Exhibit 10.1
AMENDED & RESTATED EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
This AMENDED AND RESTATED EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made effective as of May 12, 2026 (the “Effective Date”), by and between Protalix Ltd., a company organized under the laws of the State of Israel (the “Company”) and Yaron Naos, a resident of the State of Israel (the “Executive”) (each of the Company and Executive shall be referred to herein, as a “Party” and collectively, the “Parties”).
WHEREAS, the Executive, who was promoted to Sr. Vice President & Chief Executive Officer, is currently an employee of the Company and of its parent company, Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. (the “Parent Company”), and was a party to that certain Employment Agreement between the Company and the Executive, effective as of September 8, 2004 which agreement is superseded in its entirety by this Agreement; and
WHEREAS, the Company and the Executive desire to restate the terms and conditions of the Executive’s employment by the Company as hereinafter set forth.
NOW, THEREFORE, based on the representations contained herein and in consideration of the mutual premises and covenants set forth herein, the Company and the Executive hereby agree that the terms and conditions of the Executive’s employment are hereby amended and restated in their entirety to read as follows:
| 1. | Employment. |
| 2. | Salary and Employee Benefits. |
In full consideration of the Executive’s continued employment hereunder, commencing as of the Commencement Date (unless otherwise expressly provided in this Section 2), the Executive shall be entitled to the following payments and benefits, it being understood and agreed that any salary-based benefits shall be calculated exclusively on the basis of the base salary (without consideration to any other benefit):
2.2.1The Executive shall be entitled to an annual bonus based on multiples of the Executive’s base monthly Salary, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors of the Company or its Compensation Committee (collectively, the “Board”), and at its sole discretion. The determination of the Board (and any other organ approval required under applicable law) shall be made following the end of each calendar year during the term hereof and the bonus shall be payable, if applicable, with the next salary following the publication of the Company’s annual financial report. The Board shall determine the bonus on the basis of annual objectives which shall include both measurable and strategic parameters (in such ratios as shall be approved by the Board), to be agreed in advance with the Executive on an annual basis (the “Objectives”). The Board’s (and any other organ’s approval required under applicable law) decision regarding the foregoing bonus payment shall be based on the Board’s determinations, in its discretion, that the Executive achieved 80% or more of the Objectives (the “Percentage Achievement”). The amount of the bonus is anticipated to fall within the following range: (i) for achievement of 80% of the Objectives, a bonus in an amount equal to four (4) monthly Salaries; (ii) for achievement of 100% of the Objectives, a bonus in an amount equal to five (5) monthly Salaries; and (iii) for achievement of 120% of the Objectives, a bonus in an amount equal to six (6) monthly Salaries, which will also be the maximum amount.
2.2.2.The Board shall be entitled to grant, at any time, and notwithstanding the foregoing, a discretionary bonus to the Executive, based on significant achievements.
2.2.3Without derogating the foregoing, in the event of Triggered COC (as defined below), Employee shall be entitled to receive a one-time bonus in the amount of US $400,000 (“COC Bonus”); provided, however, that (i) the COC Bonus is inclusive of any termination notice and other applicable amounts stipulated under this Agreement; and (ii) the COC Bonus is inclusive of any milestone achieved following the consummation of such change of control.
For the purpose hereof, Triggered COC shall mean: Change in ownership or control of the Parent Company effected through the direct acquisition by any person or related group of persons (other than an acquisition from or by the Parent Company or by a Parent Company-sponsored employee benefit plan or by a person that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Parent Company) of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934) of securities possessing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the Parent Company’s outstanding securities pursuant to an agreement which was initiated by the Board and was led by an investment bank on its behalf.
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It is agreed that the definition of Triggered COC is applicable only to this Agreement and not to the Plan (as defined below).
In the event that the Executive shall elect to be insured in a Manager’s Insurance Policy or a provident fund which is not a Pension Fund - the Company’s contributions for benefits (Tagmulim) shall include payment for disability insurance in an amount which will ensure 75% of the Salary; provided, however, that in any event the contributions of the Company for benefits shall be equal to at least 5% of the Salary, and the total cost of the Company for disability insurance and benefits shall not exceed 7.5% of the Salary.
The Parties hereby declare and agree that the pension arrangement in accordance with this clause constitutes a “beneficial arrangement” for the purpose of the Extension Order (Combined Version) for Mandatory Pension under the Collective Agreements Law, 5717-1957 (the “Pension Extension Order”), and the Company shall not be under any obligation to provide any pension arrangement as provided in the Pension Extension Order other than as provided in this Section.
Without derogating from the generality of the aforesaid, all payments made by the Company to the Policy shall be in lieu of severance pay due to the Executive or his heirs from the Company, and the Company shall not have any additional or other obligations to pay the Executive severance payments, and the Executive hereby consents to this arrangement in accordance with Section 14 of the Severance Pay Law 5723-1963 and the “General Approval Regarding Payments by Employers to a Pension Fund and Insurance Fund in Lieu of Severance Pay” (the “General Approval”), a copy of which is attached to this Agreement as Exhibit A, and the provisions of the General Approval shall apply to the Executive and this Agreement.
For avoidance of doubt, as of the date indicated herein, the General Approval has not yet been updated to reflect the percentages of contributions/deductions indicated above. In the event of
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discrepancy between the updated General Approval and the percentages stated herein, the updated General Approval shall prevail.
The Company hereby waives any entitlement and/or right for reimbursement with respect to the severance compensation and acknowledges, that upon termination of the Executive’s employment in the Company, including inter alia, in the event of the Executive’s resignation, the Company shall release the severance compensation and shall transfer the severance compensation to the Executive, except in the event that: (i) the Company has terminated the Executive’s employment due to circumstances under which his entitlement for severance payment is denied pursuant to Articles 16 or 17 of the Severance Law; or (ii) the Executive has already withdrawn funds from the Policy and not because of “EIROA MEZAKE” according to Section 2(b) of the General Approval.
2.10.1.The Company shall continue to provide the Executive with a Company car (the “Company Car”), at the Executive’s discretion, from the category of cars provided by the Company to its officers of the same level as the Executive. The Company Car shall be placed
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with the Executive for his business and personal use. Executive shall take good care of the Company Car and ensure that the provisions of the insurance policy and the Company’s rules relating to the Company Car are strictly, lawfully, and carefully observed.
2.10.2.Subject to applicable law, the Company shall bear all fixed and ongoing expenses relating to the Company Car and to the use and maintenance thereof, excluding expenses incurred in connection with any violations of law, which shall be paid solely by Executive. The Company shall subscribe the Executive’s Company Car to the Kvish 6 and Hotzei Hatzafon toll roads. Consistent with the Company’s guidelines, the Executive’s spouse and children shall be authorized to use the Executive’s Company Car provided they have an Israeli license to drive.
2.10.3.Upon the termination of employment hereunder, the Executive shall return the Company Car (together with its keys and any other equipment supplied and/or installed therein by the Company and any documents relating to the Company Car) to the Company’s principal office. Executive shall have no rights of lien with respect to the Company Car and/or any of said equipment and documents.
| 3. | Confidentiality. |
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| 4. | Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation. |
| 5. | Creations and Inventions. |
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| 6. | Term and Termination. |
For the purposes of this Agreement, the term “Cause” shall mean: (i) a material breach by the Executive of this Agreement, provided such event is not cured within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Executive of a written notice from the Company; (ii) any breach by the Executive of his fiduciary duties or duties of care to the Company and\or the Parent Company; (iii) the Executive’s dishonesty or fraud or felonious conviction; (iv) the Executive’s embezzlement of funds of the Company and\or the Parent Company; (v) any conduct by the Executive, alone or together with others, which is intent to cause materially injurious to the Company and\or the Parent Company, monetary or otherwise; (vi) the Executive’s gross negligence or willful misconduct in performance of his duties and/or responsibilities hereunder; (vii) the Executive’s disregard or insubordination of any lawful resolution and/or instruction of the CEO with respect to the Executive’s duties and/or responsibilities towards the Company, provided such event is not cured within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Executive of a written notice from the
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Company; (viii) the occurrence of an event or circumstance which result in the Executive having a conflict of interest with his position with the Company and\or the Parent Company, without the Executive having notified the Company thereof, as provided herein; (ix) any breach by the Executive of his confidentiality undertakings to the Company; or (x) any consequences which would entitle the Company to terminate the Executive’s employment without severance payments under the Severance Pay Law.
| 7. | Notices. |
If to the Company: | Protalix Ltd. 2 Snunit Street, Science Park P.O. Box 455 Carmiel 2161401, Israel Attn: CEO |
It to the Executive: | As per office records |
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| 8. | Miscellaneous. |
Arbitration proceedings shall be conducted for no longer than forty-five (45) days. The proceedings shall be conducted in Hebrew and according to the rules of substantive law. The arbitrator will not be bound by rules of evidence or procedure and will give a reasoned decision, in writing. The arbitrator’s decision shall be final and binding in any court. Unless otherwise determined by the arbitrator, each party to the proceedings shall bear its own expenses and the arbitrator’s fees and expenses shall be borne in equal parts by the parties to the proceedings.
This Section shall constitute an arbitration agreement between the Parties.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above-mentioned.
PROTALIX LTD. | | YARON NAOS |
/s/ Dror Bashan | | /s/ Yaron Naos |
By: Dror Bashan President and Chief Executive Officer | | |
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