Payments Subject to Section 409A (a) Subject to this Section 4.3, payments or benefits under Section 4.1 shall begin only upon the date of a “separation from service” of the Executive (determined as set forth below) that occurs on or after the termination of the Executive’s employment. The following rules shall apply with respect to distribution of the payments and benefits, if any, to be provided to the Executive under Section 4.1:
(i) It is intended that each installment of the payments and benefits provided under Section 4.1 shall be treated as a separate “payment” for purposes of Section 409A of the Code and the guidance issued thereunder (“Section 409A”). Neither the Company nor the Executive shall have the right to accelerate or defer the delivery of any such payments or benefits except to the extent specifically permitted or required by Section 409A.
(ii) If, as of the date of the “separation from service” of the Executive from the Company, the Executive is not a “specified employee” (within the meaning of Section 409A), then each installment of the payments and benefits shall be made on the dates and terms set forth in Section 4.1.
(iii) If, as of the date of the “separation from service” of the Executive from the Company, the Executive is a “specified employee” (within the meaning of Section 409A), then:
(A) Each installment of the severance payments and benefits due under Section 4.1 that, in accordance with the dates and terms set forth herein, will in all circumstances, regardless of when the separation from service occurs, be paid within the short-term deferral period (as defined in Section 409A) shall be treated as a short-term deferral within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(4) to the maximum extent permissible under Section 409A; and
(B) Each installment of the payments and benefits due under Section 4.1 that is not described in Section 4.3(a)(iii)(A) and that would, absent this subsection, be paid within the six-month period following the “separation from service” of the Executive from the Company shall not be paid until the date that is six months and one day after such separation from service (or, if earlier, the Executive’s death), with any such installments that are required to be delayed being accumulated during the six-month period and paid in a lump sum on the date that is six months and one day following the Executive’s separation from service and any subsequent installments, if any, being paid in accordance with the dates and terms set forth herein; provided, however, that the preceding provisions of this sentence shall not apply to any installment of payments and benefits if and to the maximum extent that that such installment is deemed to be paid under a separation pay plan that does not provide for a deferral of compensation by reason of the application of Treasury Regulation 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii) (relating to separation pay upon an involuntary separation from service). Any installments that qualify for the exception under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii) must be paid no later than the last day of the Executive’s second taxable year following his taxable year in which the separation from service occurs.
(b) The determination of whether and when a separation from service of the Executive from the Company has occurred shall be made in a manner consistent with, and based on the presumptions set forth in, Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h). Solely for purposes of this Section 4.3(b), “Company” shall include all persons with whom the Company would be considered a single employer as determined under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h)(3).
Section 409A of the Code This Agreement is intended to either avoid the application of, or comply with, Section 409A of the Code. To that end this Agreement shall at all times be interpreted in a manner that is consistent with Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to adopt such amendments to this Agreement or take such other actions (including amendments and actions with retroactive effect) as it determines is necessary or appropriate for this Agreement to comply with Section 409A of the Code. Further:
(a) Any reimbursement of any costs and expenses by the Company to the Executive under this Agreement shall be made by the Company in no event later than the close of the Executive’s taxable year following the taxable year in which the cost or expense is incurred by the Executive. The expenses incurred by the Executive in any calendar year that are eligible for reimbursement under this Agreement shall not affect the expenses incurred by the Executive in any other calendar year that are eligible for reimbursement hereunder and the Executive’s right to receive any reimbursement hereunder shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for any other benefit.
(b) Any payment following a separation from service that would be subject to Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Code as a distribution following a separation from service of a “specified employee” (as defined under Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code) shall be made on the first to occur of (i) ten (10) days after the expiration of the six-month (6) period following such separation from service, (ii) death, or (iii) such earlier date that complies with Section 409A of the Code.
(c) Each payment that the Executive may receive under this Agreement shall be treated as a “separate payment” for purposes of Section 409A of the Code.
(d) A termination of employment shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of any provision of this Agreement providing for the payment of any amounts or benefits upon or following a termination of employment unless such termination is also a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and, for purposes of any such provision of this Agreement, references to a “termination,” “termination of employment,” or like terms shall mean “separation from service.”
409A This Agreement and the amounts payable and other benefits hereunder are intended to comply with, or otherwise be exempt from, Section 409A of the Tax Code. This Agreement shall be administered, interpreted and construed in a manner consistent with Section 409A. If any provision of this Agreement is found not to comply with, or otherwise not to be exempt from, the provisions of Section 409A, it shall be modified and given effect, in the sole discretion of the Board or Compensation Committee thereof and without requiring the Executive’s consent, in such manner as the Board or Compensation Committee determines to be necessary or appropriate to comply with, or to effectuate an exemption from, Section 409A. Each payment under this Agreement shall be treated as a separate identified payment for purposes of Section 409A. The preceding provisions shall not be construed as a guarantee by the Company of any particular tax effect to the Executive of the payments and other benefits under this Agreement. With respect to any reimbursement of expenses of, or any provision of in-kind benefits to, the Executive, as specified under this Agreement, such reimbursement of expenses or provision of in-kind benefits shall be subject to the following conditions: (a) the expenses eligible for reimbursement or the amount of in-kind benefits provided in one taxable year shall not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement or the amount of in-kind benefits provided in any other taxable year, except for any medical reimbursement arrangement providing for the reimbursement of expenses referred to in Section 105(b) of the Tax Code; (b) the reimbursement of an eligible expense shall be made no later than the end of the year after the year in which such expense was incurred; and (c) the right to reimbursement or in-kind benefits shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit. If a payment obligation under this Agreement arises on account of the Executive’s “separation from service” (as defined under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h)) while the Executive is a “specified employee” (as defined under Section 409A of the Tax Code and determined in good faith by the Compensation Committee), any payment of “deferred compensation” (as defined under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(1), after giving effect to the exemptions in Treasury Regulation Sections 1.409A-1(b)(3) through (b)(12)) that is scheduled to be paid within six months after such separation from service shall accrue without interest and shall be paid on the first day of the seventh month beginning after the date of the Executive’s separation from service or, if earlier, within 15 days after the appointment of the personal representative or executor of the Executive’s estate following his death.
RSUs Subject to Plan By entering into this Agreement, the Participant agrees and acknowledges that the Participant has received and read a copy of the Plan. All RSUs are subject to the Plan. In the event of a conflict between any term or provision contained herein and a term or provision of the Plan, the applicable terms and provisions of the Plan will govern and prevail.
Code Section 409A (a) It is intended that any amounts payable under this Agreement and the Company’s and Executive’s exercise of authority or discretion hereunder shall comply with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code and the treasury regulations relating thereto so as not to subject Executive to the payment of interest and tax penalty which may be imposed under Section 409A. In furtherance of this interest, anything to the contrary herein notwithstanding, no amounts shall be payable to Executive before such time as such payment fully complies with the provisions of Section 409A and, to the extent that any regulations or other guidance issued under Section 409A after the date of this Agreement would result in Executive being subject to payment of interest and tax penalty under Section 409A, the parties agree to amend this Agreement in order to bring this Agreement into compliance with Section 409A.
(b) With regard to any provision herein that provides for reimbursement of expenses or in-kind benefits, except as permitted by Section 409A, (i) all such reimbursements shall be made within a commercially reasonable time after presentation of appropriate documentation but in no event later than the end of the year immediately following the year in which Executive incurs such reimbursement expenses, (ii) no such reimbursements or in-kind benefits will affect any other costs or expenses eligible for reimbursement, or any other in-kind benefits to be provided, in any other year and (iii) no such reimbursements or in-kind benefits are subject to liquidation or exchange for another payment or benefit.
(c) Without limiting the discretion of either the Company or the Executive to terminate the Executive’s employment hereunder for any reason (or no reason), solely for purposes of compliance with 409A a termination of employment shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of any provision of this Agreement providing for the payment of any amounts or benefits upon or following a termination of employment unless such termination is also a separation from service (within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h) (applying the 20% default post-separation limit thereunder)) as an employee and, for purposes of any such provision of this Agreement, references to a “termination” or “termination of employment” shall mean separation from service as an employee and such payments shall thereupon be made at or following such separation from service as an employee as provided hereunder.
