Settlement of Restricted Stock Units Subject to the terms of the Plan and this Agreement, Restricted Stock Units shall be settled in Shares, provided that Participant has satisfied any Tax-Related Items pursuant to Section 8 below. Shares will be issued to Participant within 70 days following the applicable Vesting Date unless subject to the terms of the Company’s deferred compensation plan; provided, however, that if the Participant is subject to taxation in the U.S. (a “U.S. Taxpayer”), the Restricted Stock Units vest pursuant to Section 1.6 below and the Restricted Stock Units are considered “non-qualified deferred compensation” subject to Section 409A of the Code (“Code Section 409A,” and such compensation, “Deferred Compensation”), the Shares will be issued in accordance with the following schedule: (i) if the termination event giving rise to the vesting acceleration occurs prior to the Change in Control and the Change in Control constitutes a “change in control event” (within the meaning of U.S. Treasury Regulation 1.409A-3(i)(5)(i)) (a “409A CIC”), the Shares will be issued on the date of the Change in Control, and if the Change in Control does not constitute a 409A CIC, the Shares will be issued on the date that is six months following the Participant’s “separation from service” (within the meaning of Code Section 409A) (a “Separation from Service”); (ii) if the termination event giving rise to the vesting acceleration occurs on or following the Change in Control and the Change in Control constitutes a 409A CIC, then the Shares will be issued within 30 days following the Participant’s Separation from Service, and if the Change in Control is not a 409A CIC, then the Shares will be issued on the date that is six months following the Participant’s Separation from Service. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of complying with Code Section 409A, if the Participant is a U.S. Taxpayer, the Restricted Stock Units are considered Deferred Compensation and the Restricted Stock Units are to be settled in connection with a termination contemplated under Section 1.6 below, the Company and the Participant shall take all steps necessary (including with regard to any post-termination services by the Participant) to ensure that a termination contemplated under Section 1.6 constitutes a Separation from Service. In addition, if the Restricted Stock Units are Deferred Compensation, the Restricted Stock Units are settled upon the Participant’s Separation from Service and the Participant is a “specified employee,” within the meaning of Code Section 409A, on the date the Participant experiences a Separation from Service, then the Shares will be issued on the first business day of the seventh month following the Participant’s Separation from Service, or, if earlier, on the date of the Participant’s death, to the extent such delayed payment is required in order to avoid a prohibited distribution under Code Section 409A.
Sale and Delivery of Shares (a) Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell Shares from time to time through the Agent, acting as sales agent, and the Agent agrees to use its reasonable efforts to sell, as sales agent for the Company, the Shares on the following terms.
i. The Shares are to be sold on a daily basis or otherwise as shall be agreed to by the Company and the Agent on any day that (A) is a trading day for the NYSE (other than a day on which the NYSE is scheduled to close prior to its regular weekday closing time), (B) the Company has instructed the Agent by telephone (confirmed promptly by electronic mail) to make such sales and (C) the Company has satisfied its obligations under Section 6 of this Agreement. The Company will designate the maximum amount of the Shares to be sold by the Agent daily as previously agreed to in writing or electronic transmission by the Agent (in any event not in excess of (i) the amount available for issuance under the Prospectus and the currently effective Registration Statement less (ii) any amounts already issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement and the Alternative Equity Distribution Agreements) and the minimum price per Share at which such Shares may be sold. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Agent shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell on a particular day, consistent with its normal trading practices, all of the Shares designated for the sale by the Company on such day. The gross sales price of the Shares sold under this Section 3(a) shall be the market price for shares of the Company’s Common Stock sold by the Agent under this Section 3(a) at the time of sale of such Shares (but in no event shall such gross sales price be less than the minimum price per Share designated by the Company at which such Shares may be sold).
ii. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (A) there can be no assurance that the Agent will be successful in selling the Shares, (B) the Agent will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if it does not sell Shares for any reason other than a failure by the Agent to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable law and regulations to sell such Shares as required under this Agreement, and (C) the Agent shall be under no obligation to purchase Shares on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise specifically agreed by the Agent and the Company.
