Termination by the Company Without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason Except as provided in Section 6(f) below, upon a termination of Executive’s employment by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason, Executive shall be entitled to receive the Accrued Benefits and, subject to Executive’s execution and non-revocation of the release described in Section 6(g) and Executive’s compliance with Executive’s obligations under Section 8, the following severance payments and benefits (collectively, the “Severance Benefits”):
(i) an amount equal to nine (9) months of Executive’s Base Salary at the rate in effect on the date of termination, payable in substantially equal installments in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices over the nine (9) month period following Executive’s termination date, commencing on the first payroll date that occurs on or after the Release Effective Date (as defined below), provided that the initial payment will include a catch-up payment to cover the period between Executive’s termination date and the date of such first payment and the remaining amounts shall be paid over the remainder of such nine (9) month period;
(ii) provided Executive and his eligible dependents timely and properly elect to continue health care coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1985 (“COBRA”), continued participation by Executive and Executive’s eligible dependents in the standard group medical, dental and vision plans of the Company as in effect from time to time, on substantially the same terms and conditions as such benefits are provided to employees during the applicable period, and reimbursement by the Company of the monthly COBRA premium paid by Executive for him and his eligible dependents for nine (9) months or, if earlier, until the date Executive is no longer eligible to receive COBRA continuation coverage; provided, however, in the event the Company determines that such provisions would subject Executive to taxation under Section 105(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or otherwise violate any healthcare law or regulation, then, in lieu of reimbursing Executive, the Company shall pay to Executive an amount equal to the amount Executive would be required to pay for continuation of group health coverage for Executive and his eligible dependents through an election under COBRA for nine (9) months, which amount shall be paid in a lump sum at the same time payments under Section 5(e)(i) commence and is intended to assist Executive with costs of health coverage, which Executive may (but is not required to) obtain through an election to continue health care coverage under COBRA; and
Termination by Company Without Cause The Company may terminate Employee’s employment without Cause upon thirty (30) days written notice to Employee. If Employee’s employment with the Company is terminated by the Company without Cause, and Employee signs and does not revoke a Release, then Employee shall be entitled to the following:
(i) a one-time “lump sum” payment of severance pay (less applicable withholding taxes) in an amount equal to Employee’s annual base salary, as then in effect, to be paid in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll policies no later than the Company’s first regular payroll date following the Termination Date;
(ii) a one-time “lump sum” payment of severance pay (less applicable withholding taxes) in an amount equal to 100% of Employee’s annual bonus rate, as then in effect, to be paid in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll policies no later than the Company’s first regular payroll date following the Termination Date; and
(iii) the same level of health (i.e., medical, vision and dental) coverage and benefits as in effect for the Employee on the day immediately preceding the Termination Date; provided, however, that (A) the Employee constitutes a qualified beneficiary, as defined in Section 4980B(g)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; and (B) Employee elects continuation coverage pursuant to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended (“COBRA”), within the time period prescribed pursuant to COBRA. The Company shall continue to provide Employee with Company-paid health coverage until the earlier of (y) the date Employee is no longer eligible to receive continuation coverage pursuant to COBRA, or (z) twelve (12) months from the Termination Date.
(iv) Fifty percent (50%) of the Employee’s then unvested stock options shall immediately vest and become exercisable and Employee shall have twelve (12) months following the Termination Date to exercise such vested shares; provided, however, that in the event of a conflict between the terms and conditions of any such stock option agreement and this Agreement, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall prevail unless the conflicting provision(s) in any such stock option agreement shall be more favorable to Employee in which case the provision(s) more favorable to Employee shall govern; provided further, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing in no event shall the extended twelve (12) month exercise period specified in this Section 6(b)(iv) modify or extend the Expiration Date of any stock option as set forth in such stock option agreement.
