2012 INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN DEVON ENERGY CORPORATION 2012 INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN Effective January 1, 2012

EX-10.1 4 d366787dex101.htm 2012 INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN 2012 Incentive Compensation Plan

Exhibit 10.1

2012 INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN

DEVON ENERGY CORPORATION

2012 INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN

Effective January 1, 2012

1. Purpose of the Plan. The purpose of the Plan is to provide a link between compensation and performance, to motivate participants to achieve corporate performance objectives and to enable the Company to attract and retain high quality Eligible Employees.

2. Definitions. As used herein, the following definitions shall apply:

(a) “Affiliated Entity” means any partnership or limited liability company in which a majority of the partnership or other similar interest thereof is owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Company or one or more of its subsidiaries or Affiliated Entities or a combination thereof. For purposes hereof, the Company, a subsidiary or an Affiliated Entity shall be deemed to have a majority ownership interest in a partnership or limited liability company if the Company, such subsidiary or Affiliated Entity shall be allocated a majority of partnership or limited liability company gains or losses or shall be or control a managing director or a general partner of such partnership or limited liability company.

(b) “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

(d) “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

(e) “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board.

(f) “Company” means Devon Energy Corporation, a Delaware corporation.

(g) “Covered Employee” means an Employee who is a “covered employee” under Section 162(m) of the Code.

(h) “Director” means a non-Employee member of the Board.

(i) “Eligible Employee” means any Employee who is selected for participation in the Plan by the Committee and (i) holds the title or position of Executive Vice President or above or (ii) is an officer subject to the reporting requirements of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

(j) “Employee” means any person who is in the employ of the Company, a subsidiary or an Affiliated Entity, subject to the control and direction of the Company, the subsidiary or the Affiliated Entity as to both the work to be performed and the manner and method of performance. Neither service as a Director nor fees received from the Company, the subsidiary or the Affiliated Entity for service as a Director shall be sufficient to constitute Employee status.

(k) “Performance-Based Compensation” means compensation qualifying as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code.

(l) “Performance Goal” means any measurable criterion tied to the success of the Company and based on one or more of the business criteria described in Section 6.

(m) “Performance Period” means a fixed period established by the Committee that may range in duration from a minimum period of twelve (12) months to a maximum period of thirty-six (36) months and over which the attainment of the applicable Performance Goals set by the Committee is to be measured.

(n) “Plan” means the Devon Energy Corporation 2012 Incentive Compensation Plan.

3. Administration of the Plan.

(a) The Committee. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee (or a subcommittee of the Committee) which shall be comprised solely of two or more Directors eligible to serve on a committee awarding Bonus payments qualifying as Performance-Based Compensation.

(b) Powers of the Committee. Subject the provisions of the Plan (including any other powers given to the Committee hereunder), the Committee shall have the authority, in its discretion, to:

(i) establish the duration of each Performance Period;

(ii) select the Eligible Employees who are to participate in the Plan for such Performance Period;

(iii) determine the specific Performance Goal or Goals for each Performance Period and the relative weighting of those goals, establish one or more designated levels of attainment for each such goal and set the Bonus potential for each participant at each corresponding level of attainment;

(iv) certify the level at which the applicable Performance Goal or Goals are attained for the Performance Period and determine, on the basis of that certification, the actual Bonus for each participant in an amount not to exceed his or her maximum Bonus potential for the certified level of attainment;

(v) exercise discretionary authority, when appropriate, to reduce the actual Bonus payable to any participant below his or her Bonus potential for the attained level of the Performance Goal(s) for the Performance Period;

(vi) construe and interpret the terms of the Plan and Bonuses awarded under the Plan;

(vii) establish additional terms, conditions, rules or procedures for the administration of the Plan; provided, however, that no Bonus shall be awarded under any such additional terms, conditions, rules or procedures which are inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan; and

(viii) take such other action, not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, as the Committee deems appropriate.

All decisions and determinations by the Committee shall be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, its subsidiaries, Affiliated Entities, the participants, and any other persons having or claiming an interest hereunder.

(c) Indemnification. In addition to such other rights of indemnification as they may have as members of the Board, members of the Committee who administer the Plan shall be defended and indemnified by the Company, to the extent permitted by law, on an after-tax basis against (i) all reasonable expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and necessarily incurred in connection with the defense of any claim, investigation, action, suit or proceeding, or in connection with any appeal therein, to which they or any of them may be a party by reason of any action taken or failure to act under or in connection with the Plan or any Bonus awarded hereunder and (ii) all amounts paid by them in settlement thereof (provided such settlement is approved by the Company) or paid by them in satisfaction of a judgment in any such claim, investigation, action, suit or proceeding, except in relation to matters as to which it shall be adjudged in such claim, investigation, action, suit or proceeding that such person is liable for gross negligence, bad faith or intentional misconduct; provided, however, that within 30 days after the institution of such claim, investigation, action, suit or proceeding, such person shall offer to the Company, in writing, the opportunity at the Company’s expense to handle and defend the same.

4. Coverage. All Eligible Employees shall be covered by the Plan, except to the extent the Committee may elect to exclude one or more Eligible Employees from participation in a designated Performance Period.

5. Terms and Conditions of Bonus Awards.

(a) Pre-Established Performance Goals. Payment of Bonuses shall be based solely on account of the attainment of one or more pre-established, objective Performance Goals over the designated Performance Period. The Committee shall establish one or more objective Performance Goals with respect to each Eligible Employee in writing not later than 90 days after the commencement of the Performance Period to which the Performance Goals relate or the date on which twenty-five percent (25%) of such Performance Period has been completed (or such other date as may be required or permitted under Section 162(m) of the Code), provided that the outcome of the Performance Goals must be substantially uncertain at the time of their establishment. Performance Goals shall be based solely on one or more of the business criteria described in the Section 6 and shall be weighted, equally or in such other proportion as the Committee shall determine at the time such Performance Goals are established, for purposes of determining the actual Bonus amounts that may become payable upon the attainment of those goals. For each Performance Goal, the Committee may establish one or more designated levels of attainment and set the Bonus potential for each Eligible Employee at each designated performance level. Alternatively, the Committee may establish a linear formula for determining the Bonus potential at various points of Performance Goal attainment. Under no circumstance, however, shall the aggregate Bonus potential for any participant for any Performance Period exceed the applicable maximum dollar amount set forth in Section 5(d).

(b) Committee Certification. As soon as administratively practicable following the completion of the Performance Period, the Committee shall certify the actual levels at which the Performance Goal or Goals for that period have been attained and determine, on the basis of such certified levels, the actual Bonus amount to be paid to each Eligible Employee for that Performance Period. Such certification shall be final, conclusive and binding on the participant, and on all other persons, to the maximum extent permitted by law.

(c) Committee Discretion. The Committee, in determining the amount of the Bonus actually to be paid to an Eligible Employee, shall in no event award a Bonus in excess of the dollar amount determined on the basis of the Bonus potential established for the particular level at which each of the applicable Performance Goals for the Performance Period is attained. If the actual level of attainment is between two of the designated performance levels, the Bonus amounts will be interpolated on a straight-line basis between those two levels. In addition, the Committee shall have the discretion to reduce or eliminate the Bonus that would otherwise be payable with respect to one or more Performance Goals on the basis of the certified level of attained performance of those goals. In exercising its discretion to reduce the Bonus payable to any participant, the Committee may utilize such objective or subjective criteria as the Committee deems appropriate in its sole and absolute discretion. The Committee shall not waive any Performance Goal applicable to a participant’s Bonus potential for a particular Performance Period, provided that, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, waive the Performance Goal for a particular Performance Period in the event of the participant’s death or disability or under such circumstances as the Committee deems appropriate in the event a Change in Control should occur prior to the completion of that Performance Period. For purposes of the Plan, a Change in Control shall have the same definition as set forth in the Company’s 2009 Long-Term Incentive Plan (or any successor to that plan).

(d) Individual Limitations on Awards. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the maximum amount of any Bonus paid to a Covered Employee or other Eligible Employee under the Plan shall be limited to Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000) per each twelve (12)-month period (or portion thereof) included within the applicable Performance Period.

(e) Payment Date. Payment of such Bonus amounts shall be made as soon as administratively practicable thereafter, but in any event, no later than March 15 of the year following the year in which the Performance Period ends. No participant shall accrue any right to receive a Bonus award under the Plan unless that participant remains in Employee status until the payment date for that Bonus following the completion of the Performance Period. Accordingly, no Bonus payment shall be made to any participant who ceases Employee status prior to the payment date for that Bonus; provided, however, that the Committee shall have complete discretion to award a full or pro-rated Bonus, based on the level at which the applicable Performance Goals are attained for the Performance Period, to a participant who ceases Employee status prior to such payment date by reason of death or disability or in connection with an involuntary reduction in force. A participant may also defer the payment of the Bonus pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Company’s Deferred Compensation Plan (or any successor plan) and in compliance with Section 409A of the Code.

(f) Withholding Tax. To the extent required by applicable federal, state, local or foreign law, each employer shall withhold all applicable taxes from all Bonus amounts.

6. Business Criteria.

(a) Permitted Criteria. Performance Goals established by the Committee may be based on any one of, or combination of, the following: earnings; earnings per share (actual or targeted growth); earnings before interest and taxes; pretax earnings before interest, depreciation, amortization, exploration and abandonment costs; pretax operating earnings after interest expense and before incentives, service fees, and extraordinary or special items or operating income; revenues; sales; debt level; cost reduction targets; interest-sensitivity gap levels; cash flow (including but not limited to free cash flow, net cash flow, net cash flow before financing activities, cash flow from operations, increase in cash flow return); capital expenditures; weighted average cost of capital; debt/proved reserves; net income or gross income (including but not limited to income after capital costs and income before or after taxes); operating income; expense; working capital; operating or profit margin; pre-tax margin; contribution margin; return factors (including, but not limited to return on equity, capital employed, or investment; risk adjusted return on capital; return on investors’ capital; return on average equity; return on assets; and return on net assets); book value; operating expenses (including, but not limited to lease operating expenses, severance taxes and other production taxes, gathering and transportation and general and administrative costs); unit costs; net borrowing, debt leverage levels, credit quality, or debt ratings; accomplishment of mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, or similar business transactions (including, but not limited to acquisition goals based on value of assets acquired or similar objectives); debt to debt plus stockholder equity; debt to EBIT or EBITDA; interest coverage; total shareholder return; comparative shareholder return; market price per share; book value per share; net asset value per share; growth measures; debt to total capitalization ratio; asset quality levels; investments; economic value added; stock price appreciation; market capitalization; accounts receivables day sales outstanding; accounts receivables to sales; achievement of balance sheet or income statement objectives; market share; assets; asset sale targets; non-performing assets; satisfactory internal or external audits; improvement of financial ratings; charge-offs; regulatory compliance; employee retention/attrition rates; individual business objectives; risk management activities, corporate value measures which may be objectively determined (including ethics, compliance, environmental, diversity commitment, and safety); amount of the oil and gas reserves; costs of finding oil and gas reserves; reserve replacement ratio, reserve additions, or other reserve level measures; drilling results; natural gas and/or oil production, production and reserve growth; implementation or completion of critical projects or processes; production volume; sales volume; production efficiency; inventory to sales; and inventory turns. Such Performance Goals may be measured not only in terms of the Company’s performance but also in terms of its

performance relative to the performance of other entities or may be measured on the basis of the performance of any of the Company’s business units or divisions or any parent or subsidiary entity. Performance may also be measured on an absolute basis, relative to internal business plans, or based on growth. As may be applicable, they may also be measured in aggregate or on a per-share basis. Performance Goals need not be uniform as among participants.

(b) Authorized Adjustments. To the extent applicable, subject to the following sentence and unless the Committee determines otherwise, the determination of the achievement of Performance Goals shall be determined based on the relevant financial measure, computed in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), and in a manner consistent with the methods used in the Company’s audited financial statements. To the extent permitted by Section 162(m) of the Code, in setting the Performance Goals within the period prescribed in Section 5(a), the Committee may provide for appropriate adjustment as it deems appropriate, including for one or more of the following items: asset write-downs; litigation or claim judgments or settlements; changes in accounting principles; changes in tax law or other laws affecting reported results; changes in commodity prices; severance, contract termination, and other costs related to exiting, modifying or reducing any business activities; costs of, and gains and losses from, the acquisition, disposition, or abandonment of businesses or assets; gains and losses from the early extinguishment of debt; gains and losses in connection with the termination or withdrawal from a pension plan; stock compensation costs and other non-cash expenses; any extraordinary non-recurring items as described in applicable Accounting Principles Board opinions or Financial Accounting Standards Board statements or in management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operation appearing in the Company’s annual report to stockholders for the applicable year; and any other specified non-operating items as determined by the Committee in setting Performance Goals.

7. Effective Date and Term of Plan. The Plan is effective on January 1, 2012, but no Bonus shall be paid under this Plan to a Covered Employee unless the Plan is approved by the Company stockholders at the 2012 annual meeting. Assuming that such stockholder approval is obtained, the Plan shall continue in effect until the Board terminates it or until stockholder approval again is required for the Plan to meet the requirements of Code Section 162(m) but is not obtained.

8. Amendment, Suspension or Termination of the Plan. The Board may at any time amend, suspend or terminate the Plan. However, any amendment or modification of the Plan shall be subject to stockholder approval to the extent required under Code Section 162(m) or other applicable law or regulation.

9. General Provisions.

(a) Transferability. No participant in the Plan shall have the right to transfer, alienate, pledge or encumber his or her interest in the Plan, and such interest shall not (to the maximum permitted by law) be subject to the claims of the participant’s creditors or to attachment, execution or other process of law. However, should a participant die before payment is made of the actual Bonus to which he or she has become entitled under the Plan, then that Bonus shall be paid to the executor or other legal representative of his or her estate.

(b) No Rights to Employment. Neither the action of the Company in establishing or maintaining the Plan, nor any action taken under the Plan by the Committee, nor any provision of the Plan itself shall be construed so as to grant any person the right to remain in Employee status for any period of specific duration, and each participant shall at all times remain an Employee at-will and may accordingly be discharged at any time, with or without cause and with or without advance notice of such discharge.

(c) Acknowledgement of Authority. All Bonuses shall be awarded conditional upon the participant’s acknowledgement, by participation in the Plan, that all decisions and determinations of the Committee shall be final and binding on the participant, his or her beneficiaries and any other person having or claiming an interest in such Bonus.

(d) Company Policies. All Bonuses under the Plan shall be subject to any applicable clawback or recoupment policy of the Company adopted from time to time by the Board.

(e) Unfunded Obligation. Eligible Employees eligible to participate in the Plan shall have the status of general unsecured creditors of the Company. Any amounts payable to such Employees pursuant to the Plan shall be unfunded and unsecured obligations for all purposes, including (without limitation) Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended. The Company shall not be required to segregate any monies from its general funds, or to create any trusts, or establish any special accounts with respect to such obligations. Employees shall have no claim against the Company for any changes in the value of any assets that may be invested or reinvested by the Company with respect to the Plan.

(f) Reliance on Reports. Each member of the Committee shall be fully justified in relying or acting in good faith upon any report made by the independent public accountants of the Company and its subsidiaries or Affiliated Entities and upon any other information furnished in connection with the Plan by any person or persons other than himself or herself. In no event shall any person who is or shall have been a member of the Committee or of the Board be liable for any determination made or other action taken or any omission to act in reliance upon any such report or information or for any action taken, including the furnishing of information, or failure to act, if in good faith.

(g) Successors. The terms and conditions of the Plan, together with the obligations and liabilities of the Company that accrue hereunder, shall be binding upon any successor to the Company, whether by way of merger, consolidation, reorganization or other change in ownership or control of the Company.

(h) Section 409A. The Plan is intended to comply with the short-term deferral rule set forth in the regulations under Section 409A of the Code in order to avoid application of Section 409A of the Code to the Plan. If and to the extent that any payment under this Plan is deemed to be deferred compensation subject to the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, this Plan shall be administered so that such payments are made in accordance with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. If an award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, (i) distributions shall only be made in a manner and upon an event permitted under Section 409A of the Code, (ii) payments to be made upon a termination of employment shall only be made upon a “separation from service” under Section 409A of the Code, and (iii) in no event shall a participant, directly or indirectly, designate the calendar year in which a distribution is made except in accordance with Section 409A of the Code. Any award granted under the Plan that is subject to Section 409A of the Code and that is to be distributed to a key employee (as defined below) upon separation from service shall be administered so that any distribution with respect to such award shall be postponed for six months following the date of the participant’s separation from service, if required by Section 409A of the Code. If a distribution is delayed pursuant to Section 409A of the Code, the distribution shall be paid within 30 days after the end of the six-month period. If the participant dies during such six-month period, any postponed amounts shall be paid within 90 days of the participant’s death. The determination of key employees, including the number and identity of persons considered key employees and the identification date, shall be made by the Committee or its delegate each year in accordance with Section 416(i) of the Code and the “specified employee” requirements of Section 409A of the Code.

(i) Governing Law. The validity, construction, interpretation and effect of the Plan shall be governed and construed by and determined in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to the conflict of laws provisions thereof.