Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and Thomas M. Marra
This agreement is between The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and Thomas M. Marra. It outlines the terms of Mr. Marra’s employment as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, including his duties, compensation, and conditions for renewal or termination. The contract specifies salary, bonus opportunities, and the duration of employment, with provisions for automatic renewal and special terms in the event of a change of control or retirement. Both parties agree to the amended terms as of September 7, 2006, incorporating an amendment dated October 31, 2008.
(INCORPORATES AMENDMENT DATED OCTOBER 31, 2008)
(a) | Agreement to Employ. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, the Company hereby agrees to continue to employ Executive and Executive hereby agrees to continue his employment by the Company. |
(b) | Term of Employment. Except as otherwise provided below, the Company shall employ Executive for the period commencing on the Commencement Date and ending on the third anniversary of the Commencement Date. At the expiration of the original term or any extended term (each a Renewal Date), Executives employment hereunder shall be extended automatically, upon the same terms and conditions, for successive one-year periods, unless either party shall give written notice to the other of its intention not to renew such employment at least fifteen months prior to such Renewal Date. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, upon the occurrence of a Change of Control (as defined below), the term of this Agreement shall be extended automatically without any action by either party until the second anniversary of such Change of Control. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if not previously terminated pursuant to Sections 1(b), 5(a) or 6(a), the term of this Agreement shall terminate on the last day of the month in which Executive attains age 65, and such a termination upon Executive reaching age 65 shall be deemed to be a Termination Due to Retirement for purposes of this Agreement. The period during which Executive is employed pursuant to this Agreement, including any extension thereof in accordance with this Section 1(b), shall be referred to as the Employment Period. |
(a) | Base Salary. During the Employment Period, the Company shall pay Executive a base salary at the annual rate as in effect on the date hereof. The annual base salary payable under this paragraph shall be reduced, however, to the extent that Executive elects to defer such salary under the terms of any deferred compensation or savings plan or arrangement maintained or established by the Company or its affiliates. The Board or the appropriate committee of the Board may in its discretion periodically review Executives base salary in light of competitive practices, the base salaries paid to other executive officers of the Company and the performance of Executive and the Company and its applicable affiliates, and may, in its discretion, increase such base salary by an amount it determines to be appropriate. Any such increase shall not reduce or limit any other obligation of the Company hereunder. Executives base salary (as set forth above or as may be increased from time to time) shall not be reduced following any Change of Control, but may be reduced prior to a Change of Control solely pursuant to a cost-saving plan or structural realignment of total compensation elements that includes all senior executives and only to the extent that such reduction is proportionate to the reductions applicable to other senior executives. Executives annual base salary payable hereunder, as it may be increased or reduced from time to time as provided herein and without reduction for any amounts deferred as described above, shall be referred to herein as Base Salary. The Company shall pay Executive the portion of his Base Salary not deferred not less frequently than in equal monthly installments. |
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(b) | Annual Bonus. For each calendar year ending during the Employment Period, Executive shall have the opportunity to earn and receive an annual bonus, based on the achievement of target levels of performance, equal to the percentage of his Base Salary used to calculate such annual bonus as of the date hereof. Executives annual bonus opportunity may be increased above such percentage from time to time by the Board or the appropriate committee thereof. Executives annual bonus opportunity shall not be reduced following any Change of Control, but may be reduced prior to a Change of Control solely pursuant to a cost-saving plan or structural realignment of total compensation elements that includes all senior executives and only to the extent that such reduction is proportionate to the reductions applicable to other senior executives. Executives annual bonus opportunity, as it may be increased or reduced from time to time as provided herein, shall be referred to herein as Target Bonus. The actual bonus, if any, payable for any such year shall be determined in accordance with the terms of the Companys Annual Executive Bonus Program or any successor annual incentive plan (the Annual Plan) based upon the performance of the Company and/or its applicable affiliates and/or Executive against target objectives established under such Annual Plan. Subject to Executives election to defer all or a portion of any annual bonus payable hereunder pursuant to the terms of any deferred compensation or savings plan or arrangement maintained or established by the Company or its affiliates, any annual bonus payable under this Section 3(b) shall be paid to Executive in accordance with the terms of the Annual Plan. |
