UNITED THERAPEUTICS CORPORATION AMENDED AND RESTATED EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN (As amended effective as of September 24, 2004)

EX-10.1 2 w67936exv10w1.htm EXHIBIT 10.1 exv10w1

Exhibit 10.1

UNITED THERAPEUTICS CORPORATION

AMENDED AND RESTATED EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

(As amended effective as of September 24, 2004)

ARTICLE I
PURPOSE

1.1 General.

The purpose of the United Therapeutics Corporation Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is to promote the success, and enhance the value, of United Therapeutics Corporation (the “Company”), by linking the personal interests of its qualified directors, officers and other key employees to those of Company stockholders and by providing its qualified directors, officers and other key employees with an incentive for outstanding performance. The Plan is further intended to provide flexibility to the Company in its ability to motivate, attract, and retain the services of employees upon whose judgment, interest, and special effort the successful conduct of the Company’s operation is largely dependent. Accordingly, the Plan permits the grant of incentive awards from time to time to selected directors, officers and key employees.

ARTICLE 2
EFFECTIVE DATE

2.1 Effective Date.

The Plan was originally effective November 12, 1997, subject to approval by the stockholders of the Company, which approval was duly obtained. Amendments to the Plan were approved by the Board of Directors on April 9, 1999, subject to the approval of the stockholders of the Company. The Plan as so amended and restated will be deemed to be approved by the stockholders if it receives the approval of the holders of a majority of the shares of stock of the Company in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Laws of the State of Delaware and the By-laws of the Company. Any Awards granted under the Plan as so amended prior to stockholder approval are effective when made (unless the Committee specifies otherwise at the time of grant), but no Award may be exercised or settled and no restrictions relating to any Award may lapse before stockholder approval. If the stockholders fail to approve the Plan as amended within twelve (12) months of April 9, 1999, any Award previously made pursuant to the amended Plan shall be automatically canceled without any further act.

ARTICLE 3
DEFINITIONS

3.1 Definitions.

When appearing in this Plan with the initial letter capitalized, and the word or phrase does not commence a sentence, the word or phrase shall generally be given the meaning ascribed to it in this Section or in Sections 1.1 or 2.1, unless a clearly different meaning is required by the context. The following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:

(a) “Award” means any Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award, or Performance Share Award, or any other right or interest relating to Stock or cash, granted to a Participant under the Plan.

(b) “Award Agreement” means any written agreement, contract, or other instrument or document evidencing an Award.

(d) “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.

(e) “Committee” means the committee of the Board described in Article 4.

(f) “Company” means United Therapeutics Corporation.

(g) “Disability” shall mean any illness or other physical or mental condition of a Participant that renders the Participant incapable of performing his customary and usual duties for the Company, or any medically determinable illness or other physical or mental condition resulting from a bodily injury, disease or mental disorder which, in the judgment of the Committee, is permanent and continuous in nature. The Committee may require such medical or other evidence as it deems necessary to judge the nature and permanency of the Participant’s condition. Such disability determination shall be made in accordance with Code section 22(e)(3).

(h) “Effective Date” has the meaning assigned such term in Section 2.1.

(i) “Fair Market Value” means with respect to Stock or any other property, the fair market value of such Stock or other property determined by such methods or procedures as may be established from time to time by the Committee.

(j) “Incentive Stock Option” means an Option that is intended to meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Code or any successor provision thereto.

(k) “Non-Qualified Stock Option” means an Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option.

(l) “Option” means a right granted to a Participant under the Plan to purchase Stock at a specified price during specified time periods. An Option may be either an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

(m) “Participant” means a person who, as a director, officer or key employee of the Company, has been granted an Award under the Plan.

(n) “Performance Award” means a right granted to a Participant under Article 9 to receive cash, Stock, or other Awards, the payment of which is contingent upon

achieving certain performance goals established by the Committee (includes “Performance Shares” and “Performance Units”).

(o) “Performance Share” means a right granted to a Participant under Article 9 to receive shares of Company Stock, the payment of which is contingent upon achieving certain performance goals.

