Ryan Specialty Group Holdings, Inc. 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan

EX-10.1 10 d146849dex101.htm EX-10.1 EX-10.1

Exhibit 10.1

RYAN SPECIALTY GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

2021 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN

ARTICLE I

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Ryan Specialty Group Holdings, Inc. 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan is to enhance the profitability and value of the Company for the benefit of its stockholders by enabling the Company to offer Eligible Individuals cash and stock-based incentives in order to attract, retain and reward such individuals and strengthen the mutuality of interests between such individuals and the Company’s stockholders. The Plan is effective as of the date set forth in Article XVI.

ARTICLE II

DEFINITIONS

For purposes of the Plan, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

2.1 “Affiliate” means each of the following: (a) any Subsidiary; (b) any Parent; (c) any corporation, trade or business (including, without limitation, a partnership or limited liability company) which is directly or indirectly controlled 50% or more (whether by ownership of stock, assets or an equivalent ownership interest or voting interest) by the Company or one of its Affiliates; (d) any trade or business (including, without limitation, a partnership or limited liability company) which directly or indirectly controls 50% or more (whether by ownership of stock, assets or an equivalent ownership interest or voting interest) of the Company; and (e) any other entity in which the Company or any of its Affiliates has a material equity interest and which is designated as an “Affiliate” by resolution of the Committee; provided that, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, the Shares subject to any Award constitutes “service recipient stock” for purposes of Section 409A of the Code or otherwise does not subject the Award to Section 409A of the Code.

2.2 “Award” means any award under the Plan of any Stock Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award, Performance Award, Other Stock-Based Award, Other Cash-Based Award or RSG LLC Award. All Awards shall be granted by, confirmed by, and subject to the terms of, a written agreement executed by the Company and the Participant.

2.3 “Award Agreement” means the written or electronic agreement setting forth the terms and conditions applicable to an Award.

2.4 “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

2.5 “Cause” means, unless otherwise determined by the Committee in the applicable Award Agreement, with respect to a Participant’s Termination of Employment or Termination of Consultancy, the following: (i) any act or omission which constitutes a breach by such Participant of the terms of his or her employment agreement or consulting agreement that adversely impacts the business or reputation of the Company or any of its Affiliates, (ii) such Participant’s conviction of a felony or commission of any act that would rise to the level of a felony, (iii) such Participant’s conviction or commission of a lesser crime or offense that adversely impacts or potentially could impact upon the business or reputation of the Company or any of its Affiliates in a material way, (iv) such Participant fails to meet the expected standard of performance as communicated by such Participant’s supervisor, including, without limitation, with respect to obtaining and maintaining proper licensure for the conduct of such Participant’s business, (v) such Participant’s violation of specific lawful directives of the Employer, (vi) such Participant’s commission of a dishonest or wrongful act involving fraud, misrepresentation, or moral turpitude causing damage or potential damage to the Company or any of its Affiliates, (vii) such Participant’s failure to perform a substantial part of such Participant’s duties, or (viii) such Participant’s breach of fiduciary duty. With respect to a Participant’s Termination of Directorship, “cause” means an act or failure to act that constitutes cause for removal of a director under applicable Delaware law.

 

1


2.6 “Change in Control” has the meaning set forth in Section 12.2.

2.7 “Change in Control Price” has the meaning set forth in Section 12.1.

2.8 “Class B Shares” means shares of the Class B common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of the Company.

2.9 “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Any reference to any section of the Code shall also be a reference to any successor provision and any regulation of U.S. Department of Treasury promulgated thereunder (the “Treasury Regulation”).

2.10 “Committee” means any committee of the Board duly authorized by the Board to administer the Plan. If no committee is duly authorized by the Board to administer the Plan, the term “Committee” shall be deemed to refer to the Board for all purposes under the Plan.

2.11 “Common Stock” means the Class A common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of the Company.

2.12 “Company” means Ryan Specialty Group Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its successors by operation of law.

2.13 “Consultant” means any Person who is an advisor or consultant to the Company or its Affiliates.

2.14 “Disability” means, unless otherwise determined by the Committee in the applicable Award Agreement, with respect to a Participant’s Termination, a permanent and total disability as defined in Section 22(e)(3) of the Code. A Disability shall only be deemed to occur at the time of the determination by the Committee of the Disability. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for Awards that are subject to Section 409A of the Code, Disability shall mean that a Participant is disabled under Section 409A(a)(2)(C)(i) or (ii) of the Code.

2.15 “Effective Date” means the effective date of the Plan as defined in Article XVI.

2.16 “Eligible Employees” means each employee of the Company or an Affiliate.

2.17 “Eligible Individual” means an Eligible Employee, Non-Employee Director or Consultant who is designated by the Committee in its discretion as eligible to receive Awards subject to the conditions set forth herein.

2.18 “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Reference to a specific section of the Exchange Act or regulation thereunder shall include such section or regulation, any valid regulation or interpretation promulgated under such section, and any comparable provision of any future legislation or regulation amending, supplementing or superseding such section or regulation.

 

2


2.19 “Fair Market Value” means, for purposes of the Plan, unless otherwise required by any applicable provision of the Code or any regulations issued thereunder, (a) with respect to the Common Stock, as of any date and except as provided below, the closing sales price reported for the Common Stock on the applicable date: (i) as reported on the principal national securities exchange in the United States on which it is then traded or (ii) if the Common Stock is not traded, listed or otherwise reported or quoted, the Committee shall determine in good faith the Fair Market Value in whatever manner it considers appropriate taking into account the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, or (b) with respect to RSG LLC Units, as determined by the Committee in good faith in accordance with any applicable provisions of the LLC Agreements. For purposes of the grant of any Award, the applicable date shall be the trading day immediately prior to the date on which the Award is granted. For purposes of the exercise of any Award, the applicable date shall be the date a notice of exercise is received by the Committee or, if not a day on which the applicable market is open, the next day that it is open. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Award (excluding any RSG LLC Award) granted on the pricing date of the Company’s initial public offering, the Fair Market Value shall mean the initial public offering price of a share of Common Stock as set forth in the Company’s final prospectus relating to its initial public offering filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

2.20 “Family Member” means “family member” as defined in Section A.1.(a)(5) of the general instructions of Form S-8.

2.21 “Incentive Stock Option” means any Stock Option awarded to an Eligible Employee of the Company, its Subsidiaries and its Parents (if any) under the Plan intended to be and designated as an “Incentive Stock Option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.

2.22 “Incumbent Director” has the meaning set forth in Section 12.2(c).

2.23 “Lead Underwriter” has the meaning set forth in Section 15.19.

2.24 “LLC Agreements” means (a) that certain Sixth Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of RSG LLC, effective as of , 2021, as amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time and (b) that certain Limited Liability Company Agreement of New RSG LLC, effective as of , 2021, as amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time.

2.25 “Lock-Up Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 15.19.

2.26 “New RSG LLC” means New RSG Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability Company.

2.27 “Non-Employee Director” means a director or a member of the Board of the Company or any Affiliate who is not an active employee of the Company or any Affiliate.

2.28 “Non-Qualified Stock Option” means any Stock Option awarded under the Plan that is not an Incentive Stock Option.

2.29 “Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Right” shall mean the right to receive an amount in cash and/or stock equal to the difference between (x) the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date such right is exercised, and (y) the aggregate exercise price of such right, otherwise than on surrender of a Stock Option.

2.30 “Other Cash-Based Award” means an Award granted pursuant to Section 10.3 and payable in cash at such time or times and subject to such terms and conditions as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.

 

3


2.31 “Other Stock-Based Award” means an Award under Article X of the Plan that is valued in whole or in part by reference to, or is payable in or otherwise based on, Shares, including, without limitation, an Award valued by reference to an Affiliate.

2.32 “Parent” means any parent corporation of the Company within the meaning of Section 424(e) of the Code.

2.33 “Participant” means an Eligible Individual to whom an Award has been granted pursuant to the Plan.

2.34 “Performance Award” means an Award granted to a Participant pursuant to Article IX hereof contingent upon achieving certain Performance Goals.

2.35 “Performance Goals” means goals established by the Committee in its sole discretion as contingencies for Awards to vest and/or become exercisable or distributable.

2.36 “Performance Period” means the designated period during which the Performance Goals must be satisfied with respect to the Award to which the Performance Goals relate.

2.37 “Person” means an individual, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company, an association, a joint stock company, a trust, a joint venture, an unincorporated organization and a government or any branch, department, agency, political subdivision or official thereof.

2.38 “Plan” means this Ryan Specialty Group Holdings, Inc. 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time.

2.39 “Proceeding” has the meaning set forth in Section 15.8.

2.40 “Qualified Retirement” means the situation in which a Participant retires (i) in good standing (as determined by the Board) from employment with the Company or any Affiliate, (ii) after reaching the age of 65, and (iii) thereafter does not take any employment or similar position with any Person or provide material services for compensation.

2.41 “Reference Stock Option” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1.

2.42 “Registration Date” means the date on which the Company sells its Common Stock in a bona fide, firm commitment underwriting pursuant to a registration statement under the Securities Act.

2.43 “Reorganization” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.2(b)(ii).

2.44 “Restricted Stock” means an Award of Shares under the Plan that is subject to restrictions under Article VIII.

2.45 “Restriction Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.3(a) with respect to Restricted Stock.

2.46 “RSG LLC” means Ryan Specialty Group, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.

2.47 “RSG LLC Award” means any award described in Article XI.

2.48 “RSG Common Unit Award” means an award described in Section 11.1.

 

4


2.49 “RSG Incentive Unit” means an award described in Section 11.2.

