BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY 2007 STOCK AWARD AND INCENTIVE PLAN
Exhibit 10.14
BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY
2007 STOCK AWARD AND INCENTIVE PLAN
(As Amended and Restated effective June 10, 2008)
1. Purpose. The purpose of this 2007 Stock Award and Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is to aid Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, a Delaware corporation (together with its successors and assigns, the “Company”), in attracting, retaining, motivating and rewarding employees, non-employee directors, and other service providers of the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates, to provide for equitable and competitive compensation opportunities, to recognize individual contributions and reward achievement of Company goals, and to promote the creation of long-term value for stockholders by closely aligning the interests of Participants with those of stockholders. The Plan authorizes stock-based and cash-based incentives for Participants.
2. Definitions. In addition to the terms defined in Section 1 above and elsewhere in the Plan, the following capitalized terms used in the Plan have the respective meanings set forth in this Section:
(a) “Annual Limit” shall have the meaning specified in Section 5(b).
(b) “Award” means any Option, SAR, Restricted Stock, Stock Unit, Stock granted as a bonus or in lieu of another award, Dividend Equivalent, Other Stock-Based Award, or Performance Award, together with any related right or interest, granted to a Participant under the Plan.
(c) “Beneficiary” means the person, persons, trust or trusts designated as being entitled to receive the benefits under a Participant’s Award upon and following a Participant’s death. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, a Participant may designate a person, persons, trust or trusts as his or her Beneficiary, and in the absence of a designated Beneficiary the Participant’s Beneficiary shall be as specified in Section 11(b)(ii). Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, any designation of a Beneficiary other than a Participant’s spouse shall be subject to the written consent of such spouse.
(d) “Board” means the Company’s Board of Directors.
(e) “Change in Control” and related terms have the meanings specified in Section 9.
(f) “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. References to any provision of the Code or regulation thereunder shall include any successor provisions and regulations, and reference to regulations includes any applicable guidance or pronouncement of the Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service.
(g) “Committee” means the Compensation and Management Development Committee of the Board, the composition and governance of which is established in the Committee’s Charter as approved from time to time by the Board and subject to other corporate governance documents of the Company. No action of the Committee shall be void or deemed to be without authority due to the failure of any member, at the time the action was taken, to meet any qualification standard set forth in the Committee Charter or this Plan. The full Board may perform any function of the Committee hereunder (subject to applicable requirements of New York Stock Exchange rules and Code Section 162(m)), in which case the term “Committee” shall refer to the Board.
(h) “Covered Employee” means an Eligible Person who is a Covered Employee as specified in Section 11(j).
(i) “Dividend Equivalent” means a right, granted under this Plan, to receive cash, Stock, other Awards or other property equal in value to all or a specified portion of the dividends paid with respect to a specified number of shares of Stock.
(j) “Effective Date” means the effective date specified in Section 11(p).
(k) “Eligible Person” has the meaning specified in Section 5.
(l) “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. References to any provision of the Exchange Act or rule (including a proposed rule) thereunder shall include any successor provisions and rules.
(m) “Fair Market Value” means the fair market value of Stock, Awards or other property as determined in good faith by the Committee or under procedures established by the Committee. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, the Fair Market Value of Stock on a given day shall mean the last sale price of a share of stock before the 4 p.m. Eastern Time closing time (or equivalent earlier time for partial trading days) on that day or, if there was not trading on that day, on the last preceding day on which the Stock was traded, as reported on the composite tape for securities listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Fair Market Value relating to the exercise price or base price of any Non-409A Option or SAR and relating to the market value of Stock measured at the time of exercise shall conform to applicable requirements under Code Section 409A.
(n) “409A Awards” means Awards that constitute a deferral of compensation under Code Section 409A and regulations thereunder. “Non-409A Awards” means Awards other than 409A Awards. Although the Committee retains authority under the Plan to grant Options and SARs on terms that will qualify those Awards as 409A Awards, Options, and SARs are intended to be Non-409A Awards unless otherwise expressly specified by the Committee.
(o) “Full-Value Award” means an Award relating to Stock other than (i) Options and SARs that are treated as exercisable solely for Stock under applicable accounting rules and (ii) Awards for which the Participant pays the intrinsic value directly or by forgoing a right to receive a cash payment from the Company.
(p) “Incentive Stock Option” or “ISO” means any Option designated as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Code Section 422 and qualifying thereunder.
(q) “Option” means a right to purchase Stock granted under Section 6(b).
(r) “Other Stock-Based Awards” means Awards granted to a Participant under Section 6(h).
(s) “Participant” means a person who has been granted an Award under the Plan which remains outstanding, including a person who is no longer an Eligible Person.
(t) “Performance Award” means a conditional right, granted to a Participant under Sections 6(i) or 7, to receive cash, Stock or other Awards or payments.
(u) “Restricted Stock” means Stock granted under this Plan which is subject to certain restrictions and to a risk of forfeiture.
(v) “Retirement” means a Participant’s termination of employment with the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate in the following circumstances:
(i) At or after the Participant’s 65th birthday; or
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| (ii) | At or after the Participant’s 55th birthday having completed ten years of service with the Company and/or its subsidiaries and affiliates; or |
| (iii) | Such termination is by the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate not for cause and is not voluntary on the part of the Participant, at or after the Participant has attained age plus years of service (rounded up to the next higher whole number) which equals at least 70 and the Participant has completed ten years of service with the Company and/or its subsidiaries and affiliates, and the Participant has executed a general release and has agreed to be subject to covenants relating to noncompetition, nonsolicitation and other commitments for the protection of the Company’s business as then may be required by the Committee. |
(w) “Stock” means the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.10 per share, and any other equity securities of the Company that may be substituted or resubstituted for Stock pursuant to Section 11(c).
(x) “Stock Units” means a right, granted under this Plan, to receive Stock or other Awards or a combination thereof at the end of a specified period. Stock Units subject to a risk of forfeiture may be designated as “Restricted Stock Units” as provided in Section 6(e)(ii).
(y) “Stock Appreciation Rights” or “SAR” means a right granted to a Participant under Section 6(c).
3. Administration.
(a) Authority of the Committee. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee, which shall have full and final authority, in each case subject to and consistent with the provisions of the Plan, to select Eligible Persons to become Participants; to grant Awards; to determine the type and number of Awards, the dates on which Awards may be exercised and on which the risk of forfeiture or deferral period relating to Awards shall lapse or terminate, the acceleration of any such dates, the expiration date of any Award, whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances an Award may be settled, or the exercise price of an Award may be paid, in cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property, and other terms and conditions of, and all other matters relating to, Awards; to prescribe documents evidencing or setting terms of Awards (such Award documents need not be identical for each Participant or each Award), amendments thereto, and rules and regulations for the administration of the Plan and amendments thereto; to construe and interpret the Plan and Award documents and correct defects, supply omissions or reconcile inconsistencies therein; and to make all other decisions and determinations as the Committee may deem necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan. Decisions of the Committee with respect to the administration and interpretation of the Plan shall be final, conclusive, and binding upon all persons interested in the Plan, including Participants, Beneficiaries, transferees under Section 11(b) and other persons claiming rights from or through a Participant, and stockholders. The foregoing notwithstanding, either the Board, the Committee, or another committee of the Board may perform the functions of the Committee for purposes of granting Awards under the Plan to non-employee directors, as the Board may at any time direct.
(b) Manner of Exercise of Committee Authority. The express grant of any specific power to the Committee, and the taking of any action by the Committee, shall not be construed as limiting any power or authority of the Committee. The Committee may act through subcommittees, including for purposes of perfecting exemptions under Rule 16b-3 or qualifying Awards under Code Section 162(m) as performance-based compensation, in which case the subcommittee shall be subject to and have authority under the charter applicable to the Committee, and the acts of the subcommittee shall be deemed to be acts of the Committee hereunder. The Committee may delegate to one or more officers or managers of the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate, or committees thereof, the authority, subject to such terms as the Committee shall determine, to perform such functions, including administrative functions, as the Committee may
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determine, to the extent that such delegation (i) will not result in the loss of an exemption under Rule 16b-3(d) for Awards granted to Participants subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act in respect of the Company, (ii) will not cause Awards intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section 162(m) to fail to so qualify, (iii) will not result in a related-person transaction with an executive officer required to be disclosed under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K (in accordance with Instruction 5.a.ii thereunder) under the Exchange Act, and (iv) is permitted under Section 157 and other applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law.
(c) Limitation of Liability. The Committee and each member thereof, and any person acting pursuant to authority delegated by the Committee, shall be entitled, in good faith, to rely or act upon any report or other information furnished by any executive officer, other officer or employee of the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate, the Company’s independent auditors, consultants or any other agents assisting in the administration of the Plan. Members of the Committee, any person acting pursuant to authority delegated by the Committee, and any officer or employee of the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate acting at the direction or on behalf of the Committee or a delegee shall not be personally liable for any action or determination taken or made in good faith with respect to the Plan, and shall, to the extent permitted by law, be fully indemnified and protected by the Company with respect to any such action or determination.
