EXHIBIT 10.29
VIRBAC CORPORATION
FORM 10-K
SEPTEMBER 30, 2003
Employment and Consulting Agreement by and between Virbac Corporation and Xxxxx
Xxxxx, dated as of June 18, 2004.
EMPLOYMENT AND CONSULTING AGREEMENT
This Employment and Consulting Agreement, effective June 18, 2004, is made
by and between Virbac Corporation, a Delaware corporation (hereinafter "Virbac"
or the "Corporation") and Xxxxx Xxxxx (hereinafter "Xxxxx").
1. Job Description
Xxxxx is employed in the position of President and Chief Executive Officer
and will serve in that capacity or as a full time consultant during the Term of
Employment as the Board directs. In that capacity Xxxxx will report directly to
the Board of Directors of the Corporation.
The duties of the position shall include, but not be limited to providing
management and administrative leadership to the various production,
manufacturing, distribution and sales components of Virbac in conjunction with
the corporate headquarters staff located in Fort Worth, Texas and Saint Louis,
Missouri, as well as directing financial, legal and administrative matters in
accordance with Virbac's standard policies and procedures for such matters,
including additional responsibilities related to securities regulatory matters,
any investigation or enforcement action commenced by the Securities and Exchange
Commission ("SEC") or related private litigation, completion of the Company's
re-stated financial statements and audit, implementation of various compliance
policies associated with the Sarbanes Oxley Law, establishing strategic
alliances, joint ventures, promoting corporate development, leading due
diligence reviews and corporate acquisitions, where applicable.
2. Outside Employment
Xxxxx shall devote full-time efforts to his duties at Virbac; however it
is acknowledged by
Virbac that Xxxxx has other outside business responsibilities, which have
previously been disclosed to Virbac, and which the parties agree do not
interfere with Xxxxx'x fulfillment of his responsibilities to Virbac and the
continuance of which do not in any way violate this agreement as long as Xxxxx
does not increase substantially the volume of outside business activities
compared to current outside responsibilities.
3. Term
A. Term of Employment
The term of employment shall be for a period commencing on the date of
this Agreement, and ending on December 31, 2004 (the "Term of Employment").
B. Consultancy
At the end of the Term of Employment, Xxxxx agrees to make himself
available as a consultant to the Corporation from January 1, 2005 to December
31, 2005 (the "Term as Consultant"). At the request of the Board of Directors of
the Corporation and by mutual agreement, Xxxxx could assume the role of
Consultant earlier than December 31, 2004, provided, however, that he receives
the full remuneration due him during the Term of Employment as stated in
paragraphs 4 A and 4 C for the period ending December 31, 2004. Pursuant to this
consulting arrangement, the Board of Directors of the Corporation shall
determine the number of days (if any) it desires for Xxxxx to perform consulting
services during each month of the Term as Consultant, and Xxxxx agrees to make
himself available for such time as the Board directs that is consistent with
Xxxxx'x other, outside professional duties and responsibilities. At the end of
the Term as Consultant, if Xxxxx'x time is required either by the Board of
Directors of the Corporation or in behalf of the Company by others in
conjunction with existing or future actions taken by the SEC or related private
litigation, the Company's re-stated financial statements and
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audit, issues related to the various compliance policies associated with the
Sarbanes Oxley Law or others, Xxxxx shall receive payment as outlined in
paragraph 4 B, including all associated expenses.
4. Remuneration
A. During the Term of Employment
During the Term of Employment, Xxxxx shall receive a salary of $50,000 per
month. Xxxxx shall be eligible to participate in all insurance and benefit plans
made available to senior executives of Virbac upon the same terms and conditions
as such other senior executives.
B. During the Term as Consultant.
During the Term as Consultant, Xxxxx shall receive payment of $2,500 per
day for each day the Board directs Xxxxx to provide consulting services or that
his services are required in conjunction with the Company's accounting or legal
matters.
C. Bonus
In addition to salary and/or consulting remuneration, Xxxxx shall be paid
a 2004 bonus of $300,000 consisting of (1) $150,000 paid at the end of the
initial Term of Employment, as recognition of the achievements made by him for
the year, and (2) $ 150,000, based on the profitability of the Company at
December 31, 2004 being a minimum of $ 1 million net before tax, excluding all
expenses associated with the Investigative Expense, such as, but not limited to,
the extensive auditing, legal, consulting, investigation, travel and
miscellaneous expenses, as reported by the normal unaudited financial statements
prepared by the Virbac Finance Department within fifteen days after year-end and
paid to Xxxxx on or before fifteen days thereafter.
