UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 8-K/A
Amendment No. 2
CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT
TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date
of report (Date of earliest event reported) May 3, 2007
METABOLIX, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
DELAWARE
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
001-33133
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04-2729386
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(Commission File
Number)
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(IRS Employer
Identification No.)
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21 Erie Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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02139
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
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(Zip Code)
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(617) 492-0505
(Registrants Telephone
Number, Including Area Code)
(Former Name or Former Address,
if Changed Since Last Report)
Check
the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously
satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following
provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
o Written communications
pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o Soliciting
material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14d-2(b))
o Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.13e-4(c))
Item 1.01
Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
Item 5.02
Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment
of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On
May 3, 2007, Metabolix, Inc. appointed its current Chairman of the Board, Jay
Kouba, Ph.D., as President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Kouba is replacing James J. Barber,
Ph.D., who resigned on May 3, 2007, as President, Chief Executive Officer and
as a member of the Board of Directors.
Dr. Kouba is expected to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer
for approximately one year. Dr. Kouba
will remain the Companys Chairman.
Dr. Kouba, age 54, has served as Director since June 2006 and as
Chairman of the Board since April 2007. Dr. Kouba has served as the
president of Oniro Consulting, a strategic management consulting firm since
January 2006, and has been a member of the Board of Virent Energy Systems
since March 2006. Dr. Kouba was employed by by Amoco and BP for 25 years from
December 1980. From January 1999 to December 2005, Dr. Kouba
held several positions with BPs Petrochemicals Segment. From August 2004
to December 2005, Dr. Kouba served as senior vice president,
strategy, marketing and technology for Innovene, BPs olefins and polymers
subsidiary, and earlier in 2004, as Vice President, Sales, Marketing and
Logistics. Between 1999 and 2003, Dr. Kouba was Vice President,
Technology. Dr. Kouba received a B.S. in Chemistry from Stanford
University, a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Harvard University and a M.B.A. from
University of Chicago.
The Company entered into an Employment Agreement with Dr. Kouba which
became effective on June 13, 2007. The
agreement with Dr. Kouba has a term ending on May 15, 2008. Dr. Kouba will receive a base salary of
$30,000. Dr. Kouba will receive a grant
of 83,312 options at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Companys
Compensation Committee, which will vest and become exercisable in equal
increments of 20,238 shares on each of August 1, 2007, November 1, 2007,
February 1, 2008 and May 1, 2008. On
August 1, 2007, the Companys Compensation Committee will grant Dr. Kouba an
option to purchase up to 20,000 shares of the Companys common stock that will
vest and become exercisable on the date that the Executive satisfies his bonus
plan, which will be mutually agreed upon by August 1, 2007. The
options will be exercisable, to the extent vested, for ten (10) years after the
date of grant. The agreement also
provides that if there is a change of control of the Company, all options
granted but not yet vested according to the terms of the relevant stock option
agreements will immediately vest and be exercisable, subject to reduction if
such benefit is deemed a parachute payment under Section 280G of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If Dr.
Kouba is terminated without cause, all options granted but not vested will
immediately vest and be exercisable, provided that Dr. Kouba signs and does not
revoke a general release in a form acceptable to the Company. Dr. Kouba has entered into the Companys standard
Employee Noncompetition, Confidentiality and Inventions Agreement.
Other than the Employment Agreement which the Company entered into with
Dr. Kouba, there is no arrangement or understanding pursuant to which Dr. Kouba
was selected as President and Chief Executive Officer or as Chairman of the
Board and there are no family relationships between Dr. Kouba and the
other directors or executive officers of the Company. Since the
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beginning of the Companys last fiscal year and except as disclosed in
the Companys definitive proxy statement or annual report on Form 10-K, Dr. Kouba
has not had any transactions or currently proposed transactions in which Dr.
Kouba was or is to be a participant in amounts greater than $120,000 and in
which any related person had or will have a direct or indirect material
interest.
The Company entered into a Separation Agreement with Dr. Barber which
became effective on May 16, 2007, providing for (i) salary continuation at a
base salary rate of $235,000 per year for a period of twelve months, (ii) a
lump-sum bonus of $145,000, and (iii) other typical provisions.