Termination for Cause; Voluntary Termination (a) The Company may terminate the Executive’s employment hereunder at any time for Cause upon written notice to the Executive. The Executive may voluntarily terminate his employment hereunder at any time without Good Reason upon sixty (60) days prior written notice to the Company; provided, however, the Company reserves the right, upon written notice to the Executive, to accept the Executive’s notice of resignation and to accelerate such notice and make the Executive’s resignation effective immediately, or on such other date prior to Executive’s intended last day of work as the Company deems appropriate. It is understood and agreed that the Company’s election to accelerate Executive’s notice of resignation shall not be deemed a termination by the Company without Cause for purposes of Section 4.1 of this Agreement or otherwise or constitute Good Reason (as defined in Section 4.1) for purposes of Section 4.1 of this Agreement or otherwise.
(b) If the Executive’s employment is terminated pursuant to Section 4.2(a), the Executive shall, in full discharge of all of the Company’s obligations to the Executive, be entitled to receive, and the Company’s sole obligation under this Agreement or otherwise shall be to pay or provide to the Executive, the following (collectively, the “Accrued Obligations”):
(i) the Executive’s earned, but unpaid, Base Salary through the final date of the Executive’s employment by the Company (the “Termination Date”), payable in accordance with the Company’s standard payroll practices;
(ii) the Executive’s accrued, but unused, vacation (in accordance with the Company’s policies);
(iii) expenses reimbursable under Section 3.2 above incurred on or prior to the Termination Date but not yet reimbursed; and
(iv) any amounts or benefits that are vested amounts or vested benefits or that the Executive is otherwise entitled to receive under any plan, program, policy or practice (with the exception of those, if any, relating to severance) on the Termination Date, in accordance with such plan, program, policy, or practice.
Termination for Cause or Resignation without Good Reason If, during the Term of this Agreement, Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company for Cause, or Executive resigns his employment hereunder without Good Reason, the Company shall pay Executive the Termination Amounts, less standard deductions and withholdings. The Company shall thereafter have no further obligations to Executive under this Agreement, except as otherwise provided by law.
Termination for Cause or Voluntary Termination If the Executive’s employment terminates pursuant to Section 6(c) [For Cause] or Section 6
Termination without Cause or Resignation for Good Reason in Connection with a Change of Control If during the period commencing three (3) months before and ending twelve (12) months after a Change of Control, (1) Executive terminates his employment with the Company (or any Affiliate) for Good Reason or (2) the Company (or any Affiliate) terminates Executive’s employment for other than Cause, Executive becoming Disabled or Executive’s death, then, subject to Section 4, Executive will receive the following severance from the Company:
Termination by Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason If Executive's employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason:
(i) the Company shall pay to Executive (A) his Base Salary and accrued vacation pay through the Date of Termination, as soon as practicable following the Date of Termination, and (B) a payment equal to two times Executive's current base scheduled annual salary and two times the average total additional compensation (i.e., bonus, pension, 401(k) Company contributions, medical benefits and car allowance) for the two (2) preceding fiscal years of the Company ending prior to termination within seven (7) calendar days following the Date of Termination; provided, however, if the Executive has previously given a notice not to extend the Employment Period pursuant to Section 2, the payment referred to in this subsection (i) shall not be made;
(ii) the Company shall maintain in full force and effect, for the continued benefit of Executive, his spouse and his dependents for a period of three (3) years following the Date of Termination the medical, hospitalization, dental, disability and life insurance programs in which Executive, his spouse and his dependents were participating immediately prior to the Date of Termination at the level in effect and upon substantially the same terms and conditions (including without limitation contributions required by Executive for such benefits) as existed immediately prior to the Date of Termination; provided, that if Executive, his spouse or his dependents cannot continue to participate in the Company programs providing such benefits, the Company shall arrange to provide Executive, his spouse and his dependents with the economic equivalent of such benefits which they otherwise would have been entitled to receive under such plans and programs ("Continued Benefits"), provided, that such Continued Benefits shall terminate on the date or dates Executive receives substantially equivalent coverage and benefits, without waiting period or pre-existing condition limitations, under the plans and programs of a subsequent employer (such coverage and benefits to be determined on a coverage-by-coverage, or benefit-by-benefit, basis); and
(iii) the Company shall reimburse Executive pursuant to Section 5(d) for reasonable expenses incurred, but not paid prior to such termination of employment;
(iv) Executive shall be entitled to any other rights, compensation and/or benefits as may be due to Executive in accordance with the terms and provisions of any agreements, plans or programs of the Company;
(v) all stock options and other pension or employment benefits granted to Executive prior to the Date of Termination shall fully vest as of the Date of Termination (inclusive of any granted to Executive prior to the Employment Period);
(vi) the Company shall forgive and cancel all loans made by the Company or any Affiliate to Executive, if any, and shall take all actions and execute all documents necessary to evidence the forgiveness and cancellation of such loans; and
(vii) the Company shall eliminate any and all restrictions on Executive's ability either to engage in any activities, directly or indirectly, in competition with the Company (including, without limitation, the restrictions set forth in Section 10(c) of this Agreement but not the restrictions set forth in Sections 10(a) and (b)), or to make any investment in competition with the Company, and shall execute all documents necessary or reasonably requested by Executive to reflect such elimination of restrictions. The foregoing notwithstanding, the total of the severance payments payable under this Section 8(a) shall be reduced to the extent the payment of such amounts would cause Executive's total termination benefits (as determined by Executive's tax advisor) to constitute an "excess" parachute payment under Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") and by reason of such excess parachute payment Executive would be subject to an excise tax under Section 4999(a) of the Code, but only if Executive determines that the after-tax value of the termination benefits calculated with the foregoing restriction exceed those calculated without the foregoing restriction.
Termination Without Cause or Resignation for Good Reason If the Executive’s employment with the Company is terminated by the Company (other than for Cause, Disability or death) or the Executive resigns for Good Reason during the Term, then the Executive shall be entitled to the following benefits, subject to compliance, where applicable, with the requirements in Section 4.4 below regarding release of claims, the Company shall:
(a) pay to the Executive in a lump sum (i) any unpaid base salary of the Executive, (ii) any accrued but unused and unpaid vacation pay of the Executive, (iii) any earned and unpaid bonuses of the Executive, and (iv) the amount of any unpaid compensation previously deferred by the Executive (together with any accrued interest or earnings thereon) (provided that this clause (iv) shall not cause accelerated payment of amounts subject to Section 409A (as defined below) if not provided for under the terms by which such amounts were or are deferred), in each case of clauses (i) through (iv) through the Date of Termination (collectively, the “Accrued Obligations”);
(b) continue to provide to the Executive in accordance with the Company’s ordinary payroll practices, the Executive’s base salary for a period of time after the Date of Termination equal to 12 months (the “Severance Period”), with payments beginning as provided in 4.4 below;
(c) if and while the Executive and his or her family qualifies for and elects to participate in continuation health coverage under Section 4980B of the Code (“COBRA”), the Company will continue to pay the share of the premium for such coverage that it pays for active and similarly-situated employees who receive the same type of coverage until the earlier of (i) the end of the Severance Period or (ii) the date the Executive’s COBRA continuation coverage expires, unless the Company’s providing payments for COBRA will violate the nondiscrimination requirements of applicable law, in which case this benefit will not apply; and
(d) to the extent not previously paid or provided, the Company shall timely pay or provide to the Executive any other amounts or benefits required to be paid or provided or which the Executive is eligible to receive following the Executive’s termination of employment under any plan, program, policy, practice, contract or agreement of the Company (collectively, the “Other Benefits”).
