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Quotes & Info
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| WMGI > SEC Filings for WMGI > Form 8-K on 16-Nov-2009 | All Recent SEC Filings |
16-Nov-2009
Change in Directors or Principal Officers
Under the terms of the Separation Pay Agreement entered into with Mr. Berry, in
the event that he is terminated for cause or he terminates employment other than
for good reason we shall have no obligations other than payment of accrued
obligations described below. In the event of an involuntary termination of
Mr. Berry, we will be obligated to pay a separation payment and accrued
obligations and provide benefits to him as described below.
• Accrued Obligations. Accrued obligations include (i) any accrued base salary
through the date of termination, (ii) any annual cash incentive compensation
awards earned but not yet paid, (iii) the value of any accrued vacation,
(iv) reimbursement for any unreimbursed business expenses, and, (v) only in
the case of an involuntary termination after a change in control or a
termination at any time by reason of death, an annual incentive payment at
target for the year that includes the date of termination, prorated for the
portion of the year that Mr. Berry was employed.
• Separation Payment upon Involuntary Termination. The total separation payment for Mr. Berry is the amount equal to twelve months multiplied by 1.45 times Mr. Berry's monthly base pay. Half of the total separation payment amount will be payable at or within a reasonable time after the date of termination. The remaining half of the total separation payment amount will be payable in installments beginning six months after the date of termination, with a final installment of the balance of the remaining half of the total separation payment to be made on or before March 15 of the calendar year following the year in which the date of termination.
• Benefits upon Involuntary Termination. Mr. Berry will also receive benefits that include (i) health and dental coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), which we must pay for a period not exceeding eighteen months, (ii) outplacement assistance for a period of twelve months for Mr. Berry, subject to termination if he accepts employment with another employer, (iii) financial planning services for Mr. Berry for a period of twelve months, (iv) payment to continue insurance coverage equal to the annual supplemental executive officer insurance benefit provided to Mr. Berry prior to the date of termination, and (v) reasonable attorneys' fees and expense if any such fees or expenses are incurred to enforce the Separation Pay Agreement.
For purposes of the Separation Pay Agreement, involuntary termination will occur
if we terminate the employment of Mr. Berry other than for cause, disability,
voluntary retirement, or death or if he resigns for good reason. A termination
of Mr. Berry before a change in control by reason of his retirement on or after
age sixty-five does not constitute an involuntary termination.
The definition of cause includes (i) willful failure of Mr. Berry to
substantially perform his duties that amounts to an intentional and extended
neglect of his duties, (ii) only prior to a change in control, continued,
documented poor performance after giving him sufficient time to improve,
(iii) the determination by our Board of Directors that he has engaged or is
about to engage in conduct materially injurious to us, (iv) his conviction or
entering of a guilty or no contest plea to a felony charge, or (v) his
participation in the activities proscribed by the confidentiality,
non-solicitation, and non-competition covenants described below or a material
breach of any of the other covenants contained in the Separation Pay Agreement.
Prior to a change in control, the definition of good reason includes (i) the
assignment to Mr. Berry of any duties materially inconsistent with the range of
duties and responsibilities appropriate to our senior executive officers, (ii) a
material reduction in his overall standing and responsibilities, (iii) a
material reduction in his aggregate annualized compensation and benefits
opportunities, (iv) our failure to pay Mr. Berry any portion of his compensation
and benefits within thirty days after they become due, (v) any
purported termination of his employment that is not made pursuant to a notice of
termination that reasonably details the basis for termination, (vi) the failure
by us to obtain an agreement from any of our successors requiring such successor
to assume and agree to perform our obligations under the Separation Pay
Agreement, (vii) the failure by us to provide indemnification and directors and
officers insurance protection contemplated by the Indemnification Agreement, or
(viii) the failure by us to comply with any material provision of the Separation
Pay Agreement.
After a change in control, the definition of good reason includes, (i) a
material and adverse change in Mr. Berry's title, authority as an executive
officer, duties, responsibilities, or reporting lines as in effect immediately
prior to the change in control, (ii) a material reduction in his aggregate
annualized compensation opportunities, or (iii) the relocation of his principal
place of employment to a location that is more than forty miles from his
principal place of employment immediately prior to the change in control.
Under the terms of the Separation Pay Agreement, Mr. Berry makes certain
covenants that impose future obligations on him regarding confidentiality of
information, transfer of inventions, non-solicitation of our employees for a
period of twelve to twenty-four months, and noncompetition with our business for
a period of twelve to twenty-four months. If we determine that a breach of any
of these covenants has occurred, then our obligations to make payments or
provide benefits shall cease immediately and permanently, and Mr. Berry shall
repay an amount equal to 90% of the payments and benefits previously provided
under the Separation Pay Agreement with interest. Upon termination for any
reason other than cause, Mr. Berry must enter into a mutual release of all
claims within forty-five days after the date of termination before any payments
will be made to him.