A press release issued by the Company on May 3, 2007 regarding the foregoing
has been previously filed as Exhibit 99.1.
A copy of the Employment Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1.
A copy of the Separation Agreement has been previously filed as Exhibit
99.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed with the Securities Exchange
Commission, or SEC, on May 22, 2007.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and
Exhibits
(d) Exhibits
Exhibit No.
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Description
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10.1
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Employment Agreement with Jay Kouba dated June 7,
2007 (filed herewith).
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99.1
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Press Release, dated May 3, 2007.*
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99.2
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Separation Agreement with James J. Barber dated May
3, 2007.*
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* previously filed
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed
on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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METABOLIX, INC.
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Date: June 19,
2007
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By:
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/s/ Thomas G. Auchincloss, Jr.
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Thomas G. Auchincloss, Jr.
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Chief Financial Officer
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EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit No.
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Description
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10.1
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Employment Agreement with Jay Kouba dated June 7,
2007 (filed herewith).
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99.1
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Press Release, dated May 3, 2007.*
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99.2
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Separation Agreement with James J. Barber dated May
3, 2007.*
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* previously filed
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Exhibit
10.1
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
This Employment Agreement (Agreement) is made as of
the 13th day of June, 2007, between Metabolix, Inc.
(the Company), and Jay Kouba (the Executive).
WHEREAS, the Company
desires to employ the Executive and the Executive desires to be employed by the
Company on the terms contained herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual
covenants and agreements herein contained and other good and valuable
consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the
parties agree as follows:
1. Term. This Agreement shall be effective on the date
it is executed by the parties (Effective Date). Subject to the provisions of Section 4, the
term of this Agreement shall be from May 15, 2007 until May 15, 2008 (Term)
at which point it shall expire and be of no further force or effect.
2. Position and
Duties. The Executive shall
serve as the President and Chief Executive
Officer of the Company, reporting
to and serving on the Board of Directors (the Board), and shall have the
responsibilities, duty and authority commensurate with that position. In addition, the Executive shall perform such
services and duties in connection with the business, affairs and operations of
the Company as may be assigned or delegated to the Executive from time to time
by or under the authority of the Board.
The Executive shall devote his full working time and efforts to the
business and affairs of the Company.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive may serve on other boards
of directors, with the approval of the Board, or engage in religious,
charitable or other community activities as long as such services and
activities are disclosed to the Board and do not materially interfere with the
Executives performance of his duties to the Company as provided in this
Agreement. The parties agree that the
Executive has disclosed, and the Board has approved, Executives services, including
Executives service as a member of the Board of Directors, to the entities as
described in Schedule A attached hereto, which is incorporated into this
Agreement.
3. Compensation
and Related Matters.
(a) Base Salary. The
Executives annual base salary shall be $30,000.00 (Base Salary), payable in periodic installments in
accordance with the Companys usual practice for its senior executives.
(b) Equity
Compensation. At its next regularly
scheduled meeting on or after the Effective Date, the Companys Compensation
Committee shall grant to the Executive an option to purchase 83,312 shares of
the Companys common stock at the closing price as reported on NASDAQ on the
day of grant, pursuant to a Stock Option Agreement and the Metabolix, Inc. 2006
Stock Plan. The Stock Option Agreement
shall provide that this option shall vest and become exercisable in equal
increments of 20,828 shares on each of the following dates: August 1, 2007, November
1, 2007, February 1, 2008, and May 1, 2008. Once exercisable, this stock
option shall continue to be exercisable at any time or times prior to the close
of business on its expiration date, which shall be ten (10) years after the
date of grant;
provided, that if the
Executives employment is terminated for Cause (as defined below), any portion
of this stock option outstanding on the date of termination of employment for
Cause shall terminate immediately and be of no further force and effect.
(i) Acceleration
of Vesting Pursuant to a Change of Control.
If there is a Change of Control, as defined below, all options granted
but not yet vested according to the terms of the relevant stock option
agreements shall immediately vest and be exercisable.
