Exhibit 10.1
CONSULTING AGREEMENT
This Consulting Agreement (this Agreement), entered into this 27th day of April,
2007, effective as of March 7, 2007 (the Effective Date), is made by and between Novavax,
a Delaware corporation (the Company), and John
Lambert (the Consultant).
RECITALS
A. The Company is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel vaccines and is
located in Rockville, Maryland.
B. Consultant has extensive experience as an executive and as a director for several
vaccine-related companies and has served as a consultant to the Company over the past several
months.
C. After several months of discussions between the Company and Consultant regarding a director
position and a broader and longer term consulting relationship, the Company and Consultant wish to
continue the consulting arrangement under revised terms and agree to enter into this Consulting
Agreement and, on March 7, 2007, the Board of Directors of the Company have elected Consultant
Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises set forth in this Agreement and other
good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the
parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:
AGREEMENT
1. Term. Unless otherwise terminated or extended as set forth in this Agreement, the term of
this Agreement will commence on the Effective Date and expire on March 8, 2010 (the
Term). Either Consultant or the Company may terminate this Agreement at any time, and
for any reason or no reason, with or without cause, upon thirty (30) days notice.
2. Consulting Services. Pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company
hereby engages the Consultant, and the Consultant hereby accepts such engagement, to perform the
consulting services set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto (the Services) during
the Term. Consultant shall devote approximately one third of his business time to the performance
of his duties with the Company, including spending a reasonable amount of time at the Companys
offices.
3. Fees and Expenses.
(a) In consideration of the Consultant performing the Services hereunder; the Company shall
pay the Consultant an annual fee of $220,000 (the Fees) payable monthly with the first
payment to be made on April 30, 2007 covering the period from the Effective Date through and
including April 30.
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(b) The Company shall reimburse the Consultant for his reasonable out-of-pocket expenses
incurred in connection with the performance of the Services hereunder, including travel and
telephone. All such reimbursement will be provided in accordance with the Companys expense
reimbursement policies in effect from time to time during the Term.
(c) If this Agreement is terminated for any reason before the expiration of the Term, then the
Company shall pay Consultant a prorated portion of the Fees through the effective date of
termination and shall have no other payment obligation or other liability under this Agreement or
otherwise, unless otherwise required by law or as expressly provided in Section 4 or in a separate
agreement.
4. Change in Control.
(a) If, in the event of a Change in Control, this Agreement is terminated as a result of an
Involuntary Termination without Cause for a reason other than Consultants death or Disability, or
as a result of a Constructive Termination, which in either case occurs: (x) during the period not
to exceed eighteen (18) months after the effective date of a Change in Control, or (y) before the
effective date of a Change in Control, but after the first date on which the Board and/or senior
management of the Company has entered into formal negotiations with a potential acquiror that
results in the consummation of a Change in Control (provided, however, that in no event shall a
termination of this Agreement occurring more than one (1) year before the effective date of a
Change in Control be covered by this Agreement), Consultant shall receive a single cash payment in
the amount of $375,000.
(b) In order to be eligible to receive the lump sum payment under this Section 4, Consultant
must execute a general waiver and release of all legal claims against the Company and its
Affiliates.
(c) Definitions.
(1) Change in Control means (i) a sale, lease, license or other disposition of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Company, (ii) a consolidation or merger of the Company with
or into any other corporation or other entity or person, or any other corporate reorganization, in
which the shareholders of the Company immediately prior to such consolidation, merger or
reorganization, own less that fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding voting power of the surviving
entity and its parent following the consolidation, merger or reorganization, or (iii) any transaction or series of related transactions involving a
person or entity, or a group of affiliated persons or entities (but excluding any employee benefit
plan or related trust sponsored or maintained by the Company or an Affiliate) in which such persons
or entities that were not shareholders of the Company immediately prior to their acquisition of
Company securities as part of such transaction become the owners, directly or indirectly, of
securities of the Company representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power
of the Companys then outstanding securities other than by virtue of a merger, consolidation or
similar transaction and other than as part of a private financing transaction by the Company, or
(iv) a Change in the Incumbent Board. For purposes of this Plan, a Change in the Incumbent Board
shall occur if the existing members of the Board on
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the date of this Agreement (the Incumbent Board) cease to constitute at least a majority of
the members of the Board, provided, however, that any new Board member shall be
considered a member of the Incumbent Board for this purpose if the appointment or election (or
nomination for such election) of the new Board member was approved or recommended by a majority
vote of the members of the Incumbent Board who are then still in office.
(2) Cause means (i) conviction of, a guilty plea with respect to, or a plea of nolo
contendere to a charge that the Consultant has committed a felony under the laws of the United
States, the United Kingdom or of any state or a crime involving moral turpitude, including, but not
limited to, fraud, theft, embezzlement or any crime that results in or is intended to result in
personal enrichment at the expense of the Company; (ii) material breach of any agreement entered
into between the Consultant and the Company that impairs the Companys interest therein; (iii)
willful misconduct, significant failure to perform the Services, or gross neglect by the Consultant
in connection with the Services; or (iv) engagement in any activity that constitutes a material
conflict of interest with the Company.