Code Section 409A Compliance Each payment under this Agreement shall be considered a separate payment for purposes of Section 409A. A termination of employment shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of any provision of this Agreement providing for the payment of any amount or benefit upon or following a termination of employment unless such termination is also a “separation from service” within the meaning of Internal Revenue Code Section 409A (“Section 409A”) and, for purposes of this Agreement, references to a “termination,” “termination of employment” or like terms shall mean “separation from service.” Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, if the Executive is a “specified employee” (within the meaning of Section 409A) on the date of the Executive’s separation from service, then any payments or benefits that otherwise would be payable under this Agreement within the first six months following the Executive’s separation from service (the “409A Suspension Period”), shall instead be paid in a lump sum within fourteen (14) days after the end of the sixth month period following the Executive’s separation from service, or Executive’s death, if sooner, but only to the extent that such payments or benefits provide for the “deferral of compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A, after application of the exemptions provided in Sections 1.409A-1(b)(4) and 1.409A-1(b)(9)(ii)-(v) thereof. After the 409A Suspension Period, the Executive will receive any remaining payments and benefits due pursuant to this Agreement in accordance with its terms (as if there had not been any suspension beforehand). To the extent that severance payments or benefits under this Agreement are conditioned on the execution of a release by Executive, Executive shall forfeit all rights to such payments and benefits unless such release is signed and delivered to the Company within the time required by this Agreement. Whenever a payment under this Agreement specified a payment period with respect to a number of days, the actual date of payment within the specified period shall be within the sole discretion of the Company. The Company will cooperate with the Executive in making any amendments to this Agreement that the Executive reasonably requests to avoid the imposition of taxes or penalties under Section 409A of the Code provided that such changes do not provide the Executive with additional benefits (other than de minimus benefits) under this Agreement.
Award Subject to Plan By entering into this Award Agreement the Participant agrees and acknowledges that the Participant has received and read a copy of the Plan. The Award is subject to the Plan. The terms and provisions of the Plan as it may be amended from time to time are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a conflict between any term or provision contained herein and a term or provision of the Plan, the applicable terms and provisions of the Plan will govern and prevail. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the same meanings as in the Plan.
Application of Code Section 409A 8.1 Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the receipt of any benefits under this Agreement as a result of a termination of employment will be subject to satisfaction of the condition precedent that you undergo a “separation from service” within the meaning of Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(h) or any successor thereto. In addition, if you are deemed to be a “specified employee” within the meaning of that term under Code Section 409A(a)(2)(B), then with regard to any payment or the provisions of any benefit that is required to be delayed pursuant to Code Section 409A(a)(2)(B), such payment or benefit will not be made or provided prior to the earlier of (i) the expiration of the six (6) month period measured from the date of your “separation from service” (as such term is defined in Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(h)), or (ii) the date of your death (the “Delay Period”). Within 10 days following the expiration of the Delay Period, all payments and benefits delayed pursuant to this Section (whether they would have otherwise been payable in a single sum or in installments in the absence of such delay) will be paid or reimbursed to you in a lump sum, and any remaining payments and benefits due under this Agreement will be paid or provided in accordance with the normal payment dates specified for them herein. To the extent that the foregoing applies to the provision of any ongoing welfare benefits to you that would not be required to be delayed if the premiums therefore were paid by you, you will pay the full costs of premiums for such welfare benefits during the Delay Period and the Corporation or the Bank will pay you an amount equal to the amount of such premiums paid by you during the Delay Period within 10 days after the conclusion of such Delay Period.
8.2 Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to the extent any expense reimbursement or other in-kind benefit is determined to be subject to Code Section 409A, the amount of any such expenses eligible for reimbursement or in-kind benefits in one calendar year will not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement or in-kind benefits in any other taxable year (except under any lifetime limit applicable to expenses for medical care), in no event will any expenses be reimbursed or in-kind benefits be provided after the last day of the calendar year following the calendar year in which you incurred such expenses or received such benefits, and in no event will any right to reimbursement or in-kind benefits be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit.
