Severance Pay and Benefits Upon Termination by the Company without Cause or by the Executive for
Severance Payments 5.1 The Company shall pay the Executive the payments described in this Section 5.1 ("Severance Payments") upon the termination of the Executive's employment following a Change in Control during the term of this Agreement, including the Executive's termination of employment for Good Reason, unless such termination is (a) by the Company for Cause, or (b) by reason of the Executive's Death or Disability. The Executive's employment shall be deemed to have been terminated following a Change in Control by the Company without Cause if the Executive's employment is terminated prior to a Change in Control without Cause at the direction (or action which constitutes a direction) of a Person who has entered into an agreement with the Company the consummation of which will constitute a Change in Control.
(i) Within three (3) business days after the Date of Termination, the Company shall make a lump sum or monthly, at the Executive's option, cash severance payment to the Executive in an amount equal to: (x) the Executive's annual base salary in effect immediately prior to the occurrence of the event or circumstance upon which the Notice of Termination is based or in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control; and (y) a pro-rated portion of Executive's Targeted Annual Bonus for the fiscal year in which the Date of Termination occurs.
(ii) For a twelve (12) month period after the Date of Termination, the Company shall arrange to provide the Executive with medical and dental insurance benefits substantially similar to those that the Executive is receiving immediately prior to the Notice of Termination. Benefits otherwise receivable by the Executive pursuant to this Section 5.1(ii) shall be reduced to the extent comparable benefits are actually received by or made available to the Executive without cost during the twelve (12) month period following the Executive's termination of employment (and any such benefits actually received by the Executive shall be reported to the Company by the Executive).
5.2 The Company also shall pay to the Executive all legal fees and expenses incurred by the Executive in disputing the non-payment of Severance Payments in connection with a termination which entitles the Executive to Severance Payments. Such payments shall be made within five (5) business days after delivery of the Executive's written request for payment accompanied with such evidence of fees and expenses incurred as the Company reasonably may require.
Severance Plan The term “Severance Plan” shall mean the Assured Guaranty Ltd. Executive Severance Plan.
Severance Pay Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 62 (Severance Pay) of this Agreement, where the period of continuous employment in respect of which severance benefit is to be paid consists of both full and part-time employment or varying levels of part-time employment, the benefit shall be calculated as follows: the period of continuous employment eligible for severance pay shall be established and the part-time portions shall be consolidated to equivalent full-time. The equivalent full-time period in years shall be multiplied by the full-time weekly pay rate for the appropriate group and level to produce the severance pay benefit.
Termination of Employment with Severance Benefits (a) In the event that the Officer’s employment with the Bank shall terminate during the Assurance Period, or prior to the commencement of the Assurance Period but within three (3) months of and in connection with a Change of Control as defined in section 10 of this Agreement on account of:
(i) The Officer’s voluntary resignation from employment with the Bank within ninety (90) days following:
(A) the failure of the Bank’s Board to appoint or re-appoint or elect or re-elect the Officer to serve in the same position in which the Officer was serving, on the day before the Assurance Period commenced or a more senior office;
(B) the failure of the stockholders of the Holding Company to elect or re-elect the Officer as a member of the Board, if he was a member of the Board on the day before the Assurance Period commenced;
(C) the expiration of a thirty (30) day period following the date on which the Officer gives written notice to the Bank of its material failure, whether by amendment of the Bank’s Organization Certificate or By-laws, action of the Board or the Holding Company’s stockholders or otherwise, to vest in the Officer the functions, duties, or responsibilities vested in the Officer on the day before the Assurance Period commenced (or the functions, duties and responsibilities of a more senior office to which the Officer may be appointed), unless during such thirty (30) day period, the Bank fully cures such failure;
(D) the failure of the Bank to cure a material breach of this Agreement by the Bank, within thirty (30) days following written notice from the Officer of such material breach;
(E) a reduction in the compensation provided to the Officer, or a material reduction in the benefits provided to the Officer under the Bank’s program of employee benefits, compared with the compensation and benefits that were provided to the Officer on the day before the Assurance Period commenced;
(F) a change in the Officer’s principal place of employment that would result in a one-way commuting time in excess of the greater of (I) 30 minutes or (II) the Officer’s commuting time immediately prior to such change; or
(ii) the discharge of the Officer by the Bank for any reason other than for “cause” as provided in section 9(a); then, subject to section 21, the Bank shall provide the benefits and pay to the Officer the amounts provided for under section 8(b) of this Agreement; provided, however, that if benefits or payments become due hereunder as a result of the Officer’s termination of employment prior to the commencement of the Assurance Period, the benefits and payments provided for under section 8(b) of this Agreement shall be determined as though the Officer had remained in the service of the Bank (upon the terms and conditions in effect at the time of his actual termination of service) and had not terminated employment with the Bank until the date on which the Officer’s Assurance Period would have commenced.
