Retention Bonus (a) Subject to Sections 2(b), 2(c) and 2(d) below and your continued employment through the Determination Date (as defined below), you will be eligible to receive a Retention Bonus equal to the annual bonus you would have been eligible to receive under the Company’s Annual Incentive Plan based on the Company’s actual performance for 2023, as determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Committee”) following the completion of 2023, had you been a participant in the Annual Incentive Plan with a target bonus opportunity of up to 40% of your base salary (such amount as determined by the Committee, the “Retention Bonus”), which determination shall occur between January 1, 2024 and March 15, 2024 (the date of such determination, the “Determination Date”). The Retention Bonus, if any, will be paid in cash in a lump sum between January 1, 2025 and March 15, 2025. You will continue to be considered an employee of the Company for purposes of this letter agreement if you are on a Company- approved leave of absence.
(b) In the event of a Change in Control during 2024, subject to your continued employment through the earlier of: (1) the Determination Date; or (2) the date of the Change in Control, you will be eligible to receive your Retention Bonus in cash in a lump sum within 10 days following the date of the Change in Control.
(c) In the event of your Involuntary Termination (as defined in the Employment Agreement) on or after the Determination Date but on or prior to the date you have received the Retention Bonus, you will be eligible to receive your Retention Bonus in cash in a lump sum within 10 days following the effective date of your Release (as defined below). As a condition to your receipt of the Retention Bonus pursuant to this Section 2(c), you shall execute and not revoke a general release of all claims in favor of the Company and its affiliates (the “Release”) in the form attached to the Employment Agreement as Exhibit A. In the event the Release does not become effective within the 55-day period following the date of your Involuntary Termination, you shall not be entitled to the Retention Bonus.
(d) If your employment terminates prior to the Determination Date for any reason, then this letter agreement will terminate, and you will forfeit any right you may have to receive the Retention Bonus.
Right to Severance Benefits The Executive shall be entitled to receive from the Company Severance Benefits, as described in Section 3.3 herein, if there has been a Change in Control of the Company and if, within twenty-four (24) calendar months following the Change in Control, a Qualifying Termination of the Executive has occurred. The Executive shall not be entitled to receive Severance Benefits if he/she is terminated for Cause, or if his/her employment with the Company ends due to death, Disability, or Retirement or due to a voluntary termination of employment by the Executive without Good Reason.
Retention Bonuses Provided Executive becomes and remains an active employee of Mercantile, Mercantile will pay Executive retention bonuses in accordance with the following schedule:
(i) $42,750.00 [25% of salary and target incentive compensation], to be paid on the first payroll period following the Effective Time,
(ii) $42,750.00 [25% of salary and target incentive compensation], to be paid on the first payroll period following six (6) months of Executive’s employment with Mercantile,
(iii) $42,750.00 [25% of salary and target incentive compensation], to be paid on the first payroll period following twelve (12) months of Executive’s employment with Mercantile. After twelve (12) months of Executive’s employment with Mercantile, Executive will not be entitled to any further Severance or Retention benefits. The above-listed payments and benefits are in lieu of any and all payments and benefits to which Executive may otherwise have been entitled under the CIC Agreement or any other agreement or practice.
Lump Sum Severance Payment Payment of a lump sum amount equal to twelve (12) months of Executive’s then-current Base Salary plus the Pro Rated Bonus, less all customary and required taxes and employment-related deductions, paid on the first payroll date following the date on which the Release required by Paragraph 4(g) becomes effective and non-revocable, but not after seventy (70) days following the effective date of termination from employment.
Vacation Bonus Employees shall receive one day's base pay (or adjusted earnings) for each year of service beyond twenty-five (25) years, to a maximum of ten (10) days’ pay.