(c) | Long-term Incentive Compensation. During the Employment Period, Executive shall participate in all of the Companys existing and future long-term incentive compensation programs for key executives at a level commensurate with his position with the Company and consistent with the Companys then current policies and practices, as determined in good faith by the Board or the appropriate committee of the Board. |
(a) | Benefits. During the Employment Period, Executive (and, to the extent applicable, his dependents) shall be eligible to participate in or be covered under (i) each welfare benefit plan or program maintained or as hereafter amended or established by the Company or its applicable affiliates, including, without limitation, each group life, hospitalization, medical, dental, health, accident or disability insurance or similar plan or program of thereof, and (ii) each pension, retirement, savings, deferred compensation, stock purchase or other similar plan or program maintained or as hereafter amended or established by the Company or its applicable affiliates, in each case to the extent that Executive is eligible to participate in any such plan or program under the generally applicable provisions thereof. Nothing in this Section 4(a) shall limit the Companys right to amend or terminate any such plan or program in accordance with the procedures set forth therein or as permitted by applicable law. |
(b) | Perquisites. For each calendar year during the Employment Period, Executive shall be entitled to at least the number of paid vacation days per year that Executive is entitled to as of the date hereof, and shall also be entitled to receive such other perquisites as are generally provided to him as of the date hereof or are hereafter provided to other similarly situated senior executives of the Company in accordance with the then current policies and practices of the Company. |
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(c) | Business Expenses. During the Employment Period, the Company shall pay or reimburse Executive for all reasonable business expenses incurred or paid by Executive in the performance of Executives duties hereunder, upon presentation of expense statements or vouchers and such other information as the Company may require and in accordance with the generally applicable policies and procedures of the Company. |
(d) | Office and Support Staff. During the Employment Period, Executive shall be entitled to an office with furnishings and other material appointments, and to secretarial and other assistance, at a level that is at least commensurate with the foregoing provided to him as of the date hereof or is hereafter provided to other similarly situated senior executives of the Company. |
(e) | Indemnification. The Company shall indemnify Executive and hold Executive harmless from and against any claim, loss or cause of action, regardless whether asserted during or after the Employment Period, arising from or out of Executives performance as an officer, director or employee of the Company or any of its affiliates or in any other capacity, including any fiduciary capacity in which Executive serves at the request of the Company, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law and under the Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Company, as may be amended from time to time (the Governing Documents), provided that in no event shall the protection afforded to Executive be less than that afforded under the Governing Documents as in effect on the Commencement Date. |
(a) | Early Termination of the Employment Period. Notwithstanding Section 1(b) hereof, the Employment Period shall end upon the earliest to occur of (i) a Termination For Cause, (ii) a Termination Without Cause, (iii) a Voluntary Termination, (iv) a Termination Due to Retirement, (v) a Termination Due to Disability, or (vi) a Termination Due to Death. |
(b) | Notice of Termination. Communication of termination under this Section 5 shall be made to the other party by Notice of Termination in the case of (i) a Termination For Cause, (ii) a Termination Without Cause, or (iii) a Voluntary Termination. |
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(c) | Benefits Payable Upon Termination; Rules for Determining Reason for Termination. |
(i) | Benefits Payable Upon Termination. Following the end of the Employment Period pursuant to Section 5(a), Executive (or, in the event of his death, his surviving spouse, if any, or if none, his estate) shall be paid the type or types of compensation determined to be payable in accordance with the following table, such payment to be made in the form specified in such table and at the time established pursuant to Section 7 hereof. Capitalized terms used in such table shall have the meanings set forth in Section 5(d) hereof. |
(ii) | Rules for Determining Reason for Termination. |
(A) | If a Voluntary Termination occurs on a date that Executive is eligible for Retirement as defined in The Hartford Investment and Savings Plan, as may be amended from time to time, or any successor plan thereof (the Savings Plan), such Voluntary Termination shall instead be treated as a Termination Due to Retirement solely for purposes of this Section 5. |