4. Stock Subject To Plan.
(a) Overall Number of Shares Available for Delivery. Subject to adjustment as provided under Section 11(c), the total number of shares of Stock reserved and available for delivery in connection with Awards under the Plan shall be (i) 42 million shares, plus (ii) the number of shares that, immediately prior to the Effective Date, remain available for new awards under the 2002 Stock Incentive Plan, plus (iii) the number of shares subject to awards under the 2002 Stock incentive Plan that become available in accordance with Section 4(b) after the Effective Date; provided, however, that the total number of shares with respect to which ISOs may be granted shall not exceed 42 million shares. Any shares of Stock delivered under the Plan shall consist of authorized and unissued shares or treasury shares.
(b) Share Counting Rules. The Committee may adopt reasonable counting procedures to ensure appropriate counting, avoid double counting (as, for example, in the case of tandem or substitute Awards) and make adjustments in accordance with this Section 4(b). Shares shall be counted against those reserved to the extent such shares have been delivered and are no longer subject to a risk of forfeiture. Accordingly, (i) to the extent that an Award under the Plan or an award under the 2002 Stock Incentive Plan is canceled, expired, forfeited, settled in cash, settled by delivery of fewer shares than the number underlying the Award or award, or otherwise terminated without delivery of shares to the Participant, the shares retained by or returned to the Company will not be deemed to have been delivered under the Plan or the 2002 Stock Incentive Plan; and (ii) shares that are withheld from such Award or award or separately surrendered by the Participant in payment of the exercise price or taxes relating to such Award or award shall be deemed to constitute shares not delivered and will be available under the Plan. The Committee may determine that Awards may be outstanding that relate to more shares than the aggregate remaining available under the Plan so long as Awards will not in fact result in delivery and vesting of shares in excess of the number then available under the Plan. In addition, in the case of any Award granted in assumption of or in substitution for an award of a company or business acquired by the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate or with which the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate combines, shares delivered or deliverable in connection with such assumed or substitute Award shall not be counted against the number of shares reserved under the Plan.
5. Eligibility; Per-Person Award Limitations.
(a) Eligibility. Awards may be granted under the Plan only to Eligible Persons. For purposes of the Plan, an “Eligible Person” means (i) an employee of the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate, including any executive officer or employee director of the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate, (ii) any person who has been offered employment by the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate, provided that such prospective employee may not receive any payment or exercise any right relating to an Award until
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such person has commenced employment with the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate, (iii) any non-employee director of the Company, and (iv) any person who provides substantial services to the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate. An employee on leave of absence may be considered as still in the employ of the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate for purposes of eligibility for participation in the Plan. For purposes of the Plan, a joint venture in which the Company or a subsidiary has a substantial direct or indirect equity investment shall be deemed an affiliate, if so determined by the Committee. Holders of awards granted by a company or business acquired by the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate, or with which the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate combines, are eligible for substitute Awards granted in assumption of or in substitution for such outstanding awards in connection with such acquisition or combination transaction.
(b) Per-Person Award Limitations. In each calendar year during any part of which the Plan is in effect, an Eligible Person may be granted Awards under the Plan intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section 162(m) relating to up to his or her Annual Limit. A Participant’s Annual Limit, in any year during any part of which the Participant is then eligible under the Plan, shall equal [three] million shares plus the amount of the Participant’s unused Annual Limit as of the close of the previous year, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 11(c). In the case of an Award which is not valued in a way in which the limitation set forth in the preceding sentence would operate as an effective limitation satisfying applicable law (including Treasury Regulation § 1.162-27(e)(4)), an Eligible Person may not be granted Awards under the Plan authorizing the earning during any calendar year of an amount that exceeds the Eligible Person’s Annual Limit, which for this purpose shall equal $6 million plus the amount of the Eligible Person’s unused cash Annual Limit as of the close of the previous year (this limitation is separate and not affected by the number of Awards granted during such calendar year which are subject to the limitation in the preceding sentence, and the Annual Limits are subject to Section 11(h)). For this purpose, (i) “earning” means satisfying performance conditions so that an amount becomes payable, without regard to whether it is to be paid currently or on a deferred basis or continues to be subject to any service requirement or other non-performance condition, (ii) a Participant’s Annual Limit is used to the extent an amount or number of shares may be potentially earned or paid under an Award, regardless of whether such amount or shares are in fact earned or paid, and (iii) the Annual Limit applies to Dividend Equivalents under Section 6(g) only if such Dividend Equivalents are granted separately from and not as a feature of a Full-Value Award.
6. Specific Terms of Awards.
(a) General. Awards may be granted on the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 6. In addition, the Committee may impose on any Award or the exercise thereof, at the date of grant or thereafter (subject to Sections 11(e) and 11(k)), such additional terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as the Committee shall determine, including terms requiring forfeiture of Awards in the event of termination of employment or service by the Participant and terms permitting a Participant to make elections relating to his or her Award. The Committee shall retain full power and discretion with respect to any term or condition of an Award that is not mandatory under the Plan, subject to Section 11(k) and the terms of the Award agreement. The Committee shall require the payment of lawful consideration for an Award to the extent necessary to satisfy the requirements of the Delaware General Corporation Law, and may otherwise require payment of consideration for an Award except as limited by the Plan.
(b) Options. The Committee is authorized to grant Options to Participants on the following terms and conditions:
| (i) | Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Stock purchasable under an Option (including both ISOs and non-qualified Options) shall be determined by the Committee, provided that such exercise price shall be not less than the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of grant of such Option, subject to Section 8(a). Notwithstanding the foregoing, any substitute award granted in assumption of or in substitution for an outstanding award granted by a company or business acquired by the Company or a |
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| subsidiary or affiliate, or with which the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate combines may be granted with an exercise price per share of Stock other than as required above. No adjustment will be made for a dividend or other right for which the record date is prior to the date on which the stock is issued, except as provided in Section 11(c) of the Plan. |
| (ii) | Option Term; Time and Method of Exercise. The Committee shall determine the term of each Option, provided that in no event shall the term of any Option exceed a period of ten years from the date of grant. The Committee shall determine the time or times at which or the circumstances under which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), the methods by which such exercise price may be paid or deemed to be paid and the form of such payment (subject to Sections 11(k) and 11(l)), including, without limitation, cash, Stock (including by withholding Stock deliverable upon exercise), other Awards or awards granted under other plans of the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate, or other property, and the methods by or forms in which Stock will be delivered or deemed to be delivered in satisfaction of Options to Participants (including, in the case of 409A Awards, deferred delivery of shares subject to the Option, as mandated by the Committee, with such deferred shares subject to any vesting, forfeiture or other terms as the Committee may specify). |
| (iii) | ISOs. The terms of any ISO granted under the Plan shall comply in all respects with the provisions of Code Section 422. |
(c) Stock Appreciation Rights. The Committee is authorized to grant SARs to Participants on the following terms and conditions:
| (i) | Right to Payment. An SAR shall confer on the Participant to whom it is granted a right to receive, upon exercise thereof, the excess of (A) the Fair Market Value of one share of Stock on the date of exercise over (B) the grant price of the SAR as determined by the Committee. The grant price of each SAR shall be not less than the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of grant of such SAR. |
| (ii) | Other Terms. The Committee shall determine the term of each SAR, provided that in no event shall the term of an SAR exceed a period of ten years from the date of grant. The Committee shall determine at the date of grant or thereafter, the time or times at which and the circumstances under which a SAR may be exercised in whole or in part (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), the method of exercise, method of settlement, form of consideration payable in settlement, method by or forms in which Stock will be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants, whether or not a SAR shall be free-standing or in tandem or combination with any other Award, and whether or not the SAR will be a 409A Award or Non-409A Award. The Committee may require that an outstanding Option be exchanged for an SAR exercisable for Stock having vesting, expiration, and other terms substantially the same as the Option, so long as such exchange will not result in additional accounting expense to the Company. |
(d) Restricted Stock. The Committee is authorized to grant Restricted Stock to Participants on the following terms and conditions:
| (i) | Grant and Restrictions. Restricted Stock shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability, risk of forfeiture and other restrictions, if any, as the Committee may impose, which restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times, under such circumstances (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future |
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| service requirements), in such installments or otherwise and under such other circumstances as the Committee may determine at the date of grant or thereafter. Except to the extent restricted under the terms of the Plan and any Award document relating to the Restricted Stock, a Participant granted Restricted Stock shall have all of the rights of a stockholder, including the right to vote the Restricted Stock and the right to receive dividends thereon; provided, however, that the Committee may require mandatory reinvestment of dividends in additional Restricted Stock, may provide that no dividends will be paid on Restricted Stock or retained by the Participant, or may impose other restrictions on the rights attached to Restricted Stock. |
| (ii) | Forfeiture. Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, upon termination of employment or service during the applicable restriction period, Restricted Stock that is at that time subject to restrictions shall be forfeited and reacquired by the Company; provided that the Committee may provide, by rule or regulation or in any Award document, or may determine in any individual case, that restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to Restricted Stock will lapse in whole or in part, including in the event of terminations resulting from specified causes. |
| (iii) | Certificates for Stock. Restricted Stock granted under the Plan may be evidenced in such manner as the Committee shall determine. If certificates representing Restricted Stock are registered in the name of the Participant, the Committee may require that such certificates bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock, that the Company retain physical possession of the certificates, and that the Participant deliver a stock power to the Company, endorsed in blank, relating to the Restricted Stock. |
| (iv) | Dividends and Splits. As a condition to the grant of an Award of Restricted Stock, the Committee may require that any dividends paid on a share of Restricted Stock shall be either (A) paid with respect to such Restricted Stock at the dividend payment date in cash, in kind, or in a number of shares of unrestricted Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such dividends, or (B) automatically reinvested in additional Restricted Stock or held in kind, which shall be subject to the same terms as applied to the original Restricted Stock to which it relates, or (C) deferred as to payment, either as a cash deferral or with the amount or value thereof automatically deemed reinvested in Stock Units, other Awards or other investment vehicles, subject to such terms as the Committee shall determine or permit a Participant to elect. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, Stock distributed in connection with a Stock split or Stock dividend, and other property distributed as a dividend, shall be subject to restrictions and a risk of forfeiture to the same extent as the Restricted Stock with respect to which such Stock or other property has been distributed. |
