Forfeiture of Awards The Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder (and gains earned or accrued in connection therewith) shall be subject to such generally applicable policies as to forfeiture and recoupment (including, without limitation, upon the occurrence of material financial or accounting errors, financial or other misconduct or Competitive Activity) as may be adopted by the Administrator or the Board from time to time and communicated to the Employee or as required by applicable law, and are otherwise subject to forfeiture or disgorgement of profits as provided by the Plan.
Forfeiture of Award Section 4.1 If, at any time during the Award Recipient’s tenure as a director of the Company or within 18 months after termination of such tenure, the Award Recipient engages in any activity in competition with any activity of CenturyTel or its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”), or inimical, contrary or harmful to the interests of the Company, including but not limited to: (a) conduct relating to the Award Recipient’s service on the Board for which either criminal or civil penalties against the Award Recipient may be sought, (b) conduct or activity that results in removal of the Award Recipient from the Board for cause, (c) violation of the Company’s policies, including, without limitation, the Company’s xxxxxxx xxxxxxx policy or corporate compliance program, (d) accepting employment after the date hereof with, acquiring a 5% or more equity or participation interest in, serving as a consultant, advisor, director or agent of, directly or indirectly soliciting or recruiting any officer of the Company who was employed at any time during the Award Recipient’s service on the Board, or otherwise assisting in any other capacity or manner any company or enterprise that is directly or indirectly in competition with or acting against the interests of the Company or any of its lines of business (a “competitor”), except for (A) any employment, investment, service, assistance or other activity that is undertaken at the request or with the written permission of the CenturyTel Board of Directors or (B) any assistance of a competitor that is provided in the ordinary course of the Award Recipient engaging in his or her principal occupation in the good faith and reasonable belief that such assistance will neither harm the Company’s interests in any substantial manner or violate any of the Award Recipient’s duties or responsibilities under the Company’s policies or applicable law, (e) disclosing or misusing any confidential information or material concerning the Company, (f) engaging in, promoting, assisting or otherwise participating in a hostile takeover attempt of the Company or any other transaction or proxy contest that could reasonably be expected to result in a Change of Control (as defined in the Plan) not approved by the CenturyTel Board of Directors or (g) making any statement or disclosing any information to any customers, suppliers, lessors, lessees, licensors, licensees, regulators, employees or others with whom the Company engages in business that is defamatory or derogatory with respect to the business, operations, technology, management, or other employees of the Company, or taking any other action that could reasonably be expected to injure the Company in its business relationships with any of the foregoing parties or result in any other detrimental effect on the Company, then (i) all unvested shares of Restricted Stock granted hereunder shall automatically terminate and be forfeited effective on the date on which the Award Recipient first engages in such activity and (ii) all shares of Common Stock acquired by the Award Recipient upon vesting of the Restricted Stock hereunder after the date that precedes by one year the date on which the Award Recipient’s tenure as a director of the Company terminated or the date the Award Recipient first engaged in such activity if no such termination occurs (or other securities into which such shares have been converted or exchanged) shall be returned to the Company or, if no longer held by the Award Recipient, the Award Recipient shall return to the Company, without interest, all cash, securities or other assets received by the Award Recipient upon the sale or transfer of such stock or securities.
Section 4.2 If the Award Recipient owes any amount to the Company under Section 4.1 above, the Award Recipient acknowledges that the Company may, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, deduct such amount from any amounts the Company owes the Award Recipient from time to time for any reason (including without limitation amounts owed to the Award Recipient as directors fees, reimbursements, retirement payments, or other compensation or benefits). Whether or not the Company elects to make any such set-off in whole or in part, if the Company does not recover by means of set-off the full amount the Award Recipient owes it, the Award Recipient hereby agrees to pay immediately the unpaid balance to the Company.
Section 4.3 The Award Recipient may be released from the Award Recipient’s obligations under Sections 4.1 and 4.2 above only if the CenturyTel Board of Directors determines in its sole discretion that such action is in the best interests of the Company.
Forfeiture of RSUs If you (a) breach any restrictive covenant (which, for the avoidance of doubt, includes any non-compete, non-solicit, non-disparagement or confidentiality provisions) contained in any arrangements with the Company (including your Employment Agreement and the confidentiality covenant contained in Section 10(c) hereof) to which you are subject or (b) engage in fraud or willful misconduct that contributes materially to any financial restatement or material loss to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, your rights with respect to the RSUs shall immediately terminate, and you shall be entitled to no further payments or benefits with respect thereto and, if the RSUs are vested and/or settled, the Company may require you to forfeit or remit to the Company any amount payable, or the after-tax net amount paid or received by you, in respect of any RSUs; provided, however, that (i) the Company shall make such demand that you forfeit or remit any such amount no later than six months after learning of the conduct described in this Section 4 and (ii) in cases where cure is possible, you shall first be provided a 15-day cure period to cease, and to cure, such conduct.
Forfeiture of Rights At any time, any holder of Registrable Securities (including any Holder) may elect to forfeit its rights set forth in this Annex E from that date forward; provided, that a Holder forfeiting such rights shall nonetheless be entitled to participate under Section 2(d) – (f) of this Annex E in any Pending Underwritten Offering to the same extent that such Holder would have been entitled to if the Holder had not withdrawn; and provided, further, that no such forfeiture shall terminate a Holder’s rights or obligations under Section 7 of this Annex E with respect to any prior registration or Pending Underwritten Offering.
Vesting; Forfeiture (a) Subject to the Participant’s continued employment or service through the applicable vesting date and except as otherwise provided in this Section 3, the Award shall vest at the time(s) set forth on the signature page hereto. The Administrator has authority to determine whether and to what degree the Award shall be deemed vested.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 3(a) herein, with respect to Employees and Consultants, in the event that the Participant’s employment or service with the Company is terminated due to a Qualifying Termination, then a pro-rata portion of the unvested Shares subject to the Award as of each applicable vesting date, determined as of the date of the Qualifying Termination in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(b), shall be deemed vested. The pro-rata portion of the unvested Shares subject to the Award that shall be deemed vested as of each applicable vesting date shall be determined by multiplying the total number of the unvested Shares subject to vesting on the applicable vesting date, by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of calendar days from the Date of Grant through the date of the Qualifying Termination, and the denominator of which is the total number of calendar days in the period commencing on the Date of Grant and ending on the applicable vesting date. The remaining unvested Shares subject to the Award shall be forfeited as of the date of the Qualifying Termination.
(c) Notwithstanding Section 3(a) herein, with respect to Directors, in the event that the Participant’s employment or service with the Company is terminated due to death or Disability, then the Award shall, to the extent not then vested or previously forfeited or cancelled, become fully vested effective as of the Participant’s Termination Date.
(d) Notwithstanding Section 3(a) herein, in the event of a Change of Control, then the Award shall, to the extent not then vested or previously forfeited or cancelled, become vested as follows:
(i) To the extent that the successor or surviving company in the Change of Control event does not assume or substitute for the Award (or in which the Company is the ultimate parent corporation and does not continue the Award) on substantially similar terms or with substantially equivalent economic benefits (as determined by the Administrator) as Awards outstanding under the Plan immediately prior to the Change of Control event, the Award shall become fully vested as of the date of the Change of Control.
(ii) Further, in the event that the Award is substituted, assumed or continued as provided in Section 3(d)(i) herein, the Award will nonetheless become vested if the Participant’s employment or service is terminated by the Company and its Affiliates without Cause or by the Participant with Good Reason within six months before (in which case vesting shall not occur until the effective date of the Change of Control) or one year after the effective date of a Change of Control (in which case vesting shall occur as of the Participant’s Termination Date).
(e) If the Participant’s employment or service with the Company is terminated for any reason other than a Change of Control, a Qualifying Termination with respect to Employees and Consultants, or death or disability with respect to Directors as provided herein (including but not limited to a termination for Cause), the unvested portion of the Award shall immediately terminate and the Participant shall have no rights with respect to the Award or the Shares underlying the unvested portion of the Award.
Forfeiture of Units (a) Except as otherwise agreed to in writing between the General Partner and the applicable Person and reflected in the books and records of the Partnership, if a Person that is a Service Provider ceases to be a Service Provider for any reason, all Unvested Units held by such Person (or any Personal Planning Vehicle of such Person), and/or in which such Person (or any Personal Planning Vehicle of such Person) has an indirect interest, as set forth in the books and records of the Partnership, shall be immediately forfeited without any consideration, and any such Person (or any such Personal Planning Vehicle) shall cease to own or have any rights, directly or indirectly, with respect to such forfeited Unvested Units.
