Sample Business Contracts


Employment Agreement - USA Interactive and John Pleasants

Employment Forms

  • Employers can customize an employment agreement that states the salary, benefits, working hours and other important provisions for their new or existing employee.
  • Answer simple questions to build a contract with a consultant. Specify the services rendered, when payment is due, as well as IP rights.
  • Employers who compensate their sales employees based on commissions can prepare an agreement to reduce misunderstandings by specifying the base salary and how commissions are calculated.
  • Companies may offer their business executives a contract that is different from the one provided to their regular employees. Executive employment agreements may be more complex because the compensation structure may include a combination of salary and commissions, provide for bonuses based on sales, stock or other financial targets, and include non-compete, confidentiality and severance provisions.
  • Independent sales representatives offer companies the potential to increase the sale of products or services without the burden of increasing headcount. Both parties should understand how commissions are calculated, when commissions will be paid, as well as how the representative will treat confidential information from the company and whether the representative may also sell a competing line of products or services.
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EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

        THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT ("Agreement") is entered into by and between John Pleasants ("Executive") and USA Interactive, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and is effective as of the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among USA Interactive, T Merger Corp and Ticketmaster, dated as of October 9, 2002, whereby Ticketmaster will become a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the "Effective Date").

        WHEREAS, the Company desires to establish its right to the services of Executive, in the capacity described below, on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, and Executive is willing to accept such employment on such terms and conditions.

        NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements hereinafter set forth, Executive and the Company have agreed and do hereby agree as follows:

        1A.    EMPLOYMENT.    The Company agrees to employ Executive as President of Information and Services, and Executive accepts and agrees to such employment. Executive shall be responsible for overseeing the operations of business units as identified by the Company, including initially Ticketmaster, Match.com, Citysearch, PRC, (and, upon the close of the transaction, Entertainment Publications, Inc.). During Executive's employment with the Company, Executive shall do and perform all services and acts necessary or advisable to fulfill the duties and responsibilities as are commensurate and consistent with Executive's position and shall render such services on the terms set forth herein. During Executive's employment with the Company, Executive shall report directly to the Company's Chief Executive Officer or such person(s) as from time to time may be designated by the Company (hereinafter referred to as the "Reporting Officer"), with Paragraph 1(d) of the Terms and Conditions below governing the parties' rights and obligations in connection with any change in Reporting Officer. Executive shall have such powers and duties with respect to the Company as may reasonably be assigned to Executive by the Reporting Officer, to the extent consistent with Executive's position and status. Executive agrees to devote all of Executive's working time, attention and efforts to the Company and to perform the duties of Executive's position in accordance with the Company's policies as in effect from time to time. Executive's principal place of employment shall be the Company's offices located in New York, New York.

        2A.    TERM OF AGREEMENT.    The term ("Term") of this Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and shall continue for a period of three years, unless sooner terminated in accordance with the provisions of Section 1 of the Terms and Conditions attached hereto.

        3A.    COMPENSATION.    

            (a)    BASE SALARY.    During the Term, the Company shall pay Executive an annual base salary of $600,000 (the "Base Salary"), payable in equal biweekly installments or in accordance with the Company's payroll practice as in effect from time to time. For all purposes under this Agreement, the term "Base Salary" shall refer to Base Salary as in effect from time to time.

            (b)    DISCRETIONARY BONUS.    During the Term, Executive shall be eligible to receive discretionary annual bonuses.

            (c)    RESTRICTED STOCK.    In consideration of Executive's entering into this agreement and as an inducement for Executive to join the Company, Executive shall be granted 75,000 restricted shares of common stock of the Company (the "Restricted Stock"), pursuant to the 2000 Stock and Annual Incentive Plan and a restricted stock agreement thereunder ("Restricted Stock Agreement"), subject to the approval of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Compensation Committee"). The date of grant of the Restricted Stock shall be the later of (x) the Effective Date and (y) the date on which the grant is approved by the Compensation Committee. The Restricted Stock will be subject to such performance conditions as the Compensation Committee determines are appropriate and advisable to meet the conditions of



    Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code as currently in effect, as such performance conditions shall be reflected in the minutes of the meeting of the properly constituted Compensation Committee under Section 162(m) considering such performance conditions. The performance conditions of Executive's Restricted Stock will be no less favorable to Executive than the performance conditions made applicable by the Compensation Committee to any restricted stock award granted to other similarly situated executive officers of the Company proximate to the Effective Date (e.g. in December 2002 and/or January or February 2003). Any recommendation the Company may make to the Compensation Committee with respect to the performance conditions shall be mutually acceptable to the Company and Executive, and after being established cannot be subsequently altered without also being mutually acceptable to the Company and Executive. The Restricted Stock shall vest and no longer be subject to any restriction on the third anniversary of the Effective Date, subject to the satisfaction of the performance conditions and Executive's continued employment with the Company through such date; provided, however, that in the event the Executive is terminated by the Company without Cause (as defined herein), all of the above-referenced Restricted Stock shall immediately vest as of the date of Executive's termination without regard to whether the performance conditions have or have not been met, except as otherwise provided in paragraph 1(d) of the Terms and Conditions. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event (i) Executive is terminated by the Company without Cause or (ii) Executive resigns from his position as provided in paragraph 1(d) of the Terms and Conditions on any day of the calendar year other than the last day of the Company's taxable year in any given year, the Restricted Stock shall vest as provided in such paragraph 1(d) of the Terms and Conditions.

            (d)    BENEFITS.    From the Effective Date through the date of termination of Executive's employment with the Company for any reason, Executive shall be entitled to participate in any welfare, health and life insurance and pension benefit and incentive programs as may be adopted from time to time by the Company on the same basis as that provided to similarly situated employees of the Company. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Executive shall be entitled to the following benefits:

              (i)    Reimbursement for Business Expenses.    During the Term, the Company shall reimburse Executive for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred by Executive in performing Executive's duties for the Company, on the same basis as similarly situated employees and in accordance with the Company's policies as in effect from time to time.

              (ii)    Relocation.    Except as otherwise prohibited by applicable laws or regulations, the Company shall reimburse Executive for his reasonable expenses relating to relocating himself and his family from California to New York as provided in the Company's relocation policies as of the date hereof for senior executives; provided, however, that (i) Executive's reasonable relocation expenses will not subject to the policy cap provided in the Company's relocation policies; (ii) Executive will be entitled to reimbursement for reasonable expenses associated with temporary housing and storage in New York for up to 6 months if necessary; (iii) the Company will reimburse Executive for his reasonable expenses up to $6,000 (which includes tax gross up) in connection with the early termination of car leases, school tuitions or severance costs for personal employees that Executive may incur in connection with relocating to New York; (iv) the Company will reimburse Executive for the reasonable costs of up to two house-hunting trips by his family; and (v) if Executive purchases a New York home prior to selling his Los Angeles home and borrows money from a third party in connection with a down payment on his New York home, the Company will reimburse Executive for reasonable interest and finance costs associated with such short-term third-party borrowing Executive incurs for the period prior to the sale of his home in Los Angeles.

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              (ii)    Vacation.    During the Term, Executive shall be entitled to paid vacation in accordance with the plans, policies, programs and practices of the Company applicable to similarly situated employees of the Company generally.

        4A.    NOTICES.    All notices and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given by first-class mail, certified or registered with return receipt requested or hand delivery acknowledged in writing by the recipient personally, and shall be deemed to have been duly given three days after mailing or immediately upon duly acknowledged hand delivery if to the Executive, at the most recent address for Executive in the Company's records and:


If to the Company:

USA Interactive

 

152 West 57th Street, 42nd Floor
New York, NY 10019
Attention:    General Counsel

Either party may change such party's address for notices by notice duly given pursuant hereto.

        5A.    GOVERNING LAW; JURISDICTION.    This Agreement and the legal relations thus created between the parties hereto shall be governed by and construed under and in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York without reference to the principles of conflicts of laws. Any and all disputes between the parties which may arise pursuant to this Agreement will be heard and determined before an appropriate federal court in New York, or, if not maintainable therein, then in an appropriate New York state court. The parties acknowledge that such courts have jurisdiction to interpret and enforce the provisions of this Agreement, and the parties consent to, and waive any and all objections that they may have as to, personal jurisdiction and/or venue in such courts.

        6A.    COUNTERPARTS.    This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument. Executive expressly understands and acknowledges that the Terms and Conditions attached hereto are incorporated herein by reference, deemed a part of this Agreement and are binding and enforceable provisions of this Agreement. References to "this Agreement" or the use of the term "hereof" shall refer to this Agreement and the Terms and Conditions attached hereto, taken as a whole.