(e) Stock Units. The Committee is authorized to grant Stock Units to Participants, subject to the following terms and conditions:
| (i) | Award and Restrictions. Issuance of Stock will occur upon expiration of the holding period specified for the Stock Units by the Committee (or, if permitted by the Committee, at the end of any additional deferral period elected by the Participant). In addition, Stock Units shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability, risk of forfeiture and other restrictions, if any, as the Committee may impose, which restrictions may lapse at the expiration of the holding period or at earlier specified times (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), separately or in combination, in installments or otherwise, and under such other circumstances as the Committee may determine at the date of grant or thereafter. Stock Units may be settled by delivery of Stock, other Awards, or a combination thereof (subject to Section 11(l)), as determined by the Committee at the date of grant or thereafter. |
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| (ii) | Forfeiture. Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, upon termination of employment or service during the applicable deferral period or portion thereof to which forfeiture conditions apply (as provided in the Award document evidencing the Stock Units), all Stock Units that are at that time subject to such forfeiture conditions shall be forfeited; provided that the Committee may provide, by rule or regulation or in any Award document, or may determine in any individual case, that restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to Stock Units will lapse in whole or in part, including in the event of terminations resulting from specified causes. Stock Units subject to a risk of forfeiture shall be designated as “Restricted Stock Units” unless otherwise determined by the Committee. |
| (iii) | Dividend Equivalents. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, Dividend Equivalents on the specified number of shares of Stock underlying Stock Units shall be either (A) paid with respect to such Stock Units at the dividend payment date in cash or in shares of unrestricted Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such dividends, or (B) deferred with respect to such Stock Units, either as a cash deferral or as a number of additional Stock Units with a value equal to the value of the Dividend Equivalents or with such value otherwise deemed reinvested in additional Stock Units, other Awards or other investment vehicles having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such dividends, as the Committee shall determine or permit a Participant to elect; provided, however, that the Committee may provide that no Dividend Equivalents will be paid on a given Award of Stock Units. |
(f) Bonus Stock and Awards in Lieu of Obligations. The Committee is authorized to grant to Participants Stock as a bonus, or to grant Stock or other Awards in lieu of obligations of the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate to pay cash or deliver other property under the Plan or under other plans or compensatory arrangements, subject to such terms as shall be determined by the Committee.
(g) Dividend Equivalents. The Committee is authorized to grant Dividend Equivalents to a Participant, which may be awarded on a free-standing basis or in connection with another Award. The Committee may provide that Dividend Equivalents shall be paid or distributed when accrued or shall be deemed to have been reinvested in additional Stock, Awards, or other investment vehicles, and subject to restrictions on transferability, risks of forfeiture and such other terms as the Committee may specify.
(h) Other Stock-Based Awards. The Committee is authorized, subject to limitations under applicable law, to grant to Participants such other Awards that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, or related to, Stock or factors that may influence the value of Stock, including, without limitation, convertible or exchangeable debt securities, other rights convertible or exchangeable into Stock, purchase rights for Stock, Awards with value and payment contingent upon performance of the Company or business units thereof or any other factors designated by the Committee, and Awards valued by reference to the book value of Stock or the value of securities of or the performance of specified subsidiaries or affiliates or other business units. The Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of such Awards. Stock delivered pursuant to an Award in the nature of a purchase right granted under this Section 6(h) shall be purchased for such consideration, paid for at such times, by such methods, and in such forms, including, without limitation, cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property, as the Committee shall determine. Cash awards, as an element of or supplement to any other Award under the Plan, may also be granted pursuant to this Section 6(h).
(i) Performance Awards. Performance Awards, denominated in cash or in Stock or other Awards, may be granted by the Committee in accordance with Section 7.
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7. Performance Awards.
(a) Performance Awards Generally. Performance Awards may be denominated as a cash amount, number of shares of Stock, or specified number of other Awards (or a combination) which may be earned upon achievement or satisfaction of performance conditions specified by the Committee. In addition, the Committee may specify that any other Award shall constitute a Performance Award by conditioning the right of a Participant to exercise the Award or have it settled, and the timing thereof, upon achievement or satisfaction of such performance conditions as may be specified by the Committee. The Committee may use such business criteria and other measures of performance as it may deem appropriate in establishing any performance conditions, and may exercise its discretion to reduce or increase the amounts payable under any Award subject to performance conditions, except as limited under Section 7(b) in the case of a Performance Award intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section 162(m).
(b) Performance Awards Granted to Covered Employees. If the Committee determines that a Performance Award to be granted to an Eligible Person who is designated by the Committee as likely to be a Covered Employee should qualify as “performance-based compensation” for purposes of Code Section 162(m), the grant, exercise and/or settlement of such Performance Award shall be contingent upon achievement of a preestablished performance goal and other terms set forth in this Section 7(b).
| (i) | Performance Goal Generally. The performance goal for such Performance Awards shall consist of one or more business criteria and a targeted level or levels of performance with respect to each of such criteria, as specified by the Committee consistent with this Section 7(b). The performance goal shall be objective and shall otherwise meet the requirements of Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder, including the requirement that the level or levels of performance targeted by the Committee result in the achievement of performance goals being “substantially uncertain.” The Committee may determine that such Performance Awards shall be granted, exercised and/or settled upon achievement of any one performance goal or that two or more of the performance goals must be achieved as a condition to grant, exercise and/or settlement of such Performance Awards. Performance goals may differ for Performance Awards granted to any one Participant or to different Participants. |
| (ii) | Business Criteria. One or more of the following business criteria for the Company, on a consolidated basis, and/or for specified subsidiaries or affiliates or other business units of the Company shall be used by the Committee in establishing performance goals for such Performance Awards: Net sales; revenue; revenue growth or product revenue growth; operating income (before or after taxes); pre- or after-tax income (before or after allocation of corporate overhead and bonus); earnings per share; net income (before or after taxes); return on equity; total stockholder return; return on assets or net assets; appreciation in and/or maintenance of the price of the Shares or any other publicly-traded securities of the Company; market share; gross profits; earnings (including earnings before taxes, earnings before interest and taxes or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization); economic value-created models or equivalent metrics; comparisons with various stock market indices; reductions in costs; cash flow or cash flow per share (before or after dividends); return on capital (including return on total capital or return on invested capital); cash flow return on investment; improvement in or attainment of expense levels or working capital levels; operating margins, gross margins or cash margin; year-end cash; debt reductions and control of interest expense; stockholder equity; regulatory achievements; and implementation, completion or attainment of measurable objectives with respect to research, development, products or projects, production volume levels, acquisitions and divestitures, market penetration, total market capitalization, business retention, new product generation, geographic business expansion goals, cost controls and targets (including cost of capital), customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, agency ratings, management of employment practices |
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| and employee benefits, supervision of litigation and information technology, implementation of business process controls, and recruiting and retaining personnel. The targeted level or levels of performance with respect to such business criteria may be established at such levels and in such terms as the Committee may determine, in its discretion, including in absolute terms, as a goal relative to performance in prior periods, or as a goal compared to the relevant performance of one or more comparable companies or an index covering multiple companies. Such performance goals also may be based solely by reference to the Company’s performance or the performance of a Subsidiary, division, business segment or business unit of the Company, or based upon the relative performance of other companies or upon comparisons of any of the indicators of performance relative to other companies. The Committee may also exclude charges or items from the measurement of performance in respect of these business criteria, including those relating to (a) restructurings, discontinued operations, extraordinary items, and other unusual or non-recurring charges, (b) an event either not directly related to the operations of the Company or not within the reasonable control of the Company’s management, or (c) the effects of tax or accounting changes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Performance Goals may be particular to a Participant, the Company or a division, subsidiary, product line or other business segment of the Company, or may be based on the performance of the Company as a whole. |
| (iii) | Performance Period; Timing for Establishing Performance Goals. Achievement of performance goals in respect of such Performance Awards shall be measured over a performance period of up to one year or more than one year, as specified by the Committee. A performance goal shall be established not later than the earlier of (A) 90 days after the beginning of any performance period applicable to such Performance Award or (B) the time twenty-five percent (25%) of such performance period has elapsed. |
| (iv) | Performance Award Pool. The Committee may establish a Performance Award pool, which shall be an unfunded pool, for purposes of measuring performance of the Company in connection with Performance Awards. The amount of such Performance Award pool shall be based upon the achievement of a performance goal or goals based on one or more of the business criteria set forth in Section 7(b)(ii) during the given performance period, as specified by the Committee in accordance with Section 7(b)(iv). The Committee may specify the amount of the Performance Award pool as a percentage of any of such business criteria, a percentage thereof in excess of a threshold amount, or as another amount which need not bear a strictly mathematical relationship to such business criteria. |
| (v) | Settlement of Performance Awards; Other Terms. Settlement of Performance Awards shall be in cash, Stock, other Awards or other property, in the discretion of the Committee. The Committee may, in its discretion, increase or reduce the amount of a settlement otherwise to be made in connection with such Performance Awards, but may not exercise discretion to increase any such amount payable to a Covered Employee in respect of a Performance Award subject to this Section 7(b) beyond the level of payment authorized based on the level of achievement of the performance goal specified under this Section 7(b) and may not otherwise waive the requirement that the performance goal be achieved (except in the event of death or disability or other special circumstances that will not result in loss of tax deductibility with respect to the Award). Any settlement which changes the form of payment from that originally specified shall be implemented in a manner such that the Performance Award and other related Awards do not, solely for that reason, fail to qualify as “performance-based compensation” for purposes of Code Section 162(m). The Committee shall specify the circumstances in which such Performance Awards shall be paid or forfeited in the event of termination of employment by the Participant or other event (including a Change in Control) prior to the end of a performance period or settlement of such Performance Awards. |
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(c) Written Determinations. Determinations by the Committee as to the establishment of performance goals, the amount potentially payable in respect of Performance Awards, the level of actual achievement of the specified performance goals relating to Performance Awards, and the amount of any final Performance Award shall be recorded in writing in the case of Performance Awards intended to qualify under Section 162(m). Specifically, the Committee shall certify in writing, in a manner conforming to applicable regulations under Section 162(m), prior to settlement of each such Award granted to a Covered Employee, that the performance objective relating to the Performance Award and other material terms of the Award upon which settlement of the Award was conditioned have been satisfied.
