UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT
TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported):  September 14, 2017

 

SIGMA LABS, INC .

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nevada

 

001-38015

 

27-1865814

(State or Other
Jurisdiction of
Incorporation)

 

(Commission File Number)

 

(IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 

3900 Paseo del Sol, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)  (Zip Code)

 

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (505) 438-2576

 

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

[   ]  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

[   ]  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[   ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[   ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company [   ]  

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. [   ]  


 

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.    

 

On September 14, 2017, Sigma Labs, Inc. (“we,” “our,” “us” or the “Company”) entered into an employment letter agreement with Nannette Toups, effective September 28, 2017 (the "Effective Date"), pursuant to which Ms. Toups has agreed to serve as our Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, principal accounting officer, principal financial officer and Secretary on an "at-will" basis.

 

Under the employment letter agreement, Ms. Toups is entitled to (i) an annual base salary of $110,000 (such base salary is not subject to decrease, but may be increased in the discretion of the Company’s Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors based on an annual assessment of Ms. Toups' performance and other factors), (ii) all benefits that we elect in our sole discretion to provide from time to time to our other executive officers, and (iii) a grant under our 2013 Equity Incentive Plan of (1) a five-year stock option to purchase up to 2,500 shares of common stock of the Company, which will have an exercise price equal to the closing price of the Company's common stock on the Effective Date, and will vest and become exercisable in full on the Effective Date, and (2) a five-year stock option to purchase up to 47,500 shares of common stock of the Company, which will have an exercise price equal to the closing price of the Company's common stock on the Effective Date, and will vest and become exercisable as follows: 3,065 shares will vest and become exercisable on the one-year anniversary of the Effective Date, 7,125 shares will vest and become exercisable on the second-year anniversary of the Effective Date, 11,185 shares will vest and become exercisable on the third-year anniversary of the Effective Date, and 26,125 shares will vest and become exercisable on the fourth-year anniversary of the Effective Date, provided, in each case, that Ms. Toups' remains an employee of the Company through such vesting date. The options will be on such other terms and provisions as are contained in the Company's standard form nonqualified stock option agreement.

 

Since December 2013, Ms. Toups has served as a contract CFO and provided accounting services to a variety of clients in different industries ranging from non-profits to medical device development. From May 2008 to October 2013, Ms. Toups served in various positions at Qforma, Inc., a privately-held custom software development company, including as Controller and most recently as Senior Vice-President of Finance and Administration. Prior to joining Qforma, she served as an independent consultant from October 2005 to May 2008, providing a variety of financial, accounting and management services to individuals, entrepreneurs and a non-profit organization. From May 2004 to September 2005, Ms. Toups served as the Controller of KSL Joint Venture, where she was responsible for all accounting and financial reporting activities for the Site Support Services Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory. From January 2002 to April 2003, she served as the Controller and Treasurer of BiosGroup, Inc., a closely-held complexity science consulting company. Prior thereto, Ms. Toups served in various positions at Louisiana Intrastate Gas Company, LLC, including Controller and Transition Projects Manager. Ms. Toups received her CPA certification in 1984 and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting from Louisiana State University, and a master’s of liberal arts degree from St. John’s College. 

 

Ms. Toups, age 61, has no family relationship with any of the Company’s officers and directors.

 

Murray Williams, our current Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, principal accounting officer and principal financial officer, agreed to resign from such positions effective September 28, 2017, prior to Ms. Toups' appointment. Mr. Williams and the Company intend to enter into a consulting agreement under which Mr. Williams will continue to provide services to the Company on an as needed basis.

 

On September 18, 2017, the Company and Ronald Fisher, the Company's Vice President of Business Development, entered into Amendment No. 1 to Mr. Fisher's Employment Offer Letter Agreement, effective August 10, 2015, pursuant to which, effective as of February 11, 2017, item 2, entitled "Performance Bonuses," of Exhibit A of Mr. Fisher's Employment Offer Letter Agreement was deleted in its entirety and replaced with the new item 2 that is set forth in the amendment to Employment Offer Letter Agreement. Under the amendment, Mr. Fisher will be entitled to receive performance-based stock and cash bonuses if certain milestones are satisfied by February 11, 2018, so long as Mr. Fisher remains an employee of the Company as of the date the applicable milestone is satisfied.  