(p) “Performance Units” means a right granted to a Participant under Article 9 to receive units the value of which is equivalent to $1.00, the payment of which is contingent upon achieving certain performance goals.

(q) “Plan” means the United Therapeutics Corporation Amended and Restated Equity Incentive Plan, as it may be further amended from time to time.

(r) “Restricted Stock Award” means Stock granted to a Participant under Article 10 that is subject to certain restrictions and to risk of forfeiture.

(s) “Retirement” means a Participant’s termination of employment with the Company after attaining any normal or early retirement age specified in any pension, profit sharing or other retirement program sponsored by the Company.

(t) “Stock” means the United Therapeutics Corporation par value common stock of the Company and such other securities of the Company as may be substituted for Stock pursuant to Article 12.

(u) “Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means a right granted to a Participant under Article 8 to receive a payment equal to the difference between the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock as of the date of exercise of the SAR and the grant price of the SAR, as determined pursuant to Article 8.

(v) “1933 Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.

(w) “1934 Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time.

ARTICLE 4
ADMINISTRATION

4.1 Committee.

The Plan shall be administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board. The Committee shall consist of two or more members of the Board who are (i) “outside directors” as that term is used in Section 162 of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder, and (ii) “non-employee directors,” as such term is defined for purposes of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under Section 16 of the 1934 Act or any successor

provision, except as may be otherwise permitted under Section 16 of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

4.2 Action by the Committee.

For purposes of administering the Plan, the following rules of procedure shall govern the Committee. A majority of the Committee shall constitute a quorum. The acts of a majority of the members present at any meeting who are, at which a quorum is present and acts approved in writing by a majority of the Committee in lieu of a meeting shall be deemed the acts of the Committee. Each member of the Committee is entitled, in good faith, to rely or act upon any report or other information furnished to that member by any officer or other employee of the Company, the Company’s independent certified public accountants, or any executive compensation consultant or other professional retained by the Company to assist in the administration of the Plan.

4.3 Authority of Committee.

The Committee has the exclusive power, authority and discretion to:

(a) Designate Participants;

(b) Determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to each Participant;

(d) Determine the terms and conditions of any Award granted under the Plan, including but not limited to, the exercise price, grant price, or purchase price, any restrictions or limitations on the Award, any schedule for lapse of forfeiture restrictions or restrictions on the exercisability of an Award, and accelerations or waivers thereof, based in each case on such considerations as the Committee in its sole discretion determines;

(e) Determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances an Award may be granted, or the exercise price of an Award may be paid in (cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property), or an Award may be canceled, forfeited, or surrendered;

(f) Prescribe the form of each Award Agreement, which need not be identical for each Participant;

(g) Decide all other matters that must be determined in connection with an Award;

(h) Establish, adopt or revise any rules and regulations as it may deem necessary or advisable to administer the Plan; and

(i) Make all other decisions and determinations that may be required under the Plan or as the Committee deems necessary or advisable to administer the Plan.

4.4 Decisions Binding.

The Committee is hereby granted discretionary authority to construe and interpret the provisions of the Plan. The Committee’s interpretation of the Plan, any Awards granted under the Plan, any Award Agreement and all decisions and determinations by the Committee with respect to the Plan are final, binding, and conclusive on all parties.

ARTICLE 5
SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN

5.1 Number of Shares.

Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 12.1, the aggregate number of shares of Stock reserved and available for Awards, except with respect to Options granted pursuant to Section 7.3, shall be 7,000,000. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 12.1, the aggregate number of shares of Stock reserved and available for the Options granted pursuant to Section 7.3 shall be 7,939,517.

5.2 Lapsed Awards.

To the extent that an Award is canceled, terminates, expires or lapses for any reason, any shares of Stock subject to the Award will again be available for the grant of an Award under the Plan and shares subject to SARs or other Awards settled in cash will be available for the grant of an Award under the Plan.

