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Natural Alternatives International - Vice President of Science & Technology - Executive Employment Agreement - Robert A. Kay
Exhibit 10.10
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
This Employment Agreement ("Agreement") is made and entered into effective as of March 29, 2004 ("Effective Date"), by and between Robert A. Kay, Ph.D., R.D. ("Employee"), and Natural Alternatives International, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Company"). The Company and Employee may be referred to herein collectively as the "Parties."
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Company wishes to retain the services of Employee as its Vice President of Science & Technology, but only on the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth; and
WHEREAS, Employee desires to enter into the employ of the Company and is willing to do so on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and covenants set forth herein and intending to be legally bound thereby, the Parties agree as follows:
AGREEMENT
1. Employment . Employee hereby accepts the offer of the Company for employment as the Company's Vice President of Science & Technology beginning on March 29, 2004. Employee's employment will be at-will and may be terminated by either Employee or the Company at any time for any reason or no reason, with or without Cause (as hereinafter defined), upon written notice to the other, or without any notice upon the death of Employee. The at-will status of the employment relationship may not be modified except by an agreement in writing signed by the President or Chief Executive Officer of the Company and Employee, the terms of which were approved in advance in writing by the Company's Board of Directors.
2. Employee Handbook . Employee and the Company understand and agree that nothing in the Company's Employee Handbook is intended to be, and nothing in it should be construed to be, a limitation of the Company's right to terminate, transfer, demote, suspend and administer discipline at any time for any reason. Employee and the Company understand and agree nothing in the Company's Employee Handbook is intended to, and nothing in such Handbook should be construed to, create an implied or express contract of employment contrary to this Agreement.
3. Position and Responsibilities .
a. During Employee's employment with the Company hereunder, Employee shall have such responsibilities, duties and authority as the Company, through its Board of Directors, may from time to time assign to Employee and that are normal and customary duties of a Vice President of Science & Technology of a publicly held corporation. Employee shall perform any other duties reasonably required by the Company and, if requested by the Company, shall serve as a director and/or as an additional officer of the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate of the Company without additional compensation.
b. Employee, in Employee's capacity as Vice President of Science & Technology for the Company, shall diligently and to the best of Employee's ability perform all duties that such position entails. Employee shall devote such time, energy, skill and effort to the performance of Employee's duties hereunder as may be fairly and reasonably necessary to faithfully and diligently further the business and interests of the Company and its subsidiaries. Employee agrees not to engage in any other business activity that would materially interfere with the performance of Employee's duties under this Agreement. Employee represents to the Company that Employee has no other outstanding commitments inconsistent with any of the terms of this Agreement or the services to be rendered under it.
c. Employee shall render Employee's service at the Company's offices in the County of San Diego, California, or such other location as is mutually agreed upon by the Company and Employee. It is understood, however, and agreed that Employee's duties may from time to time require travel to other locations, including other offices of the Company and its subsidiaries both within and outside the United States.
4. Compensation .
a. Salary . During the term of Employee's employment hereunder, the Company agrees to pay Employee a base salary of One Hundred Ninety Three Thousand Five Hundred dollars ($193,500) per year, payable no less frequently than monthly in accordance with the Company's general payroll practices. For the first year of employment, the base salary will be prorated from the start date of employment. The amount of Employee's base salary as set forth in this Section 4(a) may be adjusted from time to time by an agreement in writing signed by the President or Chief Executive Officer of the Company and Employee, the terms of which were approved in advance in writing by the Company's Board of Directors.
b. Relocation Expenses . Employee shall be entitled to receive Fifty Thousand dollars ($50,000) for any and all costs associated with Employee's relocation, including but not limited to, moving of household goods, sale and/or purchase of Employee's home, and temporary living costs. Twenty Five Thousand dollars ($25,000) shall be payable to Employee on or about the Effective Date and the remaining Twenty Five Thousand dollars ($25,000) shall be payable after Employee has been employed with the Company for at least ninety (90) days.
c. Additional Benefits . During Employee's employment with the Company, in addition to the other compensation and benefits set forth herein, Employee shall be entitled to receive and/or participate in such other benefits of employment generally available to the Company's other corporate officers when and as Employee becomes eligible for them. The Company reserves the right to modify, suspend or discontinue any and all benefit plans, policies and practices at any time without notice to or recourse by the Employee, so long as such action is taken generally with respect to other similarly situated persons and does not single out Employee.
d. No Other Compensation . Employee acknowledges and agrees that, except as expressly provided herein, and as set forth in the Company's Employee Handbook or any other written compensation arrangement approved by the Company's Board of Directors, Employee is not entitled to any other compensation or benefits from the Company.
