FORMOF KEY EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT ANDSEVERANCE AGREEMENT

 

Exhibit 10.7

 

 

THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into as of the _____day of ________, 200_, by and between Regal-Beloit Corporation, a Wisconsin corporation (hereinafter referred to as the “Company”), and [_______________] (hereinafter referred to as the “Executive”).

 

W I T N E S S E T H

 

WHEREAS, the Executive is employed by the Company and/or a subsidiary of the Company (hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Employer”) in a key executive capacity and the Executive’s services are valuable to the conduct of the business of the Company;

 

WHEREAS, the Company desires to continue to attract and retain dedicated and skilled management employees in a period of industry consolidation, consistent with achieving the best possible value for its shareholders in any change in control of the Company;

 

WHEREAS, the Company recognizes that circumstances may arise in which a change in control of the Company occurs, through acquisition or otherwise, thereby causing a potential conflict of interest between the Company’s needs for the Executive to remain focused on the Company’s business and for the necessary continuity in management prior to and following a change in control, and the Executive’s reasonable personal concerns regarding future employment with the Employer and economic protection in the event of loss of employment as a consequence of a change in control;

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Executive are desirous that any proposal for a change in control or acquisition of the Company will be considered by the Executive objectively and with reference only to the best interests of the Company and its shareholders;

 

WHEREAS, the Executive will be in a better position to consider the Company’s best interests if the Executive is afforded reasonable economic security, as provided in this Agreement, against altered conditions of employment which could result from any such change in control or acquisition;

 

WHEREAS, the Executive possesses intimate knowledge of the business and affairs of the Company and has acquired certain confidential information and data with respect to the Company; and

 

WHEREAS, the Company desires to insure, insofar as possible, that it will continue to have the benefit of the Executive’s services and to protect its confidential information and goodwill.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and of the mutual covenants and agreements hereinafter set forth, the parties hereto mutually covenant and agree as follows:

 

 

1. Definitions.

 

 

 

(c) Act.  The term “Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

 

 

 

(f) Beneficial Owner.  A Person shall be deemed to be the “Beneficial Owner” of any securities:

 

 

(ii) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote or dispose of or has “beneficial ownership” of (as determined pursuant to Rule l3d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Act), including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any security under this clause (ii) as a result of an agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security if the agreement, arrangement or understanding: (A) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations under the Act and (B) is not also then reportable on a Schedule l3D under the Act (or any comparable or successor report); or

 

(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person with which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a revocable proxy as described in clause (ii) above) or disposing of any voting securities of the Company.

 

 

 

 

(i) any Person (other than (A) the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (B) a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under any employee benefit plan of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (C) an underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of such securities or (D) a corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock in the Company (“Excluded Persons”) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company (not including in the securities beneficially owned by such Person any securities acquired directly from the Company or its Affiliates after ____________, 200_, pursuant to express authorization by the Board that refers to this exception) representing 20% or more of either the then outstanding shares of common stock of the Company or the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding voting securities; or

 

(ii) the following individuals cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the number of directors of the Company then serving:  (A) individuals who, on __________, 200_ constituted the Board and (B) any new director (other than a director whose initial assumption of office is in connection with an actual or threatened election contest, including but not limited to a consent solicitation, relating to the election of directors of the Company) whose appointment or election by the Board or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were directors on _________, 200_, or whose appointment, election or nomination for election was previously so approved (collectively the “Continuing Directors”); provided, however, that individuals who are appointed to the Board pursuant to or in accordance with the terms of an agreement relating to a merger, consolidation, or share exchange involving the Company (or any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company) shall not be Continuing Directors for purposes of this Agreement until after such individuals are first nominated for election by a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the then Continuing Directors and are thereafter elected as directors by the shareholders of the Company at a meeting of shareholders held following consummation of such merger, consolidation, or share exchange; and, provided further, that in the event the failure of any such persons appointed to the Board to be Continuing Directors results in a Change in Control of the Company, the subsequent qualification of such persons as Continuing Directors shall not alter the fact that a Change in Control of the Company occurred; or