5.3 Stock Distributed.

Any Stock distributed pursuant to an Award may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Stock, treasury Stock or Stock purchased on the open market.

5.4 Limitation on Number of Shares Subject to Awards.

Notwithstanding any provision in the Plan to the contrary, the maximum number of shares of Stock with respect to one or more Awards that may be granted to one Participant over any one calendar year period during the term of the Plan shall not exceed 500,000 in the aggregate; provided, however, that the maximum number of shares of Stock with respect to an Option granted to the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 7.3 in 2000 shall not exceed 500,000; in 2001 shall not exceed 701,353; in 2002 shall not exceed 681,434; in 2003 shall not exceed 2,757,832; and in 2004 shall not exceed 3,298,898.

ARTICLE 6

ELIGIBILITY

6.1 General.

Awards may be granted only to individuals who are directors (including non-employee directors), officers or other key employees (including employees who also are directors or officers) of or consultants to the Company or to the Company’s subsidiaries, as determined by the Committee.

ARTICLE 7
STOCK OPTIONS

7.1 General.

The Committee is authorized to grant Options to Participants in such amounts as it deems appropriate in its discretion and subject to such conditions and based on such criteria as it may deem advisable (including performance based criteria or conditions) consistent with the other terms of the Plan and the following:

(a) Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Stock under an Option shall be determined by the Committee.

(b) Time and Conditions of Exercise. The Committee shall determine the time or times at which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part. The Committee also shall determine the performance or other conditions, if any, that must be satisfied before all or part of an Option may be exercised.

(c) Payment. The Committee shall determine the methods by which the exercise price of an Option may be paid, the form of payment, including, without limitation, cash, shares of Stock, or other property (including “cashless exercise” arrangements), and the methods by which shares of Stock shall be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants. Without limiting the power and discretion conferred on the Committee pursuant to the preceding sentence, the Committee may, in the exercise of its discretion, but need not, allow a Participant to pay the Option price by directing the Company to withhold from the shares of Stock that would otherwise be issued upon exercise of the Option that number of shares having a Fair Market Value on the exercise date equal to the Option price, all as determined pursuant to rules and procedures established by the Committee.

(d) Evidence of Grant. All Options shall be evidenced by a written Award Agreement between the Company and the Participant. The Award Agreement shall include such provisions as may be specified by the Committee.

(e) Dividend Equivalents. Any Option may provide for the payment of dividend equivalents to the Participant on a current, deferred or contingent basis or may provide that Dividend Equivalents be credited against the option price. The right

to Dividend Equivalents, if so provided, shall be evidenced in the Award Agreement.

7.2 Incentive Stock Options.

The terms of any Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan must comply with the following additional rules:

(a) Exercise Price. Subject to Section 7.2 (e) below, the exercise price per share of Stock shall be set by the Committee, provided that the exercise price for any Incentive Stock Option shall not be less than the Fair Market Value as of the date of the grant.

(b) Exercise. Subject to Section 7.2(e) below, in no event may any Incentive Stock Option be exercisable for more than ten (10) years from the date of its grant.

(1) A vested Option shall lapse according to the Stock Option Agreement entered into by the Participant and according to this Plan, provided, however, that vested Incentive Stock Options not exercised within three months after the Participant’s termination of employment shall be treated as Non-Qualified Stock Options as defined by the Code.

(2) If the Participant becomes disabled within the meaning of Disability under Section 3.1(g) of the Plan, then the Option will lapse twelve (12) months after employment ceased due to the Disability.

(3) If the Participant dies before the Option lapses pursuant to paragraph (1), (2) or (3) or before its original expiration as indicated above, the Incentive Stock Option shall lapse, unless it is previously exercised, on the date on which the Option would have lapsed had the Participant lived and had his employment status (i.e., whether the Participant was employed by the Company on the date of his death or had previously terminated employment) remained unchanged. Upon the Participant’s death, any exercisable Incentive Stock Options may be exercised by the Participant’s legal representative or representatives, by the person or persons entitled to do so under the Participant’s last will and testament, or, if the Participant shall fail to make testamentary disposition of such Incentive Stock Options or shall die intestate, by the person or persons entitled to receive such Incentive Stock Options under the applicable laws of descent and distribution.