 

The Employment Letter Agreement and Amendment No. 1 to Employment Offer Letter Agreement are filed hereto as Exhibits 10.1 and 10.2, respectively, and are incorporated into this Item 5.02 by reference. The foregoing descriptions of the Employment Letter Agreement and Amendment No. 1 to Employment Offer Letter Agreement are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the Employment Letter Agreement and Amendment No. 1 to Employment Offer Letter Agreement, as applicable.

 

On September 20, 2017, the Company and Amanda Cola, our Vice President of Finance and Business Operations, agreed to terminate Ms. Cola's employment with the Company, effective October 2, 2017.


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Item 8.01 Other Events.  

 

As previously reported, on July 26, 2017, we received a notice from Nasdaq acknowledging the fact that we do not meet the requirements of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605. The notice stated that (i) we had 45 calendar days to submit to Nasdaq a plan to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rules 5605(b)(1) and 5605(c)(2), and (ii) to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(d)(2), we (a) had until the earlier of our next annual shareholders’ meeting or July 24, 2018, or (b) if our next annual shareholders' meeting is held before January 22, 2018, then we had to evidence compliance no later than January 22, 2018.

 

On September 18, 2017, Nasdaq notified us that, based on its review of our plan of compliance, Nasdaq has determined to grant the Company an extension until January 22, 2018 to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rules by appointing at least one more independent director to our Board of Directors and Audit Committee. If compliance cannot be demonstrated by January 22, 2018, Nasdaq will provide written notification that our securities will be delisted. In the event of such a notification, we may appeal Nasdaq's determination. Our Board of Directors intends to appoint at least one more independent director to our Board of Directors and Audit Committee prior to January 22, 2018.  

 

In addition, Nasdaq notified us on September 18, 2017 that it had determined that we have regained compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(d)(2) as a result of our appointment of two independent directors to our Compensation Committee.  

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.  

 

(d) Exhibits.   

 

Exhibit Number

 

Description

10.1

 

Employment Letter Agreement, effective as of September 28, 2017, between the Company and Nannette Toups.

10.2

 

Amendment No. 1, dated September 18, 2017, to Employment Offer Letter Agreement, effective August 10, 2015, between the Company and Ronald Fisher.


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SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

September 20, 2017

SIGMA LABS, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By: /s/ John Rice                                        

 

Name: John Rice 

 

Title: Interim Chief Executive Officer 

 

 

 

 


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SIGMA LABS LOGO.JPG  

September 12, 2017

 

 

Ms. Nannette Toups

P.O. Box 51

Tesuque, NM 87574

 

Re: Terms of At-Will Employment

 

 

Dear Ms. Toups:

 

This letter confirms the principal terms of our agreement, as set forth below, with respect to your at-will employment ("Employment") by Sigma Labs, Inc. (the “Company”), which shall be effective as of September 28, 2017 (the "Effective Date"):

 

1.   Position; Reporting; Duties, Responsibilities and Authority; Principal Business Office : Effective as the Effective Date, you shall serve as Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, Principal Accounting Officer and Principal Financial Officer of the Company. You shall report on a day-to-day basis directly to, and shall be subject to the supervision and direction of, the Company's Chief Executive Officer.

 

You shall perform your duties hereunder at the Company’s principal business office during normal business hours and at all other times and locations necessary for you to carry out your duties. You shall devote substantially all of your business time to the Company and shall perform such duties as are customarily performed by individuals acting as Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, Principal Accounting Officer and Principal Financial Officer of a public company of a similar size as the Company, and other such duties as you may be assigned from time to time by the Chief Executive Officer or the Board of Directors of the Company. You shall at all times be subject to, observe and carry out such reasonable employment-related rules, regulations and policies as the Company's Board of Directors or Chief Executive Officer may from time to time establish for the Company's employees, including, without limitation, the Company's Employee Handbook, Insider Trading Policy and Code of Ethics and Business Conduct.

