10.At-Will Employment. Nothing in this Plan or any other act of the Company shall be considered effective to change a Participant’s status as an at-will employee or guarantee any duration of employment. Either the Company or a Participant may terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason or no reason, and with or without advance notice.
11.Transfer and Assignment. In no event may any Participant sell, transfer, anticipate, assign or otherwise dispose of any right or interest under the Plan. At no time will any such right or interest be subject to the claims of creditors nor liable to attachment, execution, or other legal process.
12.Severability. If any provision of the Plan is held invalid or unenforceable, its invalidity or unenforceability will not affect any other provision of the Plan, and the Plan will be construed and enforced as if such provision had not been included.
13.Successors. Any successor to the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s business or assets (whether direct or indirect and whether by purchase, merger, consolidation, liquidation or other transaction) will assume the obligations under the Plan and agree expressly to perform the obligations under the Plan in the same manner and to the same extent as the Company would be required to perform such obligations in the absence of a succession. For all purposes under the Plan, the term “Company” will include any successor to the Company’s business or assets which become bound by the terms of the Plan by operation of law, or otherwise.
14.Withholding; Taxes. The Company shall withhold from any Severance Benefits or CIC Severance Benefits all federal, state and local income or other taxes required to be withheld therefrom and any other required payroll deductions.
15.Compensation. Benefits payable hereunder shall not constitute compensation under any other plan or arrangement, except as expressly provided in such plan or arrangement.
16.Interpretation. Titles and headings to sections hereof are for the purpose of reference only and shall in no way limit, define or otherwise affect the provisions hereof. Unless the context requires otherwise, all references to laws, regulations, contracts, agreements, plans and instruments refer to such laws, regulations, contracts, agreements, plans and instruments as they may be amended from time to time, and references to particular provisions of laws or regulations include a reference to the corresponding provisions of any succeeding law or regulation. The word “or” is not exclusive. All references to “including” shall be construed as meaning “including without limitation.”
17.Governing Law. The provisions of the Plan will be construed, administered, and enforced in accordance with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) and, to the extent applicable, the laws of the State of California without regard to its choice of law provisions.
18.Claims and Appeals.
(a)Claims Procedure. Any employee or other person who believes he or she is entitled to any payment under the Plan may submit a claim in writing to the Committee within 90