2.50 “RSG LLC Unit” means “Unit” of RSG LLC or New RSG LLC as defined in the applicable LLC Agreement.

2.51 “Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3 under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act as then in effect or any successor provision.

2.52 “Section 409A of the Code” means the nonqualified deferred compensation rules under Section 409A of the Code and any applicable Treasury Regulations and other official guidance thereunder.

2.53 “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Reference to a specific section of the Securities Act or regulation thereunder shall include such section or regulation, any valid regulation or interpretation promulgated under such section, and any comparable provision of any future legislation or regulation amending, supplementing or superseding such section or regulation.

2.54 “Shares” means shares of Common Stock or RSG LLC Units, as applicable.

2.55 “Stock Appreciation Right” shall mean the right pursuant to an Award granted under Article VII.

2.56 “Stock Option” or “Option” means any option to purchase Shares granted to Eligible Individuals granted pursuant to Article VI.

2.57 “Subsidiary” means any subsidiary corporation of the Company within the meaning of Section 424(f) of the Code.

2.58 “Substitute Award” shall mean an Award granted under the Plan in connection with a corporate transaction, such as a merger, combination, consolidation or acquisition of property or stock, in any case, upon the assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding equity awards previously granted by a company or other entity; provided, however, that in no event shall the term “Substitute Award” be construed to refer to an award made in connection with the cancellation and repricing of an Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right.

2.59 “Tandem Stock Appreciation Right” shall mean the right to surrender to the Company all (or a portion) of a Stock Option in exchange for an amount in cash and/or stock equal to the difference between (a) the Fair Market Value on the date such Stock Option (or such portion thereof) is surrendered, of the Shares covered by such Stock Option (or such portion thereof), and (b) the aggregate exercise price of such Stock Option (or such portion thereof).

2.60 “Ten Percent Stockholder” means a Person owning stock possessing more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company, its Subsidiaries or its Parent.

2.61 “Termination” means a Termination of Consultancy, Termination of Directorship or Termination of Employment, as applicable.

 

5


2.62 “Termination of Consultancy” means: (a) that the Consultant is no longer acting as a consultant to the Company or an Affiliate; or (b) when an entity which is retaining a Participant as a Consultant ceases to be an Affiliate unless the Participant otherwise is, or thereupon becomes, a Consultant to the Company or another Affiliate at the time the entity ceases to be an Affiliate. In the event that a Consultant becomes an Eligible Employee or a Non-Employee Director upon the termination of such Consultant’s consultancy, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, no Termination of Consultancy shall be deemed to occur until such time as such Consultant is no longer a Consultant, an Eligible Employee or a Non-Employee Director. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may otherwise define Termination of Consultancy in the Award Agreement or, if no rights of a Participant are reduced, may otherwise define Termination of Consultancy thereafter; provided that, any such change to the definition of the term “Termination of Consultancy” does not subject the applicable Award to Section 409A of the Code.

2.63 “Termination of Directorship” means that the Non-Employee Director has ceased to be a director of the Company; except that if a Non-Employee Director becomes an Eligible Employee or a Consultant upon the termination of such Non-Employee Director’s directorship, such Non-Employee Director’s ceasing to be a director of the Company shall not be treated as a Termination of Directorship unless and until the Participant has a Termination of Employment or Termination of Consultancy, as the case may be.

2.64 “Termination of Employment” means: (a) a termination of employment (for reasons other than a military or personal leave of absence granted by the Company) of a Participant from the Company and its Affiliates; or (b) when an entity which is employing a Participant ceases to be an Affiliate, unless the Participant otherwise is, or thereupon becomes, employed by the Company or another Affiliate at the time the entity ceases to be an Affiliate. In the event that an Eligible Employee becomes a Consultant or a Non-Employee Director upon the termination of such Eligible Employee’s employment, unless otherwise determined by the Committee at the time of such transition, in its sole discretion, no Termination of Employment shall be deemed to occur until such time as such Eligible Employee is no longer an Eligible Employee, a Consultant or a Non-Employee Director. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may otherwise define Termination of Employment in the Award Agreement or, if no rights of a Participant are reduced, may otherwise define Termination of Employment thereafter; provided that, any such change to the definition of the term “Termination of Employment” does not subject the applicable Award to Section 409A of the Code.

2.65 “Transfer means: (a) when used as a noun, any direct or indirect transfer, sale, assignment, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance or other disposition (including the issuance of equity in any entity), whether for value or no value and whether voluntary or involuntary (including by operation of law), and (b) when used as a verb, to directly or indirectly transfer, sell, assign, pledge, encumber, charge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of (including the issuance of equity in any entity) whether for value or for no value and whether voluntarily or involuntarily (including by operation of law). “Transferred” and “Transferable” shall have a correlative meaning.

ARTICLE III ADMINISTRATION

3.1 The Committee. The Plan shall be administered and interpreted by the Committee. To the extent required by applicable law, rule or regulation, it is intended that each member of the Committee shall qualify as (a) a “non-employee director” under Rule 16b-3, and (b) an “independent director” under the rules of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which Shares are listed, quoted or traded. If it is later determined that one or more members of the Committee do not so qualify, actions taken by the Committee prior to such determination shall be valid despite such failure to qualify.

 

6


3.2 Grants of Awards. The Committee shall have full authority to grant, pursuant to the terms of the Plan, to Eligible Individuals: (i) Stock Options, (ii) Stock Appreciation Rights, (iii) Restricted Stock Awards, (iv) Performance Awards; (v) Other Stock-Based Awards; and (vi) Other Cash-Based Awards. In particular, the Committee shall have the authority:

(a) to select the Eligible Individuals to whom Awards may from time to time be granted hereunder;

(b) to determine whether and to what extent Awards, or any combination thereof, are to be granted hereunder to one or more Eligible Individuals;

(c) to determine the number of Shares to be covered by each Award granted hereunder;

(d) to determine the terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, of any Award granted hereunder (including, but not limited to, the exercise or purchase price (if any), any restriction or limitation, any vesting schedule or acceleration thereof, or any forfeiture restrictions or waiver thereof, regarding any Award and the Shares relating thereto, based on such factors, if any, as the Committee shall determine, in its sole discretion);

(e) to determine the amount of cash to be covered by each Award granted hereunder;

(f) to determine whether, to what extent and under what circumstances grants of Options and other Awards under the Plan are to operate on a tandem basis and/or in conjunction with or apart from other awards made by the Company outside of the Plan;

(g) to determine whether and under what circumstances a Stock Option may be settled in cash, Shares and/or Restricted Stock under Section 6.4(d);

(h) to impose “blackout periods” during which an Award may not be exercised or settled;

(i) to determine whether a Stock Option is an Incentive Stock Option or Non-Qualified Stock Option;

(j) to determine whether to require a Participant, as a condition of the granting of any Award, to not sell or otherwise dispose of Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Award for a period of time as determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, following the date of the acquisition of such Award;

(k) to modify, extend or renew an Award, subject to Article XIII and Section 6.4(l); provided, however, that such action does not subject the Award to Section 409A of the Code without the consent of the Participant; and

(l) solely to the extent permitted by applicable law, to determine whether, to what extent and under what circumstances to provide loans (which may be on a recourse basis and shall bear interest at the rate the Committee shall provide) to Participants in order to exercise Options under the Plan.

3.3 Guidelines. Subject to Article XIII hereof, the Committee shall have the authority to adopt, alter and repeal such administrative rules, guidelines and practices governing the Plan and perform all acts, including the delegation of its responsibilities (to the extent permitted by applicable law and applicable stock exchange rules), as it shall, from time to time, deem advisable; to construe and interpret the terms and provisions of the Plan and any Award issued under the Plan (and any agreements relating thereto); and to

 

7


otherwise supervise the administration of the Plan. The Committee may correct any defect, supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan or in any agreement relating thereto in the manner and to the extent it shall deem necessary to effectuate the purpose and intent of the Plan. The Committee may adopt special guidelines and provisions for Persons who are residing in or employed in, or subject to, the taxes of, any domestic or foreign jurisdictions to comply with applicable tax and securities laws of such domestic or foreign jurisdictions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no action of the Committee under this Section 3.3 shall impair the rights of any Participant without the Participant’s consent. To the extent applicable, the Plan is intended to comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 16b-3, and the Plan shall be limited, construed and interpreted in a manner so as to comply therewith.

3.4 Decisions Final. Any decision, interpretation or other action made or taken in good faith by or at the direction of the Company, the Board or the Committee (or any of its members) arising out of or in connection with the Plan shall be within the absolute discretion of all and each of them, as the case may be, and shall be final, binding and conclusive on the Company and all employees and Participants and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns.

3.5 Procedures. If the Committee is appointed, the Board shall designate one of the members of the Committee as chairman and the Committee shall hold meetings, subject to the By-Laws of the Company, at such times and places as it shall deem advisable, including, without limitation, by telephone conference or by written consent to the extent permitted by applicable law. A majority of the Committee members shall constitute a quorum. All determinations of the Committee shall be made by a majority of its members. Any decision or determination reduced to writing and signed by all of the Committee members in accordance with the By-Laws of the Company shall be fully effective as if it had been made by a vote at a meeting duly called and held. The Committee shall keep minutes of its meetings and shall make such rules and regulations for the conduct of its business as it shall deem advisable.

3.6 Designation of Consultants/Liability.

(a) The Committee may designate employees of the Company and professional advisors to assist the Committee in the administration of the Plan and (to the extent permitted by applicable law and applicable exchange rules) may grant authority to officers to grant Awards and/or execute agreements or other documents on behalf of the Committee. In the event of any designation of authority hereunder, subject to applicable law, applicable stock exchange rules and any limitations imposed by the Committee in connection with such designation, such designee or designees shall have the power and authority to take such actions, exercise such powers and make such determinations that are otherwise specifically designated to the Committee hereunder.

(b) The Committee may employ such legal counsel, consultants and agents as it may deem desirable for the administration of the Plan and may rely upon any opinion received from any such counsel or consultant and any computation received from any such consultant or agent. Expenses incurred by the Committee or the Board in the engagement of any such counsel, consultant or agent shall be paid by the Company. The Committee, its members and any Person designated pursuant to sub-section (a) above shall not be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, no officer of the Company or member or former member of the Committee or of the Board shall be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any Award granted under it.

3.7 Indemnification. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law and the Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Company and to the extent not covered by insurance directly insuring such Person, each officer or employee of the Company or any Affiliate and member or former member of the Committee or the Board shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company against any cost or

 

8


expense (including reasonable fees of counsel reasonably acceptable to the Committee) or liability (including any sum paid in settlement of a claim with the approval of the Committee), and advanced amounts necessary to pay the foregoing at the earliest time and to the fullest extent permitted, arising out of any act or omission to act in connection with the administration of the Plan, except to the extent arising out of such officer’s, employee’s, member’s or former member’s own fraud or bad faith. Such indemnification shall be in addition to any right of indemnification the employees, officers, directors or members or former officers, directors or members may have under applicable law or under the Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws of the Company or any Affiliate. Notwithstanding anything else herein, this indemnification will not apply to the actions or determinations made by an individual with regard to Awards granted to such individual under the Plan.

ARTICLE IV

SHARE LIMITATION

4.1 Shares.

(a) The aggregate number of Shares with respect to which Awards may be granted under the Plan shall initially be equal to          shares (subject to any increase or decrease pursuant to Section 4.2), which amount shall be increased on the first day of each fiscal year during the term of the Plan commencing with the 2022 fiscal year by         % of the total number of shares of Common Stock and Class B Shares outstanding on the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year, or (ii) a lesser amount determined by the Board. RSG LLC Units granted under the Plan shall (a) reduce the number of Shares that may be issued or used for reference purposes or with respect to which Awards may be granted under the Plan on a one-for-one basis (i.e., each RSG LLC Unit shall be treated as one share of Common Stock) and (b) be delivered, if applicable, in accordance with the LLC Agreements. The Shares with respect to which awards may be granted under the Plan may be either authorized and unissued Shares or Shares held in or acquired for the treasury of the Company or both. The maximum number of Shares with respect to which Incentive Stock Options may be granted under the Plan shall be          Shares. With respect to Stock Appreciation Rights and Options settled in Shares, upon settlement, only the number of Shares delivered to a Participant shall count against the aggregate and individual share limitations set forth under Sections 4.1(a) and 4.1(b). If any Option, Stock Appreciation Right or Other Stock-Based Award granted under the Plan expires, terminates or is canceled for any reason without having been exercised in full, the number of Shares underlying any unexercised Award shall again be available for the purpose of Awards under the Plan. If any shares of Restricted Stock, Performance Awards or Other Stock-Based Awards denominated in Shares awarded under the Plan to a Participant are forfeited for any reason, the number of forfeited shares of Restricted Stock, Performance Awards or Other Stock-Based Awards denominated in Shares shall again be available for purposes of Awards under the Plan. If any Shares are withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations on an Award issued under the Plan, the number of Shares withheld shall again be available for purposes of Awards under the Plan. If a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right is granted in tandem with an Option, such grant shall only apply once against the maximum number of Shares which may be issued under the Plan. Any Award under the Plan settled in cash shall not be counted against the foregoing maximum share limitations.

(b) The aggregate grant date fair value (computed as of the date of grant in accordance with applicable financial accounting rules) of all Awards granted under the Plan to any individual Non-Employee Director in any fiscal year of the Company (excluding any stock dividends payable in respect of outstanding Awards), when combined with other compensation received for such year in connection with service as a director, shall not exceed $         increased to $         in the fiscal year of his or her initial service as a Non-Employee Director.

 

9


(c) In connection with an entity’s merger or consolidation with the Company or the Company’s acquisition of an entity’s property or stock, the Committee may grant Substitute Awards. Substitute awards may be granted on such terms as the Committee deems appropriate, notwithstanding limitations on Awards in the Plan. Substitute Awards shall not reduce the Shares authorized for grant under the Plan, except as may be required by reason of Section 422 of the Code. Additionally, in the event that a company acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary or with which the Company or any Subsidiary combines has shares available under a pre-existing plan approved by its stockholders and not adopted in contemplation of such acquisition or combination, the shares available for grant pursuant to the terms of such pre-existing plan (as adjusted, to the extent appropriate, using the exchange ratio or other adjustment or valuation ratio or formula used in such acquisition or combination to determine the consideration payable to the holders of common stock of the entities party to such acquisition or combination) may be used for Awards under the Plan and shall not reduce the Shares authorized for grant under the Plan; provided that, Awards using such available Shares shall not be made after the date awards or grants could have been made under the terms of the pre-existing plan, absent the acquisition or combination, and shall only be made to individuals who were not employed by or providing services to the Company or its Subsidiaries immediately prior to such acquisition or combination.

4.2 Changes.

(a) The existence of the Plan and the Awards granted hereunder shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Board, the Committee or the stockholders of the Company, RSG LLC or New RSG LLC to make or authorize (i) any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in the Company’s, RSG LLC’s or New RSG LLC’s capital structure or its business, (ii) any merger or consolidation of the Company, RSG LLC, new RSG LLC or any of their Affiliates, (iii) any issuance of bonds, debentures, preferred or prior preference stock ahead of or affecting the Shares, (iv) the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, RSG LLC, New RSG LLC or any of their Affiliates, (v) any sale or transfer of all or part of the assets or business of the Company, RSG LLC, New RSG LLC or any of their Affiliates or (vi) any other corporate act or proceeding.

(b) Subject to the provisions of Section 12.1:

(i) If the Company, RSG LLC or New RSG LLC at any time subdivides (by any split, recapitalization or otherwise) the outstanding Shares into a greater number of Shares, or combines (by reverse split, combination or otherwise) its outstanding Shares into a lesser number of Shares, then the respective exercise prices for outstanding Awards that provide for a Participant elected exercise and the number of Shares covered by outstanding Awards shall be appropriately adjusted by the Committee (as the Committee determines in its sole discretion) to prevent dilution or enlargement of the rights granted to, or available for, Participants under the Plan.

(ii) Excepting transactions covered by Section 4.2(b)(i), if the Company, RSG LLC or New RSG LLC effects any merger, consolidation, statutory exchange, spin-off, reorganization, sale or transfer of all or substantially all the Company’s, RSG LLC’s or New RSG LLC’s assets or business, or other corporate transaction or event in such a manner that the Company’s, RSG LLC’s or New RSG LLC’s outstanding Shares are converted into the right to receive (or the holders of Shares are entitled to receive in exchange therefor), either immediately or upon liquidation of the Company, RSG LLC or New RSG LLC, securities or other property of the Company, RSG LLC, New RSG LLC or other entity (each, a “Reorganization”), then, subject to the provisions of Section 12.1, (A) the aggregate number or kind of securities that thereafter may be issued under the Plan, (B) the number or kind of securities or other property (including cash) to be issued pursuant to Awards granted under the Plan (including as a result of the assumption of the Plan and the obligations hereunder by a successor entity, as applicable), or (C) the purchase price thereof, shall be appropriately adjusted by the Committee (as the Committee determines in its sole discretion) to prevent dilution or enlargement of the rights granted to, or available for, Participants under the Plan.

 

10


(iii) If there shall occur any change in the capital structure of the Company, RSG LLC or New RSG LLC other than those covered by Section 4.2(b)(i) or 4.2(b)(ii), including by reason of any extraordinary dividend (whether cash or equity), any conversion, any adjustment, any issuance of any class of securities convertible or exercisable into, or exercisable for, any class of equity securities of the Company, RSG LLC or New RSG LLC, then the Committee shall appropriately adjust any Award and/or make such other adjustments to the Plan to prevent dilution or enlargement of the rights granted to, or available for, Participants under the Plan, as the Committee determines in its sole discretion.

(iv) Any such adjustment determined by the Committee pursuant to this Section 4.2(b) shall be final, binding and conclusive on the Company and all Participants and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and permitted assigns. Any adjustment to, or assumption or substitution of, an Award under this Section 4.2(b) shall be intended to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and Treasury Regulation §1.424-1 (and any amendments thereto), to the extent applicable. Except as expressly provided in this Section 4.2 or in the applicable Award Agreement, a Participant shall have no additional rights under the Plan by reason of any transaction or event described in this Section 4.2.

(v) Fractional Shares resulting from any adjustment in Awards pursuant to Section 4.2(a) or this Section 4.2(b) shall be aggregated until, and eliminated at, the time of exercise or payment by rounding-down for fractions less than one-half and rounding-up for fractions equal to or greater than one-half; provided, that, any Shares underlying Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights shall be rounded down. No cash settlements shall be required with respect to fractional Shares eliminated by rounding. Notice of any adjustment shall be given by the Committee to each Participant whose Award has been adjusted and such adjustment (whether or not such notice is given) shall be effective and binding for all purposes of the Plan.

4.3 Minimum Purchase Price. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, if authorized but previously unissued Shares are issued under the Plan, such Shares shall not be issued for a consideration that is less than as permitted under applicable law.

