Change of Control Agreement by and between Surmodics, Inc. and Teri W. Sides, dated as of October 30, 2018

The purchase or other acquisition by any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, of stock of the Company that, together with stock held by such person or group, constitutes more than 50% of the total combined value or total combined voting power of all classes of stock issued by the Company; provided, however, that if any one person or more than one person acting as a group is considered to own more than 50% of the total combined value or total combined voting power of such stock, the acquisition of additional stock by the same person or persons shall not be considered a Change of Control;

A merger or consolidation to which the Company is a party if the individuals and entities who were shareholders of the Company immediately prior to the effective date of such merger or consolidation have, immediately following the effective date of such merger or consolidation, beneficial ownership (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) of less than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of securities issued by the surviving entity for the election of directors of the surviving corporation;

Any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, acquires or has acquired during the twelve (12) month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons, direct or indirect beneficial ownership (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) of stock of the Company constituting thirty-five percent (35%) or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock issued by the Company;

The purchase or other acquisition by any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, of substantially all of the total gross value of the assets of the Company during the twelve-month period ending on the date of the most recent purchase or other acquisition by such person or persons.  For purposes of this Section 2(d), “gross value” means the value of the assets of the Company or the value of the assets being disposed of, as the case may be, determined without regard to any liabilities associated with such assets;

A change in the composition of the Board of the Company at any time during any consecutive twelve (12) month period such that the “Continuity Directors” cease for any reason to constitute at least a fifty percent (50%) majority of the Board. For purposes of this event, “Continuity Directors” means those members of the Board who either:

were directors at the beginning of such consecutive twelve (12) month period; or

were elected by, or on the nomination or recommendation of, at least a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the then-existing Board of Directors.

In all cases, the determination of whether a Change of Control has occurred shall be made in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), Section 409A and the regulations, notices and other guidance of general applicability issued thereunder.  

The termination of Executive’s employment by the Company for any reason, with or without cause, except for termination resulting from conduct by Executive constituting (i) a felony involving moral turpitude under either federal law or the law of the state of the Company’s incorporation, or (ii) Executive’s willful failure to fulfill her employment duties with the Company; provided, however, that for purposes of this clause (ii), an act or failure to act by Executive shall not be “willful” unless it is done, or omitted to be done, in bad faith and without any reasonable belief that Executive’s action or omission was in the best interests of the Company; or

The termination of employment with the Company by Executive for “Good Reason.”  Such termination shall be accomplished by, and effective upon, Executive giving written notice to the Company of her decision to terminate.  “Good Reason” shall mean a good faith determination by Executive, in Executive’s sole and absolute judgment, that any one or more of the following events has occurred, at any time during the term of this Agreement or after a Change of Control; provided, however, that such event shall not constitute Good Reason if Executive has expressly consented to such event in writing or if Executive fails to provide written notice of her decision to terminate, which notice describes the event giving rise to the resignation, within ninety (90) days of the occurrence of such event and the

Company has not cured the event within thirty (30) days after receiving such notice from Executive.

A material change in Executive’s duties, responsibilities, or authority, or any removal of Executive from or any failure to re-elect Executive to any position which has the effect of materially diminishing Executive’s duties, responsibility or authority;

A material reduction, in the aggregate, by the Company in Executive’s base salary (as increased from time to time), variable pay opportunities (including short and long-term cash incentives and equity-based compensation), or the employee benefits to which Executive is entitled to participate in irrespective of any standard waiting periods with respect to the same, unless such material reduction is generally applicable to all executive officers of the Company;

A requirement imposed by the Company on Executive that results in Executive being based at a location that is outside of a fifty (50) mile radius of Executive’s prior job location; or

Any material breach by the Company of any employment agreement between Executive and the Company.

Within five (5) business days after a Change of Control Termination, the Company shall pay to Executive a severance payment equal to two (2) times the sum of (i) Executive’s base salary as of the date of the Change of Control Termination, and (ii) an amount equal to Executive’s target short-term incentive opportunity for the year in which the Change of Control Termination occurs;

The Company shall continue to provide Executive, at the Company’s expense, with coverage under its life, health, or dental benefit plans at a level comparable to the benefits which Executive was receiving or entitled to receive immediately prior to the Change of Control Termination or, if greater, at a level comparable to the benefits which Executive was receiving immediately prior to the event which constituted Good Reason.  Such coverage shall continue for eighteen (18) months following such Change of Control Termination or, if earlier, until Executive is eligible to be covered for such benefits through her employment with another employer or continuation coverage under Section 4980B (COBRA) otherwise ends;

All outstanding Options or Stock Appreciation Rights shall become immediately exercisable, and the risks of forfeiture on any outstanding Restricted Stock Awards or Restricted Stock Unit Awards shall immediately lapse.  For purposes of this Agreement, “Option,” “Stock Appreciation Rights,” “Restricted Stock Awards” and “Restricted Stock Unit Awards” shall have the meaning set forth in the Surmodics, Inc. 2009 Equity Incentive Plan, or any successor plan; and

All shares or units subject to all outstanding Performance Awards shall become immediately vested and payable at the target performance objectives set forth in said Performance Awards.  For purposes of this Agreement, “Performance Awards” and “Performance Period” shall have the meaning set forth in the Surmodics, Inc. 2009 Equity Incentive Plan, or any successor plan.

In the event the Change of Control Benefits payable to Executive would collectively constitute a “parachute payment” as defined in Code Section 280G, and if the “net after-tax amount” of such parachute payment to Executive is less than what the net after-tax amount to Executive would be if the Change of Control Benefits otherwise constituting the parachute payment were limited to the maximum “parachute value” of Change of Control Benefits that Executive could receive without giving rise to any liability for any excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the “Excise Tax”), then the Change of Control Benefits otherwise constituting the parachute payment shall be reduced so that the parachute value of all Change of Control Benefits, in the aggregate, will equal the maximum parachute value of all Change of Control Benefits that Executive can receive without any Change of Control Benefits being subject to the Excise Tax.  Should such a reduction in Change of Control Benefits be required, Executive shall be entitled, subject to the following sentence, to designate

those Change of Control Benefits under this Agreement or the other arrangements that will be reduced or eliminated so as to achieve the specified reduction in Change of Control Benefits to Executive and avoid characterization of such Change of Control Benefits as a parachute payment.  The Company will provide Executive with all information reasonably requested by Executive to permit Executive to make such designation.  To the extent that Executive’s ability to make such a designation would cause any of the Change of Control Benefits to become subject to any additional tax under Code Section 409A, or if Executive fails to make such a designation within ten business days of receiving the requested information from the Company, then the Company shall achieve the necessary reduction in the Change of Control Benefits by reducing them in the following order: (a) reduction of cash payments payable under this Agreement; (b) reduction of other payments and benefits to be provided to Executive; (c) cancellation or reduction of accelerated vesting of equity-based awards that are subject to performance-based vesting conditions; and (d) cancellation or reduction of accelerated vesting of equity-based awards that are subject only to service-based vesting conditions.  If the acceleration of the vesting of Executive’s equity-based awards is to be cancelled or reduced, such acceleration of vesting shall be reduced or cancelled in the reverse order of the date of grant.

For purposes of this Section 5, a “net after-tax amount” shall be determined by taking into account all applicable income, excise and employment taxes, whether imposed at the federal, state or local level, including the Excise Tax, and the “parachute value” of the Change of Control Benefits means the present value as of the date of the Change of Control for purposes of Code Section 280G of the portion of such Change of Control Benefits that constitutes a parachute payment under Code Section 280G(b)(2). 

For purposes of this Section 5, “Change of Control Benefits” shall mean any payment, benefit or transfer of property in the nature of compensation paid to or for the benefit of Executive under any arrangement which is considered contingent on a Change of Control for purposes of Code Section 280G, including, without limitation, any and all of the Company’s salary, incentive payments, restricted stock, stock option, equity-based compensation or benefit plans, programs or other arrangements, and shall include benefits payable under this Agreement.

For clarity, the Company shall have no obligation to provide any “tax gross-up” payment related to the Excise Tax in the event the Change of Control Benefits that would otherwise be characterized as a parachute payment are not reduced as set forth in Section 5(a) above and Executive is subject to the Excise Tax.

In the event of termination of Executive’s employment, the sole obligation of the Company under this Agreement will be its obligation to make the payments called for by Sections 4 and 5 hereof, as the case may be, and the Company will have no other obligation to Executive or to Executive’s beneficiary or estate.

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of Section 4, the Company will not be obligated to make any payments to Executive under Sections 4(a) through 4(d) unless: (i) Executive has signed a release of claims in favor of the Company and its affiliates and related entities, and their directors, officers, insurers, employees and agents, provided such release shall not require Executive to release claims Executive may have for indemnification from the Company or rights of Executive under this Agreement; (ii) all applicable rescission periods provided by law for releases of claims shall have expired and Executive shall have signed and not rescinded the release of claims; and (iii) Executive is in strict compliance with the terms of this Agreement as of the dates of such payments.

Immediately upon termination of Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason, Executive will resign all positions then held as a director or officer of the Company and of any affiliated entity of the Company.

Upon termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, Executive shall promptly deliver to the Company any and all Company records and any and all Company property in Executive’s possession or under Executive’s control, including, without limitation, manuals, books, blank forms, documents, letters, memoranda, notes, notebooks, reports, printouts, computer disks, computer tapes, source codes, data, tables or calculations and all copies thereof, documents that in whole or in part contain any trade secrets or confidential, proprietary or other secret information of the Company and all copies thereof, and keys, access cards, access codes, passwords, credit cards, personal computers, telephones, and other electronic equipment belonging to the Company.

Following termination of Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason, Executive will, upon reasonable request of the Company or its designee, cooperate with the Company in connection with the transition of

Executive’s duties and responsibilities for the Company; consult with the Company regarding business matters that Executive was directly and substantially involved with while employed by the Company; and be reasonably available, with or without subpoena, to be interviewed, review documents or things, give depositions, testify, or engage in other reasonable activities in connection with any litigation or investigation, with respect to matters that Executive then has or may have knowledge of by virtue of Executive’s employment by or service to the Company or any related entity; provided, however, that: (i) the Company shall not unreasonably request such cooperation of Executive; (ii) the Company shall reimburse Executive or pay directly any reasonable expenses actually incurred in connection with such cooperation and assistance by Executive; and (iii) Executive shall not be required to assist or cooperate with the Company to the extent such assistance or cooperation would prevent Executive from performing, or would materially interfere with Executive’s performance of, the duties or responsibilities of her then-current occupation.

Executive will not at any time disparage, defame, or besmirch the reputation, character, image, products, or services of the Company or any of its affiliates, or the reputation or character of any of its current or former directors, officers, employees, or agents; provided that nothing in this Section 7(f) is intended to prevent or interfere with Executive making any required or reasonable communications with, or providing information to, any governmental, law enforcement, or stock exchange agency or representative, or in connection with any governmental investigation, court, administrative or arbitration proceeding.

The Company will direct its executive officers to not at any time disparage, defame, or besmirch the reputation, character or image of Executive; provided that nothing in this Section 7(g) is intended to prevent or interfere with the Company or its executive officers from making any required or reasonable communications with, or providing information to, any governmental, law enforcement, or stock exchange agency or representative, or in connection with any governmental investigation, court, administrative or arbitration proceeding.