Key Employees The Adviser is not aware that (i) any of its executives, key employees or significant group of employees plans to terminate employment with the Adviser or (ii) any such executive or key employee is subject to any noncompete, nondisclosure, confidentiality, employment, consulting or similar agreement that would be violated by either the Adviser’s present or proposed business activities, except, in each case, as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have an Adviser Material Adverse Effect.
Company Employees Each Party shall not, directly or indirectly solicit for employment, any employee of the other Party who has been directly involved in the performance of this Agreement during the Term and for one year after the earlier of the termination or expiration of this Agreement or the termination of such individual's employment, with the other Party. It shall not be a violation of this provision if any employee responds to a Party's general advertisement of an open position.
Employees; Benefit Plans (a) During the period commencing at the Effective Time and ending on the date which is FIVE (“5”) months from the Effective Time (or if earlier, the date of the employee's termination of employment with Parent and its Subsidiaries), Parent shall cause the Surviving Corporation and each of its Subsidiaries, as applicable, to provide the employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries who remain employed immediately after the Effective Time (collectively, the "Company Continuing Employees") with base salary, target bonus opportunities (excluding equity-based compensation), and employee benefits that are, in the aggregate, no less favorable than the base salary, target bonus opportunities (excluding equity-based compensation), and employee benefits provided by the Company and its Subsidiaries on the date of this Agreement.
(b) With respect to any "employee benefit plan" as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA maintained by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, excluding both any retiree healthcare plans or programs maintained by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries and any equity compensation arrangements maintained by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries (collectively, "Parent Benefit Plans") in which any Company Continuing Employees will participate effective as of the Effective Time, Parent shall, or shall cause the Surviving Corporation to, recognize all service of the Company Continuing Employees with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, as the case may be as if such service were with Parent, for vesting and eligibility purposes (but not for (i) purposes of early retirement subsidies under any Parent Benefit Plan that is a defined benefit pension plan or (ii) benefit accrual purposes, except for vacation, if applicable) in any Parent Benefit Plan in which such Company Continuing Employees may be eligible to participate after the Effective Time; (iii) Continuing Company shall honor all consulting or advisory agreement previously entered into, or employment pending equity awards stock options or warrants to purchase equity based upon performance. provided, that such service shall not be recognized to the extent that (A) such recognition would result in a duplication of benefits or (B) such service was not recognized under the corresponding Company Employee Plan.
(c) This Section 5.07 shall be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of each of the parties to this Agreement, and nothing in this Section 5.07, express or implied, shall confer upon any other Person any rights or remedies of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this Section 5.07. Nothing contained herein, express or implied (i) shall be construed to establish, amend or modify any benefit plan, program, agreement or arrangement or (ii) shall alter or limit the ability of the Surviving Corporation, Parent or any of their respective Affiliates to amend, modify or terminate any benefit plan, program, agreement or arrangement at any time assumed, established, sponsored or maintained by any of them. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that the terms set forth in this Section 5.07 shall not create any right in any Company Employee or any other Person to any continued employment with the Surviving Corporation, Parent or any of their respective Subsidiaries or compensation or benefits of any nature or kind whatsoever.
(d) With respect to matters described in this Section 5.07, the Company will not send any written notices or other written communication materials to Company Employees without the prior written consent of Parent.
Employee Stock Options Except as provided in this Agreement or pursuant to the provisions of any Plan or employee or director stock option agreement as in effect on the date hereof, from the date hereof Company will not accelerate the vesting or exercisability of or otherwise modify the terms and conditions applicable to the Employee Stock Options. At the Effective Time, each of the Employee Stock Options which is outstanding and unexercised at the Effective Time shall be converted automatically into an option to purchase Parent Shares in an amount and at an exercise price determined as provided below (and otherwise subject to the terms of the stock option plans of Company governing the Employee Stock Options (the "Company Stock Option Plans")):
(1) The number of Parent Shares to be subject to the new option shall be equal to the product of the number of Shares subject to the original option and the Exchange Ratio, PROVIDED that any fractional Parent Shares resulting from such multiplication shall be rounded down to the nearest share and, except with respect to any options which are intended to qualify as "incentive stock options" (as defined in section 422 of the Code ("ISOs")), Parent shall pay an amount in cash to the holder of such Employee Stock Option equal to the fair market value immediately prior to the Effective Time of such fractional Parent Shares calculated based on the average closing price on the New York Stock Exchange for the last five trading days immediately preceding the day prior to the Effective Time; and
(2) The exercise price per Parent Share under the new option shall be equal to the aggregate exercise price of the original option divided by the total number of full Parent Shares subject to the new option (as determined under (1) immediately above), PROVIDED that such exercise price shall be rounded up to the nearest cent. The adjustment provided herein with respect to any ISOs shall be and is intended to be effected in a manner that is consistent with section 424(a) of the Code. The duration and other terms of the new option shall be the same as that of the original option, except that all references to Company shall be deemed to be references to Parent. Parent shall file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-8 (or other appropriate form) or a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement as promptly as practicable after the Effective Time for purposes of registering all Parent Shares issuable after the Effective Time upon exercise of the Employee Stock Options, and shall have such registration statement or post-effective amendment become effective and comply, to the extent applicable, with state securities or blue sky laws with respect thereto at the Effective Time.
Employees; Employee Benefit Plans (a) Section 5.11(a) of the TD Banknorth Disclosure Schedule contains a true and complete list of each “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of ERISA, including multiemployer plans within the meaning of ERISA Section 3(37)), stock purchase, stock option, severance, employment, loan, change-in-control, fringe benefit, collective bargaining, bonus, incentive, deferred compensation and all other employee benefit plans, agreements, programs, policies or other arrangements, whether or not subject to ERISA (including any funding mechanism therefor now in effect or required in the future as a result of the transaction contemplated by this Agreement or otherwise) under which any current or former employee, director or independent contractor of TD Banknorth or any of its Subsidiaries has any present or future right to benefits and under which TD Banknorth or any of its Subsidiaries has any present or future liability. All such plans, agreements, programs, policies and arrangements shall be collectively referred to as the “TD Banknorth Benefit Plans.”
(b) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, either individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect on TD Banknorth, (i) each of the TD Banknorth Benefit Plans has been established and administered in accordance with its terms, and in compliance with the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code and other applicable laws, rules and regulations; (ii) each TD Banknorth Benefit Plan which is intended to be qualified within the meaning of Code Section 401(a) has received a favorable determination letter as to its qualification, and nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, that would reasonably be expected to cause the loss of such qualification; (iii) no “reportable event” (as such term is defined in ERISA Section 4043), “prohibited transaction” (as such term is defined in ERISA Section 406 and Code Section 4975) or “accumulated funding deficiency” (as such term is defined in ERISA section 302 and Code Section 412 (whether or not waived)) has occurred with respect to any TD Banknorth Benefit Plan; (iv) except as set forth in Section 5.11(b) of the TD Banknorth Disclosure Schedule, no TD Banknorth Benefit Plan provides retiree welfare benefits and neither TD Banknorth nor any of its Subsidiaries have any obligation to provide any retiree welfare benefits other than as required by Section 4980B of the Code; and (v) neither TD Banknorth nor any ERISA Affiliate has engaged in, or is a successor or parent corporation to an entity that has engaged in, a transaction described in Sections 4069 or 4212(c) of ERISA.
(c) With respect to any TD Banknorth Benefit Plan, except as would not reasonably be expected to have, either individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect on TD Banknorth, or as set forth in Section 5.11(c) of the TD Banknorth Disclosure Schedule, (i) no actions, suits or claims (other than routine claims for benefits in the ordinary course) are pending or, to the Knowledge of TD Banknorth or any of its Subsidiaries, threatened, (ii) no written communication has been received from the PBGC in respect of any TD Banknorth Benefit Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA concerning the funded status of any such plan or any transfer of assets and liabilities from any such plan in connection with the transactions contemplated herein and (iii) no administrative investigation, audit or other administrative proceeding by the Department of Labor, the PBGC, the Internal Revenue Service or other governmental agencies are pending, in progress (including any routine requests for information from the PBGC), or to the Knowledge of TD Banknorth, threatened.
(d) Except as set forth in Section 5.11(d) of the TD Banknorth Disclosure Schedule, none of the TD Banknorth Benefit Plans is a multiemployer plan (within the meaning of ERISA Section 4001(a)(3)), and none of TD Banknorth, its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate has any liability with respect to a multiemployer plan that remains unsatisfied.
Displaced Employees In the event of a reduction in the work force, regular employees shall be laid-off in reverse order of seniority, provided that there are available employees with greater seniority who are qualified and willing to do the work of the employees laid-off. An employee who is qualified and yet unwilling to do the work shall be laid-off.
Termination of Employee Plans The Company shall have provided Parent with evidence, reasonably satisfactory to Parent, as to the termination of the benefit plans referred to in Section 5.12.
Treatment of Company Equity Awards (i) All options to acquire shares of Company Common Stock and other awards (collectively, “Company Equity Awards”) made under the Company’s stock plans (collectively, the “Company Stock Plans”) prior to the Effective Time, which are outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, are identified in Section 4.1(f) of the Company Disclosure Letter.
(ii) In the event a Company Equity Award constitutes a grant of restricted stock and to the extent such award is outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (“Company Restricted Stock Award”), such Company Restricted Stock Award shall be deemed to be fully vested as of the Effective Time, and the holder of such Company Restricted Stock Award shall receive the number of shares of Company Common Stock subject to such Company Restricted Stock Award in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable Company Stock Plan, including any terms and conditions regarding any Taxes required by Applicable Law to be withheld, if any, with respect to the vesting of such Company Restricted Stock Award.
(iii) In the event a Company Equity Award constitutes a stock option grant and to the extent such award is outstanding during the 30-day period that ends immediately prior to the Effective Time (“Company Stock Option Award”), (A) such Company Stock Option Award shall be deemed to be fully vested and exercisable during such period, and (B) to the extent such Company Stock Option Award is exercised during such period, the holder of such Company Stock Option Award shall receive the number of shares of Company Common Stock subject to such Company Stock Option Award (to the extent exercised) in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable Company Stock Plan, including any terms and conditions regarding the payment of the exercise price and any Taxes required by Applicable Law to be withheld, if any, with respect to the exercise of such Company Stock Option Award. To the extent any Company Stock Option Awards remain outstanding and unexercised as of the close of the 30-day period that ends immediately prior to the Effective Time, such Company Stock Option Awards (A) shall be deemed to be fully vested and exercisable and (B) shall be continued and assumed by Parent as of the Effective Time pursuant to their terms (such awards are referred to herein as the “Rollover Awards”); provided, however, that Parent Common Stock shall replace the shares of Company Common Stock subject to such awards pursuant to this Agreement and the exercise price, if any, for such awards, if any, shall be adjusted as provided pursuant to this Agreement.
(iv) The assumption of Rollover Awards shall be made pursuant to this Section 4.1(f), so that at the Effective Time, the applicable Company Stock Plans shall be assumed by Parent (with such adjustments thereto as may be required to reflect the Merger, including the substitution of Parent Common Stock for Company Common Stock thereunder) and the Rollover Awards shall be assumed and adjusted by Parent, subject to the same terms and conditions as set forth in the applicable Company Stock Plans and the applicable award agreements entered into pursuant thereto; provided, however, that for periods beginning immediately following the Effective Time, (A) each Rollover Award shall be exercisable only for that whole number of shares of Parent Common Stock equal to the product (rounded down to the nearest whole share) of the number of shares of Company Common Stock subject to such Rollover Award immediately prior to the Effective Time multiplied by the Exchange Ratio, and (B) the exercise price per share of Parent Common Stock shall be an amount equal to the exercise price per share of Company Common Stock subject to such Rollover Award in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time divided by the Exchange Ratio (the price per share, as so determined, being rounded up to the nearest whole cent); provided, that in no event shall the exercise price per share be less than the par value of Parent Common Stock. For the avoidance of doubt, any exercise of a Rollover Award shall be made in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable Company Stock Plan, including any terms and conditions regarding the payment of the exercise price and any Taxes required by Applicable Law to be withheld, if any, with respect to the exercise of such Rollover Award. The adjustments provided in this paragraph with respect to any Rollover Awards shall be and are intended to be effective in a manner which is consistent with Section 424(a) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder, and, to the extent applicable, Section 409A of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder.
(v) Except as otherwise provided herein or as set forth in Section 4.1(f)(v) of the Company Disclosure Letter, from and after the period that begins as of the date of this Agreement, the Company and its Subsidiaries shall take no action to provide for the extension of the term or exercise period with respect to any Company Equity Award (unless such extension is required under such Company Equity Awards or any applicable employment or change in control agreement pursuant any terms thereunder that are in effect as of the date of this Agreement). To the extent such extension is required under the terms of such Company Equity Awards (or any applicable employment or change in control agreement) or as set forth in Section 4.1(f)(v) of the Company Disclosure Letter, the Company shall, prior to the Effective Time, take all actions (if any) as may be required to cause such extension to occur at the Effective Time and immediately prior to any assumption of the Company Stock Plan by Parent (to the extent permitted under the terms of such Company Stock Plan as of the date of this Agreement).
(vi) Promptly following the Closing Date, Parent shall file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (or any successor form) covering the shares of Parent Common Stock issuable upon exercise or vesting of the Company Equity Awards, and shall cause such registration statement to remain effective for as long as there are outstanding any such Company Equity Awards. Except as otherwise specifically provided by this Section 4.1(f), the terms of the Company Equity Awards and the relevant Company Stock Plans, as in effect on the Effective Time, shall remain in full force and effect with respect to the Company Equity Awards after giving effect to the Merger and the assumptions by Parent as set forth above. As soon as practicable following the Effective Time, Parent shall deliver to the holders of Rollover Awards appropriate notices stating that such Rollover Awards and such agreements shall have been assumed by Parent and shall continue in effect on the same terms and conditions (subject to the adjustments required by this Section 4.1(f)).
(vii) Nothing in this Section 4.1(f) is intended to release any employee or service provider to the Company from any provisions relating to any non-competition, non-solicitation, or confidentiality provisions (or similar provisions) of any Company Equity Award and any associated damages or forfeitures (the “Equity Award Restrictive Covenants”), which shall survive the Effective Time. The Company shall take such action as may be necessary to ensure the survival of the Equity Award Restrictive Covenants and the succession of Parent to the benefits of the Equity Award Restrictive Covenants.
Employee Benefit Plans; Employment Agreements Except in --------------------------------------------- each case as set forth in SCHEDULE 4.10, (i) there has been no "prohibited transaction," as such term is defined in Section 406 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1975, as amended ("ERISA") and Section 4975 of the Code, with respect to any employee pension plans (as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA, any material employee welfare plans (as defined in Section 3(1) of ERISA), or any material bonus, stock option, stock purchase, incentive, deferred compensation, supplemental retirement, severance and other similar fringe or employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements (collectively, the "COMPANY EMPLOYEE PLANS") which could result in any liability of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (ii) all Company Employee Plans are in compliance in all material respects with the requirements prescribed by any and all Laws (including ERISA and the Code), currently in effect with respect thereto (including all applicable requirements for notification to participants or the Department of Labor, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (the "PBGC"), Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") or Secretary of the Treasury), and the Company and each of its Subsidiaries have performed all material obligations required to be performed by them under, are not in any material respect in default under or violation of, and have no knowledge of any material default or violation by any other party to, any of the Company Employee Plans; (iii) each Company Employee Plan intended to qualify under Section 401(a) of the Code and each trust intended to qualify under Section 501(a) of the Code is the subject of a favorable determination letter from the IRS, and nothing has occurred which may reasonably be expected to impair such determination; (iv) all contributions required to be made to any Company Employee Plan pursuant to Section 412 of the Code, or the terms of any Company Employee Plan or any collective bargaining agreement, have been made on or before their due dates; (v) with respect to each Company Employee Plan, no "reportable event" within the meaning of Section 4043 of ERISA (excluding any such event for which the 30-day notice requirement has been waived under the regulations to Section 4043 of ERISA) nor any event described in Section 4062, 4063 or 4041 of ERISA has occurred; (vi) no withdrawal (including a partial withdrawal) has occurred with respect to any multiemployer plan within the meaning set forth in Section 3(37) of ERISA that has resulted in, or could reasonably be expected to result in, any withdrawal liability for the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (vii) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than liability for premium payments to the PBGC, and contributions not in default to the respective plans, arising in the ordinary course), (viii) none of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any employment, consulting or similar agreement; and (ix) none of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or will be liable for any severance or other payments to any of its employees as a result of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
Employees; Employee Benefits (a) For the 12-month period following the Closing Date (the “Continuation Period”), Buyer shall provide, or shall cause the Company to continue providing, to each individual who is a Business Employee as of the Closing (each, a “Continuing Employee”): (i) a base salary or hourly wage rate, as applicable, that is at least equal to the base salary or hourly wage rate provided to such Continuing Employee immediately prior to the Closing, (ii) annual or other short-term cash bonus opportunities (for the avoidance of doubt, excluding equity and equity based rights) that are substantially comparable to those provided to such Continuing Employee immediately prior to Closing, and (iii) medical and defined contribution retirement benefits that are substantially comparable, in the aggregate, to those provided to similarly situated employees of Buyer or its Affiliates. If Buyer terminates, or causes the Company to terminate, any Continuing Employee in the 6-month period following the Closing Date (each, a “Terminated Employee”), Buyer or the Company, as the case may be, shall provide to such Terminated Employee the amount of severance, as determined by Buyer in good faith, to which such Terminated Employee would have been entitled under the Company’s existing severance plan in place as of the Closing Date.
