UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
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| ITEM 5.02 | DEPARTURE OF DIRECTORS OR CERTAIN OFFICERS; ELECTION OF DIRECTORS; APPOINTMENT OF CERTAIN OFFICERS; COMPENSATORY ARRANGEMENTS OF CERTAIN OFFICERS |
Appointment of Julie Sawyer Montgomery as President and Chief Executive Officer
On August 3, 2026, Danaher Corporation (the “Company” or “Danaher”) announced that, effective as of October 1, 2026 (the “Effective Date”), the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has appointed Julie Sawyer Montgomery as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company (the “CEO”). The Board also appointed Ms. Sawyer Montgomery to the Board and to each of the Executive, Finance and Science & Technology Committees of the Board, in each case effective as of the Effective Date.
There are no arrangements or understandings between Ms. Sawyer Montgomery and any other person pursuant to which Ms. Sawyer Montgomery was selected as an officer or director of the Company, and there are no family relationships between Ms. Sawyer Montgomery and any director or executive officer of the Company. There are no transactions in which Ms. Sawyer Montgomery has an interest requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K. Ms. Sawyer Montgomery previously entered into an indemnification agreement with the Company, the form of which is disclosed as Exhibit 10.30 to Danaher’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and which is incorporated by reference herein.
Biographical Information
Since joining the Company in 2017, Ms. Sawyer Montgomery, age 54, has served in a series of progressively more responsible general management positions (and as a Danaher officer since 2024), including as President of Danaher’s Beckman Coulter Diagnostics subsidiary from January 2020 to December 2022, as Vice President – Group Executive of Danaher’s Diagnostics subsidiary from January 2023 to June 2024 and as Executive Vice President since July 2024.
Offer Letter with Ms. Sawyer Montgomery
On August 3, 2026, the Company entered into an offer letter with Ms. Sawyer Montgomery (the “Offer Letter”) establishing her compensation as President and CEO. Under the Offer Letter, effective as of the Effective Date, Ms. Sawyer Montgomery’s compensation as President and CEO will comprise:
| • | an annual base salary rate of $1,500,000; |
| • | a target annual cash incentive opportunity under the Amended and Restated Danaher Corporation Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) equal to 200% of her annual base salary (prorated for 2026 to reflect the increase effective as of the Effective Date); and |
| • | a long-term incentive award opportunity for 2027 with a target award value of $13,200,000. |
In connection with her appointment, and as part of a broader program of special awards to key leaders, Ms. Sawyer Montgomery will also receive a special award with a target award value of $20,000,000 in the form of time-vesting non-qualified stock options with the following terms (a “Long-Term Growth Award”):
| • | a grant date of August 4, 2026 (the “Grant Date”), |
| • | a per-share exercise price equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the Grant Date, |
| • | a vesting schedule of 50% on the fourth anniversary and 50% on the fifth anniversary of the Grant Date, subject to continued employment through the applicable vesting date except as provided below in the case of death, disability or an involuntary termination without cause after the first anniversary of the Grant Date, |
| • | accelerated vesting upon a termination of employment as a result of death or disability, |
| • | accelerated vesting of a prorated portion of the Long-Term Growth Award upon a termination without cause (as defined in the award agreement applicable to the Long-Term Growth Award) occurring after the first anniversary of the Grant Date, and |
| • | a ten-year term. |
Ms. Sawyer Montgomery will also be eligible for relocation benefits under the Company’s Relocation Benefits Policy in connection with the relocation of her primary work site to the Company’s Washington, D.C. headquarters, parking, financial/tax planning and tax preparation services, an annual physical and personal usage of Company aircraft beginning on the Effective Date with any personal usage in excess of $125,000 per year subject to full reimbursement by Ms. Sawyer Montgomery.
Prior to the Effective Date (but no earlier than the date of Ms. Sawyer Montgomery’s relocation), Ms. Sawyer Montgomery and the Company have agreed to amend and restate that Agreement Regarding Competition and Protection of Proprietary Interests, dated February 13, 2026, between Ms. Sawyer Montgomery and the Company (the “Proprietary Interests Agreement”) to reaffirm the covenants thereunder and to provide that if the Company terminates Ms. Sawyer Montgomery’s employment without “cause” or if she terminates her employment for “good reason” (each as defined in the Offer Letter) at any time on or after the later of the Effective Date and the effectiveness of the amended and restated Proprietary Interests Agreement, she will be entitled to (1) a cash amount equal to 12 months of base salary at the monthly rate in effect on the date of termination (the “Termination Date,” and the year in which the Termination Date occurs, the “Termination Year”), payable in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices, (2) the annual cash incentive compensation award for service in the calendar year prior to the Termination Year, if it has not been paid prior to the Termination Date (the “Accrued Obligation”), (3) a lump-sum cash amount equal to her target annual cash incentive compensation award for the Termination Year, and (4) a lump-sum cash amount equal to the product of (x) her target annual cash incentive compensation award for the Termination Year, times (y) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of calendar days from the beginning of the Termination Year through the Termination Date, and the denominator of which is 365, in each case subject to Ms. Sawyer Montgomery’s execution and non-revocation of a release of claims. Any severance payments paid under any other Company plan or agreement will diminish the foregoing severance payments on a dollar-for-dollar basis (except for the Accrued Obligation).
The foregoing summary does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, reference to the full text of the Offer Letter and the form of Long-Term Growth Award agreement, copies of which are filed as Exhibit 10.1 and Exhibit 10.2 to this Current Report on Form 8-K, respectively, and incorporated by reference into this Item 5.02.
Transition of Rainer M. Blair
In connection with Ms. Sawyer Montgomery’s succession, on August 3, 2026, the Company also announced that, effective as of the Effective Date, Rainer M. Blair will cease serving as President and CEO of the Company, and will resign as a member of the Board and from each of the Executive, Finance and Science & Technology Committees of the Board. As further discussed below, to support the transition, Mr. Blair has agreed to continue employment as Senior Advisor of the Company from the Effective Date through December 31, 2026 (such period, the “Advisory Period”) to assist in the leadership transition and, following the Advisory Period, to serve as a consultant until March 31, 2027 (such period, the “Consultancy Period”).
Transition Letter Agreement with Mr. Blair
To document Mr. Blair’s transition arrangements, on August 3, 2026, the Company entered into a letter agreement with Mr. Blair (the “Blair Transition Letter”) pursuant to which, effective as of the Effective Date, Mr. Blair will assume the position of Senior Advisor and will remain a non-officer employee of the Company through December 31, 2026 (the “Employment Separation Date”) and, following the Advisory Period, serve as a non-employee consultant through March 31, 2027.
Under the Blair Transition Letter, during the Advisory Period, Mr. Blair’s base salary will remain unchanged, he will continue to vest in his outstanding equity awards in accordance with their terms, and,
subject to continued employment through December 31, 2026 (or his earlier death or disability), he will remain eligible for a full annual cash incentive award under the Plan for 2026 based on his current target opportunity and actual Company performance (with a personal payout percentage of 100%). Under the Blair Transition Letter, during the Consultancy Period, Mr. Blair will receive monthly fees equal to the current monthly rate of his base salary and shall not be eligible to receive any cash bonuses or equity awards under the Company’s incentive plans.
In accordance with that Amended and Restated Agreement Regarding Competition and Protection of Proprietary Interests, dated May 6, 2020, between Mr. Blair and the Company (the “Blair PIA”), the Company’s existing plans and the Blair Transition Letter, upon the Employment Separation Date, Mr. Blair will be entitled to receive (i) a cash amount equal to 12 months of base salary at the current monthly rate, payable in accordance with the Blair Transition Letter, (ii) a lump-sum cash amount equal to his current target annual cash incentive, payable within 30 calendar days following the effectiveness of a release, and (iii) a lump-sum COBRA subsidy payment equal to the amount the Company would otherwise have contributed toward his group health, prescription, vision and dental coverage as an active employee for 12 months, in each case subject to Mr. Blair’s execution and non-revocation of each of a release of claims within 30 days of the Transition Date and a supplemental release within 30 days of the Employment Separation Date. The restrictive covenants in the Blair PIA will remain in full force and effect in accordance with their terms during the Advisory Period and Consultancy Period (with any post-employment termination period thereunder commencing on expiration of the Consultancy Period), and Mr. Blair’s outstanding equity awards will be treated in accordance with their existing terms, including eligibility for early retirement, death and disability treatment.
The foregoing summary does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, reference to the full text of the Blair Transition Letter, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.3 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference into this Item 5.02.
Special Equity Awards
On July 31, 2026, the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”) approved a Long-Term Growth Award to Matthew Gugino, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, with a target award value of $12,500,000 and on the same terms as described above for the Long-Term Growth Award granted to Ms. Sawyer Montgomery.
On July 31, 2026, the Compensation Committee also approved special equity grants, as of the Grant Date, of time-vesting restricted stock unit (“RSU”) awards to named executive officers Christopher P. Riley, the Company’s Executive Vice President, Biotechnology Group, and Jose-Carlos Gutierrez-Ramos, the Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Science Officer, with target award values of $8,000,000 and $2,625,000, respectively. Mr. Riley’s RSUs are scheduled to vest 50% on the 18-month anniversary and 50% on the 30-month anniversary of the Grant Date, and Mr. Gutierrez-Ramos’s RSUs are scheduled to vest 100% on the 12-month anniversary of the Grant Date, in each case subject to continued employment through the vesting date.
The foregoing summaries do not purport to be complete and are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by, reference to the full text of the forms of award agreements applicable to the Long-Term Growth Award and RSU awards described above, copies of which are filed as Exhibits 10.2 and 10.4 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference into this Item 5.02.
| ITEM 7.01 | REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE |
On August 3, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing the leadership transition described in Item 5.02 above. A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.
The information in this Item 7.01, including Exhibit 99.1, is being furnished pursuant to Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities under that Section, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.
| ITEM 8.01 | OTHER EVENTS |
On July 31, 2026, a special committee of the Board comprising solely disinterested directors recommended that the Compensation Committee approve special equity grants, effective as of the Grant Date, to Steven M. Rales, Chairman of the Board, and to Mitchell P. Rales, Chairman of the Executive Committee, and the Compensation Committee approved such recommended awards on the same date. The awards for each of Messrs. Steven and Mitchell Rales comprise non-qualified stock options to purchase 1,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock and restricted stock units with respect to 500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, in each case subject to the same time-vesting schedule as the Long-Term Growth Awards; namely, 50% on the fourth anniversary and 50% on the fifth anniversary of Grant Date, subject to continued employment through the applicable vesting date. Upon termination of employment due to death, disability or an involuntary termination of employment without cause, a prorated portion of the awards would accelerate vesting. Consistent with the Long-Term Growth Awards, the options will have a per-share exercise price equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the Grant Date and a ten-year term.
Messrs. Steven and Mitchell Rales, co-founders of the Company, are expected to remain in their existing Board and executive officer roles and to support execution of the Company’s strategic goals.
The special equity awards granted to Messrs. Steven and Mitchell Rales (together with the Long-Term Growth Awards and RSUs, the “Long-Term Growth Program”) are intended to align the interests of Mr. Steven Rales, Mr. Mitchell Rales and Ms. Sawyer Montgomery, along with other senior leaders, with those of our shareholders at a unique moment for the Company by rewarding the achievement of upside potential and requiring a lengthy service period. The Board believes that the sustained engagement of these executives will position the Company to successfully execute its next phase of growth and value creation.
The foregoing summaries do not purport to be complete and are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by, reference to the full text of the forms of award agreements applicable to Messrs. Steven and Mitchell Rales’s Long-Term Growth Awards and RSU awards, copies of which are filed as Exhibits 10.5 and 10.6 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference into this Item 8.01.
There is no change to Danaher’s previously communicated third quarter and full-year 2026 guidance. The Company expects to exclude the stock-based compensation expense from the Long-Term Growth Program from Adjusted Diluted Net Earnings Per Share.
Forward-Looking Statements and Additional Information
Statements that are not strictly historical, including the statements regarding the Company’s growth and other opportunities, the benefits of the Long-Term Growth Program to accelerate growth, the statements regarding the Company’s anticipated future performance, the pending acquisition of StatLab (which remains subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory clearances), and any other statements regarding events or developments that we believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future are “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those suggested or indicated by such forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. These factors include, among other things: our ability to retain key personnel, our ability to execute on growth and other opportunities, the impact of the tariffs and related actions implemented by the U.S. and other countries, the impact of our debt obligations (including debt we incurred to finance the acquisition of Masimo) on our operations and liquidity, deterioration of or instability in the global economy, the markets we serve and the financial markets, uncertainties with respect to the development, deployment, and use of artificial intelligence in our business and products, the impact of global health crises, uncertainties relating to national laws or policies, including laws or policies to protect or promote domestic interests and/or address foreign competition, our ability to successfully identify and consummate appropriate acquisitions and strategic investments, our ability to integrate the businesses we acquire and achieve the anticipated growth, synergies and other benefits of such acquisitions, contingent liabilities and other risks relating to acquisitions, investments, strategic relationships and divestitures (in each case, including with respect to our acquisition of Masimo), including tax-related and other contingent liabilities relating to past and future
IPOs, split-offs or spin-offs, contractions or growth rates and cyclicality of markets we serve, competition, our ability to develop and successfully market new products and technologies and expand into new markets, the potential for improper conduct by our employees, agents or business partners, our compliance with applicable laws and regulations (including rules relating to off-label marketing and other regulations relating to medical devices and the health care industry), the results of our clinical trials and perceptions thereof, our ability to effectively address cost reductions and other changes in the health care industry, security breaches or other disruptions of our information technology systems or violations of data privacy laws, risks relating to potential impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, currency exchange rates, tax audits and changes in our tax rate and income tax liabilities, changes in tax laws applicable to multinational companies, litigation, regulatory proceedings and other contingent liabilities including intellectual property and environmental, health and safety matters, the rights of the United States government with respect to our production capacity in times of national emergency or with respect to intellectual property/production capacity developed using government funding, risks relating to product, service or software defects, product liability and recalls, risks relating to our manufacturing operations, the impact of climate change, legal or regulatory measures to address climate change and other sustainability topics and our ability to address regulatory requirements or stakeholder expectations relating to climate change and other sustainability topics, risks relating to fluctuations in the cost and availability of the supplies we use (including commodities) and labor we need for our operations, our relationships with and the performance of our channel partners, uncertainties relating to collaboration arrangements with third-parties, the impact of deregulation on demand for our products and services, labor matters and our ability to recruit, retain and motivate talented employees, U.S. and non-U.S. economic, political, geopolitical, legal, compliance, social and business factors (including the impact of elections, regulatory and policy changes or uncertainty, government shutdowns and military conflicts such as the conflict in the Middle East), disruptions and other impacts relating to man-made and natural disasters, inflation and the impact of our By-law exclusive forum provisions. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in our SEC filings, including our 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the second quarter of 2026. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report and except to the extent required by applicable law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events and developments or otherwise.
| ITEM 9.01 | FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS |
(c) Exhibits:
| * | Indicates management contract or compensatory plan, contract or arrangement. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| DANAHER CORPORATION | ||||||
| Date: August 3, 2026 | By: | /s/ James F. O’Reilly | ||||
| James F. O’Reilly | ||||||
| Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Secretary; Chief Sustainability Officer | ||||||
Exhibit 10.1
[Danaher Letterhead]
August 3, 2026
Delivered via email
Julie Sawyer Montgomery
Dear Julie,
On behalf of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Danaher Corporation (the “Company”), I am pleased to offer you the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company (“CEO”) effective October 1, 2026 (the “Effective Date”). In your capacity as CEO, you will report to the Board and have all of the customary authorities, duties and responsibilities that accompany your position. On the Effective Date, you will also become a member of the Board, and agree to execute any documentation required in connection with such appointment.
Base Salary: On the Effective Date, your annual base salary will be adjusted to a rate of $1,500,000, subject to periodic review, and payable in accordance with the Company’s usual payroll practices.
Incentive Compensation: You will remain eligible to participate in the Executive Officer’s Incentive Compensation Plan (governed by and subject to the terms and conditions of Danaher’s Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”)) with an increased target bonus of 200% of your annual base salary, subject to periodic review. For 2026, your target bonus will be prorated to reflect the increase in base salary and target bonus percentage as of the Effective Date, and the Compensation Committee of the Board may establish new personal performance objectives for the portion of the year in which you serve as CEO.
Annual Equity Award Program: You will continue to participate in the annual equity program (governed by and subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the applicable award agreement) with a 2027 target award value of $13,200,000. The mix and terms of your awards will continue to be determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board and may include restrictive covenants substantially consistent with the Proprietary Interests Agreement (as defined below) but with a post-termination non-competition and non-solicitation period of up to 24 months.
Special Award: To further align your interests with the long-term performance of the Company, on August 4, 2026 (the “Grant Date”) you will be granted a special long-term growth award (the “Long-Term Growth Award”) with a target award value of $20,000,000 in the form of time-vesting non-qualified stock options that will vest 50% on each of the fourth and fifth anniversaries of the Grant Date subject to your continued employment through the applicable vesting date. The number of options will be determined in accordance with the Company’s standard conversion methodology, and the exercise price per share will be the Fair Market Value (as defined in the Plan) on the Grant Date. The Long-Term Growth Award will be governed by and subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the applicable award agreement and may include restrictive covenants substantially consistent with the Proprietary Interests Agreement (as defined below) but with a post-termination non-competition and non-solicitation period of up to 24 months.
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Aircraft Use: Commencing on the Effective Date, you will be eligible for an annual $125,000 perquisite allowance for personal use of the Company’s aircraft, with the value of any personal use of the aircraft in any year in excess of such perquisite allowance reimbursed by you to the Company in accordance with Company policy. In connection with your appointment, you will enter into a separate Aircraft Time Sharing Agreement with the Company.
Relocation Benefits; Financial Planning: As CEO, you will be based in the Company’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. In connection with your relocation, you will be eligible for relocation benefits, which are summarized in the Relocation Benefits Summary provided to you and governed by the Company’s Relocation Benefits Policy. You will continue to be eligible for reimbursement of up to $15,000 per year for financial and tax planning and preparation services (through the planner of your choice).
Proprietary Interests Agreement: Prior to the Effective Date (but no earlier than the date of your relocation), you and the Company agree to amend and restate that Agreement Regarding Competition and Protection of Proprietary Interests, dated February 13, 2026, between you and the Company (the “Proprietary Interests Agreement”) to reaffirm the covenants thereunder and to provide that if the Company terminates your employment without “cause” (as defined below) or you terminate your employment for “good reason” (as defined below) at any time on or after the later of the Effective Date and the effectiveness of the amended and restated Proprietary Interests Agreement (except if you terminate employment by reason of death or under circumstances that entitle you to receive long-term disability benefits), subject to you executing and causing to become irrevocable a release of claims in favor of the company within 55 days of the termination date, you will be entitled to (1) a cash amount equal to twelve months of your base salary at the monthly rate in effect on the termination date to be paid on the same schedule as if you were still employed by the Company, (2) the annual cash incentive compensation award for service in the calendar year prior to the year in which the termination date occurs, if it has not been paid prior to the termination date (payable at the same time payment of such compensation is made to the Company’s other executive officers, but in no event later than two and a half (2 1⁄2) months after the end of the calendar year in which the termination date occurs) (the “Accrued Obligation”), (3) a cash amount equal to your target annual cash incentive compensation award for the calendar year in which the termination date occurs (to be paid in a lump sum payment within 60 days after the termination date), and (4) a cash amount equal to the product of (x) your target annual cash incentive compensation award for the calendar year in which the termination date occurs, times (y) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of calendar days from the beginning of the calendar year in which the termination date occurs through the termination date, and the denominator of which is 365 (to be paid in a lump sum payment within 60 days after the termination date) (collectively, the “Severance Payments”); provided that, any severance payments paid to you under any other plan, agreement or policy of the Company or any of its affiliates (including without limitation the Senior Leaders Severance Pay Plan) will diminish the Severance Payments on a dollar-for-dollar basis, except with regard to the Accrued Obligation. For the avoidance of doubt, any subsidies for continued health coverage provided under the Senior Leaders Severance Pay Plan will not diminish the Severance Payments hereunder.
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Section 409A: Payments under this letter are intended to comply with, or be exempt from, the requirements of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) (including any amendments or successor provisions and any regulations and other administrative guidance thereunder, “Section 409A”). For purposes of Section 409A, each payment made under this letter will be treated as a separate payment. In no event may you, directly or indirectly, designate the calendar year of payment. Notwithstanding any provision of this letter to the contrary, if necessary to comply with the restriction in Section 409A(a)(2)(B) of the Code concerning payments to “specified employees” (as defined in Section 409A) any payment on account of your separation from service that would otherwise be due hereunder within six months after such separation will nonetheless be delayed until the first business day of the seventh month following the termination date and the first such payment will include the cumulative amount of any payments that would have been paid prior to such date if not for such restriction.
Miscellaneous: This letter supersedes any other agreements or representations, oral or otherwise, express or implied, with respect to the subject matter hereof which have been made by either party. Nothing in this offer amends, alters or supersedes your at-will employment status. This letter may be executed in several counterparts, each of which will be deemed to be an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument. All payments will continue to be subject to tax and other withholding and deductions, as required or permitted by applicable law and Company policies. This letter shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without applying its conflict of laws principles. The exclusive venue for any litigation based upon any fact, matter or claim arising out of or relating to this letter, including any contractual, statutory, tort, or common law claims, shall be the state or federal courts located in Delaware, and you hereby consent to any such court’s exercise of personal jurisdiction over you for such purpose.
We look forward to your leadership.
* * * * *
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| Sincerely yours, | ||
| /s/ Steven M. Rales | ||
| Name: Steven M. Rales | ||
| Title: Chairman of the Board | ||
| Danaher Corporation | ||
I have read, understood, and accept the terms of this offer of at-will employment.
| /s/ Julie Sawyer Montgomery | August 3, 2026 | |||
| Julie Sawyer Montgomery | Date |
[Signature Page to Offer Letter]
Exhibit 10.2
FINAL VERSION
AMENDED AND RESTATED DANAHER CORPORATION
OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN
LONG-TERM GROWTH AWARD OPTION AGREEMENT
Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the Amended and Restated Danaher Corporation Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) will have the same defined meanings in this Stock Option Agreement (the “Agreement”).
| I. | NOTICE OF STOCK OPTION GRANT |
Name:
Employee ID:
The undersigned Optionee has been granted Options to purchase Common Stock of the Company, subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement, as follows:
| Date of Grant |
_____________________________ | |
| Exercise Price per Share |
$____________________________ | |
| Total Number of Shares Granted |
_____________________________ | |
| Type of Option |
Nonstatutory Stock Option | |
| Expiration Date |
Tenth anniversary of Date of Grant | |
| Vesting Schedule: |
Vesting in equal installments (each, a “Tranche”) on the fourth and fifth anniversaries of Date of Grant | |
| II. | AGREEMENT |
1. Grant of Option. The Company hereby grants to the Optionee named in the Notice of Stock Option Grant (the “Optionee”), an option (the “Option” or the “Options,” as the case may be) to purchase the number of shares of Common Stock (the “Shares”) set forth in the Notice of Stock Option Grant, at the exercise price per Share set forth in the Notice of Stock Option Grant (the “Exercise Price”), and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Plan, which are incorporated herein by reference. For purposes of this Agreement, to the extent the Optionee is not employed by the Company, “Employer” means the Eligible Subsidiary that employs the Optionee.
2. Vesting.
(a) Vesting Schedule. Except as may otherwise be set forth in this Agreement or in the Plan, Options awarded to the Optionee shall not vest until the Optionee continues to be actively employed with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary for the periods required to satisfy the time-based vesting criteria (“Time-Based Vesting Criteria”) applicable to such Options. The Time-Based Vesting Criteria applicable to an Option are referred to as “Vesting Conditions,” and the earliest date upon which all Vesting Conditions are satisfied is referred to as the “Vesting Date.” The Vesting Conditions for an Option received by the Optionee are established by the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Company’s Board of Directors (or by one or more members of Company management, if such power has been delegated in accordance with applicable law) and reflected in the account
maintained for the Optionee by an external third-party administrator of the Options. Further, during any approved leave of absence (and without limiting the application of any other rules governing leaves of absence that the Committee may approve from time to time pursuant to the Plan), to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Committee shall have discretion to provide that the vesting of the Options shall be frozen as of the first day of the leave (or as of any subsequent day during such leave, as applicable) and shall not resume until and unless the Optionee returns to active employment prior to the Expiration Date of the Options.
(b) Fractional Shares. The Company will not issue fractional Shares upon the exercise of an Option. Any fractional Share will be rounded up and issued to the Optionee in a whole Share; provided that to the extent rounding a fractional Share up would result in the imposition of either (i) individual tax and penalty interest charges imposed under Section 409A of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (“Section 409A”), or (ii) adverse tax consequences if the Optionee is located outside of the United States, the fractional Share will be rounded down without the payment of any consideration in respect of such fractional Share.
