Vesting; Forfeiture (a) Subject to the Participant’s continued employment or service through the applicable vesting date and except as otherwise provided in this Section 3, the Award shall vest at the time(s) set forth on the signature page hereto. The Administrator has authority to determine whether and to what degree the Award shall be deemed vested.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 3(a) herein, with respect to Employees and Consultants, in the event that the Participant’s employment or service with the Company is terminated due to a Qualifying Termination, then a pro-rata portion of the unvested Shares subject to the Award as of each applicable vesting date, determined as of the date of the Qualifying Termination in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(b), shall be deemed vested. The pro-rata portion of the unvested Shares subject to the Award that shall be deemed vested as of each applicable vesting date shall be determined by multiplying the total number of the unvested Shares subject to vesting on the applicable vesting date, by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of calendar days from the Date of Grant through the date of the Qualifying Termination, and the denominator of which is the total number of calendar days in the period commencing on the Date of Grant and ending on the applicable vesting date. The remaining unvested Shares subject to the Award shall be forfeited as of the date of the Qualifying Termination.
(c) Notwithstanding Section 3(a) herein, with respect to Directors, in the event that the Participant’s employment or service with the Company is terminated due to death or Disability, then the Award shall, to the extent not then vested or previously forfeited or cancelled, become fully vested effective as of the Participant’s Termination Date.
(d) Notwithstanding Section 3(a) herein, in the event of a Change of Control, then the Award shall, to the extent not then vested or previously forfeited or cancelled, become vested as follows:
(i) To the extent that the successor or surviving company in the Change of Control event does not assume or substitute for the Award (or in which the Company is the ultimate parent corporation and does not continue the Award) on substantially similar terms or with substantially equivalent economic benefits (as determined by the Administrator) as Awards outstanding under the Plan immediately prior to the Change of Control event, the Award shall become fully vested as of the date of the Change of Control.
(ii) Further, in the event that the Award is substituted, assumed or continued as provided in Section 3(d)(i) herein, the Award will nonetheless become vested if the Participant’s employment or service is terminated by the Company and its Affiliates without Cause or by the Participant with Good Reason within six months before (in which case vesting shall not occur until the effective date of the Change of Control) or one year after the effective date of a Change of Control (in which case vesting shall occur as of the Participant’s Termination Date).
(e) If the Participant’s employment or service with the Company is terminated for any reason other than a Change of Control, a Qualifying Termination with respect to Employees and Consultants, or death or disability with respect to Directors as provided herein (including but not limited to a termination for Cause), the unvested portion of the Award shall immediately terminate and the Participant shall have no rights with respect to the Award or the Shares underlying the unvested portion of the Award.
Vesting of PSUs The PSUs granted pursuant to this Award shall vest, if at all, as follows:
(a) The Committee, in its sole discretion, has established, or within 90 days following the Date of Grant will establish, Performance Goals based on factors consistent with Section 3.1(e)(ii) of the Executive Employment Agreement by and between NIL, NII and the Grantee effective as of January 2, 2020, as amended from time to time (the “Employment Agreement”), which will be measured over a one-year performance period commencing on _____________ and ending on _____________ (such period, the “Performance Period”).
(b) Up to 200% of the Target PSUs subject to this Award are eligible to become earned based upon achievement of the applicable Performance Goals. The Committee shall have sole discretion to determine the level of achievement of the applicable Performance Goals and the percentage of the Target PSUs subject to this Award that shall become earned based on such performance (the “Earned PSUs”). The Committee’s determinations pursuant to the exercise of discretion with respect to all matters described in this paragraph shall be final and binding on the Grantee. The Committee shall make this determination within 60 days following the end of the Performance Period or as soon as administratively practicable thereafter (the “Performance Determination Date”).
(c) If, on the Performance Determination Date or any other applicable date as set forth in this Section 3, the Committee determines that any of the PSUs subject to this Award shall not become Earned PSUs, then any such PSUs that did not become Earned PSUs (and all rights arising from such PSUs and from being a holder thereof) will terminate automatically without any further action by the Company and will be forfeited without further notice and at no cost to the Company.
(d) One-third of the Earned PSUs shall become vested on each of the first three anniversaries of the Date of Grant if the Grantee remains continuously employed by NIL and/or NII from the Date of Grant through the applicable vesting date; provided that any Earned PSUs scheduled to vest prior to the Performance Determination Date shall instead vest upon the Performance Determination Date; provided further, that if the preceding calculation results in any fractional shares, such fractional shares shall be rounded down to the next whole number of shares, with the remainder of shares due to be paid in the third annual instalment.
(e) In the event of a Change in Control of NIL (as defined in the Employment Agreement), notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Employment Agreement, all of the Earned PSUs subject to this Award that remain unvested shall become vested as of the date of such Change in Control if the Grantee remains continuously employed by NIL and/or NII from the Date of Grant through the date of such Change in Control; provided that, if such Change in Control of NIL occurs prior to the Performance Determination Date, the Earned PSUs shall be deemed to equal 100% of the Target PSUs.
(f) In the event of the Grantee’s Termination due to the Grantee’s death or Disability (as defined in the Employment Agreement), all of the Earned PSUs subject to this Award that remain unvested shall become vested as of the date of such Termination; provided that, if the date of such Termination occurs prior to the conclusion of the Performance Period, then the Grantee shall forfeit all PSUs subject to this Award, and if the date of such Termination occurs after the conclusion of the Performance Period but prior to the Performance Determination Date, then the number of Earned PSUs shall be determined based on actual performance.
(g) In the event of the Grantee’s Termination either due to the Grantee’s Constructive Termination Without Cause or by the Company Without Cause (each as defined in the Employment Agreement), all of the Earned PSUs subject to this Award that remain unvested shall become vested as of the date of such Termination; provided that, if the date of such Termination occurs prior to the conclusion of the Performance Period, then the Grantee shall forfeit all PSUs subject to this Award, and if the date of such Termination occurs after the conclusion of the Performance Period but prior to the Performance Determination Date, then the number of Earned PSUs shall be determined based on actual performance.
(h) Anything herein notwithstanding, in the event of the Grantee’s Termination by the Company for Cause or by the written voluntary resignation of the Grantee (each as defined or contemplated, as applicable, in the Employment Agreement), the Grantee shall forfeit any PSUs subject to this Award that remain unvested as of the date of such Termination.
Accelerated Vesting of Equity Awards One hundred percent (100%) of Executive’s then-outstanding and unvested Equity Awards will become vested in full. If, however, an outstanding Equity Award is to vest and/or the amount of the award to vest is to be determined based on the achievement of performance criteria, then the Equity Award will vest as to one hundred percent (100%) of the amount of the Equity Award assuming the performance criteria had been achieved at target levels for the relevant performance period(s).
Vesting Period The vesting period of the Restricted Stock (the “Vesting Period”) begins on the Grant Date and continues until such date as is set forth on Schedule A as the date on which the Restricted Stock is fully vested. On the first Annual Vesting Date following the date of this Agreement and each Annual Vesting Date thereafter the number of shares of Restricted Stock equal to the Annual Vesting Amount shall become vested, subject to earlier forfeiture as provided in this Agreement. To the extent that Schedule A provides for amounts or schedules of vesting that conflict with the provisions of this paragraph, the provisions of Schedule A will govern. Except as permitted under Section 10, the shares of Restricted Stock for which the applicable Vesting Period has not expired may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise disposed of or encumbered (whether voluntary or involuntary or by judgment, levy, attachment, garnishment or other legal or equitable proceeding). The Employee shall not have the right to receive cash dividends paid on shares of Restricted Stock for which the applicable Vesting Period has not expired. In lieu thereof, the Employee shall have the right to receive from the Company an amount, in cash, equal to the cash dividends payable on shares of Restricted Stock for which the applicable Vesting Period has not expired, provided the Employee is employed by the Company on the payroll date coinciding with or immediately following the date any such cash dividends are paid on the Restricted Shares. The Employee shall have the right to vote the Restricted Stock, regardless of whether the applicable Vesting Period has expired.
Vesting of RSUs (a) The following vesting provisions shall apply to the RSUs:
(i) Subject to the Grantee’s continued Employment through the Service Vesting Date or Service Vesting Dates, as applicable, as specified in the RSU Grant Certificate attached hereto, the RSUs shall become vested on such date or dates, as applicable, as to the percentage(s) set forth in such RSU Grant Certificate.
(ii) If, prior to the date the RSUs are vested as provided in Section 2.1(a)(i) above or otherwise terminate and are forfeited pursuant to Section 2.1(b) and (c) below: (A) the Grantee’s Employment terminates due to the Grantee’s Retirement, if applicable, then all Retirement RSUs shall, in the discretion of the Administrator, be fully vested as a result thereof; (B) the Grantee dies or experiences a Disability, then all unvested RSUs shall be vested as a result thereof, provided that if the Grantee is not an employee of the KKR Group, then any vesting of unvested RSUs described in this clause (B) shall be in the discretion of the Administrator; or (C) there occurs a Change in Control prior to any termination of the Grantee’s Employment, then all or any portion of any unvested RSUs may, in the discretion of the Administrator, be vested as a result thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Corporation receives an opinion of counsel that there has been a legal judgment and/or legal development in the Grantee’s jurisdiction that would likely result in the favorable treatment applicable to the Retirement RSUs pursuant to this Section 2.1(a)(ii) being deemed unlawful and/or discriminatory, then the Corporation will not apply the favorable treatment at the time the Grantee’s Employment terminates due to the Grantee’s Retirement under clause (A) above, and the RSUs will be treated as set forth in Section 2.1(a)(i), 2.1(b), 2.1(c) or the other provisions of this Section 2.1(a)(ii), as applicable.
(iii) All RSUs that become vested under this Section 2.1(a) are eligible to be Settled pursuant to Section 2.2 of this Agreement.
(b) If the Grantee’s Employment terminates for any reason other than due to the Grantee’s death, Disability or Retirement, each as provided for in Section 2.1(a) above, all then unvested RSUs (including any RSUs that are not Retirement RSUs) shall immediately terminate and be forfeited without consideration, and no Class A Common Stock shall be delivered hereunder.
(c) The Grantee’s right to vest in the RSUs under the Plan, if any, will terminate effective as of the date that the Grantee is no longer actively providing services (even if still considered employed or engaged under local Law) and will not be extended by any notice period mandated under local Law (e.g., active Employment would not include a period of “garden leave” or similar period pursuant to local Law) except as may be otherwise agreed in writing by the Corporation or the Designated Service Recipient with the Grantee; the Administrator shall have the exclusive discretion to determine when the Grantee is no longer actively employed or engaged for purposes of the RSUs.
Vesting of Award Subject to Section 2(b) below and the other terms and conditions of this Agreement, this Award shall become vested in three equal annual installments on the first, second and third anniversaries of the date hereof. Unless otherwise provided by the Company, all dividends and other amounts receivable in connection with any adjustments to the Shares under Section 4(c) of the Plan shall be subject to the vesting schedule in this Section 2(a).
Vesting of Restricted Shares The Restricted Shares are subject to forfeiture to the Company until they become vested and non-forfeitable in accordance with this Section 2. While subject to forfeiture, the Restricted Shares may not be sold, pledged, assigned, otherwise encumbered or transferred in any manner, whether voluntarily or involuntarily by the operation of law, except to (i) an immediate family member or (ii) a trust or other estate-planning vehicle (collectively, the “Permitted Transferees”), so long as any such Permitted Transferee, as a condition to such transfer, agrees in writing to be bound by the terms of this Agreement with respect to the Restricted Shares.
(a) 100% of the Restricted Shares subject hereto shall become vested and non-forfeitable on the third anniversary of the Effective Date, provided the Grantee remains in continuous service with the Company through such date.
(b) Upon cessation of the Service Relationship (hereinafter defined), any Restricted Shares which then remain forfeitable (determined after application of Section 2(c), below) will immediately and automatically, without any action on the part of the Company, be forfeited, and the Grantee will have no further rights with respect to those shares.
(c) If the Service Relationship (as defined below) terminates due to the Grantee’s death, or if a Change in Control (as defined below) occurs during the Service Relationship, any otherwise unvested Restricted Shares will then become vested and non-forfeitable. Similarly, if the Service Relationship ceases due to a termination by the Company without “Cause”, due to the Grantee’s “Disability” or due to a resignation by the Grantee with “Good Reason” (each as defined in that certain Employment Agreement between the Grantee and the Company dated on or about the closing date of the Transaction (the “Employment Agreement”)), and the Grantee executes a release of claims in the form and manner described in Section 7(c)(iii) of the Employment Agreement within the timeframe established in the Employment Agreement, any otherwise unvested Restricted Shares will become vested and non-forfeitable when such release becomes irrevocable.
(d) For purposes of this Agreement, “Service Relationship” means the Grantee’s employment or service with the Company or its parent or any subsidiary or Affiliate, whether in the capacity of an employee, director or a consultant. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, the Grantee’s Service Relationship shall not be deemed to have terminated merely because of a change in the capacity in which the Grantee renders service to the Company or a transfer between locations of the Company, its parent or any subsidiary or Affiliate or a transfer between the Company, its parent, or any subsidiary or Affiliate, provided that there is no interruption or other termination of the Service Relationship. Subject to the foregoing and the following sentence, the Company, in its discretion, shall determine whether the Grantee’s Service Relationship has terminated and the effective date of such termination. The following events shall not be deemed a termination of the Service Relationship:
Vesting of Restricted Stock Units The restrictions and conditions of Section 1 of this Agreement shall lapse on the Vesting Date or Dates specified in the following schedule so long as the Grantee remains in a Business Relationship (as defined in Section 3 below) on such Dates. If a series of Vesting Dates is specified, then the restrictions and conditions in Section 1 shall lapse only with respect to the number of Restricted Stock Units specified as vested on such date. Incremental Number of Restricted Stock Units Vested Vesting Date The Administrator may at any time accelerate the vesting schedule specified in this Section 2.
Vesting Date All remaining shares of Restricted Stock will become vested on the Vesting Date.
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.