(d) Individual Dollar Limitation. The aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the time an Award is made) of all shares of Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are first exercisable by a Participant in any calendar year may not exceed $100,000.00.

(e) Ten Percent Owners. No Incentive Stock Option shall be granted to any individual who, at the date of grant, owns stock possessing more than ten percent of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company unless the exercise price per share of such Option is at least 110% of the Fair Market Value per share of Stock at the date of grant and the Option expires no later than five (5) years after the date of grant.

(f) Expiration of Incentive Stock Options. No Award of an Incentive Stock Option may be made pursuant to the Plan after the day immediately prior to the tenth anniversary of the original Effective Date (i.e., November 12, 19977).

(g) Right to Exercise. During a Participant’s lifetime, an Incentive Stock Option may be exercised only by the Participant.

(h) Grants only to Employees. Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to employees of the Company.

7.3 Incentive Stock Option Grants to Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the terms of the Executive Employment Agreement entered into by and between the Company and its Chief Executive Officer, dated April 5, 1999, as amended, the Company shall make annual grants of Incentive Stock Options to the Chief Executive Officer. The number of shares subject to each Incentive Stock Option shall be determined in accordance with the Employment Agreement. The terms of the Award Agreement for such Option grants shall be in form and substance as attached to the Employment Agreement.

ARTICLE 8
STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS

8.1 Grant of SARs.

The Committee is authorized to grant SARs to Participants on the following terms and conditions:

(a) Right to Payment. Upon the exercise of a SAR, the Participant to whom it is granted has the right to receive all or a percentage of:

(1) The Fair Market Value of one share of Stock on the date of exercise, minus,

(2) The grant price of the SAR as determined by the Committee. In the case of a SAR offered in tandem with an Incentive Stock Option, the grant price of the SAR shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of one share of Stock on the date of grant.

(b) Tandem Awards. SARs may be granted alone or in tandem with options. If a SAR is granted in tandem with an option, the SAR may only be exercised at a time when the related option is exercisable and the difference between the Fair Market Value and the grant price is a positive number. The exercise of the tandem SAR requires the surrender of the related option for cancellation.

(c) Other Terms. All awards of SARs shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. The terms, methods of exercise, methods of settlement, form of consideration payable in settlement, and any other terms and conditions of any SAR shall be determined by the Committee at the time of the grant of the Award and shall be reflected in the Award Agreement. The grant of any SAR may include the right to Dividend Equivalents as described in Section 7.1(e).

ARTICLE 9
PERFORMANCE AWARDS

9.1 Grant of Performance Awards.

The Committee is authorized to grant Performance Awards to Participants on such terms and conditions as may be selected by the Committee. The Committee shall have the complete discretion to determine the number of Performance Awards granted to each Participant. All grants of Performance Awards shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement.

9.2 Right to Payment.

A grant of Performance Awards gives the Participant rights, valued as determined by the Committee, and payable to, or exercisable by, the Participant to whom the Performance Awards are granted, in whole or in part, as the Committee shall establish at grant or thereafter. The Committee shall set performance goals and other terms or conditions to payment of the Performance Awards in its discretion which, depending on the extent to which they are met, will determine the number and value of Performance Shares that will be paid to the Participant.

9.3 Other Terms.

Performance Awards may be payable in cash, Stock, or other property, and have such other terms and conditions as determined by the Committee and reflected in the Award Agreement.

ARTICLE 10
RESTRICTED STOCK AWARDS

10.1 Grant of Restricted Stock.

The Committee is authorized to make Awards of Restricted Stock to Participants in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as may be selected by the Committee. All Awards of Restricted Stock shall be evidenced by a Restricted Stock Award Agreement.

