INTERLINE BRANDS, INC. 2004 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN Effective as of December ____, 2004
Exhibit 10.27
INTERLINE BRANDS, INC.
2004 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
Effective as of December ____, 2004
1. Purpose
The purpose of the Plan is to provide a means through which the Company and its Affiliates may attract able persons to enter and remain in the employ of the Company and its Affiliates and to provide a means whereby employees, directors and consultants of the Company and its Affiliates can acquire and maintain Common Stock ownership, or be paid incentive compensation measured by reference to the value of Common Stock, thereby strengthening their commitment to the welfare of the Company and its Affiliates and promoting an identity of interest between stockholders and these persons.
So that the appropriate incentive can be provided, the Plan provides for granting Incentive Stock Options, Nonqualified Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Share Units and Stock Bonuses, or any combination of the foregoing.
2. Definitions
The following definitions shall be applicable throughout the Plan.
(a) Affiliate means (i) any entity that directly or indirectly is controlled by, controls or is under common control with the Company and (ii) to the extent provided by the Committee, any entity in which the Company has a significant equity interest.
(b) Award means, individually or collectively, any Incentive Stock Option, Nonqualified Stock Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, Restricted Share Unit Award or Stock Bonus Award granted under the Plan.
(c) Board means the Board of Directors of the Company.
(d) Cause means the Company or an Affiliate having cause to terminate a Participants employment or service, as defined in any existing employment, consulting or any other agreement between the Participant and the Company or an Affiliate or, in the absence of such an employment, consulting or other agreement, upon (i) the determination by the Committee that the Participant has ceased to perform his duties to the Company or an Affiliate (other than as a result of his incapacity due to physical or mental illness or injury), which failure amounts to an intentional and extended neglect of his duties to such party, (ii) the Committees determination that the Participant has engaged or is about to engage in conduct materially injurious to the Company or an Affiliate, (iii) the Participant having been convicted of, or plead guilty or no contest to, a felony or any crime involving as a material element fraud or dishonesty, (iv) the failure of the Participant to follow the lawful instructions of the Board or his
direct superiors or (v) in the case of a Participant who is a non-employee director, the Participant ceasing to be a member of the Board in connection with the Participant engaging in any of the activities described in clauses (i) through (iv) above.
(e) Change in Control shall, unless in the case of a particular Award the applicable Award agreement states otherwise or contains a different definition of Change in Control, be deemed to occur upon:
(i) the acquisition by any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act (a Person) of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of 50% or more (on a fully diluted basis) of either (A) the then outstanding shares of Stock of the Company, taking into account as outstanding for this purpose such Stock issuable upon the exercise of options or warrants, the conversion of convertible stock or debt, and the exercise of any similar right to acquire such Stock (the Outstanding Company Common Stock) or (B) the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the Outstanding Company Voting Securities); provided, however, that for purposes of this Plan, the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in Control: (I) any acquisition by the Company or any Affiliate, (II) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Company or any Affiliate, (III) any acquisition which complies with clauses (A), (B) and (C) of subsection (v) of this Section 2(e), or (IV) in respect of an Award held by a particular Participant, any acquisition by the Participant or any group of persons including the Participant (or any entity controlled by the Participant or any group of persons including the Participant);
(ii) after the expiration of twenty-four months following the Effective Date, individuals who, on the date hereof, constitute the Board (the Incumbent Directors) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board, provided that any person becoming a director subsequent to the date hereof, whose election or nomination for election was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Incumbent Directors then on the Board (either by a specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such person is named as a nominee for director, without written objection to such nomination) shall be an Incumbent Director; provided, however, that no individual initially elected or nominated as a director of the Company as a result of an actual or threatened election contest, as such terms are used in Rule 14a-11 of Regulation A promulgated under the Exchange Act, with respect to directors or as a result of any other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of any person other than the Board shall be deemed to be an Incumbent Director;
(iii) the dissolution or liquidation of the Company;
(iv) the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company; or
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(v) the consummation of a reorganization, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange or similar form of corporate transaction involving the Company that requires the approval of the Companys stockholders, whether for such transaction or the issuance of securities in the transaction (a Business Combination), unless immediately following such Business Combination: (A) more than 50% of the total voting power of (x) the entity resulting from such Business Combination (the Surviving Company), or (y) if applicable, the ultimate parent entity that directly or indirectly has beneficial ownership of sufficient voting securities eligible to elect a majority of the directors of the Surviving Company (the Parent Company), is represented by the Outstanding Company Voting Securities that were outstanding immediately prior to such Business Combination (or, if applicable, is represented by shares into which the Outstanding Company Voting Securities were converted pursuant to such Business Combination), and such voting power among the holders thereof is in substantially the same proportion as the voting power of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities among the holders thereof immediately prior to the Business Combination, (B) no Person (other than any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Surviving Company or the Parent Company), is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 50% or more of the total voting power of the outstanding voting securities eligible to elect members of the board of directors of the Parent Company (or the analogous governing body) (or, if there is no Parent Company, the Surviving Company) and (C) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors (or the analogous governing body) of the Parent Company (or, if there is no Parent Company, the Surviving Company) following the consummation of the Business Combination were Board members at the time of the Boards approval of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such Business Combination.
(f) Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Reference in the Plan to any section of the Code shall be deemed to include any amendments or successor provisions to such section and any regulations under such section.
(g) Committee means a committee of at least two people as the Board may appoint to administer the Plan or, if no such committee has been appointed by the Board, the Board. Unless the Board is acting as the Committee or the Board specifically determines otherwise, each member of the Committee shall, at the time he takes any action with respect to an Award under the Plan, be an Eligible Director. However, the fact that a Committee member shall fail to qualify as an Eligible Director shall not invalidate any Award granted by the Committee which Award is otherwise validly granted under the Plan.
(h) Common Stock means the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company and any stock into which such common stock may be converted or into which it may be exchanged.
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(i) Company means Interline Brands, Inc. and any successor thereto.
(j) Date of Grant means the date on which the granting of an Award is authorized, or such other date as may be specified in such authorization or, if there is no such date, the date indicated on the applicable Award agreement.
