Make-Whole Payments Subject to the last three sentences of this paragraph 7, if any payment or benefit to which the Executive is entitled, whether under this Agreement or otherwise, in connection with a Change in Control or the Executive's termination of employment (a "Payment") is subject to any tax under section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), or any similar federal or state law (an "Excise Tax"), the Company shall pay to the Executive an additional amount (the "Make Whole-Amount") which is equal to (i) the amount of the Excise Tax, plus (ii) the aggregate amount of any interest, penalties, fines or additions to any tax which are imposed in connection with the imposition of such Excise Tax, plus (iii) all income, excise and other applicable taxes imposed on the Executive under the laws of any Federal, state or local government or taxing authority by reason of the payments required under clause (i) and clause (ii) and this clause (iii). Such Make Whole-Amount will not be paid to the Executive if the Payment is less than 10 percent above the maximum amount that may be paid without incurring Excise Tax. In the event that the Payment is greater than the maximum amount that may be paid without incurring Excise Tax, but less than 10 percent greater than the maximum amount, then the Payments shall be capped at the maximum amount that may be paid without incurring Excise Tax. In such event, the cash severance payments provided in paragraph 6 above and/or the outplacement services provided in paragraph 8 below, at the Executive's election, shall be reduced to a level that results in the total Payment being equal to the maximum amount that may be paid without incurring Excise Tax.
a. For purposes of determining the Make-Whole Amount, the Executive shall be deemed to be taxed at the highest marginal rate under all applicable local, state, federal and foreign income tax laws for the year in which the Make-Whole Amount is paid. The Make-Whole Amount payable with respect to an Excise Tax shall be paid by the Company coincident with the Payment with respect to which such Excise Tax relates.
b. All calculations under this paragraph 7 shall be made initially by the Company and the Company shall provide prompt written notice thereof to the Executive to enable the Executive to timely file all applicable tax returns. Upon request of the Executive, the Company shall provide the Executive with sufficient tax and compensation data to enable the Executive or his tax advisor to independently make the calculations described in subparagraph (a) above and the Company shall reimburse the Executive for reasonable fees and expenses incurred for any such verification.
c. If the Executive gives written notice to the Company of any objection to the results of the Company's calculations within 60 days of the Executive's receipt of written notice thereof, the dispute shall be referred for determination to tax counsel selected by the independent auditors of the Company ("Tax Counsel"). The Company shall pay all reasonable fees and expenses of such Tax Counsel. Pending such determination by Tax Counsel, the Company shall pay the Executive the Make-Whole Amount as determined by it in good faith. The Company shall pay the Executive any additional amount determined by Tax Counsel to be due under this paragraph 7 (together with interest thereon at a rate equal to 120% of the Federal short-term rate determined under section 1274(d) of the Code) promptly after such determination.
d. The determination by Tax Counsel shall be conclusive and binding upon all parties unless the Internal Revenue Service, a court of competent jurisdiction, or such other duly empowered governmental body or agency (a "Tax Authority") determines that the Executive owes a greater or lesser amount of Excise Tax with respect to any Payment than the amount determined by Tax Counsel.
e. If a Taxing Authority makes a claim against the Executive which, if successful, would require the Company to make a payment under this paragraph 7, the Executive agrees to contest the claim, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Company, on request of the Company subject to the following conditions:
(i) The Executive shall notify the Company of any such claim within 10 days of becoming aware thereof. In the event that the Company desires the claim to be contested, it shall promptly (but in no event more than 30 days after the notice from the Executive or such shorter time as the Taxing Authority may specify for responding to such claim) request the Executive to contest the claim. The Executive shall not make any payment of any tax which is the subject of the claim before the Executive has given the notice or during the 30-day period thereafter unless the Executive receives written instructions from the Company to make such payment together with an advance of funds sufficient to make the requested payment plus any amounts payable under this paragraph 7 determined as if such advance were an Excise Tax, in which case the Executive will act promptly in accordance with such instructions.
(ii) If the Company so requests, the Executive will contest the claim by either paying the tax claimed and suing for a refund in the appropriate court or contesting the claim in the United States Tax Court or other appropriate court, as directed by the Company; provided, however, that any request by the Company for the Executive to pay the tax shall be accompanied by an advance from the Company to the Executive of funds sufficient to make the requested payment plus any amounts payable under this paragraph 7 determined as if such advance were an Excise Tax. If directed by the Company in writing the Executive will take all action necessary to compromise or settle the claim, but in no event will the Executive compromise or settle the claim or cease to contest the claim without the written consent of the Company; provided, however, that the Executive may take any such action if the Executive waives in writing his right to a payment under this paragraph 7 for any amounts payable in connection with such claim. The Executive agrees to cooperate in good faith with the Company in contesting the claim and to comply with any reasonable request from the Company concerning the contest of the claim, including the pursuit of administrative remedies, the appropriate forum for any judicial proceedings, and the legal basis for contesting the claim. Upon request of the Company, the Executive shall take appropriate appeals of any judgment or decision that would require the Company to make a payment under this paragraph 7. Provided that the Executive is in compliance with the provisions of this section, the Company shall be liable for and indemnify the Executive against any loss in connection with, and all costs and expenses, including attorneys' fees, which may be incurred as a result of, contesting the claim, and shall provide to the Executive within 30 days after each written request therefore by the Executive cash advances or reimbursement for all such costs and expenses actually incurred or reasonably expected to be incurred by the Executive as a result of contesting the claim.
f. Should a Tax Authority finally determine that an additional Excise Tax is owed, then the Company shall pay an additional Make-Up Amount to the Executive in a manner consistent with this paragraph 7 with respect to any additional Excise Tax and any assessed interest, fines, or penalties. If any Excise Tax as calculated by the Company or Tax Counsel, as the case may be, is finally determined by a Tax Authority to exceed the amount required to be paid under applicable law, then the Executive shall repay such excess to the Company within 30 days of such determination; provided that such repayment shall be reduced by the amount of any taxes paid by the Executive on such excess which is not offset by the tax benefit attributable to the repayment.
Top-Up Option (a) Subject to Sections 1.04(b) and 1.04(c), the Company grants to Merger Subsidiary an option, for so long as this Agreement has not been terminated pursuant to the provisions hereof (the “Top-Up Option”), to purchase from the Company, up to the number of authorized and unissued Shares, the number of Shares that, when added to the number of Shares owned by Merger Subsidiary at the time of exercise of the Top-Up Option, constitutes one Share more than 90% of the Shares that would be outstanding immediately after the issuance of all Shares to be issued upon exercise of the Top-Up Option, calculated on a fully-diluted basis (the Shares to be issued upon exercise of the Top-Up Option, the “Top-Up Shares”).
(b) The Top-Up Option may be exercised by Merger Subsidiary in accordance with Section 1.04(c), in whole or in part, only once, at any time during the 10 Business Day period following the Acceptance Date, or if any Subsequent Offering Period is provided, during the 10 Business Day period following the expiration date of such Subsequent Offering Period, and only if Merger Subsidiary shall own as of such time less than 90% of the outstanding Shares; provided that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Top-Up Option shall not be exercisable (i) to the extent the number of Shares issuable upon exercise of the Top-Up Option would exceed the number of authorized but unissued and unreserved Shares, (ii) unless immediately following the exercise of the Top-Up Option, the number of shares of the Company Common Stock owned in the aggregate by Parent and Merger Subsidiary constitutes at least one share more than 90% of the number of shares of Company Common Stock that would be outstanding immediately after the issuance of all shares of Company Common Stock subject to such exercise of the Top-Up Option, or (iii) unless the Minimum Condition shall have been satisfied. The aggregate purchase price payable for the Top-Up Shares being purchased by Merger Subsidiary pursuant to the Top-Up Option shall be determined by multiplying the number of such Shares by an amount equal to the price paid for each Share in the Offer, without interest. Such purchase price shall be payable by Merger Subsidiary (A) in cash, (B) by executing and delivering to the Company a promissory note having a principal amount equal to the purchase price, or (C) any combination of the foregoing. Any such promissory note shall bear interest at the rate of 6% per annum, shall mature on the first anniversary of the date of execution and delivery of such promissory note and may be prepaid without premium or penalty; provided, however, that upon any Event of Default, all principal and accrued interest thereunder shall immediately become due and payable.
(c) In the event Merger Subsidiary wishes to exercise the Top-Up Option, Merger Subsidiary shall deliver to the Company a notice (the “Top-Up Notice”) setting forth (i) the number of Top-Up Shares that Merger Subsidiary intends to purchase pursuant to the Top-Up Option and (ii) the place and time at which the closing of the purchase of such Top-Up Shares by Merger Subsidiary is to take place. The Top-Up Notice shall also include an undertaking signed by Parent and Merger Subsidiary that, as promptly as practicable following such exercise of the Top-Up Option, Merger Subsidiary intends to (and Merger Subsidiary shall, and Parent shall cause Merger Subsidiary to, as promptly as practicable after such exercise) consummate the Merger in accordance with Section 253 of Delaware Law as contemplated by Section 9.05. At the closing of the purchase of the Top-Up Shares, Parent and Merger Subsidiary shall cause to be delivered to the Company the consideration required to be delivered in exchange for the Top-Up Shares, and the Company shall cause to be issued to Merger Subsidiary a certificate representing the Top-Up Shares or, at Parent’s or Merger Subsidiary’s request or otherwise if the Company does not then have certificated shares of Company Common Stock, the applicable number of non-certificated shares of Company Common Stock represented by book-entry. The parties hereto agree to use their reasonable best efforts to cause the closing of the purchase of the Top-Up Shares to occur on the same day that the Top-Up Notice is deemed received by the Company pursuant to Section 12.01, and if not so consummated on such day, as promptly thereafter as possible. The parties further agree to use their reasonable best efforts to cause the Merger to be consummated in accordance with Section 253 of Delaware Law as contemplated by Section 9.05 as close in time as possible to (including, to the extent possible, on the same day as) the issuance of the Top-Up Shares.
(d) Parent and Merger Subsidiary understand that the Top-Up Shares will not be registered under the 1933 Act and will be issued in reliance upon an exemption thereunder for transactions not involving a public offering. Each of Parent and Merger Subsidiary represents, warrants and agrees that the Top-Up Option is being, and the Top-Up Shares will be, acquired by Merger Subsidiary for the purpose of investment and not with a view to or for resale in connection with any distribution thereof within the meaning of the 1933 Act. Any certificates evidencing Top-Up Shares may include any legends required by applicable securities laws.
RSU Award An RSU Award shall be similar in nature to a Restricted Stock Award except that no shares of Stock are actually transferred to the Holder until a later date specified in the applicable Award Agreement. Each RSU shall have a value equal to the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock.
Make-Whole Amount The term “
Rights as Shareholder; Dividend Equivalents 6.1 The Participant shall not have any rights of a shareholder with respect to the Common Shares underlying the Restricted Stock Units unless and until the Restricted Stock Units vest and are settled by the issuance of such Common Shares. Upon and following the settlement of the Restricted Stock Units, the Participant shall be the record owner of the Common Shares underlying the Restricted Stock Units unless and until such shares are sold or otherwise disposed of, and as record owner shall be entitled to all rights of a shareholder of the Company (including voting rights).
6.2 In the event that the Company pays any cash dividends on its Common Shares between the Grant Date and the date when the Restricted Stock Units are settled in accordance with Section 7 hereof or are forfeited, the Participant’s Account shall be credited on the date such dividend is paid to shareholders with an amount equal to all cash dividends that would have been paid to the Participant if one Common Share had been issued on the Grant Date for each Restricted Stock Unit granted to the Participant (“Dividend Equivalents”). Dividend Equivalents shall be credited to the Participant’s Account and interest may be credited on the amount of cash Dividend Equivalents credited to the Participant’s Account at a rate and subject to such terms as determined by the Committee. Dividend Equivalents credited to the Participant’s Account shall be subject to the same vesting and other restrictions as the Restricted Stock Units to which they are attributable and shall be paid on the same date that the Restricted Stock Units to which they are attributable are settled in accordance with Section 7 hereof. Dividend Equivalents credited to the Participant’s Account shall be distributed in cash or, at the discretion of the Committee, in Common Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of the Dividend Equivalents and interest, if any. Any accumulated and unpaid Dividend Equivalents attributable to Restricted Stock Units that are cancelled will not be paid and will be immediately forfeited upon cancellation of the Restricted Stock Units.
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).
RSUs The Continuing Stock Units shall continue to vest in accordance with the terms of the Original RSU Award Documents, on the same basis as such stock units would have become vested if Executive had remained employed under this Agreement through the Scheduled Expiration Date. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all such Continuing Stock Units shall be subject to, and administered in accordance with, the Original RSU Award Documents. Any of Executive’s restricted stock unit awards that have not become vested on or before the Termination Date, and that are outstanding at the Termination Date, but which are not Continuing Stock Units, shall automatically terminate on the Termination Date. Notwithstanding any term or provision of the Original RSU Award Documents:
(A) any provisions in such Original RSU Award Documents relating to disability shall not be applicable to any such Continuing Stock Units after the Termination Date; and
(B) in the event of Executive’s death after the Termination Date but prior to the Scheduled Expiration Date, the terms and provisions of the Original RSU Award Documents shall be interpreted and applied in the same manner with respect to such Continuing Stock Units as if Executive were an active employee on the date of Executive’s death.
(C) to the extent that, under the Company’s compensation practices and policies, any tranche of Continuing Stock Units is subject to the achievement of performance conditions which were imposed solely because Executive was an executive officer of the Company who could have been a covered employee within the meaning of Section 162(m) at the time payment in respect of such award was expected to be made (the “Applicable 162(m) Criteria”) and such Applicable 162(m) Criteria relate, in whole or in part, to any performance period continuing after the end of the Company’s fiscal year in which the Termination Date occurs, such Applicable 162(m) Criteria shall be waived as of the Termination Date with respect to such tranche of the Continuing Stock Units; provided, however, that this Paragraph 5(d)(iii)(C) shall not be applicable if and to the extent, in the reasonable opinion of tax counsel to the Company, the presence of such provision would cause any stock units intended to be qualified as other performance based compensation within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code to fail to be so qualified at any time prior to Executive’s Termination Date.
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.
Dividend Equivalent Units On the date that the Company pays a cash dividend to holders of Stock generally, the Participant shall be credited with a number of additional whole Dividend Equivalent Units determined by dividing (a) the product of (i) the dollar amount of the cash dividend paid per share of Stock on such date and (ii) the total number of Restricted Stock Units and Dividend Equivalent Units previously credited to the Participant pursuant to the Award and which have not been settled or forfeited pursuant to the Company Reacquisition Right (as defined below) as of such date, by (b) the Fair Market Value per share of Stock on such date. Any resulting fractional Dividend Equivalent Unit shall be rounded to the nearest whole number. Such additional Dividend Equivalent Units shall be subject to the same terms and conditions and shall be settled or forfeited in the same manner and at the same time as the Restricted Stock Units originally subject to the Award with respect to which they have been credited.
Dividend Equivalent Rights In the event that the Company declares and pays a dividend in respect of its outstanding shares of Stock and, on the record date for such dividend, you hold Restricted Stock Units granted pursuant to this Agreement that have not been settled, the Company shall create a bookkeeping account that will track, (a) to the extent the dividend paid to stockholders generally was a cash dividend, the cash value you would have been entitled to receive as if you had been the holder of record of the number of shares of Stock related to the Restricted Stock Units that have not been settled as of the record date, or (b) to the extent the dividend paid to stockholders generally was paid in the form of property, the property you would have been entitled to receive as if you had been the holder of record of the number of shares of Stock related to the Restricted Stock Units that have not been settled as of the record date. All DER amounts credited to your bookkeeping account pursuant to this Section 3, if any, shall be deemed converted into shares of Stock on the date that the Restricted Stock Units vest (based on the Fair Market Value (as such term is defined in the Management Stockholder’s Agreement) of Stock on such date and rounded down to the nearest whole share of Stock) and paid to you in the form of additional shares of Stock on the date that the underlying Restricted Stock Units associated with such DER amounts are settled pursuant to Section 5 below. In the event that the Restricted Stock Units are forfeited to the Company without settlement to you, you will also forfeit any associated DER amounts. No interest will be payable with respect to DER amounts credited to your bookkeeping account, if any, that represent cash dividends. Property, if any, deemed credited to DER bookkeeping accounts representing dividends paid in property will be deemed invested in such property until the DER amounts are deemed converted to shares of Stock pursuant to this Section 3. The bookkeeping accounts, if any, created to track DER amounts are phantom accounts and the Company is under no obligation to set aside cash or property with respect to any DER amounts. Valuations made pursuant to this Section 3 (including any valuation of property deemed credited to a bookkeeping account) will be made by the Committee, or its designee, in its sole discretion and such valuation will be final and binding.
