Exhibit 10.1
SENIOR EXECUTIVE OFFICER SEVERANCE AGREEMENT
THIS SENIOR EXECUTIVE OFFICER SEVERANCE AGREEMENT is made as of February 25, 2021, between TELEFLEX INCORPORATED (the “Company”) and Jay White (“Executive”).
Background
A. Executive is employed by the Company as its Corporate Vice President & President, Global Commercial.
B. The purpose of this Agreement is to provide for certain severance compensation and benefits to be paid or provided to Executive in the event of the termination of Executive’s employment under circumstances specified herein and to provide also for certain commitments by Executive respecting the Company.
Terms
THE PARTIES, in consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth, and intending to be legally bound hereby, agree as follows:
1.Definitions. The following terms used in this Agreement with initial capital letters have the respective meanings specified therefor in this Section.
“Affiliate” of any Person means any other Person that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the first mentioned Person.
“Agreement” preceded by the word “this” means this Senior Executive Officer Severance Agreement, as amended at any relevant time.
“Annual Incentive Plan” means the Management Incentive Plan (MIP) or Executive Incentive Plan (EIP) of the Company providing for the payment of annual bonuses to certain employees of the Company, including Executive, as such Plans may be amended from time to time or, if such Plans shall be discontinued, any similar Plan or Plans in effect at any relevant time.
“Base Salary” of Executive means the annualized base rate of salary paid to Executive as such may be increased from time to time.
“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
“Cause” means (a) misappropriation of funds, (b) conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude, or (c) gross negligence in the performance of duties, which gross negligence has had a material adverse effect on the business, operations, assets, properties or financial condition of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.
“Change of Control Severance Agreement” means the Executive Change In Control Agreement between the Company and Executive relating to termination of employment of Executive after the occurrence of a Change of Control of the Company (as defined in such agreement).
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Commencement Date” with respect to the commencement of any compensation or provision of benefits pursuant to this Agreement means the first day of the seventh month beginning after the Termination Date.
“Confidential Information” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 8.
“Disability” shall mean Executive’s continuous illness, injury or incapacity for a period of six consecutive months.
“Employment” means substantially full-time employment of Executive by the Company or any of its Affiliates.
“Good Reason” means the occurrence of one or more of the following:
(a)A change of the principal office or workplace assigned to Executive to a location more than 25 miles distant from its location immediately prior to such change.
(b)A material reduction by the Company of the executive title, duties, responsibilities, authority, status, reporting relationship or executive position of Executive; provided that if the Company sells or otherwise disposes of any part of its business or assets or otherwise diminishes or changes the character of its business, the change in the magnitude or character of the Company’s business resulting therefrom will not itself be deemed to be a reduction of Executive’s responsibilities, authority or status within the meaning of this clause (b).
(c)A reduction of Executive’s Base Salary or a material reduction in the Executive’s annual target incentive opportunity under the Annual Incentive Plan.
“Health Care Continuation Period” means the period commencing on the Termination Date and ending on the earlier of (a) the last day of the Severance Compensation Period or (b) the first date on which Executive is eligible to participate in a health care plan maintained by another employer.
“Insurance Benefits Period” means the period commencing on the Termination Date and ending on the earlier of (a) the last day of the Severance Compensation Period or (b) the first date on which Executive is eligible to participate in a life and/or accident insurance plan maintained by another employer.
“Notice of Termination” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 3.
“Performance Period” applicable to any compensation payable (in cash or other property) under any Plan, the amount or value of which is determined by reference to the performance of participants or the Company or the fulfillment of specified conditions or goals, means the period of time over which such performance is measured or the period of time in which such conditions or performance goals must be fulfilled.
“Person” means an individual, a corporation or other entity or a government or governmental agency or institution.
“Plan” means a plan of the Company for the payment of compensation or provision of benefits to employees in which plan Executive is or was, at all times relevant to the provisions of this Agreement, a participant or eligible to participate.
“Prorated Amount” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 4(c).
“Release” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 7.
“Severance Compensation Period” means a period equal to the sum of three weeks for each completed year of Employment; provided, however, that in no event shall the Severance Compensation Period be (a) less than nine months; or (b) greater than 12 months.
“Termination Date” means the date specified in a Notice of Termination complying with the provisions of Section 3, as such Notice of Termination may be amended by mutual consent of the parties, which date shall be the date Executive’s Termination of Employment occurs.
“Termination of Employment” means a cessation of Employment for any reason, other than a cessation occurring (a) by reason of Executive's death or Disability or (b) under circumstances which would entitle Executive to receive compensation and benefits pursuant to the Change of Control Severance Agreement. Executive’s Termination of Employment for all purposes under this Agreement will be determined to have occurred in accordance with the “separation from service” requirements of Code Section 409A and the Treasury Regulations and other guidance issued thereunder, and based on whether the facts and circumstances indicate that the Company and Executive reasonably anticipated that no further services would be performed after a certain date or that the level of bona fide services Executive would perform after such date (as an employee or as an independent contractor) would permanently decrease to no more than 20 percent of the average level of bona fide services performed over the immediately preceding 36-month period (or actuarial period of service, if less).
“Year of Termination” means the Year in which Executive’s Termination Date occurs.
“Year” means a fiscal year of the Company.
2.Continued Employment of Executive. The parties acknowledge that Executive’s employment by the Company is at will and, except as the parties may hereafter agree in writing, such employment may be terminated by either party at any time, subject only to the giving of prior notice pursuant to Section 3. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as giving Executive any right to continue in the employ of the Company.
3.Notice of Termination of Employment. The party initiating any Termination of Employment shall give notice thereof to the other party (a “Notice of Termination”). A Notice of Termination shall (i) state with reasonable particularity the reasons for such Termination of Employment, if any, which are relevant to Executive’s right to receive compensation and benefits pursuant to this Agreement and (ii) specify the date such Termination of Employment shall become effective which, without the consent of such other party, shall not be earlier than 30 days after the date of such Notice of Termination; provided that the Company shall have the option to continue paying the Base Salary of the Executive for up to 30 days following the Termination Date in lieu of the requirement that the Executive consents to an earlier date.
4.Compensation upon Termination of Employment. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, upon Termination of Employment (i) by the Company other than for Cause or (ii) by Executive within 3 months after the occurrence of a Good Reason, Executive will receive from the Company the following payments and benefits:
(a)Cash Bonuses for Years Preceding the Year of Termination. If any cash bonus pursuant to an Annual Incentive Plan in respect of a Performance Period which ended before the Year of Termination shall not have been paid to Executive on or before the Termination Date, the Company will pay Executive such bonus in the amount of Executive’s award earned for the Performance Period in the form of a single lump sum cash payment on the later of the 15th day following the Termination Date or the date that is 2-1/2 months following the end of the Performance Period; provided, however, that if any such Annual Incentive Plan requires, as a condition to eligibility for payment, that a participant be employed by the Company on the date payment is made, then payment of the bonus under such Annual Incentive Plan for the Performance Period ended before the Year of Termination shall be made on the Commencement Date.
(b)Continuation of Base Salary. The Company will pay Executive (i) on the Commencement Date an amount equal to seven-twelfths of Executive’s Base Salary as in effect immediately prior to the Termination Date, and (ii) each month thereafter during the Severance Compensation Period an amount equal to one-twelfth of Executive’s Base Salary as in effect immediately prior to the Termination Date.
(c)Payment of Annual Incentive Plan Award for Performance Period Not Completed Before the Termination Date. If the Termination Date occurs before the last day, but
after completion of at least six months, of a Performance Period under the Annual Incentive Plan, the Company will pay Executive the Prorated Amount of Executive’s award under the Annual Incentive Plan for that Performance Period. The amount of the award, from which the Prorated Amount is derived, shall be determined based on the degree to which each performance goal on which such award is based has been achieved at the end of the Performance Period (provided that any individual performance component shall be equal to the target award amount for such component). The “Prorated Amount” of the award means an amount equal to the portion of the award which bears the same ratio to the amount of the award as the portion of such Performance Period expired immediately before the Termination Date bears to the entire period of such Performance Period. The amount to which Executive is entitled under this Section 4(c) shall be paid in the form of a single lump sum cash payment on the later of the Commencement Date or the date that is 2-1/2 months following the end of the Performance Period.