Severance Payment If, during the Employment Term at any time during the period of twelve (12) consecutive months following the occurrence of a Change in Corporate Control, the Executive is involuntarily terminated (other than for Cause) or the Executive terminates his employment for Good Reason, then subject to compliance with the restrictive covenants in Section 9 and Section 10 and the execution and timely return by the Executive of the Release, the Executive shall be entitled to receive a lump sum severance payment equal to the present value of a series of monthly payments for twenty-four (24) months, each in an amount equal to one-twelfth (1/12th) of the sum of (i) the Executive’s Base Salary, as in effect at the time of the Change in Corporate Control, and (ii) the average of the annual bonuses paid to the Executive for the prior two fiscal years of the Company ending prior to the Change in Corporate Control, if any. Such present value shall be calculated using a discount rate equal to the interest rate on 90-day Treasury bills, as reported in the Wall Street Journal (or similar publication) on the date of the Change in Corporate Control. Such lump sum payment shall be made to the Executive within sixty (60) days following the date of such involuntary termination. In addition, if during the Employment Term within twelve (12) months after a Change in Corporate Control the Executive is involuntarily terminated (other than for Cause) or the Executive terminates his employment for Good Reason, he shall be entitled to continued coverage at the Company’s expense under any health insurance programs maintained by the Company in which the Executive participated at the time of his termination, which coverage shall be continued for eighteen (18) months or until, if earlier, the date the Executive obtains comparable coverage under a group health plan maintained by a new employer. To the extent the benefits provided under the immediately preceding sentence are otherwise taxable to the Executive, such benefits, for purposes of Section 409A of the Code (and the regulations and other guidance issued thereunder) shall be provided as separate monthly in-kind payments of those benefits, and to the extent those benefits are subject to and not otherwise excepted from Section 409A of the Code, the provision of the in-kind benefits during one calendar year shall not affect the in-kind benefits to be provided in any other calendar year.
Severance Benefit (a) If the employment of the Employee with the Company is terminated by the Company for any reason other than Cause (as defined below) or if the Employee terminates his or her employment with the Company for Good Reason (as defined below), the Company shall pay the Employee, from the date of termination, in addition to any payments to which the Employee is entitled under the Company’s severance pay plan, twelve (12) months of base salary at the Employee’s annual base salary level in effect at the time of such termination or immediately prior to the salary reduction that serves as the basis for termination for Good Reason. Employee will also be entitled to payment of an amount of cash equal to $20,000. The aggregate base salary and other cash amount payable shall be paid by the Company to the Employee in one lump sum on the first day following the six (6) month anniversary of the date of the Employee’s termination. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “termination” when used in the context of a condition to, or timing of, payment hereunder shall be interpreted to mean a “separation from service” as that term is used in Section 409A of the Code.
(b) Employee will also be entitled to twelve (12) months of health benefits continuation if terminated under circumstances described in subpart (a) above. To the extent any such benefits cannot be provided to the Employee on a non-taxable basis and the provision thereof would cause any part of the benefits to be subject to additional taxes and interest under Section 409A of the Code, then the provision of such benefits shall be deferred to the earliest date upon which such benefits can be provided without being subject to such additional taxes and interest.
(c) Solely for purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” shall include:
i. the conviction of a felony, a crime of moral turpitude or fraud or having committed fraud, misappropriation or embezzlement in connection with the performance of his duties hereunder,
ii. willful and repeated failures to substantially perform his assigned duties; or
iii. a violation of any provision of this Agreement or express significant policies of the Company.
(d) Solely for purposes of this Agreement, termination for “Good Reason” shall mean termination of employment by the Employee within ninety (90) days after:
Salary Benefits and Bonus Compensation 3.1 BASE SALARY. Effective July 1, 2000, as payment for the services to be rendered by the Employee as provided in Section 1 and subject to the terms and conditions of Section 2, the Employer agrees to pay to the Employee a "Base Salary" at the rate of $180,000 per annum, payable in equal bi-weekly installments. The Base Salary for each calendar year (or proration thereof) beginning January 1, 2001 shall be determined by the Board of Directors of Avocent Corporation upon a recommendation of the Compensation Committee of Avocent Corporation (the "Compensation Committee"), which shall authorize an increase in the Employee's Base Salary in an amount which, at a minimum, shall be equal to the cumulative cost-of-living increment on the Base Salary as reported in the "Consumer Price Index, Huntsville, Alabama, All Items," published by the U.S. Department of Labor (using July 1, 2000, as the base date for computation prorated for any partial year). The Employee's Base Salary shall be reviewed annually by the Board of Directors and the Compensation Committee of Avocent Corporation.
Bonus Severance A lump-sum payment equal to 100% of the Executive’s target annual bonus as in effect for the fiscal year in which the CIC Qualified Termination occurs.
Timing of Severance Payments Any severance payment to which Employee is entitled under Sections 3(a)(i)(1), 3(a)(i)(2) and 3(a)(i)(5) shall be paid by the Company to the Employee (or to the Employee's successors in interest pursuant to Section 7(b)) in cash and in full, not later than thirty (30) calendar days following the Termination Date, subject to any delay required under Section 9.
