Deferral of Compensation The Company shall implement deferral arrangements permitting Executive to elect to irrevocably defer receipt, pursuant to written deferral election terms and forms (the "Deferral Election Forms"), of all or a specified portion of (i) his annual base salary and annual incentive compensation under Section 4, (ii) long-term incentive compensation under Section 5(a), and (iii) shares acquired upon exercise of options granted in accordance with Sections 5(a) and (b) that are acquired in an exercise in which Executive pays the exercise price by the surrender of previously acquired shares, to the extent of the net additional shares acquired by Executive in such exercise; provided, however, that such deferrals shall not reduce Executive's total cash compensation in any calendar year below the sum of (i) the FICA maximum taxable wage base plus (ii) 1.45% of Executive's annual salary, annual incentive compensation and long-term incentive compensation in excess of such FICA maximum. In accordance with such duly executed Deferral Election Forms or the terms of any such mandatory deferral, the Company shall credit to one or more bookkeeping accounts maintained for Executive on the respective payment date or dates, amounts equal to the compensation subject to deferral, such credits to be denominated in cash if the compensation would have been paid in cash but for the deferral or in shares if the compensation would have been paid in shares but for the deferral. An amount of cash equal in value to all cash-denominated amounts credited to Executive's account and a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of shares credited to Executive's account pursuant to this Section 5(c) shall be transferred as soon as practicable following such crediting by the Company to, and shall be held and invested by, an independent trustee selected by the Company and reasonably acceptable to Executive (a "Trustee") pursuant to a "rabbi trust" established by the Company in connection with such deferral arrangement and as to which the Trustee shall make investments based on Executive's investment objectives (including possible investment in publicly traded stocks and bonds, mutual funds, real estate, and insurance vehicles) (the "Deferred Compensation Accounts"). Thereafter, Executive's deferral accounts will be valued by reference to the value of the assets of the Deferred Compensation Accounts. The Company shall pay all costs of administration of the deferral arrangement, without deduction or reimbursement from the assets of the "rabbi trust," or reduction in the Deferred Compensation Accounts. Except as otherwise provided under Section 7 in the event of Executive's termination of employment with the Company or as otherwise determined by the Committee in the event of hardship on the part of Executive, upon such date(s) or event(s) set forth in the Deferral Election Forms (including forms filed after deferral but before settlement in which Executive may elect to further defer settlement) or under the terms of any mandatory deferral, the Company shall promptly pay to Executive cash equal to the cash then credited to Executive's deferral accounts and cash equal in value to any shares of Common Stock then credited to Executive's deferral accounts, less applicable withholding taxes, and such distribution shall be deemed to fully settle such accounts; provided, however, that the Company may instead settle such accounts by directing the Trustee to distribute the assets of the "rabbi trust." The Company and Executive agree that compensation deferred pursuant to this Section 5(c) shall be fully vested and nonforfeitable; provided, however, Executive acknowledges that his rights to the deferred compensation provided for in this Section 5(c) shall be no greater than those of a general unsecured creditor of the Company, and that such rights may not be pledged, collateralized, encumbered, hypothecated, or liable for or subject to any lien, obligation, or liability of Executive, or be assignable or transferable by Executive, otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, provided that Executive may designate one or more beneficiaries to receive any payment of such amounts in the event of his death.
Deferral of Payments The Executive shall have the right to elect to defer the Post-Change in Control Severance Payment to be received by the Executive pursuant to this Section 6 under the terms and conditions of the Deferred Compensation Plan. Any such deferral election shall be made in accordance with Section 18(b) hereof.
Deferral of Filing The Company may defer the filing (but not the preparation) of a registration statement required by Section 2.1 until a date not later than sixty (60) days after the Required Filing Date and not more than twice and not more than ninety (90) days in the aggregate in any twelve-month period if (i) the Board of Directors of the Company or a committee of the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith that such registration would be materially detrimental to the Company and its stockholders; provided, that the Board of Directors of the Company or such committee, as applicable, shall, in making such determination, take into consideration the benefit to the Company of completing such registration and the reduction of the ownership of Registrable Securities by the Requesting Holder, or (ii) prior to receiving the Demand Request, the Company had determined to effect a registered underwritten public offering of the Company’s securities for the Company’s account and the Company had taken substantial steps (including, but not limited to, selecting a managing underwriter for such offering) and is proceeding with reasonable diligence to effect such offering. A deferral of the filing of a registration statement pursuant to this Section 2.1.6 shall be lifted, and the requested registration statement shall be filed forthwith, if, in the case of a deferral pursuant to clause (i) of the preceding sentence, the negotiations or other activities are disclosed or terminated, or, in the case of a deferral pursuant to clause (ii) of the preceding sentence, the proposed registration for the Company’s account is abandoned. In order to defer the filing of a registration statement pursuant to this Section 2.1.6, the Company shall promptly (but in any event within ten (10) days), upon determining to seek such deferral, deliver to each Requesting Holder a certificate signed by an executive officer of the Company stating that the Company is deferring such filing pursuant to this Section 2.1.6 and a general statement of the reason for such deferral and an approximation of the anticipated delay. Within twenty (20) days after receiving such certificate, the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities held by the Requesting Holders and for which registration was previously requested may withdraw such Demand Request by giving notice to the Company; if withdrawn, the Demand Request shall be deemed not to have been made for all purposes of this Agreement. The Company may defer the filing of a particular registration statement pursuant to this Section 2.1.6 only once.
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation (a) It is intended that any payment or benefit which is provided pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement which is considered to be deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code shall be paid and provided in a manner, and at such time and form, as complies with the applicable requirements of Section 409A of the Code to avoid the unfavorable tax consequences provided therein for non-compliance.
Deferral Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company shall furnish to Holders requesting registration pursuant to this Section 2.3, a certificate signed by the President or Chief Executive Officer of the Company stating that in the good faith judgment of the Board, it would be materially detrimental to the Company and its shareholders for such registration statement to be filed at such time, then the Company shall have the right to defer such filing for a period of not more than ninety (90) days after receipt of the request of the Initiating Holders; provided, however, that the Company may not utilize this right more than once in any twelve (12) month period; provided further, that the Company shall not register any other of its shares during such twelve (12) month period. A demand right shall not be deemed to have been exercised until such deferred registration shall have been effected.
Deferrals If permitted by the Company, the Participant may elect, subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and any other applicable written plan or procedure adopted by the Company from time to time for purposes of such election, to defer the distribution of all or any portion of the shares of Common Stock that would otherwise be distributed to the Participant hereunder (the “Deferred Shares”), consistent with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. Upon the vesting of RSUs that have been so deferred, the applicable number of Deferred Shares shall be credited to a bookkeeping account established on the Participant’s behalf (the “Account”). Subject to Section 5 hereof, the number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of Deferred Shares credited to the Participant’s Account shall be distributed to the Participant in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Plan and the other applicable written plans or procedures of the Company, consistent with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.
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.
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plans Effective on or before the Distribution Date, Columbia shall adopt, establish and maintain nonqualified deferred compensation plans for the benefit of employees of the Columbia Parties (the “Columbia Deferred Compensation Plans”) and shall establish one or more grantor trusts to be a source of providing benefits thereunder (the “Columbia Rabbi Trusts”) that in each case shall be substantially similar to the NiSource Deferred Compensation Plans and the grantor trusts maintained by NiSource with respect to the NiSource Deferred Compensation Plans (the “NiSource Rabbi Trusts”). As of the Distribution Date, the Columbia Parties shall assume and thereafter be solely responsible for all existing and future liabilities relating to Business Employees’ (and Deceased Business Employee survivors’ and beneficiaries’) (a) benefits accrued under the NiSource Deferred Compensation Plans prior to the Distribution Date and (b) benefits that accrue under the Columbia Deferred Compensation Plans on and after the Distribution Date. All beneficiary designations made by Business Employees and by survivors and beneficiaries of Deceased Business Employees under the NiSource Deferred Compensation Plans shall, to the extent applicable, be transferred to, and be in full force and effect under, the Columbia Deferred Compensation Plans until such beneficiary designations are replaced or revoked by the Business Employee (or the survivor or beneficiary of the Deceased Business Employee) who made the beneficiary designation. Following the Distribution Date, the NiSource Parties shall have no liability or obligation with respect to the benefits accrued by such Business Employees or by such survivors or beneficiaries of Deceased Business Employees under any of the NiSource Deferred Compensation Plans or with respect to any benefits accrued under the Columbia Deferred Compensation Plans. As soon as administratively practicable after the Distribution Date, NiSource shall cause the NiSource Rabbi Trusts to transfer to the Columbia Rabbi Trusts cash, life insurance policies or other assets having an aggregate fair market value equal to (i) the aggregate fair market value of all assets held in the NiSource Rabbi Trusts as of the Distribution Date multiplied by (ii) a percentage, the numerator of which shall be the lump sum present value of the benefits assumed by the Columbia Deferred Compensation Plans pursuant to this Section 3.03 and the denominator of which shall be the lump sum present value of all benefits accrued under the NiSource Deferred Compensation Plans immediately prior to the Distribution Date.
Section 409A It is intended that all of the payments payable under this Agreement satisfy, to the greatest extent possible, the exemptions from the application of Section 409A of the Code and the regulations and other guidance thereunder and any state law of similar effect (collectively, “Section 409A”) provided under Treasury Regulations Sections 1.409A-1(b)(4) and 1.409A-1(b)(9), and this Agreement will be construed in a manner that complies with Section 409A. For purposes of Section 409A (including, without limitation, for purposes of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b)(2)(iii)), Executive’s right to receive any installment payments under this Agreement (whether severance payments, reimbursements or otherwise) shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate payments and, accordingly, each installment payment hereunder shall at all times be considered a separate and distinct payment. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in this letter, if Executive is deemed by the Company at the time of Executive’s Separation from Service to be a “specified employee” for purposes of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i), and if any of the payments upon Separation from Service set forth herein and/or under any other agreement with the Company are deemed to be “deferred compensation”, then to the extent delayed commencement of any portion of such payments is required in order to avoid a prohibited distribution under Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) and the related adverse taxation under Section 409A, such payments shall not be provided to Executive prior to the earliest of (i) the expiration of the six-month period measured from the date of Executive’s Separation from Service with the Company, (ii) the date of Executive’s death or (iii) such earlier date as permitted under Section 409A without the imposition of adverse taxation. Upon the first business day following the expiration of such applicable Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) period, all payments deferred pursuant to this paragraph shall be paid in a lump sum to Executive, and any remaining payments due shall be paid as otherwise provided herein or in the applicable agreement. No interest shall be due on any amounts so deferred.