8.3 Any payments made pursuant to Section 2.1, to the extent of payments made from the date of termination through March 15th of the calendar year following such date, are intended to constitute separate payments for purposes of Treas. Reg. §1.409A-2(b)(2) and thus payable pursuant to the “short-term deferral” rule set forth in Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(b)(4); to the extent such payments are made following said March 15th, they are intended to constitute separate payments for purposes of Treas. Reg. §1.409A-2(b)(2) made upon an involuntary termination from service and payable pursuant to Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii), to the maximum extent permitted by said provision.
8.4 To the extent it is determined that any benefits described in Section 2.1(b) are taxable to you, they are intended to be payable pursuant to Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(b)(9)(v), to the maximum extent permitted by said provision.
Section 409A (a) Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, all provisions of this Agreement are intended to comply with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and the applicable Treasury regulations and administrative guidance issued thereunder (collectively, “Section 409A”) or an exemption therefrom and shall be construed and administered in accordance with such intent. Any payments under this Agreement that may be excluded from Section 409A either as separation pay due to an involuntary separation from service or as a short-term deferral shall be excluded from Section 409A to the maximum extent possible. For purposes of Section 409A, each installment payment provided under this Agreement shall be treated as a separate payment. Any payments to be made under this Agreement upon a termination of Employee’s employment shall only be made if such termination of employment constitutes a “separation from service” under Section 409A.
(b) To the extent that any right to reimbursement of expenses or payment of any benefit in-kind under this Agreement constitutes nonqualified deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A), (i) any such expense reimbursement shall be made by the Company no later than the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which such expense was incurred by Employee, (ii) the right to reimbursement or in-kind benefits shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit, and (iii) the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement or in-kind benefits provided during any taxable year shall not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement or in-kind benefits to be provided in any other taxable year; provided, that the foregoing clause shall not be violated with regard to expenses reimbursed under any arrangement covered by Section 105(b) of the Code solely because such expenses are subject to a limit related to the period in which the arrangement is in effect.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the contrary, if any payment or benefit provided for herein would be subject to additional taxes and interest under Section 409A if Employee’s receipt of such payment or benefit is not delayed until the earlier of (i) the date of Employee’s death or (ii) the date that is six (6) months after the Termination Date (such date, the “Section 409A Payment Date”), then such payment or benefit shall not be provided to Employee (or Employee’s estate, if applicable) until the Section 409A Payment Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company makes no representations that the payments and benefits provided under this Agreement are exempt from, or compliant with, Section 409A and in no event shall any member of the Company Group be liable for all or any portion of any taxes, penalties, interest or other expenses that may be incurred by Employee on account of non-compliance with Section 409A.
Compliance with Code Section 409A The intent of the parties is that payments and benefits under this Agreement comply with or are exempt from Section 409A of the Code and this Agreement shall be interpreted and construed in a manner that establishes an exemption from (or compliance with) the requirements of Code Section 409A. Any terms of this Agreement that are undefined or ambiguous shall be interpreted in a manner that complies with Code Section 409A to the extent necessary to comply with Code Section 409A. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (i) if, on the date of termination, the Executive is a “specified employee” as defined in Section 409A of the Code, and the deferral of the commencement of any payments or benefits otherwise payable hereunder as a result of such termination of employment is necessary in order to prevent any accelerated or additional tax under Code Section 409A, then the Company will defer the commencement of the payment of any such payments or benefits hereunder (without any reduction in such payments or benefits ultimately paid or provided to the Executive) until the date that is the first business day of the seventh month following the date of termination (or the earliest date as is permitted under Code Section 409A), and (ii) if any other payments of money or other benefits due to the Executive hereunder could cause the application of an accelerated or additional tax under Code Section 409A, such payments or other benefits shall be deferred if deferral will make such payment or other benefits compliant under Code Section 409A. In the event that payments under this Agreement are deferred pursuant to this Section in order to prevent any accelerated tax or additional tax under Code Section 409A, then such payments shall be paid at the time specified under this Section without any interest thereon. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, to the extent required by Code Section 409A, a termination of employment shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of any provision of this Agreement providing for the payment of amounts or benefits upon or following a termination of employment unless such termination is also a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and, for purposes of any such provision of this Agreement, references to a “termination,” “termination of employment” or like terms shall mean separation from service. Each payment made under this Agreement shall be treated as a separate payment and the right to a series of installment payments under this Agreement is to be treated as a right to a series of separate payments.