If we are required to restate our balance sheet or statement of operations
affecting any reporting period that transpires during the term of the Separation
Pay Agreement due to our material non-compliance with any financial requirements
under securities laws, we may require Mr. Berry to reimburse us for any bonus or
incentive-based or equity-based compensation received by him during the term of
the Separation Pay Agreement and any profits realized from the sale of our
securities by him during the term of the Separation Pay Agreement. If our Board
of Directors determines that such forfeiture is appropriate, we may withhold
future amounts owed to Mr. Berry as compensation, and we may commence legal
action to collect such sums as our Board of Directors determines is owed to us.
All payments under the Separation Pay Agreement will be net of applicable tax
withholdings. The Separation Pay Agreement contains a provision that reduces
payment under the Separation Pay Agreement to avoid taxation under Section 4999
of the Internal Revenue Code for "parachute payments" within the meaning of
Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code if such reduction results in a larger
after-tax payment to Mr. Berry.
Under the terms of the Separation Pay Agreement, the change in control benefits
are "double trigger," which requires (i) a change in control and (ii) a
termination other than for cause or death or other than resignation with good
reason within twelve months of the expiration of the Separation Pay Agreement
before Mr. Berry receives his change in control benefit. If we give notice of
termination of the Separation Pay Agreement less than one year after a change in
control, then the term of the Separation Pay Agreement will be automatically
extended until the later of the one year anniversary that follows such written
notice or the second anniversary of the change in control. The change in control
benefit requires us to pay a separation payment and accrued obligations and
provide benefits to Mr. Berry as described above.
Subject to several exceptions, for purposes of the Separation Pay Agreement, a
change in control occurs if (i) any person or group of persons acquires more
than 50% of our capital stock, (ii) any person or group
of persons acquires 35% or more of the voting power represented by our capital
stock in a twelve-month period, (iii) any person or group of persons acquires
40% of our assets in a twelve-month period, (iv) a majority of our directors are
replaced in any twelve-month period by directors whose election is not endorsed
by a majority of our directors, or (v) a merger or consolidation occurs pursuant
to which 40% of our assets are to be transferred to a different entity.
In addition to the benefits under the Separation Pay Agreement, if Mr. Berry
were terminated he would be entitled to receive any benefits that he otherwise
would have been entitled to receive under our 401(k) Plan.
A copy of Mr. Berry's Separation Pay Agreement is attached as Exhibit 10.1 to
this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.
Election of Director
On November 12, 2009, our Board of Directors elected Carmen L. Diersen to fill a
vacancy on the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors has determined that
Ms. Diersen is independent as defined in the listing rules of the Nasdaq Stock
Market.
Ms. Diersen, age 49, currently serves as the Chief Operating and Financial
Officer of Spine Wave, Inc., a developer of advanced materials, techniques and
implant systems for spine surgery. From 2004 to 2006, she served as the
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of American Medical
Systems, Inc. From 1992 to 2004, Ms. Diersen held positions of increasing
domestic and international responsibility in finance and general management at
Medtronic, Inc., most recently as the Vice President and General Manager of the
Musculoskeletal Tissue Services business of Medtronic Sofamor Danek. From 1982
to 1992, she was employed by Honeywell, Inc. Ms. Diersen holds a B.S. in
Accounting from the University of North Dakota and an M.B.A. in General
Management from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management.
Ms. Diersen will serve as a member of the Nominating, Compliance and Governance
Committee of the Board of Directors.
Compensatory Arrangements
Ms. Diersen will receive compensation for her services as a director consistent
with the compensation for directors described in our definitive Proxy Statement
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 15, 2009.
Ms. Diersen entered into a form of Indemnification Agreement with us as provided
to each of our directors and executive officers. Under the terms of the
Indemnification Agreement, we shall indemnify the indemnitee to the fullest
extent permitted by law for all expenses, damages, judgments, fines, penalties,
excise taxes, and amounts paid in settlement arising out of or resulting from
any claim relating to any event or occurrence related to the fact that the
indemnitee is or was our or an affiliate's director, officer, employee, or
agent. We shall advance all expenses incurred by the indemnitee if requested by
such indemnitee. The Indemnification Agreement also requires us to maintain a
policy of insurance for the benefit of the indemnitee for so long as the
indemnitee serves as a director or officer and thereafter for so long as the
indemnitee is subject to any possible claim or proceeding by reason of the fact
that the indemnitee served as our or an affiliate's director, officer, employee,
or agent. Upon a change in control, as defined in Indemnification Agreement, we
may purchase a tail policy with an effective term of six years after the change
in control in lieu of maintaining such policy of insurance.
The rights of an indemnitee under the Indemnification Agreement are in addition
to any other rights that the indemnitee may have under our Fourth Amended and
Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended from time to time, and our
Second Amended and Restated By-laws, as amended from time to time.
The form of Indemnification Agreement is attached as Exhibit 10.1 to our Current
Report on Form 8-K filed on April 7, 2009 and is incorporated herein by
reference.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
Exhibit
Number Description
10.1 Separation Pay Agreement entered into as of April 1, 2009 between
Wright Medical Technology, Inc. and Lance A. Berry.
99.1 Press Release
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