 

Without restricting any requirement that you engage in reasonable business-related travel, the principal location in which you shall be required to perform your duties and responsibilities shall be the Company's principal business office, which is presently located at 3900 Paseo del Sol, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507.

 

2.   At-Will Employment :  The Company has the right to terminate your Employment at any time, with or without prior notice, and with or without cause and for any reason or for no specified reason. You have the right to terminate your Employment at any time, with or without prior notice. You are employed by the Company “at will,” and this letter does not provide you with any right to continue in the Employment of the Company for any minimum or specified period.  Except as specifically provided in this letter, the Company shall have no obligation to make any compensation, severance or other payments to you, or to provide any other benefits to you, after the date of the termination of your Employment for any reason.

 

3.   Compensation :

 

(a)   Base :  For services rendered hereunder, the Company shall pay to you an annual base salary (the “Base Salary”) of $110,000, payable in regular installments in accordance with the Company's customary payroll practices for employees. If you are entitled to receive Base Salary for any period that is less than one calendar month, the Base Salary for such period shall be computed by prorating the annual Base Salary over such period based upon the actual number of days therein. The Base Salary shall not be subject to decrease, but may be increased in the discretion of the Company’s Compensation Committee based on an annual assessment of the your performance and other factors. All payments shall be made in accordance with the Company’s payroll practices.  The Company may deduct and withhold from your compensation any amounts of money required to be deducted or withheld by the Company under any or all applicable local, state or federal laws.




(b)   Benefits :  During your Employment, you shall be entitled to receive all benefits under any and all deferred compensation plans, retirement plans, life, disability, health, accident and other insurance programs, automobile allowances, and similar employee benefit plans and programs, sick leave, vacation time and paid time off (if any) that the Company elects in its sole discretion to provide from time to time to its other executive officers (collectively referred to herein as the “Benefits”). However, we reserve the right to terminate, reduce or otherwise amend any or all of the Benefits from time to time to the extent allowed by law, so long as such action applies generally to all of our executive officers. Except as otherwise required by applicable law with respect to continued “COBRA” group health care coverage and except as expressly required by the terms of the Company's life, disability, health, accident and other insurance programs and similar employee benefit plans and programs, your right to receive Benefits shall terminate upon the termination of your Employment for any reason. You shall be entitled to vacation time of two weeks during the first year of your employment hereunder and in accord with the Company’s policy on vacation earned per years served thereafter.

 

(c)   Expense Reimbursement :  The Company will reimburse you for ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of your duties, provided that such expenses are reasonable and are accounted for in accordance with the Company’s usual policies.

 

(d)   Options :  Subject to Compensation Committee approval and subject to your entering into the Company's standard-form nonqualified stock option agreement under the Company’s 2013 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), effective as of the Effective Date, the Company shall grant you pursuant to the Plan (1) a non-qualified stock option ("Option A") to purchase up to 2,500 shares of common stock of the Company, which will have an exercise price equal to the closing price of the Company's common stock on the Effective Date, and will vest and become exercisable in full on the Effective Date, and (2) a non-qualified stock option ("Option B," and together with Option A, the "Options") to purchase up to 47,500 shares of common stock of the Company, which will have an exercise price equal to the closing price of the Company's common stock on the Effective Date, and will vest and become exercisable as follows: 3,065 shares will vest and become exercisable on the one-year anniversary of the Effective Date, 7,125 shares will vest and become exercisable on the second-year anniversary of the Effective Date, 11,185 shares will vest and become exercisable on the third-year anniversary of the Effective Date, and 26,125 shares will vest and become exercisable on the fourth-year anniversary of the Effective Date, provided, in each case, that you remain an employee of the Company through such vesting date.

 

The Options shall expire on the day before the fifth anniversary of the Effective Date, unless such Options shall have been terminated prior to that date in accordance with the provisions of the Company's standard-form nonqualified stock option agreement, and the Options shall be on such other terms and provisions as are contained in such stock option agreement and the Plan.

