BROADPOINTGLEACHER SECURITIES GROUP, INC. 2007INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN (AsAmended and Restated Through June 16, 2009)

 

 

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                                                                                                        Exhibit 10.2

 

 

 

 

 

1.	Purpose of the Plan

 

The purpose of this 2007 Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) is to advance the interests of the Broadpoint Gleacher Securities Group, Inc., a New York corporation (the “Company”), and its shareholders by providing a means (a) to attract, retain, and reward officers, other employees, and persons who provide services to the Company and its subsidiaries, (b) to link compensation to measures of the Company’s performance in order to provide additional incentives, including stock-based incentives and cash-based annual incentives, to such persons for the creation of shareholder value, and (c) to enable such persons to acquire or increase a proprietary interest in the Company in order to promote a closer identity of interests between such persons and the Company’s shareholders.  The Plan is intended to qualify certain compensation awarded under the Plan as “performance-based” compensation under Code Section 162(m) to the extent deemed appropriate by the Committee which administers the Plan.

 

2.	Definitions

 

The definitions of awards under the Plan, including Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, Deferred Stock, Stock granted as a bonus or in lieu of other awards, and Other Stock-Based Awards, are set forth in Section 6, and the definition of Performance Awards, including Annual Incentive Awards, is set forth in Section 8.  Such awards, together with any other right or interest granted to a Participant under the Plan, are termed “Awards.” In addition to such terms and the terms defined in Section 1, the following terms shall be defined as set forth below:

 

2.1    “Annual Incentive Award” means a conditional right granted to a Participant under Section 8.3 to receive a cash payment, Shares or other Awards based on performance during all or part of a specified fiscal year.

 

2.2    “Beneficiary” means the person(s) or trust(s) which have been designated by a Participant in his or her most recent written beneficiary designation filed with the Committee to receive the benefits specified under the Plan upon such Participant’s death.  If, upon a Participant’s death, there is no designated Beneficiary or surviving designated Beneficiary, then the term Beneficiary means the person(s) or trust(s) entitled by will or the laws of descent and distribution to receive such benefits.

 

2.3    “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

2.4    “Cause,” unless defined otherwise in the terms and conditions of a Participant’s Award, means (i) the Participant’s conviction of, or plea of guilty or “no contest” to, any felony; (ii) Participant’s conviction of, or plea of guilty or “no contest” to, a violation of criminal law involving the Company and its business; (iii) the Participant’s commission of an act of fraud or theft, or material dishonesty in connection with his performance of duties to Company and its affiliates; or (iv) the Participant’s willful refusal or gross neglect by the Participant to perform the duties reasonably assigned to him and consistent with his position with Company and its affiliates or otherwise to comply with the material terms of any employment agreement between the Company or any of its affiliates and the Participant, which refusal or gross neglect continues for more than fifteen (15) days after the Participant receives written notice thereof from the Company providing reasonable detail of the asserted refusal or gross neglect (and which is not due to a physical or mental impairment).

 

 

 

2.5    “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including regulations thereunder and successor provisions and regulations thereto.

 

2.6    “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board, and the term “Committee” shall refer to the full Board in any case in which it is performing any function of the Committee under the Plan.  A member of the Committee is not required by the terms of the Plan to be a Qualified Member at the time of appointment or during his or her term of service on the Committee.

 

2.7    “Company” has the meaning set forth in Section 1 above.

 

2.8    “Covered Employee” has the meaning as defined in Section 8.5 of the Plan.

 

2.9    “Effective Date” means the date on which the Plan takes effect, as set forth in Section 9.14 of the Plan.

 

2.10    “Fair Market Value,” means, with respect to Shares, Awards, or other property, the fair market value of such Shares, Awards, or other property determined by such reasonable methods or procedures as shall be established from time to time by the Committee in compliance with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.  At any time while Shares are traded on the NASDAQ Global Market, the Fair Market Value of a Share as of any given date means the closing sales price of a Share in composite trading of NASDAQ Global Market-listed securities for that date or, if no sale occurred on that date, on the latest preceding day on which a sale occurred, as reported by a reliable reporting service.

 

2.11    “Participant” means an individual who has been granted an Award under the Plan, for so long as the Company has any obligation under the Plan with respect to such Award or such Award remains subject to any restriction under the Plan.

 

2.12    “Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 1 above.

 

2.13    “Preexisting Plans” mean the Company’s 1989 Stock Incentive Plan, 1999 Long-Term Incentive Plan, 2001 Long-Term Incentive Plan and Restricted Stock Inducement Plan for Descap Employees, each as amended.

 

2.14    “Qualified Member” means a member of the Committee who is a “Non-Employee Director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3(b)(3) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and an “outside director” within the meaning of Regulation 1.162-27 under Code Section 162(m).

 

2.15    “Retirement,” unless defined otherwise in the terms and conditions of a Participant’s Award, means a Participant’s termination of employment with the Company and all of its affiliates for reasons other than Cause on or after (i) having completed at least five years of service and (ii) reaching any age, that, when added to service with the Company and its affiliates (in each case, expressed as completed years and completed months), equals at least 60.

 

2.16    “Shares” means shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company and such other securities as may be substituted or resubstituted for Shares pursuant to Section 5.3.

