Special Acceleration of Option (a) In the event of a Change in Control, this option, to the extent outstanding at that time but not otherwise fully exercisable, shall automatically accelerate so that this option shall, immediately prior to the effective date of the Change in Control, become exercisable for all of the Option Shares at the time subject to this option and may be exercised for any or all of those Option Shares as fully-vested shares of Common Stock. No such acceleration of this option, however, shall occur if and to the extent: (i) this option is, in connection with the Change in Control, assumed or otherwise continued in full force and effect by the successor corporation (or parent thereof) pursuant to the terms of the Change in Control or (ii) this option is replaced with a cash incentive program of the successor corporation which preserves the spread existing at the time of the Change in Control on the Option Shares for which this option is not otherwise at that time exercisable (the excess of the Fair Market Value of those Option Shares over the aggregate Exercise Price payable for such shares) and provides for subsequent pay-out in accordance with the same option exercise schedule set forth in the Grant Notice.
(b) Immediately following the consummation of the Change in Control, this option shall terminate and cease to be outstanding, except to the extent assumed by the successor corporation (or parent thereof) or otherwise expressly continued in full force and effect pursuant to the terms of the Change in Control.
(c) If this option is assumed in connection with a Change in Control, then this option shall be appropriately adjusted, immediately after such Change in Control, to apply to the number and class of securities which would have been issuable to Optionee in consummation of such Change in Control had the option been exercised immediately prior to such Change in Control, and appropriate adjustments shall also be made to the Exercise Price, provided the aggregate Exercise Price shall remain the same.
(d) This Agreement shall not in any way affect the right of the Corporation to adjust, reclassify, reorganize or otherwise change its capital or business structure or to merge, consolidate, dissolve, liquidate or sell or transfer all or any part of its business or assets.
Acceleration of Vesting (a) In the event your employment with Deluxe is terminated by reason of death, Disability (as defined in the Addendum), or Approved Retirement (as defined in the Addendum) any time during the Restricted Period, all of the yet unvested Units will vest and the Units shall become non-forfeitable as of the date of such termination.
(b) Subject to Section 4(c), in the event your employment is terminated during the Restricted Period after the first anniversary of the Award Date by reason of involuntary termination without Cause, a pro rata portion of the next segment of Units scheduled to vest after the termination date (based on the number of completed days between the termination date and the scheduled vesting date immediately prior to the termination date (or the Award Date if there was no such scheduled vesting date) divided by 365) shall vest and become non-forfeitable as of the date of such termination.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision contained in this Agreement that would result in Units vesting in full or in part at a later date, if, in connection with any Change of Control, the acquiring Person, surviving or acquiring corporation or entity, or an Affiliate of such corporation or entity, elects to assume the obligations of Deluxe under this Agreement and to replace the Shares issuable upon settlement of the Units with other equity securities that are listed on a national securities exchange (including by use of American Depository Receipts or any similar method) and are freely transferable under all applicable federal and state securities laws and regulations (“Replacement Equity Securities”), the Units then subject to restriction shall continue to vest as set forth in Section 2, provided, however, the Units shall vest in full and become non-forfeitable if, within twelve months of the date of the Change of Control:
(i) Your employment with the Company is terminated by the Company without Cause,
(ii) Your employment with the Company is terminated by you for Good Reason, or
(iii) Vesting would otherwise occur on any earlier date as provided under this Agreement. In the event of any such Change of Control, the number of Replacement Equity Securities issuable under this Agreement shall be determined by the Committee in accordance with Section 4(c) of the Plan. In the event of any such Change of Control, all references herein to the Shares shall thereafter be deemed to refer to the Replacement Equity Securities, references to Deluxe or the Company shall thereafter be deemed to refer to the issuer of such Replacement Equity Securities, and all other terms of this Agreement shall continue in effect except as and to the extent modified by this subparagraph.
(d) If the Change of Control does not meet the continuation or replacement criteria specified in Section 4(c) above, all Units then subject to restriction shall vest in full immediately and become non-forfeitable upon the Change of Control.
(e) The provisions of this Section 4 shall be subject to Sections 5(b) and 8.
Events of Default Acceleration Etc (i) If any of the following events (“Events of Default” or, if the giving of notice or the lapse of time or both is required, then, prior to such notice or lapse of time, “Defaults”) shall occur:
(a) The Organization shall fail to pay any principal on the Loan when the same shall become due and payable, whether at the stated date of maturity or any accelerated date of maturity or at any other date fixed for payment, and does not remedy such failure within ten (10) calendar days of its occurrence, unless otherwise forgiven by the Lender as provided in this Agreement;
(b) The Organization shall fail to pay any interest on the Loan, any fees, or other sums due hereunder or under any of the other Loan Documents, whether at the stated date of maturity or any accelerated date of maturity or at any other date fixed for payment, and does not remedy such failure within ten (10) calendar days of its occurrence, unless otherwise forgiven by the Lender as provided in this Agreement;
(c) The Organization shall fail to comply in any material respect with any of its covenants contained in Section 4(ii), Section 4(iii), Section 4(vi) or Section 4(vii) and such failure shall not be cured to the reasonable satisfaction of the Lender within ten (10) calendar days after receipt of notice from the Lender demanding such cure or the Organization shall fail to comply in any material respect with any of its covenants contained in Section 4(iv), Section 4(v), Section 4(viii), Section 4(ix), Section 4(x) or Section 5 hereof, or any of the covenants contained in any of the other Loan Documents;
(d) Any representation or warranty of the Organization contained in Section 3(i), (ii) and (iii) is deemed to have been false in any material respect upon the date when made;
(e) The Organization shall fail to pay at maturity, or within any applicable period of grace, any obligation for borrowed money or credit received or in respect of any capitalized leases, or fail to observe or perform any material term, covenant or agreement contained in any agreement by which it is bound, evidencing or securing borrowed money or credit received or in respect of any capitalized leases for such period of time as would permit (assuming the giving of appropriate notice if required) the holder or holders thereof or of any obligations issued thereunder to accelerate the maturity thereof;
(f) The Organization or any of its Subsidiary Broker-Dealers shall make an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or admit in writing its inability to pay or generally fail to pay its debts as they mature or become due, or shall petition or apply for the appointment of a trustee or other custodian, liquidator or receiver of the Organization or any of its Subsidiary Broker-Dealers or of any substantial part of the assets of the Organization or any of its Subsidiary Broker-Dealers, or shall commence any case or other proceeding relating to the Organization or any of its Subsidiary Broker-Dealers under any bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, insolvency, readjustment of debt, dissolution or liquidation or similar law of any jurisdiction, now or hereafter in effect, or shall take any action to authorize or in furtherance of any of the foregoing, or if any such petition or application shall be filed or any such case or other proceeding shall be commenced against the Organization or any of its Subsidiary Broker-Dealers and the Organization or any of its Subsidiary Broker-Dealers shall indicate its approval thereof, consent thereto or acquiescence therein or such petition or application shall not have been dismissed within ninety (90) days following the filing thereof;
(g) A decree or order is entered appointing any such trustee, custodian, liquidator or receiver or adjudicating the Organization or any of its subsidiaries bankrupt or insolvent, or approving a petition in any such case or other proceeding, or a decree or order for relief is entered in respect of the Organization or any of its subsidiaries in an involuntary case under federal bankruptcy laws as now or hereafter constituted; provided, however, that in the event such order or decree is entered solely against a subsidiary of the Organization and such order or decree does not have a Material Adverse Effect on the Organization, then such an order or decree shall not be considered an Event of Default under this Section 6(i)(g);
(h) There shall remain in force, undischarged, unsatisfied and unstayed, for more than thirty (30) days, whether or not consecutive, any final judgment against the Organization that, with other outstanding final judgments, undischarged, against the Organization exceeds in the aggregate $37,500,000;
(i) The Organization fails to maintain Consolidated Adjusted Shareholders’ Equity of at least $40,000,000, as determined as of the date of any of the financial statements delivered by the Organization pursuant to Section 4(iii), subject to any cure period contained in this Agreement;
(j) The Frost Gamma Line of Credit is in default or is terminated prior to its final term date;
(k) The SEC, The New York Stock Exchange, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority or any other regulatory authority, including state securities administrators, to which any of the Subsidiary Broker-Dealers is subject, suspends (and does not reinstate within ten (10) days) or places material restrictions on (and such restrictions are not removed within fifteen (15) business days) the Subsidiary Broker-Dealers or revokes membership of any of the Subsidiary Broker-Dealers as a member organization of any such organization that is a self-regulatory organization and such action results in a Material Adverse Effect;
(l) Any of the 2009 Clearing Agreements or the SAI Clearing Agreement, and, in addition, any of the future clearing agreements between the Lender and any future Affiliated B-D’s, ceases to be in full force and effect or is otherwise terminated (other than termination by the Lender in circumstances not requiring a default by a Subsidiary Broker-Dealer party thereto) or if any of the other Transaction Documents shall be cancelled, terminated, revoked or rescinded otherwise than in accordance with the terms thereof or with the express prior written agreement, consent or approval of the Lender, or any action at law, suit or in equity or other legal proceeding to cancel, revoke or rescind any of the Transaction Documents shall be commenced by or on behalf of the Organization or any of its equity holders, or any court or any other governmental or regulatory authority or agency of competent jurisdiction shall make a determination that, or issue a judgment, order, decree or ruling to the effect that, any one or more of the Transaction Documents is illegal, invalid or unenforceable in accordance with the terms thereof; or
(m) The Organization fails to remain the sole owner of any of the Subsidiary Broker-Dealers, or begins proceedings for the sale or divestiture of any of the Subsidiary Broker-Dealers; then, and in any such event, so long as the same may be continuing, the Lender may by notice in writing to the Organization declare all amounts owing with respect to this Agreement and the Note to be, and they shall thereupon forthwith become, immediately due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by the Organization; provided that in the event of any Event of Default specified in Section 6(i)(f) or 6(i)(g), all such amounts shall become immediately due and payable automatically and without any requirement of notice from the Lender. Further, in the Event of Default under Sections 6(i)(c), 6(i)(d), 6(i)(f), 6(i)(g), 6(i)(i), 6(i)(k), 6(i)(l), and 6(i)(m), then, in addition to any other rights Lender may have under this Agreement, Lender shall have the right of election to terminate this Agreement.
(ii) In case any one or more of the Events of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, and whether or not the Lender shall have accelerated the maturity of the Note pursuant to this Section 6, the Lender may proceed to protect and enforce its rights by suit in equity, action at law or other appropriate proceeding, whether for the specific performance of any covenant or agreement contained in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any instrument pursuant to which the obligations to the Lender are evidenced, including as permitted by applicable law the obtaining of the ex parte appointment of a receiver, and, if such amount shall have become due, by declaration or otherwise, proceed to enforce the payment thereof or any other legal or equitable right of the Lender. No remedy herein conferred upon the Lender or the holder of the Note is intended to be exclusive of any other remedy and each and every remedy shall be cumulative and shall be in addition to every other remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or by statute or any other provision of law.
