Sample Business Contracts


Employment Agreement - Ask Jeeves Inc. and Ted Briscoe

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.
  • More Employment Agreements


June 1, 1999

Mr. Ted Briscoe
Ask Jeeves, Inc.
918 Parker Street
Berkeley, CA 94710

Dear Ted:

As we have agreed, certain provisions of your accepted offer letter dated
January 18, 1999 (the "Offer Letter") are amended as set forth below effective
June 1, 1999. All terms of the Offer Letter not amended by this letter remain in
full force and effect.

BASE SALARY

Your new base salary will be $175,000, which will be paid semi-monthly in
accordance with the Company's normal payroll procedures.

SEVERANCE

The Company has the right to terminate your employment at any time, with or
without cause. "Cause" for termination means: (a) indictment or conviction of
any felony or any crime involving dishonesty; (b) participation in any fraud
against the Company; (c) breach of your duties to the Company, including
persistent unsatisfactory performance of job duties; (d) intentional damage to
any property of the Company; or (e) conduct which, in the good faith and
reasonable determination of the Company's Board of Directors, demonstrates gross
unfitness to serve.

In the event your employment is terminated without cause at any time during your
employment, you will be entitled to receive a severance package of six (6)
months base salary plus six (6) months of your expected bonus (with a total of
salary and pro-rated expected bonus not to exceed $150,000).

In the event that your termination without cause is due to a corporate
transaction, as that term is defined in the Company's 1996 Equity Incentive Plan
adopted November 26, 1996 (a "Corporate Transaction"), you will be entitled to
receive the severance package described above, plus immediate vesting of 6/48ths
of the options granted to you pursuant to the Offer Letter, in addition to those
vested as of the date of your termination.

<PAGE>   2
   Ted Briscoe
   June 1, 1999
   Page 2


You will not be eligible to receive the severance package described above in any
circumstances other than (i) a termination without cause, as to the monetary
severance package, and (ii) a termination without cause due exclusively to a
Corporate Transaction as to the accelerated vesting of 6/48ths of your options.

You should be aware that, notwithstanding anything contained in this letter or
in your Offer Letter, your employment with the Company is for no specified
period and constitutes at will employment. As a result, you are free to resign
at any time, for any reason or no reason. Similarly, the Company is free to
conclude its employment relationship with you at any time, with or without
cause, with or without reason.

To indicate your acceptance of these amended terms please sign and date this
letter in the space provided below and return it to me. A duplicate original is
enclosed for your records. This letter, along with the Offer Letter and the
Confidential Information and Invention Assignment Agreement between you and the
Company, set forth the terms of your employment with the Company. This letter
supercedes any prior representations or agreements, whether written or oral as
to the terms stated above. To the extent not amended by this letter, the Offer
Letter remains in full force and effect. Neither this letter nor the Offer
Letter may be amended or modified except by written agreement signed by the
Company and by you.

Sincerely,

/s/ ROBERT WRUBEL
-------------------
Robert Wrubel
President
Ask Jeeves, Inc.



Accepted.

/s/ TED BRISCOE                                       June 1, 1999
----------------------                                -------------------
Ted Briscoe                                           Date


ClubJuris.Com