AMENDMENT TO SEVERANCE AGREEMENT
AMENDMENT
TO
This
SECOND AMENDMENT TO SEVERANCE AGREEMENT (the “Amendment”) is entered into
this 17th day of December 2008, by and between LSB INDUSTRIES, INC., a
Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx, an individual
(the “Executive”), and amends that certain Severance Agreement, dated January
17, 1989 (the “Agreement”).
WHEREAS,
Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“the Code”), and
the regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, “Section 409A”) require
that payments of “nonqualified deferred compensation” to “specified employees”
be delayed for six months from “separation from service” (as those terms are
defined under Section 409A);
WHEREAS,
the Executive is currently a “specified employee” as defined in Section
409A;
WHEREAS,
the Agreement provides for the payment of certain benefits upon termination of
service following certain changes in control of the Company, which may be
considered nonqualified deferred compensation subject to Section 409A;
and
WHEREAS,
the Company and the Executive desire to amend the terms of the Agreement to
comply with Section 409A.
NOW,
THEREFORE, the Company and the Executive hereby agree to amend the Agreement as
follows:
1. Amendment to Section
2. Section 2 of the Agreement is hereby amended and restated
to read as follows:
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2.
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Change of
Control. For purposes of this Agreement, a “Change of
Control” means any of the following events occurring during the Change of
Control Period, provided, however, that vesting and payment of the benefit
described in Section 4 will only be made if the occurrence of such event
also constitutes a “change in ownership” or “change of effective control”
of the Company as those terms are defined in Treas. Regs. Section
1.409A-3:
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(a)
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individuals
who, as of the date hereof, constitute the Board of Directors of the
Company (the “Board” generally and as of the date hereof the “Incumbent
Board”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the
Board; provided, however, that any person becoming a director subsequent
to the date hereof whose election, or nomination for election by the
Company’s shareholders, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of
the directors comprising the Incumbent Board (other than an election or
nomination of an individual whose initial assumption of office is in
connection with an actual or threatened election contest relating to the
election of the directors of the Company, as such terms are used in Rule
14a-ll of Regulation 14A promulgated under the Exchange Act) shall be
deemed to be, for purposes of this Agreement, a member of the Incumbent
Board; or
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(b)
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the
date that any one person, or more than one person acting as a group (as
defined in Treas. Regs. Section 1.409A-3), acquires ownership of stock of
the Company that, together with stock held by such person or group,
constitutes more than fifty percent (50%) of the total fair market value
or total voting power of the stock of the Company;
or
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(c)
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the
date any one person, or more than one person acting as a group (as defined
in Treas. Regs. Section 1.409A-3), acquires (or has acquired during the
12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such
person or persons) ownership of stock of the Company possessing thirty
percent (30%) or more of the total voting power of the stock of the
Company, other than the acquisition
by
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(i)
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any
Person or group, which as of the date hereof has such ownership;
or
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(ii)
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any
of the Golsen Group (as defined
below).
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For
the purposes of this Agreement, the term “Golsen Group” shall
mean:
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(A)
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Xxxx
X. Xxxxxx;
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(B)
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the
spouse of Xxxx X. Xxxxxx;
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(C)
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Xxxxx
X. Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx and Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, who are the
children of Xxxx X. Xxxxxx, or any spouse of such
children;
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(D)
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any
estate of, or the executor or administrator of any estate of, or any
guardian or custodian for, any Person described in subparagraphs (A), (B),
or (C), above, so long as such executor, administrator, guardian or
custodian is acting only in his, her or its capacity as
such;
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(E)
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any
corporation, trust (including any voting trust), general partnership,
limited partnership, limited liability company, organization or other
entity (whether now existing or hereafter formed) of which at least 80% of
the outstanding beneficial voting or equity interest are beneficially
owned, directly or indirectly, either (i) by one or more of the Persons
described in subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D), above, or (ii) by any
combination of one or more of the Persons described in subparagraphs (A),
(B), (C), and (D), above; and,
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(F)
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any
other Person (i) who or which is or becomes an Affiliate or Associate of
any Person described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), (D), or (E), above, or
(ii) of which any Person described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), (D), or
(E), above, is or becomes an Affiliate or Associate; provided, however, in
either case (i) or case (ii) of this subparagraph (F), such other Person
is not the Beneficial Owner of 5% or more of the shares of Common Stock of
the Company then outstanding (for purposes of determining the number of
shares of Common Stock of the Company of which such other Person is the
Beneficial Owner under this subparagraph (vii), such other Person shall
not be deemed to beneficially own shares of any Person described in
subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), (D), or (E), above, solely by reason of an
Affiliate or Associate relationship of the kind described in (i) or (ii)
above in this subparagraph (F)).
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2. Amendments to Section
3.
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2.1
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3.5. Section
3.5 is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the
following:
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“3.5
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Date of
Termination. “Date of Termination” means, (a) if the termination is
for Cause, the date of receipt of the Notice of Termination or
any later date specified therein, (which date shall not be more than
fifteen (15) days after the giving of such notice), as the case may be,
and (b) if the termination is for Good Reason and the Company has not
cured the default prior to the expiration of the Cure Period, the day
immediately following the expiration date of the Cure
Period. If the Executive’s employment is terminated by the
Company in breach of this Agreement, the Date of Termination shall be the
date on which the Company notifies the Executive of such
termination.”
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2.2
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New
3.6. The following new Section 3.6 is inserted
immediately following Section 3.5:
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“3.5
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Notice Upon
Termination for Good Reason. Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Agreement, if the Executive intends to terminate the
Executive’s employment with the Company for Good Reason, the Executive
must provide a Notice of Termination within ninety (90) days after the
initial existence of the event that constitutes Good
Reason. The Company will have thirty-five (35) days after
receipt of such written notice to cure the default that constitutes Good
Reason (the “Cure Period”).”
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3. New Section
10. The Agreement is hereby amended by inserting the following
new Section 10 immediately following Section 9 of this Agreement:
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“10.
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Section
409A.
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10.1
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6-Month
Delay. If any amounts that become due under this
Agreement constitute “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the
meaning of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended,
and the treasury regulations promulgated thereunder (“Section 409A”),
payment of such amounts shall not commence until the Executive incurs a
“separation from service.” Notwithstanding anything herein to
the contrary, if the Executive is a “specified employee,” for purposes of
Section 409A of the Code, on the date on which he incurs a separation from
service, any payment hereunder that provides for the “deferral of
compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code shall not be
paid prior to the first business day after the date that is six months
following the Executive’s “separation from service;” provided, however,
that a payment delayed pursuant to the preceding clause shall commence
earlier in the event of the Executive’s death prior to the end of the
six-month period. Within 10 business days after the end of such six
months, the Executive shall be paid a lump sum payment in cash equal to
any payments delayed because of the preceding
sentence. Thereafter, the Executive shall receive any remaining
benefits as if there had not been an earlier
delay.
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10.2
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Certain
Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the term
“separation from service” shall have the meaning set forth in Section
409A(a)(2)(i)(A) of the Code and determined in accordance with the default
rules under Section 409A. The term “specified employee” shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(1) of the Code, as
determined in accordance with the uniform methodology and procedures
adopted by the Employer and then in
effect.
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10.3
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Intent. The
provisions of this Agreement are intended to satisfy the applicable
requirements of Section 409A of the Code with respect to amounts subject
thereto and shall be performed, interpreted and construed consistent with
such intent. If any provision of this Agreement does not satisfy such
requirements or could otherwise cause the Executive to recognize income
under Section 409A of the Code, the Executive and the Company agree to
negotiate in good faith an appropriate modification to maintain, to the
maximum extent practicable, the original intent of the applicable
provision without violating the requirements of Section 409A of the Code
or otherwise causing the recognition of income
thereunder.”
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement is
executed effective as of the 17th day of December 2008.
LSB
INDUSTRIES, INC.
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Board Chairman
(the
“Company”)
/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
XXXXX X. XXXXXX an individual
XXXXX X. XXXXXX an individual
(the
“Executive”)