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): March 21, 2024
Dyne Therapeutics, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
Delaware | 001-39509 | 36-4883909 | ||
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
1560 Trapelo Road Waltham, Massachusetts |
02451 | |
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (781) 786-8230
Not applicable
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
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 (see General Instruction A.2. below):
☐ | 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)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class |
Trading symbol(s) |
Name of each exchange on which registered |
||
Common stock, $0.0001 par value per share | DYN | Nasdaq Global Select Market |
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. |
Appointment of President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
On March 25, 2024, Dyne Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) announced that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) had appointed John Cox as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company succeeding Joshua Brumm, effective as of March 25, 2024 (the “Effective Date”). In addition, effective as of the Effective Date, Mr. Cox was elected as a Class I director to serve on the Board until the Company’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and until his successor has been duly elected and qualified or until his earlier death, resignation or removal.
Prior to his appointment as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Company, Mr. Cox, age 61, served as the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Repertoire Immune Medicines, Inc., a biotechnology company, from January 2020 to November 2022. Prior to that, Mr. Cox served as the Executive Chairman of Torque Therapeutics, Inc. (“Torque”), a biotechnology company, from January 2019 until September 2019, and as the Chief Executive Officer of Torque from September 2019 until January 2020, when Torque merged with another company to form Repertoire Immune Medicines, Inc. From February 2017 to September 2018, Mr. Cox served as Chief Executive Officer of Bioverativ Inc., a biotechnology company, which was acquired by Sanofi S.A. in February 2018. From 2003 to February 2017, Mr. Cox served in various roles at Biogen Inc., a biopharmaceutical company. From May 2016 until February 2017, he led the process to spin-off Biogen Inc.’s hematology division into an independent company, which became Bioverativ Inc.; from 2015 to 2016, Mr. Cox served as Executive Vice President of Global Commercial, Pharmaceutical & Technical Operations; and from 2010 to 2015, Mr. Cox served as Executive Vice President of Pharmaceutical Operations & Technology. Mr. Cox has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Minovia Therapeutics Ltd., a biotechnology company, since 2019 and of Canopy-Immuno Therapeutics Ltd., a biotechnology company, since March 2023. Mr. Cox previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of Sigilon Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company, from March 2019 to August 2023 and Repligen Corporation, a biotechnology company, from 2014 to February 2020. Mr. Cox holds a B.S. in biology from Arizona State University, an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.S. in cell biology from California State University.
Pursuant to an offer letter (the “Offer Letter”), dated March 21, 2024, between the Company and Mr. Cox governing the terms of his employment, Mr. Cox will be paid an annualized base salary of $700,000 and will be eligible to receive an annual incentive bonus of up to 60.0% of his annualized base salary for each fiscal year, as determined by the Board in its sole discretion. Also, as a condition to his employment and pursuant to the Offer Letter, Mr. Cox entered into a non-competition and non-solicitation agreement and an invention and non-disclosure agreement with the Company.
Effective as of the Effective Date, the Compensation Committee of the Board granted to Mr. Cox a nonstatutory stock option (the “Option”) to purchase up to 679,853 shares of the Company’s Common Stock at an exercise price per share equal to the closing price of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on the Effective Date. The Option is scheduled to vest as to 25% of the shares underlying the Option on the first anniversary of the Effective Date and in 36 equal monthly installments thereafter, subject to continued service. The Option was granted pursuant to the Company’s 2024 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan (the “Inducement Plan”) as an inducement material to Mr. Cox’s acceptance of employment with the Company in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The terms of the Inducement Plan are described in this Form 8-K under the heading “Adoption of Inducement Plan.”
In addition, the Offer Letter provides that Mr. Cox will be eligible to participate in the Company’s benefits programs available to regular full-time employees and for severance benefits pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Company’s Amended and Restated Executive Severance and Change in Control Benefits Plan (the “Severance Plan”). Pursuant to the Severance Plan, if Mr. Cox’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause or by Mr. Cox for good reason prior to or more than 12 months following a change in control, each as defined in the Severance Plan, and subject to Mr. Cox’s execution of a general release of potential claims against the Company, the Company is obligated to (1) pay Mr. Cox’s then-current base salary for a period of 12 months, (2) make payments for the continuation of Mr.
Cox’s health coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended (“COBRA”), for a period of up to 12 months and (3) accelerate the vesting of any outstanding and unvested equity awards held by Mr. Cox, as of the date of termination, such that the unvested portion of each such award that would have otherwise vested or been vested as of the first anniversary of the termination date if Mr. Cox had remained employed with the Company through such date, shall vest and become fully exercisable or non-forfeitable on the termination date. Alternatively, if Mr. Cox’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause or by Mr. Cox for good reason within one year following a change in control, then subject to Mr. Cox’s execution of a general release of potential claims against the Company, the Company is obligated to (1) pay Mr. Cox a lump sum equal to 18 months of his then-current base salary, (2) make payments for the continuation of Mr. Cox’s health coverage under COBRA for a period of 18 months, (3) pay Mr. Cox a lump sum equal to 150% of his target annual incentive bonus for the year in which his employment is terminated and (4) accelerate in full the vesting of any outstanding but unvested equity awards held by Mr. Cox.
In addition, Mr. Cox will enter into an indemnification agreement with the Company, the form of which was filed as Exhibit 10.10 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-248414) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 25, 2020, pursuant to which the Company may be required, among other things, to indemnify Mr. Cox for certain expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and settlement amounts actually and reasonably incurred by him in any action or proceeding arising out of his service as an officer or director of the Company.
There is no arrangement or understanding between Mr. Cox and any other person pursuant to which Mr. Cox was appointed as the President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Company. There are no related party transactions between the Company and Mr. Cox reportable under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K and no family relationships between Mr. Cox and any of the Company’s directors or officers.
The foregoing descriptions of the Offer Letter and Severance Plan do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by the full text of the Offer Letter and the Severance Plan, copies of which are attached as Exhibit 10.1 and Exhibit 10.2 hereto, respectively, and incorporated herein by reference.
Separation of Former President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
On March 21, 2024, the Company and Mr. Brumm agreed that, in connection with the hiring of Mr. Cox, Mr. Brumm’s employment with the Company would end on the Effective Date, Mr. Brumm would resign as President and Chief Executive Officer and from the Board as of the Effective Date and Mr. Brumm would serve as a consultant to the Company.
In addition, on March 25, 2024, Mr. Brumm entered into a separation agreement (the “Separation Agreement”) with the Company governing the terms of his separation from the Company. Pursuant to the Separation Agreement and subject to Mr. Brumm’s non-revocation of a general release of claims in favor of the Company and its affiliates, and as provided for by the Severance Plan in connection with his separation from the Company, Mr. Brumm is entitled to: (1) payment of his base salary for a period of 12 months from the Effective Date, (2) payments for the continuation of his health coverage under COBRA for a period of up to 12 months from the Effective Date and (3) acceleration of a portion of the outstanding and unvested equity awards held by him, as of the Effective Date, such that the unvested portion of each such award that would have otherwise have vested or been vested in accordance with the terms of such award as of the first anniversary of the Effective Date if he had remained employed with the Company through such anniversary date will vest and become exercisable or non-forfeitable on the Effective Date.
The Company and Mr. Brumm have entered into a Consulting Agreement (the “Consulting Agreement”), effective as of the Effective Date. Pursuant to the Consulting Agreement, Mr. Brumm has agreed to provide the Company consulting services for a one-year term from the Effective Date (the “Consulting Period”). In consideration for his services during the Consulting Period, any unvested restricted stock units held by Mr. Brumm as of the Effective Date for which vesting was not accelerated pursuant to the Separation Agreement will vest in full upon the earliest of (1) March 15, 2025, (2) the earlier termination of the Consulting Agreement by the Company without cause or by Mr. Brumm for breach and (3) a Change in Control of the Company (as defined in the Severance Plan). Mr. Brumm has agreed that all unvested options award held by him as of the Effective Date for which vesting was not accelerated pursuant to the Separation Agreement will be canceled as of the Effective Date.
The Consulting Agreement may be terminated prior to the end of the Consulting Period (1) by the Company or Mr. Brumm, at any time immediately upon written notice upon a material breach by the other of the Consulting Agreement, the Separation Agreement or Mr. Brumm’s non-competition and non-solicitation and invention and non-disclosure agreements previously entered into with the Company, (2) by Mr. Brumm or the Company upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice for any reason or (3) at any time upon the mutual written consent of Mr. Brumm and the Company.
The foregoing descriptions of the Separation Agreement and Consulting Agreement do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by the full text of the Separation Agreement and the Consulting Agreement, copies of which are attached as Exhibit 10.4 and Exhibit 10.5 hereto, respectively, and incorporated herein by reference.
Adoption of Inducement Plan
On March 21, 2024, the Board adopted, upon the recommendation of the Compensation Committee of the Board, the Inducement Plan, effective immediately. The Inducement Plan provides for the grant of nonstatutory stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units and other stock-based awards with respect to an aggregate of 900,000 shares of Common Stock (subject to adjustment as provided in the Inducement Plan). Awards under the Inducement Plan may only be granted to new employees who were not previously an employee or director of the Company or are commencing employment with the Company following a bona fide period of non-employment, in either case, as an inducement material to the individual’s entering into employment with the Company and in accordance with the requirements of Nasdaq Stock Market Rule 5635(c)(4).
The foregoing description of the Inducement Plan does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the Inducement Plan, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 10.4 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits:
Exhibit Number |
Description |
|
10.1 | Offer Letter, dated March 21, 2024, between the Company and John Cox | |
10.2 | Amended and Restated Executive Severance and Change in Control Benefits Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, File No. 001-39509, filed November 3, 2022). | |
10.3 | Separation Agreement, dated March 25, 2024, between the Company and Joshua Brumm | |
10.4 | Consulting Agreement, dated March 25, 2024, between the Company and Joshua Brumm | |
10.5 | Dyne Therapeutics Inc. 2024 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan | |
104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
DYNE THERAPEUTICS, INC. | ||||||
Date: March 25, 2024 | By: | /s/ John Cox |
||||
Name: | John Cox | |||||
Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer |
Exhibit 10.1
Execution Version
John Cox | March 21, 2024 |
[***]
Dear John:
On behalf of Dyne Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”), I am pleased to offer you employment in the position of President and Chief Executive Officer. This letter summarizes the terms of your employment with the Company.
1. Position. You will be employed by the Company on a full-time basis and will work out of the Company’s office in Waltham, Massachusetts or at such other office as the Company may designate. In addition, effective upon the Start Date (as defined below), you shall be elected to the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”). You shall report directly to the Board and, as President and Chief Executive Officer, you shall have all of the customary duties of such position including duties and responsibilities granted to that position under the bylaws of the Company. You agree to devote your full business time, best efforts, skill, knowledge, attention and energies to the advancement of the Company’s business and interests and to the performance of your duties and responsibilities as an employee of the Company, and shall not engage in any other employment, consulting or other business activity without the prior written consent of the Board, which consent includes, for avoidance of doubt, activities you are permitted to engage in under clauses (a) and (b) of the definition of Permitted Activities in Section 1(b) of the Non-Competition Agreement (as defined below).
2. Start Date. Your employment will begin on March 25, 2024 (the “Start Date”).
3. Salary. During your employment, the Company will pay you a base salary at the rate of $29,166.66 per regular semi-monthly pay period (annualized rate of $700,000 per year), payable in accordance with the regular payroll practices of the Company and subject to applicable deductions and withholdings. This salary will be subject to periodic review and adjustments at the Board’s discretion.
4. Annual Bonus. Following the end of each fiscal year, you will be eligible to receive an annual incentive bonus of up to 60% of your annualized base salary during that fiscal year. Any actual bonus awarded for a fiscal year will be based on your performance and the Company’s performance that year against criteria to be established by the Board, both as determined by the Board in its sole discretion but after consultation with you. To receive payment, you must be actively employed at Dyne on the payment date, except as otherwise provided in the Company’s Severance Plan (as defined below). As such, you will not receive payment if you have given or received notice of termination prior to the payment date, except as otherwise provided in the Severance Plan.
5. Equity. As a material inducement to you entering into employment with the Company and in consideration of your agreement in Section 10 to adhere to the non-competition provisions set forth in the Non-Competition Agreement (as defined below), the Company shall grant to you no later than thirty (30) days after the date of this Agreement, a stock option (the “Option”) for the purchase of an aggregate of 679,853 shares of common stock of the Company under the Company’s 2024 Stock Inducement Plan (the “Plan”). The Option will have an exercise price per share equal to the last reported sale price per share of the common stock on the Nasdaq stock exchange on the grant date of the Option, will be a non-qualified stock option for United States tax purposes, will vest as to 25% of the underlying shares on the first anniversary of the Start Date and with respect to the balance of the underlying shares in 36 equal monthly installments thereafter and will otherwise be subject to the terms and conditions of a stock option agreement and the Plan. In addition, you shall be eligible for annual equity awards, which awards shall be subject to the approval of the Board and on such terms and conditions as the Board shall determine, in its sole discretion, after consideration of peer compensation data (generally at a target percentile of at least the 50th percentile), individual and corporate performance and other factors the Board deems appropriate. Such awards shall be made at such times as the Board grants annual equity awards to the Company’s senior management, including for clarity the next grant of annual equity awards to senior management.
6. Severance Benefits. You are eligible for severance benefits pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Company’s Amended and Restated Executive Severance and Change in Control Benefits Plan, as amended and restated by the Board on December 10, 2021, and as may be amended from time to time (the “Severance Plan”). Notwithstanding any contrary or inconsistent provision in the Severance Plan, (i) any reduction in Contingent Compensation Payments otherwise pursuant to the provisions of Section 14 of the Severance Plan which are due you as a Participant under the Severance Plan shall be reduced in a manner that maximizes your economic after-tax position, (ii) any determination under the second sentence of Section 14(d) of the Severance Plan by the Company in respect of you as a Participant thereunder shall be made in writing in good faith using an independent accounting firm selected by the Company that is reasonably acceptable to you (the “Accountants”) and the calculations of the Accountants shall be provided to the Company and you, and (iii) any such reduction shall be made in accordance with Section 409A of the Code (as such terms are defined in the Severance Plan).
7. Benefits. As a regular full-time employee, you will be eligible for the standard Dyne benefit programs, as outlined in the Company’s Benefits Summary. You may participate in the benefit programs offered by the Company, provided that you are eligible under (and subject to all provisions of) the plan documents that govern those programs. The benefits programs made available by the Company, and the benefits available under such programs, as well as the rules, terms and conditions for participation in such benefits programs may be changed by and at the sole discretion of the Company at any time without advance notice (other than as required by such programs or under law).
8. Time Off Benefit. The Company does not offer a specific number of vacation, personal or sick days. Instead, the Company has an open policy of taking days off based on an employee’s reasonable discretion and the Company’s business needs, with as much advance notice as possible, as outlined in the Company’s Personal Time Off (PTO) policy. This policy may be changed by and at the sole discretion of the Company at any time.
- 2 -
9. Taxes. All forms of compensation referred to in this letter are subject to reduction to reflect applicable withholding and payroll taxes and other deductions required by law. You hereby acknowledge that the Company does not have a duty to design its compensation policies in a manner that minimizes your tax liabilities, that you are solely responsible for individual tax liabilities arising from your compensation and that you will not make any claim against the Company or the Board related to tax liabilities arising from your compensation.
10. Restrictive Covenant Agreements and Representation Regarding Other Obligations. As a condition of your employment, you will be required to execute the Invention and Non-Disclosure Agreement enclosed as Appendix A hereto. In addition, on (but in no event prior to) the Start Date, you will be required, as a condition of your continued employment with the Company, to execute a Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement (the “Non-Competition Agreement”) in the form enclosed as Appendix B hereto (the Invention and Non-Disclosure Agreement and Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Restrictive Covenant Agreements”). You acknowledge that the Company’s agreement to grant you the Option provided in the Equity Section (Section 5) above is contingent upon your agreement to adhere to the non-competition provision set forth in the Non-Competition Agreement, and that such consideration was mutually agreed upon by you and the Company and is fair and reasonable in exchange for your compliance with the non-competition obligations. You represent that you are not bound by any employment contract, restrictive covenant or other restriction preventing you from entering into employment with or carrying out your responsibilities for the Company, or which is in any way inconsistent with the terms of this letter. You further represent that you have not used and will not use or disclose or induce the Company to use, any trade secret or other proprietary information or material of any previous employer or any other party.
11. Indemnification. You shall be covered by all applicable indemnification and expense advancement policies of the Company applicable to senior executive officers generally and shall also be covered by any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy applicable to senior executive officers of the Company.
12. Clawback Policy. You agree that you shall be subject to, and bound by, the terms and conditions of the Company’s Clawback Policy (as it may be amended, restated, supplemented, or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Policy”), a copy of which has been provided to or made available you. In the event it is determined in accordance with the Policy that any compensation or compensatory award granted, earned, or paid to you must be forfeited or reimbursed to the Company, you will promptly take any action necessary to effectuate such forfeiture and/or reimbursement as determined by the Company.
13. Eligibility to Work. Your employment with the Company is conditioned on your eligibility to work in the United States and your providing to the Company satisfactory proof of identification and of authorization to work in the United States, in accordance with the Immigration and Control Act of 1986 within three days of your Start Date. Furthermore, if you need a work visa in order to be eligible to work in the United States, your employment will be conditioned upon your obtaining a work visa in a timely manner as determined by the Company and maintaining such visa throughout your tenure with the Company, as it is Company policy to comply with all immigration laws and regulations.
- 3 -
14. Interpretation, Amendment and Enforcement. This letter, the Restrictive Covenant Agreements and the Severance Plan constitute the complete agreement between you and the Company, contain all of the terms of your employment with the Company and supersede any prior agreements, representations or understandings (whether written, oral or implied) between you and the Company. The terms of this letter and the resolution of any disputes as to the meaning, effect, performance or validity of this letter or arising out of, related to, or in any way connected with, this letter, your employment with the Company, or any other relationship between you and the Company (the “Disputes”) will be governed by Massachusetts law, excluding laws relating to conflicts or choice of law. You and the Company submit to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of the federal and state courts located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in connection with any Dispute or any claim related to any Dispute.
15. Other Terms. Your employment with the Company will be on an “at will” basis. In other words, you or the Company may terminate your employment for any reason and at any time, with or without cause or notice, subject to the terms of the Severance Plan. This letter shall not be construed as an agreement, either express or implied, to employ you for any stated term, and shall in no way alter the Company’s policy of employment at-will as defined by applicable law. Although your job duties, title, compensation and benefits, as well as the Company’s benefit programs and personnel policies and procedures, may change from time to time, the “at will” nature of your employment may only be changed in an express written agreement signed by you and the Company.
By signing this offer letter and the Restrictive Covenant Agreements, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of employment and at-will employment set forth in this letter, the Restrictive Covenant Agreements and the Severance Plan. This letter, together with the Restrictive Covenant Agreements and the Severance Plan, sets forth the terms of your employment with the Company and supersedes any prior representations or agreements, whether written or oral. By signing this letter, you are acknowledging that you are not aware of any representations or agreements other than those specifically set forth in this letter, the Restrictive Covenant Agreements and the Severance Plan. This offer is contingent upon your signing the Restrictive Covenant Agreements and any other Company-required agreements and documents on or prior to your first day of employment. We are excited about the prospect of having you join the Company. We look forward to receiving a response from you by March 21, 2024 acknowledging, by signing below, that you have accepted this offer of employment on the terms set forth herein, including that you must deliver signed copies of the Restrictive Covenant Agreements on or before your first day of employment. If you do not accept this offer by March 21, 2024 or if you do not deliver signed copies of the Restrictive Covenant Agreements on or before your first day of employment, this offer will be deemed revoked.
- 4 -
Very Truly Yours, | ||
DYNE THERAPEUTICS, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Jason P. Rhodes |
|
Name: | Jason P. Rhodes | |
Title: | Chairman |
I have read and accept this at-will employment offer on the terms set forth herein:
/s/ John Cox |
03/21/24 |
|||||
John Cox | Date |
Appendix A
DYNE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
INVENTION AND NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT
This Invention and Non-Disclosure Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made between Dyne Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation ((hereinafter referred to collectively with its subsidiaries as the “Company”), and the undersigned employee (the “Employee”) and shall be effective upon the Employee’s commencement of employment with the Company.
In consideration of the employment of the Employee by the Company, the Employee and the Company agree as follows:
1. Condition of Employment.
The Employee acknowledges that the Employee’s employment with the Company is contingent upon the Employee’s agreement to sign and adhere to the provisions of this Agreement. The Employee further acknowledges that the nature of the Company’s business is such that the protection of its proprietary and confidential information is critical to the survival and success of the Company’s business.
2. Proprietary and Confidential Information.
(a) The Employee agrees that all information and know-how, whether or not in writing, of a private, secret or confidential nature concerning the Company’s business or financial affairs (collectively, “Proprietary Information”) is and shall be the exclusive property of the Company. By way of illustration, but not limitation, Proprietary Information may include discoveries, ideas, inventions, products, product improvements, product enhancements, processes, methods, techniques, formulas, compositions, compounds, negotiation strategies and positions, projects, developments, plans (including business and marketing plans), research data, clinical data, financial data (including sales costs, profits, pricing methods), personnel data obtained pursuant to the Employee’s duties and responsibilities, computer programs (including software used pursuant to a license agreement), customer, prospect and supplier lists, and contacts at or knowledge of customers or prospective customers of the Company. Except as otherwise permitted by Section 5 below, the Employee will not disclose any Proprietary Information to any person or entity other than employees of the Company or use the same for any purposes (other than in the performance of the Employee’s duties as an employee of the Company) without written approval by an officer of the Company, either during or after the Employee’s employment with the Company, unless and until such Proprietary Information has become public knowledge without fault by the Employee. While employed by the Company, the Employee will use the Employee’s best efforts to prevent unauthorized publication or disclosure of any of the Company’s Proprietary Information.
(b) The Employee agrees that all files, documents, letters, memoranda, reports, records, data, sketches, drawings, models, laboratory notebooks, program listings, computer equipment or devices, computer programs or other written, photographic, or other tangible or intangible material containing Proprietary Information, whether created by the Employee or others, which come into the Employee’s custody or possession, shall be and are the exclusive property of the Company to be used by the Employee only in the performance of the Employee’s duties for the Company and shall not be copied or removed from the Company’s premises except in the pursuit of the business of the Company.
All such materials or copies thereof and all tangible property of the Company in the custody or possession of the Employee shall be delivered to the Company, upon the earlier of (i) a request by the Company or (ii) termination of the Employee’s employment for any reason. After such delivery, the Employee shall not retain any such materials or copies thereof or any such tangible property.
(c) The Employee agrees that the Employee’s obligation not to disclose or to use information and materials of the types set forth in Sections 2(a) and 2(b) above, and the Employee’s obligation to return materials and tangible property, set forth in Section 2(b) above, also extends to such types of information, materials and tangible property of customers of the Company or suppliers to the Company or other third parties who may have disclosed or entrusted the same to the Company or to the Employee in the course of the Company’s business.
3. Developments.
(a) The Employee has attached hereto, as Exhibit A, a list describing all discoveries, ideas, inventions, improvements, enhancements, processes, methods, techniques, developments, software, and works of authorship, whether patentable or not, which were created, made, conceived or reduced to practice by the Employee prior to the Employee’s employment by the Company and which are owned by the Employee, which relate directly or indirectly to the current or anticipated future business of the Company, and which are not assigned to the Company hereunder (collectively, “Prior Developments”); or, if no such list is attached, the Employee represents that there are no Prior Developments. The Employee agrees not to incorporate any Prior Developments into any Company product, material, process or service without prior written consent of an officer of the Company. If the Employee does incorporate any Prior Development into any Company product, material, process or service, the Employee hereby grants to the Company a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, transferable, irrevocable, royalty-free, fully-paid right and license to make, have made, use, offer for sale, sell, import, reproduce, modify, prepare derivative works, display, perform, transmit, distribute and otherwise exploit such Prior Development and to practice any method related thereto.
(b) The Employee will make full and prompt disclosure to the Company of all discoveries, ideas, inventions, improvements, enhancements, processes, methods, techniques, developments, software, and works of authorship, whether patentable or not, which are created, made, conceived or reduced to practice by the Employee or under the Employee’s direction or jointly with others during the Employee’s employment by the Company, whether or not during normal working hours or on the premises of the Company (all of which are collectively referred to in this Agreement as “Developments”). The Employee acknowledges that each original work of authorship which is made by the Employee (solely or jointly with others) within the scope of and during the period of the Employee’s employment with the Company and which is protectable by copyright is a “work made for hire,” as that term is defined in the United States Copyright Act. The Employee agrees to assign and does hereby assign to the Company (or any person or entity designated by the Company) all the Employee’s right, title and interest in and to all Developments (other than Prior Developments listed on Exhibit A, if any) and all related patents, patent applications, copyrights and copyright applications. However, this Section 3(b) shall not apply to Developments which do not relate to the business or research and development conducted or planned to be conducted by the Company at the time such Development is created, made, conceived or reduced to practice and which are made and conceived by the Employee not during normal working hours, not on the Company’s premises and not using the Company’s tools, devices, equipment or Proprietary Information.
- 2 -
The Employee understands that, to the extent this Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of any state which precludes a requirement in an employee agreement to assign certain classes of inventions made by an employee, this Section 3(b) shall be interpreted not to apply to any invention which a court rules and/or the Company agrees falls within such classes. The Employee also hereby waives all claims to moral rights in any Developments.
(c) The Employee agrees to cooperate fully with the Company, both during and after the Employee’s employment with the Company, with respect to the procurement, maintenance and enforcement of copyrights, patents and other intellectual property rights (both in the United States and foreign countries) relating to Developments. The Employee shall sign all papers, including, without limitation, copyright applications, patent applications, declarations, oaths, formal assignments, assignments of priority rights, and powers of attorney, which the Company may deem necessary or desirable in order to protect its rights and interests in any Development. The Employee further agrees that if the Company is unable, after reasonable effort, to secure the signature of the Employee on any such papers, any executive officer of the Company shall be entitled to execute any such papers as the agent and the attorney-in-fact of the Employee, and the Employee hereby irrevocably designates and appoints each executive officer of the Company as the Employee’s agent and attorney-in-fact to execute any such papers on the Employee’s behalf, and to take any and all actions at the Company’s expense as the Company may deem necessary or desirable in order to protect its rights and interests in any Development, under the conditions described in this sentence.
4. Obligations to Third Parties.
The Employee represents that, except as the Employee has disclosed in writing to the Company, the Employee is not bound by the terms of any agreement with any previous employer or other party to refrain from competing, directly or indirectly, with the business of such previous employer or any other party, or to refrain from soliciting employees, customers or suppliers of such previous employer or other party. The Employee further represents that the Employee’s performance of all the terms of this Agreement and the performance of the Employee’s duties as an employee of the Company do not and will not conflict with or breach any agreement with any prior employer or other party (including, without limitation, any nondisclosure or non-competition agreement), and that the Employee will not disclose to the Company or induce the Company to use any confidential or proprietary information or material belonging to any previous employer or others.
5. Scope of Disclosure Restrictions.
Nothing in this Agreement prohibits the Employee from (i) communicating with government agencies about possible violations of federal, state, or local laws or otherwise providing information to government agencies, filing a complaint with government agencies, or participating in government agency investigations or proceedings, and/or (ii) making disclosures or communications to engage in protected, concerted activity or to otherwise exercise rights under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. The Employee is not required to notify the Company of any such communications; provided, however, that nothing herein authorizes the disclosure of information the Employee obtained through a communication that was subject to the attorney-client privilege. Further, notwithstanding the Employee’s confidentiality and nondisclosure obligations, the Employee is hereby advised as follows pursuant to the Defend Trade Secrets Act: “An individual shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any Federal or State trade secret law for the disclosure of a trade secret that (A) is made (i) in confidence to a Federal, State, or local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney; and (ii)
- 3 -
solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (B) is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal. An individual who files a lawsuit for retaliation by an employer for reporting a suspected violation of law may disclose the trade secret to the attorney of the individual and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if the individual (A) files any document containing the trade secret under seal; and (B) does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order.”
6. United States Government Obligations.
The Employee acknowledges that the Company from time to time may have agreements with other persons or with the United States Government, or agencies thereof, which impose obligations or restrictions on the Company regarding inventions made during the course of work under such agreements or regarding the confidential nature of such work. The Employee agrees to be bound by all such obligations and restrictions which are made known to the Employee and to take at the Company’s expense all action necessary to discharge the obligations of the Company under such agreements.
7. Miscellaneous.
(a) Equitable Remedies. The Employee acknowledges that the restrictions contained in this Agreement are necessary for the protection of the business and goodwill of the Company and are considered by the Employee to be reasonable for such purpose. The Employee agrees that any breach or threatened breach of this Agreement is likely to cause the Company substantial and irrevocable damage which is difficult to measure. Therefore, in the event of any such breach or threatened breach, the Employee agrees that the Company, in addition to such other remedies which may be available, shall have the right to seek an injunction from a court restraining such a breach or threatened breach without posting a bond and the right to specific performance of the provisions of this Agreement and the Employee hereby waives the adequacy of a remedy at law as a defense to such relief.
(b) Disclosure of this Agreement. The Employee hereby authorizes the Company to notify others, including but not limited to customers of the Company and any of the Employee’s future employers or prospective business associates, of the terms and existence of this Agreement and the Employee’s continuing obligations to the Company hereunder.
(c) Not Employment Contract. The Employee acknowledges that this Agreement does not constitute a contract of employment, does not imply that the Company will continue Employee’s employment for any period of time and does not change the at-will nature of Employee’s employment.
(d) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of both parties and their respective successors and assigns, including any corporation with which, or into which, the Company may be merged or which may succeed to the Company’s assets or business, provided, however, that the obligations of the Employee are personal and shall not be assigned by Employee. The Employee expressly consents to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement for the benefit of the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate thereof to whose employ the Employee may be transferred without the necessity that this Agreement be re-signed at the time of such transfer.
- 4 -
(e) Severability. In case any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid, illegal or otherwise unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall in no way be affected or impaired thereby.
(f) Waivers. No delay or omission by the Company in exercising any right under this Agreement will operate as a waiver of that or any other right. A waiver or consent given by the Company on any one occasion is effective only in that instance and will not be construed as a bar to or waiver of any right on any other occasion.
(g) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (without reference to the conflicts of laws provisions thereof). Any action, suit, or other legal proceeding which is commenced to resolve any matter arising under or relating to any provision of this Agreement shall be commenced only in a court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (or, if appropriate, a federal court located within Massachusetts), and the Company and the Employee each consents to the jurisdiction of such a court. The Company and the Employee each hereby irrevocably waive any right to a trial by jury in any action, suit or other legal proceeding arising under or relating to any provision of this Agreement.
(h) Entire Agreement; Amendment. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements, written or oral, between the Employee and the Company relating to the subject matter of this Agreement. This Agreement may not be modified, changed or discharged in whole or in part, except by an agreement in writing signed by the Employee and the Company. The Employee agrees that any change or changes in Employee’s duties, salary or compensation after the signing of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or scope of this Agreement.
(i) Captions. The captions of the sections of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and in no way define, limit or affect the scope or substance of any section of this Agreement.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
- 5 -
THE EMPLOYEE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE EMPLOYEE HAS CAREFULLY READ THIS AGREEMENT AND UNDERSTANDS AND AGREES TO ALL OF THE PROVISIONS IN THIS AGREEMENT.
EMPLOYEE | DYNE THERAPEUTICS, INC. | |||||
By:__________________________________
Name: John Cox |
By:__________________________
Name: Jason P. Rhodes Chairman |
|||||
Date:_______________________ | Date:_______________________ |
SIGNATURE PAGE TO INVENTION AND NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT LIST OF PRIOR INVENTIONS AND ORIGINAL WORKS OF AUTHORSHIP EXCLUDED
EXHIBIT A
UNDER SECTION 3(A) OR CONFLICTING AGREEMENTS DISCLOSED UNDER SECTION 4
Title |
Date |
Identifying Number or Brief Description |
Except as indicated above on this Exhibit A, I have no Prior Developments to disclose pursuant to Section 3(a) of this Agreement and no agreements to disclose pursuant to Section 4 of this Agreement.
EMPLOYEE: | ||
By: |
|
|
Name: John Cox |
Appendix B
DRAFT – NOT FOR EXECUTION
EXECUTION VERSION WILL BE PROVIDED ON START DATE
DYNE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
NON-COMPETITION AND NON-SOLICITATION AGREEMENT
This Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement (the “Agreement”) is made between Dyne Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (hereinafter referred to collectively with its subsidiaries as the “Company”), and the undersigned employee (the “Employee”) and shall be effective upon the Employee’s commencement of employment with the Company, except as otherwise provided in Section 4(e).