(ii) Change
of Control shall mean the occurrence of one or more of the following events:
(A) any person
(as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act)) becomes a beneficial owner (as
such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) (other
than the Company, any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an
employee benefit plan of the Company, or any corporation owned, directly or
indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company, in substantially the same
proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company), directly or
indirectly, of securities of the Company, representing fifty percent (50%) or
more of the combined voting power of the Companys then outstanding securities;
or
(B) persons
who, as of the Effective Date, constituted the Companys Board of Directors
(the Incumbent Board) cease for any reason including, without limitation, as
a result of a tender offer, proxy contest, merger or similar transaction, to
constitute at least a majority of the Board of Directors, provided that any
person becoming a director of the Company subsequent to the Effective Date
whose election was approved by at least a majority of the directors then
comprising the Incumbent Board shall, for purposes of this Section 6(f), be
considered a member of the Incumbent Board; or
(C) the
consummation of a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other
corporation or other entity, other than (1) a merger or consolidation which
would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately
prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by
being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity) more than fifty
percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the Company
or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or
consolidation or (2) a merger or consolidation effected to implement a
recapitalization of the Company (or similar transaction) in which no person
(as hereinabove defined) acquires more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined
voting power of the Companys then outstanding securities; or
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(D) the
stockholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company
or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or
substantially all of the Companys assets.
(iii) It
is the intention of the Executive and of the Company that no payments by the Company
to or for the benefit of the Executive under this Agreement or any other
agreement or plan, if any, pursuant to which the Executive is entitled to
receive payments or benefits shall be nondeductible to the Company by reason of
the operation of Section 280G of the Code relating to parachute payments or any
like statutory or regulatory provision.
Accordingly, and notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement
or any such agreement or plan, if by reason of the operation of said Section
280G or any like statutory or regulatory provision, any such payments exceed
the amount which can be deducted by the Company, such payments shall be reduced
to the maximum amount which can be deducted by the Company. To the extent that payments exceeding such
maximum deductible amount have been made to or for the benefit of the
Executive, such excess payments shall be refunded to the Company with interest
thereon at the applicable Federal rate determined under Section 1274(d) of the
Code, compounded annually, or at such other rate as may be required in order
that no such payments shall be nondeductible to the Company by reason of the
operation of said Section 280G or any like statutory or regulatory
provision. To the extent that there is
more than one method of reducing the payments to bring them within the
limitations of said Section 280G or any like statutory or regulatory provision,
the Executive shall determine which method shall be followed, provided that if
the Executive fails to make such determination within forty-five (45) days
after the Company has given notice of the need for such reduction, the Company
may determine the method of such reduction in its sole discretion.
(c) Bonus. On August
1, 2007, the Companys Compensation Committee shall grant to Executive an
option to purchase up to 20,000 shares of the Companys common stock at the
closing price as reported on NASDAQ on the day of grant, that will vest and
become exercisable on the date that the Executive satisfies the terms of his
bonus plan, which shall be mutually agreed upon no later than August 1, 2007. Once
exercisable, this stock option shall continue to be exercisable at any time or
times prior to the close of business on its expiration date, which shall be ten
(10) years after the date of grant; provided, that if the Executives
employment is terminated for Cause (as defined below), any portion of this
stock option outstanding on the date of termination of employment for Cause
shall terminate immediately and be of no further force and effect.
(d) Other Benefits. The
Executive shall be entitled to participate in or receive benefits under any
employee benefit plan or arrangement which is now or in the future made
available by the Company to its executives, including participation in any
tax-deferred 401(k) retirement plan, subject to and on a basis consistent with
the terms, conditions and overall administration of such plan or
arrangement. Nothing contained herein
will require the Company to establish or maintain any such plan.
(e) Vacations. The Executive shall be entitled to paid
holidays and paid vacation, accrued and used in accordance with the Companys
policies as currently in effect. All
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vacation days
will be taken at times mutually agreed by the Executive and the Company and
will be subject to the business needs of the Company.
(f) Travel to and
from Chicago, Illinois. The
Company will reimburse Executive for weekly round-trip, coach travel costs between
Boston and Chicago.
4. Termination. The Executives employment hereunder may be
terminated without any breach of this Agreement under the following
circumstances:
(a) Death. The Executives employment hereunder shall
terminate upon his death.