iii. The Company shall not authorize the issuance and sale of, and the Agent shall not be obligated to use its reasonable efforts to sell, any Share at a price lower than the minimum price therefor designated from time to time by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), or a duly authorized committee thereof, and notified to the Agent in writing. The Company or the Agent may, upon notice to the other party hereto by telephone (confirmed promptly by electronic mail), suspend the offering of the Shares for any reason and at any time; provided, however, that such suspension or termination shall not affect or impair the parties’ respective obligations with respect to the Shares sold hereunder prior to the giving of such notice.
iv. The Agent hereby covenants and agrees not to make any sales of the Shares on behalf of the Company pursuant to this Section 3(a), other than (A) (1) by means of ordinary brokers’ transactions between members of the NYSE that qualify for delivery of a Prospectus in accordance with Rule 153 under the Act (such transactions are hereinafter referred to as “Continuous Offerings”), (2) to or through a market maker, or (3) directly on or through any other national securities exchange or facility thereof, a trading facility of a national securities association, an alternative trading system, an electronic communication network or any similar market venue and (B) such other sales of the Shares on behalf of the Company in its capacity as agent of the Company as shall be agreed by the Company and the Agent pursuant to a Terms Agreement.
v. The compensation to the Agent for sales of the Shares with respect to which the Agent acts as sales agent under this Agreement shall be at a mutually agreed rate, not to exceed 2.0% of the gross sales price of the Shares sold pursuant to this Section 3(a) and payable as described in the succeeding subsection (vi) below. The foregoing rate of compensation shall not apply when the Agent acts as principal, in which case the Company may sell Shares to the Agent as principal at a price agreed upon at the relevant Applicable Time pursuant to a Terms Agreement. The remaining proceeds, after further deduction for any transaction fees imposed on the Agent by any governmental or self-regulatory organization in respect of such sales, shall constitute the net proceeds to the Company for such Shares (the “Net Proceeds”).
vi. The Agent shall provide written confirmation (which may be by facsimile or electronic mail) to the Company promptly following the close of trading on the NYSE each day in which the Shares are sold under this Section 3(a) setting forth the number of the Shares sold on such day, the aggregate gross sales proceeds and the Net Proceeds to the Company, and the compensation payable by the Company to the Agent with respect to such sales. Such compensation shall be set forth and invoiced in periodic statements from the Agent to the Company, with payment to be made by the Company promptly after its receipt thereof.
vii. Settlement for sales of the Shares pursuant to this Section 3(a) will occur on the third Business Day following the date on which such sales are made (each such day, a “Settlement Date”). On each Settlement Date, the Shares sold through the Agent for settlement on such date shall be issued and delivered by the Company to the Agent against payment of the Net Proceeds for the sale of such Shares. Settlement for all such Shares shall be effected by free delivery of the Shares to the Agent’s account at The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) in return for payments in same day funds delivered to the account designated by the Company. If the Company or its transfer agent (if applicable) shall default on its obligation to deliver the Shares on any Settlement Date, the Company shall (A) indemnify and hold the Agent harmless against any loss, claim or damage arising from or as a result of such default by the Company and (B) pay the Agent any commission to which it would otherwise be entitled absent such default. If the Agent breaches this Agreement by failing to deliver the Net Proceeds to the Company on any Settlement Date for the Shares delivered by the Company, the Agent will pay the Company interest based on the effective overnight federal funds rate on such unpaid amount less any compensation due to the Agent.
viii. At each Applicable Time, Settlement Date, Representation Date (as defined in Section 4(k)) and Filing Date (as defined in Section 4(a)), the Company shall be deemed to have affirmed each representation and warranty contained in this Agreement as if such representation and warranty were made as of such date, modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended as of such date. Any obligation of the Agent to use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell the Shares on behalf of the Company shall be subject to the continuing accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the continuing satisfaction of the additional conditions specified in Section 6 of this Agreement.
(b) If the Company wishes to issue and sell the Shares pursuant to this Agreement and the Alternative Equity Distribution Agreements but other than as set forth in Section 3(a) of this Agreement (each, a “Placement”), it will notify the Agent of the proposed terms of such Placement. If the Agent, acting as principal, wishes to accept such proposed terms (which it may decline to do for any reason in its sole discretion) or, following discussions with the Company wishes to accept amended terms, the Agent and the Company will enter into a Terms Agreement, in substantially the form of Annex I hereto, setting forth the terms of such Placement. The terms set forth in a Terms Agreement will not be binding on the Company or the Agent unless and until the Company and the Agent have each executed such Terms Agreement accepting all of the terms of such Terms Agreement. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of a Terms Agreement, the terms of such Terms Agreement will control.
(c) Each sale of the Shares to the Agent shall be made in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and, if applicable, a Terms Agreement, which will provide for the sale of such Shares to, and the purchase thereof by, the Agent. A Terms Agreement may also specify certain provisions relating to the reoffering of such Shares by the Agent. The commitment of the Agent to purchase the Shares pursuant to any Terms Agreement shall be deemed to have been made on the basis of the representations and warranties of the Company herein contained and shall be subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth. Each Terms Agreement shall specify the number of the Shares to be purchased by the Agent pursuant thereto, the price to be paid to the Company for such Shares, any provisions relating to rights of, and default by, underwriters acting together with the Agent in the reoffering of the Shares, and the time and date (each such time and date being referred to herein as a “Time of Delivery”) and place of delivery of and payment for such Shares. Such Terms Agreement shall also specify any requirements for opinions of counsel, accountants’ letters and officers’ certificates pursuant to Section 6 of this Agreement and any other information or documents required by the Agent.
(d) Under no circumstances shall the aggregate value of the Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement, the Alternative Equity Distribution Agreements and any Terms Agreement exceed (i) the Maximum Amount, (ii) the number of shares of the Common Stock available for issuance under the currently effective Registration Statement or (iii) the number and aggregate amount of the Shares authorized from time to time to be issued and sold under this Agreement by the Board, or a duly authorized committee thereof, and notified to the Agent in writing.
(e) Except pursuant to a reoffer of Shares as described in Section 3(c) hereof, the Company agrees that any offer to sell Shares, any solicitation of an offer to buy Shares, or any sales of Shares shall only be effected by or through only one of the Agent or an Alternative Agent on any single given day, but in no event by more than one, and the Company shall in no event request that the Agent and any of the Alternative Agents sell Shares on the same day; provided, however, that (a) the foregoing limitation shall not apply to (i) the exercise of any option, warrant, right or any conversion privilege set forth in the instrument governing such security or (ii) sales solely to employees or security holders of the Company or its subsidiaries, or to a trustee or other person acquiring such securities for the accounts of such persons, and (b) such limitation shall not apply on any day during which no sales are made pursuant to this Agreement or an Alternative Equity Distribution Agreement.
(f) If either the Company or the Agent has reason to believe that the exemptive provisions set forth in Rule 101(c)(1) of Regulation M under the Exchange Act are not satisfied with respect to the Shares, it shall promptly notify the other party and sales of the Shares under this Agreement and any Terms Agreement shall be suspended until that or other exemptive provisions have been satisfied in the judgment of each party.
(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company shall not offer, sell or deliver, or request the offer or sale of, any Shares and, by notice to the Agent given by telephone (confirmed promptly by telecopy or email), shall cancel any instructions for the offer or sale of any Shares, and the Agent shall not be obligated to offer or sell any Shares, (i) during any period in which the Company is, or could be deemed to be, in possession of material non-public information, or (ii) except as provided in Section 3(h) below, at any time during the period commencing on the seventh Business Day prior to the date (each, an “Announcement Date”) on which the Company shall issue a press release containing, or shall otherwise publicly announce, its earnings, revenues or other results of operations (each, an “Earnings Announcement”) through and including the time that is 24 hours after the time that the Company files (a “Filing Time”) a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or an Annual Report on Form 10-K that includes consolidated financial statements as of and for the same period or periods, as the case may be, covered by such Earnings Announcement.