ARTICLE V

ELIGIBILITY AND GRANTING OF AWARDS

5.1 General Eligibility. All current and prospective Eligible Individuals are eligible to be granted Awards. Eligibility for the grant of Awards and actual participation in the Plan shall be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.

5.2 Incentive Stock Options. Notwithstanding the foregoing, only Eligible Employees of the Company, its Subsidiaries and its Parent (if any) are eligible to be granted Incentive Stock Options under the Plan. Eligibility for the grant of an Incentive Stock Option and actual participation in the Plan shall be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.

5.3 General Requirement. The vesting and exercise of Awards granted to a prospective Eligible Individual are conditioned upon such individual actually becoming an Eligible Employee, Consultant or Non-Employee Director, respectively.

5.4 Award Agreement. Each Award shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that sets forth the terms, conditions and limitations for such Award as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion (consistent with the requirements of the Plan and any applicable program). Award Agreements evidencing Incentive Stock Options shall contain such terms and conditions as may be necessary to meet the applicable provisions of Section 422 of the Code.

 

11


5.5 Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Plan, and any Award granted or awarded to any individual who is then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, shall be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act and any amendments thereto) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Plan and Awards granted or awarded hereunder shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.

5.6 Foreign Holders. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan or applicable program to the contrary, in order to comply with the laws in countries other than the United States in which the Company and its Subsidiaries operate or have Eligible Employees, Non-Employee Directors or Consultants, or in order to comply with the requirements of any foreign securities exchange or other applicable law, the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall have the power and authority to: (a) determine which Subsidiaries shall be covered by the Plan; (b) determine which Eligible Individuals outside the United States are eligible to participate in the Plan; (c) modify the terms and conditions of any Award granted to Eligible Individuals outside the United States to comply with applicable law (including, without limitation, applicable foreign laws or listing requirements of any foreign securities exchange); (d) establish subplans and modify exercise procedures and other terms and procedures, to the extent such actions may be necessary or advisable; provided, however, that no such subplans and/or modifications shall increase the share limitation contained in Section 4.1; and (e) take any action, before or after an Award is made, that it deems advisable to obtain approval or comply with any necessary local governmental regulatory exemptions or approvals or listing requirements of any foreign securities exchange.

ARTICLE VI

STOCK OPTIONS

6.1 Options. Stock Options may be granted alone or in addition to other Awards granted under the Plan. Each Stock Option granted under the Plan shall be of one of two types: (a) an Incentive Stock Option or (b) a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

6.2 Grants. The Committee shall have the authority to grant to any Eligible Employee one or more Incentive Stock Options, Non-Qualified Stock Options, or both types of Stock Options. The Committee shall have the authority to grant any Consultant or Non-Employee Director one or more Non-Qualified Stock Options. To the extent that any Stock Option does not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option (whether because of its provisions or the time or manner of its exercise or otherwise), such Stock Option or the portion thereof which does not so qualify shall constitute a separate Non-Qualified Stock Option.

6.3 Incentive Stock Options. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, no term of the Plan relating to Incentive Stock Options shall be interpreted, amended or altered, nor shall any discretion or authority granted under the Plan be so exercised, so as to disqualify the Plan under Section 422 of the Code, or, without the consent of the Participants affected, to disqualify any Incentive Stock Option under such Section 422.

6.4 Terms of Options. Options granted under the Plan shall be subject to the following terms and conditions and shall be in such form and contain such additional terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, as the Committee shall deem desirable:

(a) Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Common Stock subject to a Stock Option shall be determined by the Committee at the time of grant; provided that, the per share exercise price of a Stock Option shall not be less than 100% (or, in the case of an Incentive Stock Option granted to a Ten Percent Stockholder, 110%) of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock at the time of grant.

 

12


(b) Stock Option Term. The term of each Stock Option shall be fixed by the Committee; provided that, no Stock Option shall be exercisable more than 15 years after the date the Option is granted; and, provided, further, that the term of an Incentive Stock Option shall not exceed 10 years (five years if granted to a Ten Percent Stockholder) .

(c) Exercisability. Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 6.4, Stock Options granted under the Plan shall be exercisable at such time or times and subject to such terms and conditions as shall be determined by the Committee at the time of grant. If the Committee provides, in its discretion, that any Stock Option is exercisable subject to certain limitations (including, without limitation, that such Stock Option is exercisable only in installments or within certain time periods), the Committee may waive such limitations on the exercisability at any time at or after the time of grant in whole or in part (including, without limitation, waiver of the installment exercise provisions or acceleration of the time at which such Stock Option may be exercised), based on such factors, if any, as the Committee shall determine, in its sole discretion.

(d) Method of Exercise. Subject to whatever installment exercise and waiting period provisions apply under Section 6.4(c), to the extent vested, Stock Options may be exercised in whole or in part at any time during the Option term, by giving written notice of exercise to the Company specifying the number of shares of Common Stock to be purchased. Such notice shall be accompanied by payment in full of the purchase price as follows: (i) in cash or by check, bank draft or money order payable to the order of the Company; (ii) solely to the extent permitted by applicable law, if the Common Stock is traded on a national securities exchange, and the Committee authorizes, through a procedure whereby the Participant delivers irrevocable instructions to a broker reasonably acceptable to the Committee to deliver promptly to the Company an amount equal to the purchase price; or (iii) on such other terms and conditions as may be acceptable to the Committee (including, without limitation, having the Company withhold shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Stock Option, or by payment in full or in part in the form of Common Stock owned by the Participant, based on the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the payment date as determined by the Committee). No shares of Common Stock shall be issued until payment therefor, as provided herein, has been made or provided for.

(e) Non-Transferability of Options. No Stock Option shall be Transferable by the Participant other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and all Stock Options shall be exercisable, during the Participant’s lifetime, only by the Participant. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may determine, in its sole discretion, at the time of grant or thereafter that a Non-Qualified Stock Option that is otherwise not Transferable pursuant to this Section is Transferable to a Family Member in whole or in part and in such circumstances, and under such conditions, as specified by the Committee. A Non-Qualified Stock Option that is Transferred to a Family Member pursuant to the preceding sentence (i) may not be subsequently Transferred other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and (ii) remains subject to the terms of the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement. Any shares of Common Stock acquired upon the exercise of a Non-Qualified Stock Option by a permissible transferee of a Non-Qualified Stock Option or a permissible transferee pursuant to a Transfer after the exercise of the Non-Qualified Stock Option shall be subject to the terms of the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement.

(f) Termination by Death or Disability. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at the time of grant, or if no rights of the Participant are reduced, thereafter, if a Participant’s Termination is by reason of death or Disability, all Stock Options that are held by such Participant that are vested and exercisable at the time of the Participant’s Termination may be exercised by the Participant (or in the case of the Participant’s death, by the legal representative of the Participant’s estate) at any time within a period of one (1) year from the date of such Termination, but in no event beyond the expiration of the stated term of such Stock Options; provided, however, that, in the event of a Participant’s Termination by reason of Disability, if the Participant dies within such exercise period, all unexercised Stock Options held by such Participant shall thereafter be exercisable, to the extent to which they were exercisable at the time of death, for a period of one (1) year from the date of such death, but in no event beyond the expiration of the stated term of such Stock Options.

 

13


(g) Involuntary Termination without Cause. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at the time of grant, or if no rights of the Participant are reduced, thereafter, if a Participant’s Termination is by involuntary termination by the Company without Cause, all Stock Options that are held by such Participant that are vested and exercisable at the time of the Participant’s Termination may be exercised by the Participant at any time within a period of ninety (90) days from the date of such Termination, but in no event beyond the expiration of the stated term of such Stock Options.

(h) Voluntary Resignation. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at the time of grant, or if no rights of the Participant are reduced, thereafter, if a Participant’s Termination is voluntary (other than a voluntary termination described in clause (y) of Section 6.4(i)), all Stock Options that are held by such Participant that are vested and exercisable at the time of the Participant’s Termination may be exercised by the Participant at any time within a period of thirty (30) days from the date of such Termination, but in no event beyond the expiration of the stated term of such Stock Options.

(i) Termination for Cause. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at the time of grant, or if no rights of the Participant are reduced, thereafter, if a Participant’s Termination (x) is for Cause or (y) is a voluntary Termination (as provided in Section 6.4(h)) after the occurrence of an event that would be grounds for a Termination for Cause, all Stock Options, whether vested or not vested, that are held by such Participant shall thereupon terminate and expire as of the date of such Termination.

(j) Unvested Stock Options. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at the time of grant, or if no rights of the Participant are reduced, thereafter, Stock Options that are not vested as of the date of a Participant’s Termination for any reason shall terminate and expire as of the date of such Termination.

(k) Incentive Stock Option Limitations. To the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the time of grant) of the Common Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by an Eligible Employee during any calendar year under the Plan and/or any other stock option plan of the Company, any Subsidiary or any Parent exceeds $100,000, such Options shall be treated as Non-Qualified Stock Options. In addition, if an Eligible Employee does not remain employed by the Company, any Subsidiary or any Parent at all times from the time an Incentive Stock Option is granted until three months prior to the date of exercise thereof (or such other period as required by applicable law), such Stock Option shall be treated as a Non-Qualified Stock Option. Should any provision of the Plan not be necessary in order for the Stock Options to qualify as Incentive Stock Options, or should any additional provisions be required, the Committee may amend the Plan accordingly, without the necessity of obtaining the approval of the stockholders of the Company.

