Timing of Release of Claims Whenever in this Agreement a payment or benefit is conditioned on the Executive’s execution and non-revocation of a release of claims, such as the separation agreement referenced in Section 11(a) hereof, such release must be executed and all revocation periods shall have expired within 60 days after the Date of Termination; failing which such payment or benefit shall be forfeited. If such payment or benefit constitutes Non-Exempt Deferred Compensation, then, subject to subsection (c) above, such payment or benefit (including any installment payments) that would have otherwise been payable during such 60-day period shall be accumulated and paid on the 60th day after the Date of Termination provided such release shall have been executed and such revocation periods shall have expired. If such payment or benefit is exempt from Section 409A of the Code, the Company may elect to make or commence payment at any time during such 60-day period.
Separation Agreement and Release of Claims The Executive’s receipt of any severance payments or benefits upon the Executive’s Qualifying Termination under Section 3 is subject to the Executive signing and not revoking the Company’s then-standard separation agreement and release of claims (which may include an agreement not to disparage any member of the Company Group, non-solicit provisions, an agreement to assist in any litigation matters, and other standard terms and conditions) (the “Release” and that requirement, the “Release Requirement”), which must become effective and irrevocable no later than the sixtieth (60th) day following the Executive’s Qualifying Termination (the “Release Deadline”). If the Release does not become effective and irrevocable by the Release Deadline, the Executive will forfeit any right to severance payments or benefits under Section 3.
Release of Claims Executive agrees that the foregoing consideration represents settlement in full of all outstanding obligations owed to Executive by the Company. Executive, on behalf of Executive, and Executive’s respective heirs, family members, executors and assigns, hereby fully and forever releases the Company and its past, present and future officers, agents, directors, employees, investors, shareholders, administrators, affiliates, divisions, subsidiaries, parents, predecessor and successor corporations, and assigns, from, and agrees not to xxx or otherwise institute or cause to be instituted any legal or administrative proceedings concerning any claim, duty, obligation or cause of action relating to any matters of any kind, whether presently known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, that Executive may possess arising from any omissions, acts or facts that have occurred up until and including the Effective Date of this Agreement including, without limitation,
(a) any and all claims relating to or arising from Executive’s employment relationship with the Company and the termination of that relationship;
(b) any and all claims relating to, or arising from, Executive’s right to purchase, or actual purchase of shares of stock of the Company, including, without limitation, any claims for fraud, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of duty under applicable state corporate law, and securities fraud under any state or federal law;
(c) any and all claims for wrongful discharge of employment; termination in violation of public policy; discrimination; breach of contract, both express and implied; breach of a covenant of good faith and fair dealing, both express and implied; promissory estoppel; negligent or intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligent or intentional misrepresentation; negligent or intentional interference with contract or prospective economic advantage; unfair business practices; defamation; libel; slander; negligence; personal injury; assault; battery; invasion of privacy; false imprisonment; and conversion;
(d) any and all claims for violation of any federal, state or municipal statute, including, but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, and Labor Code section 201, et seq. and section 970, et seq. and all amendments to each such Act as well as the regulations issued under each such Act;
(e) any and all claims for violation of the federal, or any state, constitution;
(f) any and all claims arising out of any other laws and regulations relating to employment or employment discrimination; and
(g) any and all claims for attorneys’ fees and costs. Executive agrees that the release set forth in this section shall be and remain in effect in all respects as a complete general release as to the matters released. This release does not extend to any severance obligations due Executive under the Management Retention Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement waives Executive’s rights to indemnification or any payments under any fiduciary insurance policy, if any, provided by any act or agreement of the Company, state or federal law or policy of insurance.
Severance Plan The term “Severance Plan” shall mean the Assured Guaranty Ltd. Executive Severance Plan.