(c) Addenda. The provisions of Addendum A, Addendum B and Addendum C (collectively, the “Addenda”), are incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this Agreement. To the extent any provision in the Addenda conflicts with any provision set forth elsewhere in this Agreement, the provision set forth in the Addenda shall control.
3. Exercise of Option.
(a) Right to Exercise. This Option shall be exercisable during its term in accordance with the Vesting Schedule set out in the Notice of Stock Option Grant and with the applicable provisions of the Plan and this Agreement.
(b) Method and Time of Exercise. This Option shall be exercisable by any method permitted by the Plan and this Agreement that is made available from time to time by the external third-party administrator of the Options. An exercise may be made with respect to whole Shares only, and not for a fraction of a Share. Shares shall not be issued under the Plan unless the issuance and delivery of such Shares comply with (or are exempt from) all applicable requirements of law, including (without limitation) the Securities Act, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, state securities laws and regulations, and the regulations of any stock exchange or other securities market on which the Company’s securities may then be traded. The Committee may require the Optionee to take any reasonable action in order to comply with any such rules or regulations. Assuming such compliance, for income tax purposes the Shares shall be considered transferred to the Optionee on the date the Option is exercised with respect to such Shares.
(c) Acknowledgment of Potential Securities Law Restrictions. Unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covers the Shares issued upon exercise of an Option, the Committee may require that the Optionee agree in writing to acquire such Shares for investment and not for public resale or distribution, unless and until the Shares subject to the Options are registered under the Securities Act. The Committee may also require the Optionee to acknowledge that the Optionee shall not sell or transfer such Shares except in compliance with all applicable laws, and may apply such other restrictions as it deems appropriate. The Optionee acknowledges that the U.S. federal securities laws prohibit trading in the stock of the Company by persons who are in possession of material, non-public information, and also acknowledges and understands the other restrictions set forth in the Company’s Insider Trading Policy.
(d) Automatic Exercise Upon Expiration Date. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement (other than this Section), on the last trading day on which all or a portion of the outstanding Option may be exercised, if as of the close of trading on such day the then Fair Market Value of a Share exceeds the per share Exercise Price of the Option by at least $0.01 (such expiring portion of the Option that is so in-the-money, an “Auto-Exercise Eligible Option”), the Optionee will be deemed to have automatically exercised such Auto-Exercise Eligible Option (to the extent it has not previously been exercised, forfeited or terminated) as of the close of trading in accordance with the provisions of this Section. In the event of an automatic exercise pursuant to this Section, the Company will reduce the number of Shares issued to the Optionee upon such automatic exercise of the Auto-Exercise Eligible Option in an amount necessary to satisfy (1) the Optionee’s Exercise Price obligation for the Auto-Exercise Eligible Option, and (2) up to the maximum amount (or such other rate that will not cause adverse accounting
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consequences for the Company) of tax required to be withheld in the applicable jurisdiction(s), if any, arising upon the automatic exercise in accordance with the procedures of Section 6(f) of the Plan (unless the Committee deems that a different method of satisfying the tax withholding obligations is practicable and advisable), in each case based on the Fair Market Value of the Shares as of the close of trading on the date of exercise. The Optionee may notify the Plan record-keeper in writing in advance that the Optionee does not wish for the Auto-Exercise Eligible Option to be exercised. This Section shall not apply to the Option to the extent that this Section causes the Option to fail to qualify for favorable tax treatment under applicable law. In its discretion, the Company may determine to cease automatically exercising Options at any time.
4. Method of Payment. Payment of the aggregate Exercise Price shall be by any of the following methods (or a combination thereof):
(a) cash, delivered to the external third-party administrator of the Options in any methodology permitted by such third-party administrator;
(b) upon the Administrator’s approval, through a reduction in the number of Shares issued to the Optionee upon the exercise of the Option with a value, based on their Fair Market Value on the date of exercise, equal to the aggregate Exercise Price;
(c) through a broker-dealer sale and remittance procedure under which the exercise notice directs that the Shares issued upon the exercise be delivered, either in certificate form or in book entry form, to a licensed broker acceptable to the Company as the agent for the Optionee and at the time the Shares are delivered to the broker, either in certificate form or in book entry form, the broker will tender to the Company cash or cash equivalents acceptable to the Company and equal to the aggregate Exercise Price; or
(d) upon the Administrator’s approval, surrender of other Shares owned by the Optionee which have a Fair Market Value on the date of surrender equal to the aggregate Exercise Price of the exercised Options.
5. Termination.
(a) General. In the event the Optionee’s active employment or other active service-providing relationship with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary terminates for any reason (other than death, Disability or Involuntary Termination) whether or not in breach of applicable labor laws, unless contrary to applicable law and unless otherwise provided by the Administrator either initially or subsequent to the grant of the Option, all unvested Options shall be automatically forfeited by the Optionee as of the date of termination and the Optionee’s right to receive options under the Plan shall also terminate as of the date of termination. The Committee shall have discretion to determine whether the Optionee has ceased to be actively employed by (or, if the Optionee is a consultant or director, has ceased actively providing services to) the Company or Eligible Subsidiary, and the effective date on which such active employment (or active service-providing relationship) terminated. The Optionee’s active employer-employee or other active service-providing relationship will not be extended by any notice period mandated under applicable law (e.g., active employment shall not include a period of “garden leave,” paid administrative leave or similar period pursuant to applicable law) and in the event of the Optionee’s termination of employment (whether or not in breach of applicable labor laws), the Optionee’s right to exercise any Option after termination of employment, if any, shall be measured by the date of termination of active employment or service and shall not be extended by any notice period mandated under applicable law. Unless the Committee provides otherwise, (1) termination of the Optionee’s employment will include instances in which the Optionee is terminated and immediately rehired as an independent contractor, and (2) the spin-off, sale, or disposition of the Employer from the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary (whether by transfer of shares, assets or otherwise) such that the Employer no longer constitutes an Eligible Subsidiary will constitute a termination of employment or service.
(b) General Post-Termination Exercise Period. In the event the Optionee’s employment (or other active service-providing relationship, as applicable) with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary terminates for any reason (other than death, Disability, Early Retirement, Normal Retirement, Involuntary Termination or Gross Misconduct), whether or not in breach of applicable labor laws, the Optionee shall have a period of 90 days, commencing with the date the Optionee is no longer actively employed (or is no longer actively providing services, as applicable), to exercise the vested portion of any outstanding Options, subject to the Expiration Date of the Option.
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However, if the exercise of an Option following the Optionee’s termination of employment (to the extent such post-termination exercise is permitted under Section 11(a) of the Plan) is not covered by an effective registration statement on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, then the Option will terminate upon the later of (i) thirty (30) days after such exercise becomes covered by an effective registration statement, (ii) in the event that a sale of Shares would subject the Optionee to liability under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, thirty (30) days after the last date on which such sale would result in liability, or (iii) the end of the original post-termination exercise period, but in no event may the Option be exercised after the Expiration Date of the Option.
(c) Death. Upon the Optionee’s death prior to termination of employment (or other active service-providing relationship, as applicable), unless contrary to applicable law and unless otherwise provided by the Administrator either initially or subsequent to the grant of the Option, all unvested Options automatically shall become fully vested and exercisable as of the date of the Optionee’s death and all unexpired Options may be exercised for a period of twelve (12) months thereafter (subject to the Expiration Date of the Option) by the personal representative of the Optionee’s estate or any other person to whom the Option is transferred under a will or under the applicable laws of descent and distribution.
(d) Disability. In the event the Optionee’s employment (or other active service-providing relationship) with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary terminates by reason of the Optionee’s Disability, unless contrary to applicable law and unless otherwise provided by the Administrator either initially or subsequent to the grant of the Option, all unvested Options automatically shall become fully vested and exercisable as of the date of the Optionee’s termination of employment for Disability and all unexpired Options may be exercised until the first anniversary of the termination of the Optionee’s active service-providing relationship for Disability (subject to the Expiration Date of the Option).
(e) Retirement. Notwithstanding the terms of the Plan, in the event the Optionee’s employment (or other active service-providing relationship) with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary terminates by reason of the Optionee’s Early Retirement or Normal Retirement, the vesting acceleration provisions of Early Retirement treatment or Normal Retirement treatment, as applicable, set forth in the Plan shall not apply to the Options.
(f) Involuntary Termination. In the event the Optionee’s employment (or other active service-providing relationship) with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary is terminated by the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary without Cause (as defined below) on or following the first anniversary of the Date of Grant (an “Involuntary Termination”), a pro rata portion of each Tranche, to the extent unvested, will become vested as of the date of the Optionee’s termination of employment or service and such Options, together with any Options that are vested as of such date, may be exercised: (i) until the Expiration Date of the Option, if the requirements of Normal Retirement are satisfied on the Optionee’s termination date; (ii) for a period of five (5) years following the date of the Optionee’s termination of employment or service (subject to the Expiration Date of the Option), if the requirements of Early Retirement are satisfied on the Optionee’s termination date; or (iii) for a period of 90 days following the date of the Optionee’s termination of employment or service, if the requirements of neither Normal Retirement nor Early Retirement are satisfied on the Optionee’s termination date; provided in each of case (i)-(iii) that the Optionee complies with the Release Requirement (as defined below). The pro rata portion of each Tranche will be determined by multiplying the number of Shares subject to such Tranche by a fraction, (i) the numerator of which is the number of full months during the period beginning on the Grant Date and ending on the Optionee’s termination date, with any partial month counted as a full month, and (ii) the denominator of which is the number of full months during the period beginning on the Grant Date and ending on the scheduled vesting date of the Tranche. Any unvested portion of the Option that does not vest in accordance with the foregoing will terminate and be forfeited.
(g) Release Requirement; Cause Definition. (i) Release. As a condition to the vesting and (if applicable) extended exercise period provided under Section 5(f), the Company may require the Optionee to execute (and not revoke) a separation and general release agreement in the form determined in the sole discretion of the Company (which release may include restrictive covenants in accordance with applicable law), which release must become effective in accordance with its terms within sixty (60) days following the date of the Optionee’s termination of employment or service. If the Optionee fails to timely execute such release or revokes such release, the vesting and extended exercise period provided under Section 5(f) shall not apply and the unvested Options shall terminate and be canceled as of the date of termination. (ii) Cause. For purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” means: (A) the Optionee’s dishonesty, fraud, misappropriation, embezzlement, willful misconduct or gross negligence with respect to the
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Company or any of its affiliates, or any other action in willful disregard of the interests of the Company or any of its affiliates; (B) the Optionee’s conviction of, or pleading guilty or no contest to (1) a felony, (2) any misdemeanor (other than a traffic violation), or (3) any other crime or activity that would impair the Optionee’s ability to perform duties or impair the business reputation of the Company or any of its affiliates; (C) the Optionee’s willful failure or refusal to satisfactorily perform any duties assigned to the Optionee; (D) the Optionee’s failure or refusal to comply with Company standards, policies or procedures, including without limitation the Company’s Standards of Conduct as amended from time to time; (E) the Optionee’s violation of any restrictive covenant agreement with the Company or any of its affiliates; (F) the Optionee’s engaging in any activity that is in conflict with the business purposes of the Company or any of its affiliates, as determined in the Company’s sole discretion; or (G) a material misrepresentation or a breach of any of the Optionee’s representations, obligations or agreements under the Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 5(f), if Cause exists at the time of the Optionee’s termination of employment or service (whether or not the termination is characterized as a termination for Cause), the vesting and extended exercise period provided under Section 5(f) shall not apply and the unvested Options shall terminate and be canceled as of the date of termination.
(h) Gross Misconduct. If the Optionee’s employment with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary is terminated for Gross Misconduct as determined by the Administrator, the Administrator in its sole discretion may provide that all, or any portion specified by the Administrator, of the Optionee’s unexercised Options shall terminate and be forfeited immediately without consideration. The Optionee acknowledges and agrees that the Optionee’s termination of employment shall also be deemed to be a termination of employment by reason of the Optionee’s Gross Misconduct if, after the Optionee’s employment has terminated, facts and circumstances are discovered or confirmed by the Company that would have justified a termination for Gross Misconduct.
(i) Violation of Post Termination Covenant. To the extent that any of the Optionee’s Options remain outstanding under the terms of the Plan or this Agreement after termination of the Optionee’s employment or service-providing relationship, as applicable, with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary, such Options shall nevertheless expire as of the date the Optionee violates any covenant not to compete or other post-termination covenant that exists between the Optionee, on the one hand, and the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, on the other hand.
(j) Substantial Corporate Change. Upon a Substantial Corporate Change, the Optionee’s outstanding Options will terminate unless provision is made in writing in connection with such transaction for the assumption or continuation of the Options, or the substitution for such Options of any options or grants covering the stock or securities of a successor employer corporation, or a parent or subsidiary of such successor, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of shares of stock and prices, in which event the Options will continue in the manner and under the terms so provided.
6. Non-Transferability of Option; Term of Option.
(a) Unless the Committee determines otherwise in advance in writing, the Option may not be transferred in any manner otherwise than by will or by the applicable laws of descent or distribution and may be exercised during the lifetime of the Optionee only by the Optionee and/or by the Optionee’s duly appointed guardian. The terms of the Plan and this Agreement shall be binding upon the executors, administrators, heirs and permitted successors and assigns of the Optionee.
(b) Notwithstanding any other term in this Agreement, the Option may be exercised only prior to the Expiration Date set out in the Notice of Stock Option Grant, and may be exercised during such term only in accordance with the Plan and the terms of this Agreement.
7. Amendment of Option or Plan.
(a) The Plan and this Agreement constitute the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and the Optionee with respect to the subject matter hereof. The Optionee expressly warrants that the Optionee is not accepting this Agreement in reliance on any promises, representations, or inducements other than those contained herein. The Board may amend, modify or terminate the Plan or any Option in any respect at any time; provided,
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however, that modifications to this Agreement or the Plan that materially and adversely affect the Optionee’s rights hereunder can be made only in an express written contract signed by the Company and the Optionee. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or this Agreement, the Company reserves the right to revise this Agreement and the Optionee’s rights under outstanding Options as it deems necessary or advisable, in its sole discretion and without the consent of the Optionee, (1) upon a Substantial Corporate Change, (2) as required by law, or (3) to comply with Section 409A or to otherwise avoid imposition of any additional tax or income recognition under Section 409A in connection with this award of Options.
(b) The Optionee acknowledges and agrees that, if the Optionee changes classification from a full-time employee to a part-time employee, the Committee may in its sole discretion (1) reduce or eliminate the Optionee’s unvested Options, and/or (2) extend any vesting schedule to one or more dates that occur on or before the Expiration Date.
8. Tax Obligations.
(a) Withholding Taxes. Regardless of any action the Company or the Employer takes with respect to any or all federal, state, local or foreign income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, fringe benefits tax, payment on account or other tax related items (“Tax-Related Items”), the Optionee acknowledges that the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items associated with the Option is and remains the Optionee’s responsibility and may exceed the amount actually withheld by the Company and that the Company and the Employer (i) make no representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with any aspect of the Option, including, but not limited to, the grant, vesting or exercise of the Option, the subsequent sale of Shares acquired pursuant to such exercise and the receipt of any dividends; and (ii) do not commit to structure the terms of the grant or any aspect of the Option to reduce or eliminate the Optionee’s liability for Tax-Related Items. Further, if the Optionee is subject to tax in more than one jurisdiction, the Optionee acknowledges that the Company and/or the Employer (or former employer, as applicable) may be required to withhold or account for Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction.
The Optionee shall, no later than the date as of which the value of an Option first becomes includible in the gross income of the Optionee for purposes of Tax-Related Items, pay to the Company and/or the Employer, or make arrangements satisfactory to the Administrator (in its sole discretion) regarding payment of, all Tax-Related Items required by applicable law to be withheld by the Company and/or the Employer with respect to the Option. The obligations of the Company under the Plan shall be conditional on the making of such payments or arrangements, and the Company and/or Employer shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, have the right to deduct any such Tax-Related Items from any payment of any kind otherwise due to the Optionee. With the approval of the Administrator, the Optionee may satisfy the foregoing requirement by:
(i) authorizing the withholding of a sufficient number of Shares otherwise issuable upon settlement of the Option that have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the amount of Tax-Related Items required to be withheld (the “Net Share Issuance Tax Withholding Method”);
(ii) delivering a sufficient number of unrestricted Shares already owned by the Optionee that have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the amount of Tax-Related Items required to be withheld (the “Existing Shares Tax Withholding Method”); or
(iii) authorizing the sale of a sufficient number of Shares otherwise issuable upon settlement of the Option that have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the amount of Tax-Related Items required to be withheld (the “Sell-To-Cover Tax Withholding Method”).
For purposes of the foregoing, (A) the Optionee shall be deemed to have been issued the full number of Shares otherwise issuable on the applicable exercise date, notwithstanding that a number of whole Shares are held back or sold to satisfy the Tax-Related Items required to be withheld, (B) the Company or the Employer may determine the amount of Tax-Related Items required to be withheld, in good faith and in its sole discretion, by reference to applicable withholding rates, including maximum withholding rates, so long as such rates will not cause adverse accounting consequences, and (C) the Company may also use any other method or combination of methods of obtaining the necessary payment or proceeds, as permitted by applicable law, to satisfy its withholding obligation for Tax-Related Items pertaining to any Option.
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(b) Code Section 409A. Payments made pursuant to the Plan and this Agreement are intended to qualify for an exemption from or comply with Section 409A. Notwithstanding any provision in the Agreement, the Company reserves the right, to the extent the Company deems necessary or advisable in its sole discretion, to unilaterally amend or modify the Plan and/or this Agreement to ensure that all Options granted to the Optionees who are United States taxpayers are made in such a manner that either qualifies for exemption from or complies with Section 409A; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations that the Plan or the Options shall be exempt from or comply with Section 409A and makes no undertaking to preclude Section 409A from applying to the Plan or any Options granted thereunder. If this Agreement fails to meet the requirements of Section 409A, neither the Company nor any of its Eligible Subsidiaries shall have any liability for any tax, penalty or interest imposed on the Optionee by Section 409A, and the Optionee shall have no recourse against the Company or any of its Eligible Subsidiaries for payment of any such tax, penalty or interest imposed by Section 409A.
9. Rights as Shareholder. Until all requirements for exercise of the Option pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and the Plan have been satisfied, the Optionee shall not be deemed to be a shareholder or to have any of the rights of a shareholder with respect to any Shares.
10. No Employment Contract. Nothing in the Plan or this Agreement constitutes an employment or service contract between the Company and the Optionee and this Agreement shall not confer upon the Optionee any right to continuation of employment or service with the Company or any of its Eligible Subsidiaries, nor shall this Agreement interfere in any way with the Company’s or any of its Eligible Subsidiaries’ right to terminate the Optionee’s employment or service at any time, with or without cause (subject to any employment or service agreement the Optionee may otherwise have with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary thereof and/or applicable law).
11. Board Authority. The Board and/or the Committee shall have the power to interpret this Agreement and to adopt such rules for the administration, interpretation and application of this Agreement as are consistent therewith and to interpret or revoke any such rules (including, but not limited to, the determination of whether any Options have vested). All interpretations and determinations made by the Board and/or the Committee in good faith shall be final and binding upon the Optionee, the Company and all other interested persons and such determinations of the Board or the Committee do not have to be uniform nor do they have to consider whether optionees are similarly situated.
12. Headings. The captions used in this Agreement and the Plan are inserted for convenience and shall not be deemed to be a part of the Option for construction and interpretation.
13. Electronic Delivery.
(a) If the Optionee executes this Agreement electronically, for the avoidance of doubt, the Optionee acknowledges and agrees that the Optionee’s execution of this Agreement electronically (through an online system established and maintained by the Company or a third party designated by the Company, or otherwise) shall have the same binding legal effect as would execution of this Agreement in paper form. The Optionee acknowledges that upon request of the Company the Optionee shall also provide an executed, paper form of this Agreement.
(b) If the Optionee executes this Agreement in paper form, for the avoidance of doubt the parties acknowledge and agree that it is their intent that any agreement previously or subsequently entered into between the parties that is executed electronically shall have the same binding legal effect as if such agreement were executed in paper form.
(c) If the Optionee executes this Agreement multiple times (for example, if the Optionee first executes this Agreement in electronic form and subsequently executes this Agreement in paper form), the Optionee acknowledges and agrees that (i) no matter how many versions of this Agreement are executed and in whatever medium, this Agreement only evidences a single grant of Options relating to the number of Shares set forth in the Notice of Stock Option Grant and (ii) this Agreement shall be effective as of the earliest execution of this Agreement by the parties, whether in paper form or electronically, and the subsequent execution of this Agreement in the same or a different medium shall in no way impair the binding legal effect of this Agreement as of the time of original execution.
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(d) The Company may, in its sole discretion, decide to deliver by electronic means any documents related to the Option, to participation in the Plan, or to future awards granted under the Plan, or otherwise required to be delivered to the Optionee pursuant to the Plan or under applicable law, including but not limited to, the Plan, this Agreement, the Plan prospectus and any reports of the Company generally provided to shareholders. Such means of electronic delivery may include, but do not necessarily include, the delivery of a link to the Company’s intranet or the internet site of a third party involved in administering the Plan, the delivery of documents via electronic mail (e-mail) or such other means of electronic delivery specified by the Company. By executing this Agreement, the Optionee hereby consents to receive such documents by electronic delivery. At the Optionee’s written request to the Secretary of the Company, the Company shall provide a paper copy of any document at no cost to the Optionee.
14. Data Privacy. The Company is located at 2200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 800W, Washington, D.C., 20037, United States of America and grants Options under the Plan to employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries in its sole discretion. In conjunction with the Company’s grant of Options under the Plan and its ongoing administration of such awards, the Company is providing the following information about its data collection, processing and transfer practices. In accepting the grant of the Option, the Optionee expressly and explicitly consents to the Personal Data Activities as described herein.
(a) Data Collection, Processing and Usage. The Company collects, processes and uses the Optionee’s personal data, including the Optionee’s name, home address, email address, and telephone number, date of birth, social insurance/passport number or other identification number, salary, citizenship, job title, any Shares or directorships held in the Company, and details of all Options or any other equity compensation awards granted, cancelled, exercised, vested, or outstanding in the Optionee’s favor, which the Company receives from the Optionee or the Employer. In granting the Option under the Plan, the Company will collect the Optionee’s Personal Information for purposes of allocating Shares and implementing, administering and managing the Plan. The Company’s legal basis for the collection, processing and usage of the Optionee’s Personal Information is the Optionee’s consent.
(b) Stock Plan Administration Service Provider. The Company transfers the Optionee’s Personal Information to Fidelity Stock Plan Services LLC, an independent service provider based in the United States, which assists the Company with the implementation, administration and management of the Plan. In the future, the Company may select a different Stock Plan Administrator and share the Optionee’s Personal Information with another company that serves in a similar manner. The Stock Plan Administrator will open an account for the Optionee to receive and trade Shares acquired under the Plan. The Optionee will be asked to agree on separate terms and data processing practices with the Stock Plan Administrator, which is a condition to the Optionee’s ability to participate in the Plan.
(c) International Data Transfers. The Company and the Stock Plan Administrator are based in the United States. The Optionee should note that the Optionee’s country of residence may have enacted data privacy laws that are different from the United States. The Company’s legal basis for the transfer of the Optionee’s Personal Information to the United States is the Optionee’s consent.
(d) Voluntariness and Consequences of Consent Denial or Withdrawal. The Optionee’s participation in the Plan and the Optionee’s grant of consent is purely voluntary. The Optionee may deny or withdraw the Optionee’s consent at any time. If the Optionee does not consent, or if the Optionee later withdraws the Optionee’s consent, the Optionee may be unable to participate in the Plan. This would not affect the Optionee’s existing employment or salary; instead, the Optionee merely may forfeit the opportunities associated with the Plan.
(e) Data Subject Rights. The Optionee may have a number of rights under the data privacy laws in the Optionee’s country of residence. For example, the Optionee’s rights may include the right to (i) request access or copies of personal data the Company processes, (ii) request rectification of incorrect data, (iii) request deletion of data, (iv) place restrictions on processing, (v) lodge complaints with competent authorities in the Optionee’s country of residence, and/or (vi) request a list with the names and addresses of any potential recipients of the Optionee’s Personal Information. To receive clarification regarding the Optionee’s rights or to exercise the Optionee’s rights, the Optionee should contact the Optionee’s local human resources department.
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15. Waiver of Right to Jury Trial. EACH PARTY, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WAIVES ANY RIGHT OR EXPECTATION AGAINST THE OTHER TO TRIAL OR ADJUDICATION BY A JURY OF ANY CLAIM, CAUSE OR ACTION ARISING WITH RESPECT TO THE OPTION OR HEREUNDER, OR THE RIGHTS, DUTIES OR LIABILITIES CREATED HEREBY.