(b) Except as otherwise agreed to in writing between the General Partner and the applicable Person and reflected in the books and records of the Partnership, if the General Partner determines in good faith that Cause exists with respect to any Person that is or was at any time a Service Provider, the Units (whether or not vested) held by such Person (or any Personal Planning Vehicle of such Person), and/or in which such Person (or any Personal Planning Vehicle of such Person) has an indirect interest, as set forth in the books and records of the Partnership, shall be immediately forfeited without any consideration, and any such Person (or any such Personal Planning Vehicle) shall cease to own or have any rights, directly or indirectly, with respect to such forfeited Units. Such determinations need not be uniform and may be made selectively among such Persons, whether or not such Persons are similarly situated, and shall not constitute the breach by the General Partner or any of its directors, managers, officers or members of any duty (including any fiduciary duty) hereunder or otherwise existing at law, in equity or otherwise.
(c) Notwithstanding anything otherwise to the contrary herein, including without limitation Section 9.06 and Section 10.01, if any Person who is or was at any time a Service Provider shall fail to perform when due any “giveback,” “true-up” or “clawback” obligation owed by such Person to the Partnership or any of its Affiliates or to any fund sponsored by the Partnership or any of its Affiliates, the General Partner may in its sole discretion and without the consent of any other Person, cause to be forfeited a number of Units held by such Person (or any Personal Planning Vehicle of such Person), and/or in which such Person (or any Personal Planning Vehicle of such Person) has an indirect interest, as set forth in the books and records of the Partnership, equivalent in value to the obligation which was not performed, as determined by the General Partner in its sole discretion. Such determinations need not be uniform and may be made selectively among such Persons, whether or not such Persons are similarly situated, and shall not constitute the breach by the General Partner or any of its directors, managers, officers or members of any duty (including any fiduciary duty) hereunder or otherwise existing at law, in equity or otherwise.
(d) Upon the forfeiture of any Units in accordance with this Section 8.02, such Units shall be cancelled and the General Partner shall modify the books and records of the Partnership to reflect such forfeiture and cancellation.
Forfeiture upon Termination of Status as a Service Provider Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this Award Agreement, the balance of the Restricted Stock Units that have not vested as of the time of Participant’s termination as a Service Provider for any or no reason and Participant’s right to acquire any Shares hereunder will immediately terminate.
Forfeiture of Shares In the event the Partnership or the General Partner acquires Shares as a result of the forfeiture of such Shares under a restricted or similar share plan, then the General Partner shall cause the Partnership to cancel that number of Partnership Units of the appropriate class equal to the number of Shares so acquired divided by the Conversion Factor, and, if the Partnership acquired such Shares, it shall transfer such Shares to the General Partner for cancellation.
Payments Upon Termination of Employment (a) If during the Termination Period the employment of the Executive shall terminate, other than by reason of a Nonqualifying Termination, then the Company shall pay to the Executive (or the Executive's beneficiary or estate) within 30 days following the Date of Termination, as compensation for services rendered to the Company:
(1) a cash amount equal to the sum of (i) the Executive's full annual base salary from the Company through the Date of Termination, to the extent not theretofore paid, (ii) the Executive's annual bonus in an amount at least equal to the highest annualized (for any fiscal year consisting of less than 12 full months or with respect to which the Executive has been employed by the Company for less than 12 full months) bonus paid or payable, including by reason of any deferral, to the Executive by the Company in respect of the three fiscal years of the Company (or such portion thereof during which the Executive performed services for the Company if the Executive shall have been employed by the Company for less than such three fiscal year period) immediately preceding the fiscal year in which the Change in Control occurs, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days in the fiscal year in which the Change in Control occurs through the Date of Termination and the denominator of which is 365 or 366, as applicable, and (iii) any compensation previously deferred by the Executive (together with any interest and earnings thereon) and any accrued vacation pay, in each case to the extent not theretofore paid; plus
(2) a lump-sum cash amount (subject to any applicable payroll or other taxes required to be withheld pursuant to Section 5) in an amount equal to (i) the Executive's highest annual base salary from the Company in effect during the 12-month period prior to the Date of Termination, plus (ii) the Executive's highest annualized (for any fiscal year consisting of less than 12 full months or with respect to which the Executive has been employed by the Company for less than 12 full months) bonus, paid or payable, including by reason of any deferral, to the Executive by the Company in respect of the five fiscal years of the Company (or such portion thereof during which the Executive performed services for the Company if the Executive shall have been employed by the Company for less than such five fiscal year period) immediately preceding the fiscal year in which the Change in Control occurs, provided, that any amount paid pursuant to this Section 3(a)(2) shall be paid in lieu of any other amount of severance relating to salary or bonus continuation to be received by the Executive upon termination of employment of the Executive under any severance agreement, plan, policy or arrangement of the Company.