 

 

 

(iii) the shareholders of the Company approve a merger, consolidation or share exchange of the Company with any other corporation or approve the issuance of voting securities of the Company in connection with a merger, consolidation or share exchange of the Company (or any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company) pursuant to applicable stock exchange requirements, other than (A) a merger, consolidation or share exchange which would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such merger, consolidation or share exchange continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity or any parent thereof) at least 50% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the Company or such surviving entity or any parent thereof outstanding immediately after such merger, consolidation or share exchange, or (B) a merger, consolidation or share exchange effected to implement a recapitalization of the Company (or similar transaction) in which no Person (other than an Excluded Person) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company (not including in the securities beneficially owned by such Person any securities acquired directly from the Company or its Affiliates after __________, 200_, pursuant to express authorization by the Board that refers to this exception) representing 20% or more of either the then outstanding shares of common stock of the Company or the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding voting securities; or

 

(iv) the shareholders of the Company approve of a plan of complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets (in one transaction or a series of related transactions within any period of 24 consecutive months), other than a sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets to an entity at least 75% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of which are owned by Persons in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the Company immediately prior to such sale.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, no “Change in Control of the Company” shall be deemed to have occurred if there is consummated any transaction or series of integrated transactions immediately following which the record holders of the common stock of the Company immediately prior to such transaction or series of transactions continue to own, directly or indirectly, in the same proportions as their ownership in the Company, an entity that owns all or substantially all of the assets or voting securities of the Company immediately following such transaction or series of transactions.

 

 

 

(i) Code.  The term “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, including any amendments thereto or successor tax codes thereof.

 

 

 

 

(m) Good Reason.  The Executive shall have “Good Reason” for termination of employment in the event of:

 

(i) any breach of this Agreement by the Employer, including specifically any breach by the Employer of the agreements contained in Section 3(b), Section 4, Section 5, or Section 6, other than an isolated, insubstantial and inadvertent failure not occurring in bad faith that the Employer remedies promptly after receipt of notice thereof given by the Executive;

 

(ii) any reduction in the Executive’s base salary, percentage of base salary available as incentive compensation or bonus opportunity or benefits, in each case relative to those most favorable to the Executive in effect at any time during the 180-day period prior to the Change in Control of the Company or, to the extent more favorable to the Executive, those in effect at any time during the Employment Period;

 

(iii) the removal of the Executive from, or any failure to reelect or reappoint the Executive to, any of the positions held with the Employer on the date of the Change in Control of the Company or any other positions with the Employer to which the Executive shall thereafter be elected, appointed or assigned, except in the event that such removal or failure to reelect or reappoint relates to the termination by the Employer of the Executive’s employment for Cause or by reason of disability pursuant to Section 12;

 

 

 

(iv) a good faith determination by the Executive that there has been a material adverse change, without the Executive’s written consent, in the Executive’s working conditions or status with the Employer relative to the most favorable working conditions or status in effect during the 180-day period prior to the Change in Control of the Company, or, to the extent more favorable to the Executive, those in effect at any time during the Employment Period, including but not limited to (A) a significant change in the nature or scope of the Executive’s authority, powers, functions, duties or responsibilities, or (B) a significant reduction in the level of support services, staff, secretarial and other assistance, office space and accoutrements, but in each case excluding for this purpose an isolated, insubstantial and inadvertent event not occurring in bad faith that the Employer remedies within ten (10) days after receipt of notice thereof given by the Executive;

 

(v) the relocation of the Executive’s principal place of employment to a location more than 50 miles from the Executive’s principal place of employment on the date 180 days prior to the Change in Control of the Company;

 

(vi) the Employer requires the Executive to travel on Employer business 20% in excess of the average number of days per month the Executive was required to travel during the 180-day period prior to the Change in Control of the Company; or

 

(vii) failure by the Company to obtain the Agreement referred to in Section 17(a) as provided therein.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(A) If termination is for Cause pursuant to Section 1(f)(iii) and if the Executive has cured the conduct constituting such Cause as described by the Employer in its Notice of Termination within such thirty-day or shorter period, then the Executive’s employment hereunder shall continue as if the Employer had not delivered its Notice of Termination.