 

3.	Administration

 

3.1    Authority of the Committee.  The Plan shall be administered by the Committee.  The Committee shall have full and final authority to take the following actions, in each case subject to and consistent with the provisions of the Plan:

 

 

 

(a)    to select persons to whom Awards may be granted;

 

(b)    to determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to each Participant;

 

(c)    to determine the number of Awards to be granted, the number of Shares to which an Award will relate, the cash amount payable in settlement of an Annual Incentive Award and the performance conditions applicable thereto, all other terms and conditions of any Award granted under the Plan (including, but not limited to, any exercise price, grant price, or purchase price, any restriction or condition, any schedule or performance conditions for the lapse of restrictions or conditions relating to transferability, forfeiture, exercisability, or settlement of an Award, and accelerations or modifications thereof, based in each case on such considerations as the Committee shall determine), and all other matters to be determined in connection with an Award;

 

(d)    to determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances an Award may be settled, or the exercise price of an Award may be paid, in cash, Shares, other Awards, or other property, or an Award may be canceled, forfeited, or surrendered;

 

(e)    to determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances cash, Shares, other Awards, or other property payable with respect to an Award will be deferred either automatically, at the election of the Committee, or at the election of the Participant;

 

(f)    to prescribe the form of each Award agreement, which need not be identical for each Participant;

 

(g)   to adopt, amend, suspend, and rescind such rules and regulations and appoint such agents as the Committee may deem necessary or advisable to administer the Plan;

 

(h)   to correct any defect or supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan and to construe and interpret the Plan and any Award, rules and regulations, Award agreement, or other instrument hereunder; and

 

(i)    to make all other decisions and determinations as may be required under the terms of the Plan or as the Committee may deem necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan.

 

3.2    Manner of Exercise of Committee Authority.  Any action of the Committee with respect to the Plan shall be final, conclusive, and binding on all persons, including the Company, subsidiaries of the Company, Participants, any person claiming any rights under the Plan from or through any Participant, and shareholders.  The express grant of any specific power to the Committee, and the taking of any action by the Committee, shall not be construed as limiting any power or authority of the Committee.  At any time that a member of the Committee is not a Qualified Member, (i) any action of the Committee relating to an Award intended by the Committee to qualify as “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder may be taken by a subcommittee, designated by the Committee or the Board, composed solely of two or more Qualified Members, and (ii) any action relating to an Award granted or to be granted to a Participant who is then subject to Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in respect of the Company may be taken either by such a subcommittee or by the Committee but with each such member who is not a Qualified Member abstaining or recusing himself or herself from such action, provided that, upon such abstention or recusal, the Committee remains composed of two or more Qualified Members.  Such action, authorized by such a subcommittee or by the Committee upon the abstention or recusal of such non-Qualified Member(s), shall be the action of the Committee for purposes of the Plan.  The Committee may delegate to officers or managers of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company the authority, subject to such terms as the Committee shall determine, to perform functions designated by the Committee, to the extent that such delegation is permitted under applicable laws.  Other provisions of the Plan notwithstanding, the Board may perform any function of the Committee under the Plan, in order to ensure that transactions under the Plan are exempt under Rule 16b-3 or for any other reason; provided, however , that authority specifically reserved to the Board under the terms of the Plan, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws, or applicable law shall be exercised by the Board and not by the Committee.

 

 

 

 

3.3    Limitation of Liability.  Each member of the Committee shall be entitled to, in good faith, rely or act upon any report or other information furnished to him by any officer or other employee of the Company or any subsidiary, the Company’s independent certified public accountants, or any executive compensation consultant, legal counsel, or other professional retained by the Company to assist in the administration of the Plan.  No member of the Committee, nor any officer or employee of the Company acting on behalf of the Committee, shall be personally liable for any action, determination, or interpretation taken or made in good faith with respect to the Plan, and all members of the Committee and any officer or employee of the Company acting on behalf of the Committee or members thereof shall, to the extent permitted by law, be fully indemnified and protected by the Company with respect to any such action, determination, or interpretation.

 

4.	Eligibility

 

Persons who are eligible to be granted Awards under the Plan include (i) any executive officer and other officer or employee of the Company or any subsidiary, including any such person who may also be a director of the Company, (ii) any other person who provides substantial personal services to the Company or any subsidiary not solely in the capacity as a director, and (iii) any person who has agreed to become an employee of the Company or a subsidiary provided that no such person may receive any payment or exercise any right relating to an Award until such person has commenced employment.

 

5.	Limitation on Shares Available for Awards; Per-Person Limitations; Adjustments

 

5.1    Aggregate Number of Shares Available for Awards.

 

(a)    Evergreen Share Reservation.  Awards relating to Shares may be granted if, at the time of grant of each Award, the aggregate number of Shares subject to outstanding Awards and outstanding awards under the Preexisting Plans plus the number of Shares subject to the Award being granted do not exceed the sum of (x) 15,675,000 Shares (subject to adjustment as provided in Section 5.3) plus (y) 25% of the number of Shares issued and outstanding immediately prior to the grant of such Award.  For purposes of this Section 5.1(a), an Option or SAR is “outstanding” until it is exercised and any other Award is “outstanding” in the calendar year in which it is granted and for so long thereafter as it remains subject to any vesting condition requiring continued employment, and options and other awards under each of the Preexisting Plans are treated as “outstanding” in accordance with the terms of each such Preexisting Plan.  The foregoing notwithstanding, the maximum number of shares that may be subject to ISOs granted under the Plan shall be 2.5 million, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 5.3.

 

(b)    Type of Shares Deliverable.  The Shares delivered in connection with Awards may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Shares, treasury Shares or Shares acquired in the market for the account of a Participant.

