CONTINUITY AGREEMENT
This
Continuity Agreement ("Agreement") is entered into as of December 1, 2009, by
and between AGL RESOURCES INC. (the "Company"), on behalf of itself and AGL
Services Company (its wholly owned subsidiary and the Executive's employer), and
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxx (the "Executive").
WHEREAS,
the Compensation and Management Development Committee of the Company's Board of
Directors (the "Committee") has authorized the Company to enter into continuity
agreements with those key executives of the Company and its subsidiaries
designated by the Committee; and
WHEREAS,
the Executive is a key executive of the Company or one of its subsidiaries and
has been designated by the Committee as an executive to be offered such a
continuity agreement with the Company.
SECTION
1
DEFINITIONS
1.1. "Accrued Benefits"
shall mean the Executive's earned but unpaid base salary, Earned and Unused
Vacation Pay, unreimbursed business expenses and all other amounts earned by
(but not paid to) or owed to Executive through and including the date of the
Qualifying Termination.
1.2. "Announcement" shall
mean a press release issued by the Company announcing the intention to engage in
a transaction or event that is expected to result in a Change in Control of the
Company as defined hereunder.
1.3. "Annual Bonus Amount"
shall mean the average of the annual incentive payments actually paid to the
Executive under the Company's annual incentive program for the three completed
calendar years prior to the calendar year of the Qualifying
Termination.
1.4. "Board" shall mean the
Board of Directors of the Company.
1.5. "Cause" shall
mean:
(a) willful
fraud, dishonesty or malfeasance by the Executive in connection with the
Executive's employment with the Company or one of its subsidiaries which results
in material harm to the Company or one of its subsidiaries;
(b) the
Executive's continued failure to substantially perform the duties and
responsibilities of the Executive's position after written notice from the
Company setting forth the particulars of such failure and a reasonable
opportunity of not less than thirty (30) business days to cure such failure;
or
(c) the
Executive's plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, or conviction of, a
felony.
Cause
shall be determined by two-thirds of the members of the Committee at a meeting
at which the Executive may appear and present his or her position. No act
or failure to act on the part of the Executive shall be considered "willful"
unless it is done by the Executive in bad faith or without reasonable belief
that the Executive's action or omission was in the best interests of the Company
or one of its subsidiaries. Any act or failure to act that is based upon
authority given pursuant to a resolution duly adopted by the Board, or the
advice of counsel for the Company or one of its subsidiaries, shall be
conclusively presumed to be done, or omitted to be done, by the Executive in
good faith and in the best interests of the Company.
1.6. "Change in Control"
shall mean the earliest of the following to occur:
(a) The date
any one person, or more that one person acting as a group (as determined under
Treasury Regulation 1.409A-3(i)(5)(v)(B), a "Group"), 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. If any one person or Group
is considered to own more than 50% of the total fair market value or total
voting power of the Company, the acquisition of additional control of the
Company by the same person or Group is not considered to cause a Change in
Control of the Company;
(b) The date
any one person or Group 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-five percent (35%) or more
of the total voting power of the stock of the Company;
(c) The date
a majority of the members of the Board is replaced during any twelve (12) month
period by directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority
of the members of the Board before the date of their appointment or election;
or
(d) The date
that any one person or Group, acquires (or has acquired during the twelve (12)
month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or
persons) assets from the Company that have a total gross fair market value equal
to or more than fifty percent (50%) of the total gross fair market value of all
assets of the Company immediately before such acquisition or acquisitions.
For this purpose, gross fair market value means the value of the assets of the
Company, or the assets being disposed of, determined without regard to any
liabilities associated with such assets.
It is
intended that there will be a Change in Control under this Agreement only to the
extent such event or transaction would constitute a "change in control event" as
such term is defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) and thus the
provisions of the definition of Change in Control shall be applied and
interpreted consistent with the provisions of such Treasury Regulation, as
amended from time to time; recognizing however, that the definition of Change in
Control in this Agreement may be more restrictive in certain respects than the
definition contained in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5).
1.7. "Code" shall mean the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
1.8. "Company" shall mean
AGL Resources Inc., or a successor thereto.
1.9. "Consummation of a Change in
Control Transaction" shall mean the earlier of the date on which a person
or Group first becomes the beneficial owner of the requisite number of
securities of the Company described in Sections 1.6(a) or (b), the date as of
which a majority of the Board has been replaced, as described in Section 1.6(c),
or the date on which the person or Group acquires the requisite percentage of
Company assets, as described in Section 1.6(d).