(b) Upon the termination of the Officer’s employment with the Bank under circumstances described in section 8(a) of this Agreement, the Bank shall pay and provide to the Officer (or, in the event of the Officer’s death, to the Officer’s estate) on his termination of employment, subject to section 24 :
(i) the Officer’s earned but unpaid compensation (including, without limitation, all items which constitute wages under section 190.1 of the New York Labor Law and the payment of which is not otherwise provided for under this section 8(b)) as of the date of the termination of the Officer’s employment with the Bank, such payment to be made at the time and in the manner prescribed by law applicable to the payment of wages but in no event later than thirty (30) days after termination of employment;
(ii) the benefits, if any, to which the Officer is entitled as a former employee under the employee benefit plans and programs and compensation plans and programs maintained for the benefit of the Bank’s officers and employees;
(iii) continued group life, health (including hospitalization, medical and major medical), accident and long term disability insurance benefits, in addition to that provided pursuant to section 8(b)(ii) and after taking into account the coverage provided by any subsequent employer, if and to the extent necessary to provide for the Officer, for the remaining unexpired Assurance Period, coverage equivalent to the coverage to which the Officer would have been entitled under such plans (as in effect on the date of his termination of employment, or, if his termination of employment occurs after a Change of Control, on the date of such Change of Control, whichever benefits are greater) if the Officer had continued working for the Bank during the remaining unexpired Assurance Period at the highest annual rate of compensation achieved during the Officer’s period of actual employment with the Bank;
(iv) a lump sum payment, in an amount equal to the present value of the salary that the Officer would have earned if the Officer had continued working for the Bank during the remaining unexpired Assurance Period at the highest annual rate of salary achieved during the Officer’s period of actual employment with the Bank, where such present value is to be determined using a discount rate equal to the applicable short-term federal rate prescribed under section 1274(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (“Code”) (“Applicable Short-Term Rate”), compounded using the compounding periods corresponding to the Bank’s regular payroll periods for its officers, such lump sum to be paid in lieu of all other payments of salary provided for under this Agreement in respect of the period following any such termination;
(v) a lump sum payment in an amount equal to the excess, if any, of:
(A) the present value of the aggregate benefits to which the Officer would be entitled under any and all qualified and non-qualified defined benefit pension plans maintained by, or covering employees of, the Bank if the Officer were 100% vested thereunder and had continued working for the Bank during the remaining unexpired Assurance Period, such benefits to be determined as of the date of termination of employment by adding to the service actually recognized under such plans an additional period equal to the remaining unexpired Assurance Period and by adding to the compensation recognized under such plans for the year in which termination of employment occurs all amounts payable under sections 8(b)(I), (iv) and (vii);
(B) the present value of the benefits to which the Officer is actually entitled under such defined benefit pension plans as of the date of his termination; where such present values are to be determined using the mortality tables prescribed under section 415(b)(2)(E)(v) of the Code and a discount rate, compounded monthly, equal to the applicable long-term federal rate prescribed under section 1274(d) of the Code for the month in which his employment terminates; provided, however, that if payments are made under this section 8(b)(v) as a result of this section deeming otherwise unvested amounts under such defined benefit plans to be vested, the payments, if any, attributable to such deemed vesting shall be paid in the same form, and paid at the same time, and in the same manner, as benefits under the corresponding non-qualified plan;
(vi) a lump sum payment in an amount equal to the present value of the additional employer contributions (or if greater in the case of a leveraged employee stock ownership plan or similar arrangement, the additional assets allocable to him through debt service, based on the fair market value of such assets at termination of employment) to which he would have been entitled under any and all qualified and non-qualified defined contribution plans maintained by, or covering employees of, the Bank, if he were 100% vested thereunder and had continued working for the Bank during the remaining unexpired Assurance Period at the highest annual rate of compensation achieved during the Officer’s period of actual employment with the Bank, and making the maximum amount of employee contributions, if any, required under such plan or plans, such present value to be determined on the basis of the discount rate, compounded using the compounding period that corresponds to the frequency with which employer contributions are made to the relevant plan, equal to the Applicable Short-Term Rate; provided, however, that if payments are made under this section 8(b)(vi) as a result of this section deeming otherwise unvested amounts under such defined contribution plans to be vested, the payments, if any, attributable to such deemed vesting shall be paid in the same form, and paid at the same time, and in the same manner, as benefits under the corresponding non-qualified plan;
