409A This Agreement and the amounts payable and other benefits hereunder are intended to comply with, or otherwise be exempt from, Section 409A of the Tax Code. This Agreement shall be administered, interpreted and construed in a manner consistent with Section 409A. If any provision of this Agreement is found not to comply with, or otherwise not to be exempt from, the provisions of Section 409A, it shall be modified and given effect, in the sole discretion of the Board or Compensation Committee thereof and without requiring the Executive’s consent, in such manner as the Board or Compensation Committee determines to be necessary or appropriate to comply with, or to effectuate an exemption from, Section 409A. Each payment under this Agreement shall be treated as a separate identified payment for purposes of Section 409A. The preceding provisions shall not be construed as a guarantee by the Company of any particular tax effect to the Executive of the payments and other benefits under this Agreement. With respect to any reimbursement of expenses of, or any provision of in-kind benefits to, the Executive, as specified under this Agreement, such reimbursement of expenses or provision of in-kind benefits shall be subject to the following conditions: (a) the expenses eligible for reimbursement or the amount of in-kind benefits provided in one taxable year shall not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement or the amount of in-kind benefits provided in any other taxable year, except for any medical reimbursement arrangement providing for the reimbursement of expenses referred to in Section 105(b) of the Tax Code; (b) the reimbursement of an eligible expense shall be made no later than the end of the year after the year in which such expense was incurred; and (c) the right to reimbursement or in-kind benefits shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit. If a payment obligation under this Agreement arises on account of the Executive’s “separation from service” (as defined under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h)) while the Executive is a “specified employee” (as defined under Section 409A of the Tax Code and determined in good faith by the Compensation Committee), any payment of “deferred compensation” (as defined under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(1), after giving effect to the exemptions in Treasury Regulation Sections 1.409A-1(b)(3) through (b)(12)) that is scheduled to be paid within six months after such separation from service shall accrue without interest and shall be paid on the first day of the seventh month beginning after the date of the Executive’s separation from service or, if earlier, within 15 days after the appointment of the personal representative or executor of the Executive’s estate following his death.
Section 409A It is intended that all of the 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. For purposes of Section 409A (including, without limitation, for purposes of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b)(2)(iii)), Executive’s right to receive any installment payments under this Agreement (whether severance payments, reimbursements 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. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in this letter, if Executive is deemed by the Company at the time of Executive’s Separation from Service to be a “specified employee” for purposes of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i), and if any of the payments upon Separation from Service set forth herein and/or under any other agreement with the Company are deemed to be “deferred compensation”, then to the extent delayed commencement of any portion of such payments is required in order to avoid a prohibited distribution under Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) and the related adverse taxation under Section 409A, such payments shall not be provided to Executive prior to the earliest of (i) the expiration of the six-month period measured from the date of Executive’s Separation from Service with the Company, (ii) the date of Executive’s death or (iii) such earlier date as permitted under Section 409A without the imposition of adverse taxation. Upon the first business day following the expiration of such applicable Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) period, all payments deferred pursuant to this paragraph shall be paid in a lump sum to Executive, and any remaining payments due shall be paid as otherwise provided herein or in the applicable agreement. No interest shall be due on any amounts so deferred.
Section 409A of the Code Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if at the time of the Executive’s termination of employment with the Company, the Company has determined that the Executive is a “specified employee” as defined in Section 409A of the Code and any severance payments and benefits to Executive are considered a “deferral of compensation” under Section 409A of the Code (the “Deferred Payments”), such Deferred Payments that are otherwise payable within the first six months following the Termination Date will become payable on the first business day of the seventh month following the Executive’s Termination Date, or if earlier the date of the Executive’s death. In the event that payments under this Agreement are deferred pursuant to this Section 14(h), then such payments shall be paid at the time specified in this Section 14(h) without interest. The Company shall consult with the Executive in good faith regarding the implementation of the provisions of this Section 14(h) provided, that neither the Company nor any of its employees or representatives shall have any liability to the Executive with respect thereto. Any amount under this Agreement that satisfies the requirements of the “short-term deferral” rule set forth in Section 1.409A-1(b)(4) of the Treasury Regulations will not constitute Deferred Payments for purposes of this Agreement. Any amounts scheduled for payment hereunder when they are ordinarily paid out or when they are made to other executive officers, will nonetheless be paid to Executive on or before March 15th of the year following the year when the payment is no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture. For purposes of Section 409A of the Code, the right to a series of installment payments under this Agreement shall be treated as a right to a series of separate payments, and references herein to the Executive’s termination of employment shall refer to Executive’s separation of services with the Company within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, except to the extent any expense, reimbursement or in-kind benefit provided pursuant to this Agreement does not constitute a “deferral of compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code: (x) the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement or in-kind benefits provided to the Executive during any calendar year will not affect the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement or in-kind benefits provided to the Executive in any other calendar year, (y) the reimbursements for expenses for which the Executive is entitled to be reimbursed shall be made on or before the last day of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the applicable expense is incurred, and (z) the right to payment or reimbursement or in-kind benefits hereunder may not be liquidated or exchanged for any other benefit.