16. Agreement Severable. In the event that any provision of this Agreement shall be held invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be severable from, and such invalidity or unenforceability shall not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of this Agreement.
17. Governing Law and Venue. The laws of the State of Delaware (other than its choice of law provisions) shall govern this Agreement and its interpretation. For purposes of litigating any dispute that arises with respect to this Option, this Agreement or the Plan, the parties hereby submit to and consent to the jurisdiction of the State of Delaware, and agree that such litigation shall be conducted in the courts of New Castle County, or the United States Federal court for the District of Delaware, and no other courts; and waive, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection that the laying of the venue of any legal or equitable proceedings related to, concerning or arising from such dispute which is brought in any such court is improper or that such proceedings have been brought in an inconvenient forum. Any claim under the Plan, this Agreement or any Option must be commenced by the Optionee within twelve (12) months of the earliest date on which the Optionee’s claim first arises, or the Optionee’s cause of action accrues, or such claim will be deemed waived by the Optionee.
18. Nature of Option. In accepting the Option, the Optionee acknowledges and agrees that:
(a) the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature and may be modified, amended, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time, to the extent permitted by the Plan;
(b) the Plan is operated and the Options are granted solely by the Company and only the Company is a party to this Agreement; accordingly, any rights the Optionee may have under this Agreement may be raised only against the Company;
(c) no entity other than the Company has any obligation to make any payment of any kind to the Optionee under this Agreement;
(d) the award of the Option is exceptional, voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future grants of options, benefits in lieu of options or other equity awards, even if options have been granted in the past;
(e) all decisions with respect to equity awards, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of the Company;
(f) the Optionee’s participation in the Plan is voluntary;
(g) the Option, and the income and value of same, is an extraordinary item that (i) does not constitute compensation of any kind for services of any kind rendered to the Company or any Subsidiary, and (ii) is outside the scope of the Optionee’s employment or service contract, if any;
(h) the Option, and the income and value of same, is not part of normal or expected compensation or salary for any purposes, including, but not limited to, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, redundancy, end-of-service payments, bonuses, holiday pay, long-service awards, pension or retirement or welfare benefits or similar payments and in no event should be considered as compensation for, or relating in any way to, past services for the Company or any Subsidiary;
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(i) the Option and any Shares acquired under the Plan, and the income from and value of same, are not intended to replace or supplement any pension rights or compensation;
(j) unless otherwise agreed with the Company in writing, the Option, and the income from and value of same, are not granted as consideration for, or in connection with, any service the Optionee may provide as a director of any Subsidiary;
(k) the future value of the underlying Shares is unknown, undeterminable and cannot be predicted with certainty;
(l) if the Shares do not increase in value, the Option will have no value;
(m) if the Optionee exercises the Option and obtains Shares, the value of the Shares obtained upon exercise may increase or decrease in value, even below the Exercise Price;
(n) in consideration of the award of the Option, no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages shall arise from termination of the Option or diminution in value of the Option, or recoupment of any Shares acquired under the Plan, or Shares purchased through the exercise of the Option, resulting from (i) termination of the Optionee’s employment or continuous service with the Company or any Subsidiary (for any reason whatsoever, whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of applicable labor laws), and/or (ii) the application of any recoupment policy or any recovery or clawback policy otherwise required by law, and in consideration of the grant of the Options, the Optionee agrees not to institute any claim against the Company or any Subsidiary; if, notwithstanding the foregoing, any such claim is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have arisen, then, by signing/electronically accepting this Agreement, the Optionee shall be deemed to have irrevocably waived the Optionee’s entitlement to pursue or seek remedy for any such claim; and
(o) neither the Company, the Employer nor any other Eligible Subsidiary shall be liable for any foreign exchange rate fluctuation between the Optionee’s local currency and the U.S. Dollar that may affect the value of the Option or of any amounts due to the Optionee pursuant to the exercise of the Option or the subsequent sale of any Shares acquired upon exercise.
19. Language. The Optionee acknowledges that the Optionee is proficient in the English language, or has consulted with an advisor who is sufficiently proficient in English, so as to allow the Optionee to understand the terms and conditions of this Agreement. If the Optionee has received the Plan, this Agreement or any other document related to the Plan translated into a language other than English and if the meaning of the translated version is different than the English version, the English version will control, unless otherwise prescribed by applicable law.
20. Severability. The provisions of this Agreement are severable and if any one or more provisions are determined to be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remaining provisions shall nevertheless be binding and enforceable.
21. Waiver. The Optionee acknowledges that a waiver by the Company of breach of any provision of this Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any other provision of this Agreement, or of any subsequent breach by the Optionee or any other participant.
22. Insider Trading/Market Abuse Laws. By accepting the Options, the Optionee acknowledges that the Optionee is bound by all the terms and conditions of any Company insider trading policy as may be in effect from time to time. The Optionee further acknowledges that, depending on the Optionee’s country, the Optionee may be or may become subject to insider trading restrictions and/or market abuse laws. The Optionee acknowledges that it is the Optionee’s personal responsibility to comply with any applicable restrictions, and the Optionee should speak to the Optionee’s personal advisor on this matter.
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23. Legal and Tax Compliance; Cooperation. If the Optionee resides or is employed outside of the United States, the Optionee agrees, as a condition of the grant of the Options, to repatriate all payments attributable to the Shares and/or cash acquired under the Plan if required by and in accordance with local foreign exchange rules and regulations in the Optionee’s country of residence (and country of employment, if different). Finally, the Optionee agrees to take any and all actions as may be required to comply with the Optionee’s personal legal and tax obligations under local laws, rules and regulations in the Optionee’s country of residence (and country of employment, if different).
24. Private Offering. The grant of the Options is not intended to be a public offering of securities in the Optionee’s country of residence (and country of employment, if different). The Company has not submitted any registration statement, prospectus or other filing with the local securities authorities with respect to the grant of the Options (unless otherwise required under local law). No employee of the Company is permitted to advise the Optionee on whether the Optionee should purchase Shares under the Plan or provide the Optionee with any legal, tax or financial advice with respect to the grant of the Options.
25. Foreign Asset/Account Reporting Requirements and Exchange Controls. The Optionee’s country may have certain exchange control and/or foreign asset/account reporting requirements which may affect the Optionee’s ability to acquire or hold Shares under the Plan or cash received from participating in the Plan. The Optionee acknowledges that it is the Optionee’s responsibility to comply with any applicable regulations.
26. Country-Specific Provisions. Notwithstanding any provisions of this Agreement, the Option and any Shares acquired under the Plan shall be subject to any additional or different terms and conditions for the Optionee’s country of employment (and country of residence, if different) as set forth in any Addenda. The Addenda constitute part of the Agreement.
27. Imposition of Other Requirements. The Company reserves the right to impose other requirements on the Optionee’s participation in the Plan, on the Option and on any Shares acquired under the Plan, to the extent the Company determines it is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons.
28. Recoupment. The Options granted pursuant to this Agreement are subject to the terms of all compensation clawback policies approved by or pursuant to delegation from the Danaher Corporation Board of Directors (or the Compensation Committee thereof) from time to time (collectively, the “Policies”) if and to the extent any of the Policies by its terms applies to the Options, and to the terms required by applicable law; and the terms of the Policies and such applicable law are incorporated by reference herein and made a part hereof.
29. Notices. The Company may, directly or through its third-party stock plan administrator, endeavor to provide certain notices to the Optionee regarding certain events relating to awards that the Optionee may have received or may in the future receive under the Plan. The Optionee acknowledges and agrees that (1) the Company has no obligation to provide any such notices; (2) to the extent the Company does provide any such notices, the Company does not thereby assume any obligation to provide any such notices; and (3) the Company, its Subsidiaries and the third-party stock plan administrator have no liability for any failure to provide such notices.
30. Limitations on Liability. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Plan or this Agreement, no individual acting as a director, employee, or agent of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries will be liable to the Optionee or the Optionee’s spouse, beneficiary, or any other person or entity for any claim, loss, liability, or expense incurred in connection with the Plan. No member of the Board or of the Committee will be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any Option.
31. Consent and Agreement With Respect to Plan. The Optionee (a) acknowledges that the Plan and the prospectus relating thereto are available to the Optionee on the website maintained by the Stock Plan Administrator; (b) represents that the Optionee has read and is familiar with the terms and provisions thereof, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel of the Optionee’s choice prior to executing this Agreement and fully understands all provisions of the Agreement and the Plan; (c) accepts this Option subject to all of the terms and provisions thereof; (d) consents and agrees to all amendments that have been made to the Plan since it was adopted in 2007; and (e) agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Committee upon any questions arising under the Plan or this Agreement.
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[If the Agreement is signed in paper form, complete and execute the following:]
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| Declaration of Data Privacy Consent. By providing the additional signature below, the Optionee explicitly declares the Optionee’s consent to the data-processing operations described in Section 14 of this Agreement. This includes, without limitation, the transfer of the Optionee’s Personal Information to, and the processing of such data by, the Company, the Employer or, as the case may be, the Stock Plan Administrator in the United States. The undersigned may withdraw the Optionee’s consent at any time, with future effect and for any or no reason as described in Section 14 of this Agreement. |
OPTIONEE
_________________________
Signature
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ADDENDUM A
This Addendum A includes additional terms and conditions that govern the Option granted to the Optionee if the Optionee resides and/or works in one of the countries listed herein. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the same meanings ascribed to them in the Notice of Stock Option Grant, the Agreement or the Plan.
This Addendum A also includes information regarding securities, exchange control, tax and certain other issues of which the Optionee should be aware with respect to the Optionee’s participation in the Plan. The information is based on the securities, exchange control, tax and other laws in effect as of January 2026. Such laws are often complex and change frequently. As a result, the Company strongly recommends that the Optionee not rely on the information contained herein as the only source of information relating to the consequences of the Optionee’s participation in the Plan because the information may be out of date at the time the Optionee exercises the Option or sells Shares acquired under the Plan.
In addition, this Addendum A is general in nature and may not apply to the Optionee’s particular situation, and the Company is not in a position to assure the Optionee of any particular result. Accordingly, the Optionee should seek appropriate professional advice as to how the relevant laws in the Optionee’s country apply to the Optionee’s specific situation.
If the Optionee is a citizen or resident (or is considered as such for local tax purposes) of a country other than the one in which the Optionee is currently working and/or residing, or if the Optionee transfers employment and/or residency to another country after the grant of the Option, the information contained herein may not be applicable to the Optionee in the same manner.
A-1
EUROPEAN UNION (“EU”) / EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA (“EEA”) / SWITZERLAND / THE
UNITED KINGDOM
Data Privacy
If the Optionee resides and/or is employed in the EU / EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, the following provision replaces Section 14 of the Agreement:
The Company, with registered offices at 2200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 800W, Washington, D.C. 20037, U.S.A., grants Options to employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliates, at its discretion. If the Optionee would like to participate in the Plan, the Optionee will need to review the information provided herein and any other Plan materials made available by the Company.
The Company collects, processes, and uses certain personal data, including the Optionee’s name, home address, email address, telephone number, date of birth, social insurance number, passport or other identification number, salary, nationality, job title, any shares or directorships held in the Company, details of all Options or other entitlements to Shares awarded, canceled, exercised, vested, unvested, or outstanding in the Optionee’s favor, for the exclusive purpose of implementing, administering, and managing the Plan.
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BELGIUM
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Acceptance of Options
The Optionee should be aware that if the Option is not affirmatively accepted within 60 days from the date of the offer, the Option will be deemed accepted on the 61st day and taxed at the time of grant based on the value at grant, rather than at exercise.
NOTIFICATIONS
Foreign Asset/Account Reporting Information
The Optionee is required to report any bank accounts opened or maintained outside of Belgium in the annual tax return, as well as on the Central Point of Contact of the National Bank of Belgium.
Stock Exchange Tax Information
A stock exchange tax may apply upon the sale of Shares acquired through the Plan. The Optionee should consult a personal tax advisor for further details regarding applicable rates.
A-3
CHINA
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Exchange Control Restrictions Applicable to the Optionees who are PRC Nationals
The Optionee understands and agrees that, pursuant to applicable exchange control laws and regulations in China, the Optionee is required to repatriate to China any proceeds from the sale of Shares or dividends received in connection with the Plan within a prescribed time period.
Method of Exercise
Notwithstanding anything in the Agreement, the Optionee may exercise the Option only by a cashless sell-all exercise method whereby all Shares subject to the exercised Option will be sold immediately upon exercise and the proceeds, less the Exercise Price and applicable fees and taxes, will be remitted to the Optionee.
NOTIFICATIONS
Exchange Control Notice
The Optionee is required to comply with the exchange control regulations of the People’s Republic of China, including the requirement to repatriate any foreign currency proceeds to China through a designated bank account approved by SAFE.
Foreign Asset/Account Reporting Information
PRC residents may be required to report details of their overseas financial assets and liabilities to SAFE. The Optionee should consult a qualified advisor regarding applicable reporting obligations.
A-4
DENMARK
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Danish Stock Option Act
By accepting the Option, the Optionee acknowledges receipt of an Employer Statement in Danish providing certain details about the Plan as required under the Danish Stock Option Act (Aktieoptionsloven).
NOTIFICATIONS
Foreign Asset/Account Reporting Information
Danish residents must report any Shares held in foreign bank or brokerage accounts on the annual tax return, as well as any foreign accounts in which proceeds from the sale of Shares are held.
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FRANCE
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Consent to Receive Information in English
By accepting the Option, the Optionee confirms having read and understood the Plan documents which were provided in English and accepts the terms. The Optionee confirms being sufficiently proficient in English or having been able to obtain translation into French.
NOTIFICATIONS
Tax Information
The Option is not intended to qualify for specific tax or social security treatment in France. The Optionee should consult a personal tax advisor for information about the tax treatment applicable to the Option.
Exchange Control Notice
The Optionee may hold Shares outside of France provided the Optionee declares all foreign bank accounts (including brokerage accounts) on the annual tax return.
Foreign Asset/Account Reporting Information
French residents holding Shares or maintaining a brokerage account outside of France must declare such accounts on their annual income tax return (Form 3916 or 3916-bis).
A-6
GERMANY
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
None.
NOTIFICATIONS
Exchange Control Notice
Cross-border payments in excess of EUR 12,500 must be reported to the German Federal Bank (Bundesbank) on a monthly basis. The Optionee should consult a qualified advisor regarding applicable reporting obligations.
A-7
SWITZERLAND
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
None.
NOTIFICATIONS
Securities Law Notice
The offer of Options is considered a private offering in Switzerland and is not subject to registration. Neither this document nor any other materials relating to the Plan constitute a prospectus within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (FinSA).
A-8
UNITED KINGDOM
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Termination
Notwithstanding anything in the Agreement, the Option shall terminate no later than 90 days following the date of termination of the Optionee’s employment with the Company or any Subsidiary, unless such termination is by reason of death, disability, or retirement, in which case the applicable post-termination exercise period under the Agreement shall apply.
Tax Obligations
The Optionee agrees that the Optionee is liable for all income tax and National Insurance contributions (employee and, if applicable and to the extent permitted by law, employer contributions) arising from the grant, vesting, or exercise of the Option, or the acquisition or sale of Shares, and the Optionee indemnifies the Company and the Employer against any such liability.
NOTIFICATIONS
None.
A-9
ADDENDUM B
DANISH EMPLOYER STATEMENT
This Addendum B contains the employer statement required under the Danish Stock Option Act. This employer statement is provided to the Optionee who is employed in Denmark as required by the Danish Stock Option Act (the “Act”).
The Optionee also acknowledges that any grant of Options under the Plan made on or after January 1, 2019, is subject to the rules of the amended Act. Accordingly, the Optionee agrees that the treatment of Options upon the Optionee’s termination of employment is governed solely by Section 5 of the Agreement and any corresponding provisions in the Plan. The relevant termination provisions are also detailed in the Employer Statement.
Shares are financial instruments and investing in shares always involves a financial risk. The possibility of making a profit at the time you sell your shares depends on the Company’s financial performance and its future prospects, as well as other factors such as the general economic situation and the situation in the financial markets. The value of any of the Company’s ordinary shares that you purchase by exercising the share option can go both up and down. Previously achieved results of the Company’s ordinary shares do not necessarily reflect how they will perform in the future. There are no guarantees that a share which you purchase by exercising the share option will increase in value or retain the value that it had when it was purchased/granted.
You are ultimately responsible for compliance with the obligations in regard to income tax, social insurances, or other tax withholdings (hereinafter “Tax-related matters”) in connection with the Grant or the exercise thereof. By accepting the Grant, you simultaneously give permission for the Company and its subsidiaries to withhold all applicable Tax-related matters that you are legally obligated to pay of your salary or other compensation paid to you by the Company or its subsidiaries, or by proceeds from the sale of shares.
[Danish language version of the above statement follows]
Addendum B
ADDENDUM C
HONG KONG PERSONAL DATA COLLECTION STATEMENT
This Addendum C contains the Personal Data Collection Statement applicable to Optionees in Hong Kong.
Access and Correction of Personal Data
Under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, the Optionee has the right to ascertain whether the Hong Kong Employer holds the Optionee’s Personal Information, to obtain a copy of the data, and to correct any data that is inaccurate. The Optionee may also request the Hong Kong Employer to inform the Optionee of the type of personal data that it holds.
Requests for access and correction or for information regarding policies and practices and kinds of data in connection with the Plan should be addressed in writing to:
Danaher’s Corporate Compensation department at the headquarters address of Danaher Corporation set forth above
A small fee may be charged to offset our administrative costs in complying with the Optionee’s access requests.
Nothing in this statement shall limit the rights of the Optionee under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.
The Optionee’s signature set forth on the signature page of this Agreement represents the Optionee’s acknowledgement of the terms contained herein.
* * * * *
Addendum C
Exhibit 10.3
EXECUTION VERSION
August 3, 2026
VIA E-MAIL
Rainer M. Blair
Dear Rainer,
This letter (this “Agreement”) is to memorialize our agreement regarding the transition of your employment with Danaher Corporation (the “Company”). Reference is made to that Amended and Restated Agreement Regarding Competition and Protection of Proprietary Interests, dated May 6, 2020, by and between you and the Company (your “Proprietary Interests Agreement”).
As of October 1, 2026 (the “Transition Date”), your service as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company will cease and you will assume a non-officer employee position as Senior Advisor for a term ending on December 31, 2026 or, if earlier, upon your termination by the Company for Cause (as defined below) or upon the occurrence of your death or permanent disability (the “Employment Separation Date”), when your employment with the Company will cease. As of the Transition Date, you will be deemed to resign from the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) and as a director, member, or officer of the Company and any of its subsidiaries, and you agree to execute any such agreements to that effect as reasonably requested by the Company. You and the Company acknowledge and agree that the termination of your employment with the Company upon the Employment Separation Date will constitute a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and the regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, “Section 409A”).
If the Employment Separation Date occurs on December 31, 2026, as of January 1, 2027, you will continue to provide services to the Company as a non-employee consultant for a term ending on March 31, 2027 or, if earlier, upon a termination of your service by the Company for Cause or upon the occurrence of your death or permanent disability (the “Consultancy Separation Date”), when your service to the Company will cease. From the Transition Date to the Employment Separation Date (the “Advisory Period”), you shall remain an employee of the Company, and from the Employment Separation Date to the Consultancy Separation Date, you shall serve as a non-employee consultant of the Company (the “Consultancy Period”). During both the Advisory Period and the Consultancy Period, you shall provide advice and counsel as may be reasonably requested by the Board and, as applicable, the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company (the “CEO”) and perform such other duties commensurate with your experience as may be reasonably assigned to you by the Board or the CEO. The Company will not terminate the Advisory Period or the Consultancy Period other than as a result of you committing cause (as defined in your Proprietary Interests Agreement, “Cause”). During the Consultancy Period, you shall be permitted to provide services to other entities (including, for the avoidance of doubt, services as a member of the board of directors or other similar body of such other entities) so long as such services do not materially interfere or conflict with your obligations hereunder and do not violate any covenants set forth in the Proprietary Interests Agreement. During the Advisory Period and Consultancy Period, you shall be permitted to perform your duties to the Company remotely; provided, that the Company shall provide you with access to its facilities (including reasonable office space therein). During the Advisory Period, you shall also have access to de minimis support for transition-related matters from your current administrative assistant.
Base Salary. For the Advisory Period, your annual base salary rate shall remain at its current level ($1,600,000), and shall be payable in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices.
Annual Bonus. Subject to your continued employment through December 31, 2026 (or in the event of your death or permanent disability prior to December 31, 2026), the Company will pay you a full annual cash incentive award for calendar year 2026 (governed by and subject to the terms and conditions of Danaher’s Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”)), and the amount you receive will be based on your current target annual cash incentive compensation opportunity and actual Company performance results (with your Personal Payout Percentage awarded at 100%). Any annual cash incentive compensation payable for 2026 shall be paid at the time that such awards are normally paid to the Company’s executive officers but no later than March 15, 2027.
Long-Term Incentives. All outstanding equity awards will vest and be paid in accordance with and subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the applicable award agreements. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company acknowledges your separation as of the Employment Separation Date for any reason other than for Cause will satisfy the definition of “Early Retirement” under the Plan, and you will be eligible for such treatment under the Plan subject to your compliance with the applicable terms and conditions of the Plan and the applicable award agreements and, if applicable, subject to any death or disability treatment under the Plan.
Perquisites. During the Advisory Period, you shall continue to receive and be eligible for the perquisites you currently receive, except that during the Advisory Period you will not be entitled to use of the Company’s aircraft. To the extent that, solely as reasonably requested by the Board or the CEO, you are required to travel for business purposes during the Advisory Period or the Consultancy Period, the Company shall reimburse you for reasonable travel costs at no less than business class levels (or pay such costs directly). The Company shall also reimburse you for certain reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs incurred by you in the review, drafting and negotiation of this Agreement as separately agreed by you and the Company.
Retirement Plans and Group Health and Welfare Plans. During the Advisory Period, you shall continue to be eligible for benefits under the Company’s existing qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, and under the Company’s group health and welfare plans, each as in effect from time to time pursuant to the plan documents governing each of such plans and at levels no less favorable than you participate in such plans as of the date hereof unless changes are made with respect to participants generally. Subject to your compliance with the Release Requirement (as defined below), following your separation as of the Employment Separation Date for any reason other than for Cause, if you timely and properly elect to continue group health coverage pursuant to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, as amended (“COBRA”), the Company shall pay you a lump sum payment equal to the amount the Company would have otherwise contributed toward your group health, prescription, vision and dental coverage premium as an active employee for 12 months (the “COBRA Benefit”) within 30 calendar days following the effectiveness of the Supplemental Release.
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Separation Benefits. Subject to your compliance with the Release Requirement, following your separation as of the Employment Separation Date for any reason other than for Cause (including in the event of your death or permanent disability), the Company shall pay you (i) $1,600,000, which represents a cash amount equal to 12 months of your base salary (excluding incentive compensation, bonus amounts, benefits and similar items) at the current monthly rate, and which shall be paid (A) as to $900,000, in a lump sum within 30 calendar days following the effectiveness of the Supplemental Release and (B) as to the remaining $700,000, on the same schedule as if you were still employed by the Company, over the six-month period commencing with the first regularly scheduled payroll date following the six month anniversary of the effectiveness of the Supplemental Release, and (ii) $3,200,000 in a lump sum, which represents a cash amount equal to your current target annual cash incentive, which shall be payable within 30 calendar days following the effectiveness of the Supplemental Release. You hereby acknowledge that the foregoing benefits, together with the COBRA Benefit, are in full satisfaction of any termination-related benefits due to you under any arrangements or agreements with the Company or any Company policy.
Consultancy Fees. For the Consultancy Period, you will receive monthly fees of $133,333.33, consistent with the current monthly rate of your annual base salary. For the avoidance of doubt, you shall not be an employee during any portion of 2027 and you shall not be entitled to any employment-related compensation or benefits during or in respect of 2027, except as expressly provided above.
Release Requirement. You agree to execute and cause to become irrevocable the release attached hereto as Exhibit A within thirty (30) days after the Transition Date and a supplemental release and general waiver in a substantially similar form that is reasonably acceptable to the Company (the “Supplemental Release”, and each, a “Release”) within thirty (30) days after the Employment Separation Date (the “Release Requirement”).