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e. Withholdings . All compensation under this Agreement shall be paid less withholdings required by federal and state law and less deductions agreed to by the Company and Employee.
5. Termination .
a. Due to Death . Employee's employment with the Company shall terminate automatically in the event of Employee's death. The Company shall have no obligation to Employee or Employee's estate for base salary or any other form of compensation or benefit other than amounts accrued through the date of Employee's death, except as otherwise required by law or pursuant to a specific written policy, agreement or benefit plan of the Company.
b. Without Cause, Severance Benefit . In the event Employee is terminated by the Company without Cause and not as a result of death, upon Employee's delivery to the Company of an executed general release in a form substantially similar to that set forth in Attachment #3 attached hereto ("Release"), Employee shall be entitled to receive a severance benefit, including standard employee benefits available to the Company's other corporate officers, in an amount equal to three (3) months' compensation. If Employee does not execute and deliver the Release, Employee shall only be entitled to receive a severance benefit in an amount equal to one (1) month's compensation. One half of any severance benefit owing hereunder shall be paid within ten (10) days of termination and the balance shall be paid on a bi-weekly basis over the applicable severance period of one (1) month or three (3) months.
c. With Cause, No Severance Benefit . The Company may terminate Employee for Cause. For purposes of this Agreement, Cause shall mean the occurrence of one or more of the following events: (i) the Employee's commission of any fraud against the Company; (ii) Employee's intentional appropriation for Employee's personal use or benefit the funds of the Company not authorized in writing by the Board of Directors; (iii) Employee's conviction of any crime involving moral turpitude; (iv) Employee's conviction of a violation of any state or federal law that could result in a material adverse impact upon the business of the Company; (v) Employee engaging in any other professional employment or consulting or directly or indirectly participating in or assisting any business that is a current or potential supplier, customer or competitor of the Company without prior written approval from the Company's Board of Directors; (vi) Employee's failure to comply with the Company's written policy on acceptance of gifts and gratuities as in effect from time to time; or (vii) when Employee has been disabled and is unable to perform the essential functions of the position for any reason notwithstanding reasonable accommodation and has received from the Company compensation in an amount equivalent to Employee's severance benefit payment. No severance benefit shall be due to Employee if Employee is terminated for Cause, including if Employee is terminated for Cause upon or after a Change in Control (as hereinafter defined), except in the event of disability as set forth above.
d. Resignation or Retirement, No Severance Benefit . This Agreement shall be terminated upon Employee's voluntary retirement or resignation. No severance benefit shall be due to Employee if Employee resigns or retires from employment for any reason or at any time, including upon or after a Change in Control.
e. Payment Through Date of Termination . Except as otherwise set forth herein, upon the termination of this Agreement for any reason, Employee shall be entitled to
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receive any unpaid compensation earned through the effective date of termination. If this Agreement is terminated for any reason before year-end bonus or other compensation becoming payable to Employee, then such bonus and other compensation shall be forfeited in full by Employee.
6. Termination Obligations .
a. Return of Company Property . Upon termination of this Agreement and cessation of Employee's employment, Employee agrees to return all Company Property (as such term is defined in Attachment #2 to this Agreement) to the Company promptly, but in no event later than two (2) business days following termination of employment.
b. Termination of Benefits . Any and all benefits to which Employee is otherwise entitled shall cease upon Employee's termination, unless explicitly continued either under this Agreement or under any specific written policy or benefit plan of the Company.
c. Termination of Other Positions . Upon termination of Employee's employment with the Company, Employee shall be deemed to have resigned from all other offices and directorships then held with the Company or its subsidiaries, unless otherwise expressly agreed in a writing signed by the Parties.
d. Employee Cooperation . Following termination of Employee's employment, Employee shall cooperate fully with the Company in all matters including, but not limited to, advising the Company of all pending work on behalf of the Company and the orderly transfer of work to other employees or representatives of the Company. Employee shall also cooperate in the defense of any action brought by any third party against the Company that relates in any way to Employee's acts or omissions while employed by the Company.
e. Survival of Obligations . Employee's obligations under this Section 6 shall survive the termination of employment and the termination of this Agreement.