1.10. "Coverage Period"
shall mean the period beginning on the earlier of (a) the date of an
Announcement, (b) the date of a Change in Control, or (c) the date of the
Consummation of a Change in Control Transaction, and ending on the earlier of
(i) the second anniversary of the date of the Consummation of a Change in
Control Transaction, (ii) if applicable, the date the Company publicly announces
it is abandoning the transaction or event that was the subject of an
Announcement, or (iii) if applicable, the date the Company publicly announces it
is abandoning the transaction that constituted a Change in Control pursuant to
Section 1.6(b).
1.11. "Disability" shall
mean, for purposes of this Agreement, the Executive's absence from the full-time
performance of the Executive's duties pursuant to a determination made in
accordance with the procedures established by the Company in connection with the
Company's long-term disability benefits plan (as in effect as of the earliest of
the date of the Announcement, the date of a Change in Control or the date of the
Consummation of a Change in Control Transaction) that the Executive is disabled
as a result of incapacity due to physical or mental illness.
1.12. "Earned and Unused
Vacation" shall mean the difference between (a) Earned Vacation (as
hereinafter defined), and (b) the actual number of hours of vacation taken by
the Executive from January 1 of the calendar year in which the Qualifying
Termination occurs through and including the date of the Qualifying Termination;
provided that if the difference between (a) and (b) is a negative number, then
Executive's Earned and Unused Vacation shall be deemed to be zero.
1.13. "Earned and Unused Vacation
Pay" shall mean the product of (a) the Executive's annual rate of base
salary in effect on the date of the Qualifying Termination divided by 2080, and
(b) the hours of Executive's Earned and Unused Vacation.
1.14. "Earned Vacation"
shall mean the product of (a) the aggregate number of hours of vacation which
Executive is entitled to take during the calendar year in which the Qualifying
Termination occurs, and (b) the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the number of
calendar days from January 1 of the year in which the Qualifying Termination
occurs through and including the date of the Qualifying Termination, by (ii)
365.
1.15. "Effective Date" shall
mean December 1, 2009.
1.16. "Good Reason" shall
mean the occurrence of one or more of the following without the Executive's
express written consent:
(a) any
material diminution in the Executive's position, duties or responsibilities with
the Company or any change that would constitute a material adverse alteration in
the Executive's duties, responsibilities or other conditions of employment, from
those in effect as of the earliest of the date of the Announcement, the date of
a Change in Control or the date of the Consummation of a Change in Control
Transaction; provided, that, it will be deemed that for this purpose it would be
a material diminution in the Executive's position, duties or responsibilities
with the Company if the Executive retains the same title or position with the
Company but the Company was not a public company and the Executive did not have
the same title or position at the ultimate public parent of the
Company;
(b) except
for a diminution which is consistent with such a diminution for all other
executives at a comparable level, any material diminution in the Executive's
rate of annual base salary or annual incentive compensation opportunity (i.e.,
annual cash bonus opportunity under the Annual Incentive Plan or a successor
plan) from the rate of annual base salary and annual incentive compensation
opportunity in effect as of the earliest of the date of the Announcement, the
date of a Change in Control or the date of the Consummation of a Change in
Control Transaction;
(c) any
action or inaction that constitutes a material breach by the Company of any
agreement under which the Executive provides services to the Company;
or
(d) any
material change in the geographic location at which the Executive must perform
services for the Company, which the Company has determined is a change in the
Executive's primary employment location to a location which is in excess of
fifty (50) miles from the Executive's primary employment location as of the
earliest of the date of the Announcement, the date of a Change in Control or the
date of the Consummation of a Change in Control Transaction.
1.17. "Prorated Annual
Bonus" shall mean a payment equal to the product of (a) times (b), where
(a) is the greater of the (i) target annual incentive payment (i.e., annual cash
bonus opportunity under the Annual Incentive Plan or a successor plan) for the
calendar year of the Qualifying Termination, or (ii) actual annual incentive
payment which would be paid to the Executive for the calendar year of the
Qualifying Termination based on actual performance through the date of the
Qualifying Termination, and (b) is a fraction, the numerator of which is the
number of days in the calendar year in which the Qualifying Termination occurs
that the Executive was employed by the Company or one of its subsidiaries, and
the denominator of which is 365.
1.18. "Qualifying
Termination" shall mean the occurrence of any one or more of the
following events:
(a) the
termination of Executive's employment by the Company or its subsidiary, as
applicable, without Cause; or
(b)
Executive's termination of his or her employment with the Company or its
subsidiary, as applicable, for Good Reason.