 

5.2    Annual Per-Person Limitations.  In each calendar year during any part of which the Plan is in effect, a Participant may be granted Awards under Section 6 (including Performance Awards under Section 8 based on Awards authorized under Section 6) relating to up to his or her Annual Limit, which consists of an Annual Share Award Limit and an Annual Performance Award Limit.  A Participant’s Annual Share Award Limit, in any year during any part of which the Participant is then eligible under the Plan, shall equal two million Shares plus the amount of the Participant’s unused Annual Share Award Limit relating to the same type of Award as of the close of the previous year, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 5.3.  With respect to Annual Incentive Awards pursuant to Section 8, a Participant’s Annual Incentive Award limit relating to a given fiscal year shall be (i), in the case of the Chief Executive Officer or any other executive officer principally having Company-wide responsibilities, the greater of 25% of Company profits after taxes but before payment of bonuses to all employees or 10% of Company revenue, and (ii), in the case of an executive officer or other person principally having responsibilities for one or more specific business units, the greatest of 30% of the net income of such business unit(s), 10% of the revenues of such business unit(s), or 25% of the economic value created (“EVC”, as defined in Section 8.2(b) below) of such business unit(s).  With respect to Performance Awards pursuant to Section 8, other than Annual Incentive Awards, which Performance Awards are payable solely in cash, a Participant may not be granted Awards authorizing the earning during any calendar year of an amount that exceeds the Participant’s Annual Performance Award Limit, which for this purpose shall equal $3.0 million plus the amount of the Participant’s unused cash Annual Performance Award Limit as of the close of the previous year.  For this purpose, (i) “earning” means satisfying performance conditions so that an amount becomes payable, without regard to whether it is to be paid currently or on a deferred basis or continues to be subject to any service requirement or other non-performance condition, and (ii) a Participant’s Annual Performance Award Limit is used to the extent a cash amount or number of shares may be potentially earned or paid under an Award, regardless of whether such amount or shares are in fact earned or paid.  The per-person limitations on Awards under Section 6, Annual Incentive Awards, and other Performance Awards are each separate from one another.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.3    Adjustments.  In the event of any change in the outstanding Shares after the Effective Date by reason of any Share dividend or split, reorganization, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination or exchange of Shares, repurchase, liquidation, dissolution or other corporate exchange, any large, special and non-recurring dividend or distribution to shareholders, or other similar corporate transaction, the Committee may make such substitution or adjustment, if any, as it deems to be equitable and in order to preserve, without enlarging, the rights of Participants, as to (i) the number and kind of Shares which may be delivered in connection with Awards granted thereafter, including the number of shares reserved for incentive stock options under Section 5.1(a), (ii) the number and kind of Shares by which annual per-person Award limitations are measured under Section 5.2, (iii) the number and kind of Shares subject to or deliverable in respect of outstanding Awards, and (iv) the exercise price, grant price or purchase price relating to any Award and/or make provision for payment of cash, other Awards or other property in respect of any outstanding Award.  In addition, the Committee is authorized to make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in, Awards (including Performance Awards, Annual Incentive Awards, and the performance goals relating thereto) in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including events described in the preceding sentence, as well as acquisitions and dispositions of businesses and assets) affecting the Company, any subsidiary or any business unit, or the financial statements of the Company or any subsidiary, or in response to changes in applicable laws, regulations, accounting principles, tax rates and regulations or business conditions or in view of the Committee’s assessment of the business strategy of the Company, any subsidiary or business unit thereof, performance of comparable organizations, economic and business conditions, personal performance of a Participant, and any other circumstances deemed relevant; provided that no such adjustment shall be authorized or made if and to the extent that such authority or the making of such adjustment would cause Options, SARs, Performance Awards granted under Section 8.2 hereof, or Annual Incentive Awards granted under Section 8.3 hereof to Participants designated by the Committee as Covered Employees and intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder otherwise to fail to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.	Specific Terms of Awards

 

6.1    General.  Awards may be granted on the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 6.  In addition, the Committee may impose on any Award, at the date of grant or thereafter (subject to Section 9.5), such additional terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as the Committee shall determine, including terms requiring forfeiture of Awards in the event of termination of employment or service by the Participant or upon the occurrence of other events (including, without limitation, the existence of Cause).  The Committee may require payment of consideration in connection with any Award, including for purposes of complying with requirements of applicable state corporation law.

 

6.2    Options.  The Committee is authorized to grant options to purchase Shares (“Options”) to Participants on the following terms and conditions:

 

(a)    Exercise Price.  The exercise price per Share purchasable under an Option shall be determined by the Committee; provided, however, that such exercise price shall be not less than the Fair Market Value of a share on the date of grant of such Option.

 

(b)    Time and Method of Exercise.  The Committee shall determine the time or times at which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part, the methods by which such exercise price may be paid or deemed to be paid, the form of such payment, including cash, Shares, other Awards or awards granted under other Company plans, or other property (including notes or other contractual obligations of Participants to make payment on a deferred basis, or through broker-assisted “cashless exercise” arrangements, to the extent permitted by applicable law), and the methods by which Shares will be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants.

 

(c)    Incentive Stock Options.  The terms of any incentive stock option (“ISO”) granted under the Plan shall comply in all respects with the provisions of Section 422 of the Code, including but not limited to the requirement that no ISO shall be granted more than ten years after the Effective Date.  Anything in the Plan to the contrary notwithstanding, no term of the Plan relating to ISOs shall be interpreted, amended, or altered, nor shall any discretion or authority granted under the Plan be exercised, so as to disqualify either the Plan or any ISO under Section 422 of the Code, unless the Participant has first requested such disqualification.

 

6.3    Stock Appreciation Rights.  The Committee is authorized to grant stock appreciation rights (“SARs”) to Participants on the following terms and conditions:

 

(a)    Right to Payment.  An SAR shall confer on the Participant to whom it is granted a right to receive, upon exercise thereof, the excess of (a) the Fair Market Value of one Share on the date of exercise, over (B) the grant price of the SAR as determined by the Committee as of the date of grant of the SAR, which shall be not less than the Fair Market Value of one Share on the date of grant.

 

(b)    Other Terms.  The Committee shall determine the time or times at which an SAR may be exercised in whole or in part, the method of exercise, method of settlement, whether cash or Shares shall be payable to the Participant upon exercise, the method by which Shares will be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants, whether or not an SAR shall be in tandem with any other Award, and any other terms and conditions of an SAR.

