Restrictions; Forfeiture The Restricted Shares are restricted in that they may not be sold, transferred or otherwise alienated or hypothecated until these restrictions are removed or expire as described in Section 5 or 6 of this Agreement. The Restricted Shares are also restricted in the sense that they may be forfeited to the Company (the “Forfeiture Restrictions”). You hereby agree that if the Restricted Shares are forfeited, as provided in Section 6, the Company shall have the right to deliver the Restricted Shares to the Company’s transfer agent for, at the Company’s election, cancellation or transfer to the Company.
Forfeiture of Award Section 4.1 If, at any time during the Award Recipient’s tenure as a director of the Company or within 18 months after termination of such tenure, the Award Recipient engages in any activity in competition with any activity of CenturyTel or its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”), or inimical, contrary or harmful to the interests of the Company, including but not limited to: (a) conduct relating to the Award Recipient’s service on the Board for which either criminal or civil penalties against the Award Recipient may be sought, (b) conduct or activity that results in removal of the Award Recipient from the Board for cause, (c) violation of the Company’s policies, including, without limitation, the Company’s xxxxxxx xxxxxxx policy or corporate compliance program, (d) accepting employment after the date hereof with, acquiring a 5% or more equity or participation interest in, serving as a consultant, advisor, director or agent of, directly or indirectly soliciting or recruiting any officer of the Company who was employed at any time during the Award Recipient’s service on the Board, or otherwise assisting in any other capacity or manner any company or enterprise that is directly or indirectly in competition with or acting against the interests of the Company or any of its lines of business (a “competitor”), except for (A) any employment, investment, service, assistance or other activity that is undertaken at the request or with the written permission of the CenturyTel Board of Directors or (B) any assistance of a competitor that is provided in the ordinary course of the Award Recipient engaging in his or her principal occupation in the good faith and reasonable belief that such assistance will neither harm the Company’s interests in any substantial manner or violate any of the Award Recipient’s duties or responsibilities under the Company’s policies or applicable law, (e) disclosing or misusing any confidential information or material concerning the Company, (f) engaging in, promoting, assisting or otherwise participating in a hostile takeover attempt of the Company or any other transaction or proxy contest that could reasonably be expected to result in a Change of Control (as defined in the Plan) not approved by the CenturyTel Board of Directors or (g) making any statement or disclosing any information to any customers, suppliers, lessors, lessees, licensors, licensees, regulators, employees or others with whom the Company engages in business that is defamatory or derogatory with respect to the business, operations, technology, management, or other employees of the Company, or taking any other action that could reasonably be expected to injure the Company in its business relationships with any of the foregoing parties or result in any other detrimental effect on the Company, then (i) all unvested shares of Restricted Stock granted hereunder shall automatically terminate and be forfeited effective on the date on which the Award Recipient first engages in such activity and (ii) all shares of Common Stock acquired by the Award Recipient upon vesting of the Restricted Stock hereunder after the date that precedes by one year the date on which the Award Recipient’s tenure as a director of the Company terminated or the date the Award Recipient first engaged in such activity if no such termination occurs (or other securities into which such shares have been converted or exchanged) shall be returned to the Company or, if no longer held by the Award Recipient, the Award Recipient shall return to the Company, without interest, all cash, securities or other assets received by the Award Recipient upon the sale or transfer of such stock or securities.
Section 4.2 If the Award Recipient owes any amount to the Company under Section 4.1 above, the Award Recipient acknowledges that the Company may, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, deduct such amount from any amounts the Company owes the Award Recipient from time to time for any reason (including without limitation amounts owed to the Award Recipient as directors fees, reimbursements, retirement payments, or other compensation or benefits). Whether or not the Company elects to make any such set-off in whole or in part, if the Company does not recover by means of set-off the full amount the Award Recipient owes it, the Award Recipient hereby agrees to pay immediately the unpaid balance to the Company.
Section 4.3 The Award Recipient may be released from the Award Recipient’s obligations under Sections 4.1 and 4.2 above only if the CenturyTel Board of Directors determines in its sole discretion that such action is in the best interests of the Company.
Options Subject to Plan This Agreement is subject to the Plan as approved by the Company’s shareholders. The terms and provisions of the Plan as it may be amended from time to time are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a conflict between any term or provision contained herein and a term or provision of the Plan, the applicable terms and provisions of the Plan will govern and prevail.
Award Subject to Plan By entering into this Award Agreement the Participant agrees and acknowledges that the Participant has received and read a copy of the Plan. The Award is subject to the Plan. The terms and provisions of the Plan as it may be amended from time to time are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a conflict between any term or provision contained herein and a term or provision of the Plan, the applicable terms and provisions of the Plan will govern and prevail. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the same meanings as in the Plan.
Expiration of Restrictions and Risk of Forfeiture Unless otherwise provided in Section 7 below, the restrictions on the Restricted Stock Units granted pursuant to this Agreement, including the Forfeiture Restrictions, will expire on September 30, 2014, and shares of Stock that are nonforfeitable and transferable will be issued to you in payment of your vested Restricted Stock Units as set forth in Section 5, provided that you remain in the continuous employ of, or a service provider to, the Company or its Subsidiaries until September 30, 2014.
