of the Code In the event that there is a final determination by the Internal Revenue Service, a final determination by a court of competent jurisdiction or a change in the provisions of the Code or regulations pursuant to which an Underpayment arises under this Agreement, any such Underpayment shall be promptly paid by the Company to or for the benefit of Employee, together with interest at the applicable Federal rate provided for in Section 7872(f)(2) of the code.
Section 409A of the Code This Agreement is intended to either avoid the application of, or comply with, Section 409A of the Code. To that end this Agreement shall at all times be interpreted in a manner that is consistent with Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to adopt such amendments to this Agreement or take such other actions (including amendments and actions with retroactive effect) as it determines is necessary or appropriate for this Agreement to comply with Section 409A of the Code. Further:
(a) Any reimbursement of any costs and expenses by the Company to the Executive under this Agreement shall be made by the Company in no event later than the close of the Executive’s taxable year following the taxable year in which the cost or expense is incurred by the Executive. The expenses incurred by the Executive in any calendar year that are eligible for reimbursement under this Agreement shall not affect the expenses incurred by the Executive in any other calendar year that are eligible for reimbursement hereunder and the Executive’s right to receive any reimbursement hereunder shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for any other benefit.
(b) Any payment following a separation from service that would be subject to Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Code as a distribution following a separation from service of a “specified employee” (as defined under Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code) shall be made on the first to occur of (i) ten (10) days after the expiration of the six-month (6) period following such separation from service, (ii) death, or (iii) such earlier date that complies with Section 409A of the Code.
(c) Each payment that the Executive may receive under this Agreement shall be treated as a “separate payment” for purposes of Section 409A of the Code.
(d) A termination of employment shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of any provision of this Agreement providing for the payment of any amounts or benefits upon or following a termination of employment unless such termination is also a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and, for purposes of any such provision of this Agreement, references to a “termination,” “termination of employment,” or like terms shall mean “separation from service.”
Section 280G of the Code Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, if the Executive would receive (i) any payment, deemed payment or other benefit as a result of the operation of Section 8 or 9 hereof that, together with any other payment, deemed payment or other benefit the Executive may receive under any other plan, program, policy or arrangement (collectively with the payments under Section 8 and 9 hereof, the “Covered Payments”), would constitute an “excess parachute payment” under section 280G of the Code that would be or become subject to the tax (the “Excise Tax”) imposed under Section 4999 of the Code or any similar tax that may hereafter be imposed, and (ii) a greater net after-tax benefit by limiting the Covered Payments so that the portion thereof that are parachute payments do not exceed the maximum amount of such parachute payments that could be paid to the Employee without Employee’s being subject to any Excise Tax (the “Safe Harbor Amount”), then the Covered Payments to the Executive shall be reduced (but not below zero) so that the aggregate amount of parachute payments that the Executive receives does not exceed the Safe Harbor Amount. In the event that the Executive receives reduced payments and benefits hereunder, such payments and benefits shall be reduced in connection with the application of the Safe Harbor Amount in the following manner: first, the Executive’s Severance Payment shall be reduced, followed by, to the extent necessary and in order, (i) the Target Cash Bonus; (ii) any the continuation of medical benefits, (iii) the Unvested RSU Bonus Shares and (iv) the Accrued Obligations. For purposes of determining whether any of the Covered Payments will be subject to the Excise Tax, such Covered Payments will be treated as “parachute payments” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, and all “parachute payments” in excess of the “base amount” (as defined under Section 280G(b)(3) of the Code) shall be treated as subject to the Excise Tax, unless, and except to the extent that, in the good faith judgment of a public accounting firm appointed by the Company prior to the Change in Control or tax counsel selected by such accounting firm (the “Accountants”), the Company has a reasonable basis to conclude that such Covered Payments (in whole or in part) either do not constitute “parachute payments” or represent reasonable compensation for personal services actually rendered (within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(4)(B) of the Code) in excess of the allocable portion of the “base amount,” or such “parachute payments” are otherwise not subject to such Excise Tax, and the value of any non-cash benefits or any deferred payment or benefit shall be determined by the Accountants in accordance with the principles of Section 280G of the Code.
Application of Section 409A of the Code (a) This Agreement shall be interpreted to avoid any penalty sanctions under section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and the regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Code”). If any payment or benefit cannot be provided or made at the time specified herein without incurring sanctions under section 409A of the Code, then such benefit or payment shall be provided in full (to extent not paid in part at earlier date) at the earliest time thereafter when such sanctions shall not be imposed. For purposes of section 409A of the Code, all payments to be made upon a termination of employment under this Agreement may only be made upon the Executive’s “separation from service” (within the meaning of such term under section 409A of the Code), each payment made under this Agreement shall be treated as a separate payment, and the right to a series of installment payments under this Agreement shall be treated as a right to a series of separate payments. In no event shall the Executive, directly or indirectly, designate the fiscal year of payment, except as permitted under section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, with respect to amounts under this Agreement are nonqualified deferred compensation subject to Section 409A, in no event shall the timing of the Executive’s execution of the Release, directly or indirectly, result in the Executive designating the calendar year of payment, and if a payment that is subject to execution of the Release could be made in more than one taxable year, payment shall be made in the later taxable year.
(b) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if, at the time of the Executive’s termination of employment with the Company, the Company has securities which are publicly traded on an established securities market and the Executive is a “specified employee” (as such term is defined in section 409A of the Code) and it is necessary to postpone the commencement of any payments or benefits otherwise payable under this Agreement as a result of such termination of employment to prevent any accelerated or additional tax under section 409A of the Code, then the Company shall postpone the commencement of the payment of any such payments or benefits hereunder (without any reduction in such payments or benefits ultimately paid or provided to the Executive) that are not otherwise paid first within the ‘short-term deferral exception’ under Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(b)(4), and then under the ‘separation pay exception’ under Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii), until the first payroll date that occurs after the date that is 6 months following the Executive’s “separation of service” (as such term is defined under code section 409A of the Code) with the Company. If any payments are postponed due to such requirements, such postponed amounts shall be paid in a lump sum to the Executive on the first payroll date that occurs after the date that is 6 months following Executive’s separation of service with the Company. If the Executive dies during the postponement period prior to the payment of postponed amount, the amounts withheld on account of section 409A of the Code shall be paid to the personal representative of the Executive’s estate within 60 days after the date of the Executive’s death.
(c) All reimbursements and in-kind benefits provided under this Agreement shall be made or provided in accordance with the requirements of section 409A of the Code, including, where applicable, the requirement that (i) any reimbursement shall be for expenses incurred during the Executive’s lifetime (or during a shorter period of time specified in this Agreement), (ii) the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in kind benefits provided, during a calendar year may not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in kind benefits to be provided, in any other calendar year, (iii) the reimbursement of an eligible expense shall be made on or before the last day of the calendar year following the year in which the expense is incurred and (iv) the right to reimbursement or in kind benefits is not subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit.
SECTION 812 Control by Holders of Securities....................43 SECTION 813. Waiver of Past Defaults.............................44
Compliance with Section 409A of the Code All payments and benefits payable under this Agreement (including, without limitation, the Section 409A Payments) are intended to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. Certain payments and benefits payable under this Agreement are intended to be exempt from the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. This Agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with the applicable requirements of, and exemptions from, Section 409A of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder. To the extent the payments and benefits under this Agreement are subject to Section 409A of the Code, this Agreement shall be interpreted, construed and administered in a manner that satisfies the requirements of Sections 409A(a)(2), (3) and (4) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder If the Company and the Executive determine that any compensation, benefits or other payments that are payable under this Agreement and intended to comply with Sections 409A(a)(2), (3) and (4) of the Code do not comply with Section 409A of the Code, the Treasury Regulations thereunder and other applicable authority issued by the Internal Revenue Service, to the extent permitted under Section 409A of the Code, the Treasury Regulations thereunder and any applicable authority issued by the Internal Revenue Service, the Company and the Executive agree to amend this Agreement, or take such other actions as the Company and the Executive deem reasonably necessary or appropriate, to cause such compensation, benefits and other payments to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, the Treasury Regulations thereunder and other applicable authority issued by the Internal Revenue Service, while providing compensation, benefits and other payments that are, in the aggregate, no less favorable than the compensation, benefits and other payments provided under this Agreement. In the case of any compensation, benefits or other payments that are payable under this Agreement and intended to comply with Sections 409A(a)(2), (3) and (4) of the Code, if any provision of the Agreement would cause such compensation, benefits or other payments to fail to so comply, such provision shall not be effective and shall be null and void with respect to such compensation, benefits or other payments to the extent such provision would cause a failure to comply, and such provision shall otherwise remain in full force and effect.
Section 502 Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment....................................... 24
SECTION 102 Compliance Certificates and Opinions...........................7 SECTION 103. Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.........................8 SECTION 104. Acts of Holders................................................9
SECTION 112 Governing Law..................................................14 SECTION 113. Legal Holidays.................................................14
Section 365(n) of the Bankruptcy Code All rights and licenses granted under this Agreement are, and shall otherwise be deemed to be, for purposes of Section 365(n) of the United States Bankruptcy Code (the “Bankruptcy Code”), licenses of rights to “intellectual property” as defined under Section 101(35A) of the Bankruptcy Code. The Parties shall retain and may fully exercise all of their respective rights and elections under the Bankruptcy Code.