(h) If the Company wishes to offer, sell or deliver Shares at any time during the period from and including an Announcement Date through and including the time that is 24 hours after the corresponding Filing Time, the Company shall (i) prepare and deliver to the Agent (with a copy to counsel to the Agent) a Current Report on Form 8-K which shall include substantially the same financial and related information as was set forth in the relevant Earnings Announcement (other than any earnings projections, similar forward-looking data and officers’ quotations) (each, an “Earnings 8-K”), in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, and obtain the consent of the Agent to the filing thereof (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld), (ii) provide the Agent with the officers’ certificate, accountants’ letter and opinions and letters of counsel called for by Sections 4(k), (l), (m) and (n) hereof; respectively, (iii) afford the Agent the opportunity to conduct a due diligence review in accordance with Section 4(o) hereof and (iv) file such Earnings 8-K with the Commission, then the provisions of clause (iii) of Section 3(g) shall not be applicable for the period from and after the time at which the foregoing conditions shall have been satisfied (or, if later, the time that is 24 hours after the time that the relevant Earnings Announcement was first publicly released) through and including the time that is 24 hours after the Filing Time of the relevant Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Annual Report on Form 10-K, as the case may be. For purposes of clarity, the parties hereto agree that (A) the delivery of any officers’ certificate, accountants’ letter and opinions and letters of counsel pursuant to this Section 3(h) shall not relieve the Company from any of its obligations under this Agreement with respect to any Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Annual Report on Form 10-K, as the case may be, including, without limitation, the obligation to deliver officers’ certificates, accountants’ letters and legal opinions and letters as provided in Section 4 hereof and (B) this Section 3(h) shall in no way affect or limit the operation of the provisions of clauses (i) and (ii) of Section 3(g), which shall have independent application.
Payment of Award (a) Subject to §6(b), the total number of Restricted Stock Units (and related Dividend Equivalent Rights) which vest, if any, in accordance with §3, §4, or §5 of this Unit Agreement (the “Vested Units”) shall be paid in an equivalent number of shares of Stock on the specified dates, as follows: 33⅓% shall be paid on the first anniversary of the Grant Date; 33⅓% shall be paid on the second anniversary of the Grant Date; 33⅓% shall be paid on the third anniversary of the Grant Date. Payments made pursuant to this sub-paragraph (a) will deemed to be made on the specified date if such payment are made within the sixty (60) day period which commences immediately following the specified date.
(b) Notwithstanding the specified dates set forth in §6(a), the total number of Vested Units shall be distributed in an equivalent number of shares of Stock upon the earliest to occur of the following: (i) the date of the Grantee’s death, (ii) the date of the Grantee’s Disability, or (iii) if prior to the date a Grantee becomes eligible for Retirement, the date of the Grantee’s Separation from Service. In the event payment is made pursuant to this sub-paragraph (b) such payment shall be made within the sixty (60) day period which commences immediately following the date of the applicable event.
(c) Except as set forth below, the Vested Units shall be distributed in an equivalent number of shares of Stock; provided, however, the Grantee’s right to any fractional share of Stock shall be paid in cash. In the event the Restricted Stock Units (and related Dividend Equivalent Rights) vest following a Change in Control pursuant to § 4, the Vested Units shall be paid in cash, and the amount of the payment for each Vested Unit to be paid in cash will equal the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of the Change in Control.
(d) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, distributions may not be made to a Key Employee upon a Separation from Service before the date which is six (6) months after the date of the Key Employee’s Separation from Service (or, if earlier, the date of death of the Key Employee). Any payments that would otherwise be made during this period of delay shall be accumulated and paid in the seventh month following the Grantee’s Separation from Service.
(e) The Grantee shall be entitled to a Dividend Equivalent Right for each Vested Unit. At the same time that the Vested Units are paid, SunTrust shall pay each Dividend Equivalent Right in shares of Stock to the Grantee, provided, however, the Grantee’s right to any fractional share of Stock shall be paid in cash. In the event the Restricted Stock Units vest pursuant to §4, related Dividend Equivalent Rights shall be paid in cash.
(f) The Grantee will not have any shareholder rights with respect to the Restricted Stock Units, including the right to vote or receive dividends, unless and until shares of Stock are issued to the Grantee as payment of the vested Restricted Stock Units.