(b) Disability. If the Executive shall be disabled so as to
be unable to perform the essential functions of the Executives then existing
position or positions under this Agreement with or without reasonable
accommodation, the Board may remove the Executive from any responsibilities
and/or reassign the Executive to another position with the Company during the
period of such disability.
Notwithstanding any such removal or reassignment, the Executive shall
continue to receive the Executives Base Salary (less any disability pay or
sick pay benefits to which the Executive may be entitled under the Companys
policies) and benefits under this Agreement (except to the extent that the
Executive may be ineligible for one or more such benefits under applicable plan
terms) for the Term or three (3) months (whichever is shorter), and the
Executives employment may be terminated by the Company at any time
thereafter. Nothing in this Section 4(b)
shall be construed to waive the Executives rights, if any, under existing law
including, without limitation, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29
U.S.C. §2601 et seq. and the Americans with
Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §12101 et seq.
(c) Termination by
Company for Cause. At any
time, the Company may terminate the Executives employment hereunder for Cause
if such termination is approved by a majority of the Board at a meeting of the
Board called and held for such purpose.
For purposes of this Agreement, Cause shall mean: (i) conduct by the Executive constituting a
material act of willful misconduct in connection with the performance of his
duties, including, without limitation, misappropriation of funds or property of
the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates other than the occasional,
customary and de minimis use of Company property for personal purposes; (ii)
the commission by the Executive of any felony or a misdemeanor involving moral
turpitude, deceit, dishonesty or fraud, or any conduct by the Executive that
would reasonably be expected to result in material injury to the Company or any
of its subsidiaries and affiliates if he were retained in his position; (iii)
continued, willful and deliberate non-performance by the Executive of his
duties hereunder (other than by reason of the Executives physical or mental
illness, incapacity or disability) which has continued for more than 30 days
following written notice of such non-performance from the Board; (iv) a breach
by the Executive of any of the provisions contained in Section 6 of this
Agreement; (v) a violation by the Executive of the Companys employment
policies which has continued following written notice of such violation from
the Board; or (vi) willful failure to
cooperate with a bona fide internal investigation or an investigation by
regulatory or law enforcement authorities, after being instructed by the
Company to cooperate, or the willful destruction or failure to preserve
documents or other materials known to be relevant to such investigation or the
willful inducement of others to fail to cooperate or to produce documents or
other materials. For
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purposes of
clauses (i), (iii) or (vi) hereof, no act, or failure to act, on the Executives
part shall be deemed willful unless done, or omitted to be done, by the
Executive without reasonable belief that the Executives act or failure to act,
was in the best interest of the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
(d) Termination
Without Cause. The Company
may terminate the Executives employment hereunder without Cause, if such
termination is approved by a majority of the Board at a meeting of the Board
called and held for such purpose.
(e) Termination by
the Executive. The Executive
may terminate his employment hereunder for any reason, upon written notice to
the Board.
5. Compensation
Upon Termination.
(a) Termination
Generally. If the Executives
employment with the Company is terminated for any reason, the Company shall pay
or provide to the Executive (or to his authorized representative or estate) any
earned but unpaid Base Salary, accrued but unused vacation, and any vested
benefits the Executive may have under any employee benefit plan of the Company
(the Accrued Benefit), through the date of termination.
(b) Termination
by the Company Without Cause. If the
Executives employment is terminated by the Company without Cause as provided
in Section 4(d), then all options granted but not yet vested according to the
terms of the relevant stock option agreements shall immediately vest and be
exercisable, provided Executive
signs and does not revoke a general release in a form acceptable to the Company
(General Release).
6. Noncompetition,
Confidentiality and Inventions Agreement.
Executive agrees to
execute the Companys Employee Noncompetition, Confidentiality and Inventions
Agreement within five (5) days of the Effective Date.
7. Taxation
of Payments and Benefits. The
Company shall undertake to make deductions, withholdings and tax reports with
respect to payments and benefits under this Agreement to the extent that it
reasonably and in good faith believes that it is required to make such
deductions, withholdings and tax reports.
Payments under this Agreement shall be in amounts net of any such
deductions or withholdings. Nothing in
this Agreement shall be construed to require the Company to make any payments
to compensate the Executive for any adverse tax effect associated with any
payments or benefits or for any deduction or withholding from any payment or
benefit.
With respect to any
equity compensation, including the options identified above, the Executive
shall, not later than the date as of which the receipt of any such equity compensation
becomes a taxable event for federal income tax purposes, pay to the Company any
federal, state and local taxes required by law to be withheld on account of
such taxable event.
8. Consent
to Jurisdiction. The parties hereby
consent to the jurisdiction of the Superior Court of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts and the United States District Court for the District of
Massachusetts. Accordingly, with respect
to any such court action, the Executive
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(a) submits to the personal jurisdiction of such
courts; (b) consents to service of process; and (c) waives any other
requirement (whether imposed by statute, rule of court, or otherwise) with
respect to personal jurisdiction or service of process.
9. Integration. This Agreement between Executive and the
Company, together with the Employee Noncompetition, Confidentiality and
Inventions Agreement, and Stock Option Agreement, constitute the entire
agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and
supersedes all prior agreements between the parties concerning such subject
matter.
10. Enforceability. If any portion or provision of this Agreement
(including, without limitation, any portion or provision of any section of this
Agreement) shall to any extent be declared illegal or unenforceable by a court
of competent jurisdiction, then the remainder of this Agreement, or the
application of such portion or provision in circumstances other than those as
to which it is so declared illegal or unenforceable, shall not be affected
thereby, and each portion and provision of this Agreement shall be valid and
enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law.
11. Waiver. No waiver of any provision hereof shall be
effective unless made in writing and signed by the waiving party. The failure of any party to require the
performance of any term or obligation of this Agreement, or the waiver by any
party of any breach of this Agreement, shall not prevent any subsequent
enforcement of such term or obligation or be deemed a waiver of any subsequent
breach.
12. Assignment. Neither the Company nor the Executive may
make any assignment of this Agreement or any interest herein, by operation of
law or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the other party;
provided that the Company may assign its rights under this Agreement without
the consent of the Executive in the event that the Company shall effect a
reorganization, consolidate with or merge into any other corporation,
partnership, organization or other entity, or transfer all or substantially all
of its properties or assets to any other corporation, partnership, organization
or other entity. This Agreement shall
inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company and the Executive,
their respective successors, executors, administrators, heirs and permitted
assigns.
13. Notices. Any notices, requests, demands and other
communications provided for by this Agreement shall be sufficient if in writing
and delivered in person or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier
service or by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt
requested, to the Executive at the last address the Executive has filed in
writing with the Company or, in the case of the Company, at its main offices,
attention of the Board.
14. Amendment. This Agreement may be amended or modified
only by a written instrument signed by the Executive and by a duly authorized
representative of the Company.
15. Governing
Law. This is a Massachusetts
contract and shall be construed under and be governed in all respects by the
laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without giving effect to the
conflict of laws principles of such Commonwealth. With respect to any disputes concerning
federal law, such disputes shall be determined in accordance with the law as it
would be interpreted and applied by the United States Court of Appeals for the
First Circuit.
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16. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number
of counterparts, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be taken to
be an original; but such counterparts shall together constitute one and the
same document.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement effective on
the date and year first above written.
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METABOLIX, INC.
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By:
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/s/ Anthony J. Sinskey
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Anthony J.
Sinskey
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Chairman
of the Compensation Committee
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Date:
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June 4, 2007
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JAY
KOUBA
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/s/ Jay Kouba
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Date:
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June 13, 2007
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SCHEDULE A
In accordance with
Section 2 of his Employment Agreement with Metabolix, Inc. (the Company), Jay
Kouba (the Executive) has disclosed, and the Board of Directors of the
Company has approved, the following:
1. Executive
is serving and will continue to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of
Advanced Biofuels and Virent Energy Systems.
2. In
his capacity as a member of the Board of Directors of Advanced Biofuels,
Executive shall hold the title of Vice Chairman of the Board and Chief
Strategist. It is expected that Executive
may accept the position of Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Biofuels
following his employment with the Company.
It is expected that Advanced Biofuels may publicize its current
relationship with Executive and its future anticipated employment of Executive.
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