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Exhibit 10.12

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

        This Agreement, dated July 1, 2002 is between JDS Uniphase Corporation (the "Company") and Mark Sobey ("Employee").

PREMISES

        WHEREFORE,

        1.     Employee currently is employed by Company; and

        2.     Company and Employee wish to clarify their existing employment relationship with a written Employment Agreement intended to supersede all other written and oral representations and agreements regarding Employee's employment with Company;

AGREEMENT

        NOW, THEREFORE, based on the foregoing premises and in consideration of the commitments set forth below, Employee and Company agree as follows:

        1.    Definitions.    

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        2.    Position, Duties, Responsibilities    

        3.    Compensation    

        In consideration of the services to be rendered under this Agreement, Company shall continue to pay Employee at an initial base annual salary equivalent to Employee's current base rate of pay of $242,000, payable in accordance with the Company's payroll practices. Employee's salary will be reviewed from time to time in accordance with Company's established procedures for adjusting salaries for similarly situated employees. Employee shall be eligible to participate in Company's benefit plans and to receive prerequisites of employment as established by Company, and as may be amended from time to time in Company's sole discretion.

        4.    Term    

        The term (the "Term") of this Agreement shall commence on the date hereof and shall expire on July 6, 2004 unless sooner terminated as provided herein (the date of termination of this Agreement, the "Expiration Date").

        5.    Termination.    

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        6.    Termination Obligations    

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        7.    Notices    

        All notices or other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be made in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if delivered by hand or mailed, postage prepaid, by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, and addressed to Company:

and to Employee at:



        Employee and the Company shall provide written notice to the other (which, notwithstanding any other provision within this section, may be provided by hand delivery, first class mail or electronic mail) of any changes to the addresses above.

        8.    Entire Agreement    

        Subject to the last sentence of this paragraph, the terms of this Agreement are intended by the parties to be the final and exclusive expression of their agreement with respect to the employment of Employee by Company and may not be contradicted by evidence of any prior or contemporaneous statements or agreements. Subject to the last sentence of this paragraph, the parties further intend that this Agreement shall constitute the complete and exclusive statement of its terms and that no extrinsic evidence whatsoever may be introduced in any judicial, administrative, or other legal proceeding involving this Agreement. To the extent that the practices, policies, or procedures of Company, now or in the future, apply to Employee and are inconsistent with the terms of this Agreement, the provisions of this Agreement shall control. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this agreement shall limit or modify, in any manner, any existing or future agreement between the Employee and the Company relating to proprietary information, inventions, treatment of confidential information, non-competition or employee benefits or incentive plans.

        9.    Amendments, Waivers    

        This Agreement may not be modified, amended, or terminated except by an instrument in writing, signed by Employee and by a duly authorized representative of Company other than Employee. No failure to exercise and no delay in exercising any right, remedy, or power under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, or power under this Agreement preclude any other or further exercise thereof, or the exercise of any other right, remedy, or power provided herein.

        Employee and the Company each specifically agree and acknowledge that they each waive recourse to any remedies in tort, and further agree and acknowledge their intent that all rights and liabilities pertaining to the cessation of the employment relationship between them, where such cessation occurs on or before the Expiration Date, be as set out in this Agreement (or in any subsequent modification of this Agreement, provided that the modification is in writing and signed by both parties).

        10.    Assignment; Successors and Assigns    

        Employee agrees that Employee will not assign, sell, transfer, delegate or otherwise dispose of, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, or by operation of law, any rights or obligations under this Agreement, nor shall Employee's rights be subject to encumbrance or the claims of creditors. Any

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purported assignment, transfer, or delegation shall be null and void. Nothing in this Agreement shall prevent the consolidation of the Company with, or its merger into, any other corporation, or the sale by the Company of all or substantially all of its properties or assets, or the assignment by the Company of this Agreement and the performance of its obligations hereunder to any successor in interest. Subject to the foregoing, this Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective heirs, legal representatives, successors, and permitted assigns, and shall not benefit any person or entity other than those enumerated above.

        11.    Severability; Enforcement    

        If any provision of this Agreement, or the application thereof to any person, place, or circumstance, shall be held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, unenforceable, or void, the remainder of this Agreement and such provisions as applied to other persons, places, and circumstances shall remain in full force and effect.

        12.    Governing Law    

        The validity, interpretation, enforceability, and performance of this Agreement, other than Section 4, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of the State of California.

        13.    Employee Acknowledgment    

        The parties acknowledge (a) that they have consulted with or have had the opportunity to consult with independent counsel of their own choice concerning this Agreement, and (b) that they have read and understand the Agreement, are fully aware of its legal effect, and have entered into it freely based on their own judgment and not on any representations or promises other than those contained in this Agreement.

        14.    Date of Agreement    

        The parties have duly executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

JDS UNIPHASE CORPORATION

 

 

 

 
By: /s/  MICHAEL C. PHILLIPS      
  /s/  MARK SOBEY      
Name: Michael C. Phillips   Mark Sobey
Its: Senior Vice President, Business Development and General Counsel    

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