(B) | No Termination Without Cause shall be treated as a Termination Due to Retirement or a Termination Due to Disability for purposes of any Pro Rata Target Bonus, Severance Payment, Equity Awards or Vested Benefits Enhancement under this Section 5, notwithstanding the fact that, either on, before or after the date of termination of the Employment Period with respect thereto, (I) Executive was eligible for Retirement as defined in the Savings Plan, (II) Executive requested to be treated as a retiree for purposes of the Savings Plan or any other plan or program of the Company or its affiliates, or (III) Executive or the Company could have terminated Executives employment in a Termination Due to Disability hereunder. |
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Vested Benefits | ||||||||||||||
Enhancement (only | ||||||||||||||
applicable in the event | ||||||||||||||
that Executives | ||||||||||||||
employment by the | ||||||||||||||
Accrued | Pro Rata Target | Severance | Company terminates | Welfare | ||||||||||
BENEFIT | Salary | Bonus | Payment | Equity Awards | Vested Benefits | prior to July 1, 2009) | Benefits Continuation | |||||||
FORM OF PAYMENT: | Lump Sum | Lump Sum | Lump Sum | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Lump Sum | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | |||||||
Termination For Cause | Payable | Not Payable | Not Payable | Not Payable | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Not Payable | Not Available | |||||||
Termination Without Cause | Payable | Payable | Payable | Options / Restricted Stock: Payable Other Equity Awards: Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Payable | Available | |||||||
Voluntary Termination | Payable | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Not Payable | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Not Payable | Not Available | |||||||
Termination Due to Retirement | Payable | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Not Payable | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Not Payable | Available | |||||||
Termination Due to Disability | Payable | Payable | Not Payable | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Not Payable | Available | |||||||
Termination Due to Death | Payable | Payable | Not Payable | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Not Payable | Not Available |
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(d) | Definitions. |
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(a) | Early Termination of the Employment Period. Notwithstanding Section 1(b) hereof, the Employment Period shall end upon the earliest to occur of (i) a Termination For Cause, (ii) a Termination Without Cause, (iii) a Voluntary Termination, (iv) a Termination For Good Reason, (v) a Termination Due to Retirement, (vi) a Termination Due to Disability, or (vii) a Termination Due to Death. |
(b) | Notice of Termination. Communication of termination under this Section 6 shall be made to the other party by Notice of Termination in the case of (i) a Termination For Cause, (ii) a Termination Without Cause, (iii) a Voluntary Termination, or (iv) a Termination For Good Reason. |
(c) | Benefits Payable Upon Termination; Rules for Determining Reason for Termination |
(i) | Benefits Payable Upon Termination. Following the end of the Employment Period, Executive (or, in the event of his death, his surviving spouse, if any, or if none, his estate) shall be paid the type or types of compensation determined to be payable in accordance with the following table, such payment to be made in the form specified in such table and at the time established pursuant to Section 7 hereof. Capitalized terms used in such table (and otherwise in this Section 6) that are defined in Section 5, and not specifically defined in Section 6(d) hereof, shall have the meanings ascribed thereto under Section 5. Where such a capitalized term is defined solely in Section 6(d), or in both Section 5 and Section 6(d), such term shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 6(d). |
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(ii) | Rules for Determining Reason for Termination. |
(A) | No Termination Without Cause or Termination For Good Reason shall be treated as a Termination Due to Retirement or a Termination Due to Disability for purposes of any Pro Rata Target Bonus, Severance Payment, Equity Awards or Vested Benefits Enhancement under this Section 6, notwithstanding the fact that, either on, before or after the Date of Termination with respect thereto,(I) Executive was eligible for Retirement as defined in the Savings Plan, (II) Executive requested to be treated as a retiree for purposes of the Savings Plan or any other plan or program of the Company or its affiliates, or (III) Executive or the Company could have terminated Executives employment in a Termination Due to Disability hereunder. |
(B) | No Termination Due to Retirement shall be treated as a Voluntary Termination for purposes of this Section 6. |
(C) | Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the contrary, in the event of a change of Control as described in clause (iii) or clause (iv) of the definition of the term change of Control in Section 6(d) of this Agreement, if the employment of Executive involuntarily terminates on or after the date of a shareholder approval described in either of such clauses but before the date of a consummation described in either of such clauses, the date of termination of Executives employment shall be deemed for the purposes of this Agreement to be the day following the date of the applicable consummation. |