(b) For a period of eighteen months commencing on the Date of Termination, the Company shall continue to keep in full force and effect all policies of medical, accident, disability and life insurance with respect to the Executive and his dependents with the same level of coverage, upon the same terms and otherwise to the same extent as such policies shall have been in effect immediately prior to the Date of Termination and the Company shall pay all costs of the continuation of such insurance coverage.
(c) For a period of twelve months commencing on the Date of Termination, the Executive shall receive outplacement assistance services from an outplacement agency selected by the Executive and the Company shall pay all costs of such services; provided that such costs shall not exceed $15,000 in the aggregate.
(d) If during the Termination Period the employment of the Executive shall terminate by reason of a Nonqualifying Termination, then the Company shall pay to the Executive within 30 days following the Date of Termination, a cash amount equal to the sum of:
(1) the Executive's full annual base salary from the Company through the Date of Termination, to the extent not theretofore paid, and
(2) any compensation previously deferred by the Executive (together with any interest and earnings thereon) and any accrued vacation pay, in each case to the extent not theretofore paid.
Compensation Upon Termination or During Disability (i) During any period in which the Executive fails to perform his duties as a result of incapacity due to physical or mental illness, he shall continue to receive his full base salary at the rate then in effect until his employment is terminated pursuant to paragraph 3(i) hereof. Thereafter, his benefits, if any, shall be determined in accordance with whatever disability income insurance plan or plans the Corporation may then have in effect; provided, however, that, if at the time Disability of the Executive is established the disability benefits then available are less advantageous to the Executive than the disability benefits which were available on the date the Change in Control became effective, then his termination of employment by the Corporation shall be deemed to have occurred as a voluntary termination for Good Reason under paragraph 3(iii) hereof and not by reason of Disability, and the provisions of paragraph 4(iii) hereof shall apply in lieu of the provisions of this paragraph 4(i).
(ii) If the Executive’s employment shall be terminated for Cause or if the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Executive without Good Reason, the Corporation shall pay to him his full base salary through the Date of Termination at the rate in effect at the time Notice of Termination is given and the Corporation shall have no further obligations to the Executive under this Agreement.
(iii) If the Corporation shall terminate the Executive’s employment other than pursuant to paragraph 3(i) or 3(ii) hereof within 24 months after a Change in Control of the Corporation, or if the Executive shall terminate his employment for Good Reason pursuant to paragraph 3(iii) hereof within 24 months after a Change in Control, then:
(A) The Corporation shall pay to the Executive, not later than thirty (30) days following the Date of Termination, the Executive’s accrued but unpaid base salary through the Date of Termination, plus compensation for current and carried-over unused vacation and compensation days in accordance with the Corporation’s personnel policy, and reimbursement for all reasonable business expenses in accordance with the Corporation’s business expense policy.
(B) In lieu of any further payments of salary to the Executive after the Date of Termination the Corporation shall pay to the Executive, not later than thirty (30) days following the Date of Termination and notwithstanding any dispute between the Executive and the Corporation as to the payment to the Executive of any other amounts under this Agreement or otherwise, a lump sum severance payment (the “Severance Payment”) equal to 2.99 times an amount equal to the sum of (1) the greater of the Executive’s highest annual base salary in effect at any time within the twelve-month period preceding a Change in Control or the Date of Termination, and (2) the greater of (I) the Target Incentive Award or Target Amount to which the Executive would have been entitled under the Corporation’s Executive Incentive Compensation Plan (the “EICP”) or Annual Discretionary Management Incentive Compensation Plan (the “ADMICP”), as applicable, and the base or target amount to which the Executive would have been entitled under any other annual cash bonus program of the Corporation, had he been employed by the Corporation at the end of the fiscal year in which the Date of Termination occurs, or (II) the highest amount awarded to the Executive under the EICP or ADMICP and under any other annual cash bonus program of the Corporation during the last three fiscal years prior to the Date of Termination.