7. Change in Control . In the event of any Change in Control, the following provisions will apply.
a. Any of the following shall constitute a "Change in Control" for the purposes of this Agreement:
(i) The consummation of a merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another entity or any other corporate reorganization, if more than 50% of the combined voting power of the continuing or surviving entity's securities outstanding immediately after such merger, consolidation or other reorganization is owned by persons who were not stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such merger, consolidation or other reorganization;
(ii) The sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company's assets;
(iii) A change in the composition of the Company's Board of Directors, as a result of which fewer than 50% of the incumbent directors are directors who either (i) had
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been directors of the Company on the date 24 months prior to the date of the event that may constitute a Change in Control (the "original directors") or (ii) were elected, or nominated for election, to the Board of Directors with the affirmative votes of at least a majority of the aggregate of the original directors who were still in office at the time of the election or nomination and the directors whose election or nomination was previously so approved; or
(iv) Any transaction as a result of which any person is the "beneficial owner" (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Exchange Act")), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing at least 20% of the total voting power represented by the Company's then outstanding voting securities. For this purpose, the term "person" shall have the same meaning as when used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act but shall exclude (i) a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or of a parent or subsidiary of the Company and (ii) a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the common stock of the Company.
A transaction shall not constitute a Change in Control if its sole purpose is to change the state of the Company's incorporation or to create a holding company that will be owned in substantially the same proportions by the persons who held the Company's securities immediately before such transaction.
b. In the event of a Change in Control, this Agreement shall continue in effect unless terminated by Employee or the Company.
c. If Employee is terminated without Cause following a Change in Control by the Company and/or the surviving or resulting corporation, upon Employee's delivery to the Company of an executed Release, Employee shall be entitled to receive as severance pay or liquidated damages, or both, a lump sum payment ("Change in Control Severance Payment") in an amount equal to one (1) year's compensation or such greater amount as the Board of Directors determines from time to time pursuant to terms which may not be revoked or reduced thereafter. If Employee does not execute and deliver the Release, Employee shall only be entitled to receive a Change in Control Severance Payment in an amount equal to one (1) month's compensation.
d. Any Change in Control Severance Payment shall be made not later than the fifteenth (15th) day following the effective date of Employee's termination without Cause in connection with a Change in Control; provided, however, that if the amount of such payment cannot be finally determined on or before such date, the Company shall pay to Employee on such date a good faith estimate of the minimum amount of such payment, and shall pay the remainder of such payment (together with interest at the rate provided in Section 1274(b)(2)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Code")), as soon as the amount thereof can be determined, but in no event later than the thirtieth (30th) day after the applicable termination date. If the amount of the estimated payment exceeds the amount subsequently determined to have been due, such excess shall constitute a loan by the Company to Employee payable on the fifteenth (15th) day after receipt by Employee of a written demand for payment from the Company (together with interest calculated as set forth above). The total of any payment pursuant to this Section 7 shall be limited to the extent necessary, in the opinion of legal counsel acceptable to Employee and the Company, to avoid the payment of an "excess parachute" payment within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code or any similar successor provision.
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e. In the event of termination of Employee's employment under Section 7(c), and provided Employee delivers to the Company an executed Release, the Company shall cause each then-outstanding stock option granted by the Company to the Employee as of the date of termination to become fully exercisable and to remain exercisable for the term of the option.
8. Arbitration . Employee and the Company hereby agree to the Mutual Agreement to Mediate and Arbitrate Claims attached hereto as Attachment #1 and made a part hereof. Employee's obligations under this Section 8 and such agreement shall survive the termination of employment and the termination of this Agreement.
9. Confidential Information and Inventions . Employee and the Company hereby agree to the Confidential Information and Invention Assignment Agreement, Covenant of Exclusivity and Covenant Not to Compete attached hereto as Attachment #2 and made a part hereof. Employee's obligations under this Section 9 and such agreement shall survive the termination of employment and the termination of this Agreement.
10. Competitive Activity . Employee covenants, warrants and represents that during the period of Employee's employment with the Company, Employee shall not engage anywhere, directly or indirectly (as a principal, shareholder, partner, director, manager, member, officer, agent, employee, consultant or otherwise), or be financially interested in any business that is involved in business activities that are the same as, similar to, or in competition with the business activities carried on by the Company or any business that is a current or potential supplier, customer or competitor of the Company without prior written approval from the Company's Board of Directors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Employee may invest in and hold up to one percent (1%) of the outstanding voting stock of a publicly held company that is involved in business activities that are the same as, similar to, or in competition with the business activities carried on by the Company or any business that is a current or potential supplier, customer or competitor of the Company without the prior written approval of the Company's Board of Directors; provided, however, that if such publicly held company is a current or potential supplier, customer or competitor of the Company, the Employee shall advise the President of the Company in writing of Employee's investment in such company as soon as reasonably practicable.