Restrictive Covenants. You will continue to abide by the restrictive covenants set forth in Sections 1-6, 8-9 and 15-16 of your Proprietary Interests Agreement (collectively, the “Restrictive Covenants”) during the Advisory Period and the Consultancy Period (as if you were employed during the Consultancy Period) with any post-employment termination period thereunder commencing on the Consultancy Separation Date. The Company agrees that from the date of the announcement of your transition and thereafter, it shall instruct its executive officers and directors not to make any false statement about you to other employees, customers, vendors or any other third party. The Restrictive Covenants are incorporated herein by reference and shall remain in full force and effect. You understand that nothing in this Agreement or any other agreement between you and the Company, shall in any way limit or prohibit you from engaging in any Protected Activity. “Protected Activity” shall mean filing a charge, complaint, or report with, or otherwise communicating with, cooperating with, providing information to, responding to any inquiries from or participating in any investigation or proceeding that may be conducted by, any federal, state or local government agency or commission, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the National Labor Relations Board (“Agencies”), or discussing the terms and conditions of your employment with others to the extent expressly permitted by Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. You understand that in connection with such Protected Activity, you are permitted to disclose documents or other information to Agencies as permitted by law, and without giving notice to, or receiving authorization from, the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you agree to take all reasonable precautions to prevent any unauthorized use or disclosure of any information that may constitute confidential information of the Company to any parties other than the relevant Agencies. You further understand that “Protected Activity” does not include the disclosure of any Company attorney-client privileged communications, and that any such disclosure without the Company’s written consent shall constitute a material breach of this Agreement.
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Indemnification. The Indemnification Agreement, dated January 1, 2017, between you and the Company remains in effect in accordance with its terms; provided, that the Company acknowledges and agrees that your service to the Company during the Advisory Period and the Consultancy Period shall entitle you to indemnification as a result of your Corporate Status (as defined in the Indemnification Agreement) under such Indemnification Agreement, and the Company will provide continued D&O coverage for your actions and inactions prior to the Transition Date.
No Mitigation. In no event shall you be obligated to seek or obtain other employment after the Employment Separation Date or the Consultancy Separation Date or take any other action by way of mitigation of the amounts payable to you under any of the provisions of this Agreement and the amounts payable hereunder will not be reduced or offset by any compensation you may receive from any subsequent employment after the Employment Separation Date.
Entire Agreement. Except as expressly provided herein or in the Releases, this Agreement, together with the Releases, supersedes any other agreements or representations, oral or otherwise, express or implied, with respect to the subject matter hereof which have been made by either party.
Section 409A: Payments under this letter are intended to comply with, or be exempt from, the requirements of Section 409A. If you and the Company agree that any payment under this letter does not comply with Section 409A, you and the Company shall in good faith attempt to modify this letter to comply with Section 409A while endeavoring to maintain its economic intent. For purposes of Section 409A, each payment made under this letter will be treated as a separate payment. Notwithstanding any provision of this letter to the contrary, if necessary to comply with the restriction in Section 409A(a)(2)(B) of the Code concerning payments to “specified employees” (as defined in Section 409A) any payment on account of your separation from service that would otherwise be due hereunder within six months after such separation will nonetheless be delayed until the first business day of the seventh month following the termination date and the first such payment will include the cumulative amount of any payments that would have been paid prior to such date if not for such restriction.
Miscellaneous. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which will be deemed to be an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument. All payments will continue to be subject to tax and other withholding and deductions, as required or permitted by applicable law and Company policies. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without applying its conflict of laws principles. The exclusive venue for any litigation based upon any fact, matter or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement, including any contractual, statutory, tort, or common law claims, shall be the state or federal courts located in Delaware, and you hereby consent to any such court’s exercise of personal jurisdiction over you for such purpose.
[Signature Page Follows]
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Please indicate your agreement to the above by signing and returning a copy of this Agreement to the Company.
Sincerely,
| /s/ Steven M. Rales |
(on behalf of Danaher Corporation) | |
| Name: Steven M. Rales | ||
| Title: Chairman of the Board | ||
| Date: August 3, 2026 |
Acknowledged and agreed:
| /s/ Rainer M. Blair |
| Rainer M. Blair |
| Date: August 3, 2026 |
[Signature Page to Transition Letter]
Exhibit A
RELEASE OF CLAIMS
Pursuant to the letter agreement of even date herewith (the “Transition Agreement”) by and between Rainer M. Blair (the “Executive”) and Danaher Corporation, a Delaware corporation (including its successors and assigns, the “Company”), the Executive is required to execute and deliver this Release. Words used herein with an initial capital letter, but not otherwise defined herein, shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Transition Agreement.
The Executive agrees that, except as otherwise expressly provided below, his acceptance of the Transition Agreement to which this Release is an Exhibit constitutes: (i) a full, complete, and knowing waiver of any claims, whether or not asserted, that the Executive may have against the Company or any of its respective subsidiaries or affiliates (collectively, “Company Parties”) arising out of the Executive’s employment through the date hereof, or the change in the Executive’s position and responsibilities as contemplated by the Transition Agreement, including, but not limited to, any claims the Executive may have under law for wages, bonuses, torts, contracts, or under employment agreements (including under the Proprietary Interests Agreement or under any federal, state, or local statute, regulation, rule, ordinance, or order which covers or purports to cover or relates to any aspect of employment, including, but not limited to, discrimination based on race, sex, age, religion, national origin, citizenship, sexual orientation, physical, medical, or mental condition or marital status under, among other statutes, the National Labor Relations Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, as amended, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended, the Civil Rights Acts of 1866 and 1991, Sections 1981 through 1988 of Title 42 of the United States Code, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act; the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Immigration Reform Control Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, the Delaware Discrimination in Employment Act, the Delaware Handicapped Persons Employment Protections Act, the District of Columbia Human Rights Act of 1977, and any other federal, state or local civil rights, retaliation, discrimination or labor laws; and (ii) an irrevocable and unconditional release, of the Company Parties, and each of the Company Parties’ shareholders, directors, officers, employees, representatives, attorneys, and all persons acting by, through, under or in concert with any of them (collectively “Releasees”), or any of them, from any and all complaints, claims, controversies, damages, actions, causes of action, suits, rights, demands, costs, losses, debts, and expenses (including attorney’s fees and costs actually incurred), of any nature whatsoever, known or unknown, which the Executive now has, owns, holds, or claims to have, own, or hold, or claimed to have, own, or hold, or which the Executive at any time hereafter may have, own, or hold, or claim to have, own, or hold, from the beginning of time until the date of this Release, in each case, arising out of or in any manner relating to all events or circumstances in any way related to the Proprietary Interests Agreement, the Executive’s employment with the Company through the date hereof or the change in the Executive’s position and responsibilities as
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contemplated by the Transition Agreement, against each of the Releasees. None of the provisions of this Release in any way affects the authority of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) to investigate or seek relief in connection with any claim. However, if the EEOC were to pursue any matters that are released herein, the Executive agrees that this Release will control as the exclusive remedy and full settlement of all such claims by the Executive for monetary and non-monetary relief.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Release shall waive, release or modify in any way any (1) any right provided to Executive under the Transition Agreement; (2) any unpaid deferred compensation (together with any accrued interest or earnings thereon) including deferred bonuses allocated or credited to the Executive or his account as of the date hereof, (3) any amounts which the Executive is eligible to receive in accordance with the terms of any plan, program, policy, practice, contract, or agreement of the Company and its affiliated companies applicable to the Executive, (4) any claim in respect of any compensatory equity awards granted to him by the Company and outstanding on the date hereof or as a stockholder of the Company; (5) any claim in respect to any base salary earned but unpaid as of the date hereof, (6) any claim for reimbursement in accordance with the Company’s otherwise applicable policies and programs of any expenses incurred prior to the date hereof, (7) any claim or right to indemnification in respect of his services as a director, officer or employee of any of Company Entities, whether arising at law, by contract or pursuant to the Company’s policies, practices, plans, program or procedures or any right or claim as an insured under any of the Company’s directors and officers insurance policies; (8) any claims solely relating to the validity of the release under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended; (9) any non-waivable right to file a charge with the EEOC; or any right or claim arising after the date hereof.
The Executive warrants that he is fully competent to enter into the Transition Agreement and this Release and acknowledges that he has been afforded the opportunity to review both the Transition Agreement and this Release with his attorney for at least twenty-one (21) calendar days, that he has been advised to consult with an attorney prior to executing this Release, that he has read completely, and fully understands the terms of the Transition Agreement and this Release, and that he has signed the Transition Agreement and this Release freely and voluntarily. Further, he acknowledges that he has the opportunity to revoke this Release within seven (7) calendar days of signing it (“Revocation Period”). Such revocation shall be ineffective unless it is communicated in writing to the Company’s General Counsel before the end of the Revocation Period. The Executive expressly agrees that, in the event of such revocation of this Release by the Executive, the Executive shall not be entitled to the COBRA Benefit, any benefits under the “Separation Benefits” section of the Transition Agreement or any severance or termination-related benefits under any other arrangement of or with the Company (other than the Early Retirement related benefits set forth in Long-Term Incentives above). The parties also recognize that the Executive may elect to sign this Release prior to the expiration of the 21-day consideration period specified herein, and the Executive agrees that if he elects to do so, the Executive’s election is knowing and voluntary and comes after full opportunity to consult with an attorney.
[Signature Page Follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Executive has caused this Release to be executed as of [DATE].
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| Name: |
SWORN TO AND SUBSCRIBED
BEFORE ME THIS DAY OF
Notary Public
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Exhibit 10.4
FINAL VERSION
AMENDED AND RESTATED DANAHER CORPORATION
OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN
SPECIAL RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT
Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the Amended and Restated Danaher Corporation Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) will have the same defined meanings in this Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (the “Agreement”).
| I. | NOTICE OF GRANT |
Name:
Employee ID:
The undersigned Participant has been granted an award of Restricted Stock Units, subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement, as follows (each of the following capitalized terms are defined terms having the meaning indicated below):
| Date of Grant |
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| Number of Restricted Stock Units |
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| Time-Based Vesting Criteria |
Vesting [in [•] installments] on the [•] anniversar[y][ies] of Date of Grant | |||||
| II. | AGREEMENT |
1. Grant of RSUs. The Company hereby grants to the Participant named in this Notice of Grant (the “Participant”), an award of Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”) to acquire the number of shares of Common Stock (the “Shares”) set forth in the Notice of Grant, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Plan, which are incorporated herein by reference. For purposes of this Agreement, to the extent the Participant is not employed by the Company, “Employer” means the Eligible Subsidiary that employs the Participant.
2. Vesting.
(a) Vesting Schedule. Except as may otherwise be set forth in this Agreement or in the Plan, with respect to [each][the] Tranche of RSUs granted under this Agreement (a “Tranche” consists of all RSUs as to which the Time-Based Vesting Criteria are scheduled to be satisfied on the same date), the Tranche shall not vest unless the Participant continues to be actively employed with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary for the period required to satisfy the Time-Based Vesting Criteria applicable to [such][the] Tranche (the date on which the Time-Based Vesting Criteria applicable to [a][the] Tranche are scheduled to be satisfied is the “Time-Based Vesting Date”). [Vesting shall be determined separately for each Tranche.] The Time-Based Vesting Criteria applicable to [any][the] Tranche are referred to as “Vesting Conditions,” and the date upon which all Vesting Conditions applicable to [that][the] Tranche are satisfied is referred to as the “Vesting Date” for [such][the] Tranche. The Vesting Conditions shall be established by the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Company’s Board of Directors (or by one or more members of Company management, if such power has been delegated in accordance with the Plan and applicable law) and reflected in the account maintained for the Participant by an external third party administrator of the RSUs. Further, during any approved leave of absence (and without limiting the application of any other rules governing leaves of absence that the Committee may approve from time to time pursuant to the Plan, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Committee shall have discretion to provide that the vesting of the RSUs shall be frozen as of the first day of the leave (or as of any subsequent day during such leave, as applicable) and shall not resume until and unless the Participant returns to active employment.
(b) Fractional RSU Vesting. In the event the Participant is vested in a fractional portion of an RSU (a “Fractional Portion”), such Fractional Portion will be rounded up and converted into a whole Share and issued to the Participant; provided that to the extent rounding a Fractional Share up would result in the imposition of either (i) individual tax and penalty interest charges imposed under Section 409A of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (“Section 409A”), or (ii) adverse tax consequences if the Participant is located outside of the United States, the fractional Share will be rounded down without the payment of any consideration in respect of such fractional Share.
3. Form and Timing of Payment; Conditions to Issuance of Shares.
(a) Form and Timing of Payment. The award of RSUs represents the right to receive a number of Shares equal to the number of RSUs that vest pursuant to the Vesting Conditions. Unless and until the RSUs have vested in the manner set forth in Sections 2 and 4, the Participant shall have no right to payment of any such RSUs. Prior to actual issuance of any Shares underlying the RSUs, such RSUs will represent an unsecured obligation of the Company, payable (if at all) only from the general assets of the Company. Subject to the other terms of the Plan and this Agreement, with respect to any Tranche that vests in accordance with Sections 2 and 4, the underlying Shares will be paid to the Participant in whole Shares within 90 days of the Vesting Date for [that][the] Tranche. The Shares shall not be issued under the Plan unless the issuance and delivery of such Shares comply with (or are exempt from) all applicable requirements of law, including (without limitation) the Securities Act, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, state securities laws and regulations, and the regulations of any stock exchange or other securities market on which the Company’s securities may then be traded. The Committee may require the Participant to take any reasonable action in order to comply with any such rules or regulations.
(b) Acknowledgment of Potential Securities Law Restrictions. Unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covers the Shares issued upon vesting of an RSU, the Committee may require that the Participant agree in writing to acquire such Shares for investment and not for public resale or distribution, unless and until the Shares subject to the RSUs are registered under the Securities Act. The Committee may also require the Participant to acknowledge that the Participant shall not sell or transfer such Shares except in compliance with all applicable laws, and may apply such other restrictions as it deems appropriate. The Participant acknowledges that the U.S. federal securities laws prohibit trading in the stock of the Company by persons who are in possession of material, non-public information, and also acknowledges and understands the other restrictions set forth in the Company’s Insider Trading Policy.
4. Termination.
(a) General. In the event the Participant’s active employment or other active service providing relationship, as applicable, with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary terminates (the date of any such termination is referred to as the “Termination Date”) for any reason (other than death or Disability) whether or not in breach of applicable labor laws, unless contrary to applicable law and unless otherwise provided by the Administrator either initially or subsequent to the grant of the RSUs, all RSUs that are unvested as of the Termination Date shall automatically terminate as of the Termination Date and the Participant’s right to receive further RSUs under the Plan shall also terminate as of the Termination Date. The Committee shall have discretion to determine whether the Participant has ceased to be actively employed by (or, if the Participant is a consultant or director, has ceased actively providing services to) the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary, and the effective date on which such active employment (or active service-providing relationship, as applicable) terminated. The Participant’s active employer-employee or other active service-providing relationship, as applicable, will not be extended by any notice period mandated under applicable law (e.g., active employment shall not include a period of “garden leave”, paid administrative leave or similar period pursuant to applicable law). Unless the Committee provides otherwise (1) termination of the Participant’s employment will include instances in which the Participant is terminated and immediately rehired as an independent contractor, and (2) the spin-off, sale, or disposition of the Employer from the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary (whether by transfer of shares, assets or otherwise) such that the Employer no longer constitutes an Eligible Subsidiary will constitute a termination of employment or service.
(b) Death and Disability. In the event the Participant’s active employment or other active service-providing relationship with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary terminates as a result of death or Disability, unless contrary to applicable law and unless otherwise provided by the Administrator either initially or subsequent to the grant of the RSUs, all unvested RSUs automatically shall become fully vested as of the date of the Participant’s death or Disability and the vested RSUs shall be settled in accordance with Section 3.
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(c) Retirement. Notwithstanding the terms of the Plan, in the event the Participant’s employment (or other active service-providing relationship) with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary terminates by reason of the Participant’s Early Retirement or Normal Retirement, the vesting acceleration provisions of Early Retirement treatment or Normal Retirement treatment, as applicable, set forth in the Plan shall not apply to the RSUs.
(d) Gross Misconduct. If the Participant’s employment with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary is terminated for Gross Misconduct as determined by the Administrator, the Administrator in its sole discretion may provide that all, or any portion specified by the Administrator, of the Participant’s unvested RSUs shall automatically terminate as of the time of termination without consideration. The Participant acknowledges and agrees that the Participant’s termination of employment shall also be deemed to be a termination of employment by reason of the Participant’s Gross Misconduct if, after the Participant’s employment has terminated, facts and circumstances are discovered or confirmed by the Company that would have justified a termination for Gross Misconduct.
(e) Violation of Post-Termination Covenant. To the extent that any of the Participant’s RSUs remain outstanding under the terms of the Plan or this Agreement after the Termination Date, such RSUs shall expire as of the date the Participant violates any covenant not to compete or other post-termination covenant that exists between the Participant on the one hand and the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, on the other hand.
(f) Substantial Corporate Change. Upon a Substantial Corporate Change, the Participant’s unvested RSUs will terminate unless provision is made in writing in connection with such transaction for the assumption or continuation of the RSUs, or the substitution for such RSUs of any options or grants covering the stock or securities of a successor employer corporation, or a parent or subsidiary of such successor, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of shares of stock and prices, in which event the RSUs will continue in the manner and under the terms so provided.
5. Non-Transferability of RSUs. Unless the Committee determines otherwise in advance in writing, RSUs may not be transferred in any manner otherwise than by will or by the applicable laws of descent or distribution. The terms of the Plan and this Agreement shall be binding upon the executors, administrators, heirs and permitted successors and assigns of the Participant.
6. Amendment of RSUs or Plan.
(a) The Plan and this Agreement constitute the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and the Participant with respect to the subject matter hereof. The Participant expressly warrants that the Participant is not accepting this Agreement in reliance on any promises, representations, or inducements other than those contained herein. The Board may amend, modify or terminate the Plan or the RSUs in any respect at any time; provided, however, that modifications to this Agreement or the Plan that materially and adversely affect the Participant’s rights hereunder can be made only in an express written contract signed by the Company and the Participant. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or this Agreement, the Company reserves the right to revise this Agreement and the Participant’s rights under outstanding RSUs as it deems necessary or advisable, in its sole discretion and without the consent of the Participant, (1) upon a Substantial Corporate Change, (2) as required by law, or (3) to comply with Section 409A or to otherwise avoid imposition of any additional tax or income recognition under Section 409A in connection with the RSUs.
(b) The Participant acknowledges and agrees that if the Participant changes classification from a full-time employee to a part-time employee the Committee may in its sole discretion reduce or eliminate the Participant’s unvested RSUs.
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7. Tax Obligations.
(a) Withholding Taxes. Regardless of any action the Company or the Employer takes with respect to any or all federal, state, local or foreign income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, fringe benefits tax, payment on account or other tax related items (“Tax-Related Items”), the Participant acknowledges that the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items associated with the RSUs is and remains the Participant’s responsibility and that the Company and the Employer (i) make no representations or undertaking regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with any aspect of the RSUs, including, but not limited to, the grant or vesting of the RSUs, the delivery of Shares, the subsequent sale of Shares acquired at vesting and the receipt of any dividends or dividend equivalents, and (ii) do not commit to structure the terms of the grant or any aspect of the RSUs to reduce or eliminate the Participant’s liability for Tax-Related Items. Further, if the Participant is subject to tax in more than one jurisdiction, the Participant acknowledges that the Company and/or the Employer (or former employer, as applicable) may be required to withhold or account for Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction.
(i) This Section 7(a)(i) shall apply to the Participant only if the Participant is not subject to Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Prior to the relevant taxable or tax withholding event, as applicable, the Participant agrees to make adequate arrangements satisfactory to the Company and/or the Employer to satisfy all Tax-Related Items. In this regard, the Participant authorizes the Company and/or the Employer, or their respective agents, at their discretion, to satisfy their withholding obligations with regard to all Tax-Related Items by one or a combination of the following:
A. Net Share Issuance Tax Withholding Method – withholding Shares to be issued upon vesting of the RSUs having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of the Tax-Related Items to be satisfied;
B. Existing Shares Tax Withholding Method – tendering back to the Company Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of the Tax-Related Items to be satisfied;
C. Sell-To-Cover Tax Withholding Method – authorizing the sale on behalf of the Participant of Shares to be issued upon vesting of the RSUs having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of the Tax-Related Items to be satisfied.
For purposes of the foregoing, (A) the Participant shall be deemed to have been issued the full number of Shares subject to the vested RSUs, notwithstanding that a number of the Shares are held back solely for the purpose of paying the Tax-Related Items due as a result of any aspect of the Participant’s participation in the Plan, and (B) unless the Company determines otherwise (including without limitation in connection with a Substantial Corporate Change), the Company shall satisfy any Tax-Related Items through the Net Share Issuance Tax Withholding Method described in Section 7(a)(i)A above if the Participant fails to make an election regarding the satisfaction of Tax-Related Items prior to the relevant taxable or tax withholding event, as applicable.
(ii) This Section 7(a)(ii) shall apply to the Participant only if the Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Prior to the relevant taxable or tax withholding event, as applicable, the Participant agrees to make adequate arrangements satisfactory to the Company and/or the Employer to satisfy all Tax-Related Items. In this regard, unless the Committee determines otherwise (including without limitation in connection with a Substantial Corporate Change), the Company shall satisfy any Tax-Related Items through the Net Share Issuance Tax Withholding Method (i.e., the Company will withhold Shares to be issued upon vesting of the RSUs having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of the Tax-Related Items to be satisfied). The Participant shall be deemed to have been issued the full number of Shares subject to the vested RSUs, notwithstanding that a number of the Shares are held back solely for the purpose of paying the Tax-Related Items due as a result of any aspect of the Participant’s participation in the Plan.
(b) Code Section 409A. Payments made pursuant to the Plan and this Agreement are intended to qualify for an exemption from or comply with Section 409A. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, the Company reserves the right, to the extent the Company deems necessary or advisable in its sole discretion, to unilaterally amend or modify the Plan and/or this Agreement to ensure that all RSUs granted to Participants who are United States taxpayers are made in such a manner that either qualifies for exemption from or complies with
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Section 409A; provided, however, that the Company makes no representation that the RSUs will be exempt from or comply with Section 409A and makes no undertaking to preclude Section 409A from applying to the RSUs. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries will have any obligation to indemnify or otherwise hold the Participant harmless from any or all of the taxes, interest or penalties imposed on the Participant as a result of Section 409A.
For purposes of making a payment under this Agreement, if any amount is payable as a result of a Substantial Corporate Change, such event shall not be treated as a Substantial Corporate Change unless it also constitutes a “change in control event” within the meaning of Section 409A. If a Substantial Corporate Change does not constitute a change in control event, the amount payable upon such Substantial Corporate Change shall be paid at the time it would have been paid had no Substantial Corporate Change occurred.
If the Participant is a “specified employee” as defined in Section 409A (and as applied according to procedures of the Company) as of the Participant’s “separation from service” (within the meaning of Section 409A), to the extent any payment under this Agreement constitutes deferred compensation (after taking into account any applicable exemptions from Section 409A) and to the extent required by Section 409A, no payments due under this Agreement may be made until the earlier of: (A) the day after the date that is six (6) months following the Participant’s separation from service, or (B) the Participant’s date of death. Following any applicable six-month delay, all such delayed payments will be paid in a single lump sum on the earliest permissible payment date.
8. Rights as Shareholder. Until all requirements for vesting of the RSUs pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and the Plan have been satisfied, the Participant shall not be deemed to be a shareholder of the Company, and shall have no dividend rights or voting rights with respect to the RSUs or any Shares underlying or issuable in respect of such RSUs until such Shares are actually issued to the Participant.
9. No Employment Contract. Nothing in the Plan or this Agreement constitutes an employment or service contract between the Company and the Participant and this Agreement shall not confer upon the Participant any right to continuation of employment or service with the Company or any of its Eligible Subsidiaries, nor shall this Agreement interfere in any way with the Company’s or any of its Eligible Subsidiaries’ right to terminate the Participant’s employment or service at any time, with or without cause (subject to any employment or service agreement the Participant may otherwise have with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary thereof and/or applicable law).
10. Board Authority. The Board and/or the Committee shall have the power to interpret this Agreement and to adopt such rules for the administration, interpretation and application of this Agreement as are consistent therewith and to interpret or revoke any such rules (including, but not limited to, the determination of whether any RSUs have vested). All interpretations and determinations made by the Board and/or the Committee in good faith shall be final and binding upon the Participant, the Company and all other interested persons and such determinations of the Board and/or the Committee do not have to be uniform nor do they have to consider whether the Participants are similarly situated.
11. Headings. The captions used in this Agreement and the Plan are inserted for convenience and shall not be deemed to be a part of the RSUs for construction and interpretation.
12. Electronic Delivery.
(a) If the Participant executes this Agreement electronically, for the avoidance of doubt, the Participant acknowledges and agrees that the Participant’s execution of this Agreement electronically through an on-line system established and maintained by the Company or a third party designated by the Company, or otherwise shall have the same binding legal effect as would execution of this Agreement in paper form. The Participant acknowledges that upon request of the Company the Participant shall also provide an executed, paper form of this Agreement.
(b) If the Participant executes this Agreement in paper form, for the avoidance of doubt the parties acknowledge and agree that it is their intent that any agreement previously or subsequently entered into between the parties that is executed electronically shall have the same binding legal effect as if such agreement were executed in paper form.