(l) Form, Modification, Extension and Renewal of Stock Options. Subject to the terms and conditions and within the limitations of the Plan, Stock Options shall be evidenced by such form of agreement or grant as is approved by the Committee, and the Committee may (i) modify, extend or renew outstanding Stock Options granted under the Plan (provided that, the rights of a Participant are not reduced without such Participant’s consent and, provided, further, that such action does not subject the Stock Options to Section 409A of the Code without the consent of the Participant), and (ii) accept the surrender of outstanding Stock Options (to the extent not theretofore exercised) and authorize the granting of new Stock Options in substitution therefor (to the extent not theretofore exercised). Notwithstanding the foregoing, an outstanding Option may not be modified to reduce the exercise price thereof nor may a new Option at a lower price be substituted for a surrendered Option (other than adjustments or substitutions in accordance with Section 4.2), unless such action is approved by the stockholders of the Company.

 

14


(m) Deferred Delivery of Common Stock. The Committee may in its discretion permit Participants to defer delivery of Common Stock acquired pursuant to a Participant’s exercise of an Option in accordance with the terms and conditions established by the Committee in the applicable Award Agreement, which shall be intended to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.

(n) Early Exercise. The Committee may provide that a Stock Option include a provision whereby the Participant may elect at any time before the Participant’s Termination to exercise the Stock Option as to any part or all of the shares of Common Stock subject to the Stock Option prior to the full vesting of the Stock Option and such shares shall be subject to the provisions of Article VIII and be treated as Restricted Stock. Unvested shares of Common Stock so purchased may be subject to a repurchase option in favor of the Company or to any other restriction the Committee determines to be appropriate.

(o) Other Terms and Conditions. The Committee may include a provision in an Award Agreement providing for the automatic exercise of a Non-Qualified Stock Option on a cashless basis on the last day of the term of such Option if the Participant has failed to exercise the Non-Qualified Stock Option as of such date, with respect to which the Fair Market Value of the shares of Common Stock underlying the Non-Qualified Stock Option exceeds the exercise price of such Non-Qualified Stock Option on the date of expiration of such Option, subject to Section 15.4. Stock Options may contain such other provisions, which shall not be inconsistent with any of the terms of the Plan, as the Committee shall deem appropriate.

ARTICLE VII

STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS

7.1 Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights. Stock Appreciation Rights may be granted in conjunction with all or part of any Stock Option (a “Reference Stock Option”) granted under the Plan (“Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights”). In the case of a Non-Qualified Stock Option, such rights may be granted either at or after the time of the grant of such Reference Stock Option. In the case of an Incentive Stock Option, such rights may be granted only at the time of the grant of such Reference Stock Option.

7.2 Terms and Conditions of Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights. Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights granted hereunder shall be subject to such terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as shall be determined from time to time by the Committee, and the following:

(a) Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Common Stock subject to a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall be determined by the Committee at the time of grant; provided that, the per share exercise price of a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock at the time of grant.

(b) Term. A Tandem Stock Appreciation Right or applicable portion thereof granted with respect to a Reference Stock Option shall terminate and no longer be exercisable upon the termination or exercise of the Reference Stock Option, except that, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, at the time of grant, a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right granted with respect to less than the full number of shares covered by the Reference Stock Option shall not be reduced until, and then only to the extent that the exercise or termination of the Reference Stock Option causes, the number of shares covered by the Tandem Stock Appreciation Right to exceed the number of shares remaining available and unexercised under the Reference Stock Option.

 

15


(c) Exercisability. Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights shall be exercisable only at such time or times and to the extent that the Reference Stock Options to which they relate shall be exercisable in accordance with the provisions of Article VI, and shall be subject to the provisions of Section 6.4(c).

(d) Method of Exercise. A Tandem Stock Appreciation Right may be exercised by the Participant by surrendering the applicable portion of the Reference Stock Option. Upon such exercise and surrender, the Participant shall be entitled to receive an amount determined in the manner prescribed in this Section 7.2. Stock Options which have been so surrendered, in whole or in part, shall no longer be exercisable to the extent that the related Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights have been exercised.

(e) Payment. Upon the exercise of a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right, a Participant shall be entitled to receive up to, but no more than, an amount in cash and/or Common Stock (as chosen by the Committee in its sole discretion) equal in value to the excess of the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock over the Option exercise price per share specified in the Reference Stock Option agreement multiplied by the number of shares of Common Stock in respect of which the Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall have been exercised, with the Committee having the right to determine the form of payment.

(f) Deemed Exercise of Reference Stock Option. Upon the exercise of a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right, the Reference Stock Option or part thereof to which such Stock Appreciation Right is related shall be deemed to have been exercised for the purpose of the limitation set forth in Article IV of the Plan on the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued under the Plan.

(g) Non-Transferability. Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights shall be Transferable only when and to the extent that the underlying Stock Option would be Transferable under Section 6.4(e) of the Plan.

7.3 Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights. Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights may also be granted without reference to any Stock Options granted under the Plan.

7.4 Terms and Conditions of Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights. Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights granted hereunder shall be subject to such terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as shall be determined from time to time by the Committee, and the following:

(a) Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Common Stock subject to a Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall be determined by the Committee at the time of grant; provided that, the per share exercise price of a Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock at the time of grant.

(b) Term. The term of each Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall be fixed by the Committee, but shall not be greater than 10 years after the date the right is granted.

(c) Exercisability. Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 7.4, Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights granted under the Plan shall be exercisable at such time or times and subject to such terms and conditions as shall be determined by the Committee at the time of grant. If the Committee provides, in its discretion, that any such right is exercisable subject to certain limitations (including, without limitation, that it is exercisable only in installments or within certain time periods), the Committee may waive such limitations on the exercisability at any time at or after grant in whole or in part (including, without limitation, waiver of the installment exercise provisions or acceleration of the time at which such right may be exercised), based on such factors, if any, as the Committee shall determine, in its sole discretion.

 

16


(d) Method of Exercise. Subject to whatever installment exercise and waiting period provisions apply under Section 7.4(c), Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights may be exercised in whole or in part at any time in accordance with the applicable Award Agreement, by giving written notice of exercise to the Company specifying the number of Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights to be exercised.

(e) Payment. Upon the exercise of a Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Right a Participant shall be entitled to receive, for each right exercised, up to, but no more than, an amount in cash and/or Common Stock (as chosen by the Committee in its sole discretion) equal in value to the excess of the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock on the date that the right is exercised over the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock on the date that the right was awarded to the Participant.

(f) Termination. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at grant or, if no rights of the Participant are reduced, thereafter, subject to the provisions of the applicable Award Agreement and the Plan, upon a Participant’s Termination for any reason, Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights will remain exercisable following a Participant’s Termination on the same basis as Stock Options would be exercisable following a Participant’s Termination in accordance with the provisions of Sections 6.4(f) through 6.4(j).

(g) Non-Transferability. No Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights shall be Transferable by the Participant other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and all such rights shall be exercisable, during the Participant’s lifetime, only by the Participant.

7.5 Other Terms and Conditions. The Committee may include a provision in an Award Agreement providing for the automatic exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right on a cashless basis on the last day of the term of such Stock Appreciation Right if the Participant has failed to exercise the Stock Appreciation Right as of such date, with respect to which the Fair Market Value of the shares of Common Stock underlying the Stock Appreciation Right exceeds the exercise price of such Stock Appreciation Right on the date of expiration of such Stock Appreciation Right, subject to Section 15.4. Stock Appreciation Rights may contain such other provisions, which shall not be inconsistent with any of the terms of the Plan, as the Committee shall deem appropriate.

ARTICLE VIII

RESTRICTED STOCK

8.1 Awards of Restricted Stock. Shares of Restricted Stock may be issued either alone or in addition to other Awards granted under the Plan. The Committee shall determine the Eligible Individuals, to whom, and the time or times at which, grants of Restricted Stock shall be made, the number of shares to be awarded, the price (if any) to be paid by the Participant (subject to Section 8.2), the time or times within which such Awards may be subject to forfeiture, the vesting schedule and rights to acceleration thereof, and all other terms and conditions of the Awards.

The Committee may condition the grant or vesting of Restricted Stock upon the attainment of specified performance targets (including, the Performance Goals) or such other factor as the Committee may determine in its sole discretion.

 

17


8.2 Awards and Certificates. Eligible Individuals selected to receive Restricted Stock shall not have any right with respect to such Award, unless and until such Participant has delivered a fully executed copy of the agreement evidencing the Award to the Company, to the extent required by the Committee, and has otherwise complied with the applicable terms and conditions of such Award. Further, such Award shall be subject to the following conditions:

(a) Purchase Price. The purchase price of Restricted Stock shall be fixed by the Committee. Subject to Section 4.2, the purchase price for shares of Restricted Stock may be zero to the extent permitted by applicable law, and, to the extent not so permitted, such purchase price may not be less than par value.

(b) Acceptance. Awards of Restricted Stock must be accepted within a period of 60 days (or such shorter period as the Committee may specify at grant) after the grant date, by executing a Restricted Stock agreement and by paying whatever price (if any) the Committee has designated thereunder.

(c) Legend. Each Participant receiving Restricted Stock shall be issued a stock certificate in respect of such shares of Restricted Stock, unless the Committee elects to use another system, such as book entries by the transfer agent, as evidencing ownership of shares of Restricted Stock. Such certificate shall be registered in the name of such Participant, and shall, in addition to such legends required by applicable securities laws, bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions, and restrictions applicable to such Award.

(d) Custody. If stock certificates are issued in respect of shares of Restricted Stock, the Committee may require that any stock certificates evidencing such shares be held in custody by the Company until the restrictions thereon shall have lapsed, and that, as a condition of any grant of Restricted Stock, the Participant shall have delivered a duly signed stock power or other instruments of assignment (including a power of attorney), each endorsed in blank with a guarantee of signature if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Company, which would permit transfer to the Company of all or a portion of the shares subject to the Restricted Stock Award in the event that such Award is forfeited in whole or part.