 

(B) If the Executive shall in good faith give a Notice of Termination for Good Reason and the Employer notifies the Executive that a dispute exists concerning the termination within the fifteen-day period following receipt thereof, then the Executive may elect to continue his or her employment during such dispute and the Termination Date shall be determined under this paragraph.  If the Executive so elects and it is thereafter determined that Good Reason did exist, the Termination Date shall be the earliest of (1) the date on which the dispute is finally determined, either (x) by mutual written agreement of the parties or (y) in accordance with Section 22, (2) the date of the Executive’s death or (3) one day prior to the end of the Employment Period.  If the Executive so elects and it is thereafter determined that Good Reason did not exist, then the employment of the Executive hereunder shall continue after such determination as if the Executive had not delivered the Notice of Termination asserting Good Reason and there shall be no Termination Date arising out of such Notice.  In either case, this Agreement continues, until the Termination Date, if any, as if the Executive had not delivered the Notice of Termination except that, if it is finally determined that Good Reason did exist, the Executive shall in no case be denied the benefits described in Section 9 (including a Termination Payment) based on events occurring after the Executive delivered his Notice of Termination.

 

 

 

(C) Except as provided in Section 1(n)(B), if the party receiving the Notice of Termination notifies the other party that a dispute exists concerning the termination within the appropriate period following receipt thereof and it is finally determined that the reason asserted in such Notice of Termination did not exist, then (1) if such Notice was delivered by the Executive, the Executive will be deemed to have voluntarily terminated his employment and the Termination Date shall be the earlier of the date fifteen days after the Notice of Termination is given or one day prior to the end of the Employment Period and (2) if delivered by the Company, the Company will be deemed to have terminated the Executive other than by reason of death, disability or Cause.

 

2. Termination or Cancellation Prior to Change in Control.

 

 

 

 

3. Employment Period; Vesting of Certain Benefits.

 

5. Compensation.  During the Employment Period, the Executive shall be compensated as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Payments Upon Termination.

 

 

 

 

(b) Certain Additional Payments by the Company.

 

(i)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if any portion of the Termination Payment or any other payment under this Agreement, or under any other agreement with or plan of the Employer (in the aggregate, “Total Payments”), would constitute an “excess parachute payment,” then the Company shall pay the Executive an additional amount (the “Gross-Up Payment”) such that the net amount retained by the Executive after deduction of any excise tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Code (or any successor provision) and any interest charges or penalties in respect of the imposition of such excise tax (but not any federal, state or local income tax, or employment tax) on the Total Payments, and any federal, state and local income tax, employment tax, and excise tax upon the payment provided for by this Section 9(b)(i), shall be equal to the Total Payments.  For purposes of determining the amount of the Gross-Up Payment, the Executive shall be deemed to pay federal income tax and employment taxes at the highest marginal rate of federal income and employment taxation in the calendar year in which the Gross-Up Payment is to be made and state and local income taxes at the highest marginal rate of taxation in the state and locality of the Executive’s domicile for income tax purposes on the date the Gross-Up Payment is made, net of the maximum reduction in federal income taxes that may be obtained from the deduction of such state and local taxes.