(d)Outplacement. The Company shall reimburse Executive for expenses incurred for outplacement services during the Severance Compensation Period, up to a maximum aggregate amount of $20,000, which services shall be provided by an outplacement agency selected by Executive. The Company shall reimburse Executive within 15 days following the date on which the Company receives proof of payment of such expense, which proof must be submitted no later than December 1st of the calendar year after the calendar year in which the expense was incurred. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive shall only be entitled to reimbursement for those outplacement service costs incurred by Executive on or prior to the last day of the second year following the Termination Year.
(e)Health Care Coverage. During the Health Care Continuation Period, the Company will provide health care coverage under the Company’s then-current health care Plan for Executive and Executive’s spouse and eligible dependents on the same basis as if Executive had continued to be employed during that period. If the continuation of coverage under the Company’s health care Plan for Executive and Executive’s spouse and eligible dependents results in a violation of Section 105(h) of the Code, the continuation of coverage will be on an after-tax basis with the portion of the monthly cost of coverage paid by the Company being additional taxable income. If the continuation of coverage under the Company’s health care Plan will be on an after-tax basis, the Company will pay Executive a lump sum cash payment on the last day of each applicable month during the Health Care Continuation Period so that Executive will be in the same position as if the continuation of coverage could have been provided on a pre-tax basis. The COBRA health care continuation coverage period under Section 4980B of the Code shall begin at the end of the Health Care Continuation Period. Notwithstanding the preceding, if Executive and Executive’s spouse and eligible dependents are not eligible to continue health care coverage under the Company’s health care Plan, the Company will reimburse Executive in cash on the last day of each month during the Health Care Continuation Period (or balance thereof) an amount based on the cost actually paid by Executive for that month to maintain health insurance coverage from commercial sources that is comparable to the health care coverage Executive last elected as an employee for Executive and Executive’s spouse and eligible dependents under the Company’s health care Plan covering Executive, where the net monthly reimbursement after taxes are withheld will equal the Company’s portion of the cost paid by the Executive for that month’s coverage determined in accordance with the Company’s
policy then in effect for employee cost sharing, on substantially the same terms as would be applicable to an executive officer of the Company.
(f)Life and Accident Insurance. Subject to the terms, limitations and exclusions of the Plan or Plans for provision of life and accident insurance and the Company’s related policies of group insurance, (i) during the Insurance Benefits Period the Company will provide life and accident insurance coverage for Executive comparable to the life and accident insurance coverage which Executive last elected to receive as an employee under the applicable Plan for such benefits, subject to modifications from time to time of the coverage available under such Plan or related insurance policies which are applicable generally to executive officers of the Company, (ii) during the period from the Termination Date through the Commencement Date, Executive shall pay the entire cost of such life and accident insurance coverage and (iii) on the Commencement Date the Company will reimburse Executive for the Company’s share (determined in accordance with the next sentence) of any premiums paid by Executive for such life and accident insurance during the period from the Termination Date to the Commencement Date. The cost of providing such insurance will be borne by the Company and Executive in accordance with the Company’s policy then in effect for employee participation in premiums, on substantially the same terms as would be applicable to an executive officer of the Company. The Company shall pay its share of such premiums to the applicable insurance carrier(s) on the due date(s) established by such carrier(s), but in no event later than the last day of the calendar year in which such due date(s) occurs.
(g)Taxable Benefits. Any taxable welfare benefits provided pursuant to this Section 4 that are not “disability pay” or “death benefits” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-1(a)(5) (collectively, the “Applicable Benefits”) shall be subject to the following requirements in order to comply with Code Section 409A. The amount of any Applicable Benefit provided during one taxable year shall not affect the amount of the Applicable Benefit provided in any other taxable year, except that with respect to any Applicable Benefit that consists of the reimbursement of expenses referred to in Code Section 105(b), a limitation may be imposed on the amount of such reimbursements over some or all of the applicable Severance Compensation Period, as described in Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-3(i)(iv)(B). To the extent that any Applicable Benefit consists of the reimbursement of eligible expenses, such reimbursement must be made on or before the last day of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the expense was incurred. No Applicable Benefit may be liquidated or exchanged for another benefit. If Executive is a “specified employee”, as defined in Code Section 409A, then during the period of six months immediately following Executive’s termination of employment, Executive shall be obligated to pay the Company the full cost for any Applicable Benefits that do not constitute health benefits of the type required to be provided under the health continuation coverage requirements of Code Section 4980B, and the Company shall reimburse Executive for any such payments on the first business day that is more than six months after the Termination Date.
5.Deductions and Taxes. Amounts payable by the Company pursuant to this Agreement shall be paid net of (i) taxes withheld by the Company in accordance with the
requirements of law and (ii) deductions for the portion of the cost of certain benefits to be borne by Executive pursuant to Sections 4(e) and (f).
6.Compensation and Benefits Pursuant to Other Agreements and Plans. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to diminish or otherwise affect Executive’s right to receive from the Company all compensation payable to Executive by the Company in respect of his Employment prior to the Termination Date pursuant to any agreement with the Company (other than this Agreement) or any Plan.
7.Executive’s General Release and Resignations. As a condition to the obligations of the Company to pay severance compensation and provide benefits pursuant to Section 4, (a) in the event Executive is serving as a member of the Board and/or as a director or officer of any of the Company’s Affiliates at the time of his Termination of Employment, the Company shall have received from Executive, within 10 days following the Termination Date, a written resignation from the Board and as an officer and director of all of the Company’s Affiliates, as applicable (the “Written Resignation”); and (b) a general release in substantially the form of Exhibit A executed by Executive (the “Release”), which shall be executed and delivered to the Company on or before the date upon which the 21-day review period set forth in Section 7 of the Release expires, and Executive shall not thereafter revoke the Release. If Executive fails to deliver the Written Resignation or fails to execute, or if Executive revokes, the Release, no payments or benefits shall thereafter be made or provided to Executive pursuant to this Agreement, and Executive shall be required to reimburse to the Company any payments or benefits received by Executive pursuant to this Agreement, but Executive’s obligations pursuant to Sections 8 and 9 shall continue in force.
8.Confidential Information. Executive acknowledges that, by reason of Executive’s employment by and service to the Company, Executive has had and will continue to have access to confidential information of the Company and its Affiliates, including information and knowledge pertaining to products and services offered, innovations, designs, ideas, plans, trade secrets, proprietary information, distribution and sales methods and systems, sales and profit figures, customer and client lists, and relationships between the Company and its Affiliates and other distributors, customers, clients, suppliers and others who have business dealings with the Company and its Affiliates (“Confidential Information”). Executive acknowledges that such Confidential Information is a valuable and unique asset of the Company, and Executive covenants that (except in connection with the good faith performance of his duties while employed by the Company) Executive will not, either during or after Executive’s employment by the Company, disclose any such Confidential Information to any Person for any reason whatsoever without the prior written authorization of the Company, unless such information is in the public domain through no fault of Executive or except as may be required by law or in a judicial or administrative proceeding. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, (a) each of the parties (and each employee, representative, or other agent of such parties) may disclose to any Person, without limitation of any kind, the federal income tax treatment and federal income tax structure of the transactions contemplated hereby and all materials (including opinions or other tax analyses) that are provided to such party relating to such tax treatment and tax structure; and (b) nothing in this Agreement shall prohibit or impede Executive from
communicating, cooperating or filing a complaint with any U.S. federal, state or local governmental or law enforcement branch, agency or entity (collectively, a “Governmental Entity”) with respect to possible violations of any U.S. federal, state or local law or regulation, or otherwise making disclosures to any Governmental Entity, in each case, that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of any such law or regulation, provided that in each case such communications and disclosures are consistent with applicable law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, under no circumstance will Executive be authorized to disclose any information covered by attorney-client privilege or attorney work product of the Company or any of its subsidiaries without prior written consent of the Company’s General Counsel or other officer designated by the Board of Directors of the Company.
