EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT
dated as February 28, 2007 between Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., a
Delaware corporation (the "Employer" or the "Company"), and Seth Krauss (the
"Employee").
W
I T
N E S S E T H
:
WHEREAS,
the Employer desires to employ the Employee as its General Counsel and to
be
assured of his services as such on the terms and conditions hereinafter set
forth; and
WHEREAS,
the Employee is willing to accept such employment on such terms and conditions;
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements hereinafter
set forth, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the Employer and the
Employee hereby agree as follows:
1.
Term.
Employer hereby agrees to employ Employee, and Employee hereby agrees to
serve
Employer for a three-year period commencing effective as of March 12, 2007
(the
"Effective Date") (such period being herein referred to as the "Initial Term,"
and any year commencing on the Effective Date or any anniversary of the
Effective Date being hereinafter referred to as an "Employment Year"). After
the
Initial Term, this Agreement shall be renewable automatically for successive
one
year periods (each such period being referred to as a "Renewal Term" and
together with the Initial Term referred to as “the Term”), unless, at least
sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of the Initial Term or any Renewal
Term,
either the Employee or the Employer give written notice that employment will
not
be renewed.
2.
Employee
Duties.
(a) During
the term of this Agreement, the Employee shall serve as Executive Vice President
and General Counsel and have the duties and responsibilities customarily
associated with these positions in a company the size and nature of the Company.
Employee shall report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of Employer
and
the Board of Directors of the Employer (the "Board").
(b) The
Employee shall devote substantially all of his business time, attention,
knowledge and skills faithfully, diligently and to the best of his ability,
in
furtherance of the business and activities of the Company. The principal
place
of performance by the Employee of his duties hereunder shall be the Company's
principal executive offices in New York, although the Employee may be required
to travel outside of the area where the Company's principal executive offices
are located in connection with the business of the Company.
3. Compensation.
(a) During
the Term, the Employer shall pay the Employee a salary (the "Salary") at
a rate
of $365,000 per annum in respect of each Employment Year, payable in equal
installments semi-monthly, or at such other times as may mutually be agreed
upon
between the Employer and the Employee. Such Salary shall be subject to an
annual
review by the Board and may be increased from time to time at the discretion
of
the Board.
(b) The
Employee shall be entitled to a one-time signing bonus of $50,000, payable
on
the first business day of the third full month following the Effective Date.
The
Employee shall also be entitled to receive a cash bonus (“Bonus”), with a target
payment of 50% of Employee’s Salary in respect of each fiscal year (such bonus
to be pro-rated to the extent a fiscal year incorporates only part of an
Employment Year) during the term of this Agreement, based upon reasonable
and
appropriate quantitative and qualitative performance targets for each fiscal
year to be mutually agreed upon in good faith by the Employee and the Employer.
The actual bonus may be less than the target payment based upon the reasonable
assessment of the Employee’s performance against the mutually agreed targets and
the results of operations of the Employer.
(c) The
Employee shall receive non-qualified options to purchase 100,000 shares of
the
Company’s common stock (the “Options”), to be granted on the first business day
of the first full calendar month following the Effective Date (the “Grant
Date”). The Options shall (i) have an exercise price per share equal to the
closing price of the Company’s common stock on Nasdaq on the Grant Date, (ii)
vest as to one-third of such shares on each of the first, second and third
anniversaries of the Grant Date, (iii) be issued under and subject to the
Employer’s 2002 Stock Option Plan, as amended, and (iv) be subject to the
provisions of Section 6(c) of this Agreement.