8. Certain Provisions Applicable to Awards.
(a) Stand-Alone, Additional, Tandem, and Substitute Awards. Awards granted under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with, or in substitution or exchange for, any other Award or any award granted under another plan of the Company, any subsidiary or affiliate, or any business entity to be acquired by the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate, or any other right of a Participant to receive payment from the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate; provided, however, that a 409A Award may not be granted in tandem with a Non-409A Award. Awards granted in addition to or in tandem with other Awards or awards may be granted either as of the same time as or a different time from the grant of such other Awards or awards. Subject to Sections 11(k) and (l), the Committee may determine that, in granting a new Award, the in-the-money value or fair value of any surrendered Award or award or the value of any other right to payment surrendered by the Participant may be applied to the purchase of any other Award. Any transaction otherwise authorized under this Section 8(a) remains subject to the restriction on repricing under Section 11(e).
(b) Term of Awards. The term of each Award shall be for such period as may be determined by the Committee, subject to the express limitations set forth in Sections 6(b)(ii), 6(c)(ii) and 8 or elsewhere in the Plan.
(c) Form and Timing of Payment under Awards; Deferrals. Subject to the terms of the Plan (including Sections 11(k) and (l)) and any applicable Award document, payments to be made by the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate upon the exercise of an Option or other Award or settlement of an Award may be made in such forms as the Committee shall determine, including, without limitation, cash, Stock, other Awards or other property, and may be made in a single payment or transfer, in installments, or on a deferred basis. The settlement of any Award may be accelerated, and cash paid in lieu of Stock in connection with such settlement, in the discretion of the Committee or upon occurrence of one or more specified events, subject to Sections 11(k) and (l). Subject to Section 11(k), installment or deferred payments may be required by the Committee (subject to Section 11(e)) or permitted at the election of the Participant on terms and conditions established by the Committee. Payments may include, without limitation, provisions for the payment or crediting of reasonable interest on installment or deferred payments or the grant or crediting of Dividend Equivalents or other amounts in respect of installment or deferred payments denominated in Stock. In the case of any 409A Award that is vested and no longer subject to a risk of forfeiture (within the meaning of Code Section 83), such Award will be distributed to the Participant, upon application of the Participant, if the Participant has had an unforeseeable emergency within the meaning of Code Sections 409A(a)(2)(A)(vi) and 409A(a)(2)(B)(ii), in accordance with Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(ii).
9. Change in Control.
(a) Effect of “Change in Control.” In the event that there occurs a Change in Control of the Company, if the Participant’s employment with the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates terminates in an event constituting a “Qualifying Termination” (as defined in Section 9(d)) during the three-year period following the Change in Control, the following provisions shall apply to the Participant’s Awards upon such Qualifying Termination, unless otherwise provided by the Committee in the Award document (in language specifically negating the effect of this Section 9(a)):
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| (i) | In the case of an Award other than a Performance Award, all forfeiture conditions and other restrictions applicable to such Award shall lapse and such Award shall be fully payable as of the time of the Participant’s Qualifying Termination without regard to vesting or other conditions, and any such Award carrying a right to exercise that was not previously vested and exercisable shall become fully vested and exercisable as of the time of the Participant’s Qualifying Termination, and all deferral of settlement and similar restrictions applicable to such Award shall lapse and such Award shall be fully payable as of the time of such Qualifying Termination without regard to deferral conditions, subject to Section 11(k) (including any applicable six-month delay in distribution) and subject to applicable restrictions set forth in Section 11(a). |
| (ii) | In the case of a Performance Award, an amount equal to the pro rata portion of the Performance Award (or award opportunity relating thereto) for any performance measurement period that was in effect at the time of the Participant’s Qualifying Termination, calculated as to each such Performance Award assuming that any performance goal or measurement will have been achieved (for the entire performance period) at the target level, except that any portion of the Performance Award based on performance measured over a period that has been completed at or before the date of the Qualifying Termination shall be deemed earned based on actual performance for such period; provided, however, any additional forfeiture conditions in the nature of a “clawback” applicable to the Performance Award shall continue to apply to any payment under this Section 9(a)(ii), and shall be deemed the Participant’s covenants to be performed following the Qualifying Termination. For purposes of this Section 9(a)(ii), the pro rata portion shall be determined based on the proportion of the performance period elapsed from the beginning of such period until the date of the Qualifying Termination, and any service, vesting or other non-performance requirement relating to such Award, including a service period that would have extended after the performance period, will be deemed met. Any portion of a Performance Award in excess of the pro rata portion shall be cancelled, unless otherwise determined by the Committee. Any distribution hereunder shall be subject to Section 11(k) (including any applicable six-month delay in distribution) and subject to applicable restrictions set forth in Section 11(a). |
| (iii) | Awards subject to accelerated vesting and/or settlement under this Section 9(a) may be settled in cash, if and to the extent authorized by the Committee. |
The Company and any successor that has assumed an Award in connection with a Change in Control must acknowledge and agree to be bound by the provisions hereof during the three-year period following the Change in Control in a legally binding agreement with the Participant.
(b) Definition of “Change in Control.” “Change in Control” means the occurrence of any one of the following events after the Effective Date:
| (i) | Any Person (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities and Exchange Act) shall have become the direct or indirect beneficial owner of thirty percent (30%) or more of the then outstanding common shares of the Company; |
| (ii) | The consummation of a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation other than (A) a merger or consolidation which would result in the voting securities of the company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent at least fifty one percent (51%) of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the Company or the surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or (B) a merger or consolidation effected to implement a recapitalization of the Company in which no Person acquires more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities; |
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| (iii) | The date the stockholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all the Company’s assets; |
| (iv) | The date there shall have been a change in the composition of the Board of Directors of the Company within a two-year period such that a majority of the Board does not consist of directors who were serving at the beginning of such period together with directors whose initial nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders or, if earlier, initial appointment to the Board, was approved by the vote of two-thirds of the directors then still in office who were in office at the beginning of the two-year period together with the directors who were previously so approved. |
(c) Qualifying Termination. For purposes of this Section 9, a “Qualifying Termination” shall be deemed to have occurred under the following circumstances:
| (i) | A Company-initiated termination for reason other than willful misconduct, activity deemed detrimental to the interests of the Company, or disability, provided that the Participant executes a general release and, where applicable, a non-solicitation and/or non-compete agreement with the Company. |
| (ii) | The Participant resigns with good reason, for which purpose “good reason” means (A) a substantial adverse alteration in the nature or status of the Participant’s responsibilities, (B) a reduction in the Participant’s base salary and/or levels of entitlement or participation under any incentive plan, award program or employee benefit program without the substitution or implementation of an alternative arrangement of substantially equal value, or, (C) the Company requiring the Participant to relocate to a work location more than 50 miles from his/her work location prior to the Change in Control. |
| (iii) | For Awards granted on or after June 10, 2008, and for any Award granted before that date that constitutes a “deferral of compensation” under Code Section 409A, the following additional provisions apply: |
| (A) | The term “substantial” relating to the adverse alteration in the nature or status of Participant’s responsibilities under (ii)(A) above means “material” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-1(n); and |
| (B) | An event that would otherwise constitute good reason hereunder shall not constitute good reason (1) if the Participant fails to provide notice to the Company of the circumstances constituting good reason within 90 days after Participant first become aware of such event and at least 30 days before Participant’s termination for good reason, (2) if the Participant fails to provide a notice of termination to the Company, with such notice specifying a termination date not more than 90 days after the notice is provided to the Company and, in the case of any such award granted before June 10, 2008, a termination date not more than two years following the date the circumstances constituting good cause first arose and, in the case of any such award granted on or after June 10, 2008, a termination date not more than 120 days following the date the Participant first became aware (or reasonably should have become aware) of the occurrence of circumstances constituting good reason, or (3) if the Company has fully corrected the circumstance that constitutes good reason within 30 days of receipt of notice under clause (i) above. |
A Participant’s death or voluntary resignation without good reason will not constitute a Qualifying Termination.
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10. Additional Award Forfeiture Provisions.
The Committee may condition a Participant’s right to receive a grant of an Award, to exercise the Award, to receive a settlement or distribution with respect to the Award or to retain cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property acquired in connection with an Award, upon compliance by the Participant with specified conditions that protect the business interests of the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates from harmful actions of the Participant, including conditions relating to non-competition, confidentiality of information relating to or possessed by the Company, non-solicitation of customers, suppliers, and employees of the Company, cooperation in litigation, non-disparagement of the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates and the officers, directors and affiliates of the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates, and other restrictions upon or covenants of the Participant, including during specified periods following termination of employment or service to the Company. Accordingly, an Award may include terms providing for a “clawback” or forfeiture from the Participant of the profit or gain realized by a Participant in connection with an Award, including cash or other proceeds received upon sale of Stock acquired in connection with an Award.
11. General Provisions.
(a) Compliance with Legal and Other Requirements. The Company may, to the extent deemed necessary or advisable by the Committee and subject to Section 11(k), postpone the issuance or delivery of Stock or payment of other benefits under any Award until completion of such registration or qualification of such Stock or other required action under any federal or state law, rule or regulation, listing or other required action with respect to any stock exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Stock or other securities of the Company are listed or quoted, or compliance with any other obligation of the Company, as the Committee may consider appropriate, and may require any Participant to make such representations, furnish such information and comply with or be subject to such other conditions as it may consider appropriate in connection with the issuance or delivery of Stock or payment of other benefits in compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations, listing requirements, or other obligations. The foregoing notwithstanding, in connection with a Change in Control, the Company shall take or cause to be taken no action, and shall undertake or permit to arise no legal or contractual obligation, that results or would result in any postponement of the issuance or delivery of Stock or payment of benefits under any Award or the imposition of any other conditions on such issuance, delivery or payment, to the extent that such postponement or other condition would represent a greater burden on a Participant than existed on the 90th day preceding the Change in Control.
(b) Limits on Transferability; Beneficiaries.
| (i) | No Award or other right or interest of a Participant under the Plan shall be pledged, hypothecated or otherwise encumbered or subject to any lien, obligation or liability of such Participant to any party (other than the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate thereof), or assigned or transferred by such Participant otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution or to a Beneficiary upon the death of a Participant, and such Awards or rights that may be exercisable shall be exercised during the lifetime of the Participant only by the Participant or his or her guardian or legal representative, except that, during a Participant’s lifetime, Awards and other rights (other than ISOs and SARs in tandem therewith) may be transferred to one or more of the following: (A) The Participant’s spouse, children or grandchildren (including any adopted and step children or grandchildren parents, grandparents or siblings, (B) A trust for the benefit of one or more of the Participant or the persons referred to in clause (A), (C) A partnership, limited liability company or corporation in which the Participant or the Persons referred to in clause (A) are the only partners, members or shareholders, or (D) For charitable donations; and may be exercised by such transferees in accordance with the terms of such Award, but only if and to the extent (x) such transfers are permitted by the Committee, |
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| (y) the Committee has determined that there will be no transfer of the Award to a third party for value, and (z) such transfers otherwise comply with such other terms and conditions as the Committee may impose thereon (which may include limitations the Committee may deem appropriate in order that offers and sales under the Plan will meet applicable requirements of registration forms under the Securities Act of 1933 specified by the Securities and Exchange Commission). |
| (ii) | If a Participant has died and then or thereafter a payment or benefit becomes distributable under an Award, such payment or benefit will be distributed to the Participant’s Beneficiary; provided, however, that a person or trust will be deemed a Beneficiary only if it is surviving on the date of death of the Participant and if the Participant has designated such person or trust as a Beneficiary in his or her most recent written and duly filed Beneficiary designation (i.e., any new Beneficiary designation under the Plan cancels a previously filed Beneficiary designation). If no Beneficiary is living at the time of Participant’s death, any subsequent payment or benefit will be distributable to the person or persons in the first of the following classes of successive preference: |
| (A) | Widow or Widower, if then living |
| (B) | Surviving children, equally |
| (C) | Surviving parents, equally |
| (D) | Surviving brothers and sisters, equally |
| (E) | Executors or administrators; |
and the term “Beneficiary” as used in the Plan shall include such person or persons. This provision applies to payments and benefits distributable upon vesting or after expiration of any mandatory or elective deferral period, and also to the right to exercise any option or SAR during any period in which the Award is outstanding and exercisable.
| (iii) | A Beneficiary, transferee, or other person claiming any rights under the Plan from or through any Participant shall be subject to all terms and conditions of the Plan and any Award document applicable to such Participant, except as otherwise determined by the Committee, and to any additional terms and conditions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee. |
(c) Adjustments. In the event that any large, special and non-recurring dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash or property other than Stock), recapitalization, forward or reverse split, Stock dividend, reorganization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination, repurchase, share exchange, liquidation, dissolution or other similar corporate transaction or event affects the Stock such that an adjustment is determined by the Committee to be appropriate or, in the case of any outstanding Award, which is necessary in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the rights of the Participant, then the Committee shall, in an equitable manner as determined by the Committee, adjust any or all of (i) the number and kind of shares of Stock which may be delivered in connection with Awards granted thereafter, including the number of shares available under Section 4, (ii) the number and kind of shares of Stock by which annual per-person Award limitations are measured under Section 5, (iii) the number and kind of shares of Stock subject to or deliverable in respect of outstanding Awards and (iv) the exercise price, grant price or purchase price relating to any Award or, if deemed appropriate, the Committee may make provision for a payment of cash or property to the holder of an outstanding Option (subject to Section 11(l)). In addition, the Committee is authorized to make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in, Awards (including Performance Awards and performance goals and any hypothetical funding pool relating thereto) in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including,
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without limitation, events described in the preceding sentence, as well as acquisitions and dispositions of businesses and assets) affecting the Company, any subsidiary or affiliate or other business unit, or the financial statements of the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate, or in response to changes in applicable laws, regulations, accounting principles, tax rates and regulations or business conditions or in view of the Committee’s assessment of the business strategy of the Company, any subsidiary or affiliate or business unit thereof, performance of comparable organizations, economic and business conditions, personal performance of a Participant, and any other circumstances deemed relevant; provided that no such adjustment shall be authorized or made if and to the extent that the existence of such authority (i) would cause Options, SARs, or Performance Awards granted under the Plan to Participants designated by the Committee as Covered Employees and intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder to otherwise fail to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder, or (ii) would cause the Committee to be deemed to have authority to change the targets, within the meaning of Treasury Regulation 1.162-27(e)(4)(vi), under the performance goals relating to Options or SARs granted to Covered Employees and intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder. In furtherance of the foregoing, in the event of an “equity restructuring” as defined in FAS 123R which affects the Stock, a Participant shall have a legal right to an adjustment to the Participant’s Award which shall preserve without enlarging the value of the Award, with the manner of such adjustment to be determined by the Committee in its discretion, and subject to any limitation on this right set forth in the applicable Award agreement.
(d) Tax Provisions.
| (i) | Withholding. The Company and any subsidiary or affiliate is authorized to withhold from any Award granted, any payment relating to an Award under the Plan, including from a distribution of Stock, or any payroll or other payment to a Participant, amounts of withholding and other taxes due or potentially payable in connection with any transaction involving an Award, and to take such other action as the Committee may deem advisable to enable the Company and Participants to satisfy obligations for the payment of withholding taxes and other tax obligations relating to any Award. This authority shall include authority to withhold or receive Stock or other property and to make cash payments in respect thereof in satisfaction of a Participant’s withholding obligations, either on a mandatory or elective basis in the discretion of the Committee, or in satisfaction of other tax obligations. Other provisions of the Plan notwithstanding, only the minimum amount of Stock deliverable in connection with an Award necessary to satisfy statutory withholding requirements will be withheld, unless withholding of any additional amount of Stock will not result in additional accounting expense to the Company. |
| (ii) | Required Consent to and Notification of Code Section 83(b) Election. No election under Section 83(b) of the Code (to include in gross income in the year of transfer the amounts specified in Code Section 83(b)) or under a similar provision of the laws of a jurisdiction outside the United States may be made unless expressly permitted by the terms of the Award document or by action of the Committee in writing prior to the making of such election. In any case in which a Participant is permitted to make such an election in connection with an Award, the Participant shall notify the Company of such election within ten days of filing notice of the election with the Internal Revenue Service or other governmental authority, in addition to any filing and notification required pursuant to regulations issued under Code Section 83(b) or other applicable provision. |
| (iii) | Requirement of Notification Upon Disqualifying Disposition Under Code Section 421(b). If any Participant shall make any disposition of shares of Stock delivered pursuant to the exercise of an ISO under the circumstances described in Code Section 421(b) (i.e., a disqualifying disposition), such Participant shall notify the Company of such disposition within ten days thereof. |
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(e) Changes to the Plan. The Board may amend, suspend or terminate the Plan or the Committee’s authority to grant Awards under the Plan without the consent of stockholders or Participants; provided, however, that any amendment to the Plan shall be submitted to the Company’s stockholders for approval not later than the earliest annual meeting for which the record date is at or after the date of such Board action if such stockholder approval is required by any federal or state law or regulation or the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, or if such amendment would materially increase the number of shares reserved for issuance and delivery under the Plan, and the Board may otherwise, in its discretion, determine to submit other amendments to the Plan to stockholders for approval. The Committee is authorized to amend outstanding awards, except as limited by the Plan. The Board and Committee may not amend outstanding Awards (including by means of an amendment to the Plan) without the consent of an affected Participant if such an amendment would materially and adversely affect the rights of such Participant with respect to the outstanding Award (for this purpose, actions that alter the timing of federal income taxation of a Participant will not be deemed material unless such action results in an income tax penalty on the Participant, and any discretion that is reserved by the Board or Committee with respect to an Award is unaffected by this provision). Without the approval of stockholders, the Committee will not amend or replace previously granted Options or SARs in a transaction that constitutes a “repricing,” which for this purpose means any of the following or any other action that has the same effect:
| • | Lowering the exercise price of an option or SAR after it is granted; |
| • | Any other action that is treated as a repricing under generally accepted accounting principles; |
| • | Canceling an option or SAR at a time when its exercise price exceeds the fair market value of the underlying Stock, in exchange for another option or SAR, restricted stock, other equity, cash or other property; |
provided, however, that the foregoing transactions shall not be deemed a repricing if pursuant to an adjustment authorized under Section 11(c). With regard to other terms of Awards, the authority of the Committee to waive or modify an Award term after the Award has been granted does not permit waiver or modification of a term that would be mandatory under the Plan for any Award newly granted at the date of the waiver or modification.
(f) Right of Setoff. The Company or any subsidiary or affiliate may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, deduct from and set off against any amounts the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate may owe to the Participant from time to time, including amounts payable in connection with any Award, owed as wages, fringe benefits, or other compensation owed to the Participant, such amounts as may be owed by the Participant to the Company, including but not limited to amounts owed under Section 10, although the Participant shall remain liable for any part of the Participant’s payment obligation not satisfied through such deduction and setoff. By accepting any Award granted hereunder, the Participant agrees to any deduction or setoff under this Section 11(f). The foregoing notwithstanding, no setoff is permitted against a 409A Award except at the time of distribution of such 409A Award.
(g) Unfunded Status of Awards; Creation of Trusts. The Plan is intended to constitute an “unfunded” plan for incentive and deferred compensation. With respect to any payments not yet made to a Participant or obligation to deliver Stock pursuant to an Award, nothing contained in the Plan or any Award shall give any such Participant any rights that are greater than those of a general creditor of the Company; provided that the Committee may authorize the creation of trusts and deposit therein cash, Stock, other Awards or other property, or make other arrangements to meet the Company’s obligations under the Plan. Such trusts or other arrangements shall be consistent with the “unfunded” status of the Plan unless the Committee otherwise determines with the consent of each affected Participant.
(h) Nonexclusivity of the Plan. Neither the adoption of the Plan by the Board nor its submission to the stockholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board or a committee thereof to adopt such other incentive arrangements, apart from the Plan, as it may deem desirable, including incentive arrangements and awards which do not qualify under Code Section 162(m), and such other arrangements may be either applicable generally or only in specific cases.
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(i) Payments in the Event of Forfeitures; Fractional Shares. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, in the event of a forfeiture of an Award with respect to which a Participant paid cash consideration, the Participant shall be repaid the amount of such cash consideration. No fractional shares of Stock shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award. The Committee shall determine whether cash, other Awards or other property shall be issued or paid in lieu of such fractional shares or whether such fractional shares or any rights thereto shall be forfeited or otherwise eliminated.
(j) Compliance with Code Section 162(m). It is the intent of the Company that Options and SARs granted to Covered Employees and other Awards designated as Awards to Covered Employees subject to Section 7 shall constitute qualified “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder, unless otherwise determined by the Committee at the time of allocation of an Award. Accordingly, the terms of Sections 7(b) and (c), including the definitions of Covered Employee and other terms used therein, shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder. The foregoing notwithstanding, because the Committee cannot determine with certainty whether a given Participant will be a Covered Employee with respect to a fiscal year that has not yet been completed, the term Covered Employee as used herein shall mean only a person designated by the Committee as likely to be a Covered Employee with respect to a specified fiscal year. If any provision of the Plan or any Award document relating to a Performance Award that is designated as intended to comply with Code Section 162(m) does not comply or is inconsistent with the requirements of Code Section 162(m) or regulations thereunder, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such requirements, and no provision shall be deemed to confer upon the Committee or any other person discretion to increase the amount of compensation otherwise payable in connection with any such Award upon attainment of the applicable performance objectives.
(k) Certain Limitations on Awards to Ensure Compliance with Section 409A.
| (i) | 409A Awards and Deferrals. Other provisions of the Plan notwithstanding, the terms of any 409A Award (which for this purpose means only such an Award held by an employee subject to United States federal income tax), including any authority of the Company and rights of the Participant with respect to the 409A Award, shall be limited to those terms permitted under Section 409A, and any terms not permitted under Section 409A shall be automatically modified and limited to the extent necessary to conform with Section 409A but only to the extent that such modification or limitation is permitted under Section 409A and the regulations and guidance issued thereunder. The following rules will apply to 409A Awards: |
| (A) | Elections. If a Participant is permitted to elect to defer an Award or any payment under an Award, such election will be permitted only at times in compliance with Section 409A (including transition rules thereunder). In 2009 and thereafter, such election shall be made in accordance with Exhibit A hereto; |
| (B) | Changes in Distribution Terms. The Committee may, in its discretion, require or permit on an elective basis a change in the distribution terms applicable to 409A Awards (and Non-409A Awards that qualify for the short-term deferral exemption under Section 409A) in accordance with, and to the fullest extent permitted by, applicable guidance of the Internal Revenue Service (including Proposed Treasury Regulation § 1.409A, Preamble § XI.C and IRS Notice 2005-1), and otherwise in accordance with Section 409A and regulations thereunder. The Senior Vice President-Human Resources of the Company is authorized to modify any such outstanding Awards to permit election of different deferral periods provided that any such modifications may not otherwise increase the benefits to Participants or the costs of such Awards to the Company. Other provisions of this Plan notwithstanding, changes to distribution timing resulting from amendments to this Plan in 2008 shall not have the affect of accelerating distributions into 2008 or causing distributions that otherwise would have occurred in 2008 to be deferred until a year after 2008; |
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| (C) | Exercise and Distribution. Except as provided in Section 11(k)(i)(D) hereof, no 409A Award shall be exercisable (if the exercise would result in a distribution) or otherwise distributable to a Participant (or his or her beneficiary) except upon the occurrence of one of the following (or a date related to the occurrence of one of the following), which must be specified in a written document governing such 409A Award and otherwise meet the requirements of Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3: |
| (1) | Specified Time. A specified time or a fixed schedule; |
| (2) | Separation from Service. The Participant’s separation from service (within the meaning of Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-1(h) and other applicable rules under Code Section 409A); provided, however, that if the Participant is a “key employee” (as defined in Code Section 416(i) without regard to paragraph (5) thereof) and any of the Company’s Stock is publicly traded on an established securities market or otherwise, settlement under this Section 11(k)(i)(C)(2) shall instead occur at the expiration of the six-month period under Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) (no acceleration of settlement during such delay period may occur, except upon death of the Participant). In the case of installments, this delay shall not affect the timing of any installment otherwise payable after the six-month delay period. With respect to any 409A Award, a reference in any agreement or other governing document to a “termination of employment” which triggers a distribution shall be deemed to mean a “separation from service” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-1(h). References in Award agreements outstanding before June 10, 2008 to Section 11(k)(i)(D) and (E) shall be deemed to refer to this Section 11(a)(i)(C)(2) and Section 11(a)(i)(G); |