9.Restrictive Covenants.
(a)Covenant Not to Compete.
(i)Executive agrees that, for a period twelve (12) months after the Termination Date (the “Non-Compete Period”), Executive will not, at any time, directly or indirectly, engage in, or have any interest on behalf of himself or others in any person or business other than the Company (whether as an employee, officer, director, agent, security holder, creditor, partner, joint venturer, beneficiary under a trust, investor, consultant or otherwise) that engages in similar business activities to the Company in a particular market and product line, and in the specific geographic areas in which the Company is engaged or has been engaged in the preceding twelve (12) months for that particular market and product line (the “Business Activities”).
(ii)Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive may (A) engage, participate or invest in, or be employed by, an entity that is engaged in the Business Activities (a “Competing Entity”) so long as (1) the Annual Revenues derived by the Company from the Business Activities in which the Competing Entity is engaged do not exceed $50 million in the aggregate and (2) the Annual Revenues derived by the Competing Entity from the Business Activities do not exceed $50 million in the aggregate; (B) engage, participate or invest in, or be employed by, a Competing Entity so long as the Business Activities for which Executive has oversight do not exceed five percent (5%) of the total Annual Revenues of such Competing Entity; or (C) acquire solely as an investment not more than 2% of any class of securities of any competing entity if such class of securities is listed on a national securities exchange or on the Nasdaq system, so long as Executive remains a passive investor in such entity. For purposes of this Section 9(a)(ii), the term “Annual Revenues” shall mean annual revenues for the most recently completed fiscal year.
(b)Hiring of Employees. During the Non-Compete Period, the Executive agrees that Executive will not directly or indirectly solicit for employment, or hire or offer employment to, (i) any employee of the Company unless the Company first terminates the employment of such employee, or (ii) any person who at any time during the one hundred eighty (180) day period prior to the Termination Date was an employee of the Company.
(c)Non-Solicitation. Executive hereby agrees that, during the Non-Compete Period, Executive will not directly or indirectly call on or solicit for the purpose of diverting or taking away from the Company (including, by divulging any Confidential Information to any competitor or potential competitor of the Company) any person or entity who is at the Termination Date, or at any time during the twelve (12) month period prior to the Termination Date had been, a customer of the Company with whom the Executive had direct personal contact as a representative of the Company or a potential customer whose identity is known to Executive at the Termination Date as one whom the Company was actively soliciting as a potential customer within six months prior to the Termination Date.
(d)Return of Company Property. Upon a Termination of Employment Executive will deliver to the person designated by the Company all originals and copies of all documents, information and other property of the Company in Executive’s possession, under Executive’s control, or to which Executive may have access. The Executive will not reproduce or appropriate for Executive’s own use, or for the use of others, any Confidential Information.
10.Cooperation. Upon Termination of Employment, Executive shall reasonably cooperate with the Company, its officers, employees, agents, affiliates and attorneys in the defense or prosecution of any lawsuit, dispute, investigation or other legal proceedings or any preparation for any such disputes or proceedings that may be anticipated or threatened (“Proceedings”). Executive shall reasonably cooperate with the Company, its officers, employees, agents, affiliates and attorneys on any other matter related to Company or its Affiliates (“Matters”) during the period in which Executive is employed by the Company. Executive shall reasonably cooperate with the Company, its officers, employees, agents, affiliates and attorneys in responding to any form of media inquiry or in making any form of public comment related to the Executive’s employment, including, but not limited to, the Executive’s separation from the Company. Such cooperation shall include providing true and accurate information or documents concerning, or affidavits or testimony about, all or any matters at issue in any Proceedings/Matters as shall from time to time be reasonably requested by the Company, and shall be within Executive’s knowledge. Such cooperation shall be provided by Executive without remuneration, but Executive shall be entitled to reimbursement for all reasonable and appropriate expenses Executive incurs in so cooperating, including, by way of example and not by way of limitation, reasonable airplane fares, hotel accommodations, meal charges and other similar expenses to attend Proceedings/Matters outside of the city of Executive’s residence. In the event Executive is made aware of any issue or matter related to the Company, is asked by a third party to provide information regarding the Company, or is called other than by the Company as a witness to testify in any Proceeding/Matter, Executive will notify the Company immediately in order to give the Company a reasonable opportunity to respond and/or participate in such Proceeding/Matter, unless Executive is requested or required not to do so by law enforcement or any other governmental agency or authority.
11.Equitable and Other Relief; Consent to Jurisdiction of Pennsylvania Courts.
i.Executive acknowledges that the restrictions contained in Sections 8 and 9 are reasonable and necessary to protect the legitimate interests of the Company and its Affiliates,
that the Company would not have entered into this Agreement in the absence of such restrictions, and that any violation of any provision of that Section will result in irreparable injury to the Company. Executive represents and acknowledges that (i) Executive has been advised by the Company to consult Executive’s own legal counsel in respect of this Agreement and (ii) Executive has had full opportunity, prior to execution of this Agreement, to review thoroughly this Agreement with Executive’s counsel.
ii.Executive agrees that the Company shall be entitled to preliminary and permanent injunctive relief, without the necessity of proving actual damages, as well as an equitable accounting of all earnings, profits and other benefits arising from any violation of Sections 8 or 9, which rights shall be cumulative and in addition to any other rights or remedies to which the Company may be entitled under applicable law. Without limiting the foregoing, Executive also agrees that payment of the compensation and benefits payable under Section 4 may be automatically ceased in the event of a material breach of the covenants of Sections 8 or 9, provided the Company gives Executive written notice of such breach, specifying in reasonable detail the circumstances constituting such material breach.
iii.Executive irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agrees that any suit, action or other legal proceeding arising out of Sections 8 or 9 hereof, including any action commenced by the Company for preliminary and permanent injunctive relief or other equitable relief, may be brought in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, or if such court does not have jurisdiction or will not accept jurisdiction, in any court of general jurisdiction in or around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (ii) consents to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any such court in any such suit, action or proceeding, and (iii) waives any objection which Executive may have to the laying of venue of any such suit, action or proceeding in any such court. Executive also irrevocably and unconditionally consents to receive service of any process, pleadings, notices or other papers in a manner provided for in Section 15 for the giving of notices.
12.Enforcement. It is the intent of the parties that Executive not be required to incur any expenses associated with the enforcement of Executive’s rights under this Agreement by arbitration, litigation or other legal action, because the cost and expense thereof would substantially detract from the benefits intended to be extended to Executive hereunder. Accordingly, the Company will pay Executive the amount necessary to reimburse Executive in full for all expenses (including all attorneys’ fees and legal expenses) incurred by Executive in attempting to enforce any of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement, without regard to outcome, unless the lawsuit brought by Executive is determined to be frivolous by a court of final jurisdiction. The Company shall reimburse Executive within 15 days following the date on which the Company receives proof of payment of such expense, which proof must be submitted no later than December 1 of the calendar year after the calendar year in which the expense was incurred. The amount of such expenses that the Company is obligated to pay in any given calendar year shall not affect the amount of such expenses that the Company is obligated to pay in any other calendar year, and Executive’s right to have the Company reimburse the payment of such expenses may not be liquidated or exchanged for any other benefit.
13.No Obligation to Mitigate Company’s Obligations. Executive will not be required to mitigate the amount of any payment or benefit provided for in this Agreement by seeking other employment or otherwise, nor shall the amount of any payment or benefit provided for herein be reduced by any compensation earned by other employment or otherwise, except to the extent provided in Sections 4(e) and 4(f).
14.No Set-Off. Except as provided in Sections 7 and 11(b), the Company’s obligation to make the payments, and otherwise perform its obligations, provided for in this Agreement shall not be diminished or delayed by reason of any set-off, counterclaim, recoupment or similar claim which the Company may have against Executive or others.
15.Notices. All notices and other communications given pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement shall be in writing and delivered (which may be by telefax or other electronic transmission) to a party at the following address, or to such other address as such party may hereafter specify by notice to the other party:
If to the Company, to:
Teleflex Incorporated
550 E. Swedesford Road
Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087
Attention: Chief Executive Officer
If to Executive, to:
[INTENTIONALLY OMITTED]
16.Governing Law. This Agreement will be governed by the laws of Pennsylvania, excluding any conflicts or choice of law rule or principle that might otherwise refer to the substantive law of another jurisdiction for the construction, or determination of the validity or effect, of this Agreement.