(b) For all purposes, including vesting, eligibility to participate and level of benefits (other than benefits under defined benefit pension plans) under the Employee Benefit Plans of Buyer or its Affiliates (as applicable) providing benefits to Continuing Employees after the Closing in which such Continuing Employees are eligible to participate (the “New Plans”), each Continuing Employee in such plans shall be credited with his or her years of service with the Company and its predecessors prior to the Closing, to the same extent as such Continuing Employee was entitled, before the Closing, to credit for such service under any similar Employee Benefit Plan in which such Continuing Employee participated or was eligible to participate immediately prior to the Closing (such plans, collectively, the “Old Plans”); provided, however, that the foregoing shall not apply to the extent that its application would result in a duplication of benefits with respect to the same period of service. In addition, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Buyer shall undertake commercially reasonable efforts to provide that (i) each Continuing Employee shall be immediately eligible to participate, without any waiting time, in any and all New Plans to the extent coverage under any such New Plan replaces coverage under any Old Plan and (ii) for purposes of each New Plan providing medical, dental, pharmaceutical, vision, disability, life insurance and/or other welfare benefits to any Continuing Employee (collectively, the “New Welfare Plans”), Buyer shall cause (A) all pre-existing conditions, exclusions or limitations, eligibility waiting periods and actively-at-work requirements of such New Welfare Plans to be waived for such Continuing Employee and his or her covered dependents (to the extent such conditions, exclusions, limitations, periods and requirements were waived or satisfied as of immediately prior to the Closing under comparable Old Plans), and (B) any eligible expenses incurred by each Continuing Employee and his or her covered dependents during the portion of the plan year of the Old Plan ending on the date such Continuing Employee’s participation in the corresponding New Welfare Plan begins to be taken into account under such New Welfare Plan for purposes of satisfying all deductible, co-payment, coinsurance and maximum out-of-pocket requirements applicable to such Continuing Employee and his or her covered dependents for the applicable plan year as if such amounts had been paid in accordance with such New Welfare Plan.
(c) As of the Closing, Seller and its Affiliates (other than the Group Companies) shall assume and/or retain sponsorship of and be solely responsible for all Liabilities relating to or at any time arising under or in connection with or pursuant to any Employee Benefit Plan or other plan, program, arrangement, or agreement providing compensation or benefits to any current or former director, officer, employee or other service provider of Seller or its Affiliates.
(d) Nothing contained in this Section 7.3 or elsewhere in this Agreement, express or implied, shall confer upon any current or former Business Employee or Business Service Provider any right to continued employment or service (or resumed employment or service) subsequent to the Closing. This Section 7.3 shall operate exclusively for the benefit of the Parties and not for the benefit of any other Person, including any current or former Business Employees or the Continuing Employees, which Persons shall have no rights to enforce this Section 7.3 of this Agreement. Nothing in this Section 7.3 shall: (i) create any third party rights in any current or former Business Employee or Business Service Provider (including any beneficiary or dependent thereof) or (ii) be treated as an amendment of any Employee Benefit Plan or restrict the ability of the Parties or their Affiliates to amend, modify, discontinue or terminate any Employee Benefit Plan or any other employee benefit plan, practice or policy established or maintained by the Parties or their Affiliates.