(vii) the payments that would have been made to the Officer under any cash bonus or long-term or short-term cash incentive compensation plan maintained by, or covering employees of, the Bank, if he had continued working for the Bank during the remaining unexpired Assurance Period and had earned the maximum bonus or incentive award in each calendar year that ends during the remaining unexpired Assurance Period, such payments to be equal to the product of:
(A) the maximum percentage rate at which an award was ever available to the Officer under such incentive compensation plan; multiplied by
(B) the salary that would have been paid to the Officer during each such calendar year at the highest annual rate of salary achieved during the remaining unexpired Assurance Period, such payments to be made without discounting for early payment .. The Bank and the Officer hereby stipulate that the damages which may be incurred by the Officer following any such termination of employment are not capable of accurate measurement as of the date first above written and that the payments and benefits contemplated by this section 8(b) constitute a reasonable estimate under the circumstances of all damages sustained as a consequence of any such termination of employment, other than damages arising under or out of any stock option, restricted stock or other non-qualified stock acquisition or investment plan or program, it being understood and agreed that this Agreement shall not determine the measurement of damages under any such plan or program in respect of any termination of employment. Such damages shall be payable without any requirement of proof of actual damage and without regard to the Officer’s efforts, if any, to mitigate damages. The Bank and the Officer further agree that the Bank may condition the payments and benefits (if any) due under sections 8(b)(iii), (iv), (v), (vi) and (vii) on the receipt of the Officer’s resignation from any and all positions which he holds as an officer, director or committee member with respect to the Bank, the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate of either of them.
Severance Benefits In addition, if a Change in Control Severance Payment Event (as defined below) occurs, then the Company shall pay to Employee the Accrued Payments, and contingent upon Employee satisfying the Severance Conditions, the Company shall also provide Employee the following payments and other benefits (the “Change in Control Severance Package”):
(i) Payment of an amount equal to 2.0 times the sum of (i) Employee’s annual rate of Base Salary as of the Termination Date or as of the date of the Change in Control, whichever is greater, plus (ii) Employee’s Target STI Payment, calculated based on Employee’s Base Salary as of the Termination Date or, if greater, as of the date of the Change in Control, payable to Employee on the 30th day following the Termination Date in a lump sum payment; plus
(ii) Payment of a Pro-Rata Bonus for the calendar year of termination, payable as soon as administratively feasible following preparation of the Company’s audited financial statements for the applicable calendar year, but in no event later than March 31 (or earlier than January 1) of the calendar year following the calendar year to which such STI Payment relates; and
(iii) The Company shall pay or reimburse on a monthly basis the premiums required to continue Employee’s group health care coverage for a period of eighteen (18) months following Employee’s Termination Date, under the applicable provisions of COBRA, provided that Employee or his dependents, as applicable, elect to continue and remain eligible for these benefits under COBRA. If necessary to avoid inclusion in taxable income by Employee of the value of in-kind benefits, such health care continuation premiums shall be provided in the form of taxable payments to Employee, which payments shall be made without regard to whether Employee elects to continue and remain eligible for such benefits under COBRA, and in which event Company shall pay to Employee, with each monthly reimbursement, an additional amount of cash equal to A/(1-R)-A, where A is the amount of the reimbursement for the month, and R is the sum of the maximum federal individual income tax rate then applicable to ordinary income and the maximum individual Colorado income tax rate then applicable to ordinary income;
(iv) Provided, however, that the sum of (i) and (ii) above shall be reduced, but not below zero, by the sum of any actually benefits provided to Employee pursuant to Section 5(a)(i), (ii), or (iii) and any payments otherwise required pursuant to Section 5(a)(i), (ii), and (iii) shall not be made. Nothing in this Section 6 shall relieve the Company or any successor-in-interest thereof of its obligation to continue, following any Change in Control, to provide Employee with the compensation due pursuant to Section 3 of this Agreement or to otherwise comply with its obligations hereunder in the event Employee’s service continues pursuant to this Agreement following the occurrence of such Change in Control.
