disputes. The parties will attempt in good faith promptly
----------------------
by negotiations to resolve any dispute or controversy arising out of or relating
to this Agreement or to the employment or termination of Executive by the
Company. If a party intends to be accompanied at a negotiation meeting by an
attorney, the other party will be given at least three working days' notice of
such intention and may also be accompanied by an attorney. All negotiations
pursuant to this clause are confidential and will be treated as compromise and
settlement negotiations for purposes of the Federal Rules of Evidence and state
rules of evidence.
11. Miscellaneous.
-------------
11.1 Governing Law; Interpretation. This Agreement will be governed by
-----------------------------
the substantive laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts entered
into and fully performed in such jurisdiction. The headings and captions of the
Sections of this Agreement are for convenience only and in no way define, limit
or extend the scope or intent of this Agreement or any provision hereof. This
Agreement will be construed as a whole, according to its fair meaning, and not
in favor of or against any party, regardless of which party may have initially
drafted certain provisions set forth herein.
11.2 Assignment. This Agreement is personal to Executive and he may not
----------
assign any of his rights or delegate any of his obligations hereunder without
first obtaining the prior written consent of the Board of Directors of the
Company.
11.3 Notices. Any notice, request, claim or other communication required
-------
or permitted hereunder will be in writing and will be deemed to have been duly
given if delivered by hand or if sent by certified mail, postage and
certification prepaid, to Executive at his residence (as noted in the Company's
records), or to the Company at its address as set forth below its signature on
the signature page of this Agreement, or to such other address or addresses as
either party may have furnished to the other in writing in accordance herewith.
11.4 Severability. In the event any court of competent jurisdiction
------------
shall determine that the scope, time or territorial restrictions of any
provision of this Agreement are unreasonable, then it is the intention of the
parties that such restrictions be enforced to the fullest extent which the court
deems reasonable, and the Agreement shall thereby be reformed. The remaining
provisions of this Agreement will remain in full force and effect unless the
result would be manifestly unjust or would deprive either party of the benefit
of its bargain.
-7-
11.5 Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement and any other exhibits
----------------------------
and attachments hereto constitutes the final and complete expression of all of
the terms of the understanding and agreement between the parties hereto with
respect to the subject matter hereof, and this Agreement replaces and supersedes
any and all prior or contemporaneous negotiations, communications,
understandings, obligations, commitments, agreements or contracts, whether
written or oral, between the parties respecting the subject matter hereof.
Except as provided in Section 11.4 above, this Agreement may not be modified,
amended, altered or supplemented except by means of the execution and delivery
of a written instrument mutually executed by both parties.
11.6 Attorneys' Fees. If it becomes necessary for any party to initiate
---------------
legal action or any other proceeding to enforce, defend or construe such party's
rights or obligations under this Agreement, the prevailing party will be
entitled to its reasonable costs and expenses, including attorneys' fees,
incurred in connection with such action or proceeding.
12. EXECUTIVE ACKNOWLEDGMENT. EXECUTIVE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HE HAS BEEN GIVEN
------------------------
THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONSULT WITH LEGAL COUNSEL CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AND
OBLIGATIONS ARISING UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, THAT HE HAS READ AND UNDERSTANDS EACH
AND EVERY PROVISION OF THIS AGREEMENT, AND THAT HE IS FULLY AWARE OF THE LEGAL
EFFECT AND IMPLICATIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT.
-8-
In Witness Whereof, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly
executed as of the day and year first above written.
Company: Executive:
United Road Services, Inc. Xxxxxx Xxxx
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxx
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx ------------------------
---------------------------- Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxx
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx ----------------------
--------------------------
Title: Chief Executive Officer
-------------------------
Address: 0 Xxxxxxxxxx Xx
Address: 8 Automation Ln -------------------
----------------------- Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Xxxxxx, XX 00000 -------------------
----------------------- Fax: (000) 000-0000
Fax: (000) 000-0000 -------------------
-----------------------
-9-