Severance Agreement Any payments of compensation made pursuant to Articles 4 and 5 are contingent on Executive executing the Company’s standard severance agreement, including a general release of the Company, its owners, partners, stockholders, directors, officers, employees, independent contractors, agents, attorneys, representatives, predecessors, successors and assigns, parents, subsidiaries, affiliated entities and related entities, and on Executive’s continued compliance with Section 6. Executive must execute the standard severance agreement and release within 45 days of being provided with the document to sign or the severance agreement offer will expire.
Release of Claims Agreement The receipt of any severance payments or benefits pursuant to this Agreement is subject to Executive signing and not revoking a separation agreement and release of claims in a form mutually acceptable to the Company and Executive (the “Release”), which must become effective no later than the sixtieth (60th) day following Executive’s termination of employment (the “Release Deadline”), and if not, Executive will forfeit any right to severance payments or benefits under this Agreement. To become effective, the Release must be executed by Executive and any revocation periods (as required by statute, regulation, or otherwise) must have expired without Executive having revoked the Release. In addition, in no event will severance payments or benefits be paid or provided until the Release actually becomes effective. If the termination of employment occurs at a time during the calendar year where the Release Deadline could occur in the calendar year following the calendar year in which Executive’s termination of employment occurs, then any severance payments or benefits under this Agreement that would be considered Deferred Payments (as defined in Section 4(c)(i)) will be paid on the first payroll date to occur during the calendar year following the calendar year in which such termination occurs, or such later time as required by (i) the payment schedule applicable to each payment or benefit as set forth in Section 3, (ii) the date the Release becomes effective, or (iii) Section 4(c)(ii); provided that the first payment shall include all amounts that would have been paid to Executive if payment had commenced on the date of Executive’s termination of employment.
Termination of Employment and Severance Benefits The Executive’s employment hereunder shall terminate under the following circumstances:
General Release of Claims Employee knowingly and voluntarily releases and forever discharges the Company from any and all claims, rights, causes of action, demands, fees costs, expenses, including attorneys’ fees, and liabilities of any kind whatsoever, whether known or unknown, against the Company, that Employee has, has ever had or may have as of the date of execution of this Agreement and General Release, including, but not limited to, any alleged violation of: ● The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended; ● The Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990; ● The National Labor Relations Act, as amended; ● Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; ● The Civil Rights Act of 1991; ● Sections 1981 through 1988 of Title 42 of the United States Code, as amended; ● The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended; ● The Immigration Reform and Control Act, as amended; ● The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended; ● The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, as amended; ● The Occupational Safety and Health Act, as amended; ● The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993; ● All other federal, state or local civil or human rights laws, whistleblower laws, or any other local, state or federal law, regulations and ordinances; ● All public policy, contract, tort, or common laws; and ● All allegations for costs, fees, and other expenses including attorneys’ fees incurred in these matters. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the sole matters to which the Agreement and General Release do not apply are: (i) Employee’s rights of indemnification and directors and officers liability insurance coverage to which the Executive was entitled immediately prior to __________ __, 20__ with regard to the Executive’s service as an officer and director of the Company (including, without limitation, under Article 15 of the Severance Agreement); (ii) Employee’s rights under any tax-qualified pension plan or claims for accrued vested benefits under any other employee benefit plan, policy or arrangement maintained by the Company or under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended; (iii) Employee’s rights under Article 7 or Article 11 of the Severance Agreement, as the case may be; and (iv) Employee’s rights as a stockholder of the Company.