(k) Disability means, unless in the case of a particular Award, the applicable Award agreement states otherwise, the Company or an Affiliate having cause to terminate a Participants employment or service on account of disability, as defined in any existing employment, consulting or other similar agreement between the Participant and the Company or an Affiliate, or in the absence of such an employment, consulting or other agreement, a condition entitling a person to receive benefits under the long-term disability plan of the Company or an Affiliate, as may be applicable to the Participant in question, or, in the absence of such a plan, the complete and permanent inability by reason of illness or accident to perform the duties of the occupation at which a Participant was employed or served when such disability commenced, as determined by the Committee based upon medical evidence acceptable to it.
(l) Effective Date means December _, 2004.
(m) Eligible Director means a person who is (i) a non-employee director within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, or a person meeting any similar requirement under any successor rule or regulation and (ii) an outside director within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code, and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder; provided, however, that clause (ii) shall apply only with respect to grants of Awards with respect to which the Companys tax deduction could be limited by Section 162(m) of the Code if such clause did not apply.
(n) Eligible Person means any (i) individual regularly employed by the Company or Affiliate who satisfies all of the requirements of Section 6; provided, however, that no such employee covered by a collective bargaining agreement shall be an Eligible Person unless and to the extent that such eligibility is set forth in such collective bargaining agreement or in an agreement or instrument relating thereto; (ii) director of the Company or an Affiliate or (iii) consultant or advisor to the Company or an Affiliate who may be offered securities pursuant to Form S-8 (which, as of the Effective Date, includes those who (A) are natural persons and (B) provide bona fide services to the Company other than in connection with the offer or sale of securities in a capital-raising transaction, and do not directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the Companys securities).
(o) Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(p) Fair Market Value, on a given date means (i) if the Stock is listed on a national securities exchange, the average of the highest and lowest sale
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prices reported as having occurred on the primary exchange with which the Stock is listed and traded on the date prior to such date, or, if there is no such sale on that date, then on the last preceding date on which such a sale was reported; (ii) if the Stock is not listed on any national securities exchange but is quoted in the National Market System of the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System (the Nasdaq) on a last sale basis, the average between the high bid price and low ask price reported on the date prior to that date, or, if there is no such sale on such prior date, then on the last preceding date on which a sale was reported; or (iii) if the Stock is not listed on a national securities exchange nor quoted in the Nasdaq on a last sale basis, the amount determined by the Committee to be the fair market value based upon a good faith attempt to value the Stock accurately and computed in accordance with applicable regulations of the Internal Revenue Service.
(q) Incentive Stock Option means an Option granted by the Committee to a Participant under the Plan which is designated by the Committee as an incentive stock option as described in Section 422 of the Code and otherwise meets the requirements set forth herein.
(r) Mature Shares means shares of Stock owned by a Participant which are not subject to any pledge or other security interest and have either been held by the Participant for six months, previously acquired by the Participant on the open market or meet such other requirements as the Committee may determine are necessary in order to avoid an accounting earnings charge on account of the use of such shares to pay the Option Price or satisfy a withholding obligation in respect of an Option.
(s) Nonqualified Stock Option means an Option granted by the Committee to a Participant under the Plan which is not designated by the Committee as an Incentive Stock Option.
(t) Option means an Award granted under Section 7.
(u) Option Period means the period described in Section 7(c).
(v) Option Price means the exercise price for an Option as described in Section 7(a).
(w) Parent means any parent of the Company as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code.
(x) Participant means an Eligible Person who has been selected by the Committee to participate in the Plan and to receive an Award pursuant to Section 6.
(y) Performance Goals means the performance objectives of the Company or an Affiliate during a Restricted Period established for the purpose of determining whether, and to what extent, Awards will be earned for the Restricted Period. To the extent an Award is intended to qualify as performance-based compensation
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under Section 162(m) of the Code, the Performance Goals shall be established with reference to one or more of the following, either on a Company-wide basis or, as relevant, in respect of one or more Affiliates, divisions or operations of the Company:
(i) earnings (gross, net, pre-tax, post-tax or per share)
(ii) stock price (absolute or relative to other companies)
(iii) market share
(iv) gross or net profit margin
(v) costs or expenses
(vi) return on equity
(vii) sales
(viii) earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT)
(ix) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA)
(x) return on capital or equity
(xi) net income
(xii) total shareholder return
(z) Plan means this Interline Brands, Inc. 2004 Equity Incentive Plan.
(aa) Restricted Period means, with respect to any Award, the period of time determined by the Committee during which such Award is subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 9 or, as applicable, the period of time within which performance is measured for purposes of determining whether an Award has been earned.
(bb) Restricted Stock means shares of Stock issued or transferred to a Participant subject to forfeiture and the other restrictions set forth in Section 9.
(cc) Restricted Stock Award means an Award of Restricted Stock granted under Section 9.
(dd) Restricted Share Unit means a hypothetical investment equivalent to one share of Stock granted in connection with an Award made under Section 9.
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(ee) Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(ff) Stock means the Common Stock or such other authorized shares of stock of the Company as the Committee may from time to time authorize for use under the Plan.
(gg) Stock Appreciation Right or SAR means an Award granted under Section 8 of the Plan.
(hh) Stock Bonus means an Award granted under Section 10.
(ii) Stock Option Agreement means any agreement between the Company and a Participant who has been granted an Option pursuant to Section 7 which defines the rights and obligations of the parties thereto.
(jj) Strike Price means (i) in the case of a SAR granted in tandem with an Option, the Option Price of the related Option, or (ii) in the case of a SAR granted independent of an Option, the Fair Market Value on the Date of Grant.
(kk) Subsidiary means any subsidiary of the Company as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code.
(ll) Vested Unit shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 9(d).
3. Effective Date, Duration and Shareholder Approval
The Plan is effective as of the Effective Date; provided, that the validity and exercisabilty of any and all Awards granted pursuant to the Plan is contingent upon approval of the Plan by the shareholders of the Company in a manner intended to comply with the shareholder approval requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code and any applicable exchange. No Option shall be treated as an Incentive Stock Option unless the Plan has been approved by the shareholders of the Company in a manner intended to comply with the shareholder approval requirements of Section 422(b)(i) of the Code; provided, that any Option intended to be an Incentive Stock Option shall not fail to be effective solely on account of a failure to obtain such approval, but rather such Option shall be treated as a Nonqualified Stock Option unless and until such approval is obtained.