 

6.4    Restricted Stock.  The Committee is authorized to grant Awards, in the form of Shares issued at or shortly after grant of the Award subject to restrictions (“Restricted Stock”), to Participants on the following terms and conditions:

 

 

 

 

 

(a)    Grant and Restrictions.  Restricted Stock shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability and other restrictions, if any, as the Committee may impose, which restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times, under such circumstances, in such installments, or otherwise as the Committee may determine.  Except to the extent restricted under the terms of the Plan and any Award agreement relating to the Restricted Stock, a Participant granted Restricted Stock shall have all of the rights of a shareholder including the right to vote Restricted Stock or the right to receive dividends thereon.

 

(b)    Forfeiture.  Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, upon termination of employment or service during the applicable restriction period, Restricted Stock that is at that time subject to restrictions shall be forfeited and reacquired by the Company; provided, however , that the Committee may provide, by rule or regulation or in any Award agreement, or may determine in any individual case, that restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to Restricted Stock will lapse in whole or in part in the event of terminations resulting from specified causes (including, without limitation, Retirement or termination by the Company without Cause), provided that the payment or settlement of any Award subject to Section 409A of the Code may be accelerated only to the extent, and only upon the occurrence of events or causes, permitted under such Section.

 

(c)    Certificates for Shares.  Restricted Stock granted under the Plan may be evidenced in such manner as the Committee shall determine.  If certificates representing Restricted Stock are registered in the name of the Participant, such certificates shall bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions, and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock, the Company shall retain physical possession of the certificate, and the Participant shall have delivered a stock power to the Company, endorsed in blank, relating to the Restricted Stock.

 

(d)    Dividends and Distributions.  As a condition to the grant of an Award of Restricted Stock, the Committee may require that any cash dividends paid on a share of Restricted Stock be automatically reinvested in additional shares of Restricted Stock or applied to the purchase of additional Awards under the Plan.  The dates and terms upon which such reinvestment or purchases occur shall be within the discretion of the Committee.  Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, and subject to applicable law, Shares distributed in connection with a stock split or stock dividend, and other property distributed as a dividend, shall be subject to restrictions and a risk of forfeiture to the same extent as the Restricted Stock with respect to which such Shares or other property has been distributed.

 

6.5    Deferred Stock.  The Committee is authorized to grant Awards in the form of Shares to be delivered at a specified future date (“Deferred Stock”) to Participants, subject to the following terms and conditions:

 

(a)    Award and Restrictions.  Issuance of Shares will occur upon expiration of the deferral period specified for an Award of Deferred Stock by the Committee (or, if permitted by the Committee, as elected by the Participant either (i) before the year in which such Award is made, or (ii) at least one year before such deferral period otherwise would have expired, provided that such election shall not be effective for one year and must extend such deferral period at least five years).  In addition, Deferred Stock shall be subject to such restrictions as the Committee may impose, if any, which restrictions may lapse at the expiration of the deferral period or at earlier specified times, separately or in combination, under such circumstances, in such installments, or otherwise as the Committee may determine.

 

(b)    Forfeiture.  Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, upon termination of employment or service during the applicable deferral period or portion thereof to which forfeiture conditions apply (as provided in the Award agreement evidencing the Deferred Stock), all Deferred Stock that is at that time subject to such risk of forfeiture shall be forfeited; provided, however, that the Committee may provide, by rule or regulation or in any Award agreement, or may determine in any individual case, in each case subject to applicable law, that restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to Deferred Stock will lapse in whole or in part in the event of terminations upon specified causes or events (including, without limitation, Retirement or termination by the Company without Cause), provided that the lapse of restrictions or conditions relating to any Award subject to Section 409A of the Code may be accelerated only to the extent, and only upon the occurrence of events or causes, permitted under such Section.

 

 

 

 

Deferred Stock which is subject to a risk of forfeiture may be denominated as “restricted stock units.”

 

(c)    Dividend Equivalents.  The Committee may provide that payments in the form of dividend equivalents will be credited in respect of Deferred Stock, which amounts shall be paid or distributed upon expiration of the deferral period specified for such Award of Deferred Stock.

 

6.6    Bonus Shares and Awards in Lieu of Cash Obligations.  The Committee is authorized to grant Shares as a bonus, or to grant Shares or other Awards in lieu of Company obligations to pay cash or grant other awards under other plans or compensatory arrangements.  Shares or Awards granted hereunder shall be subject to such other terms as shall be determined by the Committee.

 

6.7    Other Stock-Based Awards.  The Committee is authorized, subject to limitations under applicable law, to grant to Participants such other Awards that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, or related to, Shares and factors that may influence the value of Shares, as deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan, including convertible or exchangeable debt securities, other rights convertible or exchangeable into Shares, purchase rights for Shares, Awards with value and payment contingent upon performance of the Company or any other factors designated by the Committee, and Awards valued by reference to the book value of Shares or the value of securities of or the performance of specified subsidiaries.  The Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of such Awards.  Shares issued pursuant to an Award in the nature of a purchase right granted under this Section 6.7 shall be purchased for such consideration, paid for at such times, by such methods, and in such forms, including cash, Shares, other Awards, or other property, as the Committee shall determine.  Cash awards, as an element of or supplement to any other Award under the Plan, may be granted pursuant to this Section 6.7.

 

7.	Certain Provisions Applicable to Awards

 

7.1    Deferral of Cash Compensation into Awards.  The Committee is authorized to grant Awards in lieu of cash compensation or upon the deferral of cash compensation payable by the Company or any subsidiary, including cash amounts payable under other plans.  In such case, the Committee shall determine the value of the Awards to be granted in lieu of or upon deferral of such cash compensation, and may provide for a discount in such valuation in order to promote the purposes of the Plan.