For good consideration, including, without limitation, the continued employment of the Employee by the Company and, with respect to the non-competition restrictions, the additional consideration set forth in Section 1(c), the Employee and the Company agree as follows:
1. Non-Competition.
(a) During the Restricted Period (as defined below), the Employee will not, in the Applicable Territory (as defined below), directly or indirectly, whether as an owner, partner, officer, director, employee, consultant, investor, lender or otherwise, except (i) for clauses (a) and (b) of the definition of Permitted Outside Activities (as defined below), and (ii) as the passive holder of not more than 1% of the outstanding stock of a publicly-held company, engage or assist others in engaging in any business or enterprise that is competitive with the Company’s business (including, without limitation, its activities related to the Field (as defined below)), including but not limited to any business or enterprise that researches, develops, manufactures, markets, licenses, sells or provides any product or service that competes with any product or service researched, developed, manufactured, marketed, licensed, sold or provided, or planned to be researched, developed, manufactured, marketed, licensed, sold or provided by the Company (a “Competitive Company”), if the Employee would be performing a job or job duties or services for the Competitive Company that is or are similar to the job or job duties or services that the Employee performed for the Company at any time during the last two (2) years of the Employee’s employment. As the Chief Executive Officer for the Company, the Employee acknowledges and agrees that, in the performance of the Employee’s duties for the Company (including without limitation, assisting the Company with its overall business strategy), the Employee will be involved in all aspects of the Company’s business and operations. Accordingly, the Employee acknowledges and agrees that undertaking any leadership role in a Competitive Company would constitute performing job duties or services of a similar type that the Employee performed for the Company.
(b) Certain Definitions. Solely for purposes of this Section 1:
i. the “Restricted Period” shall include the duration of the Employee’s employment with the Company and the twelve (12) month period thereafter; provided, however, that the Restricted Period shall automatically be extended to two (2) years following the cessation of the Employee’s employment if the Employee breaches a fiduciary duty to the Company or the Employee unlawfully takes, physically or electronically, any property belonging to the Company.
- 2 -
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Restricted Period shall end immediately upon the Employee’s last day of employment with the Company if: (x) the Company terminates the Employee’s employment other than for Cause (as defined below); or (y) the Company notifies the Employee in writing that it is waiving the post-employment restrictions set forth in this Section 1 (such notice to be provided no later than the Employee’s last day of employment or by the seventh (7th) business day following an Employee’s notice of resignation, if later).
ii. “Applicable Territory” shall mean the geographic areas in which the Employee provided services or had a material presence or influence at any time during the Employee’s last two (2) years of employment with the Company or the Employee’s entire time with the Company if less than two (2) years. As the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, the Employee acknowledges that the Employee’s duties and responsibilities require the Employee to have a material presence and/or influence anywhere that the Company does business or reasonably has been planning to do business in the future.
iii. “Cause” shall mean any of: (a) the Employee’s conviction of, or plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, any crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude, or any felony; or (b) a good faith finding by the Company in its sole discretion that the Employee has (i) engaged in dishonesty, misconduct or gross negligence; (ii) committed an act that injures or would reasonably be expected to injure the reputation, business or business relationships of the Company; (iii) breached the terms of this Agreement or any other restrictive covenant or confidentiality agreement with or policy of the Company; (iv) failed or refused to comply with any of the Company’s policies or procedures; or (v) failed to perform the Employee’s duties and/or responsibilities to the Company’s satisfaction.
iv. “Field” shall mean targeting binder conjugates, including antibody conjugates, and other similar modalities for the treatment of muscle disease.
v. “Permitted Outside Activities” means serving on the board of directors or advisory board of (a) Canopy Immuno-Therapeutics Ltd., an Israeli company, (b) Minovia Therapeutics Ltd., an Israeli company, (c) one more company not engaged in or planning to engage in business in the Field, provided, however, that as to any such company under this clause (c) and, as applicable, below clause (d), Employee shall otherwise expressly comply with the provisions of Section 3 below, and (d) any other company as to which the Company provides express prior written approval to Employee for him to establish a specified relationship with.
(c) Additional Consideration for Non-Competition Restrictions. In exchange for the Employee’s compliance with the restrictions set forth in this Section 1, and as more fully set forth in the Employee’s offer letter to which this Agreement is attached, the Company has agreed to grant the Employee stock options as set forth in Section 5 of the offer letter. The Employee understands and agrees that the above-stated consideration has been mutually agreed upon by the Company and the Employee, is fair and reasonable, and is sufficient consideration in exchange for the restrictions set forth in this Section 1.
- 3 -
2. Non-Solicitation.
(a) While the Employee is employed by the Company and for a period of twelve (12) months after the termination or cessation of such employment for any reason, the Employee will not directly or indirectly:
(i) Either alone or in association with others, solicit, divert or take away, or attempt to divert or take away, the business or patronage of any of the actual or prospective clients, customers, accounts or business partners of the Company which were contacted, solicited, or served by the Company during the Employee’s employment with the Company; or
(ii) Either alone or in association with others (I) solicit, induce or attempt to induce, any employee or independent contractor of the Company to terminate his or her employment or other engagement with the Company, or (II) hire or recruit, or attempt to hire or recruit, or engage or attempt to engage as an independent contractor, any person who was employed or otherwise engaged by the Company at any time during the term of the Employee’s employment with the Company; provided, that this clause (II) shall not apply to the recruitment or hiring or other engagement of any individual whose employment or other engagement with the Company ended at least six (6) months before the recruitment, hiring, or other engagement.
(b) If the Employee violates the provisions of any of the preceding paragraphs of this Section 2, the Employee shall continue to be bound by the restrictions set forth in such paragraph until a period of twelve (12) months has expired without any violation of such provisions. Further, the twelve (12) month post-employment restrictions set forth in this Section 2 shall be extended to two (2) years if the Employee breaches a fiduciary duty to the Company or the Employee unlawfully takes, physically or electronically, any property belonging to the Company.
3. Notice of New Business Activities. The Employee agrees that during any period of time when the Employee is subject to restrictions pursuant to either Section 1 or Section 2, the Employee will notify any prospective employer or business associate of the terms and existence of this Agreement and the Employee’s continuing obligations to the Company hereunder. The Employee further agrees, during such period, to give notice to the Company of each new business activity the Employee plans to undertake, at least seven days prior to beginning any such activity. The notice shall state the name and address of the individual, corporation, association or other entity or organization (“Entity”) for whom such activity is undertaken and the name of the Employee’s business relationship or position with the Entity. The Employee also agrees to provide the Company with other pertinent information concerning such business activity as the Company may reasonably request in order to determine the Employee’s continued compliance with the Employee’s obligations under this Agreement.
- 4 -
4. Miscellaneous.
(a) Equitable Remedies. The Employee acknowledges that the restrictions contained in this Agreement are necessary for the protection of the business and goodwill of the Company and are considered by the Employee to be reasonable for such purpose. The Employee agrees that any breach or threatened breach of this Agreement is likely to cause the Company substantial and irrevocable damage which is difficult to measure. Therefore, in the event of any such breach or threatened breach, the Employee agrees that the Company, in addition to such other remedies which may be available, shall have the right to seek an injunction from a court restraining such a breach or threatened breach without posting a bond and the right to specific performance of the provisions of this Agreement and the Employee hereby waives the adequacy of a remedy at law as a defense to such relief. Additionally, the Employee acknowledges and agrees that the non-solicitation obligations herein are essential to the protection of the Company’s legitimate business interests and further that such interests cannot be adequately protected without the non-competition obligations set forth in Section 1.
(b) Disclosure of this Agreement. The Employee hereby authorizes the Company to notify others, including but not limited to customers of the Company and any of the Employee’s future employers or prospective business associates, of the terms and existence of this Agreement and the Employee’s continuing obligations to the Company hereunder.
(c) Obligations to Third Parties. The Employee represents that, except as the Employee has disclosed in writing to the Company, the Employee is not bound to refrain from competing, directly or indirectly, with the business of such previous employer or any other party, or to refrain from soliciting employees, customers or suppliers of such previous employer or other party. The Employee further represents that the Employee’s performance of all the terms of this Agreement and the performance of the Employee’s duties as an employee of the Company does not and will not conflict with or breach any agreement with any prior employer or other party (including, without limitation, any nondisclosure or non-competition agreement), and that the Employee will not disclose to the Company or induce the Company to use any confidential or proprietary information or material belonging to any previous employer or others.
(d) Not Employment Contract. The Employee acknowledges that this Agreement does not constitute a contract of employment, does not imply that the Company will continue the Employee’s employment for any period of time, and does not change the at-will nature of the Employee’s employment.
(e) Acknowledgments. The Employee acknowledges that the Employee has the right to consult with counsel prior to signing this Agreement. The Employee further acknowledges that the non-competition restriction set forth in Section 1 of this Agreement is supported by fair and reasonable consideration independent from the Employee’s continuation of employment, and understands that Section 1 of this Agreement shall not take effect until the eleventh (11th) business day following the date on which the Employee received an execution version of this Agreement.
(f) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of both parties and their respective successors and assigns, including any corporation or entity with which, or into which, the Company may be merged or which may succeed to all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or business, provided, however, that the obligations of the Employee are personal and shall not be assigned by the Employee. The Employee expressly consents to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement for the benefit of the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate thereof to whose employ the Employee may be transferred without the necessity that this Agreement be re-signed at the time of such transfer, in which event “Company” shall be interpreted to include any successor or assign of the Company.
- 5 -
(g) Interpretation. If any restriction or definition set forth in Section 1 or Section 2 is found by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable because it extends for too long a period of time or over too great a range of conduct, activities, or geographic area, it shall be interpreted to extend only over the maximum period of time, range of conduct, activities or geographic area as to which it may be enforceable.
(h) Severability. In case any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid, illegal or otherwise unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall in no way be affected or impaired thereby.
(i) Waivers. No delay or omission by the Company in exercising any right under this Agreement will operate as a waiver of that or any other right. A waiver or consent given by the Company on any one occasion is effective only in that instance and will not be construed as a bar to or waiver of any right on any other occasion.
(j) Governing Law and Consent To Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (without reference to the conflicts of laws provisions thereof). Any action, suit, or other legal proceeding which is commenced to resolve any matter arising under or relating to any provision of this Agreement shall be commenced only in a court in Suffolk County, Massachusetts (or, if appropriate, a federal court located within Massachusetts), and the Company and the Employee each consents to the jurisdiction of such courts. The Company and the Employee each hereby irrevocably waives any right to a trial by jury in any action, suit or other legal proceeding arising under or relating to any provision of this Agreement.
(k) Entire Agreement; Amendment. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements, written or oral, between the Employee and the Company relating to the subject matter of this Agreement. This Agreement may not be modified, changed or discharged in whole or in part, except by an agreement in writing signed by the Employee and the Company. The Employee agrees that any change or changes in the Employee’s duties, authority, title, reporting relationship, territory, salary or compensation after the signing of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or scope of this Agreement.
(l) Captions. The captions of the sections of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and in no way define, limit or affect the scope or substance of any section of this Agreement.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
- 6 -
THE EMPLOYEE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE EMPLOYEE HAS CAREFULLY READ THIS AGREEMENT AND UNDERSTANDS AND AGREES TO ALL OF THE PROVISIONS IN THIS AGREEMENT.
EMPLOYEE | DYNE THERAPEUTICS, INC. | |||||
By:__________________________________
Name: John Cox |
By:__________________________
Name: Jason P. Rhodes Chairman |
|||||
Date:_______________________ | Date:_______________________ |
Exhibit 10.3
Execution Version
VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL
March 25, 2024
Joshua Brumm
[***]
Dear Josh:
As we discussed, your employment with Dyne Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) will end effective March 25, 2024 (the “Separation Date”). As we also discussed, you will be eligible to receive the severance benefits described in paragraph 1 below if you sign and return this letter agreement to me by April 12, 2024 (the “Return Date”), but no earlier than the Separation Date, and do not revoke your acceptance (as described below). By signing and returning this letter agreement and not revoking your acceptance, you will be entering into a binding agreement with the Company and will be agreeing to the terms and conditions set forth in the numbered paragraphs below, including the release of claims set forth in paragraph 2. Therefore, you are advised to consult with an attorney before signing this letter agreement and you have been given at least twenty-one (21) days to do so. If you sign this letter agreement, you may change your mind and revoke your acceptance during the seven (7) business day period after you have signed it (the “Revocation Period”) by notifying me in writing. If you do not so revoke, this letter agreement will become a binding agreement between you and the Company upon the expiration of the Revocation Period.
Although your receipt of the severance benefits is expressly conditioned on your timely entering into this letter agreement, the following will apply regardless of whether or not you do so:
• | As of the Separation Date, all salary payments from the Company will cease and any benefits you had as of the Separation Date under Company-provided benefit plans, programs, or practices will terminate, except as required by federal or state law. |
• | You will receive the Accrued Obligations described in Section 3(a) of the Company’s Amended and Restated Executive Severance and Change in Control Benefits Plan (the “Severance Plan”) in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Severance Plan. |
• | You will continue to be covered by the Company’s health insurance plans through March 31, 2024, after which you may, if eligible and at your own cost, elect to continue receiving group health insurance pursuant to the “COBRA” law. Please consult the COBRA materials to be provided under separate cover for details regarding these benefits. |
• | You remain subject to your continuing obligations to the Company as set forth in the Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement and Invention and Non-Disclosure Agreement you previously executed for the benefit of the Company (together, the “Restrictive Covenant Agreements”), which remain in full force and effect. |
• | You must return to the Company all Company property promptly following the Separation Date, except as otherwise provided in paragraph 7 below. The Company shall provide you with a list of all Company equipment that you must return to the Company. |
If you elect to timely sign and return this letter agreement and do not revoke your acceptance within the Revocation Period, the following terms and conditions will also apply:
1. Severance Benefits – Subject to the terms and conditions of this letter agreement and the Severance Plan, including without limitation the terms and conditions set forth in Sections 6 and 10 of the Severance Plan (which terms and conditions of Section 10 shall not apply to compliance with the Consulting Agreement, as defined below), the Company will provide you with the following severance benefits (the “severance benefits”):
a. | Severance Pay. As described in Section 7(a) of the Severance Plan, the Company will pay to you $670,000, less all applicable taxes and withholdings, as severance pay (an amount equivalent to twelve (12) months of pay at your current base salary rate). This severance pay will be paid in installments in accordance with the Company’s regular payroll practices, commencing on the first payroll date following the expiration of the Revocation Period. |
b. | COBRA Benefits. As described in Section 8 of the Severance Plan, should you be eligible for and timely elect to continue receiving group health insurance coverage under the law known as COBRA, the Company shall pay the portion of the monthly premiums for such coverage that the Company pays for active and similarly situated employees receiving the same type of coverage for the period ending upon the earlier of the date that is twelve (12) months following the Separation Date, and (y) the date on which you become eligible to receive group health insurance coverage through another employer (such period, the “Benefits Continuation Period”), provided that the Benefits Continuation Period will only apply and continue if and while permitted under applicable tax or other laws as nondiscriminatory. The remaining balance of any premium costs during the Benefits Continuation Period, and all premium costs thereafter, shall be paid by you on a monthly basis for as long as, and to the extent that, you remain eligible for COBRA continuation. You agree that, should you become eligible to receive group health insurance coverage through another employer prior to the date that is twelve (12) months following the Separation Date, you will immediately notify the Company in writing of the date of eligibility for such coverage. |
c. | Equity. As described in Section 9(a) of the Severance Plan, a portion of all of your equity awards that are outstanding and unvested as of the Separation Date shall be accelerated such that the unvested portion of each such award that would otherwise have vested or been vested in accordance with the terms of such award as of the first anniversary of the Separation Date if you had remained employed with the Company through such anniversary date will vest and become exercisable or non-forfeitable upon the expiration of the Revocation Period. |
You will not be eligible for, nor shall you have a right to receive, any payments or benefits from the Company following the Separation Date other than as set forth in this letter agreement or as provided in the Consulting Agreement.
