COP Letterhead]
Exhibit 99.1
[COP Letterhead]
October 1, 2008
Xxxx X. Xxxx
Executive Vice President
ConocoPhillips
000 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxx
P.O. Box 2197
(MC 3082)
Houston TX 77252-2197
Executive Vice President
ConocoPhillips
000 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxx
P.O. Box 2197
(MC 3082)
Houston TX 77252-2197
Dear Xxxx:
This letter confirms the agreement and understanding between you, ConocoPhillips
(“ConocoPhillips”), ConocoPhillips Company (the “Company”), and their affiliates regarding the
continuation of your duties with ConocoPhillips and its affiliates and your employment with the
Company.
Your employment with the Company will continue through February 1, 2014, or such earlier time
as is determined by you or the Company. Specifically, your employment will continue on an
“at-will” basis, and your employment may be terminated at any time prior to February 1, 2014 by
either you or the Company for any reason, or for no reason (the period between the date hereof and
the termination of your employment being hereinafter referred to as the “Employment Term”).
Through September 30, 2008, you held the position of Executive Vice President, Exploration and
Production and exercised the authority, duties and responsibilities associated with that position.
Effective October 1, 2008, your title will change to Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer of
ConocoPhillips (the “CEO”) and your duties will be those as may be directed by the CEO, including,
without limitation, (i) assisting the CEO on special projects identified by the CEO; (ii) unless
and until otherwise requested by the CEO, continuing to provide relationship assistance on behalf
of the ConocoPhillips with its joint ventures and business partners; and (iii) assisting in the
transition of a successor to your prior position.
All other terms and conditions of your employment will remain in place through January 31,
2009, except that, beginning January 1, 2009, you will no longer be eligible (i) to receive awards
under the Stock Option Program; (ii) to receive awards under the Performance Share Program and
Variable Cash Incentive Program with respect to any performance period beginning on or after
January 1, 2009; or (iii) for the Executive Severance Plan, Executive Change in Control Severance
Plan, Defined Contribution Make-Up Plan, Key Employee Deferred Compensation Plan, Executive
Financial Planning, Matching Gift Program, Tuition Reimbursement Program, vacation pay, or
executive level services under the Comprehensive Security Program. You will continue to be
eligible to participate in the ConocoPhillips Retirement Plan (Title I, Xxxxxxxx Retirement Income
Plan) and the ConocoPhillips Savings Plan during your continuing employment, in accordance with
their terms and conditions. You will be credited with benefit accrual service under the Key
Employee Supplemental Retirement Plan during the Employment Term, but not later than October 31,
2012, and thereafter be ineligible for any further benefit accrual service in that plan. You will
be paid on the first payroll date on or after February 1, 2009 in a lump sum for your vacation that
is accrued and unused prior to February 1, 2009, including any that remains in your vacation bank.
Effective February 1, 2009 and thereafter during the Employment Term, your employment will be
on a part-time basis and you will be classified as a temporary employee. Your compensation will be
$25,000 per month from February 1, 2009 through the termination of your employment. You will be
expected to work a minimum of 35 hours per month. The parties reasonably anticipate that you will
perform bona fide services to the Company pursuant to this letter on and following February 1, 2009
at a level greater than 20 percent of the average level of bona fide services performed by you as
an employee of the Company over the 36-month period immediately preceding February 1, 2009 and
that, as a result, you will not be considered to have incurred a “separation from service” for
purposes of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code as a result of your transition to your new
position or your status as a part-time employee. You will be provided with an office and the
regular support and supplies necessary to performing your duties for the Company, including access
to company-provided aircraft with the approval of the CEO.
The restrictions on restricted stock and restricted stock units issued under the Xxxxxxxx Long
Term Incentive Plan through performance period X and under the ConocoPhillips Performance Share
Program for performance periods I, II, and III will remain in place in accordance with their terms
and your elections, as modified by this paragraph. You will remain eligible for awards under the
Performance Share Program for performance periods IV, V, and VI, in accordance with the usual terms
and conditions of that program, other than as modified by this paragraph, and in determining the
level of those awards to be granted to you the Compensation Committee will take into account the
change in your status to a part-time, temporary employee as of February 1, 2009. The determination
of actual awards to you will be made in the usual course of business after the conclusion of the
performance periods. If before February 1, 2014, the Company were to terminate you (other than for
failure to abide by the provisions of the following paragraph of this letter or for cause, as
defined in the Executive Severance Plan, as in effect at the time of such termination), any
restricted stock or restricted stock units already granted under the Performance Share Program
would vest, their restrictions shall lapse, and unrestricted stock shall be distributed in
accordance with and at the times called for by their terms and conditions and your applicable
elections. Furthermore, in the event of such termination, any options to purchase stock already
granted under the Stock Option Program would vest and be exercisable in accordance with and at the
times called for by their terms and conditions.
During the Employment Term and for two years thereafter, you agree not to compete with
ConocoPhillips, the Company, or their controlled affiliates by directly or indirectly owning,
managing, operating, participating in, consulting with or working for any business anywhere in the
world which is engaged in the energy business (including, without limitation, producing,
transporting and/or marketing crude oil, natural gas and/or natural gas liquids; gathering,
processing and/or marketing natural gas, or fractionating and/or marketing natural gas liquids;
purchasing, refining, marketing and/or transporting crude oil and petroleum products; manufacturing
and/or marketing petrochemicals and plastics; and/or power generation, alternative energy and/or
technology programs (including, but not limited to, advanced hydrocarbon processes, energy
conversion technologies, new petroleum-based products and renewable fuels), carbon-to-liquids
technology and/or coal-to-gas technology), without the prior written approval of the CEO. You
agree that the business of ConocoPhillips, the Company and their controlled affiliates is global
and that, consequently, this covenant not to compete contains limitations that are reasonable and
do not impose a greater restraint than is necessary to protect their goodwill and other business
interests. Also, during the Employment Term and for two years thereafter, you agree that you will
not, either alone or in conjunction with any other person, partnership or business, directly or
indirectly, solicit, hire or divert or attempt to solicit, hire or divert any of the employees or
agents of any of ConocoPhillips, the Company or any of their respective controlled affiliates or to
call upon any of the customers of any of them, without the prior written approval of the CEO.
Furthermore, you will not divulge any confidential information you may have obtained from
ConocoPhillips, the Company, or any of their respective affiliates at any time, without the prior
written approval of the CEO.
Please sign and return a copy of this letter to me to signify your acceptance of these terms
by the close of business on October 3, 2008, at which time the offer represented by this letter
will expire if you have not accepted it. We wish you continued success in your new position and
look forward to continuing to work with you.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely, | ||||||
CONOCOPHILLIPS | ||||||
By: | /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxx | |||||
Xxxxx X. Xxxxx | ||||||
Chief Executive Officer | ||||||
CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY | ||||||
By: | /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxx | |||||
Xxxxx X. Xxxxx | ||||||
Chief Executive Officer |
Accepted and Acknowledged:
I have read this letter, and I understand the
terms and conditions described in this
letter, and I agree to those terms and
conditions.
terms and conditions described in this
letter, and I agree to those terms and
conditions.
XXXX X. XXXX
/s/
Xxxx X. Xxxx
Dated:
October 1, 2008