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(c) If the Participant executes this Agreement multiple times (for example, if the Participant first executes this Agreement in electronic form and subsequently executes this Agreement in paper form), the Participant acknowledges and agrees that (i) no matter how many versions of this Agreement are executed and in whatever medium, this Agreement only evidences a single award relating to the number of RSUs set forth in the Notice of Grant and (ii) this Agreement shall be effective as of the earliest execution of this Agreement by the parties, whether in paper form or electronically, and the subsequent execution of this Agreement in the same or a different medium shall in no way impair the binding legal effect of this Agreement as of the time of original execution.
(d) The Company may, in its sole discretion, decide to deliver by electronic means any documents related to the RSUs, to participation in the Plan, or to future awards granted under the Plan, or otherwise required to be delivered to the Participant pursuant to the Plan or under applicable law, including but not limited to, the Plan, this Agreement, the Plan prospectus and any reports of the Company generally provided to shareholders. Such means of electronic delivery may include, but do not necessarily include, the delivery of a link to the Company’s intranet or the internet site of a third party involved in administering the Plan, the delivery of documents via electronic mail (“e-mail”) or such other means of electronic delivery specified by the Company. By executing this Agreement, the Participant hereby consents to receive such documents by electronic delivery. At the Participant’s written request to the Secretary of the Company, the Company shall provide a paper copy of any document at no cost to the Participant.
13. Data Privacy. The Company is located at 2200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 800W, Washington, D.C., 20037, United States of America and grants RSUs under the Plan to employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries in its sole discretion. In conjunction with the Company’s grant of the RSUs under the Plan and its ongoing administration of such awards, the Company is providing the following information about its data collection, processing and transfer practices (“Personal Data Activities”). In accepting the grant of the RSUs, the Participant expressly and explicitly consents to the Personal Data Activities as described herein.
(a) Data Collection, Processing and Usage. Pursuant to applicable data protection laws, the Participant is hereby notified that the Company collects, processes, and uses certain personally-identifiable information about the Participant; specifically, including the Participant’s name, home address, email address and telephone number, date of birth, social insurance/passport number or other identification number (e.g., resident registration number), salary, citizenship, job title, any Shares or directorships held in the Company, and details of all RSUs or any other equity compensation awards granted, cancelled, exercised, vested, or outstanding to the Participant’s favor, which the Company receives from the Participant or the Employee (“Personal Information”). In granting the RSUs under the Plan, the Company will collect the Participant’s Personal Information for purposes of allocating Shares and implementing, administering and managing the Plan. The Company’s legal basis for collecting, processing and using the Participant’s Personal Information will be the Company’s legitimate interest of managing the Plan and generally administering employee equity awards, the Company’s necessity to execute its contractual obligations under the Agreement and to comply with its legal obligations. The Participant’s refusal to provide Personal Information may affect the Participant’s ability to participate in the Plan. As such, by participating in the Plan, the Participant voluntarily acknowledges the collection, processing and use, of the Participant’s Personal Information as described herein.
(b) Stock Plan Administration Service Provider. The Company transfers Participant’s Personal Information to Fidelity Stock Plan Services LLC, an independent service provider based in the United States, which assists the Company with the implementation, administration and management of the Plan (the “Stock Plan Administrator”). In the future, the Company may select a different Stock Plan Administrator and share the Participant’s Personal Information with another company that serves in a similar manner. The Stock Plan Administrator will open an account for the Participant to receive and trade Shares acquired under the Plan. The Participant will be asked to agree on separate terms and data processing practices with the Stock Plan Administrator, which is a condition to the Participant’s ability to participate in the Plan.
(c) International Data Transfers. The Company and the Stock Plan Administrator are based in the United States. The Company can only meet its contractual obligations to the Participant if the Participant’s Personal Information is transferred to the United States. The Company’s legal basis for the transfer of the Participant’s Personal Information to the United States is to satisfy its contractual obligations under the terms of the Agreement and/or its use of the standard data protection clauses adopted by the European Commission.
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(d) Data Retention. The Company will use the Participant’s Personal Information only as long as is necessary to implement, administer and manage the Participant’s participation in the Plan or as required to comply with legal or regulatory obligations, including under tax and securities laws. When the Company no longer needs the Participant’s Personal Information, the Company will remove it from its systems. If the Company keeps the Participant’s Personal Information longer, it would be to satisfy legal or regulatory obligations and the Company’s legal basis would be for compliance with relevant laws or regulations.
(e) Data Subjects Rights. The Participant may have a number of rights under data privacy laws in the Participant’s country of residence (and country of employment, if different). For example, the Participant’s rights may include the right to (i) request access or copies of Personal Information the Company processes pursuant to the Agreement, (ii) request rectification of incorrect Personal Information, (iii) request deletion of Personal Information, (iv) request restrictions on processing of Personal Information, (v) lodge complaints with competent authorities in the Participant’s country of residence (and country of employment, if different), and/or (vi) request a list with the names and addresses of any potential recipients of the Participant’s Personal Information. To receive clarification regarding the Participant’s rights or to exercise the Participant’s rights, the Participant should contact the Participant’s local human resources department.
14. Waiver of Right to Jury Trial. EACH PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ANY RIGHT OR EXPECTATION, AGAINST THE OTHER TO TRIAL OR ADJUDICATION BY A JURY OF ANY CLAIM, CAUSE OR ACTION ARISING WITH RESPECT TO THE RSUS OR THE RIGHTS, DUTIES OR LIABILITIES CREATED HEREBY.
15. Agreement Severable. In the event that any provision of this Agreement shall be held invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be severable from, and such invalidity or unenforceability shall not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of this Agreement.
16. Governing Law and Venue. The laws of the State of Delaware (other than its choice of law provisions) shall govern this Agreement and its interpretation. For purposes of litigating any dispute that arises with respect to the RSUs, this Agreement or the Plan, the parties hereby submit to and consent to the jurisdiction of the State of Delaware, and agree that such litigation shall be conducted in the courts of New Castle County, or the United States Federal court for the District of Delaware, and no other courts; and waive, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection that the laying of the venue of any legal or equitable proceedings related to, concerning or arising from such dispute which is brought in any such court is improper or that such proceedings have been brought in an inconvenient forum. Any claim under the Plan, this Agreement or the RSUs must be commenced by the Participant within twelve (12) months of the earliest date on which the Participant’s claim first arises, or the Participant’s cause of action accrues, or such claim will be deemed waived by the Participant.
17. Nature of RSUs. In accepting the RSUs, the Participant acknowledges and agrees that:
(a) the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature and may be modified, amended, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time, to the extent permitted by the Plan;
(b) the Plan is operated and the RSUs are granted solely by the Company and only the Company is a party to this Agreement; accordingly, any rights the Participant may have under this Agreement may be raised only against the Company;
(c) no entity other than the Company has any obligation to make any payment of any kind to the Participant under this Agreement;
(d) the award of RSUs is exceptional, voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future awards of RSUs, benefits in lieu of RSUs or other equity awards, even if RSUs have been awarded in the past;
(e) all decisions with respect to equity awards, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of the Company;
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(f) the Participant’s participation in the Plan is voluntary;
(g) the award of RSUs and the Shares subject to the RSUs, and the income from and value of same, are an extraordinary item that (i) does not constitute compensation of any kind for services of any kind rendered to the Company or any Subsidiary, and (ii) is outside the scope of the Participant’s employment contract, if any;
(h) the award of RSUs and the Shares subject to the RSUs, and the income from and value of same are not part of normal or expected compensation or salary for any purposes, including, but not limited to, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, redundancy, end of service payments, bonuses, holiday pay, long-service awards, pension or retirement or welfare benefits or similar payments and in no event should be considered as compensation for, or relating in any way to, past services for the Company or any Subsidiary;
(i) the award of RSUs and any Shares acquired under the Plan, and the income from and value of same, are not intended to replace or supplement any pension rights or compensation;
(j) unless otherwise agreed with the Company in writing, the RSUs and the Shares subject to the RSUs, and the income from and value of same, are not granted as consideration for, or in connection with, any service the Participant may provide as a director of any Subsidiary;
(k) the future value of the underlying Shares is unknown, undeterminable and cannot be predicted with certainty;
(l) the value of the Shares acquired upon vesting/settlement of the RSUs may increase or decrease in value;
(m) in consideration of the award of RSUs, no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages shall arise from termination of the RSUs, or recoupment of any Shares acquired under the Plan, or from any diminution in value of the RSUs or the Shares upon vesting of the RSUs resulting from (i) termination of the Participant’s employment with the Company or any Subsidiary (for any reason whatsoever and whether or not in breach of applicable labor laws of the jurisdiction where the Participant is employed or the terms of the Participant’s employment agreement, if any), and / or (ii) the application of any recoupment policy or recovery or clawback policy otherwise required by law (including, but not limited to, the Policies as defined and addressed in Section 27), and in consideration of the grant of the RSUs, the Participant agrees not to institute any claim against the Company or any Subsidiary; if, notwithstanding the foregoing, any such claim is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have arisen, then, by signing/electronically accepting this Agreement, the Participant shall be deemed to have irrevocably waived the Participant’s entitlement to pursue or seek remedy for any such claim; and
(n) neither the Company, the Employer nor any other Eligible Subsidiary shall be liable for any foreign exchange rate fluctuations between the Participant’s local currency and the United States Dollar that may affect the value of the RSUs of any amounts due to the Participant pursuant to the settlement of the RSUs or the subsequent sale of any Shares acquired upon vesting.
18. Language. The Participant acknowledges that the Participant is proficient in the English language, or has consulted with an advisor who is sufficiently proficient in English, so as to allow the Participant to understand the terms and conditions of this Agreement. If the Participant has received the Plan, this Agreement or any other document related to the Plan translated into a language other than English and if the meaning of the translated version is different than the English version, the English version will control, unless otherwise prescribed by applicable law.
19. Severability. The provisions of this Agreement are severable and if any one or more provisions are determined to be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remaining provisions shall nevertheless be binding and enforceable.
20. Waiver. The Participant acknowledges that a waiver by the Company of breach of any provision of this Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any other provision of this Agreement, or of any subsequent breach by the Participant or any other participant.
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21. Insider Trading/Market Abuse Laws. By accepting the RSUs, the Participant acknowledges that the Participant is bound by all the terms and conditions of any Company insider trading policy as may be in effect from time to time. The Participant further acknowledges that, depending on the Participant’s country, the Participant may be or may become subject to insider trading restrictions and/or market abuse laws, which may affect the Participant’s ability to accept, acquire, sell or otherwise dispose of Shares, rights to Shares (e.g., RSUs) or rights linked to the value of Shares under the Plan during such times as the Participant is considered to have “inside information” regarding the Company (as defined by the laws in the applicable jurisdiction(s)). Local insider trading laws and regulations may prohibit the cancellation or amendment of orders the Participant placed before the Participant possessed insider information. Furthermore, the Participant could be prohibited from (i) disclosing the inside information to any third party, which may include fellow employees and (ii) “tipping” third parties or causing them otherwise to buy or sell securities. Any restrictions under these laws or regulations are separate from and in addition to any restrictions that may be imposed under any Company insider trading policy as may be in effect from time to time. The Participant acknowledges that it is the Participant’s personal responsibility to comply with any applicable restrictions, and the Participant should speak to the Participant’s personal advisor on this matter.
22. Legal and Tax Compliance; Cooperation. If the Participant resides or is employed outside of the United States, the Participant agrees, as a condition of the grant of the RSUs, to repatriate all payments attributable to the Shares and/or cash acquired under the Plan (including, but not limited to, dividends and any proceeds derived from the sale of Shares acquired pursuant to the RSUs) if required by and in accordance with local foreign exchange rules and regulations in the Participant’s country of residence (and country of employment, if different). In addition, the Participant also agrees to take any and all actions, and consent to any and all actions taken by the Company and its Eligible Subsidiaries, as may be required to allow the Company and its Eligible Subsidiaries to comply with local laws, rules and regulations in the Participant’s country of residence (and country of employment, if different). Finally, the Participant agrees to take any and all actions as may be required to comply with the Participant’s personal legal and tax obligations under local laws, rules and regulations in the Participant’s country of residence (and country of employment, if different).
23. Private Offering. The grant of the RSUs is not intended to be a public offering of securities in the Participant’s country of residence (and country of employment, if different). The Company has not submitted any registration statement, prospectus or other filing with the local securities authorities with respect to the grant of the RSUs (unless otherwise required under local law). No employee of the Company is permitted to advise the Participant on whether the Participant should acquire Shares under the Plan or provide the Participant with any legal, tax or financial advice with respect to the grant of the RSUs. Investment in Shares involves a degree of risk. Before deciding to acquire Shares pursuant to the RSUs, the Participant should carefully consider all risk factors and tax considerations relevant to the acquisition of Shares under the Plan or the disposition of such Shares. Further, the Participant should carefully review all of the materials related to the RSUs and the Plan, and the Participant should consult with the Participant’s personal legal, tax and financial advisors for professional advice in relation to the Participant’s personal circumstances.
24. Foreign Asset/Account Reporting Requirements and Exchange Controls. The Participant’s country may have certain foreign asset/account reporting requirements and exchange controls which may affect the Participant’s ability to acquire or hold Shares under the Plan or cash received from participating in the Plan (including any dividends paid on Shares, sale proceeds resulting from the sale of Shares acquired under the Plan) in a brokerage or bank account outside the Participant’s country. The Participant may be required to report such accounts, assets, or transactions to the tax or other authorities in the Participant’s country. The Participant may be required to repatriate sale proceeds or other funds received as a result of the Participant’s participation in the Plan to the Participant’s country through a designated bank or broker within a certain time after receipt. The Participant acknowledges that it is the Participant’s responsibility to be compliant with such regulations and the Participant should consult the Participant’s personal legal advisor for any details.
25. Country-Specific Provisions. Notwithstanding any provisions in this Agreement, the RSUs and any Shares subject to the RSUs shall be subject to any additional or different terms and conditions for the Participant’s country of employment and country of residence, if different, as set forth in any Addenda. Moreover, if the Participant relocates to or otherwise becomes subject to the laws, rules and/or regulations of one of the countries included in any of the Addenda, the additional or different terms and conditions for such country will apply to the Participant, to the extent the Company determines that the application of such terms and conditions is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons and provided the imposition of the term or condition will not result in any adverse accounting expense with respect to the RSUs (or the Company may establish alternative terms and conditions as may be necessary or advisable to accommodate the Participant’s transfer). The Addenda constitute part of this Agreement.
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26. Imposition of Other Requirements. The Company reserves the right to impose other requirements on the Participant’s participation in the Plan, on the RSUs and on any Shares subject to the RSUs, to the extent the Company determines it is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons and provided the imposition of the term or condition will not result in any adverse accounting expense to the Company, and to require the Participant to sign any additional agreements or undertakings that may be necessary to accomplish the foregoing.
27. Recoupment. The RSUs granted pursuant to this Agreement are subject to the terms of all compensation clawback policies approved by or pursuant to delegation from the Danaher Corporation Board of Directors (or the Compensation Committee thereof) from time to time (collectively, the “Policies”) and to the extent any of the Policies by its terms applies to the RSUs, and to the terms required by applicable law, and the terms of the Policies and such applicable law are incorporated by reference herein and made a part hereof. For purposes of the foregoing, the Participant expressly and explicitly authorizes the Company to issue instructions, on the Participant’s behalf, to any brokerage firm and/or third party administrator engaged by the Company to hold the Participant’s Shares and other amounts acquired pursuant to the Participant’s RSUs, to recover, transfer or otherwise return such Shares and/or other amounts to the Company upon the Company’s enforcement of the Policies. To the extent that the Agreement and/or any of the Policies conflict, the terms of the Policies shall prevail.
28. Notices. The Company may, directly or through its third party stock plan administrator, endeavor to provide certain notices to the Participant regarding certain events relating to awards that the Participant may have received or may in the future receive under the Plan, such as notices reminding the Participant of the vesting or expiration date of certain awards. The Participant acknowledges and agrees that (1) the Company has no obligation (whether pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise) to provide any such notices, (2) to the extent the Company does provide any such notices to the Participant the Company does not thereby assume any obligation to provide such notices or further notices; and (3) the Company, its Subsidiaries and the third party stock plan administrator have no liability for, and the Participant has no right whatsoever (whether pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise) to make any claim against the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or the third party stock plan administrator based on any allegation of, damages or harm suffered by the Participant as a result of the Company’s failure to provide any such notices or the Participant’s failure to receive any such notices. The Participant further agrees to notify the Company upon any change in the Participant’s residence address.
29. Limitations on Liability. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Plan or this Agreement, no individual acting as a director, employee, or agent of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries will be liable to the Participant or the Participant’s spouse, beneficiary, or any other person or entity for any claim, loss, liability, or expense incurred in connection with the Plan, nor will such individual be personally liable because of any contract or other instrument the Participant executes in such other capacity. No member of the Board or of the Committee will be liable for any action or determination (including, but not limited to, any decision not to act) made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any RSUs.
30. Consent and Agreement With Respect to Plan. The Participant (a) acknowledges that the Plan and the prospectus relating thereto are available to the Participant on the website maintained by the Stock Plan Administrator; (b) represents that the Participant has read and is familiar with the terms and provisions thereof, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel of the Participant’s choice prior to executing this Agreement and fully understands all provisions of this Agreement and the Plan; (c) accepts these RSUs subject to all of the terms and provisions thereof; (d) consents and agrees to all amendments that have been made to the Plan since it was adopted in 2007 (and for the avoidance of doubt consents and agrees to each amended term reflected in the Plan as in effect on the date of this Agreement), and consents and agrees that all options and restricted stock units, if any, held by the Participant that were previously granted under the Plan as it has existed from time to time are now governed by the Plan as in effect on the date of this Agreement (except to the extent the Committee has expressly provided that a particular Plan amendment does not apply retroactively); and (e) agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Committee upon any questions arising under the Plan or this Agreement.
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[If the Agreement is signed in paper form, complete and execute the following:]
| PARTICIPANT | DANAHER CORPORATION | |||
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| Signature | Signature | |||
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| Print Name | Print Name | |||
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| Residence Address | Title | |||
| Declaration of Data Privacy Consent. By providing the additional signature below, the undersigned explicitly declares the Participant’s consent to the data processing operations described in Section 13 of this Agreement. This includes, without limitation, the transfer of the Participant’s Personal Information to, and the processing of such data by, the Company, the Employer or, as the case may be, the Stock Plan Administrator in the United States. The undersigned may withdraw the Participant’s consent at any time, with future effect and for any or no reason as described in Section 13 of this Agreement. |
| PARTICIPANT: |
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| Signature |
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Exhibit 10.5
FINAL VERSION
AMENDED AND RESTATED DANAHER CORPORATION
OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN
FOUNDER LONG-TERM GROWTH AWARD OPTION AGREEMENT
Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the Amended and Restated Danaher Corporation Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) will have the same defined meanings in this Stock Option Agreement (the “Agreement”).
| I. | NOTICE OF STOCK OPTION GRANT |
Name:
Employee ID:
The undersigned Optionee has been granted Options to purchase Common Stock of the Company, subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement, as follows:
| Date of Grant |
||
| Exercise Price per Share |
$ | |
| Total Number of Shares Granted |
||
| Type of Option |
Nonstatutory Stock Option | |
| Expiration Date |
Tenth anniversary of Date of Grant | |
| Vesting Schedule: |
Vesting in equal installments (each, a “Tranche”) on the fourth and fifth anniversaries of Date of Grant | |
| II. | AGREEMENT |
1. Grant of Option. The Company hereby grants to the Optionee named in the Notice of Stock Option Grant (the “Optionee”), an option (the “Option” or the “Options,” as the case may be) to purchase the number of shares of Common Stock (the “Shares”) set forth in the Notice of Stock Option Grant, at the exercise price per Share set forth in the Notice of Stock Option Grant (the “Exercise Price”), and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Plan, which are incorporated herein by reference. For purposes of this Agreement, to the extent the Optionee is not employed by the Company, “Employer” means the Eligible Subsidiary that employs the Optionee.
2. Vesting.
(a) Vesting Schedule. Except as may otherwise be set forth in this Agreement or in the Plan, Options awarded to the Optionee shall not vest until the Optionee continues to be actively employed with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary for the periods required to satisfy the time-based vesting criteria (“Time-Based Vesting Criteria”) applicable to such Options. The Time-Based Vesting Criteria applicable to an Option are referred to as “Vesting Conditions,” and the earliest date upon which all Vesting Conditions are satisfied is referred to as the “Vesting Date.” The Vesting Conditions for an Option received by the Optionee are established by the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Company’s Board of Directors (or by one or more members of Company management, if such power has been delegated in accordance with applicable law) and reflected in the account
maintained for the Optionee by an external third-party administrator of the Options. Further, during any approved leave of absence (and without limiting the application of any other rules governing leaves of absence that the Committee may approve from time to time pursuant to the Plan), to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Committee shall have discretion to provide that the vesting of the Options shall be frozen as of the first day of the leave (or as of any subsequent day during such leave, as applicable) and shall not resume until and unless the Optionee returns to active employment prior to the Expiration Date of the Options.
(b) Fractional Shares. The Company will not issue fractional Shares upon the exercise of an Option. Any fractional Share will be rounded up and issued to the Optionee in a whole Share; provided that to the extent rounding a fractional Share up would result in the imposition of either (i) individual tax and penalty interest charges imposed under Section 409A of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (“Section 409A”), or (ii) adverse tax consequences if the Optionee is located outside of the United States, the fractional Share will be rounded down without the payment of any consideration in respect of such fractional Share.
(c) [Reserved].
3. Exercise of Option.
(a) Right to Exercise. This Option shall be exercisable during its term in accordance with the Vesting Schedule set out in the Notice of Stock Option Grant and with the applicable provisions of the Plan and this Agreement.
(b) Method and Time of Exercise. This Option shall be exercisable by any method permitted by the Plan and this Agreement that is made available from time to time by the external third-party administrator of the Options. An exercise may be made with respect to whole Shares only, and not for a fraction of a Share. Shares shall not be issued under the Plan unless the issuance and delivery of such Shares comply with (or are exempt from) all applicable requirements of law, including (without limitation) the Securities Act, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, state securities laws and regulations, and the regulations of any stock exchange or other securities market on which the Company’s securities may then be traded. The Committee may require the Optionee to take any reasonable action in order to comply with any such rules or regulations. Assuming such compliance, for income tax purposes the Shares shall be considered transferred to the Optionee on the date the Option is exercised with respect to such Shares.
(c) Acknowledgment of Potential Securities Law Restrictions. Unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covers the Shares issued upon exercise of an Option, the Committee may require that the Optionee agree in writing to acquire such Shares for investment and not for public resale or distribution, unless and until the Shares subject to the Options are registered under the Securities Act. The Committee may also require the Optionee to acknowledge that the Optionee shall not sell or transfer such Shares except in compliance with all applicable laws, and may apply such other restrictions as it deems appropriate. The Optionee acknowledges that the U.S. federal securities laws prohibit trading in the stock of the Company by persons who are in possession of material, non-public information, and also acknowledges and understands the other restrictions set forth in the Company’s Insider Trading Policy.
(d) Automatic Exercise Upon Expiration Date. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement (other than this Section), on the last trading day on which all or a portion of the outstanding Option may be exercised, if as of the close of trading on such day the then Fair Market Value of a Share exceeds the per share Exercise Price of the Option by at least $0.01 (such expiring portion of the Option that is so in-the-money, an “Auto-Exercise Eligible Option”), the Optionee will be deemed to have automatically exercised such Auto-Exercise Eligible Option (to the extent it has not previously been exercised, forfeited or terminated) as of the close of trading in accordance with the provisions of this Section. In the event of an automatic exercise pursuant to this Section, the Company will reduce the number of Shares issued to the Optionee upon such automatic exercise of the Auto-Exercise Eligible Option in an amount necessary to satisfy (1) the Optionee’s Exercise Price obligation for the Auto-Exercise Eligible Option, and (2) up to the maximum amount (or such other rate that will not cause adverse accounting consequences for the Company) of tax required to be withheld in the applicable jurisdiction(s), if any, arising upon the automatic exercise in accordance with the procedures of Section 6(f) of the Plan (unless the Committee deems that a different method of satisfying the tax withholding obligations is practicable and advisable), in each case based on
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the Fair Market Value of the Shares as of the close of trading on the date of exercise. The Optionee may notify the Plan record-keeper in writing in advance that the Optionee does not wish for the Auto-Exercise Eligible Option to be exercised. This Section shall not apply to the Option to the extent that this Section causes the Option to fail to qualify for favorable tax treatment under applicable law. In its discretion, the Company may determine to cease automatically exercising Options at any time.
