Reduction of Severance Benefits If any payment or benefit that the Executive would receive from any Company Group member or any other party whether in connection with the provisions in this Agreement or otherwise (the “Payment”) would (i) constitute a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code and (ii) but for this sentence, be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the “Excise Tax”), then the Payment will be equal to the Best Results Amount. The “Best Results Amount” will be either (x) the full amount of the Payment or (y) a lesser amount that would result in no portion of the Payment being subject to the Excise Tax, whichever of those amounts, taking into account the applicable federal, state and local employment taxes, income taxes and the Excise Tax, results in the Executive’s receipt, on an after-tax basis, of the greater amount. If a reduction in payments or benefits constituting parachute payments is necessary so that the Payment equals the Best Results Amount, reduction will occur in the following order: (A) reduction of cash payments in reverse chronological order (that is, the cash payment owed on the latest date following the occurrence of the event triggering the Excise Tax will be the first cash payment to be reduced); (B) cancellation of equity awards that were granted “contingent on a change in ownership or control” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code in the reverse order of date of grant of the awards (that is, the most recently granted equity awards will be cancelled first); (C) reduction of the accelerated vesting of equity awards in the reverse order of date of grant of the awards (that is, the vesting of the most recently granted equity awards will be cancelled first); and (D) reduction of employee benefits in reverse chronological order (that is, the benefit owed on the latest date following the occurrence of the event triggering the Excise Tax will be the first benefit to be reduced). In no event will the Executive have any discretion with respect to the ordering of Payment reductions. The Executive will be solely responsible for the payment of all personal tax liability that is incurred as a result of the payments and benefits received under this Agreement, and the Executive will not be reimbursed, indemnified, or held harmless by any member of the Company Group for any of those payments of personal tax liability.
Description of Severance Benefits In the event Executive becomes entitled under Sections 2.1 and 2.2 herein to receive Severance Benefits, the Company shall pay to Executive and provide him or her with the following benefits:
(a) A lump sum payment of accrued and unpaid Base Salary, any annual bonus award earned by Executive for a fiscal year of the Company that ended prior to Executive’s Effective Date of Termination that has not yet been paid, unused vacation or paid time off, and other accrued benefits through the Effective Date of Termination (together, the “Accrued Obligations”), paid on the same basis as paid upon any voluntary termination of employment. Such lump sum amount shall be paid in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll procedures.
(b) A lump sum amount equal to Executive’s annual bonus award earned as of the Effective Date of Termination, based on target performance (excluding any special bonus payments), except that the bonus will be prorated for the portion of the fiscal year during which Executive was actively employed. This payment will be in lieu of any other payment to be made to Executive under the annual bonus plan for such fiscal year in which Executive is then participating.
(c) A lump sum amount equal to two (2) multiplied by the sum of the following: (i) the higher of: (A) Executive’s Base Salary in effect upon the Effective Date of Termination, or (B) Executive’s Base Salary in effect on the date of the Change in Control; and (ii) the higher of: (A) Executive’s annual target bonus opportunity for the fiscal year of the Company in which Executive’s Effective Date of Termination occurs, or (B) the average of the actual annual bonuses earned (whether or not deferred) by Executive under the annual bonus plan (excluding any special bonus payments) in which Executive participated in the three (3) fiscal years of the Company preceding the fiscal year of the Company in which Executive’s Effective Date of Termination occurs. If Executive has less than three (3) years of annual bonus participation preceding the fiscal year of the Company in which Executive’s Effective Date of Termination occurs, then Executive’s annual target bonus established under the annual bonus plan in which Executive is then participating for the fiscal year of the Company in which Executive’s Effective Date of Termination occurs shall be used for each fiscal year that Executive did not participate in the annual bonus plan, up to a maximum of three (3) years, to calculate the three (3) year average bonus payment.
(i) Upon the consummation of the Change in Control, with respect to Executive’s equity-based long-term incentive awards that are outstanding on the Effective Date, immediate full vesting and lapse of all restrictions on any and all such awards (including but not limited to stock options, stock appreciation rights and restricted stock awards) held by Executive, and any performance conditions applicable to any such awards shall be deemed satisfied at target performance without proration. This provision shall override any conflicting language contained in Executive’s respective award agreements outstanding on the Effective Date and such award agreements are hereby deemed amended.
(ii) Upon the consummation of the Change in Control, with respect to Executive’s equity-based long-term incentive awards that are granted to Executive after the Effective Date, immediate full vesting and lapse of all restrictions on any and all such awards (including but not limited to stock options, stock appreciation rights and restricted stock awards) held by Executive and any performance conditions applicable to any such awards shall be deemed satisfied at target performance without proration. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that a Replacement Award (as defined below) is provided to Executive to replace any then outstanding award (“Replaced Award”) in connection with the Change in Control, the Replaced Award held by Executive shall not become immediately vested and nonforfeitable.
Conditions to Receipt of Severance Benefits The receipt of the Severance Benefits will be subject to you signing and not revoking a separation agreement and release of claims in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Company (the “Separation Agreement”) by no later than the sixtieth (60th) day after your employment termination (“Release Deadline”). No Severance Benefits will be paid or provided until the Separation Agreement becomes effective. You shall also resign from all positions and terminate any relationships as an employee, advisor, officer or director with the Company and any of its affiliates, each effective on the date of termination.
Other Severance Benefits Executive hereby agrees that in consideration for the payments to be received under Section 7(b) of this Agreement, Executive waives any and all rights to any payments or benefits under any severance plans or arrangements of the Company or their respective affiliates that specifically provide for severance payments, other than the Change in Control Severance Agreement between the Company and Executive (the “Change in Control Severance Agreement”); provided that any payments payable to Executive under Section 7(b) hereof shall be offset by any payments payable under the Change in Control Severance Agreement.
Severance Benefits In addition, if a Change in Control Severance Payment Event (as defined below) occurs, then the Company shall pay to Employee the Accrued Payments, and contingent upon Employee satisfying the Severance Conditions, the Company shall also provide Employee the following payments and other benefits (the “Change in Control Severance Package”):
(i) Payment of an amount equal to 2.0 times the sum of (i) Employee’s annual rate of Base Salary as of the Termination Date or as of the date of the Change in Control, whichever is greater, plus (ii) Employee’s Target STI Payment, calculated based on Employee’s Base Salary as of the Termination Date or, if greater, as of the date of the Change in Control, payable to Employee on the 30th day following the Termination Date in a lump sum payment; plus
(ii) Payment of a Pro-Rata Bonus for the calendar year of termination, payable as soon as administratively feasible following preparation of the Company’s audited financial statements for the applicable calendar year, but in no event later than March 31 (or earlier than January 1) of the calendar year following the calendar year to which such STI Payment relates; and
(iii) The Company shall pay or reimburse on a monthly basis the premiums required to continue Employee’s group health care coverage for a period of eighteen (18) months following Employee’s Termination Date, under the applicable provisions of COBRA, provided that Employee or his dependents, as applicable, elect to continue and remain eligible for these benefits under COBRA. If necessary to avoid inclusion in taxable income by Employee of the value of in-kind benefits, such health care continuation premiums shall be provided in the form of taxable payments to Employee, which payments shall be made without regard to whether Employee elects to continue and remain eligible for such benefits under COBRA, and in which event Company shall pay to Employee, with each monthly reimbursement, an additional amount of cash equal to A/(1-R)-A, where A is the amount of the reimbursement for the month, and R is the sum of the maximum federal individual income tax rate then applicable to ordinary income and the maximum individual Colorado income tax rate then applicable to ordinary income;
(iv) Provided, however, that the sum of (i) and (ii) above shall be reduced, but not below zero, by the sum of any actually benefits provided to Employee pursuant to Section 5(a)(i), (ii), or (iii) and any payments otherwise required pursuant to Section 5(a)(i), (ii), and (iii) shall not be made. Nothing in this Section 6 shall relieve the Company or any successor-in-interest thereof of its obligation to continue, following any Change in Control, to provide Employee with the compensation due pursuant to Section 3 of this Agreement or to otherwise comply with its obligations hereunder in the event Employee’s service continues pursuant to this Agreement following the occurrence of such Change in Control.
Payment of Severance Subject to Section 7.13, any severance payments pursuant to Section 5.4(a) hereof shall be paid commencing on the sixtieth (60th) day following the Termination Date (with a lump sum catch-up payment for any installments otherwise payable within sixty (60) days following the Termination Date) and in accordance with the Company’s standard payroll schedule and practices.
Change in Control Severance Benefits If there is a Change in Control, and within one (1) year of such Change in Control, the Executive’s employment is terminated under the circumstances described in Sections 4(a) through 4(f) above, the Executive shall be entitled to the following: (I) if such termination is a termination by the Company without Cause pursuant to Section 4(a) or the Executive resigns for Good Reason pursuant to Section 4(b), the Company shall pay the Executive the Accrued Obligations and the Pro Rata Bonus and, in addition, subject to the provisions of Section 19, (A) an amount equal to twenty-four (24) months of the Executive’s Base Salary at the rate in effect on the date of termination or resignation, payable in a lump sum within sixty (60) calendar days of the date of termination or resignation; and (B) provided the Executive timely elects continuation coverage under COBRA, the Company shall also pay, on the Executive’s behalf, the portion of monthly premiums for the Executive’s group health insurance, including coverage for the Executive’s dependents, that the Company paid immediately prior to the date of termination or resignation, during the eighteen (18) month period following the date of termination or resignation, subject to the Executive’s continued eligibility for COBRA coverage. The Company will pay for such COBRA coverage for eligible dependents only for those dependents who were enrolled immediately prior to the date of termination or resignation. The Executive will continue to be required to pay that portion of the premium for the Executive’s health coverage, including coverage for the Executive’s eligible dependents, that the Executive was required to pay as an active employee immediately prior to the date of termination or resignation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that under applicable guidance the reimbursement of COBRA premiums causes the Company’s group health plan to violate any applicable nondiscrimination rule, the parties agree to negotiate in good faith a mutually agreeable alternative arrangement; and (II) if such termination is a termination or resignation under the circumstances described in Sections 4(c), 4(d), 4(e) or 4(f), the Executive shall be entitled to the compensation and benefits for which the Executive is eligible under such sections.
Right to Severance Benefits The Executive shall be entitled to receive from the Company Severance Benefits, as described in Section 3.3 herein, if there has been a Change in Control of the Company and if, within twenty-four (24) calendar months following the Change in Control, a Qualifying Termination of the Executive has occurred. The Executive shall not be entitled to receive Severance Benefits if he/she is terminated for Cause, or if his/her employment with the Company ends due to death, Disability, or Retirement or due to a voluntary termination of employment by the Executive without Good Reason.
Change of Control Severance Benefits (a) If during the Change of Control Period Cascade shall terminate Executive’s employment other than for Cause, or Executive shall terminate employment with Cascade for Good Reason, Cascade shall: (i) pay Executive (or in the event of Executive’s subsequent death, Executive’s beneficiary or estate, as the case may be), as severance pay, a sum equal to two (2) times the salary and bonus paid by Cascade to Executive during the twelve (12) month period ending on the last day of the month preceding the effective date of a Change of Control (excluding any gains resulting from exercise of stock options or vesting of restricted stock awards or other similar forms of stock compensation); (ii) cause to be continued for twenty-four (24) months after the effective date of a Change of Control, life, medical, dental, and disability coverage substantially identical to the coverage maintained by Cascade for Executive prior to the effective date of a Change of Control, except to the extent such coverage may be changed in its application to all Cascade employees on a nondiscriminatory basis; and (iii) accelerate any unvested stock-based compensation so any such stock-based compensation shall be 100% vested and immediately exercisable in full as of the date of such termination. Payments due under (i) above shall be paid to Executive in a lump sum no sooner than six (6) months after the date of Executive’s termination.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 1(a) above, if a payment to Executive who is a “disqualified individual” shall be in an amount which includes an “excess parachute payment,” the payment hereunder to Executive shall be reduced to the maximum amount which does not include an “excess parachute payment.” The terms “disqualified individual” and “excess parachute payment” shall have the meaning defined in Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
(c) Executive shall not be required to mitigate the amount of any payment or benefit provided for in Section 1(a) of this Agreement by seeking other employment or otherwise, nor shall the amount of any payment or benefit provided for in Section 1(a) of this Agreement be reduced by any compensation earned or benefit received by Executive as the result of employment by another employer. This Agreement shall not be construed as a contract of employment or as providing Executive any right to be retained in the employ of Cascade or any affiliate thereof.
(d) Prior to Executive’s gaining the right to receive, and in exchange for, the severance compensation, benefits and option acceleration provided in Section 3(a), above, to which Executive would not otherwise be entitled, Executive shall first enter into and execute a release substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Release”) upon Executive’s termination of employment. Unless the Release is executed by Executive and delivered to Cascade within twenty-one (21) days after the termination of Executive’s employment with Cascade, Executive shall not receive any severance benefits provided under this Agreement, acceleration, if any, of Executive’s equity grants/benefits as provided in this Agreement shall not apply and Executive’s equity grants/benefits in such event may be exercised following the date of Executive’s termination only to the extent provided under their originals terms in accordance with the applicable equity plans and agreements.
Eligibility for Severance Benefits The Company or its successor shall pay or provide to the Executive the Severance Benefits if the Executive has a Separation from Service and his employment is terminated voluntarily or involuntarily during the term of this Agreement, either:
(a) by the Company (1) at any time within 24 months after a Change in Control of the Company, or (2) at any time prior to a Change in Control but after the commencement of any discussions with a third party relating to a possible Change in Control of the Company involving such third party, if such termination is in contemplation of such possible Change in Control and such Change in Control is actually consummated within 12 months after the date of such termination, in either case unless the termination is on account of the Executive’s death or Disability or for Cause, provided that, in the case of a termination on account of the Executive’s Disability or for Cause, the Company shall give Notice of Termination to the Executive with respect thereto; or
(b) by the Executive for Good Reason (1) at any time within 24 months after a Change in Control of the Company or (2) at any time after the commencement of any discussions with a third party relating to a possible Change in Control of the Company involving such third party, if such Change in Control is actually consummated within 12 months after the date of such termination, and, in any such case, provided that the Executive shall give Notice of Termination to the Company with respect thereto. For purposes of clarity, with respect to Section 3 above, an Executive who is collecting Disability benefits will not be eligible for benefits under this Agreement. An Executive who is no longer Disabled will be eligible for benefits under this Agreement if, in the period extending from 12 months before the Change in Control to 24 months after the Change in Control, either of the following occur: (1) the Executive attempts to return to his or her position, and no such position is available, or (2) the Executive returns to employment and is subsequently terminated pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 3(b) above.