In addition, Xxxxx shall receive a 2005 bonus, based upon the following:
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i) If by June 30, 2005 Virbac has filed with the SEC its financial
statements through the end of its 2003 fiscal year, Xxxxx will be paid $150,000.
In the event such statements are not filed with the SEC until after June 30,
2005, Xxxxx will be paid a bonus of $75,000.
ii) If by June 30, 2005, Virbac has been re-listed, Xxxxx shall be paid an
additional bonus of $150,000. In the event re-listing does not occur until after
June 30, 2005, Xxxxx will be paid a bonus of $75,000.
iii) If Virbac elects to become privately held, and, therefore, does not
seek re-listing, then the entire sum of $150,000 shall become due as a bonus for
2005.
The 2004 Bonus shall be paid on or not later than fifteen days after December
31, 2004. The 2005 bonus shall be paid on the dates each of the conditions is
fulfilled.
5. Expenses
Virbac shall reimburse Xxxxx for all usual and necessary expenses incurred
by him in the performance of his duties, whether as an employee or consultant,
and for such additional expenses as Xxxxx reasonably incurs by living in Fort
Worth and traveling to his permanent abode in Houston Texas.
6. Vacation
The employee shall be entitled to two weeks of paid vacation, as well as
all paid holidays recognized by Virbac for other employees. At the end of the
year, Xxxxx shall receive a cash payment equal to the balance of any accrued but
unused vacation.
7. Termination
During the Term of Employment, Virbac may terminate Xxxxx only for just
cause, which is defined to mean 1) gross or willful misconduct causing material
harm to the corporation, 2) abandonment or neglect of duties, meaning failure to
perform any services for Virbac for a period of 10 consecutive business days
without adequate excuse or justification; 3) conviction of
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a felony involving dishonesty, fraud, embezzlement or other matter related to
the employment; 4) failure to carry out directives of the Board of Directors,
but only after the Xxxxx is given written notice from the Board of Directors of
the failure and a reasonable period of time in which to cure.
8. Indemnification
The Corporation acknowledges and agrees that it shall indemnify Xxxxx as
set forth in the Indemnification Agreement by and between Xxxxx and Corporation,
dated January 27, 2004, and attached hereto at Exhibit A, and that the indemnity
obligation set forth therein shall extend to any actual or threatened actions or
proceedings brought against Xxxxx by reason of the fact that he is or was an
employee, officer, director, consultant or agent of the Corporation. Nothing in
this Agreement shall operate to limit the obligations set forth in the
Indemnification Agreement.
9. Confidentiality
It is a condition of employment that the Employee shall neither, during or
after the period of employment with Virbac, except as necessary in the proper
course of duties or as expressly permitted by Virbac or as required by law,
divulge to any person or use any confidential information concerning:
(a) the business or financial arrangements or position of Virbac or any
affiliated entity or any officer, employee or director thereof, including but
not limited to trade secrets, intellectual property, customer lists, marketing
plans, financial records, management organizational information and other
financial, commercial, business, technical or other information of any nature
whatsoever; or
(b) any of the dealings, transactions or affairs of Virbac or any
affiliated entity.
10. Documents and Other Property of the Corporation
Upon termination of employment without any further demand, Xxxxx shall
deliver to the
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corporation or its authorized representative:
(a) all documents in Xxxxx'x possession or control, including all copies
thereof, relating in any way to any confidential information or the business or
affairs of the corporation or any affiliated entity;
(b) all other property of the corporation of any affiliated entity to
which the corporation or any affiliated entity has an entitlement to possession
which is in Xxxxx'x possession or control.
11. Governing Law
The terms of this Contract shall be interpreted and governed by the laws
of the State of Texas.
12. Entire Agreement
This Agreement represents the entire agreement between Xxxxx and Virbac,
and all prior agreements as may have existed are superseded hereby. This
Agreement may be amended from time to time, but only by a writing duly executed
by both of the parties hereto.
13. Severability
If any provision of this contract shall be deemed to be illegal, invalid,
or unenforceable, then the validity and legality of the remaining provisions
shall not be affected thereby.
14. Counterparts
This Contract of Employment may be executed in any number of counterparts
each of which shall constitute an original.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties hereto have set their hands and seals or
caused
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these presents to be signed by its proper corporate officers and to have its
proper corporate seal affixed hereto, the day and year first above written.
Approved & Accepted:
Board of Directors
Virbac Corporation
By: /s/ Xxxx Xxxxx 07/26/04
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Xxxx Xxxxx date
Member of the Board of Directors
Virbac Corporation
/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxx 07/28/04
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Xxxxx Xxxxx date
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