17.Parties in Interest. This Agreement, including specifically the covenants of Sections 8 and 9, will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective heirs, successors and assigns.
18.Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the Change of Control Severance Agreement contain the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the right of Executive to receive severance compensation upon the termination of his Employment, and such Agreements supersede any prior agreements or understandings between the parties relating to the subject matter of the Change of Control Severance Agreement or this Agreement.
19.Amendment or Modification. No amendment or modification of or supplement to this Agreement will be effective unless it is in writing and duly executed by the party to be charged thereunder. It is the Parties’ intention that the benefits and rights to which Executive
could become entitled in connection with Termination of Employment comply with Code Section 409A. If Executive or the Company believes, at any time, that any of such benefit or right does not so comply, he or it shall promptly advise the other party and shall negotiate reasonably and in good faith to amend the terms of this Agreement such that it complies (with the most limited economic effect on Executive and the Company).
20.Construction. The following principles of construction will apply to this Agreement:
(a) Unless otherwise expressly stated in connection therewith, a reference in this Agreement to a “Section,” “Exhibit” or “party” refers to a Section of, or an Exhibit or a party to, this Agreement.
(b) The word “including” means “including without limitation.”
21.Headings and Titles. The headings and titles of Sections and the like in this Agreement are inserted for convenience of reference only, form no part of this Agreement and shall not be considered for purposes of interpreting or construing any provision hereof.
EXECUTED as of the date first above written.
TELEFLEX INCORPORATED
By: /s/ Liam Kelly
Name: Liam Kelly
Title: Chairman, President and CEO
/s/ Jay White
Jay White
EXHIBIT A
GENERAL RELEASE
1. I, [____________], for and in consideration of certain payments to be made and the benefits to be provided to me under the Senior Executive Officer Severance Agreement, dated as of [_________ ___], 20[__] (the “Agreement”) between me and TELEFLEX INCORPORATED (the “Company”) and conditioned upon such payments and provisions, do hereby REMISE, RELEASE, AND FOREVER DISCHARGE the Company and each of its past or present subsidiaries and affiliates, its and their past or present officers, directors, stockholders, employees and agents, their respective successors and assigns, heirs, executors and administrators, the pension and employee benefit plans of the Company, or of its past or present subsidiaries or affiliates, and the past or present trustees, administrators, agents, or employees of the pension and employee benefit plans (hereinafter collectively included within the term the “Company”), acting in any capacity whatsoever, of and from any and all manner of actions and causes of action, suits, debts, claims and demands whatsoever in law or in equity, which I ever had, now have, or hereafter may have, or which my heirs, executors or administrators hereafter may have, by reason of any matter, cause or thing whatsoever from the beginning of my employment with the Company to the date of these presents and particularly, but without limitation of the foregoing general terms, any claims arising from or relating in any way to my employment relationship and the termination of my employment relationship with the Company, including but not limited to, any claims which have been asserted, could have been asserted, or could be asserted now or in the future under any federal, state or local laws, including any claims under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, 43 Pa. C.S.A. §§951 et. seq., the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 USC §§ 701 et seq., Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 USC §§ 2000e et seq., the Civil Rights Act of 1991, 2 USC §§ 60 et seq., as applicable, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, 29 USC §§ 621 et seq., the Americans with Disabilities Act, 29 USC §§ 706 et seq., and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29 USC §§ 301 et seq., all as amended, any contracts between the Company and me and any common law claims now or hereafter recognized and all claims for personal injuries, counsel fees and costs; provided, however, that this Release shall not apply to any entitlements under the terms of the Agreement or under any other plans or programs of the Company in which I participated and under which I have accrued and become entitled to a benefit (including indemnification and/or reimbursement to the extent provided under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, bylaws or applicable insurance policies) based on my actual service with the Company other than under any Company separation or severance plan or programs.
2. Subject to the limitations of paragraph 1 above, I expressly waive all rights afforded by any statute which expressly limits the effect of a release with respect to unknown claims. I understand the significance of this release of unknown claims and the waiver of statutory protection against a release of unknown claims.
3. I hereby agree and recognize that my employment by the Company was permanently and irrevocably severed on ___________________, 2___. I also hereby agree and recognize that I have resigned from my position as a member of the Board of Directors of the
Company, as well as its subsidiaries and affiliates, on ___________________, 2___. The Company has no obligation, contractual or otherwise to me to hire, rehire or reemploy me in the future. I acknowledge that the terms of the Agreement provide me with payments and benefits which are in addition to any amounts to which I otherwise would have been entitled.
4. I hereby agree and acknowledge that the payments and benefits provided to me by the Company are to bring about an amicable resolution of my employment arrangements and are not to be construed as an admission of any violation of any federal, state or local statute or regulation, or of any duty owed by the Company and that the Agreement was, and this Release is, executed voluntarily to provide an amicable resolution of my employment relationship with the Company.
5. I hereby acknowledge that nothing in this Release shall prohibit or restrict me from: (i) making any disclosure of information required by law; (ii) providing information to, or testifying or otherwise assisting in any investigation or proceeding brought by, any federal regulatory or law enforcement agency or legislative body, any self-regulatory organization, or the Company’s designated legal, compliance or human resources officers; or (iii) filing, testifying, participating in or otherwise assisting in a proceeding relating to an alleged violation of any federal, state or municipal law relating to fraud, or any rule or regulation of the Securities and Exchange Commission or any self-regulatory organization. In addition, I understand that each of the parties hereto (and each employee, representative, or other agent of such parties) may disclose to any person, without limitation of any kind, the federal income tax treatment and federal income tax structure of the transactions contemplated hereby and all materials (including opinions or other tax analyses) that are provided to such party relating to such tax treatment and tax structure.
6. I hereby certify that I have read the terms of this Release, that I have been advised by the Company to discuss it with my attorney, that I have received the advice of counsel and that I understand its terms and effects. I acknowledge, further, that I am executing this Release of my own volition with a full understanding of its terms and effects and with the intention of releasing all claims recited herein in exchange for the consideration described in the Agreement, which I acknowledge is adequate and satisfactory to me. None of the above named parties, nor their agents, representatives or attorneys have made any representations to me concerning the terms or effects of this Release other than those contained herein.
7. I hereby acknowledge that I have been informed that I have the right to consider this Release for a period of 21 days prior to execution. I also understand that I have the right to revoke this Release for a period of seven days following execution by giving written notice to the Company at the address set forth in Section 15 of the Agreement.
8. I hereby further acknowledge that the terms of Sections 8 and 9 of the Agreement shall continue to apply for the balance of the time periods provided therein and that I will abide by and fully perform such obligations.
9. This Release may be executed in one or more counterparts, including by facsimile signature, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which shall be considered one and the same instrument.
Intending to be legally bound hereby, the Company and I execute the foregoing Release this ______ day of _______, 20__.
Teleflex incorporated
By:
Name:
Title:
[_________________]
Exhibit 10.2
EXECUTIVE CHANGE IN CONTROL AGREEMENT
This Executive Change In Control Agreement made as of February 25, 2021, by and between Teleflex Incorporated (the “Company”) and Jay White (“Employee”).
BACKGROUND
A.Employee is employed as an executive of the Company.
B.The Board of Directors of the Company believes that appropriate steps should be taken to reinforce and encourage the continued attention and dedication of Employee to the Company without distraction, notwithstanding that the Company could be subject to a Change of Control, and that such possibility, and the uncertainty and questions which it may raise among management, may result in the departure or distraction of key management personnel to the detriment of the Company.
C.In consideration for Employee agreeing to continue in employment with the Company and agreeing to keep Company information confidential, the Company agrees that Employee shall receive the compensation set forth in this Agreement in the event Employee’s employment with the Company is terminated without Cause or Employee terminates employment for Good Reason, upon or after a Change of Control.
AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual covenants and agreements hereinafter set forth and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1.Definitions.
“Base Salary” shall mean the highest annualized base rate of salary being paid to Employee in all capacities with the Company, together with any and all salary reduction authorized amounts under any of the Company’s benefit plans or programs, at the time of the Change of Control or any time thereafter.
“Benefit Period” shall mean the period beginning on Employee’s Termination Date and ending on the first to occur of (a) the eighteen month anniversary of the Commencement Date or (b) the first date on which Employee is employed by another employer and is eligible to participate in a health plan of Employee’s new employer.
“Board” shall mean the board of directors of the Company.
“Bonus Plan” shall mean a plan of the Company providing for the payment of a cash bonus to Employee.
“Cause” shall mean (a) misappropriation of funds, (b) conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude, or (c) gross negligence in the performance of duties, which gross negligence has had a material adverse effect on the business, operations, assets, properties or financial condition of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.
“Commencement Date” shall mean the first day of the seventh month beginning after Employee’s Termination Date.
“Change of Control” shall mean one of the following shall have taken place after the date of this Agreement:
(a)any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act) (other than the Company, any majority controlled subsidiary of the Company, or the fiduciaries of any Company benefit plans) becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of 20% or more of the total voting power of the voting securities of the Company then outstanding and entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the Company; provided, however, that no Change of Control shall occur upon the acquisition of securities directly from the Company;
(b)individuals who, as of the beginning of any 24 month period, constitute the Board (as of the date hereof the “Incumbent Board”) cease for any reason during such 24 month period to constitute at least a majority of the Board, provided that any individual becoming a director subsequent to the date hereof whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board shall be considered as though such individual were a member of the Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office is in connection with an actual or threatened election contest relating to the election of the directors of the Company;
(c)consummation of (i) a merger, consolidation or reorganization of the Company, in each case, with respect to which all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the respective beneficial owners of the voting securities of the Company immediately prior to such merger, consolidation or reorganization do not, following such merger, consolidation or reorganization, beneficially own, directly or indirectly, at least 65% of the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the entity or entities resulting from such merger, consolidation or reorganization, (ii) a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company or (iii) a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, unless at least 65% of the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the
entity or entities that acquire such assets are beneficially owned by individuals or entities who or that were beneficial owners of the voting securities of the Company immediately before such sale or other disposition; or
(d)consummation of any other transaction determined by resolution of the Board to constitute a Change of Control.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Component Target Amount” shall have the meaning specified therefor in the definition of “Target Bonus” in this Section 1.
“Disability” shall mean Employee’s continuous illness, injury or incapacity for a period of six consecutive months.
“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Good Reason” means a Termination of Employment initiated by Employee by Notice of Termination, in accordance with Section 2 hereof, upon one or more of the following occurrences; provided that as soon as practicable after Employee becomes aware of such occurrence and before such Notice of Termination is given, Employee shall have given notice of Good Reason to the Company and the Company shall not have fully corrected the situation within 10 days after such notice of Good Reason:
i.any failure of the Company to comply with and satisfy any of the material terms of this Agreement;
ii.any significant reduction by the Company of the title, duties, job responsibilities, reporting relationship or position of Employee;
iii.any reduction in Employee’s Base Salary; or
iv.the moving of the principal office of the Company to which Employee is assigned to a location more than 25 miles from its location on the date of the Change of Control.
“Performance Period” applicable to any Target Amount under a Bonus Plan shall mean the period of time in which the performance goals applicable to the determination of cash bonus awards pursuant to such Bonus Plan are measured.
“Senior Executive Officer Severance Agreement” means that certain Senior Executive Officer Severance Agreement, dated as of February 25, 2021, by and between the Company and Employee.
“Target Amount” in respect of a bonus payable to Employee pursuant to any Bonus Plan shall mean the amount specified in the Company’s records pertaining to such Bonus Plan as the “target amount” of cash bonus which would be payable to Employee if specified conditions were fulfilled.
“Target Bonus” shall mean the sum of the Target Amounts (each a “Component Target Amount”) which would be payable in the year immediately following the Termination Year pursuant to all Bonus Plans if all of the conditions for the payment of each Component Target Amount were fulfilled, without regard to whether such conditions are actually fulfilled; provided that, if a Target Amount has not been determined for any such Bonus Plan on or before the Termination Date, the Target Amount for such Bonus Plan which would have been payable in the Termination Year shall be substituted for such undetermined Target Amount in the foregoing calculation of the “Target Bonus.”
“Termination Date” shall mean the date of receipt of the Notice of Termination described in Section 2 hereof or any later date specified therein as the effective date of Employee’s Termination of Employment, as the case may be.
“Termination of Employment” shall mean the termination of Employee’s active employment relationship with the Company. Employee’s Termination of Employment for all purposes under this Agreement will be determined to have occurred in accordance with the “separation from service” requirements of Code Section 409A and the Treasury Regulations and other guidance issued thereunder, and based on whether the facts and circumstances indicate that the Company and Employee reasonably anticipated that no further service would be performed after a certain date or that the level of bona fide services Employee would perform after such date (as an employee or as an independent contractor) would permanently decrease to no more than 20 percent of the average level of bona fide services performed over the immediately proceeding 36-month period (or actual period of service, if less).
“Termination following a Change of Control” shall mean a Termination of Employment upon or within two years after a Change of Control either:
i.initiated by the Company for any reason other than Disability or Cause; or
ii.initiated by Employee for Good Reason.
“Termination Year” shall mean the year in which Employee’s Termination Date occurs.
2.Notice of Termination. Any Termination of Employment shall be communicated by a Notice of Termination to the other party hereto given in accordance with Section 14 hereof. For purposes of this Agreement, a “Notice of Termination” means a written notice which (a) indicates the specific reasons for the termination, (b) briefly summarizes the facts and circumstances deemed to provide a basis for termination
of Employee’s employment, and (c) if the Termination Date is other than the date of receipt of such notice, specifies the Termination Date (which date shall not be more than 15 days after the giving of such notice).
3.Compensation upon Termination following a Change of Control. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, in the event of Employee’s Termination following a Change of Control, Employee shall be entitled to receive the following payments and benefits from the Company:
iii.Within 15 days after the Termination Date, Employee shall receive a lump sum cash payment equal to Employee’s unpaid base salary earned through the Termination Date.
iv.If a bonus awarded to Employee pursuant to any Bonus Plan for payment in the Termination Year shall not have been paid to Employee, Employee shall receive the amount of such award within 15 days after the Termination Date. If no such bonus shall have been awarded to Employee under any Bonus Plan, on the Commencement Date Employee shall receive a lump sum cash payment in the amount
of the sum of the Target Amounts under each such Bonus Plan referred to in the immediately preceding sentence which would have been payable to Employee in the Termination Year.
v.On the Commencement Date, Employee shall receive a lump sum cash payment equal to the sum of (i) a pro-rated amount of the Target Bonus, (ii) the amount (if any) paid by Employee for health care continuation coverage (COBRA) for the period from the Termination Date to the date of such lump sum payment and (iii) in the event the Employee was a participant in such plan prior to the Termination Date, an amount equal to one and a half times the Employer Non-Elective Contributions with which Employee would have been credited under the Teleflex Incorporated Deferred Compensation Plan (“Deferred Compensation Plan”) for the plan year following the plan year that includes the Termination Date, assuming that Employee’s Compensation and Bonus, as those terms are defined in the Deferred Compensation Plan, for the plan year immediately following the plan year which includes the Termination Date are the same as Employee’s Compensation and Bonus for the plan year which includes the Termination Date. The pro-rated Target Bonus shall be computed by multiplying the Target Bonus by a fraction (i) the numerator of which is the number of days in each year of the Performance Period applicable to such Component Target Amount reduced by the number of days in the Termination Year following the Termination Date and (ii) the denominator of which is the number of days in the Performance Period.