11. Employee Conduct . Employee covenants, warrants and represents that during the period of Employee's employment with the Company, Employee shall at all times comply with the Company's written policy as in effect from time to time on the acceptance of gifts and gratuities from customers, vendors, suppliers, or other persons doing business with the Company. Employee represents and understands that acceptance or encouragement of any gift or gratuity not in compliance with such policy may create a perceived financial obligation and/or conflict of interest for the Company and shall not be permitted as a means to influence business decisions, transactions or service. In this situation, as in all other areas of employment, Employee is expected to conduct himself or herself using the highest ethical standard.
12. Miscellaneous Provisions .
a. Entire Agreement . This Agreement and any attachments and/or exhibits contains the entire agreement between the Parties. It supersedes any and all other agreements, either oral or in writing, between the Parties with respect to Employee's employment by the Company. Each party to this Agreement acknowledges that no representations, inducements,
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promises or agreements, oral or otherwise, have been made by any party, or anyone acting on behalf of any party, which are not embodied herein and acknowledges that no other agreement, statement or promise not contained in this Agreement shall be valid or binding. To the extent the practices, policies or procedures of the Company, now or in the future, are inconsistent with the terms of this Agreement, the provisions of this Agreement shall control.
b. Governing Law . This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of California.
c. Severability . Should any part or provision of this Agreement be held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, unenforceable, invalid or void, the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect and the validity of the remaining provisions shall not be affected by such holding.
d. Attorneys' Fees . Except as set forth in the Mutual Agreement to Mediate and Arbitrate Claims attached hereto as Attachment #1, should any party institute any action, arbitration or proceeding to enforce, interpret or apply any provision of this Agreement, the Parties agree that the prevailing party shall be entitled to reimbursement by the non-prevailing party of all recoverable costs and expenses, including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys' fees.
e. Interpretation . This Agreement shall be construed as a whole, according to its fair meaning, and not in favor of or against any party. By way of example and not in limitation, this Agreement shall not be construed in favor of the party receiving a benefit nor against the party responsible for any particular language in this Agreement. The headings and captions contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not be used in the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
f. Amendment; Waiver . This Agreement may not be modified or amended by oral agreement or course of conduct, but only by an agreement in writing signed by the President or Chief Executive Officer of the Company and Employee, the terms of which were approved in advance in writing by the Company's Board of Directors. The failure of either party hereto at any time to require the performance by the other party hereto of any provision hereof shall in no way affect the full right to require such performance at any time thereafter, nor shall the waiver by either party hereto of a breach of any provision hereof be taken or held to be a waiver of any succeeding breach of such provision or waiver of the provision itself or a waiver of any other provision of this Agreement.
g. Assignment . This Agreement is binding on and is for the benefit of the Parties and their respective successors, heirs, executors, administrators and other legal representatives. Neither this Agreement nor any right or obligation hereunder may be assigned by the Company (except to an affiliate of the Company or to a person, as defined herein, in accordance with a Change in Control) or by the Employee.
h. No Restrictions; No Violation . The Employee represents and warrants that: (i) Employee is not a party to any agreement that would restrict or prohibit Employee from entering into this Agreement or performing fully Employee's obligations hereunder; and (ii) the execution by Employee of this Agreement and the performance by Employee of Employee's obligations and duties pursuant to this Agreement will not result in any breach of any other agreement to which Employee is a party.
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i. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original copy of this Agreement and all of which, when taken together, will be deemed to constitute one and the same agreement. The exchange of copies of this Agreement and of signature pages by facsimile transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Agreement as to the Parties and may be used in lieu of the original Agreement for all purposes. Signatures of the parties transmitted by facsimile shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.
j. Legal Representation; Independent Counsel . The law firm of Fisher Thurber LLP has prepared this Agreement on behalf of the Company based on the Company's instructions. Fisher Thurber LLP does not represent any other party to this Agreement. In executing this Agreement, Employee represents that Employee has neither requested nor been given legal advice or counsel by Fisher Thurber LLP or any of its attorneys. Employee is aware of Employee's right to obtain separate legal counsel with respect to the negotiation and execution of this Agreement and acknowledges that Fisher Thurber LLP has recommended that Employee retain Employee's own counsel for such purpose. Employee further acknowledges that Employee (i) has read and understands this Agreement and its exhibits and attachments; (ii) has had the opportunity to retain separate counsel in connection with the negotiation and execution of this Agreement; and (iii) has relied on the advice of separate counsel with respect to this Agreement or made the conscious decision not to retain counsel in connection with the negotiation and execution of this Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement effective as of the Effective Date.
EMPLOYEE
/s/ Robert A. Kay
Robert A. Kay
COMPANY
Natural Alternatives International, Inc.,
a Delaware corporation
By:
/s/ Randy Weaver
Randell Weaver, President
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ATTACHMENT #1
MUTUAL AGREEMENT TO MEDIATE AND ARBITRATE CLAIMS
This Mutual Agreement to Mediate and Arbitrate Claims ("Agreement") is made and entered into effective as of March 29, 2004 ("Effective Date"), by and between Robert A. Kay, Ph.D., R.D. ("Employee"), and Natural Alternatives International, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Company").
In consideration of and as a condition of Employee's prospective employment relationship with the Company, Employee's employment rights under Employee's Employment Agreement, Employee's participation in the Company's benefit programs (when and if eligible), Employee's access to and receipt of confidential information of the Company, and other good and valuable consideration, all of which Employee considers to have been negotiated at arm's length, Employee and Company agree to the following:
1. Claims Covered by this Agreement .
a. To the fullest extent permitted by law, all claims and disputes between Employee (and Employee's successors and assigns) and the Company relating in any manner whatsoever to the employment or termination of Employee, including without limitation all claims and disputes arising under this Agreement or that certain Employment Agreement entered into by and between the Company and Employee on equal date hereof, as may be amended from time to time ("Employment Agreement"), shall be resolved by mediation and arbitration as set forth herein. All persons and entities specified in the preceding sentence (other than the Company and Employee) shall be considered third-party beneficiaries of the rights and obligations created by this Agreement. Claims and disputes covered by this Agreement include without limitation those arising under:
(i) Any federal, state or local laws, regulations or statutes prohibiting employment discrimination (including, without limitation, discrimination relating to race, sex, national origin, age, disability, religion, or sexual orientation) and harassment;
(ii) Any alleged or actual agreement or covenant (oral, written or implied) between Employee and the Company;
(iii) Any Company policy, compensation, wage or related claim or benefit plan, unless the decision in question was made by an entity other than the Company;
(iv) Any public policy; and
(v) Any other claim for personal, emotional, physical or economic injury.
b. The only disputes between Employee and the Company that are not included within this Agreement are:
(i) Any claim by Employee for workers' compensation or unemployment compensation benefits; and
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(ii) Any claim by Employee for benefits under a Company plan that provides for its own arbitration procedure.
2. Mandatory Mediation of Claims and Disputes .
a. If any claim or dispute covered under this Agreement cannot be resolved by negotiation between the parties, the following mediation and arbitration procedures shall be invoked. Before invoking the binding arbitration procedure set forth below, the Company and Employee shall first participate in mandatory mediation of any dispute or claim covered under this Agreement.
b. The claim or dispute shall be submitted to mediation before a mediator of the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Service ("JAMS"), a mutually agreed to alternative dispute resolution ("ADR") organization. The mediation shall be conducted at a mutually agreeable location, or if a location cannot be agreed to by the parties, at a location chosen by the mediator. The administrator of the ADR organization shall select three (3) mediators. From the three (3) chosen, each party shall strike one and the remaining mediator shall preside over the mediation. The cost of the mediation shall be borne by the Company.
c. At least ten (10) business days before the date of the mediation, each side shall provide the mediator with a statement of its position and copies of all supporting documents. Each party shall send to the mediation a person who has authority to bind the party. If a subsequent dispute will involve third parties, such as insurers, they shall also be asked to participate in the mediation.
d. If a party has participated in the mediation and is dissatisfied with the outcome, that party may invoke the arbitration procedure set forth below.
