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 Payment If, during the Employment Term at any time during the period of twelve (12) consecutive months following the occurrence of a Change in Corporate Control, the Executive is involuntarily terminated (other than for Cause) or the Executive terminates his employment for Good Reason, then subject to compliance with the restrictive covenants in Section 9 and Section 10 and the execution and timely return by the Executive of the Release, the Executive shall be entitled to receive a lump sum severance payment equal to the present value of a series of monthly payments for twenty-four (24) months, each in an amount equal to one-twelfth (1/12th) of the sum of (i) the Executive’s Base Salary, as in effect at the time of the Change in Corporate Control, and (ii) the average of the annual bonuses paid to the Executive for the prior two fiscal years of the Company ending prior to the Change in Corporate Control, if any. Such present value shall be calculated using a discount rate equal to the interest rate on 90-day Treasury bills, as reported in the Wall Street Journal (or similar publication) on the date of the Change in Corporate Control. Such lump sum payment shall be made to the Executive within sixty (60) days following the date of such involuntary termination. In addition, if during the Employment Term within twelve (12) months after a Change in Corporate Control the Executive is involuntarily terminated (other than for Cause) or the Executive terminates his employment for Good Reason, he shall be entitled to continued coverage at the Company’s expense under any health insurance programs maintained by the Company in which the Executive participated at the time of his termination, which coverage shall be continued for eighteen (18) months or until, if earlier, the date the Executive obtains comparable coverage under a group health plan maintained by a new employer. To the extent the benefits provided under the immediately preceding sentence are otherwise taxable to the Executive, such benefits, for purposes of Section 409A of the Code (and the regulations and other guidance issued thereunder) shall be provided as separate monthly in-kind payments of those benefits, and to the extent those benefits are subject to and not otherwise excepted from Section 409A of the Code, the provision of the in-kind benefits during one calendar year shall not affect the in-kind benefits to be provided in any other calendar year.
Lump Sum Severance Payment Payment of a lump sum amount equal to twelve (12) months of Executive’s then-current Base Salary plus the Pro Rated Bonus, less all customary and required taxes and employment-related deductions, paid on the first payroll date following the date on which the Release required by Paragraph 4(g) becomes effective and non-revocable, but not after seventy (70) days following the effective date of termination from employment.
Severance Payments and Benefits (a) If a Change in Control occurs and within a period of twenty-four (24) months thereafter, Executive incurs a Separation from Service on account of (i) an involuntary termination by the Company for reasons other than death, Disability or Cause, or (ii) a voluntary termination elected by the Executive for Good Reason, then subject to (A) Executive signing and not revoking a separation and general release agreement (the “Release”) in a form provided by the Company as may be in use from time to time, and (B) Section 4 below, Executive shall (and the Company (or any successor thereto) shall pay, award and/or provide):
(1) receive a lump-sum cash severance payment in an amount equal to the sum of (a) two times (2x) Executive’s Annual Compensation; (b) the product of (x) Executive’s Long-term Incentive Award Value, multiplied by (y) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full and partial calendar months between January 1 of the year of Separation from Service and the date of the Executive’s Separation from Service (provided, however, that such numerator shall not exceed six (6)) and the denominator of which is twelve (12); and (c) the product of (x) the greater of (A) Executive’s target annual bonus amount for the year in which the Separation from Service occurs, or (B) the highest annual bonus paid to the Executive out of the three (3) prior bonuses paid to the Executive prior to the Executive’s Separation from Service, multiplied by (y) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full and partial calendar months between January 1 of the year of Separation from Service and the date of the Executive’s Separation from Service and the denominator of which is twelve (12); and
(2) receive eighteen (18) months of continued coverage under the Company’s group health plans (based on the level of the Executive’s coverage in effect on the date of the Executive’s Separation from Service), at the Company’s expense, subject to the Executive’s timely election of continuation coverage under the COBRA, it being understood that (a) in the event that the Executive becomes eligible to receive substantially similar or improved medical, dental or vision benefits from a subsequent employer (whether or not the Executive accepts such benefits), the Company’s obligations under this Section 3(a)(2) shall immediately cease, (b) the Executive will notify the Company of his eligibility for such benefits from a subsequent employer within thirty (30) days of such eligibility and (c) in the event that the Company’s making payments under this Section 3(a)(2) would violate nondiscrimination rules or result in the imposition of penalties under the PPACA, the parties agree to reform this Section 3(a)(2) in such manner as is necessary to comply with tax laws and the PPACA, as applicable.
(3) become fully vested in all Company equity and long-term incentive awards granted to Executive (including, but not limited to, and all stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares, performance units, and all other stock and cash-based long-term incentive awards) to the extent that such vesting is based on service with the Company. With respect to any performance shares and performance unit awards, (a) the final number of units and/or shares payable under such awards shall only be determined in accordance with the terms and conditions of the respective grant agreement governing such award, and accordingly, (b) distribution of such awards can only take place following such share and/or unit amount determination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the full and immediate vesting of any restricted stock units, performance shares, performance units, shall not change the payment date thereof or otherwise apply to the extent it would result in adverse tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code; and
(4) notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the respective award agreement(s), be entitled to exercise any stock options or stock appreciation rights until the expiration of twenty-four (24) months following Executive’s Separation from Service (or until such later date as may be applicable under the terms of the award agreement governing the stock option or stock appreciation right upon termination of employment), subject to the maximum full term of the stock option or stock appreciation right; provided, however, that, if any stock option or stock appreciation right is terminated or cashed-out in connection with a Change in Control, the Executive shall receive a lump-sum cash payment equal to the time value (i.e., under the Black Scholes option pricing model) of such stock options or stock appreciation rights inclusive of the economic value for the period of twenty-four (24) months following Executive’s Separation from Service (or until such later date as may be applicable under the terms of the award agreement governing the stock option or stock appreciation right upon termination of employment), subject to the maximum full term of the stock option or stock appreciation right.
(b) If Executive is not a Specified Employee, all payments made to Executive under Section 3(a) immediately above shall be made on the sixtieth (60th) calendar day following Executive’s Separation from Service, provided that Executive’s Release must be effective and not revocable on the date payment is to be made in order to receive such payments. If Executive is a Specified Employee, to the extent required to comply with Section 409A of the Code, payments made under Section 3(a) immediately above shall be made within ten (10) calendar days following the date following the first (1st) day of the seventh (7th) month after the date of Executive’s Separation from Service, provided that no such payment shall be made to Executive if the Release has not become effective as of the six (6)-month anniversary of the date of Executive’s Separation from Service.
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.
Severance Amount If the Company is required to pay Executive severance by the express terms of Section 7(a) or 7(b), the Company shall pay Executive the following as severance:
(1) Executive's Base Salary at the highest rate in effect prior to the Termination Date as salary continuation for a period of eighteen months commencing on the date on which Executive's employment with the Company is terminated (the "TERMINATION DATE") (the "SEVERANCE PERIOD"), payable in equal monthly installments pursuant to the Company's customary payroll practices for executive salaries; provided, however, that, at the option of the Company, the amounts payable under this Section 7(c) may be paid by the Company in one lump sum.
(2) Executive, Executive's spouse, and Executive's dependents will continue to be eligible for coverage under the Company's group health plan or any successor plan on the same basis as active executive employees of the Company, their spouses, and their dependents for the duration of the Severance Period. If and when group health coverage under another employer's plan is made available to Executive, Executive's spouse, or Executive's dependents, the Company's obligations under this paragraph will cease with respect to each person to whom such coverage is made available, notwithstanding that such person may not in fact become covered under such other employer's plan. Executive's portion of the premium for such coverage shall be withheld from the salary continuation payments described in paragraph (1) immediately above or, if salary continuation has been paid in a lump sum, Executive shall reimburse the Company for Executive's portion of the premium on a monthly basis.
(3) An amount equal to the sum of amounts paid or payable to Executive as bonuses by the Company for the year prior to the year in which the Termination Date occurs. This amount will be payable in one lump sum, to Executive within 30 days after the end of the Severance Period.
(4) Executive shall become 100% vested in all of the shares of restricted stock granted to Executive under the Mariner Energy, Inc. Equity Participation Plan to the extent Executive is less than 100% vested in such shares as of the Termination Date.
(5) Executive shall become 50% vested in all of the rights and interests granted to Executive under the Company's stock and other equity plans (other than the Mariner Energy, Inc. Equity Participation Plan), including without limitation any stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance units, and/or performance shares to the extent Executive is less than 50% vested in such award as of the Termination Date.
(6) Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, if the Company incurs an obligation to pay severance under this Section 7(c) in connection with the termination of Executive's employment after the consummation of an initial public offering by the Company, then, subject to Section 7(h), Executive shall be entitled to receive the amounts specified in Section 8(a) in lieu of the amounts specified in Sections 7(c)(1) and 7(c)(3).
(7) Payments under this Section 7(c) shall be in lieu of any severance benefits otherwise due to Executive under any severance pay plan or program maintained by the Company that covers its employees or executives generally. If Executive receives payment under Section 8(a), payments otherwise payable under Section 7(c)(1) shall terminate.
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.
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.
Separation Payments and Benefits Provided that Executive: (x) executes this Agreement and returns a copy of this Agreement that has been executed by Executive to the Company so that it is received by Cameron Turtle, Chief Operating Officer, 221 Crescent Street, Built 17, Suite 102B, Waltham, MA 02453 (email: ) no later than 5:00 pm CT on September 22, 2023; (y) does not revoke this Agreement during the Release Revocation Period (as defined below); and (z) remains in compliance with the other terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement (including under Section 5), Executive shall receive the following separation payments and benefits:
(a) the Company shall pay to Executive aggregate severance payments of $623,000 (the “Severance Amount”), which Severance Amount shall be paid through salary continuation in equal installments in accordance with the Company’s standard payroll procedures, with the initial payment to occur on the first payroll date following the 60th day following the Separation Date, with the first installment to include a catchup payment for amounts covering the period from the date of Separation Date through the first payment date;
(b) if Executive timely elects continued coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (“COBRA”), the Company shall pay the full amount of Executive’s COBRA premiums on behalf of the Executive for the Executive’s continued coverage under the Company’s health, dental and vision plans, including coverage for the Executive’s eligible dependents, for the Severance Period (as defined in the Severance Agreement);
(c) the Company shall pay to Executive a lump sum payment of $168,246.58 (the “Retention Bonus”) in accordance with the terms of that certain Incentive Agreement between Executive and the Company dated June 21, 2023 (the “Incentive Agreement”), which Retention Bonus shall be paid following the expiration of the Release Revocation Period but in no event later than December 31, 2023;
(d) effective as of the last day of the Consulting Period, all unvested Options scheduled to vest within the 12-month period following the last day of the Consulting Period shall immediately become fully vested and exercisable;
(e) all vested Options (after giving effect to Section 2(d) and Section 5(c)) will remain outstanding for six months following the last day of the Consulting Period and may be exercised during such period in accordance with the terms of the Award Agreements; and
(f) in the event that any sale, licensing, disposition, or monetization transaction or multiple transactions relating to pegtarviliase or any of the Company’s legacy development-stage assets is consummated prior to June 23, 2024, then, and only then, the Company will pay to Executive a cash bonus equal to: (i) 1.0% of the value of the upfront consideration received by the Company in such transactions, plus (ii) 0.5% of the risk-adjusted net present value of the contingent consideration payable to the Company in such transactions, in each case, to be paid within 30 days of the end of the calendar quarter in which such transaction is consummated, in each case, in accordance the parameters established by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company on August 1, 2023. Executive acknowledges and agrees that the consideration referenced in this Section 2 represents the entirety of the amounts Executive is eligible to receive as severance pay and benefits from the Company or any other Company Party pursuant to the Severance Agreement and otherwise.
Severance Pay and Benefits Upon Termination by the Company without Cause or by the Executive for