(d) The
Employee shall be entitled to receive 25,000 shares of restricted common
stock
of the Company (the “Shares”) under the Company’s Incentive Stock Plan, as
amended, vesting as to one-third of such shares on each of the first, second
and
third anniversaries of the date of grant (as determined in the immediately
succeeding sentence), subject to the provisions of Section 6(c) of this
Agreement. The Shares shall be granted upon the last to occur of (i) the
approval by the Company’s stockholders of an amendment to the Company’s
Incentive Stock Plan increasing the number of shares authorized to be issued
thereunder by at least 1,000,000 shares or (ii) the Grant Date. If the approval
date referred to in clause (i) of the immediately preceding sentence does
not
occur prior to the first, second or third anniversaries of the Grant Date,
as
the case may be, Employee shall be paid an amount in cash equal to the value
of
the shares that would have vested on such anniversary date if the shares
had
been granted on the Grant Date.
(e) During
the term of this Agreement, the Employee shall be entitled to receive a car
allowance in an amount of up to $1,000 per month.
(f) In
addition to the foregoing, the Employee shall be entitled to such other cash
bonuses and such other compensation in the form of stock, stock options or
other
property or rights as may from time to time be awarded to him by the Board
during or in respect of his employment hereunder.
4.
Benefits.
(a) During
the term of this Agreement, the Employee shall have the right to receive
or
participate in all benefits and plans which the Company may from time to
time
institute during such period for its executive officers and for its employees
in
general and for which the Employee is eligible. Nothing paid to the Employee
under any plan or arrangement presently in effect or made available in the
future shall be deemed to be in lieu of the salary or any other obligation
payable to the Employee pursuant to this Agreement.
(b) During
the term of this Agreement, the Employee will be entitled to the number of
paid
holidays, personal days off, vacation days and sick leave days in each calendar
year as are determined by the Company from time to time (provided that in
no
event shall vacation time be fewer than four weeks per year). Such vacation
may
be taken in the Employee's discretion with the prior approval of the Employer,
and at such time or times as are not inconsistent with the reasonable business
needs of the Company.
5.
Travel
Expenses.
All
travel and other expenses incident to the rendering of services reasonably
incurred on behalf of the Employer by the Employee during the term of this
Agreement shall be paid by the Employer. If any such expenses are paid in
the
first instance by the Employee, the Employer shall reimburse him therefor
on
presentation of appropriate receipts for any such expenses. All travel and
lodging arrangements shall be made in accordance with Employer’s regular
policies.
6.
Termination.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 1 hereof, the Employee's employment
with the Employer may be earlier terminated as follows:
(a) By
action
taken by the Board, the Employee may be discharged for Cause (as herein-after
defined), effective as of such time as the Board shall determine. Upon discharge
of the Employee pursuant to this Section 6(a), the Employer shall have no
further obligation or duties to the Employee, except for payment of Salary
through the effective date of termination, and the Employee shall have no
further obliga-tions or duties to the Employer, except as provided in Section
7.
(b) In
the
event of (i) the death of the Employee or (ii) by action of the Board and
the
inability of the Employee, by reason of physical or mental disability, to
continue substantially to perform his duties hereunder for a period of 180
consecutive days, during which 180 day period Salary and any other benefits
hereunder shall not be suspended or diminished. Upon any termination of the
Employee's employment under this Section 6(b), the Employer shall have no
further obligations or duties to the Employee, except as provided in Section
8(g).
(c) In
the
event that Employee's employment with the Employer is terminated by action
taken
by the Company without Cause (other than in accordance with Section 6(b)
above),
then the Employer shall have no further obligation or duties to Employee,
except
for payment of the amounts described in this Section 6(c) and as provided
in
Section 8(g), and Employee shall have no further obligations or duties to
the
Employer, except as provided in Section 7. In the event of such termination,
the
Employer shall continue to pay Salary to the Employee at the rate then in
effect
for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of termination; provided,
however, if such termination occurs prior to the second anniversary of the
Effective Date, such twelve (12) month period shall be extended to twenty-four
(24) months. In the event of such termination without Cause, all outstanding
options and shares of restricted stock granted to the Employee which have
not
vested as of the date of such termination shall vest and, as applicable,
become
immediately exercisable. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if such termination
without Cause occurs upon or within six months following a Change in Control
(as
defined herein), (i) the Employer shall continue to pay Salary to Employee
at
the rate then in effect for a period of eighteen (18) months following such
termination (which eighteen (18) month period shall be extended to twenty-four
(24) months in the event such termination occurs prior to the second anniversary
of the Effective Date) and (ii) all outstanding options and shares of restricted
stock granted to the Employee by the Company which have not vested as of
the
date of such termination shall vest and become immediately exercisable, as
applicable.
(d) For
purposes of this Agreement, Employee shall be deemed to have been terminated
by
the Employer without Cause if (i) the Employer terminates his employment
for any
reason other than in accordance with Sections 6(a) or 6(b) above or (ii)
after a
material breach of this Agreement by the Employer or a material diminution
in
Employee’s title, status, position or responsibilities, the Employee provides
Employer with at least thirty (30) days prior written notice specifying the
grounds for such material breach or material diminution and the Employer
fails
to cure such grounds within such thirty (30) day period.
(e) For
purposes of this Agreement, the Company shall have "Cause" to terminate the
Employee's employment under this Agreement upon (i) the continued failure
by the
Employee to substantially perform his duties under this Agreement after receipt
of notice from the Company requesting such performance, (ii) the criminal
conviction of Employee by plea or after trial of having engaged in criminal
misconduct (including embezzlement and fraud) which is demonstrably injurious
to
the Company, monetarily or otherwise, (iii) the conviction of the Employee
of a
felony; (iv) gross negligence on the part of the Employee affecting the Company;
or (v) failure of the Employee to adhere to the Company’s written policies or to
cooperate in any investigation or inquiry involving the Company. The Company
shall give written notice to the Employee of any proposed termination for
Cause,
which notice shall specify the grounds for the proposed termination, and
the
Employee shall be given thirty (30) days to cure if the grounds arise under
clauses (i) or (v) above.
(f) For
purposes of this Agreement, a "Change in Control" shall be deemed to occur
(i)
upon the election of directors constituting a change in a majority of the
Board,
which directors were not nominated by the Board immediately in place prior
to
such change; (ii) upon the acquisition by any person, entity or group of
beneficial ownership of 50 percent or more of either the outstanding shares
of
common stock of the company or the combined voting power of the then outstanding
voting securities of the company entitled to vote generally in the election
of
directors; (iii) upon a merger or consolidation of the Company or any of
its
subsidiaries with any other corporation, which results in the stockholders
of
the Company prior thereto continuing to represent less than 50 percent of
the
combined voting power of the voting securities of the Company or the surviving
entity after the merger; or (iv) upon the sale of all, or substantially all,
of
the assets of the Company.
7.
Confidentiality;
Noncompetition.
(a) The
Employer and the Employee acknowledge that the services to be performed by
the
Employee under this Agree-ment are unique and extraordinary and, as a result
of
such employment, the Employee will be in possession of confidential information
relating to the business practices of the Company. The term "confidential
information" shall mean any and all information (oral and written) relating
to
the Company or any of its affiliates, or any of their respective activities,
other than such information which can be shown by the Employee to be in the
public domain (such information not being deemed to be in the public domain
merely because it is embraced by more general information which is in the
public
domain) other than as the result of breach of the provisions of this Section
7(a), including, but not limited to, information relating to: trade secrets,
personnel lists, compensation of employees, financial information, research
projects, services used, pricing, customers, customer lists and prospects,
product sourcing, marketing and selling and servicing. The Employee agrees
that
he will not, during or after his termination or expiration of employment
hereunder, directly or indirectly, use, communicate, disclose or disseminate
to
any person, firm or corporation any confidential information regarding the
clients, customers or business prac-tices of the Company acquired by the
Employee during his employ-ment by Employer, without the prior written consent
of Employer. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the provisions
of
this Section 7(a) shall not apply (i) when disclosure is required by law
or by
any court, arbitrator, mediator or administrative or legislative body (including
any committee thereof) with actual or apparent jurisdiction to order the
Employee to disclose or make accessible any information, (ii) with respect
to
any other litigation, arbitration or mediation involving this Agreement,
including, but not limited to, the enforcement of this Agreement, (iii) as
to
information that becomes generally known to the public or within the relevant
trade or industry other than due to the Employee’s violation of this Section or
(iv) as to information that is or becomes available to the Employee on a
non-confidential basis from a source which is entitled to disclose it to
the
Employee.
