United States
Securities and Exchange Commission
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form
Current Report
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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Title of each class | Trading Symbol | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
Item 1.01 | Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. |
On March 14, 2023, Clarus Corporation (the “Company”) and Mr. Warren B. Kanders entered into an Employment Agreement (the “Employment Agreement”), which provides for Mr. Kanders’ continued employment as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors (the “Board”), for a term to commencing effective as of January 1, 2023 (the “Commencement Date”) and terminating on the fifth anniversary of the Commencement Date, subject to earlier termination as provided therein. Mr. Kanders is entitled to an annual base salary of $600,000, subject to annual review by the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”) as more particularly provided in the Employment Agreement.
In addition to any other bonuses that the Compensation Committee may award to Mr. Kanders in their sole discretion, Mr. Kanders is entitled to receive a minimum cash bonus of 100% of his annual base salary in each year of the term so long as the Company achieves the Company’s target for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), as computed by the Company on a consistent basis for such year as reflected in the annual budget approved by the Board (the “Annual Bonus”). In the sole discretion of the Compensation Committee and the Board, any Annual Bonus may be increased based on performance and such other factors as the Compensation Committee may deem appropriate.
Mr. Kanders will also be entitled, at the sole and absolute discretion of the Board or the Compensation Committee, to participate in other bonus plans of the Company, including but not limited to the 2015 Stock Incentive Plan. Furthermore, and without limiting the foregoing, on March 14, 2023, the Company issued to Mr. Kanders 500,000 restricted shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Restricted Stock”), which are subject to the following vesting and lapse of restrictions:
(A) (i) 250,000 shares of Restricted Stock shall vest upon the achievement of a closing price of at least $15.00 per share of the Company’s common stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market or other national or regional stock exchange on which such securities are then listed for a period of twenty (20) consecutive trading days; and (ii) 250,000 shares of Restricted Stock shall vest upon the achievement of a closing price of at least $18.00 per share of the Company’s common stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market or other national or regional stock exchange on which such securities are then listed for a period of twenty (20) consecutive trading days;
(B) Any shares not vested based on the foregoing closing share price of the Company’s common stock upon the tenth anniversary of the grant date shall be forfeited and be null and void; and
(C) The vesting, and/or forfeiture, of the Restricted Stock, may be accelerated in accordance with the terms of the Employment Agreement.
The Employment Agreement contains confidentiality obligations as well as a non-competition covenant effective during the term of his employment and for a period of eighteen months after the expiration, or three years after the termination, of the Employment Agreement.
Upon the termination of the Employment Agreement by Mr. Kanders or the Company or its successor or assigns within two years following the occurrence of a “change in control” of the Company (other than a termination by the Company for cause during such period), due to Mr. Kanders’ death, by the Company due to Mr. Kanders’ permanent disability, by the Company without cause, by Mr. Kanders for Good Reason (which includes the Company’s uncured breach of any material provision of the Employment Agreement, any material diminution in the authority or responsibilities delegated to Mr. Kanders, or any reduction in Mr. Kanders’ annual base salary), or if the Company, or its applicable successors and assigns, does not offer to renew the Employment Agreement upon expiration of the term on substantially similar terms (each a “Section 4(f) Termination”), Mr. Kanders, or his duly appointed representative shall be entitled to receive, in one lump sum within thirty days of such termination: (a) five times the sum of (i) his highest annual base salary, plus (ii) the Annual Bonus for such year, in each case since January 1, 2020; plus (b) the amount of any accrued Annual Bonus; however, if Mr. Kanders is terminated without cause or he terminates the Employment Agreement for Good Reason, any accrued Annual Bonus shall be payable only to the extent that the applicable performance targets for the year of termination are actually achieved; plus (c) except in the case of Mr. Kanders’ death or permanent disability, five times the greatest annual amount of the full cost of maintaining his principal office; provided, however, that in the event of a change in control, if the Company or the acquiror requests Mr. Kanders to provide consulting services described in the Employment Agreement, then the lump sum payment described above shall be payable upon the expiration of such consulting period, and during such consulting period, Mr. Kanders will be entitled to a consulting fee equal to what he would have otherwise been entitled to be paid under the Employment Agreement during such period.