 

(ii)  For purposes of this Agreement, the terms “excess parachute payment” and “parachute payments” shall have the meanings assigned to them in Section 280G of the Code (or any successor provision) and such “parachute payments” shall be valued as provided therein.  Present value for purposes of this Agreement shall be calculated in accordance with Section 1274(b)(2) of the Code (or any successor provision).  Promptly following a Covered Termination or notice by the Company to the Executive of its belief that there is a payment or benefit due the Executive which will result in an “excess parachute payment” as defined in Section 280G of the Code (or any successor provision), the Executive and the Company, at the Company’s expense, shall obtain the opinion (which need not be unqualified) of nationally recognized tax counsel (“National Tax Counsel”) selected by the Company’s independent auditors and reasonably acceptable to the Executive (which may be regular outside counsel to the Company), which opinion sets forth (A) the amount of the Base Period Income, (B) the amount and present value of Total Payments, (C) the amount and present value of any excess parachute payments, and (D) the amount of any Gross-Up Payment.  As used in this Agreement, the term “Base Period Income” means an amount equal to the Executive’s “annualized includable compensation for the base period” as defined in Section 280G(d)(1) of the Code.  For purposes of such opinion, the value of any noncash benefits or any deferred payment or benefit shall be determined by the Company’s independent auditors in accordance with the principles of Section 280G(d)(3) and (4) of the Code (or any successor provisions), which determination shall be evidenced in a certificate of such auditors addressed to the Company and the Executive.  The opinion of National Tax Counsel shall be addressed to the Company and the Executive and shall be binding upon the Company and the Executive.  If such National Tax Counsel so requests in connection with the opinion required by this Section 9(b), the Executive and the Company shall obtain, at the Company’s expense, and the National Tax Counsel may rely on, the advice of a firm of recognized executive compensation consultants as to the reasonableness of any item of compensation to be received by the Executive solely with respect to its status under Section 280G of the Code and the regulations thereunder.  The Company shall pay Executive the Gross-Up Payment, if any, at the same time as the Termination Payment is paid; provided that if prior to such date the Executive is required to remit the excise tax under Section 4999 of the Code to the Internal Revenue Service, then upon written notice by the Executive to the Company, the Company shall promptly pay the Gross-Up Payment (but based on Executive’s actual rate of taxation) to the Executive.

 

 

 

(iii)  In the event that upon any audit by the Internal Revenue Service, or by a state or local taxing authority, of the Total Payments or Gross-Up Payment, a change is finally determined to be required in the amount of taxes paid by the Executive, appropriate adjustments shall be made under this Agreement such that the net amount which is payable to the Executive after taking into account the provisions of Section 4999 of the Code (or any successor provision) shall reflect the intent of the parties as expressed in this Section 9, in the manner determined by the National Tax Counsel.  If the Company is required to make a payment to the Executive, such payment shall be paid following the date of the final determination by a court or the Internal Revenue Service and within thirty (30) days after the date Executive provides the Company a written request for reimbursement thereof (accompanied by proof of taxes paid), but in no event shall the reimbursement be made later than the end of the calendar year following the year in which the Executive remits the excise tax to the Internal Revenue Service.

 

(iv) The Company agrees to bear all costs associated with, and to indemnify and hold harmless, the National Tax Counsel of and from any and all claims, damages, and expenses resulting from or relating to its determinations pursuant to this Section 9(b), except for claims, damages or expenses resulting from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such firm.

 

 

(i) The Executive shall receive until the end of the second calendar year following the calendar year in which the Executive’s Separation from Service occurs, at the expense of the Company, outplacement services, on an individualized basis at a level of service commensurate with the Executive’s status with the Company immediately prior to the date of the Change in Control of the Company (or, if higher, immediately prior to the Executive’s Termination of Employment), provided by a nationally recognized executive placement firm selected by the Company; provided that the cost to the Company of such services shall not exceed 10% of the Executive’s Annual Base Salary.

 

 

 

(ii) Until the earlier of the end of the Employment Period or such time as the Executive has obtained new employment and is covered by benefits which in the aggregate are at least equal in value to the following benefits, the Executive shall continue to be covered, at the expense of the Company, by the same or equivalent life insurance, hospitalization, medical and dental coverage as was required hereunder with respect to the Executive immediately prior to the date the Notice of Termination is given, subject to the following:

 

(A) If applicable, following the end of the COBRA continuation period, if such hospitalization, medical or dental coverage is provided under a health plan that is subject to Section 105(h) of the Code, benefits payable under such health plan shall comply with the requirements of Treasury regulation section 1.409A-3(i)(1)(iv)(A) and (B) and, if necessary, the Company shall amend such health plan to comply therewith.