SECTION
2
TERM OF
AGREEMENT
SECTION
3
(c) Stock Options Restricted
Stock, Performance-Based Stock and Other Long-Term Incentive
Awards. Subject to Section 4 hereof, in the event of a Qualifying
Termination during the Coverage Period, any outstanding stock options,
restricted stock, performance share, performance unit or other long-term
incentive awards of the Executive shall become vested and/or exercisable in
accordance with the terms of the plan and/or award agreements under which such
grants and awards were made as if a change in control (as defined in each
applicable plan or award agreement) had occurred immediately prior to, and on
the same day as, the Qualifying Termination. Upon the occurrence of a
change in control (as defined in each applicable plan or award agreement), all
grants and awards shall be subject to the provisions of the plan and award
agreements under which they were made. With regard to any outstanding
stock options, the Executive shall have a period of one (1) year (subject to the
expiration of the original term of the option) following the date of the
Qualifying Termination in which to exercise such options; provided that such
extension of the period to exercise shall not extend the exercise period beyond
the earlier of (i) the latest date upon which the option could have expired by
its terms, or (ii) the tenth (10th)
anniversary of the original date of grant; and further provided that if the plan
or option agreement under which such options were granted provides a longer
period of exercise for which the Executive would be eligible, then such longer
period shall be available to the Executive.
(d) Welfare
Benefits.
(i) The Company shall provide the Executive with continued life insurance
and disability insurance coverage (provided, however, that long-term disability
insurance coverage shall not be provided if, following the Executive's
termination of employment, the Executive is not eligible to receive coverage
under the Company's group long-term disability insurance policy because the
Executive is no longer an employee) on the same basis (including premium) as
active employees until the earlier of (i) twenty four (24) months after the
Executive's Qualifying Termination, or (ii) the commencement of comparable
coverage with a subsequent employer.
(ii) In addition, as long as the Executive pays a monthly premium equal to
the amount which is the COBRA premium for such coverage, the Company shall
provide the Executive and, as applicable, the Executive's eligible dependents
with continued medical and dental coverage, on the same basis (excluding
premiums) as provided to the Company's active executives and their dependents,
as applicable, until the earlier of (i) twenty four (24) months after the
Executive's Qualifying Termination, or (ii) the date the Executive is first
eligible for comparable coverage with a subsequent employer. As a separate
payment under this Agreement, each month coverage continues under this clause
(ii), the Company shall pay to the Executive an amount equal to the excess of
the COBRA premium for such coverage over the active employee cost for such
medical coverage, each as determined on the date of the Executiveβs Qualifying
Termination.
LIMITATIONS
ON PAYMENTS
SECTION
5
SUCCESSORS
AND ASSIGNMENT
5.2. Assignment by
Executive. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be
enforceable by the Executive's executor and/or administrators, heirs, devisees,
and legatees. If the Executive should die while any amount would be
payable to Executive hereunder had the Executive continued to live, all such
amounts, unless otherwise provided herein, shall be paid in accordance with the
terms of this Agreement to the Executive's estate. Executive's rights
hereunder shall not otherwise be assignable.
SECTION
6
NON-SOLICITATION;
TRADE SECRETS
MISCELLANEOUS
7.5. Notices. Any
notice required to be delivered to the Company, any of its affiliates or the
Committee by Executive hereunder shall be properly delivered to the Company, any
of its affiliates or the Committee when personally delivered to, or received
through the U.S. mail, postage prepaid, by:
Attn: General Counsel
00 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
7.8. Entire
Agreement. Except as expressly provided herein, no agreements or
representations, oral or otherwise, express or implied, with respect to the
subject matter hereof have been made by either party to this Agreement.
This Agreement represents the entire agreement between the parties with respect
to the subject matter hereof, and supersedes all prior discussions,
negotiations, and agreements concerning the subject matter hereof, including,
but not limited to, any prior severance agreement made between Executive and the
Company or any of its subsidiaries; provided, however, that nothing contained
herein shall prevent the Executive from receiving any severance benefits to
which he or she is entitled under the terms of a Company or subsidiary provided
severance plan if the Executive's termination of employment does not qualify as
a Qualifying Termination within the Coverage Period; provided, further, that
nothing contained herein shall prevent the Executive from receiving benefits to
which he or she may be entitled under any employee or retiree benefit or
incentive plan maintained or contributed to by the Company or one of its
subsidiaries, including, without limitation, the AGL Resources Inc. retiree
medical plan.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company and Executive have executed this Agreement, to be
effective as of the day and year first written above.
COMPANY:
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxxx
XX
Title:
Chairman, President
& Chief Executive Officer
EXECUTIVE:
/s/Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxxxx
Signature
THIS
DOCUMENT HAS BEEN EXECUTED IN DUPLICATE