vi.Beginning with the Commencement Date, Employee shall receive the following:
a.Employee shall receive an amount equal to one and a half (1.5) times Employee’s Base Salary (the “Base Salary Severance Amount”), which shall be divided into eighteen equal monthly installments and paid
as follows: (A) on the Commencement Date an amount equal to the first seven monthly installments and (B) an additional monthly installment on the first day of each month thereafter for the next eleven months. However, if the Change of Control does not satisfy the requirements to be a ‘change in control’ for purposes of Code Section 409A and the Treasury Regulations and other guidance issued thereunder, then, if necessary to satisfy Code Section 409A, the Base Salary Severance Amount shall be divided into 18 equal monthly installments and paid as follows: (A) on the Commencement Date an amount equal to the first seven monthly installments and (B) an additional monthly installment on the first day of each month thereafter until all of the installments have been paid.
b.Employee shall receive an amount equal to (A) one hundred percent (100%) of the Target Bonus on the six-month anniversary of the Commencement Date and (B) fifty percent (50%) of the Target Bonus on the eighteen-month anniversary of the Commencement Date. The amount paid on each such date shall be paid in the form of a single lump sum cash payment.
c.The Company shall continue to provide health and dental benefits under the Company’s then-current health and dental plans for Employee and Employee’s spouse and eligible dependents during the balance of the Benefit Period on the same basis as if Employee had continued to be employed during that period. If the continuation of coverage under the Company’s health and dental plans for Employee and Employee’s spouse and eligible dependents results in a violation of Section 105(h) of the Code, the continuation of coverage will be on an after-tax basis with the portion of the monthly cost of coverage paid by the Company being additional taxable income. If the continuation of coverage under the Company’s health and dental plans will be on an after-tax basis, the Company will pay Employee a lump sum cash payment on the last day of each applicable month during the Benefit Period (or balance thereof) so that Employee will be in the same position as if the continuation of coverage could have been provided on a pre-tax basis. The COBRA health care continuation coverage period under Section 4980B of the Code shall begin at the end of the Health Care Continuation Period. Notwithstanding the preceding, if Employee and Employee’s spouse and eligible dependents are not eligible to continue coverage under the Company’s health and/or dental plan(s), the Company will reimburse Employee in cash on the last day of each month during the Benefit Period (or balance thereof) an amount based on the cost actually paid by Employee for that month to maintain health and/or dental insurance coverage from commercial sources that is comparable to the health and/or dental coverage Employee last elected as an employee for Employee and Employee’s spouse and eligible dependents under the Company’s health
and/or dental plan(s) covering Employee, where the net monthly reimbursement after taxes are withheld will equal the Company’s portion of the cost paid by Employee for that month’s coverage determined in accordance with the Company’s policy then in effect for employee cost sharing, on substantially the same terms as would be applicable to an executive officer of the Company.
d.The Company shall reimburse Employee for the cost of outplacement assistance services incurred by Employee up to a maximum of $20,000, which shall be provided by an outplacement agency selected by Employee. The Company shall reimburse Employee within 15 days following the date on which the Company receives proof of payment of such expense, which proof must be submitted no later than December 1st of the calendar year after the calendar year in which the expense was incurred. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Employee shall only be entitled to reimbursement for those outplacement service costs incurred by Employee on or prior to the last day of the second year following the Termination Year. In the event that Employee does not utilize the full amount of outplacement services to which he is entitled under this Section 3(d)(iv), the remaining amount shall not be converted into a cash payment to Employee.
vii.All Company stock options and restricted stock held by Employee as of Employee’s Termination Date that have not previously become vested and exercisable shall immediately become fully vested and exercisable as of the date immediately preceding the Termination Date, and any stock option or restricted stock awards under which such stock options or restricted stock are granted are hereby amended, effective the later of the date of this Agreement or the date of such award, to so provide.
viii.As a condition to the obligation of the Company to pay compensation and provide benefits under this Agreement, the Company shall have received from Employee immediately following the Termination Date a written waiver and release of claims against the Company substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (but subject to any necessary adjustments reasonably determined by the Company to be necessary to comply with applicable laws and regulations in effect as of Employee’s Termination Date) executed by Employee (the “Release”), and Employee shall not thereafter revoke the Release. If Employee fails to execute or revokes the Release, no payments or benefits shall thereafter be made or provided to Employee pursuant to this Agreement.
ix.Taxable Benefits. Any taxable welfare benefits provided pursuant to this Section 3 that are not “disability pay” or “death benefits” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-1(a)(5) (collectively, the “Applicable Benefits”) shall be subject to the following requirements in order to comply with Code Section 409A. The amount of any Applicable Benefit provided during one taxable year shall not affect the amount of the Applicable Benefit provided in any other taxable year, except that with
respect to any Applicable Benefit that consists of the reimbursement of expenses referred to in Code Section 105(b), a limitation may be imposed on the amount of such reimbursements over some or all of the applicable Benefit Period, as described in Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-3(i)(iv)(B). To the extent that any Applicable Benefit consists of the reimbursement of eligible expenses, such reimbursement must be made on or before the last day of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the expense was incurred. No Applicable Benefit may be liquidated or exchanged for another benefit. If Employee is a “specified employee”, as defined in Code Section 409A, then during the period of six months immediately following Employee’s Termination of Employment, Employee shall be obligated to pay the Company the full cost for any Applicable Benefits that do not constitute health benefits of the type required to be provided under the health continuation coverage requirements of Code Section 4980B, and the Company shall reimburse Employee for any such payments on the first business day that is more than six months after the Termination Date.
4.Limitations on Certain Payments.
x.Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if a Change of Control occurs and it is determined that any payment or distribution by the Company to or for the benefit of Employee, whether paid or payable or distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or otherwise (a “Payment”), would constitute an “excess parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, then, if the aggregate present value of such Payments exceeds 2.99 times Employee’s “base amount,” as defined in Section 280G(b)(3) of the Code (the “Base Amount”), the amounts constituting “parachute payments” which would otherwise be payable to or for the benefit of Employee shall be reduced to the extent necessary so that such “parachute payments” are equal to 2.99 times the Base Amount (the “Reduced Amount”); provided that such amounts shall not be so reduced if the Employee determines, based upon the advice of the Accounting Firm (as defined below), that without such reduction Employee would be entitled to receive and retain, on a net after tax basis (including, without limitation, any excise taxes payable under Section 4999 of the Code), an amount which is greater than the amount, on a net after tax basis, that the Employee would be entitled to retain upon his receipt of the Reduced Amount.
xi.If the determination made pursuant to Section 4(a) results in a reduction of the Payments that would otherwise be paid to Employee except for the application of Section 4(a), then the reduction shall occur in the following order: reduction of cash payments; cancellation of accelerated vesting of equity-based awards (if applicable); reduction of employee benefits. In the event that acceleration of vesting of equity-based awards is to be reduced, such acceleration of vesting shall be cancelled in the reverse order of the date of grant of Employee’s equity-based award.
xii.All determinations to be made under this Section 4 shall be made by the Company’s independent public accountants immediately prior to the Change of Control or by another independent public accounting firm mutually selected by the Company and
Employee before the date of the Change of Control (the “Accounting Firm”), which firm shall provide its determinations and any supporting calculations both to the Company and Employee within 20 days after the Termination Date. Any such determination by the Accounting Firm shall be binding upon the Company and Employee.
xiii.All of the fees and expenses of the Accounting Firm in performing the determinations referred to in this Section 4 shall be borne solely by the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Accounting Firm from any and all claims, damages and expenses resulting from or relating to its determinations pursuant to this Section 4, except for claims, damages or expenses resulting from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Accounting Firm.
xiv.As a result of the uncertainty in the application of Section 280G of the Code at the time of a determination hereunder, it is possible that payments will be made by the Company which should not have been made under this Section 4 (“Overpayment”) or that additional payments which are not made by the Company under this Section 4 should have been made (“Underpayment”). In the event that there is a final determination by the Internal Revenue Service, or a final determination by a court of competent jurisdiction, that an Overpayment has been made, any such Overpayment shall be treated for all purposes as a loan to Employee, which Employee shall repay to the Company together with interest at the applicable Federal rate provided for in Section 7872(f)(2) of the Code. In the event that there is a final determination by the Internal Revenue Service, a final determination by a court of competent jurisdiction or a change in the provisions of the Code or regulations pursuant to which an Underpayment arises under this Agreement, any such Underpayment shall be promptly paid by the Company to or for the benefit of Employee, together with interest at the applicable Federal rate provided for in Section 7872(f)(2) of the Code.