4. Method of Payment. Payment of the aggregate Exercise Price shall be by any of the following methods (or a combination thereof):
(a) cash, delivered to the external third-party administrator of the Options in any methodology permitted by such third-party administrator;
(b) upon the Administrator’s approval, through a reduction in the number of Shares issued to the Optionee upon the exercise of the Option with a value, based on their Fair Market Value on the date of exercise, equal to the aggregate Exercise Price;
(c) through a broker-dealer sale and remittance procedure under which the exercise notice directs that the Shares issued upon the exercise be delivered, either in certificate form or in book entry form, to a licensed broker acceptable to the Company as the agent for the Optionee and at the time the Shares are delivered to the broker, either in certificate form or in book entry form, the broker will tender to the Company cash or cash equivalents acceptable to the Company and equal to the aggregate Exercise Price; or
(d) upon the Administrator’s approval, surrender of other Shares owned by the Optionee which have a Fair Market Value on the date of surrender equal to the aggregate Exercise Price of the exercised Options.
5. Termination.
(a) General. In the event the Optionee’s active employment with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary terminates for any reason (other than death, Disability or Involuntary Termination) whether or not in breach of applicable labor laws, unless contrary to applicable law and unless otherwise provided by the Administrator either initially or subsequent to the grant of the Option, all unvested Options shall be automatically forfeited by the Optionee as of the date of termination and the Optionee’s right to receive options under the Plan shall also terminate as of the date of termination. The Committee shall have discretion to determine whether the Optionee has ceased to be actively employed by the Company or Eligible Subsidiary, and the effective date on which such active employment terminated. The Optionee’s active employer-employee will not be extended by any notice period mandated under applicable law (e.g., active employment shall not include a period of “garden leave,” paid administrative leave or similar period pursuant to applicable law) and in the event of the Optionee’s termination of employment (whether or not in breach of applicable labor laws), the Optionee’s right to exercise any Option after termination of employment, if any, shall be measured by the date of termination of active employment and shall not be extended by any notice period mandated under applicable law. Unless the Committee provides otherwise, (1) termination of the Optionee’s employment will include instances in which the Optionee is terminated and immediately rehired as an independent contractor, and (2) the spin-off, sale, or disposition of the Employer from the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary (whether by transfer of shares, assets or otherwise) such that the Employer no longer constitutes an Eligible Subsidiary will constitute a termination of employment.
(b) General Post-Termination Exercise Period. In the event the Optionee’s employment with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary terminates for any reason (other than death, Disability, Early Retirement, Normal Retirement, Involuntary Termination or Gross Misconduct), whether or not in breach of applicable labor laws, the Optionee shall have a period of 90 days, commencing with the date the Optionee is no longer actively employed, to exercise the vested portion of any outstanding Options, subject to the Expiration Date of the Option. However, if the exercise of an Option following the Optionee’s termination of employment (to the extent such post-termination exercise is permitted under Section 11(a) of the Plan) is not covered by an effective registration statement on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, then the Option will terminate upon the later of (i) thirty (30) days after such exercise becomes covered by an effective registration statement, (ii) in the event that a sale of Shares would subject the Optionee to liability under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, thirty (30) days after the last date on which such sale would result in liability, or (iii) the end of the original post-termination exercise period, but in no event may the Option be exercised after the Expiration Date of the Option.
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(c) Death. Upon the Optionee’s death prior to termination of employment, unless contrary to applicable law and unless otherwise provided by the Administrator either initially or subsequent to the grant of the Option, a pro rata portion of each Tranche, to the extent unvested, will become vested as of the date of the Optionee’s termination of employment and such Options, together with any Options that are vested as of such date, may be exercised for a period of twelve (12) months thereafter (subject to the Expiration Date of the Option) by the personal representative of the Optionee’s estate or any other person to whom the Option is transferred under a will or under the applicable laws of descent and distribution. The pro rata portion of each Tranche will be determined by multiplying the number of Shares subject to such Tranche by a fraction, (i) the numerator of which is the number of full months during the period beginning on the Grant Date and ending on the Optionee’s termination date, with any partial month counted as a full month, and (ii) the denominator of which is the number of full months during the period beginning on the Grant Date and ending on the scheduled vesting date of the tranche. Any unvested portion of the Option that does not vest in accordance with the foregoing will terminate and be forfeited.
(d) Disability. In the event the Optionee’s employment with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary terminates by reason of the Optionee’s Disability, unless contrary to applicable law and unless otherwise provided by the Administrator either initially or subsequent to the grant of the Option, a pro rata portion of each Tranche, to the extent unvested, will become vested as of the date of the Optionee’s termination of employment and such Options, together with any Options that are vested as of such date, may be exercised until the first anniversary of the termination of the Optionee’s employment for Disability (subject to the Expiration Date of the Option). The pro rata portion of each Tranche will be determined by multiplying the number of Shares subject to such Tranche by a fraction, (i) the numerator of which is the number of full months during the period beginning on the Grant Date and ending on the Optionee’s termination date, with any partial month counted as a full month, and (ii) the denominator of which is the number of full months during the period beginning on the Grant Date and ending on the scheduled vesting date of the tranche. Any unvested portion of the Option that does not vest in accordance with the foregoing will terminate and be forfeited.
(e) Retirement. Notwithstanding the terms of the Plan, in the event the Optionee’s employment with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary terminates by reason of the Optionee’s Early Retirement or Normal Retirement, the vesting acceleration provisions of Early Retirement treatment or Normal Retirement treatment, as applicable, set forth in the Plan shall not apply to the Options.
(f) Involuntary Termination. In the event the Optionee’s employment with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary is terminated by the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary without Cause (as defined below) on or following the first anniversary of the Date of Grant (an “Involuntary Termination”), a pro rata portion of each Tranche, to the extent unvested, will become vested as of the date of the Optionee’s termination of employment and such Options, together with any Options that are vested as of such date, may be exercised: (i) until the Expiration Date of the Option, if the requirements of Normal Retirement are satisfied on the Optionee’s termination date; (ii) for a period of five (5) years following the date of the Optionee’s termination of employment (subject to the Expiration Date of the Option), if the requirements of Early Retirement are satisfied on the Optionee’s termination date; or (iii) for a period of 90 days following the date of the Optionee’s termination of employment, if the requirements of neither Normal Retirement nor Early Retirement are satisfied on the Optionee’s termination date; provided in each of case (i)-(iii) that the Optionee complies with the Release Requirement (as defined below). The pro rata portion of each Tranche will be determined by multiplying the number of Shares subject to such Tranche by a fraction, (i) the numerator of which is the number of full months during the period beginning on the Grant Date and ending on the Optionee’s termination date, with any partial month counted as a full month, and (ii) the denominator of which is the number of full months during the period beginning on the Grant Date and ending on the scheduled vesting date of the tranche. Any unvested portion of the Option that does not vest in accordance with the foregoing will terminate and be forfeited.
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(g) Release Requirement; Cause Definition. (i) Release. As a condition to the vesting and (if applicable) extended exercise period provided under Section 5(f), the Company may require the Optionee to execute (and not revoke) a separation and general release agreement in the form determined in the sole discretion of the Company (which release may include restrictive covenants in accordance with applicable law), which release must become effective in accordance with its terms within sixty (60) days following the date of the Optionee’s termination of employment. If the Optionee fails to timely execute such release or revokes such release, the vesting and extended exercise period provided under Section 5(f) shall not apply and the unvested Options shall terminate and be canceled as of the date of termination. (ii) Cause. For purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” means: (A) the Optionee’s dishonesty, fraud, misappropriation, embezzlement, willful misconduct or gross negligence with respect to the Company or any of its affiliates, or any other action in willful disregard of the interests of the Company or any of its affiliates; (B) the Optionee’s conviction of, or pleading guilty or no contest to (1) a felony, (2) any misdemeanor (other than a traffic violation), or (3) any other crime or activity that would impair the Optionee’s ability to perform duties or impair the business reputation of the Company or any of its affiliates; (C) the Optionee’s willful failure or refusal to satisfactorily perform any duties assigned to the Optionee; (D) the Optionee’s failure or refusal to comply with Company standards, policies or procedures, including without limitation the Company’s Standards of Conduct as amended from time to time; (E) the Optionee’s violation of any restrictive covenant agreement with the Company or any of its affiliates; (F) the Optionee’s engaging in any activity that is in conflict with the business purposes of the Company or any of its affiliates, as determined in the Company’s sole discretion; or (G) a material misrepresentation or a breach of any of the Optionee’s representations, obligations or agreements under the Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 5(f), if Cause exists at the time of the Optionee’s termination of employment (whether or not the termination is characterized as a termination for Cause), the vesting and extended exercise period provided under Section 5(f) shall not apply and the unvested Options shall terminate and be canceled as of the date of termination.
(h) Gross Misconduct. If the Optionee’s employment with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary is terminated for Gross Misconduct as determined by the Administrator, the Administrator in its sole discretion may provide that all, or any portion specified by the Administrator, of the Optionee’s unexercised Options shall terminate and be forfeited immediately without consideration. The Optionee acknowledges and agrees that the Optionee’s termination of employment shall also be deemed to be a termination of employment by reason of the Optionee’s Gross Misconduct if, after the Optionee’s employment has terminated, facts and circumstances are discovered or confirmed by the Company that would have justified a termination for Gross Misconduct.
(i) Violation of Post Termination Covenant. To the extent that any of the Optionee’s Options remain outstanding under the terms of the Plan or this Agreement after termination of the Optionee’s employment with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary, such Options shall nevertheless expire as of the date the Optionee violates any covenant not to compete or other post-termination covenant that exists between the Optionee, on the one hand, and the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, on the other hand.
(j) Substantial Corporate Change. Upon a Substantial Corporate Change, the Optionee’s outstanding Options will terminate unless provision is made in writing in connection with such transaction for the assumption or continuation of the Options, or the substitution for such Options of any options or grants covering the stock or securities of a successor employer corporation, or a parent or subsidiary of such successor, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of shares of stock and prices, in which event the Options will continue in the manner and under the terms so provided.
6. Non-Transferability of Option; Term of Option.
(a) Unless the Committee determines otherwise in advance in writing, the Option may not be transferred in any manner otherwise than by will or by the applicable laws of descent or distribution and may be exercised during the lifetime of the Optionee only by the Optionee and/or by the Optionee’s duly appointed guardian. The terms of the Plan and this Agreement shall be binding upon the executors, administrators, heirs and permitted successors and assigns of the Optionee.
(b) Notwithstanding any other term in this Agreement, the Option may be exercised only prior to the Expiration Date set out in the Notice of Stock Option Grant, and may be exercised during such term only in accordance with the Plan and the terms of this Agreement.
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7. Amendment of Option or Plan.
(a) The Plan and this Agreement constitute the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and the Optionee with respect to the subject matter hereof. The Optionee expressly warrants that the Optionee is not accepting this Agreement in reliance on any promises, representations, or inducements other than those contained herein. The Board may amend, modify or terminate the Plan or any Option in any respect at any time; provided, however, that modifications to this Agreement or the Plan that materially and adversely affect the Optionee’s rights hereunder can be made only in an express written contract signed by the Company and the Optionee. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or this Agreement, the Company reserves the right to revise this Agreement and the Optionee’s rights under outstanding Options as it deems necessary or advisable, in its sole discretion and without the consent of the Optionee, (1) upon a Substantial Corporate Change, (2) as required by law, or (3) to comply with Section 409A or to otherwise avoid imposition of any additional tax or income recognition under Section 409A in connection with this award of Options.
(b) The Optionee acknowledges and agrees that, if the Optionee changes classification from a full-time employee to a part-time employee, the Committee may in its sole discretion (1) reduce or eliminate the Optionee’s unvested Options, and/or (2) extend any vesting schedule to one or more dates that occur on or before the Expiration Date.
8. Tax Obligations.
(a) Withholding Taxes. Regardless of any action the Company or the Employer takes with respect to any or all federal, state, local or foreign income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, fringe benefits tax, payment on account or other tax related items (“Tax-Related Items”), the Optionee acknowledges that the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items associated with the Option is and remains the Optionee’s responsibility and may exceed the amount actually withheld by the Company and that the Company and the Employer (i) make no representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with any aspect of the Option, including, but not limited to, the grant, vesting or exercise of the Option, the subsequent sale of Shares acquired pursuant to such exercise and the receipt of any dividends; and (ii) do not commit to structure the terms of the grant or any aspect of the Option to reduce or eliminate the Optionee’s liability for Tax-Related Items. Further, if the Optionee is subject to tax in more than one jurisdiction, the Optionee acknowledges that the Company and/or the Employer (or former employer, as applicable) may be required to withhold or account for Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction.
The Optionee shall, no later than the date as of which the value of an Option first becomes includible in the gross income of the Optionee for purposes of Tax-Related Items, pay to the Company and/or the Employer, or make arrangements satisfactory to the Administrator (in its sole discretion) regarding payment of, all Tax-Related Items required by applicable law to be withheld by the Company and/or the Employer with respect to the Option. The obligations of the Company under the Plan shall be conditional on the making of such payments or arrangements, and the Company and/or Employer shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, have the right to deduct any such Tax-Related Items from any payment of any kind otherwise due to the Optionee. With the approval of the Administrator, the Optionee may satisfy the foregoing requirement by:
(i) authorizing the withholding of a sufficient number of Shares otherwise issuable upon settlement of the Option that have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the amount of Tax-Related Items required to be withheld (the “Net Share Issuance Tax Withholding Method”);
(ii) delivering a sufficient number of unrestricted Shares already owned by the Optionee that have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the amount of Tax-Related Items required to be withheld (the “Existing Shares Tax Withholding Method”); or
(iii) authorizing the sale of a sufficient number of Shares otherwise issuable upon settlement of the Option that have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the amount of Tax-Related Items required to be withheld (the “Sell-To-Cover Tax Withholding Method”).
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For purposes of the foregoing, (A) the Optionee shall be deemed to have been issued the full number of Shares otherwise issuable on the applicable exercise date, notwithstanding that a number of whole Shares are held back or sold to satisfy the Tax-Related Items required to be withheld, (B) the Company or the Employer may determine the amount of Tax-Related Items required to be withheld, in good faith and in its sole discretion, by reference to applicable withholding rates, including maximum withholding rates, so long as such rates will not cause adverse accounting consequences, and (C) the Company may also use any other method or combination of methods of obtaining the necessary payment or proceeds, as permitted by applicable law, to satisfy its withholding obligation for Tax-Related Items pertaining to any Option.
(b) Code Section 409A. Payments made pursuant to the Plan and this Agreement are intended to qualify for an exemption from or comply with Section 409A. Notwithstanding any provision in the Agreement, the Company reserves the right, to the extent the Company deems necessary or advisable in its sole discretion, to unilaterally amend or modify the Plan and/or this Agreement to ensure that all Options granted to the Optionees who are United States taxpayers are made in such a manner that either qualifies for exemption from or complies with Section 409A; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations that the Plan or the Options shall be exempt from or comply with Section 409A and makes no undertaking to preclude Section 409A from applying to the Plan or any Options granted thereunder. If this Agreement fails to meet the requirements of Section 409A, neither the Company nor any of its Eligible Subsidiaries shall have any liability for any tax, penalty or interest imposed on the Optionee by Section 409A, and the Optionee shall have no recourse against the Company or any of its Eligible Subsidiaries for payment of any such tax, penalty or interest imposed by Section 409A.
9. Rights as Shareholder. Until all requirements for exercise of the Option pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and the Plan have been satisfied, the Optionee shall not be deemed to be a shareholder or to have any of the rights of a shareholder with respect to any Shares.
10. No Employment Contract. Nothing in the Plan or this Agreement constitutes an employment contract between the Company and the Optionee and this Agreement shall not confer upon the Optionee any right to continuation of employment with the Company or any of its Eligible Subsidiaries, nor shall this Agreement interfere in any way with the Company’s or any of its Eligible Subsidiaries’ right to terminate the Optionee’s employment at any time, with or without cause (subject to any employment agreement the Optionee may otherwise have with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary thereof and/or applicable law).
11. Board Authority. The Board and/or the Committee shall have the power to interpret this Agreement and to adopt such rules for the administration, interpretation and application of this Agreement as are consistent therewith and to interpret or revoke any such rules (including, but not limited to, the determination of whether any Options have vested). All interpretations and determinations made by the Board and/or the Committee in good faith shall be final and binding upon the Optionee, the Company and all other interested persons and such determinations of the Board or the Committee do not have to be uniform nor do they have to consider whether optionees are similarly situated.
12. Headings. The captions used in this Agreement and the Plan are inserted for convenience and shall not be deemed to be a part of the Option for construction and interpretation.
13. Electronic Delivery.
(a) If the Optionee executes this Agreement electronically, for the avoidance of doubt, the Optionee acknowledges and agrees that the Optionee’s execution of this Agreement electronically (through an online system established and maintained by the Company or a third party designated by the Company, or otherwise) shall have the same binding legal effect as would execution of this Agreement in paper form. The Optionee acknowledges that upon request of the Company the Optionee shall also provide an executed, paper form of this Agreement.
(b) If the Optionee executes this Agreement in paper form, for the avoidance of doubt the parties acknowledge and agree that it is their intent that any agreement previously or subsequently entered into between the parties that is executed electronically shall have the same binding legal effect as if such agreement were executed in paper form.
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(c) If the Optionee executes this Agreement multiple times (for example, if the Optionee first executes this Agreement in electronic form and subsequently executes this Agreement in paper form), the Optionee acknowledges and agrees that (i) no matter how many versions of this Agreement are executed and in whatever medium, this Agreement only evidences a single grant of Options relating to the number of Shares set forth in the Notice of Stock Option Grant and (ii) this Agreement shall be effective as of the earliest execution of this Agreement by the parties, whether in paper form or electronically, and the subsequent execution of this Agreement in the same or a different medium shall in no way impair the binding legal effect of this Agreement as of the time of original execution.
(d) The Company may, in its sole discretion, decide to deliver by electronic means any documents related to the Option, to participation in the Plan, or to future awards granted under the Plan, or otherwise required to be delivered to the Optionee pursuant to the Plan or under applicable law, including but not limited to, the Plan, this Agreement, the Plan prospectus and any reports of the Company generally provided to shareholders. Such means of electronic delivery may include, but do not necessarily include, the delivery of a link to the Company’s intranet or the internet site of a third party involved in administering the Plan, the delivery of documents via electronic mail (e-mail) or such other means of electronic delivery specified by the Company. By executing this Agreement, the Optionee hereby consents to receive such documents by electronic delivery. At the Optionee’s written request to the Secretary of the Company, the Company shall provide a paper copy of any document at no cost to the Optionee.
14. Data Privacy. The Company is located at 2200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 800W, Washington, D.C., 20037, United States of America and grants Options under the Plan to employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries in its sole discretion. In conjunction with the Company’s grant of Options under the Plan and its ongoing administration of such awards, the Company is providing the following information about its data collection, processing and transfer practices. In accepting the grant of the Option, the Optionee expressly and explicitly consents to the Personal Data Activities as described herein.
(a) Data Collection, Processing and Usage. The Company collects, processes and uses the Optionee’s personal data, including the Optionee’s name, home address, email address, and telephone number, date of birth, social insurance/passport number or other identification number, salary, citizenship, job title, any Shares or directorships held in the Company, and details of all Options or any other equity compensation awards granted, cancelled, exercised, vested, or outstanding in the Optionee’s favor, which the Company receives from the Optionee or the Employer. In granting the Option under the Plan, the Company will collect the Optionee’s Personal Information for purposes of allocating Shares and implementing, administering and managing the Plan. The Company’s legal basis for the collection, processing and usage of the Optionee’s Personal Information is the Optionee’s consent.
(b) Stock Plan Administration Service Provider. The Company transfers the Optionee’s Personal Information to Fidelity Stock Plan Services LLC, an independent service provider based in the United States, which assists the Company with the implementation, administration and management of the Plan. In the future, the Company may select a different Stock Plan Administrator and share the Optionee’s Personal Information with another company that serves in a similar manner. The Stock Plan Administrator will open an account for the Optionee to receive and trade Shares acquired under the Plan. The Optionee will be asked to agree on separate terms and data processing practices with the Stock Plan Administrator, which is a condition to the Optionee’s ability to participate in the Plan.
(c) International Data Transfers. The Company and the Stock Plan Administrator are based in the United States. The Optionee should note that the Optionee’s country of residence may have enacted data privacy laws that are different from the United States. The Company’s legal basis for the transfer of the Optionee’s Personal Information to the United States is the Optionee’s consent.
(d) Voluntariness and Consequences of Consent Denial or Withdrawal. The Optionee’s participation in the Plan and the Optionee’s grant of consent is purely voluntary. The Optionee may deny or withdraw the Optionee’s consent at any time. If the Optionee does not consent, or if the Optionee later withdraws the Optionee’s consent, the Optionee may be unable to participate in the Plan. This would not affect the Optionee’s existing employment or salary; instead, the Optionee merely may forfeit the opportunities associated with the Plan.
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(e) Data Subject Rights. The Optionee may have a number of rights under the data privacy laws in the Optionee’s country of residence. For example, the Optionee’s rights may include the right to (i) request access or copies of personal data the Company processes, (ii) request rectification of incorrect data, (iii) request deletion of data, (iv) place restrictions on processing, (v) lodge complaints with competent authorities in the Optionee’s country of residence, and/or (vi) request a list with the names and addresses of any potential recipients of the Optionee’s Personal Information. To receive clarification regarding the Optionee’s rights or to exercise the Optionee’s rights, the Optionee should contact the Optionee’s local human resources department.
15. Waiver of Right to Jury Trial. EACH PARTY, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WAIVES ANY RIGHT OR EXPECTATION AGAINST THE OTHER TO TRIAL OR ADJUDICATION BY A JURY OF ANY CLAIM, CAUSE OR ACTION ARISING WITH RESPECT TO THE OPTION OR HEREUNDER, OR THE RIGHTS, DUTIES OR LIABILITIES CREATED HEREBY.
16. Agreement Severable. In the event that any provision of this Agreement shall be held invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be severable from, and such invalidity or unenforceability shall not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of this Agreement.
17. Governing Law and Venue. The laws of the State of Delaware (other than its choice of law provisions) shall govern this Agreement and its interpretation. For purposes of litigating any dispute that arises with respect to this Option, this Agreement or the Plan, the parties hereby submit to and consent to the jurisdiction of the State of Delaware, and agree that such litigation shall be conducted in the courts of New Castle County, or the United States Federal court for the District of Delaware, and no other courts; and waive, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection that the laying of the venue of any legal or equitable proceedings related to, concerning or arising from such dispute which is brought in any such court is improper or that such proceedings have been brought in an inconvenient forum. Any claim under the Plan, this Agreement or any Option must be commenced by the Optionee within twelve (12) months of the earliest date on which the Optionee’s claim first arises, or the Optionee’s cause of action accrues, or such claim will be deemed waived by the Optionee.
18. Nature of Option. In accepting the Option, the Optionee acknowledges and agrees that:
(a) the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature and may be modified, amended, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time, to the extent permitted by the Plan;
(b) the Plan is operated and the Options are granted solely by the Company and only the Company is a party to this Agreement; accordingly, any rights the Optionee may have under this Agreement may be raised only against the Company;
(c) no entity other than the Company has any obligation to make any payment of any kind to the Optionee under this Agreement;
(d) the award of the Option is exceptional, voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future grants of options, benefits in lieu of options or other equity awards, even if options have been granted in the past;
(e) all decisions with respect to equity awards, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of the Company;
(f) the Optionee’s participation in the Plan is voluntary;
(g) the Option, and the income and value of same, is an extraordinary item that (i) does not constitute compensation of any kind for services of any kind rendered to the Company or any Subsidiary, and (ii) is outside the scope of the Optionee’s employment or service contract, if any;
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(h) the Option, and the income and value of same, is not part of normal or expected compensation or salary for any purposes, including, but not limited to, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, redundancy, end-of-service payments, bonuses, holiday pay, long-service awards, pension or retirement or welfare benefits or similar payments and in no event should be considered as compensation for, or relating in any way to, past services for the Company or any Subsidiary;
(i) the Option and any Shares acquired under the Plan, and the income from and value of same, are not intended to replace or supplement any pension rights or compensation;
(j) unless otherwise agreed with the Company in writing, the Option, and the income from and value of same, are not granted as consideration for, or in connection with, any service the Optionee may provide as a director of any Subsidiary;
(k) the future value of the underlying Shares is unknown, undeterminable and cannot be predicted with certainty;
(l) if the Shares do not increase in value, the Option will have no value;
(m) if the Optionee exercises the Option and obtains Shares, the value of the Shares obtained upon exercise may increase or decrease in value, even below the Exercise Price;
(n) in consideration of the award of the Option, no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages shall arise from termination of the Option or diminution in value of the Option, or recoupment of any Shares acquired under the Plan, or Shares purchased through the exercise of the Option, resulting from (i) termination of the Optionee’s employment or continuous service with the Company or any Subsidiary (for any reason whatsoever, whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of applicable labor laws), and/or (ii) the application of any recoupment policy or any recovery or clawback policy otherwise required by law, and in consideration of the grant of the Options, the Optionee agrees not to institute any claim against the Company or any Subsidiary; if, notwithstanding the foregoing, any such claim is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have arisen, then, by signing/electronically accepting this Agreement, the Optionee shall be deemed to have irrevocably waived the Optionee’s entitlement to pursue or seek remedy for any such claim; and
(o) neither the Company, the Employer nor any other Eligible Subsidiary shall be liable for any foreign exchange rate fluctuation between the Optionee’s local currency and the U.S. Dollar that may affect the value of the Option or of any amounts due to the Optionee pursuant to the exercise of the Option or the subsequent sale of any Shares acquired upon exercise.