The expiration date of the Plan, on and after which no Awards may be granted hereunder, shall be the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date; provided, however, that the administration of the Plan shall continue in effect until all matters relating to Awards previously granted have been settled.
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4. Administration
(a) The Committee shall administer the Plan. The majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum. The acts of a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present or acts approved in writing by a majority of the Committee shall be deemed the acts of the Committee.
(b) Subject to the provisions of the Plan and applicable law, the Committee shall have the power, and in addition to other express powers and authorizations conferred on the Committee by the Plan, to: (i) designate Participants; (ii) determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to a Participant; (iii) determine the number of shares of Stock to be covered by, or with respect to which payments, rights, or other matters are to be calculated in connection with, Awards; (iv) determine the terms and conditions of any Award; (v) determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances Awards may be settled or exercised in cash, shares of Stock, other securities, other Awards or other property, or canceled, forfeited, or suspended and the method or methods by which Awards may be settled, exercised, canceled, forfeited, or suspended; (vi) determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances the delivery of cash, Stock, other securities, other Options, other property and other amounts payable with respect to an Award shall be deferred either automatically or at the election of the holder thereof or of the Committee; (vii) interpret, administer, reconcile any inconsistency, correct any defect and/or supply any omission in the Plan and any instrument or agreement relating to, or Award granted under, the Plan; (viii) establish, amend, suspend, or waive such rules and regulations, (ix) appoint such agents as it shall deem appropriate for the proper administration of the Plan; and (x) make any other determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan.
(c) Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan, all designations, determinations, interpretations, and other decisions under or with respect to the Plan or any Award or any documents evidencing Awards granted pursuant to the Plan shall be within the sole discretion of the Committee, may be made at any time and shall be final, conclusive and binding upon all parties, including, without limitation, the Company, any Affiliate, any Participant, any holder or beneficiary of any Award, and any shareholder.
(d) No member of the Committee shall be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any Award hereunder.
5. Grant of Awards; Shares Subject to the Plan
The Committee may, from time to time, grant Awards of Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Share Units and/or Stock Bonuses to one or more Eligible Persons; provided, however, that:
(a) Subject to Section 12, the aggregate number of shares of Stock in respect of which Awards may be granted under the Plan is [10%] shares;
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(b) Shares of Stock shall be deemed to have been used in settlement of Awards whether they are actually delivered or the Fair Market Value equivalent of such shares is paid in cash; provided, however, that shares of Stock delivered (either directly or by means of attestation) in full or partial payment of the Option Price in accordance with Section 7(b) shall be deducted from the number of shares of Stock delivered to the Participant pursuant to such Option for purposes of determining the number of shares of Stock acquired pursuant to the Plan. In accordance with (and without limitation upon) the preceding sentence, if and to the extent an Award under the Plan expires, terminates or is canceled for any reason whatsoever without the Participant having received any benefit therefrom, the shares covered by such Award shall again become available for future Awards under the Plan. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, a Participant shall not be deemed to have received any benefit in the case of forfeited Restricted Stock Awards by reason of having enjoyed voting rights and dividend rights prior to the date of forfeiture;
(c) Stock delivered by the Company in settlement of Awards may be authorized and unissued Stock, Stock held in the treasury of the Company, Stock purchased on the open market or by private purchase, or a combination of the foregoing;
(d) Subject to Section 12, no person may be granted Options or SARs under the Plan during any calendar year with respect to more than 600,000 shares of Stock; provided, that such number shall be adjusted pursuant to Section 12, and shares otherwise counted against such number, only in a manner which will not cause Options or SARs granted under the Plan to fail to qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code; and
(e) Subject to Section 12, with respect to awards of Restricted Stock, Restricted Share Units or Stock Bonus Awards intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code, no person may be granted Restricted Stock, Restricted Share Units or a Stock Bonus Award under the Plan during any calendar year with respect to more than 150,000 shares of Stock; provided, that such number shall be adjusted pursuant to Section 12, and shares otherwise counted against such number, only in a manner which will not cause such Restricted Stock, Restricted Share Units or Stock Bonus Award granted under the Plan to fail to qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code.
6. Eligibility
Participation shall be limited to Eligible Persons who have entered into an Award agreement or who have received written notification from the Committee, or from a person designated by the Committee, that they have been selected to participate in the Plan.
7. Options
The Committee is authorized to grant one or more Incentive Stock Options or Nonqualified Stock Options to any Eligible Person; provided, however, that no
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Incentive Stock Option shall be granted to any Eligible Person who is not an employee of the Company. Each Option so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth under this Section 7, or to such other conditions as may be reflected in the applicable Stock Option Agreement.
(a) Option Price. The exercise price (Option Price) per share of Stock for each Option shall be set by the Committee at the time of grant but shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock at the Date of Grant.
(b) Manner of Exercise and Form of Payment. No shares of Stock shall be delivered pursuant to any exercise of an Option until payment in full of the Option Price therefor is received by the Company. Options which have become exercisable may be exercised by delivery of written notice of exercise to the Committee accompanied by payment of the Option Price. The Option Price shall be payable (i) in cash and/or shares of Stock valued at the Fair Market Value at the time the Option is exercised (including by means of attestation of ownership of a sufficient number of shares of Stock in lieu of actual delivery of such shares to the Company); provided, that such shares of Stock are Mature Shares, (ii) in the discretion of the Committee, either (A) in other property having a fair market value on the date of exercise equal to the Option Price or (B) by delivering to the Committee a copy of irrevocable instructions to a stockbroker to deliver promptly to the Company an amount of loan proceeds, or proceeds from the sale of the Stock subject to the Option, sufficient to pay the Option Price or (iii) by such other method as the Committee may allow. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall a Participant be permitted to exercise an Option in the manner described in clause (ii) of the preceding sentences if the Committee determines that exercising an Option in such manner would violate the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 or any other applicable law or the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the applicable rules and regulations of any securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the securities of the Company or any of its Affiliates are listed or traded.