 

7.2    Term of Awards.  The term of each Award shall be for such period as may be determined by the Committee; provided, however, that in no event shall the term of any ISO or an SAR granted in tandem therewith exceed a period of ten years from the date of its grant (or such shorter period as may be applicable under Section 422 of the Code).

 

7.3    Form and Timing of Payment under Awards; Deferrals.  Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award agreement, payments to be made by the Company or a subsidiary upon the exercise of an Option or other Award or settlement of an Award may be made in such forms as the Committee shall determine, including cash, Shares, other Awards, or other property, and may be made in a single payment or transfer, in installments, or on a deferred basis.  The vesting of any Award may be accelerated, in the discretion of the Committee or upon the occurrence of one or more specified events or causes (including, without limitation, Retirement or termination by the Company without Cause).  The settlement of any Award may be accelerated, and cash paid in lieu of Shares in connection with such settlement, in the discretion of the Committee or upon the occurrence of one or more specified events or causes, provided that the payment or settlement of any Award subject to Section 409A of the Code may be accelerated only to the extent, and only upon the occurrence of events or causes, permitted under such Section.  The foregoing notwithstanding, no Award specified as settleable in Shares may be settled otherwise than by delivery of Shares if the Award agreement does not specify such alternative form of settlement and the authorization of alternative forms of settlement would preclude fixed accounting for the compensation expense relating to such Award under accounting rules then applicable to the Company prior to the determination or event which causes settlement to be in a form other than Shares.  Installment or deferred payments may be required by the Committee (subject to Section 9.5 of the Plan, including the consent provisions thereof in the case of any deferral of an outstanding Award not provided for in the original Award agreement) or permitted at the election of the Participant on terms and conditions established by the Committee.  Payments may include provisions for the payment or crediting of reasonable interest on installment or deferred payments or the grant or crediting of dividend equivalents or other amounts in respect of installment or deferred payments denominated in Shares.

 

 

 

 

7.4    Cancellation and Rescission of Awards.  Unless the Award agreement specifies otherwise, the Committee may cancel any unexpired, unpaid, or deferred Awards at any time, and, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, the Company shall have the additional rights set forth in subsection (d) below, if the Participant is not in compliance with all applicable material provisions of the Award agreement and the Plan, including the following conditions:

 

(a)    A Participant shall not render services for any organization or engage directly or indirectly in any business which, in the judgment of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company or other senior executive officer designated by the Committee, is or becomes competitive with the Company.  For Participants whose employment has terminated, the judgment of the Chief Executive Officer or other senior officer designated by the Committee shall be based on the Participant’s post-employment responsibilities and position with the other organization or business, the extent of past, current and potential competition or conflict between the Company and the other organization or business, the effect on the Company’s shareholders, customers, suppliers and competitors of the Participant assuming the post-employment responsibilities and such other considerations as are deemed relevant given the applicable facts and circumstances.  A Participant who has terminated employment shall be free, however, to purchase as an investment or otherwise, stock or other securities of such organization or business so long as they are listed upon a recognized securities exchange or traded over-the-counter, and such investment does not represent a greater than five percent equity interest in the organization or business.

 

(b)    A Participant shall not, without prior written authorization from the Company, disclose to anyone outside the Company or use in other than the Company’s business any confidential information or material relating to the business of the Company which is acquired by the Participant either during or after employment with the Company.

 

(c)    A Participant shall disclose promptly and assign to the Company all right, title, and interest in any invention or idea, patentable or not, made or conceived by the Participant during employment by the Company, relating in any manner to the actual or anticipated business, research, or development work of the Company and shall do anything reasonably necessary to enable the Company to secure a patent where appropriate in the United States and in foreign countries.

 

 

 

 

 

(d)    Upon exercise, settlement, payment, or delivery pursuant to an Award, the Participant shall certify on a form acceptable to the Committee that he or she is in compliance with the terms and conditions of this Section 7.4.  Failure to comply with the provisions of this Section 7.4 prior to, or during the six months after, any exercise, payment or delivery pursuant to an Award shall cause such exercise, payment or delivery to be rescinded.  The Company shall notify the Participant in writing of any such rescission within two years after such exercise, payment, or delivery.  Within ten days after receiving such a notice from the Company, the Participant shall pay to the Company the amount of any gain realized or payment received as a result of the rescinded exercise, payment, or delivery pursuant to an Award.  Such payment shall be made either in cash or by returning to the Company the number of Shares that the Participant received in connection with the rescinded exercise, payment, or delivery, in which case the Company shall promptly repay the lesser of the exercise price or the then-Fair Market Value of the Shares returned.

 

The Committee may modify the conditions imposed under this Section 7.4 with respect to any Award.  If the terms of this Section 7.4 would require that the accounting expense for an Award that otherwise could be measured at the date of grant or other measurement date cannot be so measured until a later time, but such measurement would be permissible if the forfeiture of the Award were in connection with a termination of the Participant’s employment, then the cancellation of the Award will occur at the later of the time of the Committee’s determination or the Participant’s termination of employment.

 

7.5    Stand-Alone, Additional, Tandem, and Substitute Awards.  Awards granted under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with, or in substitution or exchange for, any other Award or any award granted under another plan of the Company, any subsidiary, or any business entity to be acquired by the Company or a subsidiary, any other right of a Participant to receive payment from the Company or any subsidiary.  Such additional, tandem, and substituted or exchanged Awards may be granted at any time.  Subject to Section 11.5, the Committee may determine that, in granting a new Award, the intrinsic value of any surrendered Award or award may be applied to reduce the exercise price of any Option, grant price of any SAR, or purchase price of any other Award.