 

If the Executive is entitled to the Termination Payment pursuant to Section 2(b), within ten (10) days following the Change of Control, the Company shall reimburse the Executive for any COBRA premiums the Executive paid for his or her hospitalization, medical and dental coverage under COBRA from the Executive’s Termination Date through the date of the Change of Control.

(iii) The Company shall bear up to $15,000 in the aggregate of fees and expenses of consultants and/or legal or accounting advisors engaged by the Executive to advise the Executive as to matters relating to the computation of benefits due and payable under this Section 9.

 

(iv) The Company shall cause the Executive to be fully and immediately vested in his accrued benefit under any supplemental executive retirement plan of the Employer providing benefits for the Executive (the “SERP”) and in any nonqualified defined contribution retirement plan of the Employer.  In addition, the Company shall cause the Executive to be deemed to have satisfied any minimum years of service requirement under the SERP for subsidized early retirement benefits regardless of the Executive’s age and service at the Termination Date; provided, however, that SERP benefits will be based on service to date with no additional credit for service or age beyond such Termination Date.

 

 

 

(v) On the Termination Date, for purposes of determining Executive’s eligibility for post-retirement benefits under any welfare benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(1) of the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974, as amended) maintained by the Company immediately prior to the Change in Control of the Company and in which Executive participated, immediately prior to the Change in Control of the Company, Executive shall be credited with the excess of two (2) years of participation in the applicable medical plan and two (2) years of age over the actual years and fractional years of participation and age credited to Executive as of the Change in Control of the Company.  If after taking into account such participation and age, Executive would have been eligible to receive such post-retirement benefits had Executive retired immediately prior to the Change in Control of the Company, Executive shall receive, commencing on the Termination Date, post-retirement benefits based on the terms and conditions of the applicable plans in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control of the Company.  If applicable, following the end of the COBRA continuation period, if such post-retirement welfare benefits are provided under a health plan that is subject to Section 105(h) of the Code, benefits payable under such health plan shall comply with the requirements of Treasury regulation section 1.409A-3(i)(1)(iv)(A) and (B) and, if necessary, the Company shall amend such health plan to comply therewith.

 

(vi) At the same time as the Termination Payment is made, the Company shall pay the Executive an amount equal to the value of the retirement benefits under the various retirement benefits plans of the Company (both qualified and non-qualified) that the Executive is participating in as of the Termination Date, and that would have accrued had Executive been an active employee receiving his Annual Base Salary under such plans for an additional period of two (2) years following the Termination Date.  For purposes of calculating this payment for any defined benefit pension plan (whether qualified or nonqualified), if any, the value shall be determined as a single sum present value, calculated assuming that the benefits commence on the earliest date following termination on which the Executive would be eligible to commence benefits under the such plan(s), and the actuarial factors used shall be the factors utilized in the qualified defined benefit pension plan to determine lump sum payments as of the Termination Date.  For purposes of calculating this payment for any defined contribution plan (whether qualified or nonqualified), if any, the value shall be determined as a single sum amount equal to the employer non-matching and non-elective deferral contributions that would have been made for the Executive, assuming that the contribution formulas are the same as in effect on the Termination Date, but determined without regard to any interest such amounts would have earned.

 

(vii) The Company shall cause all performance plan awards granted to the Executive pursuant to any long-term incentive plan maintained by the Company to be paid out at target, as if all performance requirements had been satisfied, on a pro rata basis based on the completed portion of each award cycle, reduced, but not below zero, by the amount payable as an Accrued Benefit pursuant to Section 1(b)(iv)(B) to the extent such Accrued Benefit amount relates to the same performance plan award(s) and the same period of time as are described in this clause (vii).

 

 

 

 

10. Death.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.