(c) Vesting, Option Period and Expiration. Options shall vest and become exercisable in such manner and on such date or dates determined by the Committee and shall expire after such period, not to exceed ten years, as may be determined by the Committee (the Option Period); provided, however, that notwithstanding any vesting dates set by the Committee, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, accelerate the exercisability of any Option, which acceleration shall not affect the terms and conditions of such Option other than with respect to exercisability. If an Option is exercisable in installments, such installments or portions thereof which become exercisable shall remain exercisable until the Option expires.
(d) Stock Option Agreement - Other Terms and Conditions. Each Option granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by a Stock Option Agreement. Except as specifically provided otherwise in such Stock Option Agreement, each Option granted under the Plan shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:
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(i) Each Option or portion thereof that is exercisable shall be exercisable for the full amount or for any part thereof.
(ii) Each share of Stock purchased through the exercise of an Option shall be paid for in full at the time of the exercise. Each Option shall cease to be exercisable, as to any share of Stock, when the Participant purchases the share or exercises a related SAR or when the Option expires.
(iii) Subject to Section 11(k), Options shall not be transferable by the Participant except by will or the laws of descent and distribution and shall be exercisable during the Participants lifetime only by him.
(iv) Each Option shall vest and become exercisable by the Participant in accordance with the vesting schedule established by the Committee and set forth in the Stock Option Agreement.
(v) At the time of any exercise of an Option, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, require a Participant to deliver to the Committee a written representation that the shares of Stock to be acquired upon such exercise are to be acquired for investment and not for resale or with a view to the distribution thereof and any other representation deemed necessary by the Committee to ensure compliance with all applicable federal and state securities laws. Upon such a request by the Committee, delivery of such representation prior to the delivery of any shares issued upon exercise of an Option shall be a condition precedent to the right of the Participant or such other person to purchase any shares. In the event certificates for Stock are delivered under the Plan with respect to which such investment representation has been obtained, the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be placed on such certificates to make appropriate reference to such representation and to restrict transfer in the absence of compliance with applicable federal or state securities laws.
(vi) Each Participant awarded an Incentive Stock Option under the Plan shall notify the Company in writing immediately after the date he or she makes a disqualifying disposition of any Stock acquired pursuant to the exercise of such Incentive Stock Option. A disqualifying disposition is any disposition (including any sale) of such Stock before the later of (A) two years after the Date of Grant of the Incentive Stock Option or (B) one year after the date the Participant acquired the Stock by exercising the Incentive Stock Option. The Company may, if determined by the Committee and in accordance with procedures established by it, retain possession of any Stock acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option as agent for the applicable Participant until the end of the period described in the preceding sentence, subject to complying with any instructions from such Participant as to the sale of such Stock.
(e) Incentive Stock Option Grants to 10% Stockholders. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 7, if an Incentive Stock Option is
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granted to a Participant who owns stock representing more than ten percent of the voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or of a Subsidiary or a Parent, the Option Period shall not exceed five years from the Date of Grant of such Option and the Option Price shall be at least 110 percent of the Fair Market Value (on the Date of Grant) of the Stock subject to the Option.
(f) $100,000 Per Year Limitation for Incentive Stock Options. To the extent the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the Date of Grant) of Stock for which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by any Participant during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company) exceeds $100,000, such excess Incentive Stock Options shall be treated as Nonqualified Stock Options.
8. Stock Appreciation Rights
Any Option granted under the Plan may include SARs, either at the Date of Grant or, except in the case of an Incentive Stock Option, by subsequent amendment. The Committee also may award SARs to Eligible Persons independent of any Option. A SAR shall be subject to such terms and conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as the Committee shall impose, including, but not limited to, the following:
(a) Vesting, Transferability and Expiration. A SAR granted in connection with an Option shall become exercisable, be transferable and shall expire according to the same vesting schedule, transferability rules and expiration provisions as the corresponding Option. A SAR granted independent of an Option shall become exercisable, be transferable and shall expire in accordance with a vesting schedule, transferability rules and expiration provisions as established by the Committee and reflected in an Award agreement.
(b) Automatic exercise. If on the last day of the Option Period (or in the case of a SAR independent of an option, the period established by the Committee after which the SAR shall expire), the Fair Market Value exceeds the Strike Price, the Participant has not exercised the SAR or the corresponding Option, and neither the SAR nor the corresponding Option has expired, such SAR shall be deemed to have been exercised by the Participant on such last day and the Company shall make the appropriate payment therefor.
(c) Payment. Upon the exercise of a SAR, the Company shall pay to the Participant an amount equal to the number of shares subject to the SAR multiplied by the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value of one share of Stock on the exercise date over the Strike Price. The Company shall pay such excess in cash, in shares of Stock valued at Fair Market Value, or any combination thereof, as determined by the Committee. Fractional shares shall be settled in cash.
(d) Method of Exercise. A Participant may exercise a SAR at such time or times as may be determined by the Committee at the time of grant by filing
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an irrevocable written notice with the Committee or its designee, specifying the number of SARs to be exercised, and the date on which such SARs were awarded.
(e) Expiration. Except as otherwise provided in the case of SARs granted in connection with Options, a SAR shall expire on a date designated by the Committee which is not later than ten years after the Date of Grant of the SAR.
9. Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Share Unit Awards
(a) Award of Restricted Stock and Restricted Share Units.
(i) The Committee shall have the authority (A) to grant Awards of Restricted Stock and Restricted Share Unit Awards to Eligible Persons, (B) to issue or transfer Restricted Stock to Participants, and (C) to establish terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock and Restricted Share Units, including the Restricted Period, as applicable, which may differ with respect to each grantee, the time or times at which Restricted Stock or Restricted Share Units shall be granted or become vested and the number of shares or units to be covered by each grant.