10.2 Issuance and Restrictions.

Restricted Stock shall be subject to such restrictions as the Committee may choose to impose. These restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times, under such circumstances, in such installments, or otherwise, as the Committee determines at the time of the grant of the Award or thereafter. An award of Restricted Stock will provide the Participant with voting, dividend and other ownership rights provided in the Award Agreement.

10.3 Forfeiture.

Except as otherwise determined by the Committee at the time of the grant of the Award or thereafter, upon termination of employment during the applicable restriction period, Restricted Stock, that is at that time subject to restrictions, shall be forfeited and reacquired by the Company; provided, however, that the Committee may provide in any Award Agreement that restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to Restricted Stock will be waived in whole or in part in the event of termination resulting from any specified cause, and the Committee may in other cases waive in whole or in part restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to Restricted Stock.

10.4 Certificates for Restricted Stock.

Restricted Stock granted under the Plan may be evidenced in such manner as the Committee shall determine. If certificates representing shares of Restricted Stock are registered in the name of the Participant, certificates must bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions, and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock, and the Company shall retain physical possession of the certificate until such time as all applicable restrictions lapse.

ARTICLE 10A
DEFERRED SHARES

10A.1 Deferred Shares.

The Committee is authorized to make Awards of Deferred Shares to Participants in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as may be selected by the Committee. A Deferred Share Award shall entitle the Participant to receive Stock from the Company in the future in consideration for services performed during the Deferral

Period. All services required of the Participant for receipt of the Deferred Share shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement.

10A.2 Deferral Period.

The “Deferral Period” means the time period mandated by the Award Agreement during which specified services are to be performed by the Participant that will merit receipt of the Deferred Shares.

10A.3 Other Conditions.

The Committee may authorize Dividend Equivalents, defined under Section 7.1(e), to be provided on or after the date of any grant under this Section. During the Deferral Period the Participant has no right to transfer any rights covered by the Award and no right to vote the Stock.

The grant of any Deferred Shares may require the payment of additional consideration. However, in no case shall the additional consideration exceed the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant.

ARTICLE 11
PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO AWARDS

11.1 Stand-Alone, Tandem, and Substitute Awards.

Awards granted under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with, or in substitution for, any other Award granted under the Plan. If an Award is granted in substitution for another Award, the Committee may require the surrender of such other Award in consideration of the grant of the new Award. Awards granted in addition to or in tandem with other Awards may be granted either at the same time as or at a different time from the grant of such other Awards.

11.2 Exchange Provisions.

The Committee may at any time offer to exchange or buy out any previously granted Award for a payment in cash, Stock, or another Award (subject to Section 12.1), based on the terms and conditions the Committee determines and communicates to the Participant at the time the offer is made.

11.3 Term of Award.

The term of each Award shall be for the period as determined by the Committee, provided that in no event shall the term of any Incentive Stock Option or a Stock Appreciation Right granted in tandem with the Incentive Stock Option exceed a period of ten years from the date of its grant.

11.4 Form of Payment for Awards.

Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Award Agreement or any applicable law, payments or transfers to be made by the Company on the grant or exercise of an Award may be made in such form as the Committee determines at or after the time of grant, including without limitation, cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property, or any combination, and may be made in a single payment or transfer, in installments, or on a deferred basis, in each case determined in accordance with rules adopted by, and at the discretion of, the Committee.

11.5 Limits on Transfer.

No right or interest of a Participant in any Award may be encumbered or pledged to or in favor of any party other than the Company , or shall be subject to any lien, obligation, or liability of such Participant to any other party other than the Company . No Award shall be assignable or transferable by a Participant other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution or, except in the case of an Incentive Stock Option, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order as defined in Section 414(p)(1)(B) of the Code, if the order satisfies Section 414(p)(1)(A) of the Code.

11.6 Beneficiaries.

Notwithstanding Section 13.5, a Participant may, in the manner determined by the Committee, designate a beneficiary to exercise the rights of the Participant and to receive any distribution with respect to any Award upon the Participant’s death. A beneficiary, legal guardian, legal representative, or other person claiming any rights under the Plan is subject to all terms and conditions of the Plan and any Award Agreement applicable to the Participant, except to the extent the Plan and Award Agreement otherwise provide, and to any additional restrictions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee. If the Participant is married, a designation of a person other than the Participant’s spouse as his beneficiary with respect to more than 50 percent of the Participant’s interest in the Award shall not be effective without the written consent of the Participant’s spouse. If no beneficiary has been designated or survives the Participant, payment shall be made to the person entitled thereto under the Participant’s will or the laws of descent and distribution. Subject to the foregoing, a beneficiary designation may be changed or revoked by a Participant at any time provided the change or revocation is filed with the Committee.

11.7 Stock Certificates.

All Stock certificates delivered under the Plan are subject to any stop-transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee deems necessary or advisable to comply with federal or state securities laws, rules and regulations and the rules of any national securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Stock is listed, quoted,

or traded. The Committee may place legends on any Stock certificate to reference restrictions applicable to the Stock.

11.8 Acceleration Upon Death or Disability.

Notwithstanding any other provision in the Plan or any Participant’s Award Agreement to the contrary, upon the Participant’s death or Disability, all outstanding Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, and other Awards in the nature of rights that may be exercised shall become fully exercisable and all restrictions on outstanding Awards shall lapse. Any Option or Stock Appreciation Rights Awards shall then lapse in accordance with the other provisions of the Plan and the Award Agreement. To the extent that this provision causes Incentive Stock Options to exceed the dollar limitation set forth in Section 7.2(d), the excess Options shall be deemed to be Non-Qualified Stock Options.

11.9 Acceleration Upon Certain Events.

In the event of (i) the commencement of a public tender offer for all or any portion of the Stock, (ii) a proposal to merge, consolidate or otherwise combine with another company is submitted to the stockholders of the Company for approval, or (iii) the Board approves any transaction or event that would constitute a change of control of the Company of a nature that would be required to be reported in response to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14A of the 1934 Act, the Committee may in its sole discretion declare all outstanding Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, and other Awards in the nature of rights that may be exercised to become fully exercisable, and/or all restrictions on all outstanding Awards to lapse, in each case as of such date as the Committee may, in its sole discretion, declare, which may be on or before the consummation of such tender offer or other transaction or event. To the extent that this provision causes Incentive Stock Options to exceed the dollar limitation set forth in Section 7.2(d), the excess Options shall be deemed to be Non-Qualified Stock Options.

ARTICLE 12
CHANGES IN CAPITAL STRUCTURE

12.1 General.

In the event a stock dividend is declared upon the Stock, the aggregate number of shares of Stock reserved and available for Awards under the Plan shall be increased proportionately, the maximum number of shares of Stock with respect to one or more Awards that may be granted to a Participant per year shall be increased proportionately, and the shares of Stock then subject to each Award shall be increased proportionately without any change in the aggregate purchase price therefor. In the event the Stock shall be changed into or exchanged for a different number or class of shares of stock or securities of the Company or of another company, whether through reorganization, recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, combination of shares, merger or

consolidation, there shall be substituted for each such share of Stock then subject to each Award as well as the aggregate number of shares of Stock reserved and available for Awards under the Plan and the maximum number of shares of Stock with respect to one or more Awards that may be granted to a Participant per year the number and class of shares into which each outstanding share of Stock shall be so exchanged. The Committee shall make such adjustments to the aggregate purchase price for the shares then subject to each Award as it deems necessary or advisable to put Participants in the same relative position after such change in capital structure as before such change.

ARTICLE 13
AMENDMENT, MODIFICATION AND TERMINATION

13.1 Amendment, Modification and Termination.

With the approval of the Board, at any time and from time to time, the Committee may terminate, amend or modify the Plan; provided, however, that no amendment of the Plan may be made without approval of the stockholders of the Company as may be required by the Code, by the insider trading rules of Section 16 of the 1934 Act, by any national securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Stock is listed or reported.

13.2 Awards Previously Granted.

No termination, amendment, or modification of the Plan shall adversely affect any Award previously granted under the Plan, without the written consent of the Participant.

ARTICLE 14
GENERAL PROVISIONS

14.1 No Rights to Awards.

No Participant or employee shall have any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan, and neither the Company nor the Committee is obligated to treat Participants and employees uniformly.

14.2 No Stockholder Rights.

No Award gives the Participant any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company unless and until shares of Stock are in fact issued to such person in connection with such Award.

14.3 Withholding.

The Company shall have the authority and the right to deduct or withhold, or require a Participant to remit to the Company, an amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state, and local taxes (including the Participant’s FICA obligation) required by law to be withheld with respect to any taxable event arising as a result of the Plan. With respect to withholding required upon any taxable event under the Plan, the Committee may, at the time the Award is granted or thereafter, require that any such withholding requirement be satisfied, in whole or in part, by withholding shares of Stock having a Fair Market Value on the date of withholding equal to the amount to be withheld for tax purposes, all in accordance with such procedures as the Committee establishes.

14.4 No Right to Employment.

Nothing in the Plan or any Award Agreement shall interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company to terminate any Participant’s employment at any time, nor confer upon any Participant any right to continue in the employ of the Company.

l4.5 Unfunded Status of Awards.

The Plan is intended to be an “unfunded” plan for incentive and deferred compensation. With respect to any payments not yet made to a Participant pursuant to an Award, nothing contained in the Plan or any Award Agreement shall give the Participant any rights that are greater than those of a general creditor of the Company .

14.6 Indemnification.

To the extent allowable under applicable law, each member of the Committee shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company from any loss, cost, liability, or expense that may be imposed upon or reasonably incurred by such member in connection with or resulting from any claim, action, suit, or proceeding to which such member may be a party or in which he may be involved by reason of any action or failure to act under the Plan and against and from any and all amounts paid by such member in satisfaction of judgment in such action, suit, or proceeding against him provided he gives the Company an opportunity, at its own expense, to handle and defend the same before he undertakes to handle and defend it on his own behalf. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such persons may be entitled under the By-Laws of the Company or as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any power that the Company may have to indemnify them or hold them harmless.

14.7 Relationship to Other Benefits.

No payment under the Plan shall be taken into account in determining any benefits under any pension, retirement, savings, profit sharing, group insurance, welfare or benefit plan of the Company.

14.8 Expenses.

The expenses of administering the Plan shall be borne by the Company.

14.9 Titles and Headings.

The titles and headings of the Sections in the Plan are for convenience of reference only, and in the event of any conflict, the text of the Plan, rather than such titles or headings, shall control.

14.10 Gender and Number.

Except where otherwise indicated by the context, any masculine term used herein also shall include the feminine; the plural shall include the singular and the singular shall include the plural.

14.11 Fractional Shares.

No fractional shares of Stock shall be issued and the Committee shall determine, in its discretion, whether cash shall be given in lieu of fractional shares or whether such fractional shares shall be eliminated by rounding up.

14.12 Securities Law Compliance.

With respect to any person who is, on the relevant date, obligated to file reports under Section 16 of the 1934 Act, transactions under the Plan are intended to comply with Rule 16b-3(d) as transactions between the Company and its officers or directors. To the extent any provision of the Plan or action by the Committee fails to so comply, it shall be void to the extent permitted by law and voidable as deemed advisable by the Committee.

14.13 Government and Other Regulations.

The obligation of the Company to make payment of awards in Stock or otherwise shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by government agencies as may be required. The Company shall be under no obligation to register under the 1933 Act, any of the shares of Stock paid under the Plan. If the shares paid under the Plan may in certain circumstances be exempt from registration under the 1933 Act, the Company may restrict the transfer of such shares in such manner as it deems advisable to ensure the availability of any such exemption.

14.14 Governing Law.

To the extent not governed by federal law, the Plan and all Award Agreements shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the District of Columbia.