- 2 -
2. Release of Claims – In consideration of the severance benefits, which you acknowledge you would not otherwise be entitled to receive, you hereby fully, forever, irrevocably and unconditionally release, remise and discharge the Company, its past and present affiliates, subsidiaries, parent companies, predecessors, and successors, and all of their respective past and present officers, directors, stockholders, partners, members, employees, agents, representatives, plan administrators, attorneys, insurers and fiduciaries (each in their individual and corporate capacities) (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from any and all claims, charges, complaints, demands, actions, causes of action, suits, rights, debts, sums of money, costs, accounts, reckonings, covenants, contracts, agreements, promises, doings, omissions, damages, executions, obligations, liabilities, and expenses (including attorneys’ fees and costs), of every kind and nature that you ever had or now have against any or all of the Released Parties, whether known or unknown, including, but not limited to, any and all claims arising out of or relating to your employment with and/or separation from the Company, including, but not limited to, all claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq., the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq., the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, 29 U.S.C. § 621 et seq., the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, 42 U.S.C. § 2000ff et seq., the Family and Medical Leave Act, 29 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq., the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (“WARN”), 29 U.S.C. § 2101 et seq., the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 701 et seq., Executive Order 11246, Executive Order 11141, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq., and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”), 29 U.S.C. § 1001 et seq., all as amended; all claims arising out of the Massachusetts Fair Employment Practices Act, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 151B, § 1 et seq., the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 12, §§ 11H and 11I, the Massachusetts Equal Rights Act, Mass. Gen. Laws. ch. 93, § 102, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 214, § 1C (Massachusetts right to be free from sexual harassment law), the Massachusetts Labor and Industries Act, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, § 1 et seq., Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 214, § 1B (Massachusetts right of privacy law), the Massachusetts Parental Leave Act, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, § 105D, the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 175m, § 1, et seq., the Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Law, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, § 148c, and the Massachusetts Small Necessities Leave Act, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, § 52D, all as amended; all rights and claims under the Massachusetts Wage Act, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, § 148 et seq., as amended (Massachusetts law regarding payment of wages and overtime), including any rights or claims thereunder to unpaid wages, including overtime, bonuses, commissions, and accrued, unused vacation time; all common law claims including, but not limited to, actions in defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, misrepresentation, fraud, wrongful discharge, and breach of contract (including, without limitation, all claims arising out of or related to your offer letter dated September 19, 2019 and the Severance Plan); all claims to any non-vested ownership interest in the Company or any of its affiliates, contractual or otherwise; all state and federal whistleblower claims to the maximum extent permitted by law; and any claim or damage arising out of your employment with and/or separation from the Company (including a claim for retaliation) under any common law theory or any federal, state or local statute or ordinance not expressly referenced above; provided, however, that this release of claims does not prevent you from filing a charge with, cooperating with, or participating in any investigation or proceeding before, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or a state fair employment practices agency (except that you acknowledge that you may not recover any monetary benefits in connection with any such claim, charge, investigation, or proceeding, and you further waive any rights or claims to any payment, benefit, attorneys’ fees or other remedial relief in connection with any such claim, charge, investigation or proceeding) and further provided that this release of claims does not release any claims related to (v) your status as a stockholder or equityholder of the Company or any rights you may have under the terms of any equity award between you and the Company, including any claims with respect to any equity owned or held by you at the time your separation, (w) any rights to indemnification, including advancement of expenses, from the Company, pursuant to any applicable governing documents of the Company or any applicable written agreement between you and the Company, (x) rights under ERISA, (y) rights which, as a matter of law, cannot be waived or (z) your right to enforce any obligations owed to you under this letter agreement or the Consulting Agreement.
- 3 -
3. Continuing Obligations – You acknowledge and reaffirm your confidentiality and non-disclosure obligations discussed on page 1 of this letter agreement, as well as the obligations set forth in the Restrictive Covenant Agreements, which obligations survive your separation from employment with the Company, provided, however, that the Company agrees that the provisions of Section 2(a)(ii) of your Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement shall not apply to [***]. In addition, as an express condition of your receipt of the severance benefits, you agree that, for a period of twelve (12) months following the Separation Date, you will not, in the geographic areas in the United States in which the Company conducts its business, including research, development, and/or sales, or has plans as of the Separation Date to conduct its business, including research, development, and/or sales, directly or indirectly, whether as an owner, partner, officer, director, employee, consultant, investor, lender or otherwise, except as the passive holder of not more than 1% of the outstanding stock of a publicly-held company, engage or assist others in engaging in any business or enterprise that is competitive with the Company’s business (including, without limitation, its activities related to the Field (as defined in the Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement), including but not limited to any business or enterprise that develops, manufactures, markets, licenses, sells or provides any product or service that competes with any product or service developed, manufactured, marketed, licensed, sold or provided, or planned to be developed, manufactured, marketed, licensed, sold or provided by the Company (a “Competitive Company”), if you would be performing a job or job duties or services for the Competitive Company that is or are similar to the job or job duties or services that you performed for the Company at any time during the last two (2) years of your employment. If any restriction set forth in this paragraph is found by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable because it extends for too long a period of time or over too great a range of activities or in too broad a geographic area, it shall be interpreted to extend only over the maximum period of time, range of activities or geographic area as to which it may be enforceable. If you violate the non-competition provisions set forth in this paragraph, you shall continue to be bound by such restrictions until a period of one (1) year has expired without any violation of such provisions.
4. Disclosures –
a. Non-Disparagement – Except as otherwise permitted by paragraph 4(c) below and applicable law, you agree not to, in public or private, make any false, disparaging, derogatory or defamatory statements, online (including, without limitation, on any social media, networking, or employer review site) or otherwise, to any person or entity, including, but not limited to, any media outlet, industry group, financial institution or current or former employee, board member, consultant, client, or customer of the Company, regarding the Company or any of the other Released Parties, or regarding the business affairs, business prospects, or financial condition of the Company or any of the other Released Parties. In turn, the Company shall instruct its Board of Directors and senior management team not to make any false, disparaging, derogatory or defamatory statements about you, whether orally or in writing, except for internal communications required for the purpose of conducting business and/or external communications required with regulators or government entities that the Company believes in good faith to be accurate.
b. Confidentiality – Except as otherwise permitted by paragraph 4(c) below and applicable law, you agree to maintain as confidential and not to disclose the terms and contents of this letter agreement, and the contents of the negotiations and discussions resulting in this letter agreement.
- 4 -
c. Permitted Disclosures – Nothing in this letter agreement or elsewhere prohibits or restricts you from (i) communicating with government agencies about possible violations of federal, state, or local laws or otherwise providing information to government agencies, filing a complaint with government agencies, or participating in government agency investigations or proceedings, (ii) making disclosures or communications to engage in protected, concerted activity or to otherwise exercise rights under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act, (iii) disclosing the contents of this letter agreement to your family members and tax and legal advisors, and/or (iv) disclosing the contents of this letter agreement or the Consulting Agreement to enforce your rights under this letter agreement or the Consulting Agreement. You are not required to notify the Company of any such communications; provided, however, that nothing herein authorizes the disclosure of information you obtained through a communication that was subject to the attorney-client privilege. Further, notwithstanding your confidentiality and nondisclosure obligations, you are hereby advised as follows pursuant to the Defend Trade Secrets Act: “An individual shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any Federal or State trade secret law for the disclosure of a trade secret that (A) is made (i) in confidence to a Federal, State, or local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney; and (ii) solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (B) is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal. An individual who files a lawsuit for retaliation by an employer for reporting a suspected violation of law may disclose the trade secret to the attorney of the individual and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if the individual (A) files any document containing the trade secret under seal; and (B) does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order.”
5. Consulting Agreement – The Company will enter into a consulting agreement with you in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Consulting Agreement”) on the Separation Date. During the Consultation Period set forth in the Consulting Agreement, you shall provide services to the Company as a consultant pursuant to the terms set forth therein. For the avoidance of doubt, you acknowledge that, should you fail to sign this letter agreement by the Return Date, the Consulting Agreement will immediately terminate on the Return Date in accordance with the terms set forth in the Consulting Agreement. In addition, you agree that, notwithstanding the Consulting Agreement and the terms of any stock options that are outstanding and unvested as of the Separation Date (after giving effect to the acceleration provided in Section 1(C) above) and the agreements evidencing such awards, the unvested portions of such stock option shall terminate and cease to be exercisable as of the Separation Date.
6. Company Affiliation – You hereby resign and confirm your resignation, effective as of the Separation Date, from your position as Chief Executive Officer of the Company and from any and all other positions you hold as an officer, director or employee of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company and further agree to execute and deliver any documents reasonably necessary to effectuate such resignations, as requested by the Company. You agree that, following the Separation Date, you will not hold yourself out as an officer, employee, or otherwise as a representative of the Company (except as provided in the Consulting Agreement), and you agree to update any directory information that indicates you are currently affiliated with the Company, excluding any such directory information that is controlled by the Company, which the Company will cancel.
7.
- 5 -
Return of Company Property – You confirm that you have returned to the Company all keys, files, records (and copies thereof), equipment (including, but not limited to, computer hardware, software, printers, flash drives and other storage devices, wireless handheld devices, cellular phones, tablets, etc.), Company identification, and any other Company owned property in your possession or control other than any such property needed to perform the services contemplated by the Consulting Agreement, which you agree to return immediately if you do not enter into the Consulting Agreement, upon the termination of the Consulting Agreement, or upon the Company’s request, and that you have left intact all, and have otherwise not destroyed, deleted, or made inaccessible to the Company, any electronic Company documents (except in the ordinary course while you were employed by the Company), including, but not limited to, those that you developed or helped to develop during your employment, and that, to your knowledge, you have not (a) retained any copies in any form or media; (b) maintained access to any copies in any form, media, or location; (c) stored any copies in any physical or electronic locations that are not readily accessible or known to the Company or that remain accessible to you; or (d) sent, given, or made accessible any copies to any persons or entities that the Company has not authorized to receive such electronic or hard copies. You further confirm that you have cancelled all accounts for your benefit, if any, in the Company’s name, including but not limited to, credit cards, telephone charge cards, cellular phone accounts, and computer accounts, excluding any such accounts that were established by the Company, which the Company will cancel.
8. Business Expenses and Final Compensation – You acknowledge that you have been reimbursed by the Company for all business expenses incurred in conjunction with the performance of your employment and that no other reimbursements are owed to you. You further acknowledge that you have received payment in full for all services rendered in conjunction with your employment by the Company, including payment for all wages, bonuses, and commissions, and that no other compensation is owed to you except as provided herein.
9. Cooperation – You agree to make yourself reasonably available and to reasonably cooperate with the Company in: (i) any internal investigation; (ii) any investigation, defense or prosecution of any claims or actions which already have been brought, are currently pending, or which may be brought in the future against the Company by a third party or by or on behalf of the Company against any third party, whether before a state or federal court, any state or federal government agency, or a mediator or arbitrator; and/or (iii) any other administrative, regulatory, or judicial inquiry, investigation, proceeding or arbitration. You understand and agree that your reasonable cooperation includes, but is not limited to, making yourself available to the Company upon reasonable notice for interviews and factual investigations; appearing at the Company’s request to give testimony without requiring service of a subpoena or other legal process; volunteering to the Company pertinent information; and turning over all relevant documents which are in or may come into your possession. The term “cooperation” does not mean that you must provide information that is favorable to the Company; it means only that you will provide truthful information within your knowledge and possession upon request of the Company. You further agree that, to the extent permitted by law, you will notify the Company promptly in the event that you are served with a subpoena (other than a subpoena issued by a government agency), or in the event that you are asked to provide a third party (other than a government agency) with information concerning any actual or potential complaint or claim against the Company.
10. Amendment and Waiver – This letter agreement shall be binding upon the parties and may not be modified in any manner, except by an instrument in writing of concurrent or subsequent date signed by duly authorized representatives of the parties hereto. This letter agreement is binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective agents, assigns, heirs, executors, successors and administrators. No delay or omission by the Company in exercising any right under this letter agreement shall operate as a waiver of that or any other right. A waiver or consent given by the Company on any one occasion shall be effective only in that instance and shall not be construed as a bar to or waiver of any right on any other occasion.
- 6 -
11. Validity – Should any provision of this letter agreement be declared or be determined by any court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal or invalid, the validity of the remaining parts, terms or provisions shall not be affected thereby and said illegal or invalid part, term or provision shall be deemed not to be a part of this letter agreement.
12. Nature of Agreement – You understand and agree that this letter agreement is a severance agreement and does not constitute an admission of liability or wrongdoing on the part of the Company or any of the other Released Parties.
13. Acknowledgments – You acknowledge that you have been given at least twenty-one (21) days to consider this letter agreement, and that the Company is hereby advising you to consult with an attorney of your own choosing prior to signing this letter agreement. You understand that you may revoke your acceptance of this letter agreement for a period of seven (7) business days after you sign this letter agreement by notifying me in writing, and the letter agreement shall not be effective or enforceable until the expiration of this seven (7) business day revocation period. You understand and agree that by entering into this letter agreement, you are waiving any and all rights or claims you might have under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, as amended by the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act, and that you have received consideration beyond that to which you were previously entitled.
14. Voluntary Assent – You affirm that no other promises or agreements of any kind have been made to or with you by any person or entity whatsoever to cause you to sign this letter agreement, and that you fully understand the meaning and intent of this letter agreement. You further state and represent that you have carefully read this letter agreement, understand the contents herein, freely and voluntarily assent to all of the terms and conditions hereof, and sign your name of your own free act.
15. Applicable Law; Forum – This letter agreement shall be interpreted and construed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to conflict of laws provisions. You hereby irrevocably submit to and acknowledge and recognize the jurisdiction of the courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or if appropriate, a federal court located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (which courts, for purposes of this letter agreement, are the only courts of competent jurisdiction), over any suit, action or other proceeding arising out of, under or in connection with this letter agreement or the subject matter hereof. You further hereby irrevocably waive any right to a trial by jury in any action, suit or other legal proceeding arising under or relating to any provision of this letter agreement.
16. Entire Agreement – This letter agreement, along with the Severance Plan and the indemnification agreement to which you are a party with the Company, contains and constitutes the entire understanding and agreement between the parties hereto with respect to your severance benefits and the settlement of claims against the Company and the other Released Parties and cancels all previous oral and written negotiations, agreements, and commitments in connection therewith.
17. Tax Acknowledgement – In connection with the severance benefits provided to you pursuant to this letter agreement, the Company shall withhold and remit to the tax authorities the amounts required under applicable law, and you shall be responsible for all applicable taxes with respect to such severance benefits under applicable law. You acknowledge that you are not relying upon the advice or representation of the Company with respect to the tax treatment of any of the severance benefits set forth in paragraph 1 of this letter agreement.
If you have any questions about the matters covered in this letter agreement, please call me.
- 7 -
Very truly yours, | ||
By: | /s/ Jason P. Rhodes | |
Jason P. Rhodes | ||
Chairman of the Board of Directors |
I hereby agree to the terms and conditions set forth above. I have been given at least twenty-one (21) days to consider this letter agreement, and I have chosen to execute this on the date below. I intend that this letter agreement will become a binding agreement between me and the Company if I do not revoke my acceptance in seven (7) business days.
/s/ Joshua Brumm Joshua Brumm |
Date 03/25/24 |
To be returned in a timely manner as set forth on the first page of this letter agreement.
- 8 -
EXHIBIT A
CONSULTING AGREEMENT
This Consulting Agreement (the “Agreement”), effective as of the Effective Date (as defined herein), is entered into between Dyne Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) and Joshua Brumm (the “Consultant”).
WHEREAS, the Company desires to retain the services of the Consultant and the Consultant desires to perform certain services for the Company; and
WHEREAS, the Consultant is in the business of providing such services and has agreed to provide such services pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE in consideration of the mutual covenants and promises contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged by the parties hereto, the parties agree as follows:
1. Services. The Consultant agrees to perform such consulting and advisory services to and for the Company as may be reasonably requested from time to time by the Company, at such times and places as may be agreed by the Company and the Consultant. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company and the Consultant agree that the Company shall not request, and the Consultant shall not be required, to perform services for more than five (5) hours in any month without the prior written consent of the Consultant.
2. Term. The term of this Agreement shall commence on March 25, 2024 (the “Effective Date”) and shall continue through and until the first anniversary of the Effective Date (the “Expiration Date”), unless terminated earlier pursuant to the provisions of Section 4 (such period being referred to as the “Consultation Period”).
3. Consideration and Reimbursement.
a. Equity Vesting and Exercise. In consideration for the services to be provided hereunder, the Company and the Consultant agree that, notwithstanding the vesting schedules of any restricted stock unit awards held by the Consultant that are outstanding and unvested as of immediately prior to the Separation Date (after giving effect to the acceleration provided for in the Letter Agreement (as defined below)), the unvested portion of each such restricted stock unit award shall vest in full on March 15, 2025 (and not prior to such date) provided that this Agreement continues to be in effect as of such date; provided, however, that if this Agreement is terminated prior to March 15, 2025 by the Consultant under Section 4(b) or by the Company under Section 4(c) or there is a Change in Control (as defined in the Severance Plan) during the Consultation Period, then each such restricted stock until award shall vest in full on the effective date of such termination or Change in Control, as applicable. The Company also acknowledges and agrees that during the Consultation Period the portion of any stock option awards held by the Consultant that are outstanding and vested as of the Separation Date (after giving effect to the acceleration provided for in the Letter Agreement) shall continue to be exercisable in accordance with the terms of the applicable agreements evidencing such awards and the stock incentive plans under they were granted; provided, however, that if this Agreement is terminated prior to the date that is nine months after the Effective Date by the Consultant under Section 4(b) or by the Company under Section 4(c), the exercise period of such stock option awards will be extended until the earlier of (i) the first anniversary of the Effective Date and (ii) the final exercise date provided for in the agreements evidencing such awards, subject to the terms of the applicable agreements and plans governing such stock option awards.