(C) In addition to the foregoing amounts payable under paragraph 4(iii)(A) and (B) above, the Executive will be entitled to the following:
(i) a pro rata bonus for the year of termination equal to the Target Incentive Award or Target Amount under the EICP or ADMICP, as applicable, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of calendar days that have elapsed from the beginning of the fiscal year in which such termination occurs through the Date of Termination, and the denominator of which is the number of calendar days in the fiscal year, payable not later than thirty (30) days following the Date of Termination;
(ii) any stock option rights held by the Executive which were not fully exercisable on the Date of Termination shall immediately become fully exercisable by the Executive and any restricted stock rights held by the Executive which were not fully vested on the Date of Termination shall immediately become fully vested;
(iii) the Corporation shall maintain in full force and effect, for the Executive’s continued benefit, until the earlier of (I) 36 months after the Date of Termination or (II) the Executive’s 65th birthday, all life, medical and dental insurance programs in which the Executive was entitled to participate immediately prior to the Date of Termination; provided that his continued participation is possible under the general terms and provisions of such programs; provided, further, that, in the event the Executive’s participation in any such program is barred, the Corporation shall arrange to provide the Executive with benefits substantially similar to those which he was entitled to receive under such programs;
(iv) in addition to the benefits to which the Executive is entitled under the Corporation’s retirement plans in which he participates or any successor plans or programs in effect on the Date of Termination, the Corporation shall pay to the Executive in one lump sum in cash, an amount equal to the actuarial equivalent of the retirement pension to which the Executive would have been entitled under the terms of such retirement plan or programs had he accumulated 36 additional months of continuous service after the Date of Termination (or, if less, the number of months between the Date of Termination and the date on which the Executive attains normal retirement age under the plan) at his base salary rate in effect on the Date of Termination reduced by the single sum actuarial equivalent of any amounts to which the Executive is entitled pursuant to the provisions of said retirement plans and programs, discounted to reflect its then present value, paid at the same time as the Severance Payment; provided that, for purposes of this subparagraph (3), the actuarial equivalents shall be determined, and all other calculations shall be made, using the same methods and assumptions utilized under the Corporation’s retirement plan or programs; provided, however, that such methods and assumptions shall be no less favorable to the Executive than those in effect on the date of the Change in Control; and
(v) If a Change of Control occurs and Executive becomes entitled to compensation under this Paragraph that would be subject to the excise tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Code, the Company shall reduce its payment of Separation Benefits to the Participant to $1.00 less than that amount which would trigger the excise tax if such reduction would result in the Participant receiving an equal or greater after-tax benefit than the Participant would receive if the full Separation Benefits were paid.
(vi) The Executive’s right to receive payments under this Agreement shall not decrease the amount of, or otherwise adversely affect, any other benefits payable to the Executive under any plan, agreement or arrangement relating to employee benefits provided by the Corporation.
(vii) The Executive shall not be required to mitigate the amount of any payment provided for in this paragraph 4 by seeking other employment or otherwise, nor shall the amount of any payment or benefit provided for in this paragraph 4 be reduced by any compensation earned by the Executive as the result of employment by another employer or by reason of the Executive’s receipt of or right to receive any retirement or other benefits after the date of termination of employment or otherwise.
(viii) The Corporation may, but shall not be obligated to, provide security for payment of the amounts set forth in this Agreement in a form that will cause such amounts to be includible in the Executive’s gross income only for the taxable year or years in which such amounts are paid to the Executive under the terms of this Agreement. The form of security may include a funded irrevocable grantor trust established so as to satisfy any published Internal Revenue Service guidelines.
(ix) The Corporation may withhold from any amounts payable under this Agreement such federal, state and local taxes as may be required to be withheld pursuant to any applicable law or regulation.