 

8.	Performance and Annual Incentive Awards

 

8.1    Performance Conditions.  The right of a Participant to exercise or receive a grant or settlement of any Award, and the timing thereof, may be subject to such performance conditions as may be specified by the Committee.  The Committee may use such business criteria and measures of performance as it may deem appropriate in establishing performance conditions, and may exercise its discretion to reduce or increase the amounts payable under any Award subject to performance conditions, except as limited under Sections 8.2 and 8.3 hereof in the case of a Performance Award or Annual Incentive Award intended to qualify under Code Section 162(m).

 

8.2    Performance Awards Granted to Designated Covered Employees.  If the Committee determines that a Performance Award to be granted to an eligible person who is designated by the Committee as likely to be a Covered Employee should qualify as “performance-based compensation” for purposes of Code Section 162(m), the grant, exercise, and/or settlement of such Performance Award shall be contingent upon achievement of preestablished performance goals and other terms set forth in this Section 8.2.

 

(a)    Performance Goals Generally.  The performance goals for such Performance Awards shall consist of one or more business criteria and a targeted level or levels of performance with respect to each such criteria, as specified by the Committee consistent with this Section 8.2.  Performance goals shall be objective and shall otherwise meet the requirements of Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder (including Regulation 1.162-27 and successor regulations thereto), including the requirement that the level or levels of performance targeted by the Committee result in the achievement of performance goals being “substantially uncertain.” The Committee may determine that such Performance Awards shall be granted, exercised, and/or settled upon achievement of any one performance goal or that two or more of the performance goals must be achieved as a condition to grant, exercise, and/or settlement of such Performance Awards.  Performance goals may differ for Performance Awards granted to any one Participant or to different Participants.

 

 

 

 

(b)    Business Criteria.  One or more of the following business criteria for the Company, on a consolidated basis, and/or for specified subsidiaries, divisions, or other business units of the Company (where the criteria are applicable), shall be used by the Committee in establishing performance goals for such Performance Awards: (1) earnings per share; (2) revenues; (3) cash flow; (4) cash flow return on investment; (5) return on net assets, return on assets, return on investment, return on capital, return on equity; profitability; (6) economic value created (“EVC”. as defined below); (7) operating margins or profit margins; (8) income or earnings before or after taxes; pretax earnings; pretax earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization; operating earnings; pretax operating earnings, before or after interest expense and before or after incentives, service fees, and extraordinary or special items; net income; (9) total shareholder return or stock price; (10) book value per share; (11) expense management; improvements in capital structure; working capital; costs; and (12) any of the above goals as compared to the performance of a published or special index deemed applicable by the Committee including, but not limited to, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index or a group of comparator companies.  “EVC” means the amount by which a business unit’s income exceeds the cost of the capital used by the business unit during the performance period, as determined by the Committee.  Income of a business unit may be before payment of bonuses, capital charges, non-recurring or extraordinary income or expense, and general and administrative expenses for the performance period, if so specified by the Committee.  One or more of the foregoing business criteria shall also be exclusively used in establishing performance goals for Annual Incentive Awards granted to a Covered Employee under Section 8.3 hereof.

 

(c)    Performance Period; Timing for Establishing Performance Award Terms.  Achievement of performance goals in respect of such Performance Awards shall be measured over a performance period of up to ten years, as specified by the Committee.  Performance goals, amounts payable upon achievement of such goals, and other material terms of Performance Awards shall be established by the Committee (i) while the performance outcome for that performance period is substantially uncertain and (ii) no more than 90 days after the commencement of the performance period to which the performance goal relates or, if less, the number of days which is equal to 25 percent of the relevant performance period.  In all cases, the maximum amount payable in respect of a Performance Award to any Participant shall be subject to the limitation set forth in Section 5.2 hereof.

 

(d)    Performance Award Pool.  The Committee may establish a Performance Award pool, which shall be an unfunded pool, for purposes of measuring performance of the Company in connection with Performance Awards.  The amount of such Performance Award pool shall be based upon the achievement of a performance goal or goals based on one or more of the business criteria set forth in Section 8.2(b) hereof during the given performance period, as specified by the Committee in accordance with Section 8.2(c) hereof.  The Committee may specify the amount of the Performance Award pool as a percentage of any of such business criteria, a percentage thereof in excess of a threshold amount, or as another amount which need not bear a strictly mathematical relationship to such business criteria.  In such case, Performance Awards may be granted as rights to payment of a specified portion of the Award pool; such grants shall be subject to the requirements of Section 8.2(c).

 

(e)    Settlement of Performance Awards; Other Terms.  Settlement of such Performance Awards shall be in cash, Shares, other Awards, or other property, in the discretion of the Committee.  The Committee may, in its discretion, reduce the amount of a settlement otherwise to be made in connection with such Performance Awards, but may not exercise discretion to increase any such amount payable to a Covered Employee in respect of a Performance Award subject to this Section 8.2.  The Committee shall specify the circumstances in which such Performance Awards shall be paid or forfeited in the event of termination of employment by the Participant prior to the end of a performance period or settlement of Performance Awards, provided that the payment or settlement of any Award subject to Section 409A of the Code may be accelerated only to the extent, and only upon the occurrence of events or causes, permitted under such Section.

 

 

 

 

8.3    Annual Incentive Awards Granted to Designated Covered Employees.  If the Committee determines that an Annual Incentive Award to be granted to an eligible person who is designated by the Committee as likely to be a Covered Employee should qualify as “performance-based compensation” for purposes of Code Section 162(m), the grant, exercise, and/or settlement of such Annual Incentive Award shall be contingent upon achievement of preestablished performance goals and other terms set forth in this Section 8.3.