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.
Change in Control Benefits In the event there is a Change in Control, as defined below, and the Executive’s employment hereunder is terminated by the Executive for Good Reason or by the Employer without Cause (other than on account of the Executive’s death or disability), in each case within twelve (12) months either (a) after Executive’s employment has terminated or (b) following a Change in Control, the Executive shall be entitled to be paid, in a single lump sum, severance equal to two (2) years’ salary at that salary rate being paid to Executive as of the date of the Executive’s termination together with an amount equal to one times (1.0x) the average of the Annual Bonus paid to Executive for services during the preceding three (3) calendar years (or the Executive’s period of employment, if less than three (3) years), provided; that, in the event the Executive’s employment has terminated and Executive has been paid a severance benefit under Section 6 of this Agreement, such change in control benefit under this Section 7 shall be reduced by the amount of the severance benefit previously paid. Executive acknowledges and agrees that such payment is in lieu of all damages, payments and liabilities on account of the early termination of this Agreement and is the sole and exclusive remedy for Executive (other than rights, if any, to exercise any of the stock options vested prior to such termination), and shall only be paid, within 60 days after his separation from service with Employer, subject to Executive’s execution and delivery to Employer, within such 60-day period, of a complete release of all claims Executive may have against the Employer, its officers, directors, agents, employees, predecessors, successors, parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates. If the 60-day period referred to in the immediately preceding sentence begins in one calendar year and ends in the following calendar year, then the payment shall be made in the latter calendar year. If upon termination of employment Executive chooses to arbitrate any claims pursuant to Section 18, Executive shall be deemed to have waived Executive’s right, if any, to severance.
Separation Benefits If this Agreement is terminated either by the Company without Cause in accordance with Section 6(c) (including the Company’s non-renewal of this Agreement) or by Employee resigning his employment for Good Reason in accordance with Section 6(d), the Company shall have no further obligation to Employee under this Agreement, except the Company shall provide the Accrued Obligations to Employee in accordance with Section 7(a) plus the following payments and benefits (collectively, the “Separation Benefits”) to Employee: (i) an amount equal to one times the sum of the Base Salary in effect immediately before the Termination Date plus the Annual Bonus received by Employee for the fiscal year preceding the Termination Date (or if Employee was employed for less than one full fiscal year prior to the Termination Date, the Annual Bonus for purposes of this Section 7 shall be the Annual Bonus payable during the current fiscal year at the target amount provided above) (together, the “Separation Pay”); and (ii) during the six-month period commencing on the Termination Date that Employee is eligible to elect and elects to continue coverage for himself and his eligible dependents under the Company’s group heath insurance plan pursuant to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended (“COBRA”), or similar state law, the Company shall reimburse Employee on a monthly basis for the difference between the amount Employee pays to effect and continue such coverage under COBRA and the employee contribution amount that active employees of the Company pay for the same or similar coverage; provided, however, that Employee shall notify the Company in writing within five days after he becomes eligible after the Termination Date for group health insurance coverage, if any, through subsequent employment or otherwise and the Company shall have no further reimbursement obligation after Employee becomes eligible for group health insurance coverage due to subsequent employment or otherwise. The Separation Pay shall be paid to Employee in a lump sum within 60 days of the Termination Date; provided, however, that no Separation Pay shall be paid to Employee unless the Company receives, on or within 55 days after the Termination Date, an executed and fully effective copy of the Release (as defined below). Any COBRA reimbursements due under this Section shall be made by the last day of the month following the month in which the applicable premiums were paid by Employee. For the avoidance of doubt, Employee shall not be entitled to the Separation Benefits if this Agreement is terminated (i) due to Employee’s death; (ii) by the Company due to Employee’s Inability to Perform; (iii) by the Company for Cause; (iv) by Employee without Good Reason; or (v) by non-renewal by Employee in accordance with Sections 4(b) and 6(f).
Termination of Employment and Severance Benefits The Executive’s employment hereunder shall terminate under the following circumstances:
