FAF 8-K
First American Financial Corp (FAF)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Trading |
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On May 13, 2025 the stockholders of First American Financial Corporation (the “Company”) approved at the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders the amendment and restatement (the “A&R Plan”) of the Company’s 2020 Incentive compensation Plan (the “Prior Plan”). The A&R Plan became effective as of May 13, 2025, following approval by the Board of Directors of the Company on May 12, 2025. The total number of shares that may be delivered pursuant to awards under the A&R Plan is 8,425,000, less the number of shares subject to awards granted under the Company’s 2010 Incentive Compensation Plan on or after January 1, 2020 and prior to May 5, 2020. The A&R Plan is further described in the Company’s amended Proxy Statement as filed with the Securities and Exchange commission on April 16, 2025 (the “Proxy”). The foregoing description of the A&R Plan is qualified in its entirety by the terms of the First American Financial Corporation 2020 Incentive Compensation Plan, as Amended and Restated effective May 13, 2025, which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1.
Item 5.03 Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.
On May 13, 2025, the stockholders of the Company approved an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Certificate”) to amend the Certificate to extend exculpation to certain officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, as it currently exists or as it may be amended in the future (the “Amendment”). The Amendment was described in Item 3 of the Proxy. The Company has filed with the Secretary of State of Delaware a Certificate of Amendment that reflects the Amendment, which was effective upon filing. Following the filing of the Certificate of Amendment, the Company filed with the Secretary of State of Delaware a Restated Certificate of Incorporation that reflects the Amendment, which became effective on May 14, 2025 and is filed as Exhibit 3.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
The annual meeting of stockholders of the Company was held on May 13, 2025. Results of the voting at the meeting are set forth below.
Election of Class III Directors. The names of the persons who were nominated to serve as Class III directors of the Company for a three-year term are listed below, together with a tabulation of the results of the voting at the annual meeting with respect to each nominee. All Class III director nominees were elected.
Name of Class III Nominee |
Votes For |
Votes Against |
Votes Abstaining |
Broker Non-Votes |
Reginald H. Gilyard |
68,246,181.024 |
14,921,466.717 |
2,854,421.319 |
8,977,850.000 |
Parker S. Kennedy |
68,470,594.141 |
14,744,195.600 |
2,807,279.319 |
8,977,850.000 |
Mark C. Oman |
77,504,094.405 |
5,669,224.336 |
2,848,750.319 |
8,977,850.000 |
Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation. At the meeting, the stockholders of the Company approved, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers, with 80,249,222.505 votes for, 2,717,690.484 votes against, 3,055,156.071 votes abstaining and 8,977,850.000 broker non-votes.
Approval of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to Provide for Officer Exculpation. At the meeting, the stockholders approved the amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, with 75,266,631.965 votes for, 7,845,982.058 votes against, 2,909,455.037 votes abstaining and 8,977,850.000 broker non-votes.
Approval of an Amendment and Restatement of the Company’s 2020 Incentive Compensation Plan. At the meeting, the stockholders approved the amendment and restatement of the Company’s 2020 Incentive Compensation Plan, with 81,403,269.945 votes for, 1,615,727.494 votes against, 3,003,071.621 votes abstaining and 8,977,850.000 broker non-votes.
Ratification of Independent Public Accountants. At the meeting, the stockholders of the Company voted to ratify the Audit Committee’s selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for 2025, with 94,000,326.773 votes for, 786,642.011 votes against, and 212,950.276 votes abstaining.
Non-binding stockholder proposal requesting simple majority voting requirements. At the meeting, the stockholders approved the non-binding stockholder proposal request for simple majority voting requirements with 71,492,554.728 votes for, 11,620,398.904 votes against, 2,909,115.428 votes abstaining and 8,977,850.000 broker non-votes.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
Exhibit |
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Description |
3.1 |
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Restated Certificate of Incorporation of First American Financial Corporation |
10.1 |
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104 |
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Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
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.
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FIRST AMERICAN FINANCIAL CORPORATION |
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Date: |
May 16, 2025 |
By: |
/s/ Lisa W. Cornehl |
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Name: Lisa W. Cornehl |
Exhibit 3.1
RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
First American Financial Corporation
(a Delaware corporation)
(Pursuant to Section 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware)
First American Financial Corporation, a corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “Corporation”), does hereby certify:
FIRST: The date of filing of the original Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation with the Secretary of State of Delaware was January 14, 2008.
SECOND: This Restated Certificate of Incorporation was duly adopted by the Board of Directors and stockholders of the Corporation in accordance with Section 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and it restates and integrates and does not further amend the provisions of the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation as theretofore amended and supplemented, and there is no discrepancy between the provisions of the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation as therefore amended and supplemented and the provisions of this Restated Certificate of Incorporation.
THIRD: The text of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation is hereby integrated and restated to read in its entirety as follows:
ARTICLE I
NAME
The name of the corporation is First American Financial Corporation.
ARTICLE II
AGENT
The address of the Corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware is 251 Little Falls Drive, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, Delaware 19808. The name of its registered agent at such address is Corporation Service Company.
ARTICLE III
PURPOSE
The purposes for which the Corporation is formed are to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”).
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ARTICLE IV
STOCK
Section 4.1 Authorized Stock. The aggregate number of shares which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 300,500,000, of which 300,000,000 shall be designated as Common Stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Common Stock”), and 500,000 shall be designated as Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Preferred Stock”).
Section 4.2 Common Stock.
(a) Voting. Each holder of Common Stock, as such, shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each share of Common Stock held of record by such holder on all matters on which stockholders generally are entitled to vote; provided, however, that, except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock, as such, shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any Certificate of Designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any Certificate of Designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) or pursuant to the DGCL.
(b) Dividends. Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive dividends out of any funds of the Corporation legally available therefor when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors.
(c) Liquidation. Upon the dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Corporation, subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive the assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders ratably in proportion to the number of shares held by them.
Section 4.3 Preferred Stock. Subject to limitations prescribed by law and the provisions of this Article IV, the Board of Directors is hereby authorized to provide by resolution for the issuance of the shares of Preferred Stock in one or more series, and to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each such series, and to fix the designation, powers, privileges, preferences, and relative participating, optional or other rights, if any, of the shares of each such series and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof.
The authority of the Board with respect to each series shall include, but not be limited to, determination of the following:
(i) the number of shares constituting such series, including any increase or decrease in the number of shares of any such series (but not below the number of shares in any such series then outstanding), and the distinctive designation of such series;
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(ii) the dividend rate on the shares of such series, if any, whether dividends shall be cumulative, and, if so, from which date or dates, and the relative rights of priority, if any, of payment of dividends on shares of such series;
(iii) whether the shares of such series shall have voting rights (including multiple or fractional votes per share) in addition to the voting rights provided by law, and, if so, the terms of such voting rights;
(iv) whether the shares of such series shall have conversion privileges, and, if so, the terms and conditions of such privileges, including provision for adjustment of the conversion rate in such events as the Board of Directors shall determine;
(v) whether or not the shares of such series shall be redeemable, and if so, the terms and conditions of such redemption, including the date or dates upon or after which they shall be redeemable, and the amount per share payable in case of redemption, which amount may vary under different conditions and at different redemption rates;
(vi) whether a sinking fund shall be provided for the redemption or purchase of shares of such series, and, if so, the terms and the amount of such sinking fund;
(vii) the rights of the shares of such series in the event of voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, and the relative rights of priority, if any, of payment of shares of such series; and
(viii) any other relative rights, preferences and limitations of such series.
ARTICLE V
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 5.1 Number. Except as otherwise provided for or fixed pursuant to the provisions of Article IV of this Certificate of Incorporation relating to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect additional directors in certain circumstances, the Board of Directors shall consist of such number of directors as is determined from time to time exclusively by resolution adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of such directors then in office.
Section 5.2 Classification.
(a) The Board of Directors (other than those directors elected by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock provided for or fixed pursuant to the provisions of Article IV hereof (the “Preferred Stock Directors”)) shall be divided into three classes, as nearly equal in number as possible, designated Class I, Class II and Class III. Class I directors shall initially serve until the first annual meeting of stockholders following the effectiveness of this Section 5.2; Class II directors shall initially serve until the second annual meeting of stockholders following the effectiveness of this Section 5.2; and Class III directors shall initially serve until the third annual meeting of stockholders following the effectiveness of this Section 5.2. Commencing with the first annual meeting of stockholders following the effectiveness of this Section 5.2, directors of each class the term of which shall then expire shall be elected to hold office for a three-year term and until the election and qualification of their respective successors in office.
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In case of any increase or decrease, from time to time, in the number of directors (other than Preferred Stock Directors), the number of directors in each class shall be apportioned as nearly equal as possible. The Board of Directors is authorized to assign members of the Board of Directors already in office to Class I, Class II or Class III.
(b) Subject to the rights of the holders of any one or more series of Preferred Stock then outstanding, newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors or any vacancies in the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, removal from office or other cause shall, unless otherwise provided by law, be filled solely by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors then in office, even though less than a quorum of the Board of Directors. Any director so chosen shall hold office until the next election of the class for which such director shall have been chosen and until his successor shall be elected and qualified. No decrease in the authorized number of directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.
(c) Except for such additional directors, if any, as are elected by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock as provided for or fixed pursuant to the provisions of Article IV hereof, any director, or the entire Board of Directors, may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of at least 66⅔% of the total voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class.
(d) During any period when the holders of any series of Preferred Stock have the right to elect additional directors as provided for or fixed pursuant to the provisions of Article IV hereof, then upon commencement and for the duration of the period during which such right continues: (i) the then otherwise total authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall automatically be increased by such specified number of directors, and the holders of such Preferred Stock shall be entitled to elect the additional directors so provided for or fixed pursuant to said provisions and (ii) each such additional director shall serve until such director’s successor shall have been duly elected and qualified, or until such director’s right to hold such office terminates pursuant to said provisions, whichever occurs earlier, subject to his earlier death, disqualification, resignation or removal. Except as otherwise provided by the Board of Directors in the resolution or resolutions establishing such series, whenever the holders of any series of Preferred Stock having such right to elect additional directors are divested of such right pursuant to the provisions of such stock, the terms of office of all such additional directors elected by the holders of such stock, or elected to fill any vacancies resulting from the death, resignation, disqualification or removal of such additional directors, shall forthwith terminate and the total authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall be reduced accordingly.
Section 5.3 Powers. Except as otherwise expressly provided by the DGCL or this Certificate of Incorporation, the management of the business and the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation shall be vested in its Board of Directors.
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Section 5.4 Election.
(a) Ballot Not Required. The directors of the Corporation need not be elected by written ballot unless the Bylaws of the Corporation so provide.
(b) Notice. Advance notice of stockholder nominations for the election of directors shall be given in the manner and to the extent provided in the Bylaws of the Corporation.
ARTICLE VI
STOCKHOLDER ACTION
No action that is required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation at any annual or special meeting of stockholders may be effected by written consent of stockholders in lieu of a meeting of stockholders.
ARTICLE VII
SPECