Letter Agreement Regarding Option Exercises and Make-Whole Payment – Del Monte Foods Company and David W. Allen
This agreement between Del Monte Foods Company and David W. Allen outlines the terms for Allen’s exercise of certain stock options before a company merger. If Allen exercises the specified options and sells the shares before the merger closes, Del Monte will pay him a cash amount to make up any difference between the merger price and his sale price, subject to certain conditions. The agreement aims to help Allen avoid a special excise tax, but does not guarantee tax outcomes. The agreement is governed by California law and supersedes prior related communications.
Exhibit 10.13
Private & Confidential
December 20, 2010
David W. Allen
Executive Vice President, Operations
Del Monte Foods Company
One Maritime
Plaza San Francisco, CA 94105
RE: Exercise of Options and Make-Whole Payment
Dear Mr. Allen:
This letter is in reference to the proposed exercise by you of certain of the vested options to purchase shares of Del Monte Foods Company common stock (DM Stock) that you hold pursuant to certain Del Monte Foods Company equity incentive plans (your DM Options). As you know, upon the closing of the transactions contemplated under the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of November 24, 2010 among Blue Acquisition Group, Inc., Blue Merger Sub Inc. and Del Monte Foods Company (the Company) (the Merger Agreement), all unvested awards on DM Stock that you currently hold will become fully vested. The vesting of these awards, alone, will likely trigger the imposition on you of a golden parachute excise tax (280G Tax). Although the Company generally has an obligation to make you whole on such excise tax under existing 280G Tax gross-up arrangements (pursuant to your employment agreement or the Executive Severance Plan, as applicable, the 280G Tax gross-up)), there is an opportunity to potentially eliminate the imposition of the 280G Tax through your exercise of certain DM Options on or prior to December 31, 2010. In connection with the foregoing, the Companys advisors have estimated that imposition of the 280G Tax could be avoided by you exercising a number of DM Options in respect of which, in the aggregate, you recognize ordinary income equal to $2,024,638 (i.e., the sum of the closing trading price minus exercise price of each DM Option exercised, multiplied by number of shares of DM Stock acquired upon exercise of each such DM Option (inclusive of shares sold to cover taxes and option exercise prices) by no later than December 28, 2010 (the Covered Options). All capitalized terms used in this letter agreement but not otherwise defined will have the meaning ascribed to them in the Merger Agreement.
In connection with your exercise of the Covered Options, but subject to the next succeeding sentence, the Company shall pay you a cash amount equal to the product of (x) the excess, if any, of the Merger Consideration over the price per share of DM Stock that you receive, after taking into account any applicable per share broker fees, on the date you exercise the Covered Options, and (y) the number of shares of DM Stock that you acquire upon exercise of the Covered Options and sell into the market prior to the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Merger Agreement (such product, the Make-Whole Payment). The Company shall pay you the Make-Whole Payment within ten (10) days after the Closing Date; provided, however, that if (i) the amount of the Merger Consideration is increased from $19.00, then the reference to Merger Consideration in the preceding sentence shall refer to such increased amount, or (ii) the Merger Agreement is terminated and no other transaction of the type described in the Merger Agreement and involving the parties to the Merger Agreement occurs, then the Company shall not be obligated to pay you any Make-Whole Payment (or any portion thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, if (a) you do not exercise the Covered Options on or before December 28, 2010, or (b) if the transaction described in the Merger Agreement (or a similar transaction involving the same parties) is not consummated, the Company shall not be obligated to pay you the Make-Whole Payment (or any portion thereof). In addition, the Company shall not be obligated to pay you any Make-Whole
Payment on any shares of DM Stock that you acquire upon exercise of the Covered Options but do not sell into the market (or on any other shares of DM Stock not acquired upon exercise of the Covered Options that you might sell into the market). The Make-Whole Payment shall be subject to withholding for applicable taxes.
Please note that the Company does not guarantee that the exercise of the Covered Options will ultimately avoid the application of the 280G Tax to any payments or benefits you receive in connection with the transaction contemplated under the Merger Agreement. The estimate of the number of Covered Options to exercise to avoid the 280G Tax is based on a variety of assumptions, including the identification of payments and benefits taken into account in estimating whether or not you may be subject to the 280G Tax, the timing of the closing of the Merger, and the amount of the Merger Consideration. In the event that circumstances cause those assumptions to be inaccurate, the exercise of the Covered Options may not prove to be sufficient to avoid the imposition of the 280G Tax. However, if the 280G Tax is nevertheless triggered, you will still be eligible to receive the 280G Tax gross-up payment from the Company to the extent provided under the terms of your employment agreement or the Executive Severance Plan, as applicable.
This letter supersedes any previous communications or agreements, oral or written, relating to the subject matter contained herein, and shall be governed by the laws of the State of California.
If you are amenable to the terms of this letter agreement, please sign below to indicate your agreement herewith.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Richard W. Muto |
Richard W. Muto |
Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer |
Del Monte Foods Company |
Accepted and agreed on January 4, 2011.
/s/ David W. Allen |
David W. Allen |