NOTICE OF FORMAL PROCEEDINGS The Trust, MFS, and the Company agree that each such party shall promptly notify the other parties to this Agreement, in writing, of the institution of any formal proceedings brought against such party or its designees by the NASD, the SEC, or any insurance department or any other regulatory body regarding such party's duties under this Agreement or related to the sale of the Policies, the operation of the Accounts, or the purchase of the Shares.
Submission of Formal Disputes a. A Formal Dispute must be filed in writing with the Director of Procurement Services by mail or email, using the following contact information: Email: xxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxx.xx.xxx
b. The Formal Dispute must include:
i. Name, address, e-mail address and telephone numbers of the filer.
ii. Solicitation or Contract number.
iii. Detailed statement of the legal and factual grounds for the Formal Dispute, including a description of resulting prejudice to the filer.
iv. Copies of relevant documents.
v. Request for a ruling by the agency.
vi. Statement as to the form of relief requested.
vii. All information establishing that the filer is an Interested Party for the purpose of filing a Formal Dispute.
viii. All information establishing the timeliness of the Formal Dispute.
Arbitration; Choice of Forum (a) BY ACCEPTING THIS AWARD, YOU ARE INDICATING THAT YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT THE ARBITRATION AND CHOICE OF FORUM PROVISIONS SET FORTH IN SECTION 3.17 OF THE PLAN SHALL APPLY TO THIS AWARD. SUCH PROVISIONS, WHICH ARE EXPRESSLY INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE, PROVIDE AMONG OTHER THINGS THAT ANY DISPUTE, CONTROVERSY OR CLAIM BETWEEN THE FIRM AND YOU ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO OR CONCERNING THE PLAN OR THIS AWARD AGREEMENT SHALL BE FINALLY SETTLED BY ARBITRATION IN NEW YORK CITY, PURSUANT TO THE TERMS MORE FULLY SET FORTH IN SECTION 3.17 OF THE PLAN.
(b) To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, no arbitrator shall have the authority to consider class, collective or representative claims, to order consolidation or to join different claimants or grant relief other than on an individual basis to the individual claimant involved.
(c) Notwithstanding any applicable forum rules to the contrary, to the extent there is a question of enforceability of this Award Agreement arising from a challenge to the arbitrator’s jurisdiction or to the arbitrability of a claim, it shall be decided by a court and not an arbitrator.
(d) All references to the New York Stock Exchange in Section 3.17 of the Plan shall be read as references to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
(e) The Federal Arbitration Act governs interpretation and enforcement of all arbitration provisions under the Plan and this Award Agreement, and all arbitration proceedings thereunder.
(f) Nothing herein creates a substantive right to bring a claim under U.S., Federal, state, or local employment laws.
Purpose of Form An individual or entity (Form W-9 requester) who is required to file an information return with the IRS must obtain your correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) which may be your social security number (SSN), individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN), adoption taxpayer identification number (ATIN), or employer identification number (EIN), to report on an information return the amount paid to you, or other amount reportable on an information return. Examples of information returns include, but are not limited to, the following: • Form 1099-INT (interest earned or paid) • Form 1099-DIV (dividends, including those from stocks or mutual funds) • Form 1099-MISC (various types of income, prizes, awards, or gross proceeds) • Form 1099-B (stock or mutual fund sales and certain other transactions by brokers) • Form 1099-S (proceeds from real estate transactions) • Form 1099-K (merchant card and third party network transactions) • Form 1098 (home mortgage interest), 1098-E (student loan interest), 1098-T (tuition) • Form 1099-C (canceled debt) • Form 1099-A (acquisition or abandonment of secured property) Use Form W-9 only if you are a U.S. person (including a resident alien), to provide your correct TIN. If you do not return Form W-9 to the requester with a TIN, you might be subject to backup withholding. See What is backup withholding? on page 2. By signing the filled-out form, you:
Choice of Forum for Securities Act Disputes Unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to and contingent upon a final adjudication in the State of Delaware of the enforceability of such exclusive forum provision. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any security of the Company shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Agreement.
Effect of Force Majeure If either Party is rendered wholly or partially unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement because of a Force Majeure Act, that Party shall be excused from whatever performance is affected by the Force Majeure Act to the extent so affected, provided that:
a) Within five (5) Business Days after the occurrence of the inability to perform due to a Force Majeure Act, the Affected Party provides a written notice to the other Party of the particulars of the occurrence, including an estimation of its expected duration and probable impact on the performance of its obligations hereunder, and continues to furnish periodic reports with respect thereto, every seven (7) days, during the period of Force Majeure,
b) The Affected Party shall use all reasonable efforts to continue to perform its obligations hereunder and to correct or cure as soon as possible the Force Majeure Act,
c) The suspension of performance shall be of no greater scope and no longer duration than is reasonably necessitated by the Force Majeure Act,
d) The Affected Party shall provide the other Party with prompt notice of the cessation of the Force Majeure Act giving rise to the excuse from performance and shall thereupon resume normal performance of obligations under this Agreement with utmost promptitude,
e) The non-performance of any obligation of either Party that was required to be performed prior to the occurrence of a Force Majeure Act shall not be excused as a result of such subsequent Force Majeure Act,
f) The occurrence of a Force Majeure Act shall not relieve either Party from its obligations to make any payment hereunder for performance rendered prior to the occurrence of Force Majeure Act or for partial performance hereunder during period of subsistence Force Majeure Act; and
g) The Force Majeure Act, shall not relieve either Party from its obligation to comply with Applicable Laws. The Affected Party shall exercise all reasonable efforts to mitigate or limit damages to the other Party.
Rules of Procedure By referring any specific grievance to be dealt with in the expedited arbitration procedure it is understood and agreed that the matter is to be dealt with in accordance with the Rules of Procedure attached to this Agreement as Appendix 1.
Special rules for partnerships Partnerships that conduct a trade or business in the United States are generally required to pay a withholding tax under section 1446 on any foreign partners’ share of effectively connected taxable income from such business. Further, in certain cases where a Form W-9 has not been received, the rules under section 1446 require a partnership to presume that a partner is a foreign person, and pay the section 1446 withholding tax. Therefore, if you are a Foreign person. If you are a foreign person or the U.S. branch of a foreign bank that has elected to be treated as a U.S. person, do not use Form W-9. Instead, use the appropriate Form W-8 or Form 8233 (see Publication 515, Withholding of Tax on Nonresident Aliens and Foreign Entities). Nonresident alien who becomes a resident alien. Generally, only a nonresident alien individual may use the terms of a tax treaty to reduce or eliminate U.S. tax on certain types of income. However, most tax treaties contain a provision known as a “saving clause.” Exceptions specified in the saving clause may permit an exemption from tax to continue for certain types of income even after the payee has otherwise become a U.S. resident alien for tax purposes.
Disqualification of Form S-1 For a period equal to seven (7) years from the date hereof, the Company will not take any action or actions which may prevent or disqualify the Company’s use of Form S-1 (or other appropriate form) for the registration of the Warrants under the Act.
Governing Law; Choice of Forum This Agreement will be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, regardless of the law that might be applied under principles of conflict of laws. Any action to enforce this Agreement or any action otherwise regarding this Agreement must be brought in a court in the State of New York, to which jurisdiction the Company and you consent.