(ii) Each Participant who has been granted an Award of Restricted Stock shall execute and deliver to the Company an Award agreement with respect to the Restricted Stock setting forth the restrictions and other terms and conditions applicable to such Restricted Stock. If the Committee determines that the Restricted Stock shall be held in escrow rather than delivered to the Participant pending the release of the applicable restrictions, the Committee may require the Participant to additionally execute and deliver to the Company (A) an escrow agreement satisfactory to the Committee and (B) the appropriate blank stock powers with respect to the Restricted Stock covered by such agreement. If a Participant shall fail to execute an agreement evidencing an Award of Restricted Stock and, if applicable, an escrow agreement and stock powers, the Award shall be null and void. Subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 9(b), the Participant generally shall have the rights and privileges of a stockholder as to such Restricted Stock, including the right to vote such Restricted Stock. At the discretion of the Committee, cash dividends and stock dividends with respect to the Restricted Stock may be either currently paid to the Participant or withheld by the Company for the Participants account, and interest may be credited on the amount of cash dividends withheld at a rate and subject to such terms as determined by the Committee. The cash dividends or stock dividends so withheld by the Committee and attributable to any particular share of Restricted Stock (and earnings thereon, if applicable) shall be distributed to the Participant upon the release of restrictions on such share and, if such share is forfeited, the Participant shall have no right to such cash dividends, stock dividends or earnings.
(iii) Upon the grant of an Award of Restricted Stock, the Committee shall cause a stock certificate registered in the name of the Participant to be issued and, if it so determines, deposited together with the stock powers with
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an escrow agent designated by the Committee. If an escrow arrangement is used, the Committee may cause the escrow agent to issue to the Participant a receipt evidencing any stock certificate held by it, registered in the name of the Participant.
(iv) The terms and conditions of a grant of Restricted Share Units shall be reflected in a written Award agreement. No shares of Stock shall be issued at the time an Award of a Restricted Share Unit is granted, and the Company will not be required to set aside a fund for the payment of any such Award. At the discretion of the Committee, each Restricted Share Unit (representing one share of Stock) awarded to a Participant may be credited with cash and stock dividends paid by the Company in respect of one share of Stock (Dividend Equivalents). At the discretion of the Committee, Dividend Equivalents may be either currently paid to the Participant or withheld by the Company for the Participants account, and interest may be credited on the amount of cash Dividend Equivalents withheld at a rate and subject to such terms as determined by the Committee. Dividend Equivalents credited to a Participants account and attributable to any particular Restricted Share Unit (and earnings thereon, if applicable) shall be distributed to the Participant upon settlement of such Restricted Share Unit and, if such Restricted Share Unit is forfeited, the Participant shall have no right to such Dividends Equivalents.
(b) Restrictions.
(i) Restricted Stock awarded to a Participant shall be subject to the following restrictions until the expiration of the Restricted Period, and to such other terms and conditions as may be set forth in the applicable Award agreement: (A) if an escrow arrangement is used, the Participant shall not be entitled to delivery of the stock certificate; (B) the shares shall be subject to the restrictions on transferability set forth in the Award agreement, (C) the shares shall be subject to forfeiture to the extent provided in Section 9(d) and the applicable Award agreement and (D) to the extent such shares are forfeited, the stock certificates shall be returned to the Company, and all rights of the Participant to such shares and as a shareholder shall terminate without further obligation on the part of the Company.
(ii) Restricted Share Units awarded to any Participant shall be subject to (A) forfeiture until the expiration of the Restricted Period, and satisfaction of applicable Performance Goals during such period, to the extent provided in the applicable Award agreement, and to the extent such Restricted Share Units are forfeited, all rights of the Participant to such Restricted Share Units shall terminate without further obligation on the part of the Company and (B) such other terms and conditions as may be set forth in the applicable Award agreement.
(iii) The Committee shall have the authority to remove any or all of the restrictions on the Restricted Stock and Restricted Share Units
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whenever it may determine that, by reason of changes in applicable laws or other changes in circumstances arising after the date of the Awards of Restricted Stock or Restricted Share Units, such action is appropriate.
(c) Restricted Period. The Restricted Period of Restricted Stock and Restricted Share Units shall commence on the Date of Grant and shall expire from time to time and, upon attainment of the Performance Goals, if any, set forth in the applicable Award agreement, as to that part of the Restricted Stock and Restricted Share Units indicated in a schedule established by the Committee in the applicable Award agreement.
(d) Delivery of Restricted Stock and Settlement of Restricted Share Units. Upon the expiration of the Restricted Period with respect to any shares of Stock covered by an Award of Restricted Stock, the restrictions set forth in Section 9(b) and the applicable Award agreement shall be of no further force or effect with respect to shares of Restricted Stock which have not then been forfeited, except as set forth in the applicable Award agreement. If an escrow arrangement is used, upon such expiration, the Company shall deliver to the Participant, or his beneficiary, without charge, the stock certificate evidencing the shares of Restricted Stock which have not then been forfeited and with respect to which the Restricted Period has expired (to the nearest full share) and any cash dividends or stock dividends credited to the Participants account with respect to such Restricted Stock and the interest thereon, if any.
Upon the expiration of the Restricted Period with respect to any Restricted Share Units covered by an Award of Restricted Share Units, the Company shall deliver to the Participant, or his beneficiary, without charge, one share of Stock for each Restricted Share Unit, which has not then been forfeited and with respect to which the Restricted Period has expired (Vested Unit) and cash equal to any Dividend Equivalents credited with respect to each such Vested Unit in accordance with Section 9(a)(iv) hereof, if any; provided, however, that, if so explicitly provided in the applicable Award agreement, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, elect to pay cash or part cash and part Stock in lieu of delivering only shares of Stock for Vested Units. If a cash payment is made in lieu of delivering shares of Stock, the amount of such payment shall be equal to the Fair Market Value of the Stock as of the date on which the Restricted Period lapsed with respect to such Vested Unit. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and only if so explicitly provided in the applicable Award agreement, a Participant may elect in a manner and at a time established in such Award agreement to defer receipt of such shares of Stock or cash, with respect to such Vested Units, until a specified date or period.