8.3 Restrictions and Conditions. The shares of Restricted Stock awarded pursuant to the Plan shall be subject to the following restrictions and conditions:

(a) Restriction Period.

(i) The Participant shall not be permitted to Transfer shares of Restricted Stock awarded under the Plan during the period or periods set by the Committee (the “Restriction Period”) commencing on the date of such Award, as set forth in the Restricted Stock Award Agreement and such agreement shall set forth a vesting schedule and any event that would accelerate vesting of the shares of Restricted Stock. Within these limits, based on service, attainment of Performance Goals pursuant to Section 8.3(a)(ii) and/or such other factors or criteria as the Committee may determine in its sole discretion, the Committee may condition the grant or provide for the lapse of such restrictions in installments in whole or in part, or may accelerate the vesting of all or any part of any Restricted Stock Award and/or waive the deferral limitations for all or any part of any Restricted Stock Award.

(ii) If the grant of shares of Restricted Stock or the lapse of restrictions is based on the attainment of Performance Goals, the Committee shall establish the objective Performance Goals and the applicable vesting percentage of the Restricted Stock applicable to each Participant or class of Participants in writing prior to the beginning of the applicable fiscal year or at such later date as otherwise determined by the Committee and while the outcome of the Performance Goals are substantially uncertain. Such Performance Goals may incorporate provisions for disregarding (or adjusting for) changes in accounting methods, corporate transactions (including, without limitation, dispositions and acquisitions) and other similar type events or circumstances.

 

18


(b) Rights as a Stockholder. Except as provided in Section 8.3(a) and this Section 8.3(b) or as otherwise determined by the Committee in an Award Agreement, the Participant shall have, with respect to the shares of Restricted Stock, all of the rights of a holder of shares of Common Stock of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to receive dividends, the right to vote such shares and, subject to and conditioned upon the full vesting of shares of Restricted Stock, the right to tender such shares; provided, however, that unless otherwise determined by the Committee, payment of dividends shall be deferred until, and conditioned upon, the expiration of the applicable Restriction Period. For the sake of clarity, such deferred dividends will be forfeited if the Restricted Stock is forfeited.

(c) Termination. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at grant or, if no rights of the Participant are reduced, thereafter, subject to the applicable provisions of the Award Agreement and the Plan, upon a Participant’s Termination for any reason during the relevant Restriction Period, all Restricted Stock still subject to restriction will be forfeited in accordance with the terms and conditions established by the Committee at grant or thereafter.

(d) Lapse of Restrictions. If and when the Restriction Period expires without a prior forfeiture of the Restricted Stock, the certificates for such Shares shall be delivered to the Participant. All legends shall be removed from said certificates at the time of delivery to the Participant, except as otherwise required by applicable law or other limitations imposed by the Committee.

ARTICLE IX

PERFORMANCE AWARDS

9.1 Performance Awards. The Committee may grant a Performance Award to a Participant payable upon the attainment of specific Performance Goals. If the Performance Award is payable in shares of Common Stock, such shares shall be transferable to the Participant only upon attainment of the relevant Performance Goal in accordance with Article VIII. If the Performance Award is payable in cash, it may be paid upon the attainment of the relevant Performance Goals either in cash or in shares of Common Stock (based on the then current Fair Market Value of such shares), as determined by the Committee, in its sole and absolute discretion.

9.2 Terms and Conditions. Performance Awards awarded pursuant to this Article IX shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:

(a) Earning of Performance Award. At the expiration of the applicable Performance Period, the Committee shall determine the extent to which the Performance Goals are achieved and the percentage of each Performance Award that has been earned.

(b) Non-Transferability. Subject to the applicable provisions of the Award Agreement and the Plan, Performance Awards may not be Transferred during the Performance Period.

(c) Dividends. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at the time of grant, amounts equal to dividends declared during the Performance Period with respect to the number of shares of Common Stock covered by a Performance Award will be deferred and paid to the Participant once such Performance Award has vested and been settled. For the sake of clarity, such deferred dividends will be forfeited if the Performance Award is forfeited.

 

19


(d) Payment. Following the Committee’s determination in accordance with Section 9.2(a), the Company shall settle Performance Awards, in such form (including, without limitation, in shares of Common Stock or in cash) as determined by the Committee, in an amount equal to such Participant’s earned Performance Awards.

(e) Termination. Subject to the applicable provisions of the Award Agreement and the Plan, upon a Participant’s Termination for any reason during the Performance Period for a given Performance Award, the Performance Award in question will vest or be forfeited in accordance with the terms and conditions established by the Committee at grant.

(f) Accelerated Vesting. Based on service, performance and/or such other factors or criteria, if any, as the Committee may determine, the Committee may, at or after grant, accelerate the vesting of all or any part of any Performance Award.

ARTICLE X

OTHER STOCK-BASED AND CASH-BASED AWARDS

10.1 Other Stock-Based Awards. The Committee is authorized to grant to Eligible Individuals Other Stock-Based Awards that are payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on or related to Shares, including but not limited to, Shares awarded purely as a bonus and not subject to restrictions or conditions, shares of Common Stock in payment of the amounts due under an incentive or performance plan sponsored or maintained by the Company or an Affiliate, stock equivalent units, restricted stock units, and Awards valued by reference to book value of shares of Common Stock. Other Stock-Based Awards may be granted either alone or in addition to or in tandem with other Awards granted under the Plan.

Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have authority to determine the Eligible Individuals, to whom, and the time or times at which, such Awards shall be made, the number of shares of Common Stock to be awarded pursuant to such Awards, and all other conditions of the Awards. The Committee may also provide for the grant of Common Stock under such Awards upon the completion of a specified Performance Period.

The Committee may condition the grant or vesting of Other Stock-Based Awards upon the attainment of specified Performance Goals as the Committee may determine, in its sole discretion;

10.2 Terms and Conditions. Other Stock-Based Awards made pursuant to this Article X shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:

(a) Non-Transferability. Subject to the applicable provisions of the Award Agreement and the Plan, shares of Common Stock subject to Awards made under this Article X may not be Transferred prior to the date on which the shares are issued, or, if later, the date on which any applicable restriction, performance or deferral period lapses.

(b) Dividends. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at the time of Award, subject to the provisions of the Award Agreement and the Plan, the recipient of an Award under this Article X shall not be entitled to receive, currently or on a deferred basis, dividends or dividend equivalents in respect of the number of shares of Common Stock covered by the Award.

(c) Vesting. Any Award under this Article X and any Common Stock covered by any such Award shall vest or be forfeited to the extent so provided in the Award Agreement, as determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion.

 

20


(d) Price. Common Stock issued on a bonus basis under this Article X may be issued for no cash consideration. Common Stock purchased pursuant to a purchase right awarded under this Article X shall be priced, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.

10.3 Other Cash-Based Awards. The Committee may from time to time grant Other Cash-Based Awards to Eligible Individuals in such amounts, on such terms and conditions, and for such consideration, including no consideration or such minimum consideration as may be required by applicable law, as it shall determine in its sole discretion. Other Cash-Based Awards may be granted subject to the satisfaction of vesting conditions or may be awarded purely as a bonus and not subject to restrictions or conditions, and if subject to vesting conditions, the Committee may accelerate the vesting of such Awards at any time in its sole discretion. The grant of an Other Cash-Based Award shall not require a segregation of any of the Company’s assets for satisfaction of the Company’s payment obligation thereunder.

ARTICLE XI

RSG LLC AWARDS

11.1 RSG LLC Common Unit Awards. RSG LLC Common Unit Awards shall be awards designed as either fully vested or restricted Common Units in RSG LLC or New RSG LLC (as defined in the LLC Agreements). The Committee is authorized to grant RSG LLC Common Unit Awards to Eligible Individuals under the terms and conditions determined by the Committee in its discretion, subject to any restrictions on such Common Units generally within the LLC Agreements.

11.2 RSG LLC Incentive Units. An RSG LLC Incentive Unit shall be designed as a “profits interest” within the meaning of Internal Revenue Service Revenue Procedures 93-27 and 2001-43. Each RSG LLC Incentive Unit will entitle the holder thereof to receive distributions from RSG LLC or New RSG LLC in accordance with the terms of the applicable LLC Agreement. The Committee will establish the terms and conditions applicable to the RSG LLC Incentive Units, including vesting or service requirements.

11.3 RSG LLC Awards Generally. The Committee is authorized, subject to limitations under applicable law, to grant other types of equity-based, equity-related or cash-based Awards valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise calculated by reference to or based on, RSG LLC Units, in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee may determine (the “RSG LLC Awards”). RSG LLC Awards may entail the transfer of shares of Common Stock or RSG LLC Units to Award recipients. RSG LLC Awards may be in the same form as Awards that are permitted to be granted under the Plan generally with respect to Common Stock (with the exception of Incentive Stock Options), with all references to Common Stock replaced with references to the RSG LLC Units and all other definitions modified, if necessary for the context, to reflect RSG LLC or New RSG LLC rather than the Company. In addition to any Award Agreement governing an RSG LLC Award, the Committee may require that a recipient of an RSG LLC Award execute additional documentation to become a member of RSG LLC or New RSG LLC. RSG LLC Incentive Units and RSG LLC Common Unit Awards described above will be deemed to be RSG LLC Awards for purposes of the Plan. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary within the Plan or in any Award Agreement that governs an RSG LLC Award, the terms and conditions of all RSG LLC Awards shall be designed to comply with the LLC Agreements, and to the extent that there is any inconsistency with the LLC Agreements within the Plan or the Award Agreement governing any RSG LLC Award, the terms of the LLC Agreements shall control.

 

21


ARTICLE XII

CHANGE IN CONTROL PROVISIONS

12.1 Benefits. In the event of a Change in Control of the Company (as defined below), and except as otherwise provided by the Committee in an Award Agreement, a Participant’s unvested Award shall not vest automatically and a Participant’s Award shall be treated in accordance with one or more of the following methods as determined by the Committee:

(a) Awards, whether or not then vested, shall be continued, assumed, or have new rights substituted therefor, as determined by the Committee in a manner consistent with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, and restrictions to which shares of Restricted Stock or any other Award granted prior to the Change in Control are subject shall not lapse upon a Change in Control and the Restricted Stock or other Award shall, where appropriate in the sole discretion of the Committee, receive the same distribution as other Shares on such terms as determined by the Committee; provided that, the Committee may decide to award additional Restricted Stock or other Awards in lieu of any cash distribution. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, for purposes of Incentive Stock Options, any assumed or substituted Stock Option shall comply with the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 1.424-1 (and any amendment thereto).

(b) The Committee, in its sole discretion, may provide for the purchase of any Awards by the Company or an Affiliate for an amount equal to the excess (if any) of the Change in Control Price (as defined below) of the Shares covered by such Awards, over the aggregate exercise price of such Awards. For purposes hereof, “Change in Control Price” shall mean the highest price per Share paid in any transaction related to a Change in Control of the Company.

(c) The Committee may, in its sole discretion, terminate all outstanding and unexercised Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, or any Other Stock-Based Award that provides for a Participant elected exercise, effective as of the date of the Change in Control, by delivering notice of termination to each Participant at least twenty (20) days prior to the date of consummation of the Change in Control, in which case during the period from the date on which such notice of termination is delivered to the consummation of the Change in Control, each such Participant shall have the right to exercise in full all of such Participant’s Awards that are then outstanding (without regard to any limitations on exercisability otherwise contained in the Award Agreements), but any such exercise shall be contingent on the occurrence of the Change in Control, and, provided that, if the Change in Control does not take place within a specified period after giving such notice for any reason whatsoever, the notice and exercise pursuant thereto shall be null and void.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision herein to the contrary, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, provide for accelerated vesting or lapse of restrictions, of an Award at any time.

12.2 Change in Control. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee in the applicable Award Agreement or other written agreement with a Participant approved by the Committee, a “Change in Control” shall be deemed to occur if:

(a) any “person,” as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act (other than the Company, any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under any employee benefit plan of the Company, an underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of such securities, or a corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock in the Company) becoming the beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding voting securities other than pursuant to a transaction that would not be a Change in Control pursuant to Section 12.2(b);

 

22


(b) a merger or consolidation of the Company or a Subsidiary with any other entity, other than (i) a merger or consolidation which would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity) more than 50% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the Company or such surviving entity or its ultimate parent company outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation in substantially the same proportions as prior to such merger or consolidation, or (ii) a merger or consolidation effected to implement a recapitalization of the Company (or similar transaction) in which no Person (other than those covered by the exceptions in Section 12.2(a)) acquires more than 50% of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities;

(c) at any time, Incumbent Directors cease to constitute a majority of the Board. For this purpose, “Incumbent Director” means each member of the Board on the Effective Date and each person whose election or nomination for election to the Board is approved by a majority of the Incumbent Directors; provided that, any person elected or nominated for election as the result of an actual or threatened proxy contest will not be considered to be an Incumbent Director. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of the Plan, the occurrence of the Registration Date or any change in the composition of the Board within one year following the Registration Date shall not be considered a Change in Control; or

(d) a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company or the consummation of a sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets (in one or a series of related transactions) (which for this purpose shall mean total assets which represent at least 70% or more of the total fair market value of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis) other than the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of the assets (in one or a series of related transactions), which for this purpose shall mean total assets which represent at least 70% or more of the total fair market value of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis to a Person or Persons who beneficially own, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of the combined voting power of the outstanding voting securities of the Company at the time of the sale.

Notwithstanding the foregoing: (i) a Change in Control will not be deemed to have occurred if Onex Corporation or one of its Affiliates (including any fund managed by Onex) directly or indirectly controls the Company; (ii) with respect to any Award that is characterized as “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, an event shall not be considered to be a Change in Control under the Plan for purposes of payment of such Award unless such event is also a “change in ownership,” a “change in effective control” or a “change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets” of the Company within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code; and (iii) for purposes of this Section 12.2, with respect to any RSG LLC Award, the term “Company” shall be replaced with “RSG LLC” or “New RSG LLC,” as applicable.

12.3 Initial Public Offering not a Change in Control. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of the Plan, the occurrence of the Registration Date or any change in the composition of the Board within one year following the Registration Date shall not be considered a Change in Control.

 

23


ARTICLE XIII

TERMINATION OR AMENDMENT OF PLAN

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Board may at any time, and from time to time, amend, in whole or in part, any or all of the provisions of the Plan (including any amendment deemed necessary to ensure that the Company may comply with any regulatory requirement referred to in Article XV or Section 409A of the Code), or suspend or terminate it entirely, retroactively or otherwise; provided, however, that unless otherwise required by law or specifically provided herein, the rights of a Participant with respect to Awards granted prior to such amendment, suspension or termination, may not be impaired without the consent of such Participant and, provided, further, that without the approval of the holders of Shares entitled to vote in accordance with applicable law, no amendment may be made that would (i) increase the aggregate number of Shares that may be issued under the Plan (except by operation of Section 4.2); (ii) change the classification of individuals eligible to receive Awards under the Plan; (iii) decrease the minimum option price of any Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right; (iv) extend the maximum option period under Section 6.4; (v) award any Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right in replacement of a canceled Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right with a higher exercise price than the replacement award; or (vi) require stockholder approval in order for the Plan to continue to comply with the applicable provisions of Section 422 of the Code. In no event may the Plan be amended without the approval of the holders of Shares entitled to vote in accordance with the applicable laws of the State of Delaware to increase the aggregate number of Shares that may be issued under the Plan, decrease the minimum exercise price of any Award, or to make any other amendment that would require stockholder approval under Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and regulations or the rules of any exchange or system on which the Company’s, RSG LLC’s or New RSG LLC’s securities are listed or traded at the request of the Company. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Board may amend the Plan or any Award Agreement at any time without a Participant’s consent to comply with applicable law including Section 409A of the Code. The Committee may amend the terms of any Award theretofore granted, prospectively or retroactively, but, subject to Article IV or as otherwise specifically provided herein, no such amendment or other action by the Committee shall impair the rights of any holder without the holder’s consent. The Committee shall have the discretion, without the approval of the holders of Shares and as permitted by applicable law, to cause any Option or Stock Appreciation Right to (A) be amended to decrease the exercise price thereof, (B) be canceled at a time when its exercise price exceeds the Fair Market Value of the underlying Shares in exchange for another Option or Stock Appreciation Right or any cash payment, or (C) be subject to any action that would be treated, for accounting purposes, as a “repricing” of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right.

ARTICLE XIV

UNFUNDED STATUS OF PLAN

The Plan is intended to constitute an “unfunded” plan for incentive and deferred compensation. With respect to any payment as to which a Participant has a fixed and vested interest but which are not yet made to a Participant by the Company, nothing contained herein shall give any such Participant any right that is greater than those of a general unsecured creditor of the Company.

ARTICLE XV

GENERAL PROVISIONS

15.1 Legend. The Committee may require each Person receiving Shares pursuant to a Stock Option or other Award under the Plan to represent to and agree with the Company in writing that the Participant is acquiring the Shares without a view to distribution thereof. In addition to any legend required by the Plan, the certificates for such Shares may include any legend that the Committee deems appropriate to reflect any restrictions on Transfer. All certificates for Shares delivered under the Plan shall be subject

 

24


to such stop transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the rules, regulations and other requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, any stock exchange upon which the Shares are then listed or any national securities exchange system upon whose system the Shares are then quoted, any applicable federal or state securities law, and any applicable corporate law, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be put on any such certificates to make appropriate reference to such restrictions.

15.2 Other Plans. Nothing contained in the Plan shall prevent the Board from adopting other or additional compensation arrangements, subject to stockholder approval if such approval is required, and such arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases.

15.3 No Right to Employment/Directorship/Consultancy. Neither the Plan nor the grant of any Option or other Award hereunder shall give any Participant or other employee, Consultant or Non-Employee Director any right with respect to continuance of employment, consultancy or directorship by the Company or any Affiliate, nor shall there be a limitation in any way on the right of the Company or any Affiliate by which an employee is employed or a Consultant or Non-Employee Director is retained to terminate such employment, consultancy or directorship at any time.

15.4 Withholding of Taxes. The Company, or an Affiliate, as applicable, shall have the right to deduct from any payment to be made pursuant to the Plan, or to otherwise require, prior to the issuance or delivery of Shares or the payment of any cash hereunder, payment by the Participant of, any federal, state or local taxes required by law to be withheld. Upon the vesting of Restricted Stock (or other Award that is taxable upon vesting), or upon making an election under Section 83(b) of the Code, a Participant shall pay all required withholding to the Company. Any minimum statutorily required withholding obligation with regard to any Participant may be satisfied, subject to the consent of the Committee, by reducing the number of Shares otherwise deliverable or by delivering Shares already owned. Furthermore, at the discretion of the Committee, any additional tax obligations of a Participant with respect to an Award may be satisfied by further reducing the number of Shares, otherwise deliverable with respect to such Award, to the extent that such reductions do not result in any adverse accounting implications to the Company, as determined by the Committee. Any fraction of a Share required to satisfy any such tax obligations shall be disregarded and the amount due shall be paid instead in cash by the Participant.

15.5 No Assignment of Benefits. No Award or other benefit payable under the Plan shall, except as otherwise specifically provided by law or permitted by the Committee, be Transferable in any manner, and any attempt to Transfer any such benefit shall be void, and any such benefit shall not in any manner be liable for or subject to the debts, contracts, liabilities, engagements or torts of any Person who shall be entitled to such benefit, nor shall it be subject to attachment or legal process for or against such Person. All transfer of RSG LLC Units shall also be subject to the restrictions contained in the LLC Agreements.

15.6 Listing and Other Conditions.

(a) Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, as long as the Shares are listed on a national securities exchange or system sponsored by a national securities association, the issuance of Shares pursuant to an Award shall be conditioned upon such Shares being listed on such exchange or system. The Company shall have no obligation to issue such Shares unless and until such Shares are so listed, and the right to exercise any Option or other Award with respect to such Shares shall be suspended until such listing has been effected.

 

25


(b) If at any time counsel to the Company shall be of the opinion that any sale or delivery of Shares pursuant to an Option or other Award is or may in the circumstances be unlawful or result in the imposition of excise taxes on the Company under the statutes, rules or regulations of any applicable jurisdiction, the Company shall have no obligation to make such sale or delivery, or to make any application or to effect or to maintain any qualification or registration under the Securities Act or otherwise, with respect to Shares or Awards, and the right to exercise any Option or other Award shall be suspended until, in the opinion of said counsel, such sale or delivery shall be lawful or will not result in the imposition of excise taxes on the Company.

(c) Upon termination of any period of suspension under this Section 15.6, any Award affected by such suspension which shall not then have expired or terminated shall be reinstated as to all shares available before such suspension and as to shares which would otherwise have become available during the period of such suspension, but no such suspension shall extend the term of any Award.

(d) A Participant shall be required to supply the Company with certificates, representations and information that the Company requests and otherwise cooperate with the Company in obtaining any listing, registration, qualification, exemption, consent or approval the Company deems necessary or appropriate.

15.7 Governing Law. The Plan and actions taken in connection herewith shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware (regardless of the law that might otherwise govern under applicable Delaware principles of conflict of laws).

15.8 Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial. Any suit, action or proceeding with respect to the Plan or any Award Agreement, or any judgment entered by any court of competent jurisdiction in respect of any thereof, shall be resolved only in the courts of the State of Delaware or the United States District Court for the District of Delaware and the appellate courts having jurisdiction of appeals in such courts. In that context, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company and each Participant shall irrevocably and unconditionally (a) submit in any proceeding relating to the Plan or any Award Agreement, or for the recognition and enforcement of any judgment in respect thereof (a “Proceeding”), to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Delaware, the court of the United States of America for the District of Delaware, and appellate courts having jurisdiction of appeals from any of the foregoing, and agree that all claims in respect of any such Proceeding shall be heard and determined in such Delaware State court or, to the extent permitted by law, in such federal court, (b) consent that any such Proceeding may and shall be brought in such courts and waives any objection that the Company and each Participant may now or thereafter have to the venue or jurisdiction of any such Proceeding in any such court or that such Proceeding was brought in an inconvenient court and agree not to plead or claim the same, (c) waive all right to trial by jury in any Proceeding (whether based on contract, tort or otherwise) arising out of or relating to the Plan or any Award Agreement, (d) agree that service of process in any such Proceeding may be effected by mailing a copy of such process by registered or certified mail (or any substantially similar form of mail), postage prepaid, to such party, in the case of a Participant, at the Participant’s address shown in the books and records of the Company or, in the case of the Company, at the Company’s principal offices, attention General Counsel, and (e) agree that nothing in the Plan shall affect the right to effect service of process in any other manner permitted by the laws of the State of Delaware.

15.9 Construction. Wherever any words are used in the Plan in the masculine gender they shall be construed as though they were also used in the feminine gender in all cases where they would so apply, and wherever words are used herein in the singular form they shall be construed as though they were also used in the plural form in all cases where they would so apply.

15.10 Other Benefits. No Award granted or paid out under the Plan shall be deemed compensation for purposes of computing benefits under any retirement plan of the Company or its Affiliates nor affect any benefit under any other benefit plan now or subsequently in effect under which the availability or amount of benefits is related to the level of compensation.

 

26


15.11 Costs. The Company shall bear all expenses associated with administering the Plan, including expenses of issuing Shares pursuant to Awards hereunder.

15.12 No Right to Same Benefits. The provisions of Awards need not be the same with respect to each Participant, and such Awards to individual Participants need not be the same in subsequent years.

15.13 Death/Disability. The Committee may in its discretion require the transferee of a Participant to supply it with written notice of the Participant’s death or Disability and to supply it with a copy of the will (in the case of the Participant’s death) or such other evidence as the Committee deems necessary to establish the validity of the transfer of an Award. The Committee may also require that the agreement of the transferee to be bound by all of the terms and conditions of the Plan.

15.14 Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act. All elections and transactions under the Plan by Persons subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act involving Shares are intended to comply with any applicable exemptive condition under Rule 16b-3. The Committee may establish and adopt written administrative guidelines, designed to facilitate compliance with Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, as it may deem necessary or proper for the administration and operation of the Plan and the transaction of business thereunder.

15.15 Section 409A of the Code. The Plan is intended to comply with the applicable requirements of Section 409A of the Code and shall be limited, construed and interpreted in accordance with such intent. To the extent that any Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, it shall be paid in a manner that will comply with Section 409A of the Code, including proposed, temporary or final regulations or any other guidance issued by the Secretary of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service with respect thereto. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, any provision in the Plan that is inconsistent with Section 409A of the Code shall be deemed to be amended to comply with Section 409A of the Code and to the extent such provision cannot be amended to comply therewith, such provision shall be null and void. The Company shall have no liability to a Participant, or any other party, if an Award that is intended to be exempt from, or compliant with, Section 409A of the Code is not so exempt or compliant or for any action taken by the Committee or the Company and, in the event that any amount or benefit under the Plan becomes subject to penalties under Section 409A of the Code, responsibility for payment of such penalties shall rest solely with the affected Participants and not with the Company. Notwithstanding any contrary provision in the Plan or Award Agreement, any payment(s) of “nonqualified deferred compensation” (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) that are otherwise required to be made under the Plan to a “specified employee” (as defined under Section 409A of the Code) as a result of such employee’s separation from service (other than a payment that is not subject to Section 409A of the Code) shall be delayed for the first six (6) months following such separation from service (or, if earlier, the date of death of the specified employee) and shall instead be paid (in a manner set forth in the Award Agreement) upon expiration of such delay period.

15.16 Successor and Assigns. The Plan shall be binding on all successors and permitted assigns of a Participant, including, without limitation, the estate of such Participant and the executor, administrator or trustee of such estate.

15.17 Severability of Provisions. If any provision of the Plan shall be held invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions hereof, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if such provisions had not been included.

15.18 Payments to Minors, Etc. Any benefit payable to or for the benefit of a minor, an incompetent Person or other Person incapable of receipt thereof shall be deemed paid when paid to such Person’s guardian or to the party providing or reasonably appearing to provide for the care of such Person, and such payment shall fully discharge the Committee, the Board, the Company, its Affiliates and their employees, agents and representatives with respect thereto.

 

27


15.19 Lock-Up Agreement. As a condition to the grant of an Award, if requested by the Company and the lead underwriter of any public offering of the Shares (the “Lead Underwriter”), a Participant shall irrevocably agree not to sell, contract to sell, grant any option to purchase, transfer the economic risk of ownership in, make any short sale of, pledge or otherwise transfer or dispose of, any interest in any Shares or any securities convertible into, derivative of, or exchangeable or exercisable for, or any other rights to purchase or acquire Shares (except Shares included in such public offering or acquired on the public market after such offering) during such period of time following the effective date of a registration statement of the Company filed under the Securities Act that the Lead Underwriter shall specify (the “Lock-Up Period”). The Participant shall further agree to sign such documents as may be requested by the Lead Underwriter to effect the foregoing and agree that the Company may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to Shares acquired pursuant to an Award until the end of such Lock-Up Period.

15.20 Headings and Captions. The headings and captions herein are provided for reference and convenience only, shall not be considered part of the Plan, and shall not be employed in the construction of the Plan.

15.21 Company Recoupment of Awards. A Participant’s rights with respect to any Award hereunder shall in all events be subject to (i) any right that the Company may have under any Company recoupment policy or other agreement or arrangement with a Participant, or (ii) any right or obligation that the Company may have to the extent required by applicable law or as required by an stock exchange or quotation system in which the Shares are listed or quoted including by not limited to but not limited to Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and Section 10D of the Exchange Act, and any other applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

ARTICLE XVI

EFFECTIVE DATE OF PLAN

The Plan shall become effective on the date that is two days immediately prior to the Registration Date subject to the approval of the Plan by the stockholders of the Company in accordance with the requirements of the laws of the State of Delaware.

ARTICLE XVII

TERM OF PLAN

No Award shall be granted pursuant to the Plan on or after the tenth anniversary of the earlier of the date that the Plan is adopted or the date of stockholder approval, but Awards granted prior to such tenth anniversary may extend beyond that date.

 

28