(b) If
permitted by the New York Canon of Ethics, the Employee hereby agrees that
he
shall not, during the period of his employment and for a period of one (1)
year
following such employment, directly or indirectly, within any county (or
adjacent county) in any State within the United States or territory outside
the
United States in which the Company is engaged in business during the period
of
the Employee's employment or on the date of termination of the Employee's
employment, engage, have an interest in or render any services to any business
(whether as owner, manager, operator, licensor, licensee, lender, partner,
stockholder, joint venturer, employee, consultant or otherwise) competitive
with
the Company's business activities.
(c) The
Employee hereby agrees that he shall not, during the period of his employment
and for a period of one (1) year following such employment, directly or
indirectly solicit any of the Company's customers, or persons listed on the
personnel lists of the Company. Except as required by law or legal process,
at
no time during the Term, or thereafter shall the Employee, directly or
indirectly, disparage the commercial, business or financial reputation of
the
Company. Except as required by law or legal process, at no time during the
Term,
or thereafter shall the Employer or any executive officer of the Company,
directly or indirectly, disparage the professional, business, financial or
personal reputation of the Employee.
(d) For
purposes of clarification, but not of limitation, the Employee hereby
acknowledges and agrees that the provisions of subparagraphs 7(b) and (c)
above
shall serve as a prohibition against him, during the period referred to therein,
directly or indirectly, hiring, offering to hire, enticing, soliciting or
in any
other manner persuading or attempting to persuade any officer, employee,
agent,
lessor, lessee, licensor, licensee or customer who has been previously contacted
by either a representative of the Company, including the Employee, (but only
those suppliers existing during the time of the Employee's employment by
the
Company, or at the termination of his employment), to discontinue or alter
his,
her or its relationship with the Company.
(e) Upon
the
termination of the Employee's employment for any reason whatsoever, all
documents, records, notebooks, equipment, employee lists, price lists,
specifications, programs, customer and prospective customer lists and other
materials which refer or relate to any aspect of the business of the Company
which are in the possession of the Employee including all copies thereof,
shall
be promptly returned to the Company. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding,
nothing in this Section 7(e) shall prevent the Employee from retaining a
home
computer and security system, papers and other materials of a personal nature,
including personal diaries, calendars and Rolodexes, information relating
to the
Employee’s compensation or relating to reimbursement of expenses, information
that the Employee reasonably believe may be needed for tax purposes, and
copies
of plans, programs and agreements relating to the Employee’s employment.
(f)
The
products and proceeds of Employees services hereunder that Employee may acquire,
obtain, develop or create during the term of this Agreement, or that are
otherwise made at the direction of the Company or with the use of the Company’s
or its affiliates’ facilities or materials, including,
but not limited to, all materials, ideas, concepts, formats, suggestions,
developments, packages,
programs and other intellectual properties
(collectively, “Works”), shall be considered a "work
made for hire,"
as
that term is defined under the United States Copyright Act, and Employee
shall
be considered an employee for hire of the Company, and all rights in and
to the
Works, including the copyright thereto, shall be the sole and exclusive property
of Company, as the sole author and owner thereof, and the copyright thereto
may
be registered by Company in its own name. In the event that any part of the
Works shall be determined not to be a work made for hire or shall be determined
not to be owned by the Company, Employee hereby irrevocably assigns and
transfers to the Company, its successors and assigns, the following: (a)
the
entire right, title and interest in and to the copyrights, trademarks and
other
rights in any such Work and any rights in and to any works based upon, derived
from, or incorporating any such Work (“Derivative Work”); (b) the exclusive
right to obtain, register and renew the copyrights or copyright protection
in
any such Work or Derivative Work; (c) all income, royalties, damages, claims
and
payments now or hereafter due or payable with respect to any such Work and
Derivative Work; and (d) all causes of action in law or equity, past and
future,
for infringements or violation of any of the rights in any such Work or
Derivative Work, and any recoveries resulting therefrom. Employee
also hereby waives in writing any moral or other rights that he has under
state
or federal laws, or under the laws of any foreign jurisdiction, which would
give
him any rights to constrain or prevent the use of any Work or Derivative
Work,
or which would entitle him to receive additional compensation from the Company.
Employee shall execute all documents, including without limitation copyright
assignments and applications and waivers of moral rights, and perform all
acts
that the Company may request, in order to assist the Company in perfecting
its
rights in and to any Work and Derivative Work anywhere in the world. Employee
hereby appoints the officers of the Company as Employee’s attorney-in-fact to
execute documents on behalf of Employee for this limited purpose
(g) The
parties hereto hereby acknowledge and agree that (i) the Company would be
irreparably injured in the event of a breach by the Employee of any of his
obligations under this Section 7, (ii) monetary damages would not be an adequate
remedy for any such breach, and (iii) the Company shall be entitled to
injunctive relief, in addition to any other remedy which it may have, in
the
event of any such breach.
(h) The
parties hereto hereby acknowledge that, in addition to any other remedies
the
Company may have under Section 7(g) hereof, the Company shall have the right
and
remedy to require the Employee to account for and pay over to the Company
all
compensation, profits, monies, accruals, increments or other benefits
(collectively, "Benefits") derived or received by the Employee as the result
of
any transactions constituting a breach of any of the provisions of Section
7,
and the Employee hereby agrees to account for any pay over such Benefits
to the
Company.
(i) Each
of
the rights and remedies enumerated in Section 7(g) and 7(h) shall be independent
of the other, and shall be severally enforceable, and all of such rights
and
remedies shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other rights and
remedies available to the Company under law or in equity.
(j) If
any
provision contained in this Section 7 is hereafter construed to be invalid
or
unenforceable, the same shall not affect the remainder of the covenant or
covenants, which shall be given full effect, without regard to the invalid
portions.
(k) If
any
provision contained in this Section 7 is found to be unenforceable by reason
of
the extent, duration or scope thereof, or otherwise, then the court making
such
determi-nation shall have the right to reduce such extent, duration, scope
or
other provision and in its reduced form any such restriction shall thereafter
be
enforceable as contemplated hereby.
(l) It
is the
intent of the parties hereto that the covenants contained in this Section
7
shall be enforced to the fullest extent permissible under the laws and public
policies of each jurisdiction in which enforcement is sought (the Employee
hereby acknowledging that said restrictions are reasonably necessary for
the
protection of the Company). Accordingly, it is hereby agreed that if any
of the
provisions of this Section 7 shall be adjudicated to be invalid or unenforceable
for any reason whatsoever, said provision shall be (only with respect to
the
operation thereof in the particular jurisdiction in which such adjudication
is
made) construed by limiting and reducing it so as to be enforceable to the
extent permissible, without invalidating the remaining provisions of this
Agreement or affecting the validity or enforceability of said provision in
any
other jurisdiction.
8.
General.
This
Agreement is further governed by the following provisions:
(a) Notices.
All
notices relating to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be either
personally delivered, sent by facsimile (receipt confirmed) or nationally
recognized overnight carrier or mailed by certified mail, return receipt
requested, to be delivered at such address as is indicated below, or at such
other address or to the attention of such other person as the recipient has
specified by prior written notice to the sending party. Notice shall be
effective when so personally delivered, one business day after being sent
by
telecopy or five days after being mailed.
