Termination in Connection with Change of Control If Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason within sixty (60) days prior to or twelve (12) months following a Change of Control, Executive shall be entitled to receive, in lieu of any severance benefits to which Executive may otherwise be entitled under any severance plan or program of the Company, the benefits provided below:
(A) the Company shall pay to Executive his or her fully earned but unpaid base salary, when due, through the date of termination at the rate then in effect, plus all other amounts to which Executive is entitled under any compensation plan or practice of the Company at the time of termination;
(B) on the first scheduled payment date pursuant to the usual payroll practices of the Company (or successor entity, as applicable) immediately after the 60th day following the date of termination or Change of Control, in the event the date of termination precedes a Change of Control, with respect to those payments the amount of which is not administratively practicable by the foregoing date because it is not yet known whether a Change of Control will occur within sixty (60) days following the date of termination, as applicable, Executive shall be entitled to receive a lump sum severance payment equal to the sum of:
(1) twelve (12) months of Executive’s monthly base salary as in effect immediately prior to the date of termination, plus
(2) an amount equal to Executive’s Bonus;
(C) The vesting and/or exercisability of all of Executive’s outstanding unvested Stock Awards shall be automatically accelerated on the date of termination;
(D) for the period beginning on the date of termination and ending on the date which is twelve (12) full months following the date of termination (or, if earlier, the date on which Executive accepts employment with another employer that provides comparable benefits in terms of cost and scope of coverage), the Company shall pay for and provide Executive and his or her dependents with healthcare and life insurance benefits which are substantially the same as the benefits provided to Executive immediately prior to the date of termination, including, if necessary, paying the costs associated with continuation coverage pursuant to COBRA;
(E) Executive shall be entitled to executive-level outplacement services at the Company’s expense, not to exceed $15,000. Such services shall be provided by a firm selected by Executive from a list compiled by the Company; and
(F) The payments and benefits provided for in this Section 4(d)(ii) shall only be payable in the event Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason within sixty (60) days prior to or twelve (12) months following a Change of Control. If Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason prior to a Change of Control and such Change of Control is not consummated within sixty (60) days following such termination, then Executive shall receive the payments and benefits described in Section 4(d)(i) and shall not be eligible to receive any of the payments and benefits described in this Section 4(d)(ii).
Termination Following Change in Control In the event of the occurrence of Constructive Termination within twelve (12) months after the effective date of a Change in Control, Employee may, at Employee's option, terminate Employee's employment due to Constructive Termination unless Employee has entered into an employment agreement with Successor. Such termination shall be effective upon Employee giving notice to Successor. In the event of termination of Employee's employment (1) by Successor within twelve (12) months after the effective date of a Change of Control, or (2) by Employee within twelve (12) months after the effective date of a Change of Control as a result of a Constructive Termination, then (a) Successor shall pay Employee a lump sum cash payment equal to the Severance Amount within 10 business days after the termination of employment; (b) Successor shall make available to Employee, at Employee's cost and expense, medical and other insurance coverage at a level and to the extent required by COBRA; and (c) any outstanding options held by Employee that remain unvested as of the date of termination shall become fully vested and exercisable as of the date of termination of Employee's employment with Successor and prior to the occurrence of an event otherwise terminating the options. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that any payments under this Section 2 will be deemed to constitute an "excess parachute payment" as defined in Section 280G(b)(i) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (an "Excess Parachute Payment"), then the payments to Employee under this Section 2 shall be limited to an amount equal to the maximum amount that could be paid to Employee so that no such amount, along with all other payments to Employee by Successor, will be deemed to constitute an Excess Parachute Payment. Subject to the terms of this Section 2, Employee shall not be entitled to receive any other compensation or benefits under this Agreement as a result of the termination of Employee's employment following a Change of Control or Constructive Termination.