| (3) | Death. The death of the Participant. Unless a specific time otherwise is stated for payment of a 409A Award upon death, such payment shall occur in the calendar year in which falls the 30th day after death; |
| (4) | Disability. The date the Participant has experienced a 409A Disability (as defined below); and |
| (5) | 409A Ownership/Control Change. The occurrence of a 409A Ownership/Control Change (as defined below). |
| (D) | No Acceleration. The exercise or distribution of a 409A Award may not be accelerated prior to the time specified in accordance with Section 11(k)(i)(C) hereof, except in the case of one of the following events: |
| (1) | Unforeseeable Emergency. The occurrence of an Unforeseeable Emergency, as defined below, but only if the net amount payable upon such settlement does not exceed the amounts necessary to relieve such emergency plus amounts necessary to pay taxes reasonably anticipated as a result of the settlement, after taking into account the extent to which the emergency is or may be relieved through reimbursement or compensation from insurance or otherwise or by liquidation of the |
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| Participant’s other assets (to the extent such liquidation would not itself cause severe financial hardship), or by cessation of deferrals under the Plan. Upon a finding that an Unforeseeable Emergency has occurred with respect to a Participant, any election of the Participant to defer compensation that will be earned in whole or part by services in the year in which the emergency occurred or is found to continue will be immediately cancelled. |
| (2) | Domestic Relations Order. The 409A Award may permit the acceleration of the exercise or distribution time or schedule to an individual other than the Participant as may be necessary to comply with the terms of a domestic relations order (as defined in Section 414(p)(1)(B) of the Code). |
| (3) | Conflicts of Interest. Such 409A Award may permit the acceleration of the settlement time or schedule as may be necessary to comply with an ethics agreement with the Federal government or to comply with a Federal, state, local or foreign ethics law or conflict of interest law in compliance with Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3(j)(4)(iii). |
| (4) | Change. The Committee may exercise the discretionary right to accelerate the vesting of any unvested compensation deemed to be a 409A Award upon a 409A Ownership/Control Change or to terminate the Plan upon or within 12 months after a 409A Ownership/Control Change, or otherwise to the extent permitted under Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3(j)(4)(ix), or accelerate settlement of such 409A Award in any other circumstance permitted under Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3(j)(4). |
| (E) | Definitions. For purposes of this Section 11(k), the following terms shall be defined as set forth below: |
| (1) | “409A Ownership/Control Change” shall be deemed to have occurred if, in connection with any event otherwise defined as a change in control under any applicable Company document, there occurs a change in the ownership of the Company, a change in effective control of the Company, or a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company, as defined in Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3(i)(5). |
| (2) | “409A Disability” means an event which results in the Participant being (i) unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, or (ii), by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, receiving income replacement benefits for a period of not less than three months under an accident and health plan covering employees of the Company or its subsidiaries. |
| (3) | “Unforeseeable Emergency” means a severe financial hardship to the Participant resulting from an illness or accident of the Participant, the Participant’s spouse, or a dependent (as defined in Code Section 152, |
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| without regard to Code Sections 152(b)(1), (b)(2), and (d)(1)(B)) of the Participant, loss of the Participant’s property due to casualty, or similar extraordinary and unforeseeable circumstances arising as a result of events beyond the control of the Participant, and otherwise meeting the definition set forth in Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3(i)(3). |
| (F) | Time of Distribution. In the case of any distribution of a 409A Award, if the timing of such distribution is not otherwise specified in the Plan or an Award agreement or other governing document, the distribution shall be made within 60 days after the date at which the settlement of the Award is specified to occur, subject to the following special rules: |
| (1) | The Participant shall have no influence (other than permitted deferral elections) on any determination as to the tax year in which the distribution will be made during any period in which a distribution may be made (whether or not under the default rule of this Section 11(k)(i)(F)); |
| (2) | In the event of a Qualifying Termination more than two years after a Change in Control, in the case of a 409A Award if, upon a termination other than in connection with a Change in Control, the applicable terms of the Award would have provided for a distribution at a different time(s) than the time(s) of distribution specified for the Qualifying Termination, the applicable terms of the Award shall take precedence so that the distribution shall occur at the time(s) specified for a pre-Change in Control separation from service (but any acceleration of the lapse of risk of forfeiture resulting from the Qualifying Termination shall still apply); |
| (3) | In the event that a Participant incurs a Disability, the terms of an Award provide that termination of employment triggering a distribution will not occur until the end of a specified Disability period, but the Participant’s circumstances constitute a “separation from service” under Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-1(h), then the Participant will be deemed to have had a “separation from service” at the relevant time rather than at the end of the Disability, but the Participant’s rights and benefits will be determined in a manner that does not impair the value of such rights and benefits if the separation from service were deemed to occur at the end of the specified Disability period. |
| (G) | Determination of “Key Employee.” For purposes of distributions under Section 11(k)(i)(C)(2), status of a Participant as a “key employee” shall be determined annually under the Company’s administrative procedure for such determination for purposes of all plans subject to Section 409A. |
| (H) | Non-Transferability. The provisions of Section 11(b) notwithstanding, no 409A Award or right relating thereto shall be subject to anticipation, alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance, attachment, or garnishment by creditors of the Participant or the Participant’s Beneficiary. |
| (I) | 409A Rules Do Not Constitute Waiver of Other Restrictions. The rules applicable to 409A Awards under this Section 11(k)(i) constitute further restrictions on terms of Awards set forth elsewhere in this Plan. Thus, for example, a 409A Option/SAR shall be subject to restrictions, including restrictions on rights otherwise specified in Section 6(b) or 6(c), in order that such Award shall not result in constructive receipt of income before exercise or tax penalties under Section 409A. |
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| (ii) | Rules Applicable to Certain Participants Transferred to Affiliates. For purposes of determining eligibility for grants of Non-409A Options/SARs or a separation from service by any Participant (where the use of the following modified definition is based upon legitimate business criteria), in applying Code Sections 1563(a)(1), (2) and (3) for purposes of determining a controlled group of corporations under Code Section 414(b), the language “at least 20 percent” shall be used instead of “at least 80 percent” at each place it appears in Sections 1563(a)(1), (2) and (3), and in applying Treasury Regulation § 1.414(c)-2 (or any successor provision) for purposes of determining trades or businesses (whether or not incorporated) that are under common control for purposes of Section 414(c), the language “at least 20 percent” shall be used instead of “at least 80 percent” at each place it appears in Treasury Regulation §1.414(c)-2. |
| (iii) | Distributions Upon Vesting. In the case of any Award providing for a distribution upon the lapse of a risk of forfeiture, if the timing of such distribution is not otherwise specified in the Plan or an Award agreement or other governing document, the distribution shall be made not later than March 15 of the year following the year in which the risk of forfeiture lapsed, and if a determination is to be made promptly following the end of a performance year (as in the case of performance shares) then the determination of the level of achievement of performance and the distribution shall be made between January 1 and March 15 of the year following such performance year. In all cases, the Participant shall have no influence (aside from any permitted deferral election) on any determination as to the tax year in which the distribution will be made. |
| (iv) | Limitation on Adjustments. Any adjustment under Section 11(c) shall be implemented in a way that complies with applicable requirements under Section 409A so that Non- 409A Option/SARs do not, due to the adjustment, become 409A Awards, and otherwise so that no adverse consequences under Section 409A result to Participants. |
| (v) | Release or Other Termination Agreement. If the Company requires a Participant to execute a release, non-competition, or other agreement as a condition to receipt of a payment upon or following a termination of employment, the Company will supply to the Participant a form of such release or other document not later than the date of the Participant’s termination of employment, which must be returned within the time period required by law and must not be revoked by the Participant within the applicable time period in order for Participant to satisfy any such condition. If any amount payable during a fixed period following termination of employment is subject to such a requirement and the fixed period would begin in one year and end in the next, the Company, in determining the time of payment of any such amount, will not be influenced by the timing of any action of the Participant including execution of such a release or other document and expiration of any revocation period. In particular, the Company will be entitled in its discretion to deposit any such payment in escrow during either year comprising such fixed period, so that such deposited amount is constructively received and taxable income to the Participant upon deposit but with distribution from such escrow remaining subject to the Participant’s execution and non-revocation of such release or other document. |
| (vi) | Special Disability Provision. In case of a Disability of a Participant, (i) for any Award or portion thereof that constitutes a short-term deferral for purposes of Section 409A, the Company shall determine whether the Participant’s circumstances are such that the Participant will not return to service, in which case such Disability will be treated as a termination of employment for purposes of determining the time of payment of such award or portion thereof then subject only to service-based vesting, and (ii) for any Award or portion thereof that constitutes a 409A Award, the Company shall determine |
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| whether there has occurred a “separation from service” as defined under Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-1(h) based on Participant’s circumstances, in which case such Disability will be treated as a separation from service for purposes of determining the time of payment of such award or portion thereof then subject only to service-based vesting. In each case, the Participant shall be accorded the benefit of vesting that would result in the case of Disability in the absence of this provision, so that the operation of this provision, intended to comply with Section 409A, will not disadvantage the Participant. The Company’s determination hereunder will be made initially within 30 days after the Disability and each March and December thereafter. |
| (vii) | Scope and Application of this Provision. For purposes of this Section 11(k), references to a term or event (including any authority or right of the Company or a Participant) being “permitted” under Section 409A mean that the term or event will not cause the Participant to be deemed to be in constructive receipt of compensation relating to the 409A Award prior to the distribution of cash, shares or other property or to be liable for payment of interest or a tax penalty under Section 409A. |
(l) Governing Law. The validity, construction, and effect of the Plan, any rules and regulations relating to the Plan and any Award document shall be determined in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to principles of conflicts of laws, and applicable provisions of federal law.
(m) Awards to Participants Outside the United States. Other provisions of the Plan to the contrary notwithstanding, in order to foster and promote achievement of the purposes of the Plan or to comply with provisions of laws and customary business practices in other countries in which the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates operate or have employees, the Committee shall have the power and authority to (i) determine which Participants employed outside the United States or subject to non-United States tax laws are eligible to participate in the Plan, (ii) modify the terms and conditions of Awards granted to or held by such Participants, (iii) establish subplans, modify exercise procedures and other terms and procedures relating to Awards granted or held by such Participants to the extent such actions may be necessary or advisable, and (iv) take such other actions as the Committee may deem necessary or appropriate so that the value and other benefits of an Award to such a Participant, as affected by foreign tax laws and other applicable restrictions, shall be comparable to the value of such an Award to a Participant who is resident or employed in the United States. An Award may be modified under this Section 11(m) in a manner that is inconsistent with the express terms of the Plan, so long as such modifications will not contravene any applicable law or regulation or result in actual liability under Section 16(b) for the Participant whose Award is modified.
(n) Limitation on Rights Conferred under Plan. Neither the Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as (i) giving any Eligible Person or Participant the right to continue as an Eligible Person or Participant or in the employ or service of the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate, (ii) interfering in any way with the right of the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate to terminate any Eligible Person’s or Participant’s employment or service at any time (subject to the terms and provisions of any separate written agreements), (iii) giving an Eligible Person or Participant any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan or to be treated uniformly with other Participants and employees, or (iv) conferring on a Participant any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company unless and until the Participant is duly issued or transferred shares of Stock in accordance with the terms of an Award or an Option or SAR is duly exercised. Except as expressly provided in the Plan and an Award document, neither the Plan nor any Award document shall confer on any person other than the Company and the Participant any rights or remedies thereunder. Any Award shall not be deemed compensation for purposes of computing benefits under any retirement plan of the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate and shall not affect any benefits under any other benefit plan under which the availability or amount of benefits is related to the level of compensation (unless required by any such other plan or arrangement with specific reference to Awards under this Plan).
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(o) Severability; Entire Agreement. If any of the provisions of this Plan or any Award document is finally held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable (whether in whole or in part), such provision shall be deemed modified to the extent, but only to the extent, of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability, and the remaining provisions shall not be affected thereby; provided, that, if any of such provisions is finally held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable because it exceeds the maximum scope determined to be acceptable to permit such provision to be enforceable, such provision shall be deemed to be modified to the minimum extent necessary to modify such scope in order to make such provision enforceable hereunder. The Plan and any Award documents contain the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter thereof and supersede all prior agreements, promises, covenants, arrangements, communications, representations and warranties between them, whether written or oral with respect to the subject matter thereof. No rule of strict construction shall be applied against the Company, the Committee, or any other person in the interpretation of any terms of the Plan, Award, or agreement or other document relating thereto.
(p) Plan Effective Date and Termination. The Plan will become effective if, and at such time as, the stockholders of the Company have approved it by the affirmative votes of the holders of a majority of the voting securities of the Company present, or represented, and entitled to vote on the subject matter at a duly held meeting of stockholders, provided that the total vote cast on the proposal represents over fifty percent (50%) in interest of all securities entitled to vote on the proposal. The date of such stockholder approval will be the Effective Date. Upon such approval of the Plan by the stockholders of the Company, no further awards will be granted under the 2002 Stock Incentive Plan, but any outstanding awards under that plan will continue in accordance with their terms. Unless earlier terminated by action of the Board of Directors, the authority of the Committee to make grants under the Plan will terminate on the date that is ten years after the latest date upon which stockholders of the Company have approved the Plan (except that, for Awards under Section 7(b), such authority will terminate earlier at the date five years after the latest stockholder approval of the business criteria for such Awards under Section 7(b)(ii)), and the Plan will remain in effect until such time as the Company has no further rights or obligations with respect to outstanding Awards or otherwise under the Plan.
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Exhibit A
Deferral Election Rules
If a participant in a plan, program or other compensatory arrangement (a “plan”) of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (the “Company”) is permitted to elect to defer awards or other compensation, any such election relating to compensation deferred under the applicable plan must be received by the Company prior to the date specified by or at the direction of the administrator of such plan (the “Administrator,” which in most instances will be Human Resources). For purposes of compliance with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”), any such election to defer shall be subject to the rules set forth below, subject to any additional restrictions as may be specified by the Administrator. Under no circumstances may a participant elect to defer compensation to which he or she has attained, at the time of deferral, a legally enforceable right to current receipt of such compensation.
| (1) | Initial Deferral Elections. Any initial election to defer compensation (including the election as to the type and amount of compensation to be deferred and the time and manner of settlement of the deferral) must be made (and shall be irrevocable) no later than December 31 of the year before the participant’s services are performed which will result in the earning of the compensation, except as follows: |
| • | Initial deferral elections with respect to compensation that, absent the election, constitutes a short-term deferral may be made in accordance with Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-2(a)(4) and (b); |
| • | Initial deferral elections with respect to compensation that remains subject to a requirement that the participant provide services for at least 12 months (a “forfeitable right” under Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-2(a)(5)) may be made on or before the 30th day after the participant obtains the legally binding right to the compensation, provided that the election is made at least 12 months before the earliest date at which the forfeiture condition could lapse and otherwise in compliance with Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-2(a)(5); |
| • | Initial deferral elections by a participant in his or her first year of eligibility may be made within 30 days after the date the participant becomes eligible to participate in the applicable plan, with respect to compensation paid for services to be performed after the election and in compliance with Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-2(a)((7); |
| • | Initial deferral elections by a participant with respect to performance-based compensation (as defined under Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-1(e)) may be made on or before the date that is six months before the end of the performance period, provided that (i) the participant was employed continuously from either the beginning of the performance period or the later date on which the performance goal was established, (ii) the election to defer is made before such compensation has become readily ascertainable (i.e., substantially certain to be paid), (iii) the performance period is at least 12 months in length and the performance goal was established no later than 90 days after the commencement of the service period to which the performance goal relates, (iv) the performance-based compensation is not payable in the absence of performance except due to death, disability, a 409A Ownership/Control Change (as defined in Section 11(k) of the 2007 Stock Award and Incentive Plan) or as otherwise permitted under Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-1(e), and (v) this initial deferral election must in any event comply with Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-2(a)(8); |
| • | Initial deferral elections resulting in Company matching contributions may be made in compliance with Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-2(a)(9); |
| • | Initial deferral elections may be made to the fullest permitted under other applicable provisions of Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-2(a); and |
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| (2) | Further Deferral Elections. The foregoing notwithstanding, for any election to further defer an amount that is deemed to be a deferral of compensation subject to Code Section 409A (to the extent permitted under Company plans, programs and arrangements), any further deferral election made under the plan shall be subject to the following, provided that deferral elections in 2007 and 2008 may be made under applicable transition rules under Section 409A: |
| • | The further deferral election will not take effect until at least 12 months after the date on which the election is made; |
| • | If the election relates to a distribution event other than a Disability (as defined in Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3(i)(4)), death, or Unforeseeable Emergency (as defined in Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3(i)(3)), the payment with respect to which such election is made must be deferred for a period of not less than five years from the date such payment would otherwise have been paid (or in the case of a life annuity or installment payments treated as a single payment, five years from the date the first amount was scheduled to be paid), to the extent required under Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-2(b); |
| • | The requirement that the further deferral election be made at least 12 months before the original deferral amount would be first payable may not be waived by the Administrator, and shall apply to a payment at a specified time or pursuant to a fixed schedule (and in the case of a life annuity or installment payments treated as a single payment, 12 months before the date that the first amount was scheduled to be paid); |
| • | The further deferral election shall be irrevocable when filed with the Company; and |
| • | The further deferral election otherwise shall comply with the applicable requirements of Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-2(b). |
| (3) | Transition Rules. Initial deferral elections and elections to change any existing deferred date for distribution of compensation in any transition period designated under Department of the Treasury and IRS regulations may be permitted by the Company to the fullest extent authorized under transition rules and other applicable guidance under Section 409A (including transition rules in effect in the period 2005 – 2008). |
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