5.Confidential Information. Employee recognizes and acknowledges that, by reason of Employee’s employment by and service to the Company, Employee has had and will continue to have access to confidential information of the Company and its affiliates, including, without limitation, information and knowledge pertaining to products and services offered, innovations, designs, ideas, plans, trade secrets, proprietary information, distribution and sales methods and systems, sales and profit figures, customer and client lists, and relationships between the Company and its affiliates and other distributors, customers, clients, suppliers and others who have business dealings with the Company and its affiliates (“Confidential Information”). Employee acknowledges that such Confidential Information is a valuable and unique asset of the Company, and Employee covenants that Employee will not, either during or after Employee’s employment by the Company, disclose any such Confidential Information to any person for any reason whatsoever without the prior written authorization of the Company, unless such information is in the public domain through no fault of Employee or except as may be required by law or in a judicial or administrative proceeding. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, (a) each of the parties hereto (and each employee, representative, or other agent of such parties) may disclose to any person,
without limitation of any kind, the federal income tax treatment and federal income tax structure of the transactions contemplated hereby and all materials (including opinions or other tax analyses) that are provided to such party relating to such tax treatment and tax structure; and (b) nothing in this Agreement shall prohibit or impede Employee from communicating, cooperating or filing a complaint with any U.S. federal, state or local governmental or law enforcement branch, agency or entity (collectively, a “Governmental Entity”) with respect to possible violations of any U.S. federal, state or local law or regulation, or otherwise making disclosures to any Governmental Entity, in each case, that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of any such law or regulation, provided that in each case such communications and disclosures are consistent with applicable law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, under no circumstance will Employee be authorized to disclose any information covered by attorney-client privilege or attorney work product of the Company or any of its subsidiaries without prior written consent of the Company’s General Counsel or other officer designated by the Board of Directors of the Company.
6.Equitable Relief.
xv.Employee acknowledges that the restrictions contained in Section 5 hereof are reasonable and necessary to protect the legitimate interests of the Company and its affiliates, that the Company would not have entered into this Agreement in the absence of such restrictions, and that any violation of any provision of that Section will result in irreparable injury to the Company. Employee represents and acknowledges that (i) Employee has been advised by the Company to consult Employee’s own legal counsel in respect of this Agreement, and (ii) Employee has had full opportunity, prior to execution of this Agreement, to review thoroughly this Agreement with Employee’s counsel.
xvi.Employee agrees that the Company shall be entitled to preliminary and permanent injunctive relief, without the necessity of proving actual damages, as well as an equitable accounting of all earnings, profits and other benefits arising from any violation of Section 5 hereof, which rights shall be cumulative and in addition to any other rights or remedies to which the Company may be entitled. Without limiting the foregoing, Employee also agrees that payment of the compensation and benefits payable under Section 3 of this Agreement may be automatically ceased in the event of a material breach of the covenants of Section 5, provided the Company gives Employee written notice of such breach, specifying in reasonable detail the circumstances constituting such material breach. In the event that any of the provisions of Section 5 hereof should ever be adjudicated to exceed the time, geographic, service, or other limitations permitted by applicable law in any jurisdiction, then such provisions shall be deemed reformed in such jurisdiction to the maximum time, geographic, service, or other limitations permitted by applicable law.
xvii.Employee irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agrees that any suit, action or other legal proceeding arising out of Section 5 hereof, including without limitation, any action commenced by the Company for preliminary and permanent injunctive relief
or other equitable relief, may be brought in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, or if such court does not have jurisdiction or will not accept jurisdiction, in any court of general jurisdiction in or around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (ii) consents to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any such court in any such suit, action or proceeding, and (iii) waives any objection which Employee may have to the laying of venue of any such suit, action or proceeding in any such court. Employee also irrevocably and unconditionally consents to the service of any process, pleadings, notices or other papers in a manner permitted by the notice provisions of Section 14 hereof.
7.Other Payments and Indemnification. The payments due under Section 3 hereof shall be in addition to and not in lieu of any payments or benefits due to Employee under any other plan, policy or program of the Company except as provided under Section 16(a) and except that no cash payments shall be paid to Employee under any severance plan of the Company that are due and payable solely as a result of a Change of Control. In addition, Employee shall continue to be covered by any policy of insurance providing indemnification rights for service as an officer and director of the Company and to all other rights to indemnification provided by the Company, in each case at least as favorable as applicable to Employee on the date of this Agreement.
Notwithstanding anything set forth herein to the contrary, where Employee receives any benefit or payment provided for under this Agreement, he shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Senior Executive Officer Severance Agreement and vice versa. Under no circumstances may Employee be entitled to receive payment under both agreements.
8.Enforcement. It is the intent of the parties that Employee not be required to incur any expenses associated with the enforcement of Employee’s rights under this Agreement by arbitration, litigation or other legal action, because the cost and expense thereof would substantially detract from the benefits intended to be extended to Employee hereunder. Accordingly, the Company shall pay Employee on demand the amount necessary to reimburse Employee in full for all expenses (including all attorneys’ fees and legal expenses) incurred by Employee in attempting to enforce any of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement, without regard to outcome, unless the lawsuit brought by Employee is determined to be frivolous by a court of final jurisdiction. The Company shall reimburse Employee for expenses under this Section 8 no later than the end of the calendar year next following the calendar year in which such expenses were incurred, it being understood that the foregoing limitation is intended to ensure compliance with Code Section 409A, and shall not serve to extend or otherwise delay the time period within which the Company is required to reimburse Employee for expenses as set forth in this Section 8. The Company shall not be obligated to pay any such expenses for which Employee fails to make a demand and submit an invoice or other documented reimbursement request at least 10 business days before the end of the calendar year next following the calendar year in which such expenses were incurred. The amount of such expenses that the Company is obligated to pay in any given calendar year shall not affect the expenses that the Company is obligated to pay in any other
calendar year. Employee’s right to have the Company pay the expenses may not be liquidated or exchanged for any other benefit.
9.No Mitigation. Employee shall not be required to mitigate the amount of any payment or benefit provided for in this Agreement by seeking other employment or otherwise, nor shall the amount of any payment or benefit provided for herein be reduced by any compensation earned by other employment or otherwise.
10.No Set-Off. The Company’s obligation to make the payments provided for in this Agreement and otherwise to perform its obligations hereunder shall not be affected by any circumstances, including, without limitation, any set-off, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which the Company may have against Employee or others.
11.Taxes. Any payments required under this Agreement shall be subject to applicable tax withholding.
12.Term of Agreement. The term of this Agreement shall be for three years from the date hereof and shall be automatically renewed for successive one-year periods unless the Company notifies Employee in writing that this Agreement will not be renewed at least 60 days prior to the end of the current term; provided, however, that (i) this Agreement shall remain in effect for at least two years after a Change of Control occurring during the term of this Agreement and shall remain in effect until all of the obligations of the parties hereunder are satisfied, and (ii) this Agreement shall terminate if, prior to but not in contemplation of a Change of Control, the employment of Employee with the Company and its affiliates shall terminate for any reason.
13.Successor Company. The Company shall require any successor or successors (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company, by agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Employee, to acknowledge expressly that this Agreement is binding upon and enforceable against the Company in accordance with the terms hereof, and to become jointly and severally obligated with the Company to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession or successions had taken place. Failure of the Company to obtain such agreement prior to the effectiveness of any such succession shall be a breach of this Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the Company shall mean the Company as herein before defined and any such successor or successors to its business or assets, jointly and severally.