(e) Stock Restrictions. Each certificate representing Restricted Stock awarded under the Plan shall bear a legend substantially in the form of the following until the lapse of all restrictions with respect to such Stock, as well as any other information the Company deems appropriate:
Transfer of this certificate and the shares represented hereby is restricted pursuant to the terms of the Interline Brands, Inc. 2004 Equity Incentive Plan and a Restricted Stock Purchase and Award Agreement,
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dated as of _____________, between Interline Brands, Inc. and __________________. A copy of such Plan and Agreement is on file at the offices of Interline Brands, Inc.
Stop transfer orders shall be entered with the Companys transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of legended securities.
(f) Adjustments of Performance Goals. The Committee may, during the Restricted Period and subject to Section 9, make such adjustments to the Performance Goals as it may deem appropriate to compensate for, or reflect (x) extraordinary or non-recurring events experienced during the Restricted Period by the Company or by any other corporation whose performance is relevant to the determination of whether the Performance Goals have been attained, (y) any significant changes that may have occurred during such Restricted Period in the applicable accounting rules or principles or changes in the Companys method of accounting or in that of any other corporation whose performance is relevant to the determination of the Performance Goals or (z) any significant changes that may have occurred during such Restricted Period in tax laws or other laws or regulations that alter or affect the computation of the measures of the Performance Goals.
(g) Applicability of Section 162(m). To the extent a Restricted Stock Award or an Award of Restricted Share Units is intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code, the (i) Performance Goals and (ii) schedule relating to the attainment of the Performance Goals with respect to such Award, shall be established in writing and administered by the Committee prior to the Restricted Period or during such period permitted by Section 162(m) of the Code as a condition to the lapse of the restrictions on any Restricted Stock Award or the earning of any Restricted Stock Unit. At the completion of such Restricted Period, or at such other times during the Restricted Period as specified by the Committee in the Award agreement, the Committee shall determine and certify the extent to which the Performance Goals have been attained with respect to such Award. With respect to each Award of Restricted Stock or Restricted Share Units intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code, the Committee shall establish and administer such Awards and Performance Goals (including the timing of the establishment of the Performance Goals, adjustment to the Performance Goals and the determination and certification of the extent to which the Performance Goals have been attained) in a manner designed to preserve such Awards as performance-based compensation.
10. Stock Bonus Awards
The Committee may issue unrestricted Stock, or other Awards denominated in Stock, under the Plan to Eligible Persons, alone or in tandem with other Awards, in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee shall from time to time in its sole discretion determine. A Stock Bonus Award under the Plan shall be granted as, or in payment of, a bonus, or to provide incentives or recognize special achievements or contributions. With respect to a Stock Bonus Award intended to
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qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code, the Committee shall establish and administer Performance Goals in the manner described in Section 9 as an additional condition to the vesting and payment of such Stock Bonus Awards.
11. General
(a) Additional Provisions of an Award. Awards to a Participant under the Plan also may be subject to such other provisions (whether or not applicable to the Awards granted to any other Participant) as the Committee determines appropriate, including, without limitation, provisions for the forfeiture of or restrictions on resale or other disposition of shares of Stock acquired under any Award, provisions giving the Company the right to repurchase shares of Stock acquired under any Award in the event the Participant elects to dispose of such shares, provisions allowing the Participant to elect to defer the receipt of payment in respect of Awards for a specified period or until a specified event, and provisions to comply with Federal and state securities laws and Federal and state tax withholding requirements. Any such provisions shall be reflected in the applicable Award agreement.
(b) Privileges of Stock Ownership. Except as otherwise specifically provided in the Plan, no person shall be entitled to the privileges of ownership in respect of shares of Stock which are subject to Awards hereunder until such shares have been issued to that person.
(c) Government and Other Regulations. The obligation of the Company to settle Awards in Stock shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by governmental agencies as may be required. Notwithstanding any terms or conditions of any Award to the contrary, the Company shall be under no obligation to offer to sell or to sell, and shall be prohibited from offering to sell or selling, any shares of Stock pursuant to an Award unless such shares have been properly registered for sale pursuant to the Securities Act with the Securities and Exchange Commission or unless the Company has received an opinion of counsel, satisfactory to the Company, that such shares may be offered or sold without such registration pursuant to an available exemption therefrom and the terms and conditions of such exemption have been fully complied with. The Company shall be under no obligation to register for sale under the Securities Act any of the shares of Stock to be offered or sold under the Plan. If the shares of Stock offered for sale or sold under the Plan are offered or sold pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act, the Company may restrict the transfer of such shares and may legend the Stock certificates representing such shares in such manner as it deems advisable to ensure the availability of any such exemption.
(d) Tax Withholding.
(i) A Participant may be required to pay to the Company or any Affiliate and the Company or any Affiliate shall have the right and is hereby authorized to withhold from any shares of Stock or other property
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deliverable under any Award or from any compensation or other amounts owing to a Participant, the amount (in cash, Stock or other property) of any required tax withholding and payroll taxes in respect of an Award, its exercise, or any payment or transfer under an Award or under the Plan and to take such other action as may be necessary in the opinion of the Company to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such taxes.
(ii) Without limiting the generality of clause (i) above, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, permit a Participant to satisfy, in whole or in part, the foregoing withholding liability (but no more than the minimum required withholding liability) by (A) the delivery of Mature Shares owned by the Participant having a Fair Market Value equal to such withholding liability or (B) having the Company withhold from the number of shares of Stock otherwise issuable pursuant to the exercise or settlement of the Award a number of shares with a Fair Market Value equal to such withholding liability.
(e) Claim to Awards and Employment Rights. No employee of the Company or an Affiliate, or other person, shall have any claim or right to be granted an Award under the Plan or, having been selected for the grant of an Award, to be selected for a grant of any other Award. Neither the Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as giving any Participant any right to be retained in the employ or service of the Company or an Affiliate.