Forfeiture of Awards The Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder (and gains earned or accrued in connection therewith) shall be subject to such generally applicable policies as to forfeiture and recoupment (including, without limitation, upon the occurrence of material financial or accounting errors, financial or other misconduct or Competitive Activity) as may be adopted by the Administrator or the Board from time to time and communicated to the Employee or as required by applicable law, and are otherwise subject to forfeiture or disgorgement of profits as provided by the Plan.
RSUs Subject to Plan By entering into this Agreement, the Participant agrees and acknowledges that the Participant has received and read a copy of the Plan. All RSUs are subject to the Plan. In the event of a conflict between any term or provision contained herein and a term or provision of the Plan, the applicable terms and provisions of the Plan will govern and prevail.
Forfeiture of Shares In the event the Partnership or the General Partner acquires Shares as a result of the forfeiture of such Shares under a restricted or similar share plan, then the General Partner shall cause the Partnership to cancel that number of Partnership Units of the appropriate class equal to the number of Shares so acquired divided by the Conversion Factor, and, if the Partnership acquired such Shares, it shall transfer such Shares to the General Partner for cancellation.
Vesting Conditions Each Award of Stock Units may or may not be subject to vesting. Vesting shall occur, in full or in installments, upon satisfaction of the conditions specified in the Stock Unit Award Agreement. A Stock Unit Award Agreement may provide for accelerated vesting in the event of the Participant’s death, disability or retirement or other events. The Committee may determine, at the time of granting Stock Units or thereafter, that all or part of such Stock Units shall become vested in the event that a Change in Control occurs with respect to the Company.
Forfeiture of Restricted Stock Units i. If the Participant’s employment is terminated by reason of the Retirement of the Participant before October 1, <Year_of_Grant>, then the Restricted Stock Units shall be forfeited immediately and all rights of the Participant to such Units shall terminate immediately without further obligation on the part of the Corporation or any Subsidiary Company.
ii. If the Participant’s employment is terminated for any reason other than Retirement, Disability, or death, any Restricted Stock Units that are subject to a Restriction Period shall be forfeited immediately without further obligation on the part of the Corporation or any Subsidiary Company, and all rights of the Participant with respect to such Restricted Stock Units shall terminate. If the Participant is granted a leave of absence before the expiration of the Restriction Period, the Participant shall not forfeit any rights with respect to any Restricted Stock Units subject to the Restriction Period, except for Dividend Equivalent Payments as provided in Section 4 of this Agreement, unless the Participant’s employment with the Corporation or a Subsidiary Company terminates at any time during or at the end of the leave of absence and before the expiration of the Restriction Period, at which time all rights of the Participant with respect to such Restricted Stock Units shall terminate without further obligation on the part of the Corporation or any Subsidiary Company.
iii. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if the Participant’s employment is terminated by reason of the Retirement or Disability of the Participant, and the Participant Engages in Competing Employment within a period of two years following Retirement or Disability, and before the expiration of the Restriction Period, then any Restricted Stock Units subject to a Restriction Period shall be forfeited immediately and all rights of the Participant to such Units shall terminate without further obligation on the part of the Corporation or any Subsidiary Company. A Participant “Engages in Competing Employment” if the Participant works for or provides services for any Competitor, on the Participant’s own behalf or on behalf of others, including, but not limited to, as a consultant, independent contractor, director, owner, officer, partner, joint venturer, or employee. For this purpose, a “Competitor” is any entity in the same line of business as the Corporation in North American markets in which the Corporation competes, including, but not limited to, any North American Class I rail carrier, any other rail carrier competing with the Corporation (including without limitation a holding or other company that controls or operates or is otherwise affiliated with any rail carrier competing with the Corporation), and any other provider of transportation services competing with Corporation, including motor and water carriers. Moreover, notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Restricted Stock Units shall be forfeited immediately and all rights of the Participant to such Units shall terminate if:
A. the Participant’s employment is terminated by reason of the Retirement or Disability of the Participant before the expiration of the Restriction Period, and
B. it is determined that the Participant engaged in any of the following:
1. the Participant engaged in an act of fraud, embezzlement, or theft in connection with the Participant’s duties or in the course of the Participant’s employment with the Corporation or Subsidiary Company; or
2. the Participant disclosed confidential information in violation of a confidentiality agreement with the Corporation or a Subsidiary Company, or otherwise in violation of the law. A determination under this paragraph shall be made by the Committee with respect to a participant who was, at any time, employed at the level of Vice President or above, and this determination shall be made by the Vice President Human Resources with respect to all other participants, and in either situation upon consultation with the Corporation’s chief legal officer. Participant understands that nothing in this Agreement (1) prohibits or impedes Participant from reporting possible violations of federal law or regulation to any governmental agency or entity (including but not limited to the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Congress, and any agency Inspector General), from making other disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of federal law or regulation, or from receiving a monetary award from the SEC related to participation in an SEC investigation or proceeding, or (2) requires Participant to obtain prior authorization of the Corporation to make any such reports or disclosures or to notify the Corporation of such reports or disclosures.