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Vested Benefits | ||||||||||||||
Enhancement (only | ||||||||||||||
applicable in the event | ||||||||||||||
that Executives | ||||||||||||||
employment by the | ||||||||||||||
Accrued | Pro Rata Target | Severance | Company terminates | Welfare | ||||||||||
BENEFIT | Salary | Bonus | Payment | Equity Awards | Vested Benefits | prior to July 1, 2009) | Benefits Continuation | |||||||
FORM OF PAYMENT | Lump Sum | Lump Sum | Lump Sum | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Lump Sum | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | |||||||
Termination For Cause | Payable | Not Payable | Not Payable | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Not Payable | Not Available | |||||||
Termination Without Cause | Payable | Payable | Payable | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Payable | Available | |||||||
Voluntary Termination | Payable | Not Payable | Not Payable | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Not Payable | Not Available | |||||||
Termination For Good Reason | Payable | Payable | Payable | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Payable | Available | |||||||
Termination Due to Retirement | Payable | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Not Payable | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Not Payable | Available | |||||||
Termination Due to Disability | Payable | Payable | Not Payable | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Not Payable | Available | |||||||
Termination Due to Death | Payable | Payable | Not Payable | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Determined Under the Applicable Plan | Not Payable | Not Available |
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(d) | Definitions. |
(i) | a report on Schedule 13D shall be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Act disclosing that any Person, other than the Company or a subsidiary of the Company or any employee benefit plan sponsored by the Company or a subsidiary of the Company is the Beneficial Owner of forty percent or more of the outstanding stock of the Company entitled to vote in the election of directors of the Company; |
(ii) | any Person, other than the Company or a subsidiary of the Company or any employee benefit plan sponsored by the Company or a subsidiary of the Company shall purchase shares pursuant to a tender offer or exchange offer to acquire any stock of the Company (or securities convertible into stock) entitled to vote in the election of directors of the Company for cash, securities or any other consideration, provided that after consummation of the offer, the Person in question is the Beneficial Owner of fifteen percent or more of the outstanding stock of the Company entitled to vote in the election of directors of the Company (calculated as provided in paragraph (d) of Rule 13d-3 under the Act in the case of rights to acquire stock); |
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(iii) | any merger, consolidation, recapitalization or reorganization of the Company approved by the stockholders of the Company shall be consummated, other than any such transaction immediately following which the persons who were the Beneficial Owners of the outstanding securities of the Company entitled to vote in the election of directors of the Company immediately prior to such transaction are the Beneficial Owners of at least 55% of the total voting power represented by the securities of the entity surviving such transaction entitled to vote in the election of directors of such entity (or the ultimate parent of such entity) in substantially the same relative proportions as their ownership of the securities of the Company entitled to vote in the election of directors of the Company immediately prior to such transaction; provided that, such continuity of ownership (and preservation of relative voting power) shall be deemed to be satisfied if the failure to meet such threshold (or to preserve such relative voting power) is due solely to the acquisition of voting securities by an employee benefit plan of the Company, such surviving entity or any subsidiary of such surviving entity; |
(iv) | any sale, lease, exchange or other transfer (in one transaction or a series of related transactions) of all or substantially all the assets of the Company approved by the stockholders of the Company shall be consummated; or |
(v) | within any 24 month period, the persons who were directors of the Company immediately before the beginning of such period (the Incumbent Directors) shall cease (for any reason other than death) to constitute at least a majority of the Board or the board of directors of any successor to the Company, provided that any director who was not a director at the beginning of such period shall be deemed to be an Incumbent Director if such director (A) was elected to the Board by, or on the recommendation of or with the approval of, at least two-thirds of the directors who then qualified as Incumbent Directors either actually or by prior operation of this clause (v), and (B) was not designated by a person who has entered into an agreement with the Company to effect a transaction described in clause (iii) or (iv) of this definition of the term Change of Control in Section 6(d) of this Agreement. |
