VERISIGN, INC. ANNUAL INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN Effective Date: May 27, 2010

EX-10.64 2 dex1064.htm ANNUAL INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN Annual Incentive Compensation Plan

Exhibit 10.64

 

VERISIGN, INC.

ANNUAL INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN

Effective Date: May 27, 2010

 

VeriSign, Inc. (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, hereby establishes and adopts the Annual Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) to provide incentive awards that are intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

1. PURPOSES OF THE PLAN

 

The purposes of the Plan are to advance the interests of the Company and its stockholders and assist the Company in attracting and retaining executive officers of the Company and its Affiliates who, because of the extent of their responsibilities, can make significant contributions to the Company’s success by their ability, industry, loyalty and exceptional services, by providing incentives and financial rewards to such executive officers.

 

2. DEFINITIONS

 

2.1. “Affiliate” shall mean any corporation, partnership or other organization of which the Company owns or controls, directly or indirectly, not less than 50% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock or other equity interests.

 

2.2. Award” shall mean an award granted to a Participant under the Plan.

 

2.3. Board” shall mean the board of directors of the Company.

 

2.4. Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and any successor thereto.

 

2.5. Committee” shall mean the Compensation Committee of the Board or any subcommittee thereof formed by the Compensation Committee to act as the Committee hereunder. For purposes of satisfying the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations thereunder, the Committee is intended to consist solely of two or more “outside directors” as such term is defined in Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations thereunder.

 

2.6. “Disability” means any physical or mental condition of a Participant that in the opinion of the Committee renders the Participant incapable of continuing to be an employee of the Company and its Affiliates.

 

2.7. Participant” shall mean the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and each other executive officer of the Company selected by the Committee pursuant to Section 3.1 to participate in the Plan.

 

2.8. “Performance Criteria” shall mean the measurable performance objective(s) established pursuant to the Plan for Participants who have received grants of Awards hereunder, which may include any one or more of the following: net sales; revenue; revenue growth or product revenue growth; operating income (before or after taxes); pre- or after-tax income or loss (before or after allocation of corporate overhead and bonus); earnings or loss per share; net income or loss (before or after taxes); return on equity; total stockholder return; return on assets or net assets; appreciation in and/or maintenance of the price of shares of the Company’s common stock or any other publicly-traded securities of the Company; market share; gross profits; earnings or losses (including earnings or losses before taxes, before interest and taxes, or before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization); economic value-added models or equivalent metrics; comparisons with various stock market indices; reductions in costs; cash flow or cash flow per share (before or after dividends); return on capital (including return on total capital or return on invested capital); cash flow return on investment; improvement in or attainment of expense levels or working capital levels, including cash, inventory and accounts receivable; operating margin; gross margin; year-end cash; cash margin; debt reduction; stockholders equity; operating efficiencies; market share; customer satisfaction; customer growth; employee satisfaction; regulatory achievements (including submitting or filing applications or other documents with regulatory authorities or receiving approval of any such applications or other documents and passing pre-approval inspections (whether of the Company or the Company’s third-party manufacturer) and validation of manufacturing processes (whether the Company’s or the Company’s third-party manufacturer’s)); strategic partnerships or transactions (including in-licensing and out-licensing of intellectual property; establishing relationships with commercial entities with respect to the marketing, distribution and sale of the Company’s products (including with group purchasing organizations, distributors and other vendors); supply chain achievements (including establishing relationships with manufacturers or suppliers of component materials and manufacturers of the Company’s products); co-development, co-marketing, profit sharing, joint venture or other similar arrangements; financial ratios, including those measuring liquidity, activity, profitability or leverage; cost of capital or assets under

 

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management; financing and other capital raising transactions (including sales of the Company’s equity or debt securities; factoring transactions; sales or licenses of the Company’s assets, including its intellectual property, whether in a particular jurisdiction or territory or globally; or through partnering transactions); implementation, completion or attainment of measurable objectives with respect to research, development, manufacturing, commercialization, products or projects, production volume levels, acquisitions and divestitures; factoring transactions; or recruiting and maintaining personnel.

 

2.9. Performance Period” shall mean the Company’s fiscal year or such other period that the Committee, in its sole discretion, may establish.

 

3. ELIGIBILITY AND ADMINISTRATION

 

3.1. Eligibility. The individuals eligible to participate in the Plan shall be the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and any other executive officer of the Company or an Affiliate selected by the Committee to participate in the Plan (each, a “Participant”).

 

3.2. Administration. (a) The Plan shall be administered by the Committee. The Committee shall have full power and authority, subject to the provisions of the Plan and subject to such orders or resolutions not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan as may from time to time be adopted by the Board or the Committee, to: (i) select the Participants to whom Awards may from time to time be granted hereunder; (ii) determine the terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, of each Award; (iii) determine the time when Awards will be granted and paid and the Performance Period to which they relate; (iv) determine the performance goals for Awards for each Participant in respect of each Performance Period based on the Performance Criteria and certify the calculation of the amount of the Award payable to each Participant in respect of each Performance Period; (v) determine whether payment of Awards may be deferred by Participants; (vi) interpret and administer the Plan and any instrument or agreement entered into in connection with the Plan; (vii) correct any defect, supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan or any Award in the manner and to the extent that the Committee shall deem desirable to carry it into effect; (viii) establish such rules and regulations and appoint such agents as it shall deem appropriate for the proper administration of the Plan; and (ix) make any other determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or desirable for administration of the Plan.

 

(b) Decisions of the Committee shall be final, conclusive and binding on all persons or entities, including the Company, any Affiliate, any Participant and any person claiming any benefit or right under an Award or under the Plan.

 

(c) To the extent not inconsistent with applicable law or the rules and regulations of the NASDAQ Stock Market (or such other principal securities market on which the Company’s securities are listed or qualified for trading), including the applicable provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations thereunder, the Committee may delegate to one or more officers of the Company or a committee of officers the authority to take actions on its behalf pursuant to the Plan.

 

4. AWARDS

 

4.1. Performance Period; Performance Goals. (a) Not later than the earlier of (i) 90 days after the commencement of each fiscal year of the Company and (ii) the expiration of 25% of the Performance Period, the Committee shall, in writing, designate (x) one or more Performance Periods, (y) the Participants for each Performance Period and (z) the performance goals for determining the Award to be paid to each Participant for each Performance Period based on attainment of specified levels of one or any combination of the Performance Criteria. Within such time period the Committee shall also specify any exclusion(s) or inclusion(s) for charges related to any event(s) or occurrence(s) which the Committee determines should appropriately be excluded or included, as applicable, for purposes of measuring performance against the applicable Performance Criteria, which may include (a) restructurings, reorganizations, discontinued operations, non-core businesses in continuing operations, acquisitions, dispositions, or any extraordinary nonrecurring items as described in ASC Subtopic 225-20 and/or in management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations appearing in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the applicable year, (b) the cumulative effects of tax or accounting changes, each in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, (c) foreign exchange gains or losses, (d) stock-based compensation, (e) amortization of intangible assets, impairments of goodwill and other intangible assets, asset write downs, or non-cash interest expense or (f) litigation or claim judgments or settlements. Any such inclusion or

 

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exclusion shall be prescribed in a form that meets the requirements for deductibility under Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations thereunder. If the Committee determines that a change in the business, operations, corporate structure or capital structure of the Company, or the manner in which it conducts its business, or other events or circumstances, render previously established performance goals unsuitable, the Committee may in its discretion modify such performance goals or the related levels of achievement, in whole or in part, as the Committee deems appropriate and equitable; provided that, unless the Committee determines otherwise, no such action shall be taken if and to the extent it would result in the loss of an otherwise available exemption of the Award under Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations thereunder.

 

(b) If a person becomes eligible to participate in the Plan after the Committee has made its initial designation of Participants, such individual may become a Participant if so designated in writing by the Committee.

 

(c) The performance goals designated by the Committee may be determined solely by reference to the Company’s performance or the performance of an Affiliate, division, business segment or business unit of the Company, or based upon the relative performance of other companies or upon comparisons of any of the indicators of performance relative to other companies. Such performance goals shall otherwise comply with the requirements for performance based compensation set forth in Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations thereunder.

 

4.2. Certification. At such time as it shall determine appropriate following the conclusion of each Performance Period and prior to the applicable payment date (as determined in accordance with Section 4.3), the Committee shall certify, in writing, whether and to what extent the applicable Performance Criteria have been satisfied and the amount (if any) to be paid pursuant to each Participant’s Award for such Performance Period.

 

4.3. Payment of Awards. The amount of the Award actually paid to a Participant may, in the sole discretion of the Committee, be reduced to less than the amount otherwise payable to the Participant based on attainment of the performance goals for the Performance Period as determined in accordance with Sections 4.1 and 4.2 (including that any such amount may be reduced to zero). The Committee may not waive the achievement of the applicable performance goals except in the case of the death or Disability of the Participant, a change in control of the Company, or as otherwise determined by the Committee in special circumstances, in each case in accordance with the exception for performance based compensation set forth in Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations thereunder. The actual amount of the Award determined by the Committee for a Performance Period shall be paid in cash or, to the extent provided in such plan, in share awards under a stockholder-approved stock plan of the Company. Payment to each Participant shall be subject to the Participant’s continuous employment with the Company or its Affiliate through the applicable payment date. If the Participant satisfies the service condition set forth in the preceding sentence, payment to such Participant shall be made no later than the fifteenth day of the third month following the end of the fiscal year of the Company in which the applicable payment date occurs, unless payment is deferred pursuant to a plan or arrangement satisfying the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.

 

4.4. Changes in Employment. If a person becomes a Participant as specified in Section 4.1(b) during a Performance Period, the Award payable to such Participant may, in the discretion of the Committee, be proportionately reduced based on the period of actual employment during the applicable Performance Period. If a Participant does not remain continuously employed with the Company or its Affiliate through the applicable payment date for an Award, the Participant shall forfeit his or her right to any payment pursuant to such Award; provided that, except where the Participant was terminated for cause (as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion), the Committee, in its sole discretion, may determine to pay such Participant all or any portion of such Award, subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee may establish. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, unless the Committee determines otherwise, any actions taken by the Committee pursuant to this Section 4.4 shall be subject to compliance with the exception for performance based compensation set forth in Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations thereunder.

 

4.5. Maximum Award. The maximum dollar value of an Award payable to any Participant in any 12-month period is $5,000,000.

 

5. MISCELLANEOUS

 

5.1. Amendment and Termination of the Plan. The Board or the Committee may, from time to time, alter, amend, suspend or terminate the Plan as it shall deem advisable, subject to any requirement for stockholder approval imposed by applicable law, including Section 162(m) of the Code, or by the NASDAQ Stock Market (or such other

 

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principal securities market on which the Company’s securities are listed or qualified for trading). No amendments to, or termination of, the Plan shall in any way impair the rights of a Participant under any Award previously granted without such Participant’s consent.

 

5.2. Section 162(m) of the Code. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, the provisions of this Plan shall be administered and interpreted in accordance with Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations thereunder to ensure the deductibility by the Company of the payment of Awards.

 

5.3. Section 409A of the Code. Awards are intended not to be subject to Section 409A of the Code by reason of being a short-term deferral and shall be interpreted accordingly. If any provision of the Plan or any Award could cause any Award to be subject to taxes, interest or penalties under Section 409A of the Code, or if any such provision contravenes Section 409A (or any regulations or guidance promulgated thereunder), the Company may, in its sole discretion, modify the Plan or any Award to (a) avoid being subject to, or comply with, Section 409A, (b) avoid the imposition of taxes, interest and penalties under Section 409A and/or (c) maintain, to the maximum extent practicable, the original intent of the applicable provision without violating the provisions of Section 409A. Moreover, any discretionary authority that the Board or the Committee may have pursuant to the Plan shall not be applicable to any Award that is subject to Section 409A to the extent such discretionary authority would contravene Section 409A. Nothing in the Plan shall require the Company to provide any gross-up or other tax reimbursement to a Participant in connection with any violation of Section 409A or otherwise.

 

5.4. Tax Withholding. The Company or an Affiliate shall have the right to make all payments or distributions pursuant to the Plan to a Participant net of any applicable federal, state and local taxes required to be paid or withheld. The Company or an Affiliate shall have the right to withhold from wages, Awards or other amounts otherwise payable to such Participant such withholding taxes as may be required by law, or to otherwise require the Participant to pay such withholding taxes. If the Participant shall fail to make such tax payments as are required, the Company or an Affiliate shall, to the extent permitted by law, have the right to deduct any such taxes from any payment of any kind otherwise due to such Participant or to take such other action as may be necessary to satisfy such withholding obligations.

 

5.5. Right of Discharge Reserved; Claims to Awards. Nothing in this Plan shall provide any Participant a right to receive any Award or payment under the Plan with respect to a Performance Period. Nothing in the Plan nor the grant of an Award hereunder shall confer upon any Participant the right to continue in the employment of the Company or an Affiliate or affect any right that the Company or an Affiliate may have to terminate the employment of (or to demote or to exclude from future Awards under the Plan) any such Participant at any time for any reason. Except as specifically provided by the Committee, in the event of the termination of employment of any Participant, the Company shall not be liable for the loss of existing or potential profit from any Award granted to such Participant. No Participant shall have any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan, and there is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of Participants under the Plan.

 

5.6. Nature of Payments. All Awards made pursuant to the Plan are in consideration of services performed or to be performed for the Company or an Affiliate, division or business unit of the Company. Any income or gain realized pursuant to Awards under the Plan constitute a special incentive payment to the Participant and shall not be taken into account, to the extent permissible under applicable law, as compensation for purposes of any of the employee benefit plans of the Company or an Affiliate except as may be determined by the Committee or by the Board or board of directors of the applicable Affiliate.

 

5.7. 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.

 

5.8. Severability. If any provision of the Plan shall be held unlawful or otherwise invalid or unenforceable in whole or in part by a court of competent jurisdiction, such provision shall (a) be deemed limited to the extent that such court of competent jurisdiction deems it lawful, valid and/or enforceable and as so limited shall remain in full force and effect, and (b) not affect any other provision of the Plan or part thereof, each of which shall remain in full force and effect. If the making of any payment or the provision of any other benefit required under the Plan shall be held unlawful or otherwise invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such unlawfulness, invalidity or unenforceability shall not prevent any other payment or benefit from being made or provided under the

 

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Plan, and if the making of any payment in full or the provision of any other benefit required under the Plan in full would be unlawful or otherwise invalid or unenforceable, then such unlawfulness, invalidity or unenforceability shall not prevent such payment or benefit from being made or provided in part, to the extent that it would not be unlawful, invalid or unenforceable, and the maximum payment or benefit that would not be unlawful, invalid or unenforceable shall be made or provided under the Plan.

 

5.9. Construction. As used in the Plan, the words “include” and “including,” and variations thereof, shall not be deemed to be terms of limitation, but rather shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.”

 

5.10. Unfunded Status of the Plan. The Plan is intended to constitute an “unfunded” plan for incentive compensation and deferred compensation if permitted by the Committee. With respect to any payments not yet made to a Participant by the Company, nothing contained herein shall give any such Participant any rights that are greater than those of a general creditor of the Company.

 

5.11. Governing Law. The Plan and all determinations made and actions taken thereunder, to the extent not otherwise governed by the Code or the laws of the United States, shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without reference to principles of conflict of laws that might result in the application of the laws of another jurisdiction, and shall be construed accordingly.

 

5.12. Effective Date of Plan. The Plan shall be effective on the date of the approval of the Plan by the holders of the then outstanding securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. The Plan shall be null and void and of no effect if the foregoing condition is not fulfilled.

 

5.13. Captions. The captions in the Plan are for convenience of reference only, and are not intended to narrow, limit or affect the substance or interpretation of the provisions contained herein.

 

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