(3) Constructive Termination means a termination initiated by Consultant because any of the
following events or conditions have occurred:
a. A material reduction or change in the Consultants services or responsibilities or an
obligation to report to any person or body other than the Board of Directors of the Company which
represents an adverse change from the Consultants services or responsibilities as in effect
immediately preceding the effective date of a Change in Control; the assignment to the Consultant
of any obligations which are inconsistent with the Consultants services or responsibilities as in
effect immediately preceding the effective date of a Change in Control; except in connection with
the termination of this Agreement for Cause or the termination of this Agreement because of
Consultants Disability or death, or except as the result of a voluntary termination by the
Consultant other than as a result of a Constructive Termination;
b. any material breach by the Company of any provision of this Agreement;
c. the failure of the Company to obtain an agreement, satisfactory to the Consultant, from any
successors and assigns to assume and agree to perform the obligations created under this Agreement
as a result of a Change in Control.
(4) Disability means the permanent and total disability of a person within the meaning of
Section 22(e)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
(5) Involuntary Termination without Cause means the termination of this Agreement before its
expiration which is initiated by the Company for a reason other than Cause.
5. Relationship of the Parties.
(a) The relationship of the Consultant to the Company hereunder is that of independent
contractor. Nothing herein shall be deemed to create any partnership, association or joint venture
between the parties. Consultant shall not be construed for any
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purpose to be an employee subject to the control and direction of the Company or any of its
affiliates.
(b) Consultant shall not be entitled to any of the benefits, coverages or privileges,
including, without limitation, social security, unemployment, medical or pension payments, made
available to employees of the Company or any of its affiliates.
(c) The Consultant shall have sole responsibility for the proper reporting and payment of any
and all United States and/or United Kingdom federal, state and/or local taxes due on payments made
to the Consultant by the Company hereunder. The Consultant agrees to provide the Company, upon
request, with written proof demonstrating proper reporting and payment of all applicable taxes.
(d) The Company shall have the right to withhold all Federal, state, or other taxes from
amounts paid to Consultant under any provision of this Agreement as shall be required to be
withheld by the Company pursuant to any statute or other governmental regulation or ruling. The
Company may make any arrangements that it deems appropriate to effect such withholding that are
permitted by applicable law.
(e) Notwithstanding Consultants obligations and the Companys rights under 5(c) and 5(d)
above, Consultant shall reimburse the Company for any tax and interest paid to the Internal Revenue
Service or similar taxing authority by the Company on behalf of Consultant to satisfy Consultants
tax obligations if not previously withheld.
6. Confidentiality. The Consultant shall not, during the Term or for five (5) years after the
Term, disclose to any person the terms or contents of this Agreement or any proprietary,
confidential and nonpublic information of the Company, including business and financial
information, strategic plans and business process, and any plan, method, data, know-how, research,
information, procedure, development, invention, improvement, modification, discovery, design,
process, work of authorship, documentation, formula, technique, trade secret or intellectual
property right whatsoever or any interest therein whether patentable or non-patentable, patents and
applications therefor, trademarks and applications therefor or copyrights and applications
therefor, any information provided to the Consultant by the Company with respect to the
Consultants performance of the Services (collectively, Information) disclosed or
furnished to the Consultant in any format, including on paper, electronically, visually or
verbally. All such Information shall remain the property of the Company. All such Information
shall be kept confidential by the Consultant and may be used only in its performance under this
Agreement, unless the Information was previously known to the Consultant without any obligation of
confidentiality or is made public by the Company, or becomes public knowledge through no fault of
the Consultant. When in tangible form, the Information shall be returned by the Consultant to the
Company upon request by the Company.
7. Property Rights. All work produced hereunder, including, without limitation, all
inventions, ideas, creations, designs, discoveries, developments, techniques, expressions,
improvements, computer programs, specifications, operating instructions and all other
documentation, data or other work product related to the Services provided by the Consultant under
this Agreement (whether patentable or subject to copyright, or not), which are first
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conceived, made or otherwise originated or acquired or first actually constructively reduced
to practice during the Term or within six (6) months following the expiration or termination of the
Term, whether preliminary or final, and on whatever media rendered (collectively, the Work
Product), shall be deemed work made for hire and made in the course of services rendered for
the Company and shall be the sole and exclusive property of the Company. The Company shall have
the sole, absolute and unlimited right throughout the world to protect by patent or copyright, and
to make, have made, use, reconstruct, repair, modify reproduce, publish, distribute and sell the
Work Product, in whole or in part, or combine the Work Product with other matter, or not use the
Work Product at all, as it sees fit. To the extent that title to the Work Product may not be
considered work for hire, the Consultant irrevocably agrees to transfer and assign to the Company
in perpetuity all worldwide right, title and interest in and to the patent rights, copyrights,
trade secrets and other proprietary rights (including, without limitation, applications for
registrations thereof) in, and ownership of, the Work Product that the Consultant may have, as and
when such rights arise. The Consultant further agrees that it will execute, and will cause its
applicable employees to execute, all documents necessary to enable the Company to protect and
record its ownership of the Work Product.