Change of Control Severance Benefits (a) If during the Change of Control Period Cascade shall terminate Executive’s employment other than for Cause, or Executive shall terminate employment with Cascade for Good Reason, Cascade shall: (i) pay Executive (or in the event of Executive’s subsequent death, Executive’s beneficiary or estate, as the case may be), as severance pay, a sum equal to two (2) times the salary and bonus paid by Cascade to Executive during the twelve (12) month period ending on the last day of the month preceding the effective date of a Change of Control (excluding any gains resulting from exercise of stock options or vesting of restricted stock awards or other similar forms of stock compensation); (ii) cause to be continued for twenty-four (24) months after the effective date of a Change of Control, life, medical, dental, and disability coverage substantially identical to the coverage maintained by Cascade for Executive prior to the effective date of a Change of Control, except to the extent such coverage may be changed in its application to all Cascade employees on a nondiscriminatory basis; and (iii) accelerate any unvested stock-based compensation so any such stock-based compensation shall be 100% vested and immediately exercisable in full as of the date of such termination. Payments due under (i) above shall be paid to Executive in a lump sum no sooner than six (6) months after the date of Executive’s termination.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 1(a) above, if a payment to Executive who is a “disqualified individual” shall be in an amount which includes an “excess parachute payment,” the payment hereunder to Executive shall be reduced to the maximum amount which does not include an “excess parachute payment.” The terms “disqualified individual” and “excess parachute payment” shall have the meaning defined in Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
(c) Executive shall not be required to mitigate the amount of any payment or benefit provided for in Section 1(a) of this Agreement by seeking other employment or otherwise, nor shall the amount of any payment or benefit provided for in Section 1(a) of this Agreement be reduced by any compensation earned or benefit received by Executive as the result of employment by another employer. This Agreement shall not be construed as a contract of employment or as providing Executive any right to be retained in the employ of Cascade or any affiliate thereof.
(d) Prior to Executive’s gaining the right to receive, and in exchange for, the severance compensation, benefits and option acceleration provided in Section 3(a), above, to which Executive would not otherwise be entitled, Executive shall first enter into and execute a release substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Release”) upon Executive’s termination of employment. Unless the Release is executed by Executive and delivered to Cascade within twenty-one (21) days after the termination of Executive’s employment with Cascade, Executive shall not receive any severance benefits provided under this Agreement, acceleration, if any, of Executive’s equity grants/benefits as provided in this Agreement shall not apply and Executive’s equity grants/benefits in such event may be exercised following the date of Executive’s termination only to the extent provided under their originals terms in accordance with the applicable equity plans and agreements.
Change in Control Severance Benefits If there is a Change in Control, and within one (1) year of such Change in Control, the Executive’s employment is terminated under the circumstances described in Sections 4(a) through 4(f) above, the Executive shall be entitled to the following: (I) if such termination is a termination by the Company without Cause pursuant to Section 4(a) or the Executive resigns for Good Reason pursuant to Section 4(b), the Company shall pay the Executive the Accrued Obligations and the Pro Rata Bonus and, in addition, subject to the provisions of Section 19, (A) an amount equal to twenty-four (24) months of the Executive’s Base Salary at the rate in effect on the date of termination or resignation, payable in a lump sum within sixty (60) calendar days of the date of termination or resignation; and (B) provided the Executive timely elects continuation coverage under COBRA, the Company shall also pay, on the Executive’s behalf, the portion of monthly premiums for the Executive’s group health insurance, including coverage for the Executive’s dependents, that the Company paid immediately prior to the date of termination or resignation, during the eighteen (18) month period following the date of termination or resignation, subject to the Executive’s continued eligibility for COBRA coverage. The Company will pay for such COBRA coverage for eligible dependents only for those dependents who were enrolled immediately prior to the date of termination or resignation. The Executive will continue to be required to pay that portion of the premium for the Executive’s health coverage, including coverage for the Executive’s eligible dependents, that the Executive was required to pay as an active employee immediately prior to the date of termination or resignation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that under applicable guidance the reimbursement of COBRA premiums causes the Company’s group health plan to violate any applicable nondiscrimination rule, the parties agree to negotiate in good faith a mutually agreeable alternative arrangement; and (II) if such termination is a termination or resignation under the circumstances described in Sections 4(c), 4(d), 4(e) or 4(f), the Executive shall be entitled to the compensation and benefits for which the Executive is eligible under such sections.