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(i) | (A)the assignment to Executive of any duties inconsistent in any material adverse respect with Executives position, duties, authority or responsibilities as contemplated by Section 2 of this Agreement, or (B) any other material adverse change in such position, including titles, authority or responsibilities; | ||
(ii) | any failure by the Company to comply with any of the provisions of Sections 3 and 4 of this Agreement at a level of least equal to that in effect immediately preceding the Change of Control, other than an insubstantial or inadvertent failure remedied by the Company promptly after receipt of notice thereof given by Executive; | ||
(iii) | the Companys requiring Executive to be based at any office or location more than 25 miles from the location at which he performed his services specified under Section 2 hereof immediately prior to the Change of Control, except for travel reasonably required in the performance of Executives responsibilities; | ||
(iv) | any failure by the Company to obtain the assumption and agreement to perform this Agreement by a successor as contemplated by Section 10(d) hereof; or | ||
(v) | any attempt by the Company to terminate the Executives employment in a Termination For Cause that is determined in a proceeding pursuant to Section 9 or Section 10 hereof not to constitute a Termination For Cause. |
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(e) | Out-Placement Services. If the Employment Period terminates because of a Termination Without Cause or a Termination For Good Reason, Executive shall be entitled to out-placement services, provided by the Company or its designee at the Companys expense, for 12 months following the Date of Termination, or such lesser period as the Executive may require such services. |
(f) | Certain Further Payments by Company. |
(i) | Tax Reimbursement Payment. In the event that any amount or benefit paid or distributed to Executive pursuant to this Agreement, taken together with any amounts or benefits otherwise paid or distributed to Executive by the Company or any affiliate (collectively, the Covered Payments), are or become subject to the tax (the Excise Tax) imposed under Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any similar tax that may hereafter be imposed, the Company shall pay to the Executive at the time specified in this Section an additional amount (the Tax Reimbursement Payment) such that the net amount retained by the Executive with respect to such Covered Payments, after deduction of any Excise Tax on the Covered Payments and any Federal, state and local income tax and other tax on the Tax Reimbursement Payment provided for by this Section, but before deduction for any Federal, state or local income or employment tax withholding on such Covered Payments, shall be equal to the amount of the Covered Payments. |
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(ii) | Applicable Rules. For purposes of determining whether any of the Covered Payments will be subject to the Excise Tax and the amount of such Excise Tax, |
(A) | such Covered Payments will be treated as parachute payments within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, and all parachute payments in excess of the base amount (as defined under Section 280G(b)(3) of the Code) shall be treated as subject to the Excise Tax, unless, and except to the extent that, in the good faith judgment of the Companys independent certified public accountants appointed prior to the Effective Date or tax counsel selected by such accountants (the Accountants), the Company has a reasonable basis to conclude that such Covered Payments (in whole or in part) either do not constitute parachute payments or represent reasonable compensation for personal services actually rendered (within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(4)(B) of the Code) in excess of the base amount, or such parachute payments are otherwise not subject to such Excise Tax, and |
(B) | the value of any non-cash benefits or any deferred payment or benefit shall be determined by the Accountants in accordance with the principles of Section 280G of the Code. |
(iii) | Additional Rules. For purposes of determining the amount of the Tax Reimbursement Payment, the Executive shall be deemed to pay: (A) Federal income taxes at the highest applicable marginal rate of Federal income taxation for the calendar year in which the Tax Reimbursement Payment is to be made, and (B) any applicable state and local income and other taxes at the highest applicable marginal rate of taxation for the calendar year in which the Tax Reimbursement Payment is to be made, net of the maximum reduction in Federal incomes taxes which could be obtained from the deduction of such state or local taxes if paid in such year. |
(iv) | Repayment or Additional Payment in Certain Circumstances. |