3. Binding Arbitration of Claims and Disputes .
a. If the Company and Employee are unable to resolve a dispute or claim covered under this Agreement through mediation, they shall submit any such dispute or claim to binding arbitration, in accordance with California Code of Civil Procedure a7a71280 through 1294.2. Either party may enforce the award of the arbitrator under Code of Civil Procedure a71285 by any competent court of law. Employee and the Company understand that they are waiving their rights to a jury trial.
b. The party demanding arbitration shall submit a written claim to the other party, setting out the basis of the claim and proposing the name of an arbitrator from JAMS, the mutually agreed to ADR organization. The responding party shall have ten (10) business days in which to respond to this demand in a written answer. If this response is not timely made, or if the responding party agrees with the person proposed as the arbitrator, then the person named by the demanding party shall serve as the arbitrator. If the responding party submits a written answer rejecting the proposed arbitrator then, on the request of either party, JAMS shall appoint an arbitrator other than the mediator. The Employee and the Company agree to apply American Arbitration Association ("AAA") rules for the resolution of employment disputes to the arbitration even though the ADR is one other than AAA. No one who has ever had any business, financial, family, or social relationship with any party to this Agreement shall serve as an arbitrator unless the related party informs the other party of the relationship and the other party consents in writing to the use of that arbitrator.
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c. The arbitration shall take place in the greater San Diego, California area, at a time and place selected by the arbitrator. A pre-arbitration hearing shall be held within ten (10) business days after the arbitrator's selection. The arbitration shall be held within sixty (60) calendar days after the pre-arbitration hearing. The arbitrator shall establish all discovery and other deadlines necessary to accomplish this goal.
d. Each party shall be entitled to discovery of essential documents and witnesses, as determined by the arbitrator in accordance with the then-applicable rules of discovery for the resolution of employment disputes and the time frame set forth in this Agreement. The arbitrator may resolve any disputes over any discovery matters as they would be resolved in civil litigation.
e. The arbitrator shall have the following powers:
(i) to issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses and subpoenas duces tecum for the production of books, records, documents, and other evidence;
(ii) to order depositions to be used as evidence;
(iii) subject to the limitations on discovery enumerated above, to enforce the rights, remedies, procedures, duties, liabilities, and obligations of discovery as if the arbitration were a civil action before a California superior court;
(iv) to conduct a hearing on the arbitrable issues; and
(v) to administer oaths to parties and witnesses.
f. Within fifteen (15 days) after completion of the arbitration, the arbitrator shall submit a tentative decision in writing, specifying the reasoning for the decision and any calculations necessary to explain the award. Each party shall have fifteen (15) days in which to submit written comments to the tentative decision. Within ten (10) days after the deadline for written comments, the arbitrator shall announce the final award.
g. The Company shall pay the arbitrator's expenses and fees, all meeting room charges, and any other expenses that would not have been incurred if the case were litigated in the judicial forum having jurisdiction over it. Unless otherwise ordered by the arbitrator, each party shall pay its own attorneys' fees and witness fees, and other expenses incurred by the party for such party's own benefit and not required to be paid by the Company pursuant to the terms hereof. Regardless of any statute, procedure, rule or law, the prevailing party in arbitration shall be entitled to recover from the non-prevailing party reasonable attorneys' fees incurred as a result of arbitration.
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4. Miscellaneous Provisions .
a. For purposes hereof, the term "Company" shall also include all related entities, affiliates and subsidiaries, all officers, employees, directors, agents, stockholders, partners, managers, members, benefit plan sponsors, fiduciaries, administrators or affiliates of any of the above, and all successors and assigns of any of the above.
b. If either party pursues a covered claim against the other by any action, method or legal proceeding other than mediation or arbitration as provided herein, the responding party shall be entitled to dismissal or injunctive relief regarding such action and recovery of all costs, losses and attorneys' fees related to such other action or proceeding.
c. This is the complete agreement of the parties on the subject of mediation and the arbitration of disputes and claims covered hereunder. This Agreement supersedes any prior or contemporaneous oral, written or implied understanding on the subject, shall survive the termination of Employee's employment and can only be revoked or modified by a written agreement signed by Employee and the President or Chief Executive Officer of the Company, the terms of which were approved in advance in writing by the Company's Board of Directors and which specifically state an intent to revoke or modify this Agreement. If any provision of this Agreement is adjudicated to be void or otherwise unenforceable in whole or in part, such adjudication shall not affect the validity of the remainder of the Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect.
d. This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of California.
e. This Agreement shall be construed as a whole, according to its fair meaning, and not in favor of or against any party. By way of example and not in limitation, this Agreement shall not be construed in favor of the party receiving a benefit nor against the party responsible for any particular language in this Agreement. The headings and captions contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not constitute a part of this Agreement and...
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