To
the
Employer:
|
|
|
Take-Two
Interactive Software, Inc.
622
Broadway
New
York, New York 10012
Attention:
Chief Executive Officer
|
To
the
Employee:
(b) Parties
in Interest.
Employee may not delegate his duties or assign his rights hereunder. This
Agreement shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon, the parties
hereto
and their respective heirs, legal representatives, successors and permitted
assigns.
(c) Entire
Agreement.
This
Agreement supersedes any and all other agreements, either oral or in writing,
between the parties hereto, with respect to the employment of the Employee
by
the Employer and contains all of the covenants and agreements between the
parties with respect to such employment in any manner whatsoever. Any
modification or termination of this Agreement will be effective only if it
is in
writing signed by the party to be charged.
(d) Governing
Law.
This
Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws
of the
State of New York. Employee agrees to and hereby does submit to jurisdiction
before any state or federal court of record in New York County or in the
state
and county in which such violation may occur, at Employer's
election.
(e) Warranty.
Employee hereby warrants and represents as follows:
(i) That
the
execution of this Agreement and the discharge of Employee's obligations
hereunder will not breach or conflict with any other contract, agreement,
or
understanding between Employee and any other party or parties except as
otherwise disclosed to the Employer regarding Employee’s Notice Period with his
current employer.
(ii) Employee
has ideas, information and know-how relating to the type of business conducted
by Employer, and Employee's disclosure of such ideas, information and know-how
to Employer will not conflict with or violate the rights of any third party
or
parties.
(iii)
Employee
will not disclose any trade secrets relating to the business conducted by
any
previous employer and agrees to indemnify and hold Employer harmless for
any
liability arising out of Employee's use of any such trade secrets.
(f) Severability.
In the
event that any term or condition in this Agreement shall for any reason be
held
by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable
in
any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect
any other term or condition of this Agreement, but this Agreement shall be
construed as if such invalid or illegal or unenforceable term or condition
had
never been con-tained herein.
(g)
Indemnification.
The
Employee shall be entitled to the benefits of all provisions of the Certificate
of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company, each as amended, that provide
for
indemnification of officers and directors of the Company. In addition, without
limiting the indemnification provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation
or
Bylaws, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company shall indemnify
and
save and hold harmless the Employee from and against, and pay or reimburse,
any
and all claims, demands, liabilities, costs and expenses, including judgments,
fines or amounts paid on account thereof (whether in settlement or otherwise),
and reasonable expenses, including attorneys’ fees actually and reasonably
incurred if the Employee is made a party to or witness in any action, suit
or
proceeding, or if a claim or liability is asserted against Employee (whether
or
not in the right of the Company), by reason of the fact that he was or is
a
director, officer or employee, or acted in such capacity on behalf of the
Company, or the rendering of services by the Employee pursuant to this Agreement
or the Employee’s prior employment agreement with the Company, whether or not
the same shall proceed to judgment or be settled or otherwise brought to
a
conclusion (except only if and to the extent that such amounts shall be finally
adjudged to have been caused by Employee’s willful misconduct or gross
negligence). Upon the Employee’s request, the Company will advance any
reasonable expenses or costs, subject to the Employee undertaking to repay
any
such advances in the event there is an unappealable final determination that
Employee is not entitled to indemnification for such expenses. This provision
shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement.
(h) Execution
in Counterparts.
This
Agreement may be executed by the parties in one or more counterparts, each
of
which shall be deemed to be an original but all of which taken together shall
constitute one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one
or
more counterparts has been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered
to
each of the other parties hereto.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this Agreement
as of the date first above written.
|
|
|
|
TAKE-TWO
INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE, INC. |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Paul
Eibeler |
|
Name:
Paul Eibeler |
|
Title:
President & CEO |
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ Seth
D. Krauss |
|
Seth
D. Krauss |