(f) Designation and Change of Beneficiary. Each Participant shall file with the Committee a written designation of one or more persons as the beneficiary who shall be entitled to receive the amounts payable with respect to an Award, if any, due under the Plan upon his death. A Participant may, from time to time, revoke or change his beneficiary designation without the consent of any prior beneficiary by filing a new designation with the Committee. The last such designation received by the Committee shall be controlling; provided, however, that no designation, or change or revocation thereof, shall be effective unless received by the Committee prior to the Participants death, and in no event shall it be effective as of a date prior to such receipt. If no beneficiary designation is filed by a Participant, the beneficiary shall be deemed to be his or her spouse or, if the Participant is unmarried at the time of death, his or her estate.
(g) Payments to Persons Other Than Participants. If the Committee shall find that any person to whom any amount is payable under the Plan is unable to care for his affairs because of illness or accident, or is a minor, or has died, then any payment due to such person or his estate (unless a prior claim therefor has been made by a duly appointed legal representative) may, if the Committee so directs the Company, be paid to his spouse, child, relative, an institution maintaining or having custody of such person, or any other person deemed by the Committee to be a proper recipient on behalf of such person otherwise entitled to payment. Any such payment shall be a complete discharge of the liability of the Committee and the Company therefor.
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(h) No Liability of Committee Members. No member of the Committee shall be personally liable by reason of any contract or other instrument executed by such member or on his behalf in his capacity as a member of the Committee nor for any mistake of judgment made in good faith, and the Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each member of the Committee and each other employee, officer or director of the Company to whom any duty or power relating to the administration or interpretation of the Plan may be allocated or delegated, against any cost or expense (including counsel fees) or liability (including any sum paid in settlement of a claim) arising out of any act or omission to act in connection with the Plan unless arising out of such persons own fraud or willful bad faith; provided, however, that approval of the Board shall be required for the payment of any amount in settlement of a claim against any such person. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such persons may be entitled under the Companys Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any power that the Company may have to indemnify them or hold them harmless.
(i) Governing Law. The Plan shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and performed wholly within the State of New York.
(j) Funding. No provision of the Plan shall require the Company, for the purpose of satisfying any obligations under the Plan, to purchase assets or place any assets in a trust or other entity to which contributions are made or otherwise to segregate any assets, nor shall the Company maintain separate bank accounts, books, records or other evidence of the existence of a segregated or separately maintained or administered fund for such purposes. Participants shall have no rights under the Plan other than as unsecured general creditors of the Company, except that insofar as they may have become entitled to payment of additional compensation by performance of services, they shall have the same rights as other employees under general law.
(k) Nontransferability.
(i) Each Award shall be exercisable only by a Participant during the Participants lifetime, or, if permissible under applicable law, by the Participants legal guardian or representative. No Award may be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by a Participant other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and any such purported assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or an Affiliate; provided that the designation of a beneficiary shall not constitute an assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance.
(ii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, permit Awards other than Incentive Stock Options to be transferred by a Participant, without consideration, subject to such rules as the
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Committee may adopt consistent with any applicable Award agreement to preserve the purposes of the Plan, to:
(A) any person who is a family member of the Participant, as such term is used in the instructions to Form S-8 (collectively, the Immediate Family Members);
(B) a trust solely for the benefit of the Participant and his or her Immediate Family Members;
(C) a partnership or limited liability company whose only partners or shareholders are the Participant and his or her Immediate Family Members; or
(D) any other transferee as may be approved either (a) by the Board or the Committee in its sole discretion, or (b) as provided in the applicable Award agreement;
(each transferee described in clauses (A), (B), (C) and (D) above is hereinafter referred to as a Permitted Transferee); provided that the Participant gives the Committee advance written notice describing the terms and conditions of the proposed transfer and the Committee notifies the Participant in writing that such a transfer would comply with the requirements of the Plan.
(iii) The terms of any Award transferred in accordance with the immediately preceding sentence shall apply to the Permitted Transferee and any reference in the Plan, or in any applicable Award agreement, to a Participant shall be deemed to refer to the Permitted Transferee, except that (A) Permitted Transferees shall not be entitled to transfer any Award, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution; (B) Permitted Transferees shall not be entitled to exercise any transferred Option unless there shall be in effect a registration statement on an appropriate form covering the shares of Stock to be acquired pursuant to the exercise of such Option if the Committee determines, consistent with any applicable Award agreement, that such a registration statement is necessary or appropriate, (C) the Committee or the Company shall not be required to provide any notice to a Permitted Transferee, whether or not such notice is or would otherwise have been required to be given to the Participant under the Plan or otherwise, and (D) the consequences of the termination of the Participants employment by, or services to, the Company or an Affiliate under the terms of the Plan and the applicable Award agreement shall continue to be applied with respect to the Participant, including, without limitation, that an Option shall be exercisable by the Permitted Transferee only to the extent, and for the periods, specified in the Plan and the applicable Award agreement.
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(l) Reliance on Reports. Each member of the Committee and each member of the Board shall be fully justified in acting or failing to act, as the case may be, and shall not be liable for having so acted or failed to act in good faith, in reliance upon any report made by the independent public accountant of the Company and its Affiliates and/or upon any other information furnished in connection with the Plan by any person or persons other than himself.
(m) Relationship to Other Benefits. No payment under the Plan shall be taken into account in determining any benefits under any pension, retirement, profit sharing, group insurance or other benefit plan of the Company except as otherwise specifically provided in such other plan.
(n) Expenses. The expenses of administering the Plan shall be borne by the Company and its Affiliates.
(o) Pronouns. Masculine pronouns and other words of masculine gender shall refer to both men and women.
(p) Titles and Headings. The titles and headings of the sections in the Plan are for convenience of reference only, and in the event of any conflict, the text of the Plan, rather than such titles or headings shall control.
(q) Termination of Employment. Unless an applicable Award agreement provides otherwise, for purposes of the Plan, a person who transfers from employment or service with the Company to employment or service with an Affiliate or vice versa shall not be deemed to have terminated employment or service with the Company or an Affiliate.
(r) Severability. If any provision of the Plan or any Award agreement is or becomes or is deemed to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any jurisdiction or as to any person or Award, or would disqualify the Plan or any Award under any law deemed applicable by the Committee, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to conform to the applicable laws, or if it cannot be construed or deemed amended without, in the determination of the Committee, materially altering the intent of the Plan or the Award, such provision shall be stricken as to such jurisdiction, person or Award and the remainder of the Plan and any such Award shall remain in full force and effect.