 

In the event of any stock split, reverse stock split or stock dividend after the date hereof, the number of shares of the Company's common stock underlying the Options, and the exercise price of the Options shall be appropriately adjusted for any such stock split, reverse stock split or stock dividend.  

 

4.   Confidential Information .  You shall at no time, either during your Employment or after the termination of your Employment for any reason, use or disclose to any person, directly or indirectly, any confidential or proprietary information concerning the business of the Company, including, without limitation, any business secret, trade secret, financial information, software, internal procedure, business plan, marketing plan, pricing strategy or policy or customer list, except to the extent that such use or disclosure is (1) necessary to the performance of your Employment during the period that you are so employed, (2) required by an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or (3) authorized in writing by the Company's Chief Executive Officer. The prohibition that is contained in the preceding sentence shall not apply to any information that is or becomes generally available to the public other than through a disclosure by you or by a person acting in concert with you. Within five days after the termination of your Employment, you shall return to the Company all memoranda, notes and other documents in your possession or control that relate to the confidential information of the Company. Upon the Company's request, you agree to execute and deliver to the Company any form of confidentiality agreement that the Company requires generally from its employees.

 

5.   Company Property :  You agree that all designs, lists, books, files, reports, correspondence, computer databases and files, records, supplies, services, computers, postage, telephones and other property and materials (“Company Materials”) used by, prepared for or by, or made available to you while you are employed with the Company, shall be and shall remain the property of the Company. Upon termination of your employment with the Company, all Company Materials shall be returned immediately to the Company, and you shall not make or retain any copies thereof.


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6.   Inventions/Work Product :

 

(a) Work Product : You acknowledge and agrees that all writings, works of authorship, technology, inventions, discoveries, ideas and other work product of any nature whatsoever that are created, prepared, produced, authored, edited, amended, conceived or reduced to practice by you individually or jointly with others during the period of your Employment by the Company and relating in any way to the business or contemplated business, research or development of the Company (regardless of when or where the Work Product is prepared or whose equipment or other resources is used in preparing the same) and all printed, physical and electronic copies, all improvements, rights and claims related to the foregoing, and other tangible embodiments thereof (collectively, “Work Product”), as well as any and all rights in and to copyrights, trade secrets, trademarks (and related goodwill), patents and other intellectual property rights therein arising in any jurisdiction throughout the world and all related rights of priority under international conventions with respect thereto, including all pending and future applications and registrations therefor, and continuations, divisions, continuations-in-part, reissues, extensions and renewals thereof (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights”), shall be the sole and exclusive property of the Company.  

 

(b) Work Made for Hire; Assignment : You acknowledge that, by reason of being employed by the Company at the relevant times, to the extent permitted by law, all of the Work Product consisting of copyrightable subject matter is “work made for hire” as defined in 17 U.S.C. § 101 and such copyrights are therefore owned by the Company. To the extent that the foregoing does not apply, you hereby irrevocably assign to the Company, for no additional consideration, your entire right, title and interest in and to all Work Product and Intellectual Property Rights therein, including the right to sue, counterclaim and recover for all past, present and future infringement, misappropriation or dilution thereof, and all rights corresponding thereto throughout the world. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to reduce or limit the Company's rights, title or interest in any Work Product or Intellectual Property Rights so as to be less in any respect than that the Company would have had in the absence of this agreement. 

 

(c) Further Assurances; Power of Attorney . During and after your Employment, you agree to reasonably cooperate with the Company to (1) apply for, obtain, perfect and transfer to the Company the Work Product as well as an Intellectual Property Right in the Work Product in any jurisdiction in the world, and (2) maintain, protect and enforce the same, including, without limitation, executing and delivering to the Company any and all applications, oaths, declarations, affidavits, waivers, assignments and other documents and instruments as shall be requested by the Company. You hereby irrevocably grant the Company a power of attorney to execute and deliver any such documents on your behalf in your name and to do all other lawfully permitted acts to transfer the Work Product to the Company and further the transfer, issuance, prosecution and maintenance of all Intellectual Property Rights therein, to the full extent permitted by law, if you do not promptly cooperate with the Company's request (without limiting the rights the Company shall have in such circumstances by operation of law). The power of attorney is coupled with an interest and shall not be affected by your subsequent incapacity.  

 

7.   Notices : Any notice, consent, request or other communications made or given in connection with this agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when delivered or mailed by postage prepaid to those listed below at their following respective addresses or at such other address as each may specify by notice to the other:

 

To the Company:

 

John Rice

Interim Chief Executive Officer

Sigma Labs, Inc.

3900 Paseo del Sol

Santa Fe, NM 87507

 

To you:

 

Nannette Toups

P.O. Box 51

Tesuque, NM 87574

 

8.   Entire Agreement : This agreement (and any separate confidentiality agreements that may be entered into between the Company and you) constitutes the entire agreement of the Company and you relating to the terms and conditions of your Employment and supersedes all prior oral and written understandings and agreements relating to such subject matter.

 

9.   Amendment and Termination : This agreement may be amended or terminated only pursuant to a writing executed by an authorized officer of the Company and you.


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10.   Arbitration : Any dispute or controversy arising under this agreement relating to its interpretation or the breach hereof, including the arbitrability of any such dispute or controversy (each, a " Disputed Matter "), shall be determined and settled by arbitration in Santa Fe, New Mexico pursuant to the Rules of the American Arbitration Association in effect at the time the Disputed Matter arises.  Any award rendered herein shall be final and binding on each and all of the parties, and judgment may be entered thereon in any court of competent jurisdiction.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the parties shall be entitled to seek injunctive relief in any court of competent jurisdiction.  

 

11.   Governing Law : This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with Nevada law.  In the event that any terms or provisions of this agreement shall be held to be invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining terms and provisions hereof.  In the event of any judicial, arbitral or other proceeding between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, the prevailing party shall be entitled, in addition to all other relief, to reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses and court costs.

 

If the foregoing terms are acceptable, please sign below and return this letter to me.  

 

 

 

 

 

Sigma Labs, Inc.

Employee

 

 

 

 

By

/s/ John Rice

By

/s/ Nannette Toups

Name

John Rice

Name

Nannette Toups

Title

Interim CEO

 

 


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AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO EMPLOYMENT OFFER LETTER AGREEMENT

 

This Amendment No. 1 to Employment Offer Letter Agreement (this “ Amendment ”) is made as of September 18, 2017, by and between Sigma Labs, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “ Company ”), and Ron Fisher (the “ Employee ”), with reference to the following facts:

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Employee are parties to an employment offer letter agreement, effective August 10, 2015 (the “ Employment Letter ”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Employee wish to amend the Employment Letter as provided in this Amendment.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and other consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which hereby are acknowledged, the Company and the Employee hereby agree as follows:

 

1. Performance Bonuses .   

 

(a) Effective as of February 11, 2017, item 2, entitled "Performance Bonuses," of Exhibit A of the Employment Letter is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following new item 2: 

 

DOCUMENT1.JPG  

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the Employee shall only be entitled to the issuance of the foregoing shares of common stock of the Company upon the satisfaction of an applicable milestone set forth in item 2 so long as the Employee remains an employee of the Company as of the date the applicable milestone is satisfied; provided, however, that, in any event, the Employee shall not be entitled to receive the shares of common stock tied to a milestone set forth in item 2 if such milestone is not satisfied on or before February 11, 2018. Any shares of common stock issued to the Employee pursuant to this Section 1(a) will be issued under the Company's Equity Incentive Plan, and appropriate adjustments to the number of such shares shall be made in the event of any stock split or reverse stock split.

 

(b) The Employee acknowledges that the Company has satisfied any and all bonus obligations of the Company to the Employee under item 2 of the Employment Letter.  

 

2. No Other Changes to the Employment Letter .  Except as expressly amended by this Amendment, all of the terms of the Employment Letter shall remain in full force and effect. 


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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company and the Executive have executed this Amendment as of the date first set forth above.

 

SIGMA LABS, INC.

 

RON FISHER

 

 

By:     /s/ John Rice                                      

         John Rice

         Interim Chief Executive Officer

/s/ Ronald Fisher                                 9/18/2017

 


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