Termination in Connection with a Change in Control a. For purposes of this Agreement, a “Change in Control” means any of the following events:
Termination Following Change of Control Should Employee at any time within two years of a change of control cease to be an employee of the Company (or its successor), by reason of (i) involuntary termination by the Company (or its successor) other than for “cause” (following a change of control), “cause” shall be limited to the conviction of or a plea of nolo contendere to the charge of a felony (which, through lapse of time or otherwise, is not subject to appeal), a material breach of fiduciary duty to the Company through the misappropriation of Company funds or property) or (ii) voluntary termination by Employee for “good reason upon change of control” (as defined below), the Company (or its successor) shall pay to Employee within ten days of such termination the following severance payments and benefits:
(a) A lump-sum payment equal to two times the base salary of the Employee at the then current rate; and
(b) A lump-sum payment equal to (i) two times the sum of the target bonuses under all of the Company’s incentive bonus plans applicable to the Employee for the year in which the termination occurs or the year in which the change of control occurred, whichever is greater, and (ii) if termination occurs in the fourth quarter of a calendar year, the sum of the target bonuses under all of the Company’s incentive bonus plans applicable to Employee for the year in which the termination occurs prorated daily based on the number of days from the beginning of the calendar year in which the termination occurs to and including the date of termination. The Company (or its successor) shall also provide continuing coverage and benefits comparable to all life, health and disability plans of the Company for a period of 24 months from the date of termination, and Employee shall receive two years additional service credit under the current non-qualified supplemental pension plans, or successors thereto, of the Company applicable to the Employee on the date of termination. For purposes of this Agreement, a “change of control” shall be deemed to have occurred if (i) there shall be consummated (A) any consolidation or merger of the Company in which the Company is not the continuing or surviving corporation or pursuant to which shares of the Company’s Common Stock would be converted into cash, securities or other property, other than a merger of the Company where a majority of the Board of Directors of the surviving corporation are, and for a two year period after the merger continue to be, persons who were directors of the Company immediately prior to the merger or were elected as directors, or nominated for election as directors, by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in office who were directors of the Company immediately prior to the merger, or (B) any sale, lease, exchange or transfer (in one transaction or a series of related transactions) of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or (ii) the shareholders of the Company shall approve any plan or proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of the Company, or (iii) (A) any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), other than the Company or a subsidiary thereof or any employee benefit plan sponsored by the Company or a subsidiary thereof, shall become the beneficial owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of securities of the Company representing 20 percent or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities ordinarily (and apart from rights accruing in special circumstances) having the right to vote in the election of directors, as a result of a tender or exchange offer, open market purchases, privately negotiated purchases or otherwise, and (B) at any time during a period of one year thereafter, individuals who immediately prior to the beginning of such period constituted the Board of Directors of the Company shall cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority thereof, unless the election or the nomination by the Board of Directors for election by the Company’s shareholders of each new director during such period was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in office who were directors at the beginning of such period. For purposes of this Section 1, “good reason upon change of control” shall exist if any of the following occurs:
(i) without Employee’s express written consent, the assignment to Employee of any duties inconsistent with the employment of Employee immediately prior to the change of control, or a significant diminution of Employee’s positions, duties, responsibilities and status with the Company from those immediately prior to a change of control or a diminution in Employee’s titles or offices as in effect immediately prior to a change of control, or any removal of Employee from, or any failure to reelect Employee to, any of such positions;
(ii) a reduction by the Company in Employee’s base salary in effect immediately prior to a change of control;
(iii) the failure by the Company to continue in effect any thrift, stock ownership, pension, life insurance, health, dental and accident or disability plan in which Employee is participating or is eligible to participate at the time of the change of control (or plans providing Employee with substantially similar benefits), except as otherwise required by the terms of such plans as in effect at the time of any change of control or the taking of any action by the Company which would adversely affect Employee’s participation in or materially reduce Employee’s benefits under any of such plans or deprive Employee of any material fringe benefits enjoyed by Employee at the time of the change of control or the failure by the Company to provide the Employee with the number of paid vacation days to which Employee is entitled in accordance with the vacation policies of the Company in effect at the time of a change of control;
(iv) the failure by the Company to continue in effect any incentive plan or arrangement (including without limitation, the Company’s Incentive Compensation Plan and similar incentive compensation benefits) in which Employee is participating at the time of a change of control (or to substitute and continue other plans or arrangements providing the Employee with substantially similar benefits), except as otherwise required by the terms of such plans as in effect at the time of any change of control;
(v) the failure by the Company to continue in effect any plan or arrangement with respect to securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any plan or arrangement to receive and exercise stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock or grants thereof or to acquire stock or other securities of the Company) in which Employee is participating at the time of a change of control (or to substitute and continue plans or arrangements providing the Employee with substantially similar benefits), except as otherwise required by the terms of such plans as in effect at the time of any change of control or the taking of any action by the Company which would adversely affect Employee’s participation in or materially reduce Employee’s benefits under any such plan;
(vi) the relocation of the Company’s principal executive offices to a location outside the San Antonio, Texas, area, or the Company’s requiring Employee to be based anywhere other than at the location of the Company’s principal executive offices, except for required travel on the Company’s business to an extent substantially consistent with Employee’s present business travel obligations, or, in the event Employee consents to any such relocation of the Company’s principal executive or divisional offices, the failure by the Company to pay (or reimburse Employee for) all reasonable moving expenses incurred by Employee relating to a change of Employee’s principal residence in connection with such relocation and to indemnify Employee against any loss (defined as the difference between the actual sale price of such residence and the higher of (a) Employee’s aggregate investment in such residence or (b) the fair market value thereof as determined by a real estate appraiser reasonably satisfactory to both Employee and the Company at the time the Employee’s principal residence is offered for sale in connection with any such change of residence;
(vii) any failure by the Company to obtain the assumption of this Agreement by any successor or assign of the Company; In the event of a change of control as “change of control” is defined in any stock option plan or stock option agreement pursuant to which the Employee holds options to purchase common stock of the Company, Employee shall retain the rights to all accelerated vesting and other benefits under the terms thereof. The Company shall pay any attorney fees incurred by Employee in reasonably seeking to enforce the terms of this Paragraph 1.
Termination in Connection with a Change of Control If during the two (2) year period that begins on the date that is one (1) year prior to a Change of Control and ends on that date which is one (1) year following a Change of Control, Conn’s (or its successor) terminates Executive’s employment other than for Cause or as a result of Executive’s death or Disability, or Executive voluntarily terminates his employment for Good Reason, Conn’s will pay the following amounts and provide the following benefits:
(i) A lump-sum cash payment in an amount equal to three (3) times the Executive’s Base Salary, payable not later than ten (10) days following (A) Executive’s termination (if Executive’s employment terminates on or after the date of the Change of Control), or (B) the date of the Change of Control (if Executive’s employment terminates during the one-year period prior to the date of the Change of Control). Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3(c)(i)(B), the amount payable to Executive under this Section 3(c)(i) shall be reduced by the payments, if any, received by Executive pursuant to Section 3(b)(i).
(ii) During the eighteen (18) month period following such termination (the “Change of Control Severance Period”), Executive shall receive continued coverage under the Conn’s medical, dental, life, disability, and other employee welfare benefit plans in which senior executives of Conn’s are eligible to participate, to the extent Executive is eligible under the terms of such plans immediately prior to Executive’s termination. For purposes of clarity, during the term of this Agreement Conn’s shall provide Executive coverage under a major medical plan. Conn’s obligation to provide the foregoing benefits shall terminate upon Executive’s becoming eligible for comparable employee welfare benefits under a plan or arrangement provided by a new employer. Executive agrees to promptly notify Conn’s of any such employment and the material terms of any employee welfare benefits offered to Executive in connection with such employment.
(iii) All awards held by Executive under the Conn’s Amended and Restated 2003 Incentive Stock Option Plan and/or the Conn’s 2011 Omnibus Incentive Plan shall immediately vest and, if applicable, continue to be exercisable during the Change of Control Severance Period as if Executive had remained an employee of Conn’s. The terms of this Section 3(c) are continuing in nature and shall survive until the one (1) year anniversary of the earlier of Executive’s termination of employment or termination of this Agreement.
Involuntary Termination in Connection with a Change in Control Notwithstanding anything contained herein, in the event of an Involuntary Termination prior to a Change in Control, if the Involuntary Termination (1) was at the request of a third party who has taken steps reasonably calculated to effect such Change in Control or (2) otherwise arose in connection with or in anticipation of such Change in Control, then the Executive shall, in lieu of the payments described in Section 4 hereof, be entitled to the Post-Change in Control Severance Payment and the additional benefits described in this Section 5 as if such Involuntary Termination had occurred within two (2) years following the Change in Control. The amounts specified in Section 5 that are to be paid under this Section 5(h) shall be reduced by any amount previously paid under Section 4. The amounts to be paid under this Section 5(h) shall be paid within sixty (60) days after the Change in Control Date of such Change in Control.
Termination Following a Change in Control (a) If the Executive's employment is terminated by the Company or any Subsidiary during the Severance Period, the Executive shall be entitled to the benefits provided by Section 4 unless such termination is the result of the occurrence of one or more of the following events:
(i) The Executive's death;
(ii) If the Executive becomes permanently disabled within the meaning of, and begins actually to receive disability benefits pursuant to, the long-term disability plan in effect for, or applicable to, Executive immediately prior to the Change in Control; or
Employment Status Termination Following Change in Control (a) No benefits shall be payable under this Agreement unless there has been a Change in Control of the Company during the Term. You acknowledge that this Agreement does not constitute a contract of employment or impose on the Company any obligation to retain you as an employee. You may terminate your employment at any time, with or without Good Reason. If your employment with the Company terminates for any reason and subsequently a Change in Control shall have occurred, you shall not be entitled to any benefits hereunder.
(b) Any termination of your employment by the Company or by you following a Change in Control of the Company during the Term shall be communicated by written notice of termination that indicates the specific provision in this Agreement relied upon and sets forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of your employment under the provision so indicated ("Notice of Termination"). A Notice of Termination shall be delivered to the other party hereto in accordance with Section 6.
Termination Following a Change of Control If the Employee's employment terminates at any time within eighteen (18) months following a Change of Control, then, subject to Section 5, the Employee shall be entitled to receive the following severance benefits:
Termination of Employment Following Change in Control (a) If a Change in Control (as defined in Section 5(b) of this Agreement) shall occur and, thereafter, if at any time during the term of this Agreement there shall be:
(i) any involuntary termination of Executive’s employment (other than for the reasons set forth in Section 3(c) of this Agreement;
(ii) any reduction in Executive’s title, responsibilities, including reporting responsibilities, or authority, including such title, responsibilities or authority as such may be increased from time to time during the term of this Agreement;
(iii) the assignment to Executive of duties inconsistent with Executive’s office on the date of the Change in Control or as the same may be increased from time to time after the Change in Control;
(iv) any reassignment of Executive to a location greater than fifty (50) miles from the location of Executive’s office on the date of the Change in Control;
(v) any significant reduction in Executive’s compensation as provided in Section 4 in effect on the date of the Change in Control or as the same may be increased from time to time after the Change in Control;
(vi) any failure to provide Executive with benefits at least as favorable as those enjoyed by Executive under any of Corporation or Bank’s retirement or pension, life insurance, medical, health and accident, disability or other employee plans in which Executive participated at the time of the Change in Control, or the taking of any action that would materially reduce any of such benefits in effect at the time of the Change in Control;
(vii) any requirement that Executive travel in performance of his duties on behalf of Corporation or Bank for a significantly greater period of time during any year than was required of Executive during the year preceding the year in which the Change in Control occurred; or
(viii) any sustained pattern of interruption or disruption of Executive for matters substantially unrelated to Executive’s discharge of Executive’s duties on behalf of Corporation and Bank; then, at the option of Executive, exercisable by Executive within ninety (90) days of the Change in Control and occurrence of any of the foregoing events, Executive may resign from employment with Corporation and Bank (or, if involuntarily terminated, give notice of intention to collect benefits under this Agreement) by delivering a notice in writing (the “Notice of Termination”) to Corporation and Bank and the provisions of Section 6 of this Agreement shall apply. In addition, notwithstanding the payments to Executive contemplated by Section 6, if Executive is requested by the Corporation, Bank, or a successor thereto to remain in the employ of the Corporation, Bank, or a successor to the Corporation or Bank following the Date of Change of Control, Executive expressly agrees, subject to the condition set forth below, to remain in the employ of the Corporation, Bank, or a successor to the Corporation or Bank for not less than six months following the Date of Change of Control. The Corporation, Bank, or successor to the Corporation or Bank shall have the right to request Executive remain in the employ of the Corporation, Bank, or a successor to the Corporation or Bank for a period of less than six months following the Date of Change of Control. Executive agrees to remain an employee of the Corporation, Bank or successor to the Corporation or Bank pursuant to their request conditioned upon Executive being compensated in the same amount and on the same terms as he was compensated immediately prior to the Date of Change of Control, including participation in all employee benefit plans to which he would otherwise be entitled.
(b) As used in this Agreement, “Change in Control” shall mean the occurrence of any of the following:
