CONSULTING AGREEMENT
This Consulting Agreement (this "Agreement") is made as of the 19 day of
October, 2010, by and between Aetna Inc. ("Company") and Ronald A. Williams
("Consultant"). The parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Engagement. Company hereby engages Consultant and Consultant hereby agrees to
render at the request of the Company's Chief Executive Officer or Board of
Directors, upon reasonable notice, independent consulting services for Company
related to public policy, federal regulatory strategy and other business matters
as agreed by the parties. In addition, Consultant shall also provide consulting
services hereunder to Aetna Foundation, Inc. In this engagement and all
activities hereunder, Consultant shall serve as an independent contractor of
Company, as further explained in Section 6 below.
2. Consulting Term. This Agreement is effective as of the date hereof. The
consulting services under this Agreement shall be provided during the period
commencing as of the date immediately following the Consultant's retirement from
his employment with the Company in April 2011 and shall terminate on February
28th, 2012, unless terminated earlier pursuant to this Agreement (the
"Consulting Term"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, or anything else to the
contrary, unless otherwise agreed by the Company, this Agreement shall be null
and void and Consultant shall not assume a consulting role hereunder, if
Consultant's employment with the Company is terminated after the date hereof
under any circumstances other than retirement by the Consultant in April 2011,
as contemplated under the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between
Consultant and the Company dated December 5, 2003, as amended through the date
hereof (the "Employment Agreement").
3. Terms. As compensation for services rendered hereunder, the Company agrees to
pay Consultant $20,000 per month. Such payment shall be payable without
deduction for taxes, including federal income, social security or state income
taxes. All applicable taxes shall be the responsibility of Consultant. In
addition, the Company also shall pay reasonable out of pocket business expenses
of Consultant incurred in connection with the consulting services performed at
Company's and Aetna Foundation Inc.'s request. Such out of pocket expenses shall
be documented and submitted to the Company within 30 days of the time the
expenses are incurred and amounts shall be in accordance with the Company's
expense reimbursement policies. Company shall provide Consultant with an office
with appropriate support services (including secretarial support) at a location
mutually agreed upon.
4. Performance of Duties. Consultant shall render services in good faith, at
such times during the term hereof, and in such manner, as Company and Consultant
shall mutually agree. Services provided hereunder shall be performed at such
places and at such times as are reasonably convenient to Consultant, upon
reasonable notice. Consultant shall observe all reasonable policies and
directives promulgated from time to time by Company with respect to the
consulting services to be rendered hereunder which are not inconsistent with
this agreement and executive's other agreements with the Company. In compliance
with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code and regulations promulgated
thereunder, Company and Consultant do not expect that the services to be
provided hereunder will exceed 20 percent of the average level of
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bona fide services performed over the immediately preceding 36 month period
by Consultant (in any capacity) (the "Service Limit"). In furtherance of the
foregoing, Company (with regard to services to be provided to it and to Aetna
Foundation, Inc.) shall not require or accept services by the Consultant beyond
the Service Limit and the Consultant shall not provide services beyond the
Service Limit.
5. Termination. Consultant may terminate this Agreement at any time. This
Agreement also will terminate on Consultant's death. The Company may terminate
this Agreement if Consultant materially breaches his obligations under Paragraph
(7) or (8) and such breach is not cured within 10 days of the Company's written
notice thereof. Consultant's obligations under Section 8 (Confidential
Information), Section 9 (Rights of Authorship), Section 10 (Remedy), Section 11
(Arbitration) and Section 12 (Miscellaneous) shall survive termination hereof.
6. Independent Contractor. It is expressly agreed that Consultant is acting as
an independent contractor in performing services hereunder. Company shall carry
no workers' compensation insurance or any health or accident insurance (other
than standard Aetna retiree medical care benefits to which the Consultant is
otherwise entitled) to cover Consultant. Company shall not pay any contributions
to Social Security, unemployment insurance, federal or state withholding taxes,
nor provide any other contributions or benefits that might be expected in an
employer-employee relationship. Company acknowledges that pursuant to the
Employment Agreement, Consultant's rights to indemnification survive the
termination of the Employment Agreement and agrees that the consulting services
provided hereunder shall be treated for such indemnification purposes as if the
services had been provided under the Employment Agreement.
7. Post Employment Covenants. Consultant acknowledges and agrees that the
covenants against noncompetition, non-disclosure, non-solicitation of customers
and employees, cooperation and nondisparagement contained in Section 6.15 of the
Employment Agreement remain in full force and effect during and following the
Consulting Term as more specifically set forth in the Employment Agreement, and
that a breach of any of those covenants during the Consulting Term shall
constitute a breach of this Agreement. Further, Consultant agrees that,
notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Employment Agreement, during the
Consulting Term (which can be terminated at any time at the election of
Consultant pursuant to Section 5), the Specified Companies referenced in Section
6.15(c) of the Employment Agreement shall refer to Cigna Corporation,
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, Humana Inc., WellPoint Inc., Health Net Inc.,
Coventry Health Care Inc., Kaiser Permanente and any health plan affiliated with
Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Further, Consultant agrees that the covenant
not to compete with the Company included in Section 6.15(c) of the Employment
Agreement shall be extended, without the modification to add the additional
companies, to operate for the 12 month period following the Consulting Term (it
being understood that the remaining covenants will operate from the date of
Consultant's termination of employment with the Company). 8. Confidential
Information. Consultant desires to act as a consultant to Company and he
understands and agrees that his duties for the Company in the past have
required, and his
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consulting duties may require, access to Confidential Information of a
competitive nature, which Company makes available only to select persons who
have a need to know such confidential information, and/or information subject to
the attorney-client and work product privileges. Consultant acknowledges and
agrees that Section 16.15(a) of the Employment Agreement relating to
nondisclosure and return of confidential information shall apply during the
Consulting Term and that such provision is hereby incorporated by reference.
9. Rights of Authorship. Consultant acknowledges that all original works of
authorship that are made by him (solely or jointly with others) within the scope
of this Agreement and which are protectable by copyright are "works made for
hire" as that term is defined in the United States Copyright Act (17 U.S.C.,
Section 101).
10. Remedy. Consultant understands that Company would not have any adequate
remedy at law for the material breach or threatened breach by the Consultant of
Sections 8 (Return of Confidential Information) or 9 (Rights of Authorship) of
this Agreement, and agrees that in the event of any such material breach or
threatened breach, Company may, in addition to the other remedies which may be
available to it, file a suit in equity to enjoin Consultant from the breach or
threatened breach of such covenant(s).
11. Arbitration. Any matter, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to
this Agreement or to any breach of this Agreement, except claims for equitable
remedies as set forth in Section 10, as to which Company has elected to seek a
court remedy, shall be settled by arbitration before one arbitrator in
accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration
Association, and judgments on the award rendered by the arbitrators may be
entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. Each party shall pay: the fees
of his or its attorneys; the expenses of his or its witnesses; and all other
expenses connected with presenting his or its case. Other costs of the
arbitration, including the cost of any record or transcripts of the arbitration
hearing, administrative fees, the fees of the arbitrator, and all other fees and
costs shall be borne equally by the parties.
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12. Miscellaneous. (a) Notices. Any notice required or permitted to be given
under this Agreement shall be sufficient if in writing and if sent by registered
or certified mail to Company or Consultant at the address set forth below to
such other address as they shall notify each other in writing. If to Company:
Chief Executive Officer Aetna Inc. 151 Farmington Avenue Hartford, CT 06156
With a copy to:
General Counsel Aetna Inc. 151 Farmington Avenue Hartford, CT 06156
If to Consultant: at Consultant's last known address as reflected on the books
and records of the Company (b) Assignment. This Agreement shall be binding upon
and inure to the benefit of Company and its successors and assigns. This
Agreement shall not be assignable by Consultant and shall not be assignable by
the Company without Consultant's consent, except in the context of a sale or
other transfer of all or substantially all of the business or assets of the
Company. (c) Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance
with the laws of the State of Connecticut in every respect, without regard to
its rules regarding conflicts of law. (d) Headings. Section headings and numbers
herein are included for convenience of reference only and this Agreement is not
to be construed with reference thereto. If there is any conflict between such
numbers and headings and the text hereof, the text shall control. (e)
Severability. If for any reason any portion of this Agreement shall be held
invalid or unenforceable, the parties agree that it is their intent that such
provision shall be enforced to the maximum extent possible under applicable law,
and that the court or arbitrator shall reform such provision to make it
enforceable in accordance with the intent of the parties, and that
notwithstanding such invalidity, unenforceability or reformation of any
provision, the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force
and effect. (f) Entire Agreement. This Agreement contains the entire agreement
of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all
previous agreements between the parties, provided, however, that the parties
acknowledge that certain provisions of the Employment Agreement, may remain in
effect as provided in such agreement and amendments thereto, during all or a
portion of the term of this Agreement. No officer, employee, or representative
of Company has any authority to
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make any representation or promise in connection with this Agreement or the subject matter hereof that is not contained herein, and Consultant represents and warrants that he has not executed this Agreement in reliance upon any such representation or promise. No modification, extension or renewal of this Agreement shall be valid unless made in writing and signed by the parties hereto. (g) Waiver of Breach. The waiver by Company of a breach of any provision of this Agreement by Consultant shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach by Consultant. (h) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together shall constitute one agreement.
Aetna Inc. |
Ronald A. Williams |
By: /s/ Elease E. Wright Elease E. Wright, Senior Vice President, Human Resources |
/s/ Ronald A. Williams |
Date: October 19, 2010 |
Date: October 19, 2010 |
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