EXHIBIT 10.2
VIA HAND DELIVERY
October 9, 2006
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Ph.D.
00 Xxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Dear Vin:
This letter agreement sets forth the terms of your continued employment with
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the "Company"). In the event that the terms of
your offer letter with the Company conflict with the terms hereof, this letter
agreement shall govern.
As we have discussed, it is currently expected that your employment with the
Company will continue on a full time basis through December 31, 2006 and
thereafter on a part time basis until August 1, 2007, at which time your
employment with the Company will terminate. The Company is hereby offering to
provide you with the pay and benefits described in Attachment A hereto, if you
timely sign and return this letter agreement and, on or within three business
days after your Termination Date (as defined below), you sign and return the
release of claims attached hereto as Attachment B and it becomes binding upon
you. Because both this letter agreement and Attachment B will become binding
agreements between you and the Company, you are advised to consult with your
attorney before signing this letter agreement and Attachment B, and you have
been given twenty-one (21) days to do so. If you sign this letter agreement,
and, on or within three business days after the Termination Date, Attachment B,
you may change your mind and revoke your acceptance during the seven (7) day
period after you have signed each of them, by delivering a written notice of
revocation to me at the Company. In the event that you choose not to accept this
offer, or you timely revoke within the seven (7) days after signing each
agreement, your employment will terminate effective immediately, and all
compensation and benefits will terminate immediately.
If, after reviewing this letter agreement and its attachments, you find the
terms and conditions are satisfactory to you, you should sign and return this
letter agreement to me by October 31, 2006 and then sign and return Attachment B
as required herein. The following numbered paragraphs set forth the terms and
conditions which will apply if this letter agreement becomes binding and
Attachment B becomes binding between you and the Company.
1. TERMINATION DATE - Should you accept this offer, your effective date of
termination from the Company will be August 1, 2007 (the "Termination
Date") (the period between the date hereof and August 1, 2007 shall be
defined as the "Transition Period"). If on or before August 1, 2007,
you terminate your employment with the Company or the Company
terminates your employment for "cause" as defined herein, the Company
will only be obligated to provide you with the pay and benefits earned
by you through the last day of your employment with the Company. If
during the Transition Period the Company were to terminate your
employment without "cause" as defined herein, and provided this
agreement and Attachment A become binding upon you, (a) the Company
shall continue to pay you all amounts then unpaid that would otherwise
be due to you under paragraphs 1 and 2 of Attachment A if the
Transition Period were to continue until August 1, 2007; (b) the
Company shall pay, within thirty (30) days of Attachment B becoming
binding upon you, the amount that would be due to you under paragraph 3
of Attachment A as though you had been continuously employed as a 50%
part time employee between January 1, 2007 and August 1, 2007. For
purposes of this agreement, "cause" shall be defined as a good faith
finding by the Company of
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your failure to perform your obligations where such failure will or
could cause material harm to the Company. In the event that you choose
not to accept this offer, your employment will terminate, effective
October 31, 2006, and all compensation and benefits will terminate as
of that date. As of the Termination Date, all salary payments from the
Company will cease and any benefits you currently have under
Company-provided benefit plans, programs, or practices will terminate,
except as required by federal or state law, or as otherwise described
herein.
2. DESCRIPTION OF TRANSITION PAY AND BENEFITS --The pay and benefits which
will be provided to you if you both timely sign and return this letter
agreement and timely sign, return and do not revoke the release
agreement at Attachment B, are described in the "Description of
Transition Pay and Benefits" attached as Attachment A.