        7A.    APPROVALS.    This Agreement is subject to the approval of the Company's Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors and is only binding upon such approval having been obtained.

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        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Agreement to be executed and delivered by its duly authorized officer and Executive has executed and delivered this Agreement on                         .

    USA INTERACTIVE

 

 


By:
Title:
    JOHN PLEASANTS

 

 


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TERMS AND CONDITIONS

        1.    TERMINATION OF EXECUTIVE'S EMPLOYMENT.    


        2.    CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION; NON-SOLICITATION; AND PROPRIETARY RIGHTS.    

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        3.    TERMINATION OF PRIOR AGREEMENTS.    This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and terminates and supersedes any and all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the parties (and, in the case of the Company, its subsidiaries and affiliates, including but not limited to Ticketmaster) with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement; provided, however, that this Agreement does not terminate or supersede Executive's rights and obligations under pre-existing stock option agreements and restricted stock agreements between and Executive and the Company and Executive and Ticketmaster and/or Ticketmaster Online- Citysearch, Inc., as the case may be, which such agreements shall continue in accordance with their

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terms. For the avoidance of doubt, this Agreement terminates and supersedes the agreement, dated as of November 22, 2002, between the parties. Executive acknowledges and agrees that neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has made, and is not making, and in executing this Agreement, the Executive has not relied upon, any representations, promises or inducements except to the extent the same is expressly set forth in this Agreement. Executive hereby represents and warrants that by entering into this Agreement, Executive will not rescind or otherwise breach an employment agreement with Executive's current employer prior to the natural expiration date of such agreement.

        4.    ASSIGNMENT; SUCCESSORS.    This Agreement is personal in its nature and none of the parties hereto shall, without the consent of the others, assign or transfer this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder, provided that, in the event of the merger, consolidation, transfer, or sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company with or to any other individual or entity, this Agreement shall, subject to the provisions hereof, be binding upon and inure to the benefit of such successor and such successor shall discharge and perform all the promises, covenants, duties, and obligations of the Company hereunder, and all references herein to the "Company" shall refer to such successor.

        5.    WITHHOLDING.    The Company shall make such deductions and withhold such amounts from each payment and benefit made or provided to Executive hereunder, as may be required from time to time by applicable law, governmental regulation or order.

        6.    HEADING REFERENCES.    Section headings in this Agreement are included herein for convenience of reference only and shall not constitute a part of this Agreement for any other purpose. References to "this Agreement" or the use of the term "hereof" shall refer to these Terms and Conditions and the Employment Agreement attached hereto, taken as a whole.

        7.    WAIVER; MODIFICATION.    Failure to insist upon strict compliance with any of the terms, covenants, or conditions hereof shall not be deemed a waiver of such term, covenant, or condition, nor shall any waiver or relinquishment of, or failure to insist upon strict compliance with, any right or power hereunder at any one or more times be deemed a waiver or relinquishment of such right or power at any other time or times. This Agreement shall not be modified in any respect except by a writing executed by each party hereto. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, neither the assignment of Executive to a different Reporting Officer due to a reorganization or an internal restructuring of the Company or its affiliated companies nor a change in the title of the Reporting Officer (except as otherwise provided in paragraph 1(d) above) shall constitute a modification or a breach of this Agreement.

        8.    SEVERABILITY.    In the event that a court of competent jurisdiction determines that any portion of this Agreement is in violation of any law or public policy, only the portions of this Agreement that violate such law or public policy shall be stricken. All portions of this Agreement that do not violate any statute or public policy shall continue in full force and effect. Further, any court order striking any portion of this Agreement shall modify the stricken terms as narrowly as possible to give as much effect as possible to the intentions of the parties under this Agreement.

        9.    INDEMNIFICATION.    The Company shall indemnify and hold Executive harmless for acts and omissions in Executive's capacity as an officer, director or employee of the Company to the maximum extent permitted under applicable law; provided, however, that neither the Company, nor any of its subsidiaries or affiliates shall indemnify Executive for any losses incurred by Executive as a result of acts described in Section 1(c) of this Agreement.

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ACKNOWLEDGED AND AGREED:

Date:

    USA INTERACTIVE

 

 


By:
Title:
    JOHN PLEASANTS

 

 


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