19. Language. The Optionee acknowledges that the Optionee is proficient in the English language, or has consulted with an advisor who is sufficiently proficient in English, so as to allow the Optionee to understand the terms and conditions of this Agreement. If the Optionee has received the Plan, this Agreement or any other document related to the Plan translated into a language other than English and if the meaning of the translated version is different than the English version, the English version will control, unless otherwise prescribed by applicable law.
20. Severability. The provisions of this Agreement are severable and if any one or more provisions are determined to be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remaining provisions shall nevertheless be binding and enforceable.
21. Waiver. The Optionee acknowledges that a waiver by the Company of breach of any provision of this Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any other provision of this Agreement, or of any subsequent breach by the Optionee or any other participant.
22. Insider Trading/Market Abuse Laws. By accepting the Options, the Optionee acknowledges that the Optionee is bound by all the terms and conditions of any Company insider trading policy as may be in effect from time to time. The Optionee further acknowledges that, depending on the Optionee’s country, the Optionee may be or may become subject to insider trading restrictions and/or market abuse laws. The Optionee acknowledges that it is the Optionee’s personal responsibility to comply with any applicable restrictions, and the Optionee should speak to the Optionee’s personal advisor on this matter.
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23. Legal and Tax Compliance; Cooperation. If the Optionee resides or is employed outside of the United States, the Optionee agrees, as a condition of the grant of the Options, to repatriate all payments attributable to the Shares and/or cash acquired under the Plan if required by and in accordance with local foreign exchange rules and regulations in the Optionee’s country of residence (and country of employment, if different). Finally, the Optionee agrees to take any and all actions as may be required to comply with the Optionee’s personal legal and tax obligations under local laws, rules and regulations in the Optionee’s country of residence (and country of employment, if different).
24. Private Offering. The grant of the Options is not intended to be a public offering of securities in the Optionee’s country of residence (and country of employment, if different). The Company has not submitted any registration statement, prospectus or other filing with the local securities authorities with respect to the grant of the Options (unless otherwise required under local law). No employee of the Company is permitted to advise the Optionee on whether the Optionee should purchase Shares under the Plan or provide the Optionee with any legal, tax or financial advice with respect to the grant of the Options.
25. Foreign Asset/Account Reporting Requirements and Exchange Controls. The Optionee’s country may have certain exchange control and/or foreign asset/account reporting requirements which may affect the Optionee’s ability to acquire or hold Shares under the Plan or cash received from participating in the Plan. The Optionee acknowledges that it is the Optionee’s responsibility to comply with any applicable regulations.
26. [Reserved].
27. Imposition of Other Requirements. The Company reserves the right to impose other requirements on the Optionee’s participation in the Plan, on the Option and on any Shares acquired under the Plan, to the extent the Company determines it is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons.
28. Recoupment. The Options granted pursuant to this Agreement are subject to the terms of all compensation clawback policies approved by or pursuant to delegation from the Danaher Corporation Board of Directors (or the Compensation Committee thereof) from time to time (collectively, the “Policies”) if and to the extent any of the Policies by its terms applies to the Options, and to the terms required by applicable law; and the terms of the Policies and such applicable law are incorporated by reference herein and made a part hereof.
29. Notices. The Company may, directly or through its third-party stock plan administrator, endeavor to provide certain notices to the Optionee regarding certain events relating to awards that the Optionee may have received or may in the future receive under the Plan. The Optionee acknowledges and agrees that (1) the Company has no obligation to provide any such notices; (2) to the extent the Company does provide any such notices, the Company does not thereby assume any obligation to provide any such notices; and (3) the Company, its Subsidiaries and the third-party stock plan administrator have no liability for any failure to provide such notices.
30. Limitations on Liability. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Plan or this Agreement, no individual acting as a director, employee, or agent of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries will be liable to the Optionee or the Optionee’s spouse, beneficiary, or any other person or entity for any claim, loss, liability, or expense incurred in connection with the Plan. No member of the Board or of the Committee will be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any Option.
31. Consent and Agreement With Respect to Plan. The Optionee (a) acknowledges that the Plan and the prospectus relating thereto are available to the Optionee on the website maintained by the Stock Plan Administrator; (b) represents that the Optionee has read and is familiar with the terms and provisions thereof, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel of the Optionee’s choice prior to executing this Agreement and fully understands all provisions of the Agreement and the Plan; (c) accepts this Option subject to all of the terms and provisions thereof; (d) consents and agrees to all amendments that have been made to the Plan since it was adopted in 2007; and (e) agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Committee upon any questions arising under the Plan or this Agreement.
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[If the Agreement is signed in paper form, complete and execute the following:]
| OPTIONEE | DANAHER CORPORATION | |||
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| Signature | Signature | |||
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| Print Name | Print Name | |||
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| Declaration of Data Privacy Consent. By providing the additional signature below, the Optionee explicitly declares the Optionee’s consent to the data-processing operations described in Section 14 of this Agreement. This includes, without limitation, the transfer of the Optionee’s Personal Information to, and the processing of such data by, the Company, the Employer or, as the case may be, the Stock Plan Administrator in the United States. The undersigned may withdraw the Optionee’s consent at any time, with future effect and for any or no reason as described in Section 14 of this Agreement. |
OPTIONEE
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| Signature |
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Exhibit 10.6
FINAL VERSION
AMENDED AND RESTATED DANAHER CORPORATION
OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN
FOUNDER SPECIAL RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT
Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the Amended and Restated Danaher Corporation Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) will have the same defined meanings in this Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (the “Agreement”).
| I. | NOTICE OF GRANT |
Name:
Employee ID:
The undersigned Participant has been granted an award of Restricted Stock Units, subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement, as follows (each of the following capitalized terms are defined terms having the meaning indicated below):
| Date of Grant |
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| Number of Restricted Stock Units |
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| Time-Based Vesting Criteria | Vesting in equal installments (each, a “Tranche”) on the fourth and fifth anniversaries of Date of Grant | |||||
| II. | AGREEMENT |
1. Grant of RSUs. The Company hereby grants to the Participant named in this Notice of Grant (the “Participant”), an award of Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”) to acquire the number of shares of Common Stock (the “Shares”) set forth in the Notice of Grant, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Plan, which are incorporated herein by reference. For purposes of this Agreement, to the extent the Participant is not employed by the Company, “Employer” means the Eligible Subsidiary that employs the Participant.
2. Vesting.
(a) Vesting Schedule. Except as may otherwise be set forth in this Agreement or in the Plan, with respect to each Tranche of RSUs granted under this Agreement (a “Tranche” consists of all RSUs as to which the Time-Based Vesting Criteria are scheduled to be satisfied on the same date), the Tranche shall not vest unless the Participant continues to be actively employed with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary for the period required to satisfy the Time-Based Vesting Criteria applicable to such Tranche (the date on which the Time-Based Vesting Criteria applicable to a Tranche are scheduled to be satisfied is the “Time-Based Vesting Date”). Vesting shall be determined separately for each Tranche. The Time-Based Vesting Criteria applicable to any Tranche are referred to as “Vesting Conditions,” and the date upon which all Vesting Conditions applicable to that Tranche are satisfied (or, if earlier, the date upon which vesting of that Tranche is accelerated in accordance with Section 4) is referred to as the “Vesting Date” for such Tranche. The Vesting Conditions shall be established by the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Company’s Board of Directors (or by one or more members of Company management, if such power has been delegated in accordance with the Plan and applicable law) and reflected in the account maintained for the Participant by an external third party administrator of the RSUs. Further, during any approved leave of absence (and without limiting the application of any other rules governing leaves of absence that the Committee may approve from time to time pursuant to the Plan, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Committee shall have discretion to provide that the vesting of the RSUs shall be frozen as of the first day of the leave (or as of any subsequent day during such leave, as applicable) and shall not resume until and unless the Participant returns to active employment.
(b) Fractional RSU Vesting. In the event the Participant is vested in a fractional portion of an RSU (a “Fractional Portion”), such Fractional Portion will be rounded up and converted into a whole Share and issued to the Participant; provided that to the extent rounding a Fractional Share up would result in the imposition of either (i) individual tax and penalty interest charges imposed under Section 409A of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (“Section 409A”), or (ii) adverse tax consequences if the Participant is located outside of the United States, the fractional Share will be rounded down without the payment of any consideration in respect of such fractional Share.
3. Form and Timing of Payment; Conditions to Issuance of Shares.
(a) Form and Timing of Payment. The award of RSUs represents the right to receive a number of Shares equal to the number of RSUs that vest pursuant to the Vesting Conditions. Unless and until the RSUs have vested in the manner set forth in Sections 2 and 4, the Participant shall have no right to payment of any such RSUs. Prior to actual issuance of any Shares underlying the RSUs, such RSUs will represent an unsecured obligation of the Company, payable (if at all) only from the general assets of the Company. Subject to the other terms of the Plan and this Agreement, with respect to any Tranche that vests in accordance with Sections 2 and 4, the underlying Shares will be paid to the Participant in whole Shares within 74 days of the Vesting Date for that Tranche. The Shares shall not be issued under the Plan unless the issuance and delivery of such Shares comply with (or are exempt from) all applicable requirements of law, including (without limitation) the Securities Act, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, state securities laws and regulations, and the regulations of any stock exchange or other securities market on which the Company’s securities may then be traded. The Committee may require the Participant to take any reasonable action in order to comply with any such rules or regulations.
(b) Acknowledgment of Potential Securities Law Restrictions. Unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covers the Shares issued upon vesting of an RSU, the Committee may require that the Participant agree in writing to acquire such Shares for investment and not for public resale or distribution, unless and until the Shares subject to the RSUs are registered under the Securities Act. The Committee may also require the Participant to acknowledge that the Participant shall not sell or transfer such Shares except in compliance with all applicable laws, and may apply such other restrictions as it deems appropriate. The Participant acknowledges that the U.S. federal securities laws prohibit trading in the stock of the Company by persons who are in possession of material, non-public information, and also acknowledges and understands the other restrictions set forth in the Company’s Insider Trading Policy.
4. Termination.
(a) General. In the event the Participant’s active employment with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary terminates (the date of any such termination is referred to as the “Termination Date”) for any reason (other than death, Disability or Involuntary Termination) whether or not in breach of applicable labor laws, unless contrary to applicable law and unless otherwise provided by the Administrator either initially or subsequent to the grant of the RSUs, all RSUs that are unvested as of the Termination Date shall automatically terminate as of the Termination Date and the Participant’s right to receive further RSUs under the Plan shall also terminate as of the Termination Date. The Committee shall have discretion to determine whether the Participant has ceased to be actively employed by the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary, and the effective date on which such active employment terminated. The Participant’s active employer-employee will not be extended by any notice period mandated under applicable law (e.g., active employment shall not include a period of “garden leave”, paid administrative leave or similar period pursuant to applicable law). Unless the Committee provides otherwise (1) termination of the Participant’s employment will include instances in which the Participant is terminated and immediately rehired as an independent contractor, and (2) the spin-off, sale, or disposition of the Employer from the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary (whether by transfer of shares, assets or otherwise) such that the Employer no longer constitutes an Eligible Subsidiary will constitute a termination of employment.
(b) Death and Disability. In the event the Participant’s active employment relationship with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary terminates as a result of death or Disability, unless contrary to applicable law and unless otherwise provided by the Administrator either initially or subsequent to the grant of the RSUs, a pro rata portion of each Tranche, to the extent unvested, will become vested as of the date of the Participant’s death or Disability and the vested RSUs shall be settled in accordance with Section 3. The pro rata portion of each Tranche will be determined by multiplying the number of Shares subject to such Tranche by a fraction, (i) the numerator of
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which is the number of full months during the period beginning on the Grant Date and ending on the Termination Date, with any partial month counted as a full month, and (ii) the denominator of which is the number of full months during the period beginning on the Grant Date and ending on the scheduled vesting date of the Tranche. Any unvested portion of the RSUs that does not vest in accordance with the foregoing will terminate and be forfeited.
(c) Retirement. Notwithstanding the terms of the Plan, in the event the Participant’s employment with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary terminates by reason of the Participant’s Early Retirement or Normal Retirement, the vesting acceleration provisions of Early Retirement treatment or Normal Retirement treatment, as applicable, set forth in the Plan shall not apply to the RSUs.
(d) Involuntary Termination. In the event the Participant’s employment with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary is terminated by the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary without Cause (as defined below) (an “Involuntary Termination”), a pro rata portion of each Tranche, to the extent unvested, will become vested as of the Termination Date and the vested RSUs shall be settled in accordance with Section 3; provided that the Participant complies with the Release Requirement (as defined below). The pro rata portion of each Tranche will be determined by multiplying the number of Shares subject to such Tranche by a fraction, (i) the numerator of which is the number of full months during the period beginning on the Grant Date and ending on the Termination Date, with any partial month counted as a full month, and (ii) the denominator of which is the number of full months during the period beginning on the Grant Date and ending on the scheduled vesting date of the Tranche. Any unvested portion of the RSUs that does not vest in accordance with the foregoing will terminate and be forfeited.
(e) Release Requirement; Cause Definition. (i) Release. As a condition to the vesting provided under Section 4(d), the Company may require the Participant to execute (and not revoke) a separation and general release agreement in the form determined in the sole discretion of the Company (which release may include restrictive covenants in accordance with applicable law), which release must become effective in accordance with its terms within sixty (60) days following the Termination Date. If the Participant fails to timely execute such release or revokes such release, the vesting provided under Section 4(d) shall not apply and the unvested RSUs shall terminate and be canceled as of the Termination Date. (ii) Cause. For purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” means: (A) the Participant’s dishonesty, fraud, misappropriation, embezzlement, willful misconduct or gross negligence with respect to the Company or any of its affiliates, or any other action in willful disregard of the interests of the Company or any of its affiliates; (B) the Participant’s conviction of, or pleading guilty or no contest to (1) a felony, (2) any misdemeanor (other than a traffic violation), or (3) any other crime or activity that would impair the Participant’s ability to perform duties or impair the business reputation of the Company or any of its affiliates; (C) the Participant’s willful failure or refusal to satisfactorily perform any duties assigned to the Participant; (D) the Participant’s failure or refusal to comply with Company standards, policies or procedures, including without limitation the Company’s Standards of Conduct as amended from time to time; (E) the Participant’s violation of any restrictive covenant agreement with the Company or any of its affiliates; (F) the Participant’s engaging in any activity that is in conflict with the business purposes of the Company or any of its affiliates, as determined in the Company’s sole discretion; or (G) a material misrepresentation or a breach of any of the Participant’s representations, obligations or agreements under the Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 4(d), if Cause exists at the time of the Participant’s termination of employment (whether or not the termination is characterized as a termination for Cause), the vesting provided under Section 4(d) shall not apply and the unvested RSUs shall terminate and be canceled as of the Termination Date.
(f) Gross Misconduct. If the Participant’s employment with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary is terminated for Gross Misconduct as determined by the Administrator, the Administrator in its sole discretion may provide that all, or any portion specified by the Administrator, of the Participant’s unvested RSUs shall automatically terminate as of the time of termination without consideration. The Participant acknowledges and agrees that the Participant’s termination of employment shall also be deemed to be a termination of employment by reason of the Participant’s Gross Misconduct if, after the Participant’s employment has terminated, facts and circumstances are discovered or confirmed by the Company that would have justified a termination for Gross Misconduct.
(g) Violation of Post-Termination Covenant. To the extent that any of the Participant’s RSUs remain outstanding under the terms of the Plan or this Agreement after the Termination Date, such RSUs shall expire as of the date the Participant violates any covenant not to compete or other post-termination covenant that exists between the Participant on the one hand and the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, on the other hand.
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(h) Substantial Corporate Change. Upon a Substantial Corporate Change, the Participant’s unvested RSUs will terminate unless provision is made in writing in connection with such transaction for the assumption or continuation of the RSUs, or the substitution for such RSUs of any options or grants covering the stock or securities of a successor employer corporation, or a parent or subsidiary of such successor, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of shares of stock and prices, in which event the RSUs will continue in the manner and under the terms so provided.
5. Non-Transferability of RSUs. Unless the Committee determines otherwise in advance in writing, RSUs may not be transferred in any manner otherwise than by will or by the applicable laws of descent or distribution. The terms of the Plan and this Agreement shall be binding upon the executors, administrators, heirs and permitted successors and assigns of the Participant.
6. Amendment of RSUs or Plan.
(a) The Plan and this Agreement constitute the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and the Participant with respect to the subject matter hereof. The Participant expressly warrants that the Participant is not accepting this Agreement in reliance on any promises, representations, or inducements other than those contained herein. The Board may amend, modify or terminate the Plan or the RSUs in any respect at any time; provided, however, that modifications to this Agreement or the Plan that materially and adversely affect the Participant’s rights hereunder can be made only in an express written contract signed by the Company and the Participant. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or this Agreement, the Company reserves the right to revise this Agreement and the Participant’s rights under outstanding RSUs as it deems necessary or advisable, in its sole discretion and without the consent of the Participant, (1) upon a Substantial Corporate Change, (2) as required by law, or (3) to comply with Section 409A or to otherwise avoid imposition of any additional tax or income recognition under Section 409A in connection with the RSUs.
(b) The Participant acknowledges and agrees that if the Participant changes classification from a full-time employee to a part-time employee the Committee may in its sole discretion reduce or eliminate the Participant’s unvested RSUs.
7. Tax Obligations.
(a) Withholding Taxes. Regardless of any action the Company or the Employer takes with respect to any or all federal, state, local or foreign income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, fringe benefits tax, payment on account or other tax related items (“Tax-Related Items”), the Participant acknowledges that the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items associated with the RSUs is and remains the Participant’s responsibility and that the Company and the Employer (i) make no representations or undertaking regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with any aspect of the RSUs, including, but not limited to, the grant or vesting of the RSUs, the delivery of Shares, the subsequent sale of Shares acquired at vesting and the receipt of any dividends or dividend equivalents, and (ii) do not commit to structure the terms of the grant or any aspect of the RSUs to reduce or eliminate the Participant’s liability for Tax-Related Items. Further, if the Participant is subject to tax in more than one jurisdiction, the Participant acknowledges that the Company and/or the Employer (or former employer, as applicable) may be required to withhold or account for Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction.
(i) This Section 7(a)(i) shall apply to the Participant only if the Participant is not subject to Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Prior to the relevant taxable or tax withholding event, as applicable, the Participant agrees to make adequate arrangements satisfactory to the Company and/or the Employer to satisfy all Tax-Related Items. In this regard, the Participant authorizes the Company and/or the Employer, or their respective agents, at their discretion, to satisfy their withholding obligations with regard to all Tax-Related Items by one or a combination of the following:
A. Net Share Issuance Tax Withholding Method – withholding Shares to be issued upon vesting of the RSUs having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of the Tax-Related Items to be satisfied;
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B. Existing Shares Tax Withholding Method – tendering back to the Company Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of the Tax-Related Items to be satisfied;
C. Sell-To-Cover Tax Withholding Method – authorizing the sale on behalf of the Participant of Shares to be issued upon vesting of the RSUs having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of the Tax-Related Items to be satisfied.
For purposes of the foregoing, (A) the Participant shall be deemed to have been issued the full number of Shares subject to the vested RSUs, notwithstanding that a number of the Shares are held back solely for the purpose of paying the Tax-Related Items due as a result of any aspect of the Participant’s participation in the Plan, and (B) unless the Company determines otherwise (including without limitation in connection with a Substantial Corporate Change), the Company shall satisfy any Tax-Related Items through the Net Share Issuance Tax Withholding Method described in Section 7(a)(i)A above if the Participant fails to make an election regarding the satisfaction of Tax-Related Items prior to the relevant taxable or tax withholding event, as applicable.
(ii) This Section 7(a)(ii) shall apply to the Participant only if the Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Prior to the relevant taxable or tax withholding event, as applicable, the Participant agrees to make adequate arrangements satisfactory to the Company and/or the Employer to satisfy all Tax-Related Items. In this regard, unless the Committee determines otherwise (including without limitation in connection with a Substantial Corporate Change), the Company shall satisfy any Tax-Related Items through the Net Share Issuance Tax Withholding Method (i.e., the Company will withhold Shares to be issued upon vesting of the RSUs having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of the Tax-Related Items to be satisfied). The Participant shall be deemed to have been issued the full number of Shares subject to the vested RSUs, notwithstanding that a number of the Shares are held back solely for the purpose of paying the Tax-Related Items due as a result of any aspect of the Participant’s participation in the Plan.
(b) Code Section 409A. Payments made pursuant to the Plan and this Agreement are intended to qualify for an exemption from or comply with Section 409A. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, the Company reserves the right, to the extent the Company deems necessary or advisable in its sole discretion, to unilaterally amend or modify the Plan and/or this Agreement to ensure that all RSUs granted to Participants who are United States taxpayers are made in such a manner that either qualifies for exemption from or complies with Section 409A; provided, however, that the Company makes no representation that the RSUs will be exempt from or comply with Section 409A and makes no undertaking to preclude Section 409A from applying to the RSUs. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries will have any obligation to indemnify or otherwise hold the Participant harmless from any or all of the taxes, interest or penalties imposed on the Participant as a result of Section 409A.
For purposes of making a payment under this Agreement, if any amount is payable as a result of a Substantial Corporate Change, such event shall not be treated as a Substantial Corporate Change unless it also constitutes a “change in control event” within the meaning of Section 409A. If a Substantial Corporate Change does not constitute a change in control event, the amount payable upon such Substantial Corporate Change shall be paid at the time it would have been paid had no Substantial Corporate Change occurred.
If the Participant is a “specified employee” as defined in Section 409A (and as applied according to procedures of the Company) as of the Participant’s “separation from service” (within the meaning of Section 409A), to the extent any payment under this Agreement constitutes deferred compensation (after taking into account any applicable exemptions from Section 409A) and to the extent required by Section 409A, no payments due under this Agreement may be made until the earlier of: (A) the day after the date that is six (6) months following the Participant’s separation from service, or (B) the Participant’s date of death. Following any applicable six-month delay, all such delayed payments will be paid in a single lump sum on the earliest permissible payment date.
8. Rights as Shareholder. Until all requirements for vesting of the RSUs pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and the Plan have been satisfied, the Participant shall not be deemed to be a shareholder of the Company, and shall have no dividend rights or voting rights with respect to the RSUs or any Shares underlying or issuable in respect of such RSUs until such Shares are actually issued to the Participant.
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9. No Employment Contract. Nothing in the Plan or this Agreement constitutes an employment contract between the Company and the Participant and this Agreement shall not confer upon the Participant any right to continuation of employment with the Company or any of its Eligible Subsidiaries, nor shall this Agreement interfere in any way with the Company’s or any of its Eligible Subsidiaries’ right to terminate the Participant’s employment at any time, with or without cause (subject to any employment agreement the Participant may otherwise have with the Company or an Eligible Subsidiary thereof and/or applicable law).
10. Board Authority. The Board and/or the Committee shall have the power to interpret this Agreement and to adopt such rules for the administration, interpretation and application of this Agreement as are consistent therewith and to interpret or revoke any such rules (including, but not limited to, the determination of whether any RSUs have vested). All interpretations and determinations made by the Board and/or the Committee in good faith shall be final and binding upon the Participant, the Company and all other interested persons and such determinations of the Board and/or the Committee do not have to be uniform nor do they have to consider whether the Participants are similarly situated.
11. Headings. The captions used in this Agreement and the Plan are inserted for convenience and shall not be deemed to be a part of the RSUs for construction and interpretation.
12. Electronic Delivery.
(a) If the Participant executes this Agreement electronically, for the avoidance of doubt, the Participant acknowledges and agrees that the Participant’s execution of this Agreement electronically through an on-line system established and maintained by the Company or a third party designated by the Company, or otherwise shall have the same binding legal effect as would execution of this Agreement in paper form. The Participant acknowledges that upon request of the Company the Participant shall also provide an executed, paper form of this Agreement.
(b) If the Participant executes this Agreement in paper form, for the avoidance of doubt the parties acknowledge and agree that it is their intent that any agreement previously or subsequently entered into between the parties that is executed electronically shall have the same binding legal effect as if such agreement were executed in paper form.
(c) If the Participant executes this Agreement multiple times (for example, if the Participant first executes this Agreement in electronic form and subsequently executes this Agreement in paper form), the Participant acknowledges and agrees that (i) no matter how many versions of this Agreement are executed and in whatever medium, this Agreement only evidences a single award relating to the number of RSUs set forth in the Notice of Grant and (ii) this Agreement shall be effective as of the earliest execution of this Agreement by the parties, whether in paper form or electronically, and the subsequent execution of this Agreement in the same or a different medium shall in no way impair the binding legal effect of this Agreement as of the time of original execution.
