IRC Section 409A The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that, to the extent applicable, this Agreement will be interpreted in accordance with, and incorporate the terms and conditions required by, Section 409A of the Code and the Department of Treasury Regulations and other interpretive guidance issued thereunder, including without limitation any such regulations or other guidance that may be issued after the Effective Date (“Section 409A”). Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, in no event whatsoever will the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates be liable for any additional tax, interest or penalties that may be imposed on you as a result of Section 409A or any damages for failing to comply with Section 409A. Any payments to be made under this Agreement upon a termination of employment that are “nonqualified deferred compensation” shall only be made upon a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A. For purposes of Section 409A, your right to receive installment payments pursuant this Agreement will be treated as a right to receive a series of separate and distinct payments. To the extent that any reimbursement of expenses or in-kind benefits constitutes “nonqualified deferred compensation” under Section 409A, such reimbursement or benefit will be provided no later than December 31 of the year following the year in which the expense was incurred. The amount of expenses reimbursed in one year will not affect the amount eligible for reimbursement in any subsequent year. The amount of any in-kind benefits provided in one year will not affect the amount of in-kind benefits provided in any other year. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if any payment or benefit provided to you in connection with termination of employment is determined to constitute “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A and you are determined to be a “specified employee” as defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(b)(i) of the Code, then such payment or benefit shall not be paid until the first payroll date to occur following the six-month anniversary of your termination date (the “Specified Employee Payment Date”) or, if earlier, on the date of your death. The aggregate of any payments that would otherwise have been paid before the Specified Employee Payment Date shall be paid to you in a lump sum on the Specified Employee Payment Date and thereafter, any remaining payments shall be paid without delay in accordance with their original schedule.
Timing of Payments and Section 409A (a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, if at the time the Executive’s employment terminates, the Executive is a “specified employee,” as defined below, any and all amounts payable under this Agreement on account of such separation from service that would (but for this provision) be payable within six (6) months following the date of termination, shall instead be paid on the next business day following the expiration of such six (6)-month period or, if earlier, upon the Executive’s death; except (A) to the extent of amounts that do not constitute a deferral of compensation within the meaning of Treasury regulation Section 1.409A-1(b) (including without limitation by reason of the safe harbor set forth in Section 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii), as determined by the Companies in their reasonable good faith discretion); (B) benefits which qualify as excepted welfare benefits pursuant to Treasury regulation Section 1.409A-1(a)(5); or (C) other amounts or benefits that are not subject to the requirements of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Section 409A”).
(b) For purposes of this Agreement, all references to “termination of employment” and correlative phrases shall be construed to require a “separation from service” (as defined in Section 1.409A-1(h) of the Treasury regulations after giving effect to the presumptions contained therein), and the term “specified employee” means an individual determined by the Companies to be a specified employee under Treasury regulation Section 1.409A-1(i).
(c) 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 is to be treated as a right to a series of separate payments.
(d) In no event shall the Company, Parent or any of their Affiliates have any liability relating to the failure or alleged failure of any payment or benefit under this Agreement to comply with, or be exempt from, the requirements of Section 409A.
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 280G In the event that any payments, distributions, benefits or entitlements of any type payable to Employee (“CIC Benefits”) (i) constitute “parachute payments” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, and (ii) but for this paragraph would be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the “Excise Tax”), then Employee’s CIC Benefits shall be reduced to such lesser amount (the “Reduced Amount”) that would result in no portion of such benefits being subject to the Excise Tax; provided that such amounts shall not be so reduced if the Company determines, based on the advice of a nationally recognized accounting firm selected by the Company prior to a Change of Control (the “Accountants”), that without such reduction Employee would be entitled to receive and retain, on a net after tax basis (including, without limitation, any excise taxes payable under Section 4999 of the Code), an amount that is greater than the amount, on a net after tax basis, that Employee would be entitled to retain upon receipt of the Reduced Amount. Unless the Company and Employee otherwise agree in writing, any determination required under this Section 6(g) shall be made in writing in good faith by the Accountants. In the event of a reduction of benefits hereunder, benefits shall be reduced by first reducing or eliminating the portion of the CIC Benefits that are payable in cash under Section 6(d)(ii) and 6(d)(iii) and then by reducing or eliminating any amounts that are payable with respect to long-term incentives including any equity-based or equity-related awards (whether payable in cash or in kind). For purposes of making the calculations required by this Section 6(g), the Accountants may make reasonable assumptions and approximations concerning applicable taxes and may rely on reasonable, good faith interpretations concerning the application of the Code, and other applicable legal authority. The Company and Employee shall furnish to the Accountants such information and documents as the Accountants may reasonably require in order to make a determination under this Section 6(g), and the Company shall bear the cost of all fees the Accountants charge in connection with any calculations contemplated by this Section 6(g).