Termination by the Company Without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason During the Term, if the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause as provided in Section 3(d), or the Executive terminates the Executive’s employment for Good Reason as provided in Section 3(e), then the Company shall pay the Executive the Accrued Benefit. In addition, subject to the Executive signing a separation agreement in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Separation Agreement and Release”) and the Separation Agreement and Release becoming fully effective, all within the time frame set forth in the Separation Agreement and Release but in no event more than 60 days after the Date of Termination:
(i) the Company shall pay the Executive an amount equal to nine months of the Executive’s Base Salary (the “Severance Amount”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Executive breaches any of the provisions contained in the Restrictive Covenants Agreement, all payments of the Severance Amount shall immediately cease; and
(ii) if the Executive properly elects to receive benefits under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended (“COBRA”), nine months of COBRA premiums for the Executive and the Executive’s eligible dependents at the Company’s normal rate of contribution for employees for the Executive’s coverage at the level in effect immediately prior to the Date of Termination; provided, however, if the Company determines that it cannot pay such amounts without potentially violating applicable law (including, without limitation, Section 2716 of the Public Health Service Act), provided that the Executive is enrolled in the Company’s health care programs immediately prior to the Date of Termination, the Company will in lieu thereof provide to the Executive a taxable monthly payment in an amount equal to the portion of the COBRA premiums for the Executive and the Executive’s eligible dependents to continue the Executive’s group health coverage in effect on the Date of Termination at the Company’s normal rate of contribution for employee coverage at the level in effect immediately prior to the Date of Termination for a period of nine months. For the avoidance of doubt, the taxable payments described above may be used for any purpose, including, but not limited to, continuation coverage under COBRA; and
(iii) the amounts payable under Section 4(b)(i) and (ii), to the extent taxable, shall be paid out in substantially equal installments in accordance with the Company’s payroll practice over nine months commencing on the first payroll date following the effective date of the Separation Agreement and Release and, in any case, within 60 days after the Date of Termination; provided, however, that if the 60-day period begins in one calendar year and ends in a second calendar year, the Severance Amount to the extent it qualifies as “non-qualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, shall begin to be paid no earlier than the first Company payroll date in the second calendar year and, in any case, by the last day of such 60-day period; provided, further, that the initial payment shall include a catch-up payment to cover amounts retroactive to the day immediately following the Date of Termination. Each payment pursuant to this Agreement is intended to constitute a separate payment for purposes of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b)(2).
By the Company Without Cause During the Term, the Company may terminate Executive’s employment without Cause at any time. If Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause following the initial Public Offering then, in addition to paying Executive the Final Compensation and subject to Executive’s compliance with Article 7 in all material respects, the Company shall: (a) continue to pay Executive the Base Salary at the rate in effect on the Termination Date during the Restricted Period, with the first payment being on the Company’s next regular payroll period which is at least eight (8) business days following the effective date of the Release (defined below) (provided that if the 60-day time period for the Release begins in one taxable year and ends in a subsequent taxable year, the first payment shall be paid in the subsequent taxable year (for example, if Executive terminates on December 1, then the first payment shall not be paid until on or after January 1 of the next year, regardless of when the Release is returned)); (b) continue Executive’s health insurance benefits for the Restricted Period (at a cost no less favorable than that paid by Executive immediately prior to the Termination Date) or the economic equivalent thereto if such continuation is not permissible under the terms of the Company’s health insurance plan or would otherwise expose the Company to tax or other penalties; and (c) pay Executive an amount equal to the pro rata amount of the Bonus Executive would have earned for the year in which the termination occurred, based on the Company’s performance for the entire fiscal year in which the termination occurred relative to the performance measurements that were pending at the time of termination and to be used to determine Executive’s bonus for such year. Any such prorated Bonus shall be payable at such time or times as bonuses are payable to the other executives of the Company (the benefits, which the parties acknowledge are not required by law, outlined in Section(s) 5.4(a), (b) and (c) are collectively referenced as the “Severance”). Any obligation of the Company to provide Executive the Severance is conditioned on Executive signing, delivering to the Company and not revoking a release, in a form acceptable to the Company (the “Release”), within sixty (60) days of his Termination Date, which Release in any event will require Executive to reaffirm his obligations and commitments to the Company under Section 7 of this Agreement.