(A) | Repayment. In the event that the Excise Tax is subsequently determined by the Accountants or pursuant to any proceeding or negotiations with the Internal Revenue Service to be less than the amount taken into account hereunder in calculating the Tax Reimbursement Payment made, Executive shall repay to the Company, at the time that the amount of such reduction in the Excise Tax is finally determined, the portion of such prior Tax Reimbursement Payment that would not have been paid if such lesser Excise Tax had been applied in initially calculating such Tax Reimbursement Payment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event any portion of the Tax Reimbursement Payment to be repaid to the Company has been paid to any Federal, state or local tax authority, repayment thereof shall not be required until actual refund or credit of such portion has been made to Executive by the applicable tax authority. Executive and the Company shall mutually agree upon the course of action to be pursued (and the method of allocating the expenses thereof) if Executives good faith claim for refund or credit is denied. |
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(B) | Additional Tax Reimbursement Payment. In the event that the Excise Tax is later determined by the Accountants or pursuant to any proceeding or negotiations with the Internal Revenue Service to exceed the amount taken into account hereunder at the time the Tax Reimbursement Payment is made (including, but not limited to, by reason of any payment the existence or amount of which cannot be determined at the time of the Tax Reimbursement Payment), the Company shall make an additional Tax Reimbursement Payment in respect of such excess (plus any interest or penalty payable with respect to such excess) at the time that the amount of such excess is finally determined. |
(v) | Timing for Tax Reimbursement Payment. The Tax Reimbursement Payment (or portion thereof) provided for in this Section 6 shall be paid to Executive not later than 10 business days following the payment of the Covered Payments; provided, however, that if the amount of such Tax Reimbursement Payment (or portion thereof) cannot be finally determined on or before the date on which payment is due, the Company shall pay to Executive by such date an amount estimated in good faith by the Accountants to be the minimum amount of such Tax Reimbursement Payment and shall pay the remainder of such Tax Reimbursement Payment (together with interest at the rate provided in Section 1274(b)(2)(B) of the Code) as soon as the amount thereof can be determined, but in no event later than 45 calendar days after payment of the related Covered Payment. To the extent that the amount of the estimated Tax Reimbursement Payment exceeds the amount subsequently determined to have been due, Executive shall repay such excess to the Company on the fifth business day after written demand by the Company for payment. |
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(a) | Noncompetition. During the Employment Period and until the earlier of: (i) the last day of the one year period following any Voluntary Termination of the Employment Period by Executive pursuant to Section 5 hereof, or (ii) the date a Change of Control occurs (the Restriction Period), Executive shall not become associated with any entity, whether as a principal, partner, employee, agent, consultant, shareholder (other than as a holder, or a member of a group which is a holder, of not in excess of 1% of the outstanding voting shares of any publicly traded company) or in any other relationship or capacity, paid or unpaid, that is actively engaged in any geographic area in any business which is in competition with the business of the Company. The Company shall, in its sole discretion, have the right to enforce or waive the terms of this provision in connection with the Restriction Period. If the Company exercises its right to enforce this provision for the Restriction Period, the Company will provide Executive with written notice of its intent to enforce and agrees to pay Executive one year of Executives then current Base Salary and one year of Executives then current Target Bonus as compensation for the Restriction Period. Executive agrees that the terms of the Restriction Period are reasonable and that this compensation is above and beyond any amounts necessary to support the terms of the Restriction Period a set forth herein. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the terms of this Section 9(a) shall not apply in the event of any termination of employment following a Change of Control as provided for in Section 6 of this Agreement. |
(b) | Confidentiality. Without the prior written consent of the Company, except to the extent required by an order of a court having competent jurisdiction or under subpoena from an appropriate government agency, Executive shall not disclose to any third person, or permit the use of for the benefit of any person or any entity other than The Company or its affiliates, any trade secrets, customer lists, information regarding product development, marketing plans, sales plans, management organization information (including data and other information relating to members of the Board and management), operating policies or manuals, business plans, financial records, or other financial, organizational, commercial, business, sales, marketing, technical, product or employee information relating to the Company or its affiliates or information designated as confidential, proprietary, and/or a trade secret, or any other information relating to the Company or its affiliates that Executive knows from the circumstances, in good faith and good conscience, should be treated as confidential, or any information that the Company or its affiliates may receive belonging to customers, agents or others who do business with the Company or its affiliates, except to the extent that any such information previously has been disclosed to the public by the Company or is in the public domain (other than by reason of Executives violation of this Section 9(b)). |