Application of Section 409A It is intended that all of the severance payments payable under this Agreement satisfy, to the greatest extent possible, the exemptions from the application of Section 409A of the Code and the regulations and other guidance thereunder and any state law of similar effect (collectively, “Section 409A”) provided under Treasury Regulations Sections 1.409A-1(b)(4) and 1.409A-1(b)(9), and this Agreement will be construed in a manner that complies with Section 409A. If not so exempt, this Agreement (and any definitions hereunder) will be construed in a manner that complies with Section 409A, and incorporates by reference all required definitions and payment terms. No severance payments will be made under this Agreement unless Executive’s termination of employment constitutes a “separation from service” (as defined under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h)). For purposes of Section 409A (including, without limitation, for purposes of Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-2(b)(2)(iii)), Executive’s right to receive any installment payments under this Agreement (whether severance payments or otherwise) shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate payments and, accordingly, each installment payment hereunder shall at all times be considered a separate and distinct payment. If the Company determines that the severance benefits provided under this Agreement constitutes “deferred compensation” under Section 409A and if Executive is a “specified employee” of the Company, as such term is defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code at the time of Executive’s Separation from Service, then, solely to the extent necessary to avoid the incurrence of the adverse personal tax consequences under Section 409A, the timing of the Severance will be delayed as follows: on the earlier to occur of (a) the date that is six months and one day after Executive’s Separation from Service, and (b) the date of Executive’s death (such earlier date, the “Delayed Initial Payment Date”), the Company will (i) pay to Executive a lump sum amount equal to the sum of the severance benefits that Executive would otherwise have received through the Delayed Initial Payment Date if the commencement of the payment of the severance benefits had not been delayed pursuant to this Section 6.8 and (ii) commence paying the balance of the severance benefits in accordance with the applicable payment schedule set forth in Section 6. No interest shall be due on any amounts deferred pursuant to this Section 6.8. To the extent that any Severance Benefits are deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Code, and are not otherwise exempt from the application of Section 409A, then, if the period during which Executive may consider and sign the Release spans two calendar years, the payment of any such Severance Benefit will not be made or begin until the later calendar year.
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 409A (a) Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, all provisions of this Agreement are intended to comply with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and the applicable Treasury regulations and administrative guidance issued thereunder (collectively, “Section 409A”) or an exemption therefrom and shall be construed and administered in accordance with such intent. Any payments under this Agreement that may be excluded from Section 409A either as separation pay due to an involuntary separation from service or as a short-term deferral shall be excluded from Section 409A to the maximum extent possible. For purposes of Section 409A, each installment payment provided under this Agreement shall be treated as a separate payment. Any payments to be made under this Agreement upon a termination of Employee’s employment shall only be made if such termination of employment constitutes a “separation from service” under Section 409A.
(b) To the extent that any right to reimbursement of expenses or payment of any benefit in-kind under this Agreement constitutes nonqualified deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A), (i) any such expense reimbursement shall be made by the Company no later than the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which such expense was incurred by Employee, (ii) the right to reimbursement or in-kind benefits shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit, and (iii) the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement or in-kind benefits provided during any taxable year shall not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement or in-kind benefits to be provided in any other taxable year; provided, that the foregoing clause shall not be violated with regard to expenses reimbursed under any arrangement covered by Section 105(b) of the Code solely because such expenses are subject to a limit related to the period in which the arrangement is in effect.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the contrary, if any payment or benefit provided for herein would be subject to additional taxes and interest under Section 409A if Employee’s receipt of such payment or benefit is not delayed until the earlier of (i) the date of Employee’s death or (ii) the date that is six (6) months after the Termination Date (such date, the “Section 409A Payment Date”), then such payment or benefit shall not be provided to Employee (or Employee’s estate, if applicable) until the Section 409A Payment Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company makes no representations that the payments and benefits provided under this Agreement are exempt from, or compliant with, Section 409A and in no event shall any member of the Company Group be liable for all or any portion of any taxes, penalties, interest or other expenses that may be incurred by Employee on account of non-compliance with Section 409A.
Code Section 280G In the event that the severance and other benefits provided for in this Agreement or otherwise payable to the Employee (i) constitute “parachute payments” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code and (ii) but for this Section 3(b), would be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code, then the Employee’s benefits under Section 2 of this Agreement shall be either:
(i) delivered in full, or
(ii) delivered as to such lesser extent which would result in no portion of such severance and other benefits being subject to excise tax under Section 4999 of the Code, whichever of the foregoing amounts, taking into account the applicable federal, state and local income taxes and the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code, results in the receipt by the Employee on an after-tax basis, of the greatest amount of severance benefits, notwithstanding that all or some portion of such severance benefits may be taxable under Section 4999 of the Code. Unless the Company and the Employee otherwise agree in writing, any determination required under this Section 3(b) shall be made in writing by the Company’s independent public accountants immediately prior to the Change of Control (the “Accountants”), whose determination shall be conclusive and binding upon the Employee and the Company for all purposes. For purposes of making the calculations required by this Section 3(b), the Accountants may make reasonable assumptions and approximations concerning applicable taxes and may rely on reasonable, good faith interpretations concerning the application of Sections 280G and 4999 of the Code. The Company and the Employee shall furnish to the Accountants such information and documents as the Accountants may reasonably request in order to make a determination under this Section 3(b). The Company shall bear all costs the Accountants may reasonably incur in connection with any calculations contemplated by this Section 3(b).
Additional Section 409A Provisions Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the contrary—
(a) Any payment otherwise required to be made hereunder to Executive at any date as a result of the termination of Executive’s employment shall be delayed for such period of time as may be necessary to meet the requirements of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code (the “Delay Period”). On the first business day following the expiration of the Delay Period, Executive shall be paid, in a single cash lump sum, an amount equal to the aggregate amount of all payments delayed pursuant to the preceding sentence, and any remaining payments not so delayed shall continue to be paid pursuant to the payment schedule set forth herein.
(b) Each payment in a series of payments hereunder shall be deemed to be a separate payment for purposes of Section 409A of the Code.
(c) To the extent that any right to reimbursement of expenses or payment of any benefit in-kind under this Agreement constitutes nonqualified deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code), (i) any such expense reimbursement shall be made by the Company no later than the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which such expense was incurred by Executive, (ii) the right to reimbursement or in-kind benefits shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit, and (iii) the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement or in-kind benefits provided during any taxable year shall not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement or in-kind benefits to be provided in any other taxable year; provided, that the foregoing clause shall not be violated with regard to expenses reimbursed under any arrangement covered by Section 105(b) of the Code solely because such expenses are subject to a limit related to the period the arrangement is in effect.
(d) While the payments and benefits provided hereunder are intended to be structured in a manner to avoid the implication of any penalty taxes under Section 409A of the Code, in no event whatsoever shall the Company or any of its affiliates be liable for any additional tax, interest, or penalties that may be imposed on Executive as a result of Section 409A of the Code or any damages for failing to comply with Section 409A of the Code (other than for withholding obligations or other obligations applicable to employers, if any, under Section 409A of the Code).
Compliance with IRC Section 409A This Agreement is intended to comply with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and will be interpreted accordingly. References under this Agreement to the Employee’s termination of employment shall be deemed to refer to the date upon which the Employee has experienced a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (i) if at the time of the Employee’s separation from service with the Company or any of its affiliates the Employee is a “specified employee” as defined in Section 409A of the Code (and any related regulations or other pronouncements thereunder) and the deferral of the commencement of any payments or benefits otherwise payable hereunder or payable under any other compensatory arrangement between the Employee and the Company or any of its affiliates as a result of such separation from service is necessary in order to prevent any accelerated or additional tax under Section 409A of the Code, then the Company will defer 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 Employee) until the date that is six months following the Employee’s separation from service (or the earliest date as is permitted under Section 409A of the Code), at which point all payments deferred pursuant to this Section 24 shall be paid to the Employee in a lump sum and (ii) if any other payments of money or other benefits due to the Employee hereunder could cause the application of an accelerated or additional tax under Section 409A of the Code, such payments or other benefits shall be deferred if deferral will make such payment or other benefits compliant under Section 409A of the Code, or otherwise such payment or other benefits shall be restructured, to the extent possible, in a manner that does not cause such an accelerated or additional tax. To the extent any reimbursements or in-kind benefits due to the Employee under this Agreement constitute “deferred compensation” under Section 409A of the Code, any such reimbursements or in-kind benefits shall be paid to the Employee in a manner consistent with Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(1)(iv). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Employee shall notify the Company if he believes that any provision of this Agreement (or of any award of compensation, including equity compensation, or benefits) would cause the Employee to incur any additional tax under Code Section 409A and, if the Company concurs with such belief after good faith review or the Company independently makes such determination, then the Company shall use reasonable efforts to reform such provision to comply with Code Section 409A through good faith modifications to the minimum extent reasonably appropriate to conform with Code Section 409A. For purposes of Section 409A of the Code, each payment made under this Agreement shall be designated as a “separate payment” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code.