GENETRONICS BIOMEDICAL LTD
10-K405, EX-10.29, 2000-06-28
SURGICAL & MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS & APPARATUS
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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.29

                               FIRST AMENDMENT TO
                 AGREEMENT CONCERNING TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT
                                OF LOIS CRANDELL

         This First Amendment, effective December 14, 1999, is between
Genetronics Biomedical Ltd., a company incorporated in British Columbia, and
Genetronics, Inc., a California corporation having its principal place of
business at 11199 Sorrento Valley Road, San Diego, CA 92121 (collectively,
"Genetronics") and Lois Crandell, having an address at 3750 Riviera Drive, #6,
San Diego, CA 92109 ("Ms. Crandell").

                                  I. BACKGROUND

1.1 Genetronics and Ms. Crandell entered into an Agreement Concerning
Termination of Employment of Lois Crandell, effective December 14, 1999, that
set forth terms and conditions of Ms. Crandell's separation from Genetronics
("Termination Agreement").

1.2 Section 3 of the Termination Agreement sets forth, in part (b), the
agreement of the Company to grant Ms. Crandell a option to purchase 26,700
shares of the common stock of the Company ("New Option").

1.3 The Compensation Committee of the Company granted the New Option pursuant to
a resolution passed at its meeting of November 12, 1999, however, the New Option
agreement has not been entered into by the parties as of May 22, 2000.

1.4 On the Effective Date, the Company and Ms. Crandell believed that, as an
individual deemed to hold more than 10% of the issued and outstanding shares of
the Company, any stock option grant made by the Company to Ms. Crandell was
subject to 26 USC Sec. 422(d) of the IRS Code. That Section of the IRS Code
specifies that any Incentive Stock Option ("ISO") to purchase stock in a company
that is granted to a holder of more than 10% of the issued and outstanding
shares in the company must (i) have an Exercise Price that is at least 110% of
the fair market value at the time of grant and (ii) have a term that is no
longer than five years from the date of grant. Accordingly, the Exercise Price
of the New Option was stated to be US$3.23 per share ("Exercise Price"), which
is 110% of the fair market value of Company common shares on the AMEX at market
close on November 11, 1999. The term of the New Option was stated to be five
years ("Term").

1.5 However, Section 26 USC Sec. 422(d) of the IRS Code applies only to ISO
grants, which cannot be granted to non-employees. Because Ms. Crandell was not
an employee of Genetronics on the date the New Option was granted, the New
Option is a non-qualified, or non-ISO, option. Accordingly, Section 26 USC Sec.
422(d) of the IRS Code does not apply.


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First Amendment to Termination                                       Page 2 of 3


1.6 Therefore, one purpose of this First Amendment is to amend Section 3 of the
Termination Agreement to state an Exercise Price equal to the fair market value
of common shares of the Company at the time of grant and a Term of ten years.
These changes are beneficial to Ms. Crandell, as they result in a lower Exercise
Price and a longer Term.

1.7 A second purpose of this First Amendment is to amend Section 10 of the
Termination Agreement to reflect the parties' agreement, set forth in Exhibit I,
attached hereto, that Genetronics will make the quarterly match (less applicable
withholding) that it would have made to Ms. Crandell's 401(k) account had she
remained an employee through September 7, 2000 in cash rather than in Company
stock.

1.8 Accordingly, the parties agree to this First Amendment as follows:

                                  II. AMENDMENT

2.1 Section 3 of the Termination Agreement is deleted in its entirety and
replaced with:

         3.   SEVERANCE PAY. The Company agrees to make severance payments to
              Ms. Crandell in the form of: (a) continuation of her base salary
              in effect on the Separation Date for a period of twelve (12)
              months from the Separation Date (the "Severance Period") and (b) a
              grant of an option to purchase 26,700 shares of the common stock
              of the Company ("New Option") at a price per share equal to the
              fair market value of the Company's common stock on the date that
              is the last trading day before the date of grant. The term of the
              New Options shall be ten years from the date of grant. The New
              Options will vest on September 6,2000, which is the last day of
              the Severance Period, and will be exercisable for the duration of
              the term of the New Options. However, in the event the Company is
              acquired by, or merged with, another entity prior to the vesting
              of the New Options, the New Options will vest upon the completion
              of the merger or acquisition. The New Options shall be governed
              pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Genetronics
              Biomedical, Ltd. 1997 Stock Option Plan, as amended. The twelve
              months of severance payments will be paid on the Company's
              ordinary payroll dates and will be subject to standard payroll
              deductions and withholdings.

2.2 Section 10 of the Termination Agreement is deleted in its entirety and
replaced with:

10. 401(k). The Company agrees that, as part of this Agreement and in
    consideration thereof, the Company will purchase for Ms. Crandell the same
    number of shares of common stock of the Company that she would have received
    through the Company's 401(k) plan had she remained an employee through
    September 7, 2000 ("401(k) Shares"). Such stock shall be purchased for her
    quarterly as it is


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First Amendment to Termination                                       Page 3 of 3


      for employees who participate in the Company's 401(K) plan. Pursuant to a
      letter agreement between the parties, dated January 8, 2000, and attached
      hereto as Exhibit I, in lieu of purchasing 401(k) Shares for Ms. Crandell
      each quarter, the Company will make a quarterly cash payment to Ms.
      Crandell that is equivalent to the number of 401(k) Shares, less
      applicable withholding amounts, that otherwise would have been due Ms.
      Crandell that quarter.

2.3 Other than expressly stated herein, no other term or provision of the
Termination Agreement is amended by this First Amendment.

      Agreement to the foregoing is acknowledged by the signatures below:



LOIS J. CRANDELL

/s/  Lois J. Crandell
---------------------


Date:  May 22, 2000
-------------------



GENETRONICS, INC.                                   GENETRONICS BIOMEDICAL LTD.


/s/  Martin Nash                                    /s/  Martin Nash
------------------------                            ----------------------------


Date:  May 24, 2000                                 Date:  May 24, 2000
     --------------------                                -----------------------


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