In the event of a Section 4(f) Termination, the following shall occur, and be provided or made available to Mr. Kanders at the times specified: (i)(A) all of Mr. Kanders’ benefits accrued under any employee pension, retirement, savings and deferred compensation plans of the Company shall become vested in full upon the date of such Section 4(f) Termination (other than with respect to unvested stock options, restricted stock and other equity or equity-based awards, the terms of which are separately addressed in the next succeeding clause); (B) any and all unvested stock options, restricted stock and other equity or equity-based awards (including, but not limited to, the Restricted Stock) shall immediately vest as of the date of such Section 4(f) Termination; and (C) amounts which are vested or which Mr. Kanders is otherwise entitled to receive under the terms of or in accordance with any plan, policy, practice or program of, or any contract or agreement with, the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on or after his termination without regard to the performance by Mr. Kanders of further services or the resolution of a contingency shall be payable in accordance with the terms of the plan, policy, practice, program, contract or agreement under which such benefits have been awarded or accrued. Furthermore, the benefits set forth in clause (C), which are applicable to Mr. Kanders, shall also be payable to Mr. Kanders in the event he is terminated for cause, or if Mr. Kanders terminates this Agreement without Good Reason; (ii) Mr. Kanders (and any of his dependents) will be entitled to continue participation in all of the Company’s health benefit plans, for the period for which Mr. Kanders could elect COBRA continuation coverage under the Company’s health benefit plans as a result of his termination; and (iii) Mr. Kanders will have the right to have the Company’s (or applicable subsidiary’s) office lease that is used by Mr. Kanders assigned to him, and the Company will pay the lease payments for a period of five years from the date of such termination, and Mr. Kanders shall have the right to purchase any fixed assets in connection therewith (including but not limited to automobiles) that he enjoyed the use of during the term at such assets’ then-depreciated book value. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary otherwise provided in the Employment Agreement, in the event of any Section 4(f) Termination, all grants of stock options and common stock granted under the Employment Agreement or otherwise shall vest and become immediately exercisable and saleable and any lock-up provisions applicable thereto, or to any options granted to the Mr. Kanders, shall terminate.
In the event that the Employment Agreement is terminated by the Company with cause, or by Mr. Kanders unless such termination constitutes a Section 4(f) Termination, all unvested grants of stock options and common stock under the Employment Agreement or otherwise shall terminate and be null and void.
Upon the termination of the Employment Agreement by the Company for cause, or by Mr. Kanders (except for Good Reason or upon his death or disability), Mr. Kanders shall be entitled to receive by wire transfer of immediately available funds, in one lump sum, within five business days of such termination, any then-accrued and unpaid portion of the annual base salary.
In the event that Mr. Kanders fails to comply with any of his obligations under the Employment Agreement, including, without limitation, the confidentiality and non-compete provisions, Mr. Kanders will be required to repay any payments or benefits received by him as a result of a Section 4(f) Termination as of the date of such failure to comply and he will have no further rights in or to such payments payable to him pursuant to the Employment Agreement. All payments and benefits provided under the Employment Agreement shall be subject to any compensation recovery or clawback policy as required under applicable law, rule or regulation or otherwise adopted by the Company from time to time.
The Employment Agreement contains provisions designed to reduce (but not below 0) any payments otherwise required to be paid to Mr. Kanders if the same would result in the imposition of an excise tax under Section 4999 of the Code, to the minimum extent necessary so that such excise tax is not imposed. The Employment Agreement also contains provisions intended to comply with Section 409A of the Code.
The foregoing description of the Employment Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Employment Agreement, which is included as Exhibit 10.1, to this Current Report on Form 8-K (the “Report”) and incorporated herein by reference.
Item 5.02 | Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officers. |
(e) The disclosure set forth in Item 1.01 of this Report with respect to Mr. Kanders is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits |
(d) Exhibits. The following Exhibit is filed herewith as a part of this Report:
Exhibit | Description |
10.1 | Employment Agreement, dated as of March 14, 2023, between Clarus Corporation and Warren B. Kanders. |
104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Company has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Dated: March 16, 2023
CLARUS CORPORATION | ||
By: | /s/ Michael J. Yates | |
Name: Michael J. Yates | ||
Title: Chief Financial Officer |