(d) The Company may, in its sole discretion, decide to deliver by electronic means any documents related to the RSUs, to participation in the Plan, or to future awards granted under the Plan, or otherwise required to be delivered to the Participant pursuant to the Plan or under applicable law, including but not limited to, the Plan, this Agreement, the Plan prospectus and any reports of the Company generally provided to shareholders. Such means of electronic delivery may include, but do not necessarily include, the delivery of a link to the Company’s intranet or the internet site of a third party involved in administering the Plan, the delivery of documents via electronic mail (“e-mail”) or such other means of electronic delivery specified by the Company. By executing this Agreement, the Participant hereby consents to receive such documents by electronic delivery. At the Participant’s written request to the Secretary of the Company, the Company shall provide a paper copy of any document at no cost to the Participant.
13. Data Privacy. The Company is located at 2200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 800W, Washington, D.C., 20037, United States of America and grants RSUs under the Plan to employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries in its sole discretion. In conjunction with the Company’s grant of the RSUs under the Plan and its ongoing administration of such awards, the Company is providing the following information about its data collection, processing and transfer practices (“Personal Data Activities”). In accepting the grant of the RSUs, the Participant expressly and explicitly consents to the Personal Data Activities as described herein.
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(a) Data Collection, Processing and Usage. Pursuant to applicable data protection laws, the Participant is hereby notified that the Company collects, processes, and uses certain personally-identifiable information about the Participant; specifically, including the Participant’s name, home address, email address and telephone number, date of birth, social insurance/passport number or other identification number (e.g., resident registration number), salary, citizenship, job title, any Shares or directorships held in the Company, and details of all RSUs or any other equity compensation awards granted, cancelled, exercised, vested, or outstanding to the Participant’s favor, which the Company receives from the Participant or the Employee (“Personal Information”). In granting the RSUs under the Plan, the Company will collect the Participant’s Personal Information for purposes of allocating Shares and implementing, administering and managing the Plan. The Company’s legal basis for collecting, processing and using the Participant’s Personal Information will be the Company’s legitimate interest of managing the Plan and generally administering employee equity awards, the Company’s necessity to execute its contractual obligations under the Agreement and to comply with its legal obligations. The Participant’s refusal to provide Personal Information may affect the Participant’s ability to participate in the Plan. As such, by participating in the Plan, the Participant voluntarily acknowledges the collection, processing and use, of the Participant’s Personal Information as described herein.
(b) Stock Plan Administration Service Provider. The Company transfers Participant’s Personal Information to Fidelity Stock Plan Services LLC, an independent service provider based in the United States, which assists the Company with the implementation, administration and management of the Plan (the “Stock Plan Administrator”). In the future, the Company may select a different Stock Plan Administrator and share the Participant’s Personal Information with another company that serves in a similar manner. The Stock Plan Administrator will open an account for the Participant to receive and trade Shares acquired under the Plan. The Participant will be asked to agree on separate terms and data processing practices with the Stock Plan Administrator, which is a condition to the Participant’s ability to participate in the Plan.
(c) International Data Transfers. The Company and the Stock Plan Administrator are based in the United States. The Company can only meet its contractual obligations to the Participant if the Participant’s Personal Information is transferred to the United States. The Company’s legal basis for the transfer of the Participant’s Personal Information to the United States is to satisfy its contractual obligations under the terms of the Agreement and/or its use of the standard data protection clauses adopted by the European Commission.
(d) Data Retention. The Company will use the Participant’s Personal Information only as long as is necessary to implement, administer and manage the Participant’s participation in the Plan or as required to comply with legal or regulatory obligations, including under tax and securities laws. When the Company no longer needs the Participant’s Personal Information, the Company will remove it from its systems. If the Company keeps the Participant’s Personal Information longer, it would be to satisfy legal or regulatory obligations and the Company’s legal basis would be for compliance with relevant laws or regulations.
(e) Data Subjects Rights. The Participant may have a number of rights under data privacy laws in the Participant’s country of residence (and country of employment, if different). For example, the Participant’s rights may include the right to (i) request access or copies of Personal Information the Company processes pursuant to the Agreement, (ii) request rectification of incorrect Personal Information, (iii) request deletion of Personal Information, (iv) request restrictions on processing of Personal Information, (v) lodge complaints with competent authorities in the Participant’s country of residence (and country of employment, if different), and/or (vi) request a list with the names and addresses of any potential recipients of the Participant’s Personal Information. To receive clarification regarding the Participant’s rights or to exercise the Participant’s rights, the Participant should contact the Participant’s local human resources department.
14. Waiver of Right to Jury Trial. EACH PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ANY RIGHT OR EXPECTATION, AGAINST THE OTHER TO TRIAL OR ADJUDICATION BY A JURY OF ANY CLAIM, CAUSE OR ACTION ARISING WITH RESPECT TO THE RSUS OR THE RIGHTS, DUTIES OR LIABILITIES CREATED HEREBY.
15. Agreement Severable. In the event that any provision of this Agreement shall be held invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be severable from, and such invalidity or unenforceability shall not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of this Agreement.
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16. Governing Law and Venue. The laws of the State of Delaware (other than its choice of law provisions) shall govern this Agreement and its interpretation. For purposes of litigating any dispute that arises with respect to the RSUs, this Agreement or the Plan, the parties hereby submit to and consent to the jurisdiction of the State of Delaware, and agree that such litigation shall be conducted in the courts of New Castle County, or the United States Federal court for the District of Delaware, and no other courts; and waive, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection that the laying of the venue of any legal or equitable proceedings related to, concerning or arising from such dispute which is brought in any such court is improper or that such proceedings have been brought in an inconvenient forum. Any claim under the Plan, this Agreement or the RSUs must be commenced by the Participant within twelve (12) months of the earliest date on which the Participant’s claim first arises, or the Participant’s cause of action accrues, or such claim will be deemed waived by the Participant.
17. Nature of RSUs. In accepting the RSUs, the Participant acknowledges and agrees that:
(a) the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature and may be modified, amended, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time, to the extent permitted by the Plan;
(b) the Plan is operated and the RSUs are granted solely by the Company and only the Company is a party to this Agreement; accordingly, any rights the Participant may have under this Agreement may be raised only against the Company;
(c) no entity other than the Company has any obligation to make any payment of any kind to the Participant under this Agreement;
(d) the award of RSUs is exceptional, voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future awards of RSUs, benefits in lieu of RSUs or other equity awards, even if RSUs have been awarded in the past;
(e) all decisions with respect to equity awards, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of the Company;
(f) the Participant’s participation in the Plan is voluntary;
(g) the award of RSUs and the Shares subject to the RSUs, and the income from and value of same, are an extraordinary item that (i) does not constitute compensation of any kind for services of any kind rendered to the Company or any Subsidiary, and (ii) is outside the scope of the Participant’s employment contract, if any;
(h) the award of RSUs and the Shares subject to the RSUs, and the income from and value of same are not part of normal or expected compensation or salary for any purposes, including, but not limited to, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, redundancy, end of service payments, bonuses, holiday pay, long-service awards, pension or retirement or welfare benefits or similar payments and in no event should be considered as compensation for, or relating in any way to, past services for the Company or any Subsidiary;
(i) the award of RSUs and any Shares acquired under the Plan, and the income from and value of same, are not intended to replace or supplement any pension rights or compensation;
(j) unless otherwise agreed with the Company in writing, the RSUs and the Shares subject to the RSUs, and the income from and value of same, are not granted as consideration for, or in connection with, any service the Participant may provide as a director of any Subsidiary;
(k) the future value of the underlying Shares is unknown, undeterminable and cannot be predicted with certainty;
(l) the value of the Shares acquired upon vesting/settlement of the RSUs may increase or decrease in value;
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(m) in consideration of the award of RSUs, no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages shall arise from termination of the RSUs, or recoupment of any Shares acquired under the Plan, or from any diminution in value of the RSUs or the Shares upon vesting of the RSUs resulting from (i) termination of the Participant’s employment with the Company or any Subsidiary (for any reason whatsoever and whether or not in breach of applicable labor laws of the jurisdiction where the Participant is employed or the terms of the Participant’s employment agreement, if any), and / or (ii) the application of any recoupment policy or recovery or clawback policy otherwise required by law (including, but not limited to, the Policies as defined and addressed in Section 27), and in consideration of the grant of the RSUs, the Participant agrees not to institute any claim against the Company or any Subsidiary; if, notwithstanding the foregoing, any such claim is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have arisen, then, by signing/electronically accepting this Agreement, the Participant shall be deemed to have irrevocably waived the Participant’s entitlement to pursue or seek remedy for any such claim; and
(n) neither the Company, the Employer nor any other Eligible Subsidiary shall be liable for any foreign exchange rate fluctuations between the Participant’s local currency and the United States Dollar that may affect the value of the RSUs of any amounts due to the Participant pursuant to the settlement of the RSUs or the subsequent sale of any Shares acquired upon vesting.
18. Language. The Participant acknowledges that the Participant is proficient in the English language, or has consulted with an advisor who is sufficiently proficient in English, so as to allow the Participant to understand the terms and conditions of this Agreement. If the Participant has received the Plan, this Agreement or any other document related to the Plan translated into a language other than English and if the meaning of the translated version is different than the English version, the English version will control, unless otherwise prescribed by applicable law.
19. Severability. The provisions of this Agreement are severable and if any one or more provisions are determined to be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remaining provisions shall nevertheless be binding and enforceable.
20. Waiver. The Participant acknowledges that a waiver by the Company of breach of any provision of this Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any other provision of this Agreement, or of any subsequent breach by the Participant or any other participant.
21. Insider Trading/Market Abuse Laws. By accepting the RSUs, the Participant acknowledges that the Participant is bound by all the terms and conditions of any Company insider trading policy as may be in effect from time to time. The Participant further acknowledges that, depending on the Participant’s country, the Participant may be or may become subject to insider trading restrictions and/or market abuse laws, which may affect the Participant’s ability to accept, acquire, sell or otherwise dispose of Shares, rights to Shares (e.g., RSUs) or rights linked to the value of Shares under the Plan during such times as the Participant is considered to have “inside information” regarding the Company (as defined by the laws in the applicable jurisdiction(s)). Local insider trading laws and regulations may prohibit the cancellation or amendment of orders the Participant placed before the Participant possessed insider information. Furthermore, the Participant could be prohibited from (i) disclosing the inside information to any third party, which may include fellow employees and (ii) “tipping” third parties or causing them otherwise to buy or sell securities. Any restrictions under these laws or regulations are separate from and in addition to any restrictions that may be imposed under any Company insider trading policy as may be in effect from time to time. The Participant acknowledges that it is the Participant’s personal responsibility to comply with any applicable restrictions, and the Participant should speak to the Participant’s personal advisor on this matter.
22. Legal and Tax Compliance; Cooperation. If the Participant resides or is employed outside of the United States, the Participant agrees, as a condition of the grant of the RSUs, to repatriate all payments attributable to the Shares and/or cash acquired under the Plan (including, but not limited to, dividends and any proceeds derived from the sale of Shares acquired pursuant to the RSUs) if required by and in accordance with local foreign exchange rules and regulations in the Participant’s country of residence (and country of employment, if different). In addition, the Participant also agrees to take any and all actions, and consent to any and all actions taken by the Company and its Eligible Subsidiaries, as may be required to allow the Company and its Eligible Subsidiaries to comply with local laws, rules and regulations in the Participant’s country of residence (and country of employment, if different). Finally, the Participant agrees to take any and all actions as may be required to comply with the Participant’s personal legal and tax obligations under local laws, rules and regulations in the Participant’s country of residence (and country of employment, if different).
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23. Private Offering. The grant of the RSUs is not intended to be a public offering of securities in the Participant’s country of residence (and country of employment, if different). The Company has not submitted any registration statement, prospectus or other filing with the local securities authorities with respect to the grant of the RSUs (unless otherwise required under local law). No employee of the Company is permitted to advise the Participant on whether the Participant should acquire Shares under the Plan or provide the Participant with any legal, tax or financial advice with respect to the grant of the RSUs. Investment in Shares involves a degree of risk. Before deciding to acquire Shares pursuant to the RSUs, the Participant should carefully consider all risk factors and tax considerations relevant to the acquisition of Shares under the Plan or the disposition of such Shares. Further, the Participant should carefully review all of the materials related to the RSUs and the Plan, and the Participant should consult with the Participant’s personal legal, tax and financial advisors for professional advice in relation to the Participant’s personal circumstances.
24. Foreign Asset/Account Reporting Requirements and Exchange Controls. The Participant’s country may have certain foreign asset/account reporting requirements and exchange controls which may affect the Participant’s ability to acquire or hold Shares under the Plan or cash received from participating in the Plan (including any dividends paid on Shares, sale proceeds resulting from the sale of Shares acquired under the Plan) in a brokerage or bank account outside the Participant’s country. The Participant may be required to report such accounts, assets, or transactions to the tax or other authorities in the Participant’s country. The Participant may be required to repatriate sale proceeds or other funds received as a result of the Participant’s participation in the Plan to the Participant’s country through a designated bank or broker within a certain time after receipt. The Participant acknowledges that it is the Participant’s responsibility to be compliant with such regulations and the Participant should consult the Participant’s personal legal advisor for any details.
25. [Reserved].
26. Imposition of Other Requirements. The Company reserves the right to impose other requirements on the Participant’s participation in the Plan, on the RSUs and on any Shares subject to the RSUs, to the extent the Company determines it is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons and provided the imposition of the term or condition will not result in any adverse accounting expense to the Company, and to require the Participant to sign any additional agreements or undertakings that may be necessary to accomplish the foregoing.
27. Recoupment. The RSUs granted pursuant to this Agreement are subject to the terms of all compensation clawback policies approved by or pursuant to delegation from the Danaher Corporation Board of Directors (or the Compensation Committee thereof) from time to time (collectively, the “Policies”) and to the extent any of the Policies by its terms applies to the RSUs, and to the terms required by applicable law, and the terms of the Policies and such applicable law are incorporated by reference herein and made a part hereof. For purposes of the foregoing, the Participant expressly and explicitly authorizes the Company to issue instructions, on the Participant’s behalf, to any brokerage firm and/or third party administrator engaged by the Company to hold the Participant’s Shares and other amounts acquired pursuant to the Participant’s RSUs, to recover, transfer or otherwise return such Shares and/or other amounts to the Company upon the Company’s enforcement of the Policies. To the extent that the Agreement and/or any of the Policies conflict, the terms of the Policies shall prevail.
28. Notices. The Company may, directly or through its third party stock plan administrator, endeavor to provide certain notices to the Participant regarding certain events relating to awards that the Participant may have received or may in the future receive under the Plan, such as notices reminding the Participant of the vesting or expiration date of certain awards. The Participant acknowledges and agrees that (1) the Company has no obligation (whether pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise) to provide any such notices, (2) to the extent the Company does provide any such notices to the Participant the Company does not thereby assume any obligation to provide such notices or further notices; and (3) the Company, its Subsidiaries and the third party stock plan administrator have no liability for, and the Participant has no right whatsoever (whether pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise) to make any claim against the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or the third party stock plan administrator based on any allegation of, damages or harm suffered by the Participant as a result of the Company’s failure to provide any such notices or the Participant’s failure to receive any such notices. The Participant further agrees to notify the Company upon any change in the Participant’s residence address.
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29. Limitations on Liability. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Plan or this Agreement, no individual acting as a director, employee, or agent of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries will be liable to the Participant or the Participant’s spouse, beneficiary, or any other person or entity for any claim, loss, liability, or expense incurred in connection with the Plan, nor will such individual be personally liable because of any contract or other instrument the Participant executes in such other capacity. No member of the Board or of the Committee will be liable for any action or determination (including, but not limited to, any decision not to act) made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any RSUs.
30. Consent and Agreement With Respect to Plan. The Participant (a) acknowledges that the Plan and the prospectus relating thereto are available to the Participant on the website maintained by the Stock Plan Administrator; (b) represents that the Participant has read and is familiar with the terms and provisions thereof, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel of the Participant’s choice prior to executing this Agreement and fully understands all provisions of this Agreement and the Plan; (c) accepts these RSUs subject to all of the terms and provisions thereof; (d) consents and agrees to all amendments that have been made to the Plan since it was adopted in 2007 (and for the avoidance of doubt consents and agrees to each amended term reflected in the Plan as in effect on the date of this Agreement), and consents and agrees that all options and restricted stock units, if any, held by the Participant that were previously granted under the Plan as it has existed from time to time are now governed by the Plan as in effect on the date of this Agreement (except to the extent the Committee has expressly provided that a particular Plan amendment does not apply retroactively); and (e) agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Committee upon any questions arising under the Plan or this Agreement.
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[If the Agreement is signed in paper form, complete and execute the following:]
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| Declaration of Data Privacy Consent. By providing the additional signature below, the undersigned explicitly declares the Participant’s consent to the data processing operations described in Section 13 of this Agreement. This includes, without limitation, the transfer of the Participant’s Personal Information to, and the processing of such data by, the Company, the Employer or, as the case may be, the Stock Plan Administrator in the United States. The undersigned may withdraw the Participant’s consent at any time, with future effect and for any or no reason as described in Section 13 of this Agreement. |
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| Signature |
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Exhibit 99.1
Press Release
Danaher Appoints Julie Sawyer Montgomery as President and Chief Executive Officer
Rainer Blair to retire
WASHINGTON, D.C., August 3, 2026 – PR Newswire – Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) (“Danaher” or “the Company”) announced that the Company’s Board of Directors has appointed Julie Sawyer Montgomery as President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors, effective October 1, 2026. On that date, Rainer Blair will retire and serve as a senior advisor until March 31, 2027 to ensure a seamless transition.
“In alignment with the Board of Directors’ succession planning process, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Julie as our next Chief Executive Officer,” said Steven Rales, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Danaher. “We are at a uniquely opportune moment for Danaher, with untapped potential to accelerate growth across the enterprise. Julie has the vision, experience, and proven track record to deliver on that potential. I am confident she will lead our Company into its next phase of growth and value creation with a demonstrated commitment to innovation, commercial excellence, and operational rigor, all grounded in strategy. She is deeply engaged with customers, and a staunch advocate for patients as well as the Company’s associates.”
Since joining the Company in 2017, Ms. Sawyer Montgomery has played a key role in transforming Danaher’s Diagnostics platform into a market-leading franchise, helping grow the business from approximately $6.0 billion in revenue in 2017 to approximately $11.0 billion today, while approximately tripling operating profit.
“As we continue to strengthen our business, we are excited to have Julie as our new CEO,” added Mitchell Rales, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Danaher. “Under her leadership, the Diagnostics platform has consistently gained share in attractive end markets. She has played a pivotal role in transforming the performance of the Diagnostics business and led the recent acquisition of Masimo and pending acquisition of StatLab. She has also optimized the Danaher Business System to further drive performance across our Life Sciences and Diagnostics businesses. Her ability to accelerate growth and deliver results positions her well to lead the Company forward.”
Ms. Sawyer Montgomery brings nearly 25 years of experience across healthcare, commercial operations, and R&D to her role. She joined the Company in 2017 at Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, where she led commercial operations and R&D before becoming President in 2020. Since then, she has held roles of increasing responsibility, most recently serving as Executive Vice President of Danaher, with responsibility for the Diagnostics platform.
“I am honored to lead Danaher into its next chapter and want to thank Rainer for his leadership,” said Ms. Sawyer Montgomery. “Danaher’s global portfolio has tremendous potential with differentiated positions in some of the most attractive life sciences and diagnostics market segments. We have the opportunity to unleash the full power of Danaher as we accelerate innovation, enhance our business capabilities, and more effectively leverage the Danaher Business System across our businesses. We have a highly-talented team that is well-positioned to deliver innovation at the speed of life, generating more consistent growth and creating significant value for our shareholders.”
“On behalf of the Danaher Board, executive team, and all associates, I want to thank Rainer for his leadership of Danaher over the past six years,” said Steven Rales. “Rainer played a critical role in driving Danaher’s portfolio transformation, building an industry-leading life sciences and diagnostics company. Importantly, he guided Danaher and our 60,000+ global associates through the COVID-19 pandemic, enhancing the Company’s standing as a world-class science and technology innovator. We thank him for his many contributions to the Company.”
“It has been a privilege of a lifetime to spend the majority of my career at Danaher and to serve as President and CEO,” said Mr. Blair. “I am proud of the work we have done together to strengthen and grow our portfolio, expand our impact, and position the Company for long-term success. I retire with great pride in all we have accomplished together and complete confidence in Danaher’s future under Julie’s leadership.”
In conjunction with Ms. Sawyer Montgomery’s appointment, Danaher has announced special equity incentive awards for key leadership members and founders.
There is no change to Danaher’s previously communicated third quarter and full-year 2026 guidance.
ABOUT DANAHER
Danaher is a leading global life sciences and diagnostics innovator, committed to accelerating the power of science and technology to improve human health. Through our connected ecosystem of industry-leading businesses, we work side by side with customers to solve many of their most complex scientific and clinical challenges—helping move innovations from discovery to delivery faster for patients who depend on them. Powered by the Danaher Business System, our advanced science and technology and proven ability to innovate help enable faster, more accurate diagnoses and reduce the time, cost, and risk required to discover, develop, and deliver life-changing therapies. Through continuous improvement and operational excellence, our approximately 60,000 associates worldwide are focused on delivering lasting impact and improving quality of life around the world, while building a healthier, more sustainable tomorrow. Explore more at www.danaher.com.
CONTACTS
For further information: Investor: Rachel Vatnsdal, Vice President, Investor Relations, [email protected], Media: [email protected]; Danaher Corporation, 2200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 800W, Washington, D.C. 20037, Telephone: (202) 828-0850, Fax: (202) 828-0860
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Statements in this document that are not strictly historical, including the statements regarding the Company’s growth and other opportunities, the Company’s anticipated future performance, the pending acquisition of StatLab (which remains subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory clearances) and any other statements regarding events or developments that we believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future are “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those suggested or indicated by such forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. These factors include, among other things:
our ability to retain key personnel, our ability to execute on growth and other opportunities, the impact of the tariffs and related actions implemented by the U.S. and other countries, the impact of our debt obligations (including debt we incurred to finance the acquisition of Masimo) on our operations and liquidity, deterioration of or instability in the global economy, the markets we serve and the financial markets, uncertainties with respect to the development, deployment, and use of artificial intelligence in our business and products, the impact of global health crises, uncertainties relating to national laws or policies, including laws or policies to protect or promote domestic interests and/or address foreign competition, our ability to successfully identify and consummate appropriate acquisitions and strategic investments, our ability to integrate the businesses we acquire and achieve the anticipated growth, synergies and other benefits of such acquisitions, contingent liabilities and other risks relating to acquisitions, investments, strategic relationships and divestitures (in each case, including with respect to our acquisition of Masimo), including tax-related and other contingent liabilities relating to past and future IPOs, split-offs or spin-offs, contractions or growth rates and cyclicality of markets we serve, competition, our ability to develop and successfully market new products and technologies and expand into new markets, the potential for improper conduct by our employees, agents or business partners, our compliance with applicable laws and regulations (including rules relating to off-label marketing and other regulations relating to medical devices and the health care industry), the results of our clinical trials and perceptions thereof, our ability to effectively address cost reductions and other changes in the health care industry, security breaches or other disruptions of our information technology systems or violations of data privacy laws, risks relating to potential impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, currency exchange rates, tax audits and changes in our tax rate and income tax liabilities, changes in tax laws applicable to multinational companies, litigation, regulatory proceedings and other contingent liabilities including intellectual property and environmental, health and safety matters, the rights of the United States government with respect to our production capacity in times of national emergency or with respect to intellectual property/production capacity developed using government funding, risks relating to product, service or software defects, product liability and recalls, risks relating to our manufacturing operations, the impact of climate change, legal or regulatory measures to address climate change and other sustainability topics and our ability to address regulatory requirements or stakeholder expectations relating to climate change and other sustainability topics, risks relating to fluctuations in the cost and availability of the supplies we use (including commodities) and labor we need for our operations, our relationships with and the performance of our channel partners, uncertainties relating to collaboration arrangements with third-parties, the impact of deregulation on demand for our products and services, labor matters and our ability to recruit, retain and motivate talented employees, U.S. and non-U.S. economic, political, geopolitical, legal, compliance, social and business factors (including the impact of elections, regulatory and policy changes or uncertainty, government shutdowns and military conflicts such as the conflict in the Middle East), disruptions and other impacts relating to man-made and natural disasters, inflation and the impact of our By-law exclusive forum provisions. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in our SEC filings, including our 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the second quarter of 2026. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and except to the extent required by applicable law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events and developments or otherwise.