A-1
b. Expense Reimbursement. The Company shall reimburse the Consultant for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Consultant in connection with the performance of the services under this Agreement. The Consultant shall submit to the Company itemized monthly statements, in a form satisfactory to the Company, of such expenses incurred in the previous month. The Company shall pay to the Consultant amounts shown on each such statement within thirty (30) days after receipt thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Consultant shall not incur total expenses in excess of $500.00 per month without the prior written approval of the Company.
c. No Employee Benefits. The Consultant’s relationship with the Company will be that of an independent contractor, and the Consultant shall not, in connection with this relationship, be entitled to any benefits, coverages or privileges, including, without limitation, health insurance, social security, unemployment, workers compensation, or pension payments, made available to employees of the Company.
4. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated prior to the Expiration Date in the following manner: (a) by the Company at any time immediately upon written notice if the Consultant has materially breached this Agreement, the severance letter agreement to which this Agreement is attached (the “Letter Agreement”) or the Restrictive Covenant Agreements (as defined in the Letter Agreement); (b) by the Consultant at any time immediately upon written notice if the Company has materially breached this Agreement or the Letter Agreement; (c) by the Consultant or the Company upon not less than thirty (30) days’ prior written notice; or (d) at any time upon the mutual written consent of the parties hereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and for the avoidance of doubt, the Company may terminate this Agreement effective immediately by giving written notice to the Consultant if the Consultant fails to timely sign the Letter Agreement, or revokes the Letter Agreement within seven (7) business days after signing it as set forth in the Letter Agreement. In the event of any termination, the Consultant shall be entitled only to reimbursements for expenses incurred in accordance with Section 3(b) prior to termination, and no further payments or benefits of any kind will be due.
5. Cooperation. The Consultant shall perform the services hereunder in a professional manner and consistent with the highest industry standards. The Company shall provide such access to its information and property as may be reasonably required in order to permit the Consultant to perform the Consultant’s obligations hereunder and such access will not be a violation of his obligations under the Restrictive Covenant Agreements or his Letter Agreement. The Consultant shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with the Company’s personnel, not interfere with the conduct of the Company’s business, and observe all rules, regulations and security requirements of the Company concerning the safety of persons and property.
6. Proprietary Information and Inventions.
6.1 Proprietary Information.
a. The Consultant acknowledges that the Consultant’s relationship with the Company is one of high trust and confidence and that in the course of the Consultant’s service to the Company, Consultant will have access to and contact with Proprietary Information. The Consultant will not disclose any Proprietary Information to any person or entity other than employees of the Company or use the same for any purposes (other than in the performance of the services) without written approval by an officer of the Company, either during or after the Consultation Period, unless and until such Proprietary Information has become public knowledge without fault by the Consultant.
A-2
b. For purposes of this Agreement, Proprietary Information shall mean, by way of illustration and not limitation, all information, whether or not in writing, whether or not patentable and whether or not copyrightable, of a private, secret or confidential nature, owned, possessed or used by the Company, concerning the Company’s business, business relationships or financial affairs, including, without limitation, any Invention, formula, vendor information, customer information, apparatus, equipment, trade secret, process, research, report, technical or research data, clinical data, know-how, computer program, software, software documentation, hardware design, technology, product, processes, methods, techniques, formulas, compounds, projects, developments, marketing or business plan, forecast, unpublished financial statement, budget, license, price, cost, customer, supplier or personnel information or employee list that is communicated to, learned of, developed or otherwise acquired by the Consultant in the course of the Consultant’s service as a consultant to the Company.
c. The Consultant agrees that all files, documents, letters, memoranda, reports, records, data sketches, drawings, models, laboratory notebooks, program listings, computer equipment or devices, computer programs or other written, photographic, or other tangible material containing Proprietary Information, whether created by the Consultant or others, which shall come into Consultant’s custody or possession, shall be and are the exclusive property of the Company to be used by the Consultant only in the performance of the Consultant’s duties for the Company and shall not be copied or removed from the Company premises except in the pursuit of the business of the Company. All such materials or copies thereof and all tangible property of the Company in the custody or possession of the Consultant shall be delivered to the Company, upon the earlier of (i) a request by the Company or (ii) the termination of this Agreement. After such delivery, the Consultant shall not retain any such materials or copies thereof or any such tangible property.
d. The Consultant agrees that Consultant’s obligation not to disclose or to use information and materials of the types set forth in paragraphs (b) and (c) above, and Consultant’s obligation to return materials and tangible property set forth in paragraph (c) above extends to such types of information, materials and tangible property of customers of the Company or suppliers to the Company or other third parties who may have disclosed or entrusted the same to the Company or to the Consultant.
e. The Consultant acknowledges that the Company from time to time may have agreements with other persons or with the United States Government, or agencies thereof, that impose obligations or restrictions on the Company regarding inventions made during the course of work under such agreements or regarding the confidential nature of such work. The Consultant agrees to be bound by all such obligations and restrictions that are known to the Consultant and to take all action necessary to discharge the obligations of the Company under such agreements.
f. The Consultant’s obligations under this Section 6.1 shall not apply to any information that (i) is or becomes known to the general public under circumstances involving no breach by the Consultant or others of the terms of this Section 6.1, (ii) is generally disclosed to third parties by the Company without restriction on such third parties, or (iii) is approved for release by written authorization of an officer of the Company. Further, nothing herein prohibits the Consultant from communicating with government agencies about possible violations of federal, state, or local laws or otherwise providing information to government agencies or participating in government agency investigations or proceedings. In addition, notwithstanding the Consultant’s confidentiality and nondisclosure obligations, the Consultant is hereby advised as follows pursuant to the Defend Trade Secrets Act: “An individual shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any Federal or State trade secret law for the disclosure of a trade secret that (A) is made (i) in confidence to a Federal, State, or local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney; and (ii) solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (B) is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal. An individual who files a lawsuit for retaliation by an employer for reporting a suspected violation of law may disclose the trade secret to the attorney of the individual and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if the individual (A) files any document containing the trade secret under seal; and (B) does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order.”
A-3
6.2 Inventions.
a. The Consultant will make full and prompt disclosure to the Company of all inventions, creations, improvements, enhancements, designs, innovations, discoveries, processes, methods, techniques, developments, software, computer programs, and works of authorship, whether or not patentable and whether or not copyrightable, that are created, made, conceived or reduced to practice by the Consultant or under the Consultant’s direction or jointly with others (i) during the Consultation Period if made for the Company in the course of the performance of the consulting services hereunder or (ii) during or after the Consultation Period if resulting or derived from Proprietary Information, whether or not during normal working hours or on the premises of the Company (all of which are collectively referred to in this Agreement as “Inventions”). The Consultant acknowledges that all such Inventions shall be the sole property of the Company. The Consultant agrees to assign and does hereby assign to the Company (or any person or entity designated by the Company) all of the Consultant’s right, title and interest in and to all Inventions and all related patents, patent applications, copyrights created in the work(s) of authorship, trademarks, trade names, and other industrial and intellectual property rights and applications therefor in the United States and elsewhere. However, clause (i) of this subsection (a) shall not apply to Inventions that do not relate to the present or planned business or research and development of the Company and that are made and conceived by the Consultant not during normal working hours, not on the Company’s premises and not using the Company’s tools, devices, equipment or Proprietary Information. The Consultant understands that, to the extent this Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of any state that precludes a requirement that an individual assign certain classes of inventions, this Section 6.2(a) shall be interpreted not to apply to any invention that a court rules and/or the Company agrees falls within such classes. The Consultant further acknowledges that each original work of authorship that is made by the Consultant (solely or jointly with others) within the scope of the Agreement and which is protectable by copyright is a “work made for hire,” as that term is defined in the United States Copyright Act. The Consultant hereby waives all claims to moral rights in any Inventions.
b. The Consultant agrees that if, in the course of performing the services, the Consultant incorporates into any Invention developed under this Agreement any preexisting invention, improvement, development, concept, discovery or other proprietary information owned by the Consultant or in which the Consultant has an interest (“Prior Inventions”), (i) the Consultant will inform the Company, in writing before incorporating such Prior Inventions into any Invention, and (ii) the Company is hereby granted a nonexclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, transferable worldwide license with the right to grant and authorize sublicenses, to make, have made, modify, use, import, offer for sale, sell, reproduce, distribute, modify, adapt, prepare derivative works of, display, perform, and otherwise exploit such Prior Inventions, without restriction, including, without limitation, as part of or in connection with such Invention, and to practice any method related thereto. The Consultant will not incorporate any invention, improvement, development, concept, discovery or other proprietary information owned by any third party into any Invention without the Company’s prior written permission.
c. The Consultant agrees to cooperate fully with the Company, both during and after the Consultation Period, with respect to the procurement, maintenance, and enforcement of copyrights, patents and other intellectual property rights (both in the United States and foreign countries) relating to Inventions. The Consultant shall sign all papers, including, without limitation, copyright applications, patent applications, declarations, oaths, formal assignments, assignments of priority rights, and powers of attorney, which the Company may deem necessary or desirable in order to protect its rights and interests in any Invention.
A-4
The Consultant further agrees that if the Company is unable, after reasonable effort, to secure the signature of the Consultant on any such papers, any executive officer of the Company shall be entitled to execute any such papers as the agent and the attorney-in-fact of the Consultant, and the Consultant hereby irrevocably designates and appoints each executive officer of the Company as the Consultant’s agent and attorney-in-fact to execute any such papers on the Consultant’s behalf, and to take any and all actions as the Company may deem necessary or desirable in order to protect its rights and interests in any Invention, under the conditions described in this sentence.
d. The Consultant shall maintain adequate and current written records (in the form of notes, sketches, drawings and as may be specified by the Company) to document the conception and/or first actual reduction to practice of any Invention. Such written records shall be available to and remain the sole property of the Company at all times.
7. Non-Exclusivity. The Consultant retains the right to contract with other companies and/or individuals for consulting services or employment without restriction, except as and to the extent set forth in the Letter Agreement and the Restrictive Covenant Agreements.
8. Other Agreements; Warranty.
a. The Consultant hereby represents that, except as the Consultant has disclosed in writing to the Company, the Consultant is not bound by the terms of any agreement with any third party to refrain from using or disclosing any trade secret or confidential or proprietary information in the course of Consultant’s consultancy with the Company, to refrain from competing, directly or indirectly, with the business of such third party or to refrain from soliciting employees, customers or suppliers of such third party. The Consultant further represents that Consultant’s performance of all the terms of this Agreement and the performance of the services as a consultant of the Company do not and will not breach any agreement with any third party to which the Consultant is a party (including, without limitation, any nondisclosure or non-competition agreement), and that the Consultant will not disclose to the Company or induce the Company to use any confidential or proprietary information or material belonging to any current or previous employer or others.
b. The Consultant hereby represents, warrants and covenants that Consultant has the skills and experience necessary to perform the services, that Consultant will perform said services in a professional, competent and timely manner, that Consultant has the power to enter into this Agreement and that Consultant’s performance hereunder will not infringe upon or violate the rights of any third party or violate any federal, state or municipal laws.
9. Independent Contractor Status.
a. The Consultant shall perform all services under this Agreement as an “independent contractor” and not as an employee or agent of the Company. The Consultant is not authorized to assume or create any obligation or responsibility, express or implied, on behalf of, or in the name of, the Company or to bind the Company in any manner. Nothing herein shall create, expressly or by implication, a partnership, joint venture or other association between the parties.
b. The Consultant shall have the right to control and determine the time, place, methods, manner and means of performing the services. In performing the services, the amount of time devoted by the Consultant on any given day will be entirely within the Consultant’s control, and the Company will rely on the Consultant to put in the amount of time necessary to fulfill the requirements of this Agreement. The Consultant will provide all equipment and supplies required to perform the services. The Consultant is not required to attend regular meetings at the Company. However, upon reasonable notice, the Consultant shall meet with representatives of the Company at a location mutually agreed by the parties to this Agreement.
A-5
c. In the performance of the services, the Consultant has the authority to control and direct the performance of the details of the services, the Company being interested only in the results obtained. However, the services contemplated by the Agreement must meet the Company’s standards and approval and shall be subject to the Company’s general right of inspection and supervision to secure their satisfactory completion.
d. The Consultant shall not use the Company’s trade names, trademarks, service names or service marks without the prior approval of the Company.
e. The Consultant shall be responsible for paying all state and federal income taxes, unemployment insurance and social security taxes incurred by Consultant in connection with this Agreement and acknowledges that the Company is not responsible for maintaining workers’ compensation insurance coverage for him.
10. Remedies. The Consultant acknowledges that any breach of the provisions of Section 6 of this Agreement shall result in serious and irreparable injury to the Company for which the Company cannot be adequately compensated by monetary damages alone. The Consultant agrees, therefore, that, in addition to any other remedy the Company may have, the Company shall be entitled to enforce the specific performance of this Agreement by the Consultant and to seek both temporary and permanent injunctive relief (to the extent permitted by law) without the necessity of proving actual damages or posting a bond.
11. Intentionally Omitted.
12. Notices. All notices required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed effective upon personal delivery, upon confirmation of delivery by electronic mail or upon deposit with an express courier for delivery by overnight mail, addressed to the other party at the address shown above, or at such other address or addresses as either party shall designate to the other in accordance with this Section 12.
13. Pronouns. Whenever the context may require, any pronouns used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular forms of nouns and pronouns shall include the plural, and vice versa.
14. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter of this Agreement; provided, however, for the avoidance of doubt, that nothing herein supersedes the Letter Agreement, equity award agreements or the Restrictive Covenant Agreements into which the Consultant entered in connection with his prior employment by the Company, which remain in full force and effect.
15. Amendment. This Agreement may be amended or modified only by a written instrument executed by both the Company and the Consultant.
16. Non-Assignability of Contract. This Agreement is personal to the Consultant and the Consultant shall not have the right to assign any of Consultant’s rights or delegate any of Consultant’s duties without the express written consent of the Company. Any non-consented-to assignment or delegation, whether express or implied or by operation of law, shall be void and shall constitute a breach and a default by the Consultant.
A-6
17. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule that would cause the application of laws of any other jurisdiction.
18. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, both parties and their respective successors and assigns, including any corporation with which, or into which, the Company may be merged or which may succeed to its assets or business, provided, however, that the obligations of the Consultant are personal and shall not be assigned by the Consultant.
19. Interpretation. If any restriction set forth in Section 6 is found by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable because it extends for too long a period of time or over too great a range of activities or in too broad a geographic area, it shall be interpreted to extend only over the maximum period of time, range of activities or geographic area as to which it may be enforceable.
20. Survival. Sections 4 through 21 shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement.
21. Miscellaneous.
a. No delay or omission by the Company in exercising any right under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of that or any other right. A waiver or consent given by the Company on any one occasion shall be effective only in that instance and shall not be construed as a bar or waiver of any right on any other occasion.
b. The captions of the sections of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and in no way define, limit, or affect the scope or substance of any section of this Agreement.
c. In the event that any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid, illegal or otherwise unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall in no way be affected or impaired thereby.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
A-7
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Consulting Agreement as of the date and year first above written.
DYNE THERAPEUTICS, INC. | ||
By: | ||
Jason P. Rhodes | ||
Chairman | ||
CONSULTANT: | ||
|
||
Joshua Brumm |
A-8
Exhibit 10.4
Execution Version
CONSULTING AGREEMENT
This Consulting Agreement (the “Agreement”), effective as of the Effective Date (as defined herein), is entered into between Dyne Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) and Joshua Brumm (the “Consultant”).
WHEREAS, the Company desires to retain the services of the Consultant and the Consultant desires to perform certain services for the Company; and
WHEREAS, the Consultant is in the business of providing such services and has agreed to provide such services pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE in consideration of the mutual covenants and promises contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged by the parties hereto, the parties agree as follows:
1. Services. The Consultant agrees to perform such consulting and advisory services to and for the Company as may be reasonably requested from time to time by the Company, at such times and places as may be agreed by the Company and the Consultant. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company and the Consultant agree that the Company shall not request, and the Consultant shall not be required, to perform services for more than five (5) hours in any month without the prior written consent of the Consultant.