14.Notice. All notices and other communications required or permitted hereunder or necessary or convenient in connection herewith shall be in writing and shall be delivered personally or mailed by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or by overnight express courier service, as follows:
If to the Company, to:
Teleflex Incorporated
550 East Swedesford Road, Suite 400
Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087
Attention: Chief Executive Officer
If to Employee, to:
[INTENTIONALLY OMITTED]
or to such other names or addresses as the Company or Employee, as the case may be, shall designate by notice to the other party hereto in the manner specified in this Section; provided, however, that if no such notice is given by the Company following a Change of Control, notice at the last address of the Company or to any successor pursuant to Section 14 hereof shall be deemed sufficient for the purposes hereof. Any such notice shall be deemed delivered and effective when received in the case of personal delivery, five days after deposit, postage prepaid, with the U.S. Postal Service in the case of registered or certified mail, or on the next business day in the case of overnight express courier service.
15.Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania without giving effect to any conflict of laws provisions.
16.Contents of Agreement, Amendment and Assignment.
xviii.This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements, sets forth the entire understanding between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and cannot be changed, modified, extended or terminated except upon written amendment executed by Employee and approved by the Board and executed on the Company’s behalf by a duly authorized officer; provided, however, that except as stated in Section 7 above, this Agreement is not intended to supersede or alter Employee’s rights under any compensation, benefit plan or program, unless specifically modified hereunder, in which Employee participated and under which Employee retains a right to benefits. The provisions of this Agreement may provide for payments to Employee under certain compensation or bonus plans under circumstances where such plans would not provide for payment thereof. It is the specific intention of the parties that the provisions of this Agreement shall supersede any provisions to the contrary in such plans, to the extent that the provisions of this Agreement are more favorable to Employee than the terms of such plans, and such plans shall be deemed to have been amended to correspond with this Agreement without further action by the Company or the Board.
xix.Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as giving Employee any right to be retained in the employ of the Company.
xx.All of the terms and provisions of this Agreement, including the covenants of Section 5, shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the respective heirs, representatives, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.
xxi.It is the Parties’ intention that the benefits and rights to which Employee could become entitled in connection with Termination of Employment comply with Code Section 409A. If Employee or the Company believes, at any time, that any of such benefits or rights do not so comply, he or it shall promptly advise the other party and shall negotiate reasonably and in good faith to amend the terms of this Agreement such that it complies (with the most limited economic effect on Employee and the Company).
17.Severability. If any provision of this Agreement or application thereof to anyone or under any circumstances shall be determined to be invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions or applications of this Agreement which can be given effect without the invalid or unenforceable provision or application.
18.Remedies Cumulative; No Waiver. No right conferred upon Employee by this Agreement is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and each and every such right or remedy shall be cumulative and shall be in addition to any other right or remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity. No delay or omission by Employee in exercising any right, remedy or power hereunder or existing at law or in equity shall be construed as a waiver thereof, including, without limitation, any delay by Employee in delivering a Notice of Termination pursuant to Section 2 hereof after an event has occurred which would, if Employee had resigned, have constituted a Termination following a Change of Control pursuant to Section 1 of this Agreement.
19.Miscellaneous. All section headings are for convenience only. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which is an original. It shall not be necessary in making proof of this Agreement or any counterpart hereof to produce or account for any of the other counterparts.
20.Construction. The word “including” means “including without limitation.”
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, intending to be legally bound, have executed this Executive Change In Control Agreement as of the date first above written.
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Teleflex Incorporated
By: /s/ Liam Kelly
Name: Liam Kelly
Title: Chairman, President and CEO
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/s/ Jay White
Jay White
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EXHIBIT A
GENERAL RELEASE
1. I, [______________], for and in consideration of certain payments to be made and the benefits to be provided to me under the Executive Change In Control Agreement, dated as of [_________ ___], 20[__] (the “Agreement”) with Teleflex Incorporated (the “Company”) and conditioned upon such payments and provisions, do hereby REMISE, RELEASE, AND FOREVER DISCHARGE the Company and each of its past or present subsidiaries and affiliates, its and their past or present officers, directors, stockholders, employees and agents, their respective successors and assigns, heirs, executors and administrators, the pension and employee benefit plans of the Company, or of its past or present subsidiaries or affiliates, and the past or present trustees, administrators, agents, or employees of the pension and employee benefit plans (hereinafter collectively included within the term the “Company”), acting in any capacity whatsoever, of and from any and all manner of actions and causes of actions, suits, debts, claims and demands whatsoever in law or in equity, which I ever had, now have, or hereafter may have, or which my heirs, executors or administrators hereafter may have, by reason of any matter, cause or thing whatsoever from the beginning of my employment with the Company to the date of these presents and particularly, but without limitation of the foregoing general terms, any claims arising from or relating in any way to my employment relationship and the termination of my employment relationship with the Company, including but not limited to, any claims which have been asserted, could have been asserted, or could be asserted now or in the future under any federal, state or local laws, including any claims under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, 43 Pa. C.S.A. §§951 et. seq., the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 USC §§ 701 et seq., Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 USC §§ 2000e et seq., the Civil Rights Act of 1991, 2 USC §§ 60 et seq., as applicable, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, 29 USC §§ 621 et seq., the Americans with Disabilities Act, 29 USC §§ 706 et seq., and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29 USC §§ 301 et seq., all as amended, any contracts between the Company and me and any common law claims now or hereafter recognized and all claims for personal injuries, counsel fees and costs; provided, however, that this Release shall not apply to any entitlements under the terms of the Agreement or under any other plans or programs of the Company in which I participated and under which I have accrued and become entitled to a benefit other than under any Company separation or severance plan or programs.
2. Subject to the limitations of paragraph 1 above, I expressly waive all rights afforded by any statute which expressly limits the effect of a release with respect to unknown claims. I understand the significance of this release of unknown claims and the waiver of statutory protection against a release of unknown claims.
3. I hereby agree and recognize that my employment by the Company was permanently and irrevocably severed on ___________________, 20__ and the Company has no obligation, contractual or otherwise to me to hire, rehire or reemploy me in the
future. I acknowledge that the terms of the Agreement provide me with payments and benefits which are in addition to any amounts to which I otherwise would have been entitled.
4. I hereby agree and acknowledge that the payments and benefits provided by the Company are to bring about an amicable resolution of my employment arrangements and are not to be construed as an admission of any violation of any federal, state or local statute or regulation, or of any duty owed by the Company and that the Agreement was, and this Release is, executed voluntarily to provide an amicable resolution of my employment relationship with the Company.
5. I hereby acknowledge that nothing in this Release shall prohibit or restrict me from: (i) making any disclosure of information required by law; (ii) providing information to, or testifying or otherwise assisting in any investigation or proceeding brought by, any federal regulatory or law enforcement agency or legislative body, any self-regulatory organization, or the Company’s designated legal, compliance or human resources officers; or (iii) filing, testifying, participating in or otherwise assisting in a proceeding relating to an alleged violation of any federal, state or municipal law relating to fraud, or any rule or regulation of the Securities and Exchange Commission or any self-regulatory organization. In addition, I understand that each of the parties hereto (and each employee, representative, or other agent of such parties) may disclose to any person, without limitation of any kind, the federal income tax treatment and federal income tax structure of the transactions contemplated hereby and all materials (including opinions or other tax analyses) that are provided to such party relating to such tax treatment and tax structure.
6. I hereby certify that I have read the terms of this Release, that I have been advised by the Company to discuss it with my attorney, that I have received the advice of counsel and that I understand its terms and effects. I acknowledge, further, that I am executing this Release of my own volition with a full understanding of its terms and effects and with the intention of releasing all claims recited herein in exchange for the consideration described in the Agreement, which I acknowledge is adequate and satisfactory to me. None of the above-named parties, nor their agents, representatives or attorneys have made any representations to me concerning the terms or effects of this Release other than those contained herein.
7. I hereby acknowledge that I have been informed that I have the right to consider this Release for a period of 21 days prior to execution. I also understand that I have the right to revoke this Release for a period of seven days following execution by giving written notice to the Company at the address set forth in Section 14 of the Agreement.
8. I hereby further acknowledge that the terms of Sections 5 and 6 of the Agreement shall continue to apply for the balance of the time periods provided therein and that I will abide by and fully perform such obligations.
[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
Intending to be legally bound hereby, I execute the foregoing Release this ___ day of _____________, 20 ___.
________________________ ____________________
Witness [__________________]