 

(a)    Potential Annual Incentive Awards.  Not later than the deadline specified in Section 8.2(c) above, the Committee shall determine the eligible persons who will potentially receive Annual Incentive Awards, and the amounts potentially payable thereunder, for that fiscal year, either out of an Annual Incentive Award pool established by such date under Section 8.3(b) hereof or as individual Annual Incentive Awards.  In the case of individual Annual Incentive Awards intended to qualify under Code Section 162(m), the amount potentially payable shall be based upon the achievement of a performance goal or goals based on one or more of the business criteria set forth in Section 8.2(b) hereof in the given performance year, as specified by the Committee; in other cases, such amount shall be based on such criteria as shall be established by the Committee.  In all cases, the maximum Annual Incentive Award of any Participant shall be subject to the limitation set forth in Section 5.2 hereof.

 

(b)    Annual Incentive Award Pool.  The Committee may establish an Annual Incentive Award pool, which shall be an unfunded pool, for purposes of measuring performance of the Company in connection with Annual Incentive Awards.  The amount of such Annual Incentive Award pool shall be based upon the achievement of a performance goal or goals based on one or more of the business criteria set forth in Section 8.2(b) hereof during the given performance period, as specified by the Committee in accordance with Section 8.2(c) hereof.  The Committee may specify the amount of the Annual Incentive Award pool as a percentage of any of such business criteria, a percentage thereof in excess of a threshold amount, or as another amount which need not bear a strictly mathematical relationship to such business criteria.

 

(c)    Payout of Annual Incentive Awards.  After the end of each fiscal year, the Committee shall determine the amount, if any, of the potential Annual Incentive Award payable to each Participant eligible therefor and, if applicable, the amount of any Annual Incentive Award pool.  The Committee may, in its discretion, determine that the amount payable to any Participant as a final Annual Incentive Award shall be increased or reduced from the amount of his or her potential Annual Incentive Award, including a determination to make no final Award whatsoever, but may not exercise discretion to increase any such amount in the case of an Annual Incentive Award intended to qualify under Code Section 162(m).  The Committee shall specify the circumstances in which an Annual Incentive Award shall be paid or forfeited in the event of termination of employment by the Participant prior to the end of a fiscal year or prior to settlement of such Annual Incentive Award, provided that the payment or settlement of any Award subject to Section 409A of the Code may be accelerated only to the extent, and only upon the occurrence of events or causes, permitted under such Section.

 

 

 

 

8.4    Written Determinations.  Determinations by the Committee as to the establishment of performance goals, the amount potentially payable in respect of Performance Awards and Annual Incentive Awards, the achievement of performance goals relating to Performance Awards and Annual Incentive Awards, and the amount of any final Performance Award and Annual Incentive Award shall be recorded in writing, except that the Committee may determine that this requirement shall not apply in the case of Performance Awards not intended to qualify under Section 162(m).  Specifically, the Committee shall certify in writing, in a manner conforming to applicable regulations under Section 162(m), prior to settlement of each such Award granted to a Covered Employee, that the performance goals and other material terms of the Award upon which settlement of the Award was conditioned have been satisfied.  The Committee may not delegate any responsibility relating to such Performance Awards or Annual Incentive Awards, and the Board shall not perform such functions at any time that the Committee is composed solely of Qualified Members.

 

8.5    Status of Section 8.2 and Section 8.3 Awards under Code Section 162(m).  It is the intent of the Company that Performance Awards and Annual Incentive Awards under Sections 8.2 and 8.3 hereof granted to persons who are designated by the Committee as likely to be Covered Employees within the meaning of Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder (including Regulation 1.162-27 and successor regulations thereto) shall, if so designated by the Committee, constitute “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder.  Accordingly, the terms of Sections 8.2, 8.3, 8.4 and 8.5, including the definitions of Covered Employee and other terms used therein, shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder.  The foregoing notwithstanding, because the Committee cannot determine with certainty whether a given Participant will be a Covered Employee with respect to a fiscal year that has not yet been completed, the term “Covered Employee” as used herein shall mean only a person designated by the Committee, at the time of grant of a Performance Award or Annual Incentive Award, as likely to be a Covered Employee with respect to a specified fiscal year.  If any provision of the Plan as in effect on the date of adoption of any agreements relating to Performance Awards or Annual Incentive Awards that are designated as intended to comply with Code Section 162(m) does not comply or is inconsistent with the requirements of Code Section 162(m) or regulations thereunder, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such requirements.

 

9.	General Provisions

 

9.1    Compliance with Laws and Obligations.  The Company shall not be obligated to issue or deliver Shares in connection with any Award or take any other action under the Plan in a transaction subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any other federal or state securities law, any requirement under any listing agreement between the Company and any national securities exchange or automated quotation system, or any other law, regulation, or contractual obligation of the Company, until the Company is satisfied that such laws, regulations, and other obligations of the Company have been complied with in full.  Certificates representing Shares issued under the Plan will be subject to such stop-transfer orders and other restrictions as may be applicable under such laws, regulations, and other obligations of the Company, including any requirement that a legend or legends be placed thereon.

 

9.2    Limitations on Transferability.  Awards and other rights under the Plan will not be transferable by a Participant except by will or the laws of descent and distribution (or to a designated Beneficiary in the event of the Participant’s death), and, if exercisable, shall be exercisable during the lifetime of a Participant only by such Participant or his guardian or legal representative; provided, however, that such Awards and other rights (other than ISOs and SARs in tandem therewith) may be transferred during the lifetime of the Participant, for purposes of the Participant’s estate planning or other purposes consistent with the purposes of the Plan (as determined by the Committee), and may be exercised by such transferees in accordance with the terms of such Award, but only if and to the extent permitted by the Committee.  Awards and other rights under the Plan may not be pledged, mortgaged, hypothecated, or otherwise encumbered, and shall not be subject to the claims of creditors.  A Beneficiary, transferee, or other person claiming any rights under the Plan from or through any Participant shall be subject to all terms and conditions of the Plan and any Award agreement applicable to such Participant, except as otherwise determined by the Committee, and to any additional terms and conditions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee.