3. RELEASE - In consideration of the pay and benefits, to which you
acknowledge you would not otherwise be entitled, you (on behalf of
yourself, your agents, assignees, attorneys, successors, assigns, heirs
and executors) hereby fully, forever, irrevocably and unconditionally
release, remise and discharge the Company, including, but not limited
to, its affiliates, subsidiaries, parent companies, predecessors and
successors and all of their respective past and present officers,
directors, stockholders, corporate affiliates, parents, subsidiaries,
plan administrators, attorneys, agents, employees, insurers and
fiduciaries (each in their individual and corporate capacities)
(collectively, the "Released Parties") from any and all claims,
charges, complaints, demands, actions, causes of action, suits, rights,
debts, sums of money, costs, accounts, reckonings, covenants,
contracts, agreements, promises, doings, omissions, damages,
executions, obligations, liabilities, and expenses (including
attorneys' fees and costs), of every kind and nature which you ever had
or now have against any of the Released Parties, including, but not
limited to, all employment discrimination claims under Title VII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. Section 2000e et seq., the Age
Discrimination in Employment Act, 29 U.S.C. Section 621 et seq., the
Americans With Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C., Section 12101 et seq., and
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. Section 701 et seq., all as
amended; all claims arising out of the Employment Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974, 29 U.S.C. Section 1001 et seq., and the Worker
Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, 29 U.S.C. Section 2101 et
seq., all as amended; the Massachusetts Fair Employment Practices Act,
M.G.L. c. 151B, Section 1 et seq., the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act,
M.G.L. c. 12, Sections 11H and 11I, the Massachusetts Equal Rights Act,
c. 93, Section 102 and M.G.L. c. 214, Section 1C, the Massachusetts
Labor and Industries Act, M.G.L. c. 149, Section 1 et seq., the
Massachusetts Maternity Leave Act, M.G.L. c. 149, Section 105(d), and
the Massachusetts Privacy Act, M.G.L. c. 214, Section 1B, all as
amended; all common law claims including, but not limited to, actions
in tort, defamation and breach of contract; all claims to any
non-vested ownership interest in the Company, contractual or otherwise,
including but not limited to claims to stock or stock options; and any
claim or damage arising out of your employment with or separation from
the Company (including any claim for retaliation) under any common law
theory or any federal, state or local statute or ordinance not
expressly referenced above; provided, however, that nothing in this
letter agreement prevents you from filing, cooperating with, or
participating in any proceeding before the EEOC or a state Fair
Employment Practices Agency (except that you acknowledge that you may
not be able to recover any monetary benefits in connection with any
such claim, charge or proceeding).
4. NON-DISCLOSURE - You acknowledge your obligation to keep confidential
all non-public information concerning the Company which you acquired
during the course of employment with the Company. As stated more fully
in the Employee Nondisclosure, Noncompetition and Assignment of
Intellectual Property Agreement signed by you in favor of the Company
(which remains in full force and effect), you will not disclose any
such information to, or use such information for, the benefit of any
third party, including competitors of the Company. You also restate and
reaffirm all of your other obligations contained in the Employee
Nondisclosure, Noncompetition and Assignment of Intellectual Property
Agreement.
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5. NON-DISPARAGEMENT -- To the extent permitted by law, you understand and
agree that as a condition for payment to you of the pay and benefits
herein described, you shall not make any false, disparaging or
derogatory statements to any media outlet, industry group, financial
institution or current or former employee, consultant, client or
customer of the Company regarding the Company or any of the Released
Parties, or about the Company's business affairs and financial
condition.
6. COMPANY PROPERTY - You agree to return to the Company, on the
Termination Date, all keys, files, records, documents (and any
electronic copies thereof), equipment (including, but not limited to,
computer hardware, software and printers, wireless handheld devices,
cellular phones, pagers, etc.), Company identification, and any other
Company-owned property in your possession or control and to leave
intact all electronic Company documents, including but not limited to
those which you developed or helped develop during your employment. You
further confirm that you have cancelled all accounts for your benefit,
if any, in the Company's name, including but not limited to, credit
cards, telephone charge cards, cellular phone and/or pager accounts and
computer accounts.
7. AMENDMENT - This letter agreement shall be binding upon the parties and
may not be modified in any manner, except by an instrument in writing
of concurrent or subsequent date signed by duly authorized
representatives of the parties hereto. This letter agreement is binding
upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective
agents, assigns, heirs, executors, successors and administrators.
8. WAIVER OF RIGHTS - No delay or omission by the Company in exercising
any right under this letter agreement shall operate as a waiver of that
or any other right. A waiver or consent given by the Company on any one
occasion shall be effective only in that instance and shall not be
construed as a bar or waiver of any right on any other occasion.
9. VALIDITY - Should any provision of this letter agreement be declared or
be determined by any court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal or
invalid, the validity of the remaining parts, terms or provisions shall
not be affected thereby and said illegal and invalid part, term or
provision shall be deemed not to be a part of this letter agreement.
10. CONFIDENTIALITY - You understand and agree that as a condition for
payment to you of the pay and benefits herein described, the terms and
conditions of this letter agreement, and the contents of any
negotiations and discussions resulting in this letter agreement, shall
be maintained as confidential by you and your agents and
representatives and shall not be disclosed to any third party except to
the extent required by federal or state law or otherwise agreed to in
writing by the Company.
11. NATURE OF AGREEMENT - You understand and agree that this letter
agreement is a Transition Pay and Benefits agreement and does not
constitute an admission of liability or wrongdoing on the part of the
Company.
12. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS - You acknowledge that you have been given at least
twenty-one (21) days to consider this letter agreement and its
Attachment A, and the release of claims at Attachment B, and that the
Company advised you to consult with an attorney of your own choosing
prior to signing. You understand that you may revoke this agreement, as
well as Attachment B, for a period of seven (7) days after you sign the
respective agreement, and the agreement shall not be effective or
enforceable until the expiration of each seven (7) day revocation
period.
13. VOLUNTARY ASSENT - You affirm that no other promises or agreements of
any kind have been made to
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or with you by any person or entity whatsoever to cause you to sign
this letter agreement, and that you fully understand the meaning and
intent of this agreement. You state and represent that you have had an
opportunity to fully discuss and review the terms of this letter
agreement, including Attachments A and B, with an attorney. You further
state and represent that you have carefully read this letter agreement,
including Attachments A and B, understand the contents therein, freely
and voluntarily assent to all of the terms and conditions thereof, and
sign your name of your own free act.
14. APPLICABLE LAW - This letter agreement shall be interpreted and
construed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without
regard to conflict of laws provisions. You hereby irrevocably submit to
and acknowledge and recognize the jurisdiction of the state and federal
courts of Massachusetts (which courts, together with all applicable
appellate courts, for purposes of this letter agreement, are the only
courts of competent jurisdiction) over any suit, action or other
proceeding arising out of, under or in connection with this letter
agreement or the subject matter hereof.
15. ENTIRE AGREEMENT - This letter agreement, including Attachments A and
B, contains and constitutes the entire understanding and agreement
between the parties hereto with respect to your pay and benefits and
the settlement of claims against the Company and cancels all previous
oral and written negotiations, agreements, commitments, and writings in
connection therewith. Nothing in this paragraph, however, shall modify,
cancel or supersede your obligations set forth in paragraph 4, herein.
Whether or not you accept this offer, upon termination of your employment, you
will receive payment for any unused paid time off accrued through your
termination, and you may elect to continue receiving group medical insurance
pursuant to the federal "COBRA" law, 29 U.S.C. Section 1161 et seq. All premium
costs after termination of your employment shall be paid by you on a monthly
basis for as long as, and to the extent that, you remain eligible for COBRA
continuation. You should consult the COBRA materials to be provided by the
Company.
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If you have any questions about the matters covered in this letter, please
contact me.
Very truly yours,
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
By: /s/ Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx
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Name: Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx
Title: Vice President, Finance
I hereby agree to the terms and conditions set forth above and in the attached
Description of Pay and Benefits. I have been given at least twenty-one (21) days
to consider this agreement and I have chosen to execute this on the date below.
I intend that this letter agreement will become a binding agreement between me
and the Company if I do not revoke my acceptance in seven (7) days. I further
understand that payment to me of the Transition Pay and Benefits described in
Attachment A is conditioned upon my timely execution and return, and
non-revocation of Attachment B.
/s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx October 20, 2006
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Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Ph.D. Date
To be returned to me by October 31, 2006.
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ATTACHMENT A
DESCRIPTION OF TRANSITION PAY AND BENEFITS
During the Transition Period, the additional pay and benefits which will be
provided to you if you timely sign and return the letter agreement and it
becomes binding, unless you terminate your employment with the Company or the
Company terminates your employment for "cause" as defined in the letter
agreement to which this Attachment is attached, are as follows:
1. Until December 31, 2006, you will continue as a full time employee at
your current salary, enjoying all of your current benefits, and also
will be eligible for a bonus under Alnylam's 2006 Bonus Program in
accordance with the terms of the program.
2. Between January 1, 2007 and August 1, 2007, you will work only 50% of
your full time schedule and as such shall receive only 50% of your
current base salary, which shall equal $5,240.23 per regular
semi-monthly pay period, less applicable taxes and withholdings. During
this period, subject to your continued employment with the Company, you
will continue to enjoy the following benefits provided by the Company:
time off for company holidays; continued vesting of your stock options;
and vacation time, which vacation time shall accrue at a rate of 5
hours per month. As you will not be eligible for any medical and dental
coverage, you may elect to continue receiving group medical and dental
insurance pursuant to the federal "COBRA" law, 29 U.S.C. Section 1161
et seq., and should consult the COBRA materials to be provided by the
Company for details regarding these benefits. In the event that you
make such a timely election, during the Transition Period, the Company
will reimburse you for any difference between the premiums you are
required to pay for such COBRA coverage and the premiums that you would
pay if you were still an eligible employee covered by the Company's
group medical and dental plan. After your Termination Date, you will no
longer be eligible to receive reimbursement for the difference in
premiums.
If after the Termination Date you timely sign, return and do not revoke the
release agreement Attachment B, you also will receive the following additional
payment:
3. A lump sum cash payment in an amount equal to (1) $1,122.91 multiplied
by (2) the number of full weeks that you remain employed by the Company
as a 50% part time employee during the period beginning on January 1,
2007 and ending on August 1, 2007, less all applicable taxes and
withholdings. Such payment will be made within thirty (30) days of
Attachment B becoming binding upon you.
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ATTACHMENT B
RELEASE OF CLAIMS
RELEASE - In consideration of the pay and benefits described on Attachment A, to
which you acknowledge you would not otherwise be entitled, you (on behalf of
yourself, your agents, assignees, attorneys, successors, assigns, heirs and
executors) hereby fully, forever, irrevocably and unconditionally release,
remise and discharge the Company, including, but not limited to, its affiliates,
subsidiaries, parent companies, predecessors and successors and all of their
respective past and present officers, directors, stockholders, corporate
affiliates, parents, subsidiaries, plan administrators, attorneys, agents,
employees, insurers and fiduciaries (each in their individual and corporate
capacities) (collectively, the "Released Parties") from any and all claims,
charges, complaints, demands, actions, causes of action, suits, rights, debts,
sums of money, costs, accounts, reckonings, covenants, contracts, agreements,
promises, doings, omissions, damages, executions, obligations, liabilities, and
expenses (including attorneys' fees and costs), of every kind and nature which
you ever had or now have against any of the Released Parties, including, but not
limited to, all employment discrimination claims under Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. Section 2000e et seq., the Age Discrimination in
Employment Act, 29 U.S.C. Section 621 et seq., the Americans With Disabilities
Act, 42 U.S.C., Section 12101 et seq., the Family and Medical Leave Act, 29
U.S.C. Section 2601 et seq., and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C.
Section 701 et seq., all as amended; all claims arising out of the Employment
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29 U.S.C. Section 1001 et seq., and the
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, 29 U.S.C. Section 2101 et
seq., all as amended; the Massachusetts Fair Employment Practices Act, M.G.L. c.
151B, Section 1 et seq., the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act, M.G.L. c. 12,
Sections 11H and 11I, the Massachusetts Equal Rights Act, c. 93, Section 102 and
M.G.L. c. 214, Section 1C, the Massachusetts Labor and Industries Act, M.G.L. c.
149, Section 1 et seq., the Massachusetts Maternity Leave Act, M.G.L. c. 149,
Section 105(d), and the Massachusetts Privacy Act, M.G.L. c. 214, Section 1B,
all as amended; all common law claims including, but not limited to, actions in
tort, defamation and breach of contract; all claims to any non-vested ownership
interest in the Company, contractual or otherwise, including but not limited to
claims to stock or stock options; and any claim or damage arising out of your
employment with or separation from the Company (including any claim for
retaliation) under any common law theory or any federal, state or local statute
or ordinance not expressly referenced above; provided, however, that nothing in
this letter agreement prevents you from filing, cooperating with, or
participating in any proceeding before the EEOC or a state Fair Employment
Practices Agency (except that you acknowledge that you may not be able to
recover any monetary benefits in connection with any such claim, charge or
proceeding).
You hereby acknowledge that you have been given at least twenty-one (21) days to
consider this Attachment B, and that the Company advised you to consult with any
attorney of your own choosing prior to signing this Attachment B. You may revoke
your acceptance of this Attachment B during the period of seven (7) days after
the execution of it, and this Attachment B shall not become effective or
enforceable, and no Transition Pay and Benefits payments will be made pursuant
to Attachment A, until this seven (7) day period has expired.
You further affirm that you have returned all Company property as provided in
Paragraph 6 of the letter agreement.
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I hereby provide this release of claims as of the current date and
acknowledge that the execution of this Attachment B is in further
consideration of the compensation benefits set forth in Attachment A to
the letter agreement, to which I acknowledge I would not be entitled if
I did not sign this release of claims.
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Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Ph.D. Date
To be signed and returned to Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx on or within three days after the
Termination Date.
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