8. Competitors. The Company recognizes that Consultant shall devote less than all of his
business time to the performance of his duties with the Company. The Company also recognizes that
Consultant currently has pre-existing affiliations with other companies, including companies in the
vaccine industry, including Acambis PLC, Cambridge Biostability Ltd., J.G. Solutions Ltd. and
Farmaprojects SA. Consultant agrees that he will consult with the Chairman of the Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee before accepting a director, consulting or employment arrangement
with any of the Companys competitors in the vaccine industry.
9. Authority to Contract. The Company represents and warrants to Consultant that the
execution and delivery of this Agreement and the performance of the provisions hereof have been
duly authorized by all necessary action on its part, that this Agreement has been duly and validly
executed and delivered by it, that this Agreement constitutes a valid and legally binding agreement
enforceable against it in accordance with its terms. Consultant represents and warrants to the
Company that this Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by him, that this
Agreement constitutes a valid and legally binding agreement enforceable against him in accordance
with its terms, and that neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement nor the performance
of the provisions hereof constitute or will constitute a violation of any contract, or other
agreement or relationship to which he is a party or by which he is bound.
10. Entire Agreement. This Agreement supersedes all prior oral or written negotiations,
understandings or agreements between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof. Except
as otherwise set forth herein there are no agreements, understandings, commitments,
representations, or warranties with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement and the
terms, covenants and conditions set forth herein shall inure to the benefit of and will be binding
on the parties hereto and their respective successors in interest and permitted assigns.
11. Assignment. Consultant shall not assign or subcontract his rights or obligations under
this Agreement.
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12. Amendment. This Agreement may not be amended, modified, waived or canceled except by a
writing signed by each party hereto.
13. Counterparts; Facsimile Signatures. This Agreement may be executed in two or more
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which shall constitute one and
the same instrument. This Agreement may be executed with the signatures to be transmitted by
facsimile. A facsimile signature shall be treated for all purposes as an original signature.
14. Equitable Relief.
(a) In the event that any provision of Section 6 or 8 shall be declared by a court of
competent jurisdiction to exceed the maximum time period or areas such court deems reasonable and
enforceable, said time period and/or areas of restriction shall be deemed to become and thereafter
be the maximum time period and/or areas which such court deems reasonable and enforceable.
(b) Consultant recognizes and agrees that the Companys remedy at law for any breach of the
provisions of Sections 6, 7 or 8 hereof would be inadequate, and he agrees that for breach of such
provisions, the Company shall, in addition to such other remedies as may be available to it at law
or in equity or as provided in this Agreement, be entitled to injunctive relief and to enforce its
rights by an action for specific performance.
15. No Waiver. No consent or waiver, express or implied, by either party hereto of any term
or provision of this Agreement, or of any breach or default by the other party in the performance
of its obligations hereunder shall be valid unless in writing, and no such consent or waiver shall
be deemed or construed to be the consent or waiver by such party of any other term or provision of
this Agreement, or of any other breach or default by the other party in the performance of its
obligations hereunder. Failure on the part of either party to object to any act or failure to act
of the other party or to declare the other party in default, irrespective of how long such failure
continues, shall not constitute a waiver by such party of its rights hereunder.
16. Headings. The headings of the Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience of
reference only and shall not in any manner affect the construction or meaning of anything herein
contained or govern the rights or liabilities of the parties hereto.
17. Notices. All notices and other communications required or permitted under this Agreement
shall be in writing and hand delivered, sent by an internationally recognized express courier
service or by facsimile to the recipient partys address set forth below, or at such other address
as either party shall provide to the other party. Such notices and other communications shall be
effective upon receipt if hand delivered, three (3) days after sending if sent by overnight courier
and the date of delivery if sent by facsimile and a confirmation is received.
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| If to the Company: |
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Novavax, Inc.
9220 Belward Campus Drive
Rockville, MD 20850
Attention: Chief Executive Officer
Facsimile: |
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| If to the Consultant: |
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John Lambert
Box Cottage, Church Lane
Great Kimble, Aylesbury
Bucks HP17 9th, UK
Facsimile: 01844 344496 |
18. Governing Law. This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the
laws of the State of Maryland without regard to its conflict of laws principles.
[Signatures on the Following Page]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the dated first
above written.
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| NOVAVAX, INC. |
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By:
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/s/ Gary C. Evans
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/s/ John Lambert |
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| Name: Gary C. Evans |
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John Lambert |
| Title: Director |
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EXHIBIT A
CONSULTING SERVICES
Consultant shall be responsible to and shall report to the board of directors of the Company.
Consultant shall work closely with senior management of the Company. Consultant shall provide
advice and input into material agreements to be entered into or amended by the Company, for example
agreements related to the acquisition of intellectual property, strategic alliances or corporate
collaborations, the license of intellectual property to third parties, and other material
acquisitions or dispositions. Consultant shall work with the senior management of the Company on
significant matters related to clinical development of its products, including manufacturing
issues, FDA approval strategy and commercialization strategy. Consultant shall also have such
additional or more specific duties and responsibilities as may be reasonably assigned by the board
of directors of the Company and agreed to by Consultant.