12. Changes in Capital Structure
Awards granted under the Plan and any agreements evidencing such Awards, the maximum number of shares of Stock subject to all Awards stated in Section 5(a) and the maximum number of shares of Stock with respect to which any one person may be granted Awards during any period stated in Sections 5(d) or 5(e) shall be subject to adjustment or substitution, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, as to the number, price or kind of a share of Stock or other consideration subject to such Awards or as otherwise determined by the Committee to be equitable (i) in the event of
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changes in the outstanding Stock or in the capital structure of the Company by reason of stock or extraordinary cash dividends, stock splits, reverse stock splits, recapitalization, reorganizations, mergers, consolidations, combinations, exchanges, or other relevant changes in capitalization occurring after the Date of Grant of any such Award or (ii) in the event of any change in applicable laws or any change in circumstances which results in or would result in any substantial dilution or enlargement of the rights granted to, or available for, Participants, or which otherwise warrants equitable adjustment because it interferes with the intended operation of the Plan. Any adjustment in Incentive Stock Options under this Section 13 shall be made only to the extent not constituting a modification within the meaning of Section 424(h)(3) of the Code, and any adjustments under this Section 13 shall be made in a manner which does not adversely affect the exemption provided pursuant to Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act. Further, with respect to Awards intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code, such adjustments or substitutions shall be made only to the extent that the Committee determines that such adjustments or substitutions may be made without causing the Company to be denied a tax deduction on account of Section 162(m) of the Code. The Company shall give each Participant notice of an adjustment hereunder and, upon notice, such adjustment shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes.
Notwithstanding the above, in the event of any of the following:
A. The Company is merged or consolidated with another corporation or entity and, in connection therewith, consideration is received by shareholders of the Company in a form other than Stock or other equity interests of the surviving entity;
B. All or substantially all of the assets of the Company are acquired by another person;
C. The reorganization or liquidation of the Company; or
D. The Company shall enter into a written agreement to undergo an event described in clauses A, B or C above;
then the Committee may, in its discretion and upon at least 10 days advance notice to the affected persons, (1) cancel any outstanding Awards and cause the holders thereof to be paid, in cash or shares of Stock, or any combination thereof, the value of such Awards based upon the price per share of Stock received or to be received by other shareholders of the Company in the event, and/or (2) if applicable, cause such Awards to be assumed by a successor entity and substituted with awards involving the common stock or other applicable equity unit of the successor entity with equivalent value and having terms and conditions of the substituted Awards that are no less favorable than the Awards granted by the Company. The terms of this Section 12 may be varied by the Committee in any particular Award agreement.
13. Effect of Change in Control
Except to the extent reflected in a particular Award agreement:
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(a) In the event of a Change in Control, notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, all Options and SARs shall become immediately exercisable with respect to 100 percent of the shares subject to such Option or SAR, and the Restricted Period shall expire immediately with respect to 100 percent of such shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Share Units (including a waiver of any applicable Performance Goals) and, to the extent practicable, such acceleration of exercisability and expiration of the Restricted Period (as applicable) shall occur in a manner and at a time which allows affected Participants the ability to participate in the Change in Control transaction with respect to the Stock subject to their Awards.
(b) In addition, in the event of a Change in Control, the Committee may in its discretion and upon at least 10 days advance notice to the affected persons, cancel any outstanding Awards and pay to the holders thereof, in cash or stock, or any combination thereof, the value of such Awards based upon the price per share of Stock received or to be received by other shareholders of the Company in the event.
(c) The obligations of the Company under the Plan shall be binding upon any successor corporation or organization resulting from the merger, consolidation or other reorganization of the Company, or upon any successor corporation or organization succeeding to substantially all of the assets and business of the Company. The Company agrees that it will make appropriate provisions for the preservation of Participants rights under the Plan in any agreement or plan which it may enter into or adopt to effect any such merger, consolidation, reorganization or transfer of assets.
14. Nonexclusivity of the Plan
Neither the adoption of this Plan by the Board nor the submission of this Plan to the stockholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board to adopt such other incentive arrangements as it may deem desirable, including, without limitation, the granting of stock options otherwise than under this Plan, and such arrangements may be either applicable generally or only in specific cases.
15. Amendments and Termination
(a) Amendment and Termination of the Plan. The Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue, or terminate the Plan or any portion thereof at any time; provided that no such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuation or termination shall be made without shareholder approval if such approval is necessary to comply with any tax or regulatory requirement applicable to the Plan (including as necessary to comply with any applicable stock exchange listing requirement or to prevent the Company from being denied a tax deduction on account of Section 162(m) of the Code); and provided further that any such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance or termination that would impair the rights of any Participant or any holder or beneficiary of any Award theretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of the affected Participant, holder or beneficiary. The termination date of the Plan, following which no Awards may be granted hereunder, is
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__________, 2014; provided that such termination shall not affect Awards then outstanding, and the terms and conditions of the Plan shall continue to apply to such Awards.
(b) Amendment of Award Agreements. The Committee may, to the extent consistent with the terms of any applicable Award agreement, waive any conditions or rights under, amend any terms of, or alter, suspend, discontinue, cancel or terminate, any Award theretofore granted or the associated Award agreement, prospectively or retroactively; provided that any such waiver, amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, cancellation or termination that would impair the rights of any Participant or any holder or beneficiary of any Option theretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of the affected Participant, holder or beneficiary; and provided further that, without stockholder approval, (i) no amendment or modification may reduce the Option Price of any Option, (ii) the Committee may not cancel any outstanding Option and replace it with a new Option (with a lower Option Price) in a manner which would either (A) be reportable on the Companys proxy statement as Options which have been repriced (as such term is used in Item 402 of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Exchange Act), or (B) result in any Option being accounted for under the variable method for financial statement reporting purposes and (iii) the Committee may not take any other action which is considered a repricing for purposes of the shareholder approval rules of any applicable stock exchange.
* * *
As adopted by the Board of Directors of
Interline Brands, Inc. at a meeting held on December__, 2004.
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