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(c) | Non-Solicitation of Employees. During the Employment Period and until the earlier of: (i) the last day of the one year period following any Voluntary Termination of the Employment Period by Executive pursuant to Section 5 hereof, or (ii) the date a Change of Control occurs, Executive shall not directly or indirectly solicit, encourage or induce any employee of the Company or its affiliates to terminate employment with such entity, and shall not directly or indirectly, either individually or as owner, agent, employee, consultant or otherwise, employ or offer employment to any person who is or was employed by the Company or an affiliate thereof unless such person shall have ceased to be employed by such entity for a period of at least six months. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the terms of this Section 9(c) shall not apply in the event of any termination of employment following a Change of Control as provided for in Section 6 of this Agreement. |
(d) | Company Property. Except as expressly provided herein, promptly following any termination of the Employment Period, Executive shall return to the Company all property of the Company, and all copies thereof in Executives possession or under his control. |
(e) | Injunctive Relief and Other Remedies with Respect to Covenants. Executive acknowledges and agrees that the covenants and obligations of Executive with respect to noncompetition, confidentiality, nonsolicitation, and Company property relate to special, unique and extraordinary matters and that a violation of any of the terms of such covenants and obligations will cause the Company irreparable injury for which adequate remedies are not available at law. Therefore, Executive agrees that the Company (i) shall be entitled to an injunction, restraining order or such other equitable relief (without the requirement to post bond) restraining Executive from committing any violation of the covenants and obligations contained in this Section 9, and (ii) shall have no further obligation to make any payments to Executive hereunder following any material violation of the covenants and obligations contained in this Section 9. These remedies are cumulative and are in addition to any other rights and remedies the Company may have at law or in equity. In connection with the foregoing provisions of this Section 9, Executive represents that his economic means and circumstances are such that such provisions will not prevent him from providing for himself and his family on a basis satisfactory to him. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall an asserted violation of the provisions of this Section constitute a basis for deferring or withholding any amounts otherwise payable to the Executive under this Agreement following a Change of Control. |
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(a) | Survival. All of the provisions of Sections 5 (relating to termination of the Employment Period prior to a Change of Control), 6 (relating to termination of the Employment Period following a Change of Control), 9 (relating to noncompetition, confidentiality, nonsolicitation and Company property), 10(b) (relating to arbitration), 10(c) (relating to legal fees) and 10(n) (relating to governing law) of this Agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
(b) | Arbitration. Except as provided in Section 9, any dispute or controversy arising under or in connection with this Agreement shall be resolved by binding arbitration. Such arbitration shall be held in the city of Hartford, Connecticut and except to the extent inconsistent with this Agreement, shall be conducted in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association in effect at the time of the arbitration, and otherwise in accordance with the principles that would be applied by a court of law or equity. The arbitrator shall be acceptable to both the Company and Executive. If the parties cannot agree on an acceptable arbitrator, the dispute or controversy shall be heard by a panel of three arbitrators; one appointed by each of the parties and the third appointed by the other two arbitrators. The Company and Executive further agree that they will abide by and perform any award or awards rendered by the arbitrators and that a judgment may be entered on any award or awards rendered by any state or federal court having jurisdiction over the Company or Executive or any of their respective property. |
(c) | Legal Fees and Expenses. In any contest (whether initiated by Executive or by the Company) as to the validity, enforceability or interpretation of any provision of this Agreement, the Company shall pay Executives legal expenses (or cause such expenses to be paid) including, without limitation, his reasonable attorneys fees, on a quarterly basis, upon presentation of proof of such expenses in a form acceptable to the Company, provided that Executive shall reimburse the Company for such amounts, plus simple interest thereon at the 90-day United States Treasury Bill rate as in effect from time to time, compounded annually, if Executive shall not prevail, in whole or in part, as to any material issue as to the validity, enforceability or interpretation of any provision of this Agreement. |
(d) | Successors; Binding Effect. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company and its successors. The Company shall require any successor to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company, whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation, acquisition of stock, or otherwise, by an agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Executive, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent as the Company would be required to perform the Agreement if no such succession had taken place. This Agreement is personal to the Executive and, without the prior written consent of the Company, shall not be assignable by Executive otherwise than by will or the law of descent and distribution. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by Executives legal representatives. |
(e) | Assignment. Except as provided in Section 10(d), neither this Agreement nor any of the rights or obligations hereunder shall be assigned or delegated by any party hereto without the prior written consent of the other party. |
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(f) | Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the matters referred to herein. This Agreement supersedes and replaces any prior employment or severance agreement or arrangement between the Company and Executive. No other agreement relating to the terms of Executives employment by the Company, oral or otherwise, shall be binding between the parties unless it is in writing and signed by the party against whom enforcement is sought. There are no promises, representations, inducements or statements between the parties other than those that are expressly contained herein. Executive acknowledges that he is entering into this Agreement of his own free will and accord, and with no duress, and that he has read this Agreement and that he understands it and its legal consequences. |
(g) | Severability; Reformation. In the event that one or more of the provisions of this Agreement shall become invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not be affected thereby. In the event of a determination that any of the provisions of Section 9(a), Section 9(b) or Section 9(c) are not enforceable in accordance with their terms, Executive and the Company agree that such Section shall be reformed to make such Section enforceable in a manner that provides the Company the maximum rights permitted at law. |
(h) | Waiver. Waiver by any party hereto of any breach or default by the other party of any of the terms of this Agreement shall not operate as a waiver of any other breach or default, whether similar to or different from the breach or default waived. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be implied from any course of dealing between the parties hereto or from any failure by either party hereto to assert its or his rights hereunder on any occasion or series of occasions. |
(i) | Notices. Any notice required or desired to be delivered under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be delivered personally, by courier service, by registered mail, return receipt requested, or by telecopy and shall be effective upon actual receipt by the party to which such notice shall be directed, and shall be addressed as follows (or to such other address as the party entitled to notice shall hereafter designate in accordance with the terms hereof): |
If to the Company: | The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. | |||
Law Department, HO-1-09 | ||||
Hartford Plaza | ||||
Hartford, CT 06115 | ||||
Attention: Corporate Secretary | ||||
With a copy to: | Debevoise & Plimpton | |||
875 Third Avenue | ||||
New York, NY 10022 | ||||
Attn: Lawrence K. Cagney, Esq. | ||||
If to Executive: | The home address of Executive | |||
shown on the records of the Company |
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(j) | Amendments. This Agreement may not be altered, modified or amended except by a written instrument signed by each of the parties hereto, provided, however, that the Company may unilaterally amend this Agreement at any time as may be necessary, in its reasonable judgment, to comply with law or to avoid payments to the Executive under the Agreement being subject to an additional tax under Section 409A of the Code. This Agreement is intended to comply with Section 409A of the Code, and no action taken by the Company shall be construed in a manner that would result in the imposition of an additional tax on Executive under Section 409A of the Code. |
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(k) | Headings. Headings to provisions of this Agreement are for the convenience of the parties only and are not intended to be part of or to affect the meaning or interpretation hereof. |
(l) | Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. |
(m) | Withholding. Any payments provided for herein shall be reduced by any amounts required to be withheld by the Company from time to time under applicable Federal, State or local income or employment tax laws or similar statutes or other provisions of law then in effect. |
(n) | Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Connecticut, without reference to principles of conflicts or choice of law under which the law of any other jurisdiction would apply. |
THE HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, INC. | ||||||
WITNESSED: | ||||||
Title: Executive Vice President, Human Resources | ||||||
EXECUTIVE: | ||||||
WITNESSED: | ||||||
Thomas M. Marra | ||||||
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