Code Section 409A This Agreement shall be interpreted to avoid any penalty sanctions under Section 409A of the Code and the final regulations and any guidance promulgated thereunder (“Section 409A”). If any payment or benefit cannot be provided or made at the time specified herein without incurring sanctions under Section 409A, then such benefit or payment shall be provided in full at the earliest time thereafter when such sanctions will not be imposed. All payments to be made upon a termination of employment under this Agreement may be made only upon a “separation of service” under Section 409A. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, if at the time of Executive’s termination of employment, Executive is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A, and the deferral of the commencement of any severance payments or benefits otherwise payable pursuant to this Agreement as a result of such termination of employment is necessary in order to prevent any accelerated income recognition or additional tax under Section 409A(a)(1), then the Company will not commence any payment of any such severance payments or benefits otherwise required hereunder (but without any reduction in such payments or benefits ultimately paid or provided to Executive) that (a) will not and may not under any circumstances, regardless of when such termination occurs, be paid in full by March 15 of the year following Executive’s termination (or two and one half (2 1⁄2) months after the close of the Company’s fiscal year, if later), and (b) are in excess of the lesser of (i) two (2) times Executive’s then annual compensation or (ii) two (2) times the limit on compensation set forth in Section 401(a)(17) of the Code for the year in which Executive’s employment is terminated and will not be paid by the end of the second calendar year following the year in which the termination occurs, until the first payroll date that occurs after the date that is six (6) months following Executive’s “separation of service” with the Company (as defined under Code Section 409A). If any payments are delayed due to such requirements, such amounts will be paid in a lump sum to Executive on the earliest of (x) Executive’s death following the date of Executive’s termination of employment with the Company or (y) the first payroll date that occurs after the date that is six (6) months following Executive’s “separation of service” with the Company. For these purposes, each severance payment or benefit is designated as a separate payment or benefit and will not collectively be treated as a single payment or benefit. This provision is intended to comply with the requirements of Code Section 409A so that none of the severance payments and benefits to be provided hereunder will be subject to the additional tax imposed under Section 409A, and any ambiguities herein will be interpreted to so comply. The Company and Executive agree to work together in good faith to consider amendments to this Agreement and to take such reasonable actions which are necessary, appropriate or desirable to avoid imposition of any additional tax or income recognition prior to actual payment to Executive under Section 409A. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, to the extent that any amendment to this Agreement with respect to the payment of any severance payments or benefits would constitute under Section 409A a delay or acceleration in a payment or a change in the form of payment, then such amendment must be done in a manner that complies with Section 409A(a)(4)(C).
Section 409A Matters Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the contrary, if Executive is a specified employee (within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and applicable administrative guidance thereunder and determined in accordance with any method selected by Company that is permitted under the regulations issued under Section 409A of the Code), and the payment of any amount or benefit under this Agreement to or on behalf of Executive would be subject to additional taxes and interest under Section 409A of the Code because the timing of such payment is not delayed as provided in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code and the regulations thereunder, then any such payment or benefit that Executive would otherwise be entitled to during the first six months following the date of Executive’s separation from service (within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Code and applicable administrative guidance thereunder) shall be accumulated and paid or provided, as applicable, on the date that is six months after Executive’s separation from service (or if such date does not fall on a business day of Company, the next following business day of Company), or such earlier date upon which such amount can be paid or provided under Section 409A of the Code without being subject to such additional taxes and interest; provided, however, that Executive shall be entitled to receive the maximum amount permissible under Section 409A of the Code and the applicable administrative guidance thereunder during the six-month period following his separation from service that will not result in the imposition of any additional tax or penalties on such amount. For all purposes of this Agreement, Executive shall be considered to have terminated employment with Company when Executive incurs a “separation from service” with Company within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Code and the applicable administrative guidance issued thereunder. To the extent that Section 409A of the Code is applicable to this Agreement, the provisions of this Agreement shall be interpreted as necessary to comply with such section and the applicable administrative guidance issued thereunder.
Section 409A Limit “Section 409A Limit” will mean two (2) times the lesser of: (i) Executive’s annualized compensation based upon the annual rate of pay paid to Executive during the Executive’s taxable year preceding the Executive’s taxable year of Executive’s termination of employment as determined under, and with such adjustments as are set forth in, Treasury Regulation 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii)(A)(1) and any Internal Revenue Service guidance issued with respect thereto; or (ii) the maximum amount that may be taken into account under a qualified plan pursuant to Section 401(a)(17) of the Code for the year in which Executive’s employment is terminated.
Section 409A Savings Clause (a) It is the intention of the parties that compensation or benefits payable under this Agreement not be subject to the additional tax imposed pursuant to Section 409A of the Code, and this Agreement shall be interpreted accordingly. To the extent such potential payments or benefits could become subject to additional tax under such Section, the parties shall cooperate to amend this Agreement with the goal of giving Executive the economic benefits described herein in a manner that does not result in such tax being imposed.
Section 409A Limitation It is the intention of Company and Executive that the severance and other benefits payable to Executive under this Agreement either be exempt from, or otherwise comply with, Section 409A (“Section 409A”) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Notwithstanding any other term or provision of this Agreement, to the extent that any provision of this Agreement is determined by the Company, with the advice of its independent accounting firm or other tax advisors, to be subject to and not in compliance with Section 409A, including, without limitation, the definition of “Change in Control” or the timing of commencement and completion of severance benefit and/or other benefit payments to Executive hereunder in connection with a merger, recapitalization, sale of shares or other “Change in Control”, or the amount of any such payments, such provisions shall be interpreted in the manner required to comply with Section 409A. Company and Executive acknowledge and understand that such interpretation could, among other matters, (i) limit the circumstances or events that constitute a “change in control;” (ii) delay for a period of six (6) months or more, or otherwise modify the commencement of severance and/or other benefit payments; and/or (iii) modify the completion date of severance and/or other benefit payments. Company and Executive further acknowledge and agree that if, in the judgment of Company, with the advice of its independent accounting firm or other tax advisors, amendment of this Agreement is necessary to comply with Section 409A, Company and Executive will negotiate reasonably and in good faith to amend the terms of this Agreement to the extent necessary so that it complies (with the most limited possible economic effect on Company and Executive) with Section 409A. For example, if this Agreement is subject to Section 409A and it requires that severance and/or other benefit payments must be delayed until at least six (6) months after Executive terminates employment, then Company and Executive would delay payments and/or promptly seek a written amendment to this Agreement that would, if permissible under Section 409A, eliminate any such payments otherwise payable during the first six (6) months following Executive’s termination of employment and substitute therefor a lump sum payment or an initial installment payment, as applicable, at the beginning of the seventh (7th) month following Executive’s termination of employment which in the case of an initial installment payment would be equal in the aggregate to the amount of all such payments thus eliminated.
Deferral of Compensation The Company shall implement deferral arrangements permitting Executive to elect to irrevocably defer receipt, pursuant to written deferral election terms and forms (the "Deferral Election Forms"), of all or a specified portion of (i) his annual base salary and annual incentive compensation under Section 4, (ii) long-term incentive compensation under Section 5(a), and (iii) shares acquired upon exercise of options granted in accordance with Sections 5(a) and (b) that are acquired in an exercise in which Executive pays the exercise price by the surrender of previously acquired shares, to the extent of the net additional shares acquired by Executive in such exercise; provided, however, that such deferrals shall not reduce Executive's total cash compensation in any calendar year below the sum of (i) the FICA maximum taxable wage base plus (ii) 1.45% of Executive's annual salary, annual incentive compensation and long-term incentive compensation in excess of such FICA maximum. In accordance with such duly executed Deferral Election Forms or the terms of any such mandatory deferral, the Company shall credit to one or more bookkeeping accounts maintained for Executive on the respective payment date or dates, amounts equal to the compensation subject to deferral, such credits to be denominated in cash if the compensation would have been paid in cash but for the deferral or in shares if the compensation would have been paid in shares but for the deferral. An amount of cash equal in value to all cash-denominated amounts credited to Executive's account and a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of shares credited to Executive's account pursuant to this Section 5(c) shall be transferred as soon as practicable following such crediting by the Company to, and shall be held and invested by, an independent trustee selected by the Company and reasonably acceptable to Executive (a "Trustee") pursuant to a "rabbi trust" established by the Company in connection with such deferral arrangement and as to which the Trustee shall make investments based on Executive's investment objectives (including possible investment in publicly traded stocks and bonds, mutual funds, real estate, and insurance vehicles) (the "Deferred Compensation Accounts"). Thereafter, Executive's deferral accounts will be valued by reference to the value of the assets of the Deferred Compensation Accounts. The Company shall pay all costs of administration of the deferral arrangement, without deduction or reimbursement from the assets of the "rabbi trust," or reduction in the Deferred Compensation Accounts. Except as otherwise provided under Section 7 in the event of Executive's termination of employment with the Company or as otherwise determined by the Committee in the event of hardship on the part of Executive, upon such date(s) or event(s) set forth in the Deferral Election Forms (including forms filed after deferral but before settlement in which Executive may elect to further defer settlement) or under the terms of any mandatory deferral, the Company shall promptly pay to Executive cash equal to the cash then credited to Executive's deferral accounts and cash equal in value to any shares of Common Stock then credited to Executive's deferral accounts, less applicable withholding taxes, and such distribution shall be deemed to fully settle such accounts; provided, however, that the Company may instead settle such accounts by directing the Trustee to distribute the assets of the "rabbi trust." The Company and Executive agree that compensation deferred pursuant to this Section 5(c) shall be fully vested and nonforfeitable; provided, however, Executive acknowledges that his rights to the deferred compensation provided for in this Section 5(c) shall be no greater than those of a general unsecured creditor of the Company, and that such rights may not be pledged, collateralized, encumbered, hypothecated, or liable for or subject to any lien, obligation, or liability of Executive, or be assignable or transferable by Executive, otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, provided that Executive may designate one or more beneficiaries to receive any payment of such amounts in the event of his death.
Section 409A Provisions The payment of Shares under this Agreement is intended to be exempt from the application of Section 409A of the Code by reason of the short-term deferral exemption set forth in Treasury Regulation §1.409A-1(b)(4). Notwithstanding anything in the Plan or this Agreement to the contrary, to the extent that any amount or benefit hereunder that constitutes “deferred compensation” to the Participant under Section 409A is otherwise payable or distributable to the Participant under the Plan or this Agreement solely by reason of the occurrence of a Change in Control or due to the Participant’s Disability or separation from service, such amount or benefit will not be payable or distributable to the Participant by reason of such circumstance unless the Committee determines in good faith that (i) the circumstances giving rise to such Change in Control, Disability or separation from service meet the definition of a change in ownership or control, disability, or separation from service, as the case may be, in Section 409A(a)(2)(A) of the Code and applicable final regulations, or (ii) the payment or distribution of such amount or benefit would be exempt from the application of Section 409A by reason of the short-term deferral exemption or otherwise (including, but not limited to, a payment made pursuant to an involuntary separation arrangement that is exempt from Section 409A under the “short-term deferral” exception). Any payment or distribution that constitutes deferred compensation subject to Code Section 409A and that otherwise would be made to a Participant who is a specified employee as defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B) of the Code on account of separation from service instead shall be made on the earlier of the date that is six months and one day after the date of the specified employee’s separation from service and the specified employee’s death.