 

 

 

 

9.3    No Right to Continued Employment; Leaves of Absence.  Neither the Plan, the grant of any Award, nor any other action taken hereunder shall be construed as giving any employee, consultant, director, or other person the right to be retained in the employ or service of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, nor shall it interfere in any way with the right of the Company or any of its subsidiaries to terminate any person’s employment or service at any time.

 

Unless otherwise specified in the applicable Award agreement, an approved leave of absence shall not be considered a termination of employment or service for purposes of an Award under the Plan.

 

9.4    Taxes.  The Company and any subsidiary is authorized to withhold from any Award granted or to be settled, any delivery of Shares in connection with an Award, any other payment relating to an Award, or any payroll or other payment to a Participant amounts of withholding and other taxes due or potentially payable in connection with any transaction involving an Award, and to take such other action as the Committee may deem advisable to enable the Company and Participants to satisfy obligations for the payment of withholding taxes and other tax obligations relating to any Award.  This authority shall include authority to withhold or receive Shares or other property and to make cash payments in respect thereof in satisfaction of a Participant’s tax obligations.

 

9.5    Changes to the Plan and Awards.  The Board may amend, suspend, discontinue, or terminate the Plan or the Committee’s authority to grant Awards under the Plan without the consent of shareholders or Participants, except that any amendment shall be subject to the approval of the Company’s shareholders at or before the next annual meeting of shareholders for which the record date is after the date of such Board action if such shareholder approval is required by any federal or state law or regulation or the rules of the NASDAQ Global Market, and the Board may otherwise, in its discretion, determine to submit other such amendments to shareholders for approval; provided, however , that, without the consent of an affected Participant, no such action may materially impair the rights of such Participant under any Award theretofore granted.  The Committee may amend, suspend, discontinue, or terminate any Award theretofore granted and any Award agreement relating thereto; provided, however, that no such amendment may provide for Award terms that the Plan would not then permit for a newly granted Award; and provided further, that, without the consent of an affected Participant, no such action may materially impair the rights of such Participant under such Award.  Other provisions of the Plan notwithstanding, without the prior approval of shareholders, the Committee shall not take any action (including the repricing of outstanding Options) for the which the approval of the shareholders of the Company is required under Rule 4350-5 of the NASDAQ Company Manual unless such approval has been obtained.

 

9.6    No Rights to Awards; No Shareholder Rights.  No Participant or other person shall have any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan, and there is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of Participants, employees, consultants, or directors.  No Award shall confer on any Participant any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company unless and until Shares are duly issued or transferred and delivered to the Participant in accordance with the terms of the Award or, in the case of an Option, the Option is duly exercised.

 

 

 

 

 

9.7    International Participants.  With respect to Participants who reside or work outside the United States of America, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, amend the terms of the Plan with respect to such Participants or grant Awards not conforming to the terms of the Plan to such Participants in order that such Awards conform to the requirements of local law and customary employment practices in such locations and in order that such Awards shall serve the purposes of the Plan in light of such local laws and customary employment practices.

 

9.8    Unfunded Status of Awards; Creation of Trusts.  The Plan is intended to constitute an “unfunded” plan for incentive and deferred compensation.  With respect to any payments not yet made to a Participant pursuant to an Award, nothing contained in the Plan or any Award shall give any such Participant any rights that are greater than those of a general creditor of the Company; provided, however, that the Committee may authorize the creation of trusts or make other arrangements to meet the Company’s obligations under the Plan to deliver cash, Shares, other Awards, or other property pursuant to any Award, which trusts or other arrangements shall be consistent with the “unfunded” status of the Plan unless the Committee otherwise determines with the consent of each affected Participant.

 

9.9    Nonexclusivity of the Plan.  Neither the adoption of the Plan by the Board nor its submission or the submission of any amendment to shareholders for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board to adopt such other compensatory arrangements as it may deem desirable, including the granting of awards otherwise than under the Plan, and such arrangements may be either applicable generally or only in specific cases.

 

9.10    Payments in the Event of Forfeitures; Fractional Shares.  Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, in the event of a forfeiture of an Award with respect to which a Participant paid cash consideration, the Participant shall be repaid the amount of such cash consideration.  No fractional Shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award (although fractional share units may be credited in connection with any Award if so authorized by the Committee).  The Committee shall determine whether and in what manner cash, other Awards, or other property shall be issued or paid in lieu of such fractional Shares or whether such fractional Shares or any rights thereto shall be forfeited or otherwise eliminated.

 

9.11    Successors and Assigns.  The Plan shall be binding on all successors and assigns of the Company and a Participant, including any permitted transferee of a Participant, the Beneficiary or estate of such Participant and the executor, administrator or trustee of such estate, or any receiver or trustee in bankruptcy or representative of the Participant’s creditors.

 

9.12    Governing Law.  The validity, construction, and effect of the Plan, any rules and regulations under the Plan, and any Award agreement will be determined in accordance with the laws (including those governing contracts) of the State of New York, without giving effect to principles of conflicts of laws, and applicable federal law.

 

9.13    Preexisting Plans.  Upon shareholder approval of the Plan as provided under Section 9.14, no further grants of awards will be made under each of the Preexisting Plans, but awards previously granted thereunder will remain outstanding in accordance with the applicable award agreement and other applicable terms of each such Preexisting Plan.

 

9.14    Effective Date, Shareholder Approval, and Plan Termination.  The Plan as amended and restated shall become effective if and at the time that such amendment and restatement is approved by the shareholders of the Company.  Unless earlier terminated by action of the Board, the Plan shall terminate on the day before the tenth anniversary of the effectiveness of the Plan.  Upon any such termination of the Plan, no new authorizations of grants of Awards may be made, but then-outstanding Awards shall remain outstanding in accordance with their terms, and the Committee otherwise shall retain its full powers under the Plan with respect to such Awards.