2. Term. The term of this Agreement shall commence on March 25, 2024 (the “Effective Date”) and shall continue through and until the first anniversary of the Effective Date (the “Expiration Date”), unless terminated earlier pursuant to the provisions of Section 4 (such period being referred to as the “Consultation Period”).
3. Consideration and Reimbursement.
a. Equity Vesting and Exercise. In consideration for the services to be provided hereunder, the Company and the Consultant agree that, notwithstanding the vesting schedules of any restricted stock unit awards held by the Consultant that are outstanding and unvested as of immediately prior to the Separation Date (after giving effect to the acceleration provided for in the Letter Agreement (as defined below)), the unvested portion of each such restricted stock unit award shall vest in full on March 15, 2025 (and not prior to such date) provided that this Agreement continues to be in effect as of such date; provided, however, that if this Agreement is terminated prior to March 15, 2025 by the Consultant under Section 4(b) or by the Company under Section 4(c) or there is a Change in Control (as defined in the Severance Plan) during the Consultation Period, then each such restricted stock until award shall vest in full on the effective date of such termination or Change in Control, as applicable. The Company also acknowledges and agrees that during the Consultation Period the portion of any stock option awards held by the Consultant that are outstanding and vested as of the Separation Date (after giving effect to the acceleration provided for in the Letter Agreement) shall continue to be exercisable in accordance with the terms of the applicable agreements evidencing such awards and the stock incentive plans under they were granted; provided, however, that if this Agreement is terminated prior to the date that is nine months after the Effective Date by the Consultant under Section 4(b) or by the Company under Section 4(c), the exercise period of such stock option awards will be extended until the earlier of (i) the first anniversary of the Effective Date and (ii) the final exercise date provided for in the agreements evidencing such awards, subject to the terms of the applicable agreements and plans governing such stock option awards.
b. Expense Reimbursement. The Company shall reimburse the Consultant for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Consultant in connection with the performance of the services under this Agreement. The Consultant shall submit to the Company itemized monthly statements, in a form satisfactory to the Company, of such expenses incurred in the previous month. The Company shall pay to the Consultant amounts shown on each such statement within thirty (30) days after receipt thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Consultant shall not incur total expenses in excess of $500.00 per month without the prior written approval of the Company.
c. No Employee Benefits. The Consultant’s relationship with the Company will be that of an independent contractor, and the Consultant shall not, in connection with this relationship, be entitled to any benefits, coverages or privileges, including, without limitation, health insurance, social security, unemployment, workers compensation, or pension payments, made available to employees of the Company.
4. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated prior to the Expiration Date in the following manner: (a) by the Company at any time immediately upon written notice if the Consultant has materially breached this Agreement, the severance letter agreement to which this Agreement is attached (the “Letter Agreement”) or the Restrictive Covenant Agreements (as defined in the Letter Agreement); (b) by the Consultant at any time immediately upon written notice if the Company has materially breached this Agreement or the Letter Agreement; (c) by the Consultant or the Company upon not less than thirty (30) days’ prior written notice; or (d) at any time upon the mutual written consent of the parties hereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and for the avoidance of doubt, the Company may terminate this Agreement effective immediately by giving written notice to the Consultant if the Consultant fails to timely sign the Letter Agreement, or revokes the Letter Agreement within seven (7) business days after signing it as set forth in the Letter Agreement. In the event of any termination, the Consultant shall be entitled only to reimbursements for expenses incurred in accordance with Section 3(b) prior to termination, and no further payments or benefits of any kind will be due.
5. Cooperation. The Consultant shall perform the services hereunder in a professional manner and consistent with the highest industry standards. The Company shall provide such access to its information and property as may be reasonably required in order to permit the Consultant to perform the Consultant’s obligations hereunder and such access will not be a violation of his obligations under the Restrictive Covenant Agreements or his Letter Agreement. The Consultant shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with the Company’s personnel, not interfere with the conduct of the Company’s business, and observe all rules, regulations and security requirements of the Company concerning the safety of persons and property.
6. Proprietary Information and Inventions.
6.1 Proprietary Information.
a. The Consultant acknowledges that the Consultant’s relationship with the Company is one of high trust and confidence and that in the course of the Consultant’s service to the Company, Consultant will have access to and contact with Proprietary Information. The Consultant will not disclose any Proprietary Information to any person or entity other than employees of the Company or use the same for any purposes (other than in the performance of the services) without written approval by an officer of the Company, either during or after the Consultation Period, unless and until such Proprietary Information has become public knowledge without fault by the Consultant.
- 2 -
b. For purposes of this Agreement, Proprietary Information shall mean, by way of illustration and not limitation, all information, whether or not in writing, whether or not patentable and whether or not copyrightable, of a private, secret or confidential nature, owned, possessed or used by the Company, concerning the Company’s business, business relationships or financial affairs, including, without limitation, any Invention, formula, vendor information, customer information, apparatus, equipment, trade secret, process, research, report, technical or research data, clinical data, know-how, computer program, software, software documentation, hardware design, technology, product, processes, methods, techniques, formulas, compounds, projects, developments, marketing or business plan, forecast, unpublished financial statement, budget, license, price, cost, customer, supplier or personnel information or employee list that is communicated to, learned of, developed or otherwise acquired by the Consultant in the course of the Consultant’s service as a consultant to the Company.
c. The Consultant agrees that all files, documents, letters, memoranda, reports, records, data sketches, drawings, models, laboratory notebooks, program listings, computer equipment or devices, computer programs or other written, photographic, or other tangible material containing Proprietary Information, whether created by the Consultant or others, which shall come into Consultant’s custody or possession, shall be and are the exclusive property of the Company to be used by the Consultant only in the performance of the Consultant’s duties for the Company and shall not be copied or removed from the Company premises except in the pursuit of the business of the Company. All such materials or copies thereof and all tangible property of the Company in the custody or possession of the Consultant shall be delivered to the Company, upon the earlier of (i) a request by the Company or (ii) the termination of this Agreement. After such delivery, the Consultant shall not retain any such materials or copies thereof or any such tangible property.
d. The Consultant agrees that Consultant’s obligation not to disclose or to use information and materials of the types set forth in paragraphs (b) and (c) above, and Consultant’s obligation to return materials and tangible property set forth in paragraph (c) above extends to such types of information, materials and tangible property of customers of the Company or suppliers to the Company or other third parties who may have disclosed or entrusted the same to the Company or to the Consultant.
e. The Consultant acknowledges that the Company from time to time may have agreements with other persons or with the United States Government, or agencies thereof, that impose obligations or restrictions on the Company regarding inventions made during the course of work under such agreements or regarding the confidential nature of such work. The Consultant agrees to be bound by all such obligations and restrictions that are known to the Consultant and to take all action necessary to discharge the obligations of the Company under such agreements.
f. The Consultant’s obligations under this Section 6.1 shall not apply to any information that (i) is or becomes known to the general public under circumstances involving no breach by the Consultant or others of the terms of this Section 6.1, (ii) is generally disclosed to third parties by the Company without restriction on such third parties, or (iii) is approved for release by written authorization of an officer of the Company. Further, nothing herein prohibits the Consultant from communicating with government agencies about possible violations of federal, state, or local laws or otherwise providing information to government agencies or participating in government agency investigations or proceedings. In addition, notwithstanding the Consultant’s confidentiality and nondisclosure obligations, the Consultant is hereby advised as follows pursuant to the Defend Trade Secrets Act: “An individual shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any Federal or State trade secret law for the disclosure of a trade secret that (A) is made (i) in confidence to a Federal, State, or local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney; and (ii) solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (B) is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal. An individual who files a lawsuit for retaliation by an employer for reporting a suspected violation of law may disclose the trade secret to the attorney of the individual and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if the individual (A) files any document containing the trade secret under seal; and (B) does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order.”
- 3 -
6.2 Inventions.
a. The Consultant will make full and prompt disclosure to the Company of all inventions, creations, improvements, enhancements, designs, innovations, discoveries, processes, methods, techniques, developments, software, computer programs, and works of authorship, whether or not patentable and whether or not copyrightable, that are created, made, conceived or reduced to practice by the Consultant or under the Consultant’s direction or jointly with others (i) during the Consultation Period if made for the Company in the course of the performance of the consulting services hereunder or (ii) during or after the Consultation Period if resulting or derived from Proprietary Information, whether or not during normal working hours or on the premises of the Company (all of which are collectively referred to in this Agreement as “Inventions”). The Consultant acknowledges that all such Inventions shall be the sole property of the Company. The Consultant agrees to assign and does hereby assign to the Company (or any person or entity designated by the Company) all of the Consultant’s right, title and interest in and to all Inventions and all related patents, patent applications, copyrights created in the work(s) of authorship, trademarks, trade names, and other industrial and intellectual property rights and applications therefor in the United States and elsewhere. However, clause (i) of this subsection (a) shall not apply to Inventions that do not relate to the present or planned business or research and development of the Company and that are made and conceived by the Consultant not during normal working hours, not on the Company’s premises and not using the Company’s tools, devices, equipment or Proprietary Information. The Consultant understands that, to the extent this Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of any state that precludes a requirement that an individual assign certain classes of inventions, this Section 6.2(a) shall be interpreted not to apply to any invention that a court rules and/or the Company agrees falls within such classes. The Consultant further acknowledges that each original work of authorship that is made by the Consultant (solely or jointly with others) within the scope of the Agreement and which is protectable by copyright is a “work made for hire,” as that term is defined in the United States Copyright Act. The Consultant hereby waives all claims to moral rights in any Inventions.
b. The Consultant agrees that if, in the course of performing the services, the Consultant incorporates into any Invention developed under this Agreement any preexisting invention, improvement, development, concept, discovery or other proprietary information owned by the Consultant or in which the Consultant has an interest (“Prior Inventions”), (i) the Consultant will inform the Company, in writing before incorporating such Prior Inventions into any Invention, and (ii) the Company is hereby granted a nonexclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, transferable worldwide license with the right to grant and authorize sublicenses, to make, have made, modify, use, import, offer for sale, sell, reproduce, distribute, modify, adapt, prepare derivative works of, display, perform, and otherwise exploit such Prior Inventions, without restriction, including, without limitation, as part of or in connection with such Invention, and to practice any method related thereto. The Consultant will not incorporate any invention, improvement, development, concept, discovery or other proprietary information owned by any third party into any Invention without the Company’s prior written permission.
c. The Consultant agrees to cooperate fully with the Company, both during and after the Consultation Period, with respect to the procurement, maintenance, and enforcement of copyrights, patents and other intellectual property rights (both in the United States and foreign countries) relating to Inventions. The Consultant shall sign all papers, including, without limitation, copyright applications, patent applications, declarations, oaths, formal assignments, assignments of priority rights, and powers of attorney, which the Company may deem necessary or desirable in order to protect its rights and interests in any Invention.
- 4 -
The Consultant further agrees that if the Company is unable, after reasonable effort, to secure the signature of the Consultant on any such papers, any executive officer of the Company shall be entitled to execute any such papers as the agent and the attorney-in-fact of the Consultant, and the Consultant hereby irrevocably designates and appoints each executive officer of the Company as the Consultant’s agent and attorney-in-fact to execute any such papers on the Consultant’s behalf, and to take any and all actions as the Company may deem necessary or desirable in order to protect its rights and interests in any Invention, under the conditions described in this sentence.
d. The Consultant shall maintain adequate and current written records (in the form of notes, sketches, drawings and as may be specified by the Company) to document the conception and/or first actual reduction to practice of any Invention. Such written records shall be available to and remain the sole property of the Company at all times.
7. Non-Exclusivity. The Consultant retains the right to contract with other companies and/or individuals for consulting services or employment without restriction, except as and to the extent set forth in the Letter Agreement and the Restrictive Covenant Agreements.
8. Other Agreements; Warranty.
a. The Consultant hereby represents that, except as the Consultant has disclosed in writing to the Company, the Consultant is not bound by the terms of any agreement with any third party to refrain from using or disclosing any trade secret or confidential or proprietary information in the course of Consultant’s consultancy with the Company, to refrain from competing, directly or indirectly, with the business of such third party or to refrain from soliciting employees, customers or suppliers of such third party. The Consultant further represents that Consultant’s performance of all the terms of this Agreement and the performance of the services as a consultant of the Company do not and will not breach any agreement with any third party to which the Consultant is a party (including, without limitation, any nondisclosure or non-competition agreement), and that the Consultant will not disclose to the Company or induce the Company to use any confidential or proprietary information or material belonging to any current or previous employer or others.
b. The Consultant hereby represents, warrants and covenants that Consultant has the skills and experience necessary to perform the services, that Consultant will perform said services in a professional, competent and timely manner, that Consultant has the power to enter into this Agreement and that Consultant’s performance hereunder will not infringe upon or violate the rights of any third party or violate any federal, state or municipal laws.
9. Independent Contractor Status.
a. The Consultant shall perform all services under this Agreement as an “independent contractor” and not as an employee or agent of the Company. The Consultant is not authorized to assume or create any obligation or responsibility, express or implied, on behalf of, or in the name of, the Company or to bind the Company in any manner. Nothing herein shall create, expressly or by implication, a partnership, joint venture or other association between the parties.
b. The Consultant shall have the right to control and determine the time, place, methods, manner and means of performing the services. In performing the services, the amount of time devoted by the Consultant on any given day will be entirely within the Consultant’s control, and the Company will rely on the Consultant to put in the amount of time necessary to fulfill the requirements of this Agreement. The Consultant will provide all equipment and supplies required to perform the services. The Consultant is not required to attend regular meetings at the Company. However, upon reasonable notice, the Consultant shall meet with representatives of the Company at a location mutually agreed by the parties to this Agreement.
- 5 -
c. In the performance of the services, the Consultant has the authority to control and direct the performance of the details of the services, the Company being interested only in the results obtained. However, the services contemplated by the Agreement must meet the Company’s standards and approval and shall be subject to the Company’s general right of inspection and supervision to secure their satisfactory completion.
d. The Consultant shall not use the Company’s trade names, trademarks, service names or service marks without the prior approval of the Company.
e. The Consultant shall be responsible for paying all state and federal income taxes, unemployment insurance and social security taxes incurred by Consultant in connection with this Agreement and acknowledges that the Company is not responsible for maintaining workers’ compensation insurance coverage for him.
10. Remedies. The Consultant acknowledges that any breach of the provisions of Section 6 of this Agreement shall result in serious and irreparable injury to the Company for which the Company cannot be adequately compensated by monetary damages alone. The Consultant agrees, therefore, that, in addition to any other remedy the Company may have, the Company shall be entitled to enforce the specific performance of this Agreement by the Consultant and to seek both temporary and permanent injunctive relief (to the extent permitted by law) without the necessity of proving actual damages or posting a bond.
11. Intentionally Omitted.
12. Notices. All notices required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed effective upon personal delivery, upon confirmation of delivery by electronic mail or upon deposit with an express courier for delivery by overnight mail, addressed to the other party at the address shown above, or at such other address or addresses as either party shall designate to the other in accordance with this Section 12.
13. Pronouns. Whenever the context may require, any pronouns used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular forms of nouns and pronouns shall include the plural, and vice versa.
14. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter of this Agreement; provided, however, for the avoidance of doubt, that nothing herein supersedes the Letter Agreement, equity award agreements or the Restrictive Covenant Agreements into which the Consultant entered in connection with his prior employment by the Company, which remain in full force and effect.
15. Amendment. This Agreement may be amended or modified only by a written instrument executed by both the Company and the Consultant.
16. Non-Assignability of Contract. This Agreement is personal to the Consultant and the Consultant shall not have the right to assign any of Consultant’s rights or delegate any of Consultant’s duties without the express written consent of the Company. Any non-consented-to assignment or delegation, whether express or implied or by operation of law, shall be void and shall constitute a breach and a default by the Consultant.
- 6 -
17. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule that would cause the application of laws of any other jurisdiction.
18. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, both parties and their respective successors and assigns, including any corporation with which, or into which, the Company may be merged or which may succeed to its assets or business, provided, however, that the obligations of the Consultant are personal and shall not be assigned by the Consultant.
19. Interpretation. If any restriction set forth in Section 6 is found by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable because it extends for too long a period of time or over too great a range of activities or in too broad a geographic area, it shall be interpreted to extend only over the maximum period of time, range of activities or geographic area as to which it may be enforceable.
20. Survival. Sections 4 through 21 shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement.
21. Miscellaneous.
a. No delay or omission by the Company in exercising any right under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of that or any other right. A waiver or consent given by the Company on any one occasion shall be effective only in that instance and shall not be construed as a bar or waiver of any right on any other occasion.
b. The captions of the sections of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and in no way define, limit, or affect the scope or substance of any section of this Agreement.
c. In the event that any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid, illegal or otherwise unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall in no way be affected or impaired thereby.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
- 7 -
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Consulting Agreement as of the date and year first above written.
DYNE THERAPEUTICS, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Jason Rhodes |
|
Jason P. Rhodes | ||
Chairman | ||
CONSULTANT: | ||
/s/ Joshua Brumm |
||
Joshua Brumm |
- 8 -
Exhibit 10.5
2024 INDUCEMENT STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
OF
DYNE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
1. Purpose
The purpose of this 2024 Inducement Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) of Dyne Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), is to advance the interests of the Company’s stockholders by enhancing the Company’s ability to attract, retain and motivate persons who are expected to make important contributions to the Company with an inducement material for such persons to enter into employment with the Company and by providing such persons with equity ownership opportunities and performance-based incentives that are intended to better align the interests of such persons with those of the Company’s stockholders. Except where the context otherwise requires, the term “Company” shall include any of the Company’s present or future parent or subsidiary corporations as defined in Sections 424(e) or (f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any regulations thereunder (the “Code”) and any other business venture (including, without limitation, joint venture or limited liability company) in which the Company has a controlling interest, as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”).
2. Eligibility
Awards under the Plan may only be granted to persons who (a) were not previously an employee or director of the Company or (b) are commencing employment with the Company following a bona fide period of non-employment with the Company, in either case as an inducement material to the individual’s entering into employment with the Company and in accordance with the requirements of Nasdaq Stock Market Rule 5635(c)(4). For the avoidance of doubt, neither consultants nor advisors shall be eligible to participate in the Plan. Each person who is granted an Award under the Plan is deemed a “Participant.” “Award” means Options (as defined in Section 5), SARs (as defined in Section 6), Restricted Stock (as defined in Section 7), Restricted Stock Units (as defined in Section 7) and Other Stock-Based Awards (as defined in Section 8).
3. Administration and Delegation
(a) Administration by Board of Directors. The Plan will be administered by the Board. The Board shall have authority to grant Awards and to adopt, amend and repeal such administrative rules, guidelines and practices relating to the Plan as it shall deem advisable. The Board may construe and interpret the terms of the Plan and any Award agreements entered into under the Plan. The Board may correct any defect, supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan or any Award in the manner and to the extent it shall deem expedient and it shall be the sole and final judge of such expediency. All decisions by the Board shall be made in the Board’s sole discretion and shall be final and binding on all persons having or claiming any interest in the Plan or in any Award. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything in the Plan to the contrary, the grant of any Award under the Plan must be approved by the Company’s independent compensation committee or a majority of the Company’s independent directors (as defined in Nasdaq Stock Market Rule 5605(a)(2)) or otherwise in order to comply with the exemption from the stockholder approval requirement for “inducement grants” provided under Nasdaq Stock Market Rule 5635(c)(4).
(b) Appointment of Committees. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Board may delegate any or all of its powers under the Plan to one or more committees or subcommittees of the Board (a “Committee”). All references in the Plan to the “Board” shall mean the Board or a Committee of the Board or the officers referred to in Section 3(c) to the extent that the Board’s powers or authority under the Plan have been delegated to such Committee or officers.
(c) Delegation to Officers. Subject to any requirements of applicable law (including as applicable Sections 152 and 157(c) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware), the Board may delegate to one or more officers of the Company the power to grant Awards (subject to any limitations under the Plan) to employees or officers of the Company and to exercise such other powers under the Plan as the Board may determine, provided that the Board shall fix the terms of Awards to be granted by such officers, the maximum number of shares subject to Awards that the officers may grant, and the time period in which such Awards may be granted; and provided further, that no officer shall be authorized to grant Awards to any “executive officer” of the Company (as defined by Rule 3b-7 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) or to any “officer” of the Company (as defined by Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act).
1
4. Stock Available for Awards
(a) Authorized Number of Shares. Subject to adjustment under Section 9, Awards may be made under the Plan for up to 900,000 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”). Shares issued under the Plan may consist in whole or in part of authorized but unissued shares or treasury shares.
(b) Share Counting. For purposes of counting the number of shares available for the grant of Awards under the Plan under this Section 4:
(1) all shares of Common Stock covered by SARs shall be counted against the number of shares available for the grant of Awards under the Plan; provided, however, that (i) SARs that may be settled only in cash shall not be so counted and (ii) if the Company grants an SAR in tandem with an Option for the same number of shares of Common Stock and provides that only one such Award may be exercised (a “Tandem SAR”), only the shares covered by the Option, and not the shares covered by the Tandem SAR, shall be so counted, and the expiration of one in connection with the other’s exercise will not restore shares to the Plan;
(2) to the extent a Restricted Stock Unit award may be settled only in cash, no shares shall be counted against the shares available for the grant of Awards under the Plan;
(3) if any Award (i) expires or is terminated, surrendered or canceled without having been fully exercised or is forfeited in whole or in part (including as the result of shares of Common Stock subject to such Award being repurchased by the Company at the original issuance price pursuant to a contractual repurchase right) or (ii) results in any Common Stock not being issued (including as a result of an SAR that was settleable either in cash or in stock actually being settled in cash), the unused Common Stock covered by such Award shall again be available for the grant of Awards; provided, however, that in the case of the exercise of an SAR, the number of shares counted against the shares available under the Plan shall be the full number of shares subject to the SAR multiplied by the percentage of the SAR actually exercised, regardless of the number of shares actually used to settle such SAR upon exercise and the shares covered by a Tandem SAR shall not again become available for grant upon the expiration or termination of such Tandem SAR; and
(4) shares of Common Stock delivered (by actual delivery, attestation, or net exercise) to the Company by a Participant to (i) purchase shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of an Award or (ii) satisfy tax withholding obligations with respect to Awards (including shares retained from the Award creating the tax obligation) shall be added back to the number of shares available for the future grant of Awards.
5. Stock Options
(a) General. The Board may grant options to purchase Common Stock (each, an “Option”) and determine the number of shares of Common Stock to be covered by each Option, the exercise price of each Option and the conditions and limitations applicable to the exercise of each Option, including conditions relating to applicable federal or state securities laws, as it considers necessary or advisable. All Options under the Plan shall be Nonstatutory Stock Options. A “Nonstatutory Stock Option” is an Option which is not intended to be an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.
(b) Exercise Price. The Board shall establish the exercise price of each Option or the formula by which such exercise price will be determined. The exercise price shall be specified in the applicable Option agreement. The exercise price shall be not less than 100% of the Grant Date Fair Market Value (as defined below) of the Common Stock on the date the Option is granted; provided that if the Board approves the grant of an Option with an exercise price to be determined on a future date, the exercise price shall be not less than 100% of the Grant Date Fair Market Value on such future date. “Grant Date Fair Market Value” of a share of Common Stock for purposes of the Plan will be determined as follows:
2
(1) if the Common Stock trades on a national securities exchange, the closing sale price (for the primary trading session) on the date of grant; or
(2) if the Common Stock does not trade on any such exchange, the average of the closing bid and asked prices on the date of grant as reported by an over-the-counter marketplace designated by the Board; or
(3) if the Common Stock is not publicly traded, the Board will determine the Grant Date Fair Market Value for purposes of the Plan using any measure of value it determines to be appropriate (including, as it considers appropriate, relying on appraisals) in a manner consistent with the valuation principles under Code Section 409A, except as the Board may expressly determine otherwise.
For any date that is not a trading day, the Grant Date Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock for such date will be determined by using the closing sale price or average of the bid and asked prices, as appropriate, for the immediately preceding trading day and with the timing in the formulas above adjusted accordingly. The Board can substitute a particular time of day or other measure of “closing sale price” or “bid and asked prices” if appropriate because of exchange or market procedures or can, in its sole discretion, use weighted averages either on a daily basis or such longer period as complies with Code Section 409A.
The Board has sole discretion to determine the Grant Date Fair Market Value for purposes of the Plan, and all Awards are conditioned on the Participants’ agreement that the Board’s determination is conclusive and binding even though others might make a different determination.
(c) Duration of Options. Each Option shall be exercisable at such times and subject to such terms and conditions as the Board may specify in the applicable Option agreement; provided, however, that no Option will be granted with a term in excess of 10 years.
(d) Exercise of Options. Options may be exercised by delivery to the Company of a notice of exercise in a form (which may be electronic, and which may be provided to a third party equity plan administrator) approved by the Company, together with payment in full (in the manner specified in Section 5(e)) of the exercise price for the number of shares for which the Option is exercised. Shares of Common Stock subject to the Option will be delivered by the Company as soon as practicable following exercise.
(e) Payment Upon Exercise. Common Stock purchased upon the exercise of an Option granted under the Plan shall be paid for as follows:
(1) in cash or by check, payable to the order of the Company;
(2) except as may otherwise be provided in the applicable Option agreement or approved by the Board, by (i) delivery of an irrevocable and unconditional undertaking by a creditworthy broker to deliver promptly to the Company sufficient funds to pay the exercise price and any required tax withholding or (ii) delivery by the Participant to the Company of a copy of irrevocable and unconditional instructions to a creditworthy broker to deliver promptly to the Company cash or a check sufficient to pay the exercise price and any required tax withholding;
(3) to the extent provided for in the applicable Option agreement or approved by the Board, by delivery (either by actual delivery or attestation) of shares of Common Stock owned by the Participant valued at their fair market value (valued in the manner determined by (or in a manner approved by) the Board), provided (i) such method of payment is then permitted under applicable law, (ii) such Common Stock, if acquired directly from the Company, was owned by the Participant for such minimum period of time, if any, as may be established by the Board and (iii) such Common Stock is not subject to any repurchase, forfeiture, unfulfilled vesting or other similar requirements; (4) to the extent provided for in the applicable Nonstatutory Stock Option agreement or approved by the Board, by delivery of a notice of “net exercise” to the Company, as a result of which the Participant would receive (i) the number of shares underlying the portion of the Option being exercised, less (ii) such number of shares as is equal to (A) the aggregate exercise price for the portion of the Option being exercised divided by (B) the fair market value of the Common Stock (valued in the manner determined by (or in a manner approved by) the Board) on the date of exercise;
3
(5) to the extent permitted by applicable law and provided for in the applicable Option agreement or approved by the Board by payment of such other lawful consideration as the Board may determine; or
(6) by any combination of the above permitted forms of payment, to the extent approved by the Board.
(f) Limitation on Repricing. Unless such action is approved by the Company’s stockholders, the Company may not (except as provided for under Section 9): (1) amend any outstanding Option granted under the Plan to provide an exercise price per share that is lower than the then-current exercise price per share of such outstanding Option, (2) cancel any outstanding option (whether or not granted under the Plan) and grant in substitution therefor new Awards under the Plan covering the same or a different number of shares of Common Stock and having an exercise price per share lower than the then-current exercise price per share of the cancelled option, (3) cancel in exchange for a cash payment any outstanding Option with an exercise price per share above the then-current fair market value of the Common Stock (valued in the manner determined by (or in a manner approved by) the Board) or (4) take any other action under the Plan that constitutes a “repricing” within the meaning of the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market or any other exchange or marketplace on which the Company stock is listed or traded (the “Exchange”).
6. Stock Appreciation Rights
(a) General. The Board may grant Awards consisting of stock appreciation rights (“SARs”) entitling the holder, upon exercise, to receive an amount of Common Stock or cash or a combination thereof (such form to be determined by the Board) determined by reference to appreciation, from and after the date of grant, in the fair market value of a share of Common Stock (valued in the manner determined by (or in a manner approved by) the Board) over the measurement price established pursuant to Section 6(b). The date as of which such appreciation is determined shall be the exercise date.
(b) Measurement Price. The Board shall establish the measurement price of each SAR and specify it in the applicable SAR agreement. The measurement price shall not be less than 100% of the Grant Date Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the date the SAR is granted; provided that if the Board approves the grant of an SAR effective as of a future date, the measurement price shall be not less than 100% of the Grant Date Fair Market Value on such future date.
(c) Duration of SARs. Each SAR shall be exercisable at such times and subject to such terms and conditions as the Board may specify in the applicable SAR agreement; provided, however, that no SAR will be granted with a term in excess of 10 years.
(d) Exercise of SARs. SARs may be exercised by delivery to the Company of a notice of exercise in a form (which may be electronic) approved by the Company, together with any other documents required by the Board.
(e) Limitation on Repricing. Unless such action is approved by the Company’s stockholders, the Company may not (except as provided for under Section 9): (1) amend any outstanding SAR granted under the Plan to provide a measurement price per share that is lower than the then-current measurement price per share of such outstanding SAR, (2) cancel any outstanding SAR (whether or not granted under the Plan) and grant in substitution therefor new Awards under the Plan covering the same or a different number of shares of Common Stock and having an exercise or measurement price per share lower than the then-current measurement price per share of the cancelled SAR, (3) cancel in exchange for a cash payment any outstanding SAR with a measurement price per share above the then-current fair market value of the Common Stock (valued in the manner determined by (or in a manner approved by) the Board) or (4) take any other action under the Plan that constitutes a “repricing” within the meaning of the rules of the Exchange.
4
7. Restricted Stock; Restricted Stock Units
(a) General. The Board may grant Awards entitling recipients to acquire shares of Common Stock (“Restricted Stock”), subject to the right of the Company to repurchase all or part of such shares at their issue price or other stated or formula price (or to require forfeiture of such shares if issued at no cost) from the recipient in the event that conditions specified by the Board in the applicable Award are not satisfied prior to the end of the applicable restriction period or periods established by the Board for such Award. The Board may also grant Awards entitling the recipient to receive shares of Common Stock or cash to be delivered as soon as practicable after the time such Award vests or is settled (“Restricted Stock Units”) (Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units are each referred to herein as a “Restricted Stock Award”).
(b) Terms and Conditions for All Restricted Stock Awards. The Board shall determine the terms and conditions of a Restricted Stock Award, including the conditions for vesting and repurchase (or forfeiture) and the issue price, if any.
(c) Additional Provisions Relating to Restricted Stock.
(1) Dividends. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award agreement, any dividends (whether paid in cash, stock or property) declared and paid by the Company with respect to shares of Restricted Stock (“Accrued Dividends”) shall be paid to the Participant only if and when such shares become free from the restrictions on transferability and forfeitability that apply to such shares. Each payment of Accrued Dividends will be made no later than the end of the calendar year in which the dividends are paid to stockholders of that class of stock or, if later, the 15th day of the third month following the lapsing of the restrictions on transferability and the forfeitability provisions applicable to the underlying shares of Restricted Stock.
(2) Stock Certificates. The Company may require that any stock certificates issued in respect of shares of Restricted Stock, as well as dividends or distributions paid on such Restricted Stock, shall be deposited in escrow by the Participant, together with a stock power endorsed in blank, with the Company (or its designee). At the expiration of the applicable restriction periods, the Company (or such designee) shall deliver the certificates no longer subject to such restrictions to the Participant or if the Participant has died, to his or her Designated Beneficiary. “Designated Beneficiary” means (i) the beneficiary designated, in a manner determined by the Board, by a Participant to receive amounts due or exercise rights of the Participant in the event of the Participant’s death or (ii) in the absence of an effective designation by a Participant, the Participant’s estate.
(d) Additional Provisions Relating to Restricted Stock Units.
(1) Settlement. As soon as practicable after the vesting of and/or lapsing of any other restrictions (i.e., settlement) with respect to each Restricted Stock Unit, the Participant shall be entitled to receive from the Company such number of shares of Common Stock and/or (if so provided in the applicable Award agreement) an amount of cash equal to the fair market value (valued in the manner determined by (or in a manner approved by) the Board) of such number of shares of Common Stock as are set forth in the applicable Restricted Stock Unit agreement. The Board may provide that settlement of Restricted Stock Units shall be deferred, on a mandatory basis or at the election of the Participant in a manner that complies with Section 409A of the Code.
(2) Voting Rights. A Participant shall have no voting rights with respect to any Restricted Stock Units.
(3) Dividend Equivalents. The Award agreement for Restricted Stock Units may provide Participants with the right to receive an amount equal to any dividends or other distributions declared and paid on an equal number of outstanding shares of Common Stock (“Dividend Equivalents”). Dividend Equivalents may be settled in cash and/or shares of Common Stock, as provided in the Award agreement, and shall be subject to the same restrictions on transfer and forfeitability as the Restricted Stock Units with respect to which paid.
5
8. Other Stock-Based Awards
(a) General. The Board may grant other Awards of shares of Common Stock, and other Awards that are valued in whole or in part by reference to, or are otherwise based on, shares of Common Stock or other property (“Other Stock-Based Awards”). Such Other Stock-Based Awards shall also be available as a form of payment in the settlement of other Awards granted under the Plan or as payment in lieu of compensation to which a Participant is otherwise entitled. Other Stock-Based Awards may be paid in shares of Common Stock or cash, as the Board shall determine.
(b) Terms and Conditions. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Board shall determine the terms and conditions of each Other Stock-Based Award, including any purchase price applicable thereto.
9. Adjustments for Changes in Common Stock and Certain Other Events
(a) Changes in Capitalization. In the event of any stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, combination of shares, reclassification of shares, spin-off or other similar change in capitalization or event, or any dividend or distribution to holders of Common Stock other than an ordinary cash dividend, (i) the number and class of securities available under the Plan, (ii) the share counting rules set forth in Section 4, (iii) the number and class of securities and exercise price per share of each outstanding Option, (iv) the share and per-share provisions and the measurement price of each outstanding SAR, (v) the number of shares subject to and the repurchase price per share subject to each outstanding award of Restricted Stock and (vi) the share and per-share-related provisions and the purchase price, if any, of each outstanding Restricted Stock Unit award and each outstanding Other Stock-Based Award, shall be equitably adjusted by the Company (or substituted Awards may be made, if applicable) in the manner determined by the Board. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event the Company effects a split of the Common Stock by means of a stock dividend and the exercise price of and the number of shares subject to an outstanding Option are adjusted as of the date of the distribution of the dividend (rather than as of the record date for such dividend), then an optionee who exercises an Option between the record date and the distribution date for such stock dividend shall be entitled to receive, on the distribution date, the stock dividend with respect to the shares of Common Stock acquired upon such Option exercise, notwithstanding the fact that such shares were not outstanding as of the close of business on the record date for such stock dividend.
(b) Reorganization Events.
(1) Definition. A “Reorganization Event” shall mean: (i) any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another entity as a result of which all of the Common Stock of the Company is converted into or exchanged for the right to receive cash, securities or other property or is cancelled, (ii) any transfer or disposition of all of the Common Stock of the Company for cash, securities or other property pursuant to a share exchange or other transaction or (iii) any liquidation or dissolution of the Company.
(2) Consequences of a Reorganization Event on Awards Other than Restricted Stock.
(A) In connection with a Reorganization Event, the Board may take any one or more of the following actions as to all or any (or any portion of) outstanding Awards other than Restricted Stock on such terms as the Board determines (except to the extent specifically provided otherwise in an applicable Award agreement or another agreement between the Company and the Participant): (i) provide that such Awards shall be assumed, or substantially equivalent Awards shall be substituted, by the acquiring or succeeding corporation (or an affiliate thereof), (ii) upon written notice to a Participant, provide that all of the Participant’s unvested Awards will be forfeited immediately prior to the consummation of such Reorganization Event and/or that all of the Participant’s unexercised Awards will terminate immediately prior to the consummation of such Reorganization Event unless exercised by the Participant (to the extent then exercisable) within a specified period following the date of such notice, (iii) provide that outstanding Awards shall become exercisable, realizable or deliverable, or restrictions applicable to an Award shall lapse, in whole or in part prior to or upon such Reorganization Event, (iv) in the event of a Reorganization Event under the terms of which holders of Common Stock will receive upon consummation thereof a cash payment for each share surrendered in the Reorganization Event (the “Acquisition Price”), make or provide for a cash payment to Participants with respect to each Award held by a Participant equal to (A) the number of shares of Common Stock subject to the vested portion of the Award (after giving effect to any acceleration of vesting that occurs upon or immediately prior to such Reorganization Event) multiplied by (B) the excess, if any, of (I) the Acquisition Price over (II) the exercise, measurement or purchase price of such Award and any applicable tax withholdings, in exchange for the termination of such Award, (v) provide that, in connection with a liquidation or dissolution of the Company, Awards shall convert into the right to receive liquidation proceeds (if applicable, net of the exercise, measurement or purchase price thereof and any applicable tax withholdings) and (vi) any combination of the foregoing.
6
In taking any of the actions permitted under this Section 9(b)(2), the Board shall not be obligated by the Plan to treat all Awards, all Awards held by a Participant, or all Awards of the same type, identically. (B) Notwithstanding the terms of Section 9(b)(2)(A), in the case of outstanding Restricted Stock Units that are subject to Section 409A of the Code: (i) if the applicable Restricted Stock Unit agreement provides that the Restricted Stock Units shall be settled upon a “change in control event” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5)(i), and the Reorganization Event constitutes such a “change in control event”, then no assumption or substitution shall be permitted pursuant to Section 9(b)(2)(A)(i) and the Restricted Stock Units shall instead be settled in accordance with the terms of the applicable Restricted Stock Unit agreement; and (ii) the Board may only undertake the actions set forth in clauses (iii), (iv) or (v) of Section 9(b)(2)(A) if the Reorganization Event constitutes a “change in control event” as defined under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5)(i) and such action is permitted or required by Section 409A of the Code; if the Reorganization Event is not a “change in control event” as so defined or such action is not permitted or required by Section 409A of the Code, and the acquiring or succeeding corporation does not assume or substitute the Restricted Stock Units pursuant to clause (i) of Section 9(b)(2)(A), then the unvested Restricted Stock Units shall terminate immediately prior to the consummation of the Reorganization Event without any payment in exchange therefor.
(C) For purposes of Section 9(b)(2)(A)(i), an Award (other than Restricted Stock) shall be considered assumed if, following consummation of the Reorganization Event, such Award confers the right to purchase or receive pursuant to the terms of such Award, for each share of Common Stock subject to the Award immediately prior to the consummation of the Reorganization Event, the consideration (whether cash, securities or other property) received as a result of the Reorganization Event by holders of Common Stock for each share of Common Stock held immediately prior to the consummation of the Reorganization Event (and if holders were offered a choice of consideration, the type of consideration chosen by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock); provided, however, that if the consideration received as a result of the Reorganization Event is not solely common stock of the acquiring or succeeding corporation (or an affiliate thereof), the Company may, with the consent of the acquiring or succeeding corporation, provide for the consideration to be received upon the exercise or settlement of the Award to consist solely of such number of shares of common stock of the acquiring or succeeding corporation (or an affiliate thereof) that the Board determines to be equivalent in value (as of the date of such determination or another date specified by the Board) to the per share consideration received by holders of outstanding shares of Common Stock as a result of the Reorganization Event.
(3) Consequences of a Reorganization Event on Restricted Stock. Upon the occurrence of a Reorganization Event other than a liquidation or dissolution of the Company, the repurchase and other rights of the Company with respect to outstanding Restricted Stock shall inure to the benefit of the Company’s successor and shall, unless the Board determines otherwise, apply to the cash, securities or other property which the Common Stock was converted into or exchanged for pursuant to such Reorganization Event in the same manner and to the same extent as they applied to such Restricted Stock; provided, however, that the Board may provide for termination or deemed satisfaction of such repurchase or other rights under the instrument evidencing any Restricted Stock or any other agreement between a Participant and the Company, either initially or by amendment. Upon the occurrence of a Reorganization Event involving the liquidation or dissolution of the Company, except to the extent specifically provided to the contrary in the instrument evidencing any Restricted Stock or any other agreement between a Participant and the Company, all restrictions and conditions on all Restricted Stock then outstanding shall automatically be deemed terminated or satisfied.
10. General Provisions Applicable to Awards
(a) Transferability of Awards.
7
Awards shall not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered by a Participant, either voluntarily or by operation of law, except by will or the laws of descent and distribution or pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order, and, during the life of the Participant, shall be exercisable only by the Participant; provided, however, that, except with respect to Awards subject to Section 409A of the Code, the Board may permit or provide in an Award for the gratuitous transfer of the Award by the Participant to or for the benefit of any immediate family member, family trust or other entity established for the benefit of the Participant and/or an immediate family member thereof if the Company would be eligible to use a Form S-8 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, for the registration of the sale of the Common Stock subject to such Award to such proposed transferee; provided further, that the Company shall not be required to recognize any such permitted transfer until such time as such permitted transferee shall, as a condition to such transfer, deliver to the Company a written instrument in form and substance satisfactory to the Company confirming that such transferee shall be bound by all of the terms and conditions of the Award. References to a Participant, to the extent relevant in the context, shall include references to authorized transferees. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained in this Section 10(a) shall be deemed to restrict a transfer to the Company.
(b) Documentation; Press Release. Each Award shall be evidenced in such form (written, electronic or otherwise) as the Board shall determine. Each Award may contain terms and conditions in addition to those set forth in the Plan. Promptly following the grant of an Award hereunder, the Company must disclose in a press release the material terms of the grant, the number of shares involved, and, if required by law or the rules of the Exchange, the identity of the Participant and each Participant, by accepting the Award, consents to the foregoing.
(c) Board Discretion. Except as otherwise provided by the Plan, each Award may be made alone or in addition or in relation to any other Award. The terms of each Award need not be identical, and the Board need not treat Participants uniformly.
(d) Termination of Status. The Board shall determine the effect on an Award of the disability, death, termination or other cessation of employment, authorized leave of absence or other change in the employment or other status of a Participant and the extent to which, and the period during which, the Participant, or the Participant’s legal representative, conservator, guardian or Designated Beneficiary, may exercise rights or receive any benefits under the Award.
(e) Withholding. The Participant must satisfy all applicable federal, state, and local or other income and employment tax withholding obligations before the Company will deliver stock certificates or otherwise recognize ownership of Common Stock under an Award. The Company may elect to satisfy the withholding obligations through additional withholding on salary or wages. If the Company elects not to or cannot withhold from other compensation, the Participant must pay the Company the full amount, if any, required for withholding or have a broker tender to the Company cash equal to the withholding obligations. Payment of withholding obligations is due before the Company will issue any shares on exercise, vesting or release from forfeiture of an Award or at the same time as payment of the exercise or purchase price, unless the Company determines otherwise. If provided for in an Award or approved by the Board, a Participant may satisfy the tax obligations in whole or in part by delivery (either by actual delivery or attestation) of shares of Common Stock, including shares retained from the Award creating the tax obligation, valued at their fair market value (valued in the manner determined by (or in a manner approved by) the Company); provided, however, except as otherwise provided by the Board, that the total tax withholding where stock is being used to satisfy such tax obligations cannot exceed the Company’s minimum statutory withholding obligations (based on minimum statutory withholding rates for federal, state and local tax purposes, including payroll taxes, that are applicable to such supplemental taxable income), except that, to the extent that the Company is able to retain shares of Common Stock having a fair market value (determined by, or in a manner approved by, the Company) that exceeds the statutory minimum applicable withholding tax without financial accounting implications or the Company is withholding in a jurisdiction that does not have a statutory minimum withholding tax, the Company may retain such number of shares of Common Stock (up to the number of shares having a fair market value equal to the maximum individual statutory rate of tax (determined by, or in a manner approved by, the Company)) as the Company shall determine in its sole discretion to satisfy the tax liability associated with any Award. Shares used to satisfy tax withholding requirements cannot be subject to any repurchase, forfeiture, unfulfilled vesting or other similar requirements.
(f) Amendment of Award. Except as otherwise provided in Sections 5(f) and 6(e) with respect to repricings, the Board may amend, modify or terminate any outstanding Award, including but not limited to, substituting therefor another Award of the same or a different type and changing the date of exercise or realization. The Participant’s consent to such action shall be required unless (i) the Board determines that the action, taking into account any related action, does not materially and adversely affect the Participant’s rights under the Plan or (ii) the change is permitted under Section 9.
8
(g) Conditions on Delivery of Stock. The Company will not be obligated to deliver any shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Plan or to remove restrictions from shares previously issued or delivered under the Plan until (i) all conditions of the Award have been met or removed to the satisfaction of the Company, (ii) in the opinion of the Company’s counsel, all other legal matters in connection with the issuance and delivery of such shares have been satisfied, including any applicable securities laws and regulations and any applicable stock exchange or stock market rules and regulations and (iii) the Participant has executed and delivered to the Company such representations or agreements as the Company may consider appropriate to satisfy the requirements of any applicable laws, rules or regulations.
(h) Acceleration. The Board may at any time provide that any Award shall become immediately exercisable in whole or in part, free from some or all restrictions or conditions, or otherwise realizable in whole or in part, as the case may be.
11. Miscellaneous
(a) No Right To Employment or Other Status. No person shall have any claim or right to be granted an Award by virtue of the adoption of the Plan, and the grant of an Award shall not be construed as giving a Participant the right to continued employment or any other relationship with the Company. The Company expressly reserves the right at any time to dismiss or otherwise terminate its relationship with a Participant free from any liability or claim under the Plan, except as expressly provided in the applicable Award.
(b) No Rights As Stockholder; Clawback Policy. Subject to the provisions of the applicable Award, no Participant or Designated Beneficiary shall have any rights as a stockholder with respect to any shares of Common Stock to be issued with respect to an Award until becoming the record holder of such shares. In accepting an Award under the Plan, a Participant agrees to be bound by any clawback policy the Company has in effect or may adopt in the future, including the Company’s Dodd-Frank Compensation Recovery Policy.
(c) Effective Date. The Plan shall become effective on the date on which it is adopted by the Board. It is expressly intended that approval of the Company’s stockholders not be required as a condition to the effectiveness of the Plan, and the Plan’s provisions shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with such intent for all purposes.
(d) Amendment of Plan. The Board may amend, suspend or terminate the Plan or any portion thereof at any time provided that no amendment that would require stockholder approval under the rules of the Exchange may be made effective unless and until the Company’s stockholders approve such amendment. Unless otherwise specified in the amendment, any amendment to the Plan adopted in accordance with this Section 11(d) shall apply to, and be binding on the holders of, all Awards outstanding under the Plan at the time the amendment is adopted, provided the Board determines that such amendment, taking into account any related action, does not materially and adversely affect the rights of Participants under the Plan.
(e) Authorization of Sub-Plans (including for Grants to non-U.S. Employees). The Board may from time to time establish one or more sub-plans under the Plan for purposes of satisfying applicable securities, tax or other laws of various jurisdictions. The Board shall establish such sub-plans by adopting supplements to the Plan containing (i) such limitations on the Board’s discretion under the Plan as the Board deems necessary or desirable or (ii) such additional terms and conditions not otherwise inconsistent with the Plan as the Board shall deem necessary or desirable. All supplements adopted by the Board shall be deemed to be part of the Plan, but each supplement shall apply only to Participants within the affected jurisdiction and the Company shall not be required to provide copies of any supplement to Participants in any jurisdiction which is not the subject of such supplement.
(f) Compliance with Section 409A of the Code. If and to the extent (i) any portion of any payment, compensation or other benefit provided to a Participant pursuant to the Plan in connection with his or her employment termination constitutes “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and (ii) the Participant is a specified employee as defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, in each case as determined by the Company in accordance with its procedures, by which determinations the Participant (through accepting the Award) agrees that he or she is bound, such portion of the payment, compensation or other benefit shall not be paid before the day that is six months plus one day after the date of “separation from service” (as determined under Section 409A of the Code) (the “New Payment Date”), except as Section 409A of the Code may then permit.
9
The aggregate of any payments that otherwise would have been paid to the Participant during the period between the date of separation from service and the New Payment Date shall be paid to the Participant in a lump sum on such New Payment Date, and any remaining payments will be paid on their original schedule.
The Company makes no representations or warranty and shall have no liability to the Participant or any other person if any provisions of or payments, compensation or other benefits under the Plan are determined to constitute nonqualified deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code but do not to satisfy the conditions of that section.
(g) Limitations on Liability. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Plan, no individual acting as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company will be liable to any Participant, former Participant, spouse, beneficiary, or any other person for any claim, loss, liability, or expense incurred in connection with the Plan, nor will such individual be personally liable with respect to the Plan because of any contract or other instrument he or she executes in his or her capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each director, officer, employee or agent of the Company to whom any duty or power relating to the administration or interpretation of the Plan has been or will be delegated, against any cost or expense (including attorneys’ fees) or liability (including any sum paid in settlement of a claim with the Board’s approval) arising out of any act or omission to act concerning the Plan unless arising out of such person’s own fraud or bad faith.
(h) Governing Law. The provisions of the Plan and all Awards made hereunder shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, excluding choice-of-law principles of the law of such state that would require the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware.
10