Equity Vesting All of the then-unvested shares subject to each of the Executive’s then-outstanding equity awards will immediately vest and, in the case of options and stock appreciation rights, will become exercisable (for avoidance of doubt, no more than 100% of the shares subject to the then-outstanding portion of an equity award may vest and become exercisable under this provision). In the case of equity awards with performance-based vesting, all performance goals and other vesting criteria will be deemed achieved at the greater of actual performance or 100% of target levels. Unless otherwise required under the next following two sentences or, with respect to awards subject to Section 409A of the Code, under Section 5(b) below, any restricted stock units, performance shares, performance units, and/or similar full value awards that vest under this paragraph will be settled on the 61st day following the CIC Qualified Termination. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Executive’s Qualified Termination occurs prior to a Change in Control, then any unvested portion of the Executive’s then-outstanding equity awards will remain outstanding for 3 months or the occurrence of a Change in Control (whichever is earlier) so that any additional benefits due on a CIC Qualified Termination can be provided if a Change in Control occurs within 3 months following the Qualified Termination (provided that in no event will the Executive’s stock options or similar equity awards remain outstanding beyond the equity award’s maximum term to expiration). In such case, if no Change in Control occurs within 3 months following a Qualified Termination, any unvested portion of the Executive’s equity awards automatically will be forfeited permanently on the 3-month anniversary of the Qualified Termination without having vested.
Vested Company Options No Vested Company Options shall be assumed or continued by Parent and the Company in connection with the Merger or the other transactions contemplated hereby. Each Vested Company Option outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be cancelled and converted automatically into the right to receive at the Effective Time with respect to each share subject thereto, subject to the execution and delivery by such Company Option Holder of an option cancellation agreement (which shall include a release) in a form mutually acceptable to Parent and the Company (an “Option Cancellation Agreement”), an amount in cash, without interest, equal to the excess, if any, of the Per Share Common Consideration for each share of Company Common Stock issuable upon the exercise in full of such Company Option over the per share exercise price of such Vested Company Option (such excess amount being hereinafter referred to as the “Vested Company Option Cash Out Amount”), subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 1.6. Vested Company Options with a per share exercise price greater than or equal to the Per Share Common Consideration shall be cancelled without consideration. The payment of the Vested Company Option Cash Out Amount to any holder of Vested Company Options shall be paid at such time(s) provided in this Agreement to the Surviving Corporation for further payment to the holders of Employee Company Options through the Surviving Corporation’s payroll processing system net of applicable Tax withholding and deductions, and in respect of Non-Employee Company Options, shall be paid to the Payment Agent for further payment to the Non-Employee Company Option Holders. For purposes of calculating the aggregate amount of consideration payable in respect of each Vested Company Option pursuant to this Section 1.3(c), (x) all shares of Company Common Stock issuable upon the exercise in full of the Vested Company Options held by each holder of Vested Company Options shall be aggregated and (y) the amount of cash to be paid to each such holder of Vested Company Options shall be rounded down to the nearest whole cent.
Company Equity Awards With respect to any stock options, restricted stock or other equity awards (the “Equity Awards”) granted pursuant to any compensation plan of the Company or its Subsidiaries providing for the issuance of Equity Awards (the “Company Plans”), (A) each grant of an Equity Award was duly authorized no later than the date on which the grant of such Equity Award was by its terms to be effective by all necessary corporate action, and (B) each such grant was made in accordance with the terms of the Company Plans and all other applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements.
Stock Vesting Unless otherwise approved by the Board of Directors, all stock options and other stock equivalents issued after the date of this Agreement to employees, directors, consultants and other service providers shall be subject to vesting as follows: (a) twenty-five percent (25%) of such stock shall vest at the end of the first year following the earlier of the date of issuance or such person’s services commencement date with the Company, and (b) seventy-five percent (75%) of such stock shall vest over the remaining three (3) years.
Incentive, Savings and Retirement Plans During the Employment Period, the Executive shall be entitled to participate in all incentive, savings and retirement plans, practices, policies and programs applicable generally to other peer executives of the Company and its affiliated companies, but in no event shall such plans, practices, policies and programs provide the Executive with incentive opportunities (measured with respect to both regular and special incentive opportunities, to the extent, if any, that such distinction is applicable), savings opportunities and retirement benefit opportunities, in each case, less favorable, in the aggregate, than the most favorable of those provided by the Company and its affiliated companies for the Executive under such plans, practices, policies and programs as in effect at any time during the 120-day period immediately preceding the Effective Date or if more favorable to the Executive, those provided generally at any time after the Effective Date to other peer executives of the Company and its affiliated companies.
Change in Control Vesting The shares of Common Stock underlying each Tranche of Performance Shares may also vest on an accelerated basis in accordance with the applicable provisions of Paragraph 4 of this Agreement should a Change in Control occur after the start but prior to the completion of the Performance Period applicable to that particular Tranche or the Certification Date. Issuance Date: The shares of Common Stock which actually vest and become issuable pursuant to each Tranche of Performance Shares shall be issued in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement applicable to the particular circumstances under which such vesting occurs.
Accelerated Vesting of Equity Awards One hundred percent (100%) of Executive’s then-outstanding and unvested Equity Awards will become vested in full. If, however, an outstanding Equity Award is to vest and/or the amount of the award to vest is to be determined based on the achievement of performance criteria, then the Equity Award will vest as to one hundred percent (100%) of the amount of the Equity Award assuming the performance criteria had been achieved at target levels for the relevant performance period(s).
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.
Annual Equity Award With respect to each Company fiscal year commencing during the Term, the Executive shall be eligible to receive an annual equity compensation award (each such award, an “Annual Equity Award”). The form and terms and conditions of each Annual Equity Award shall be determined by the Board (or the Compensation Committee of the Board) in its discretion and shall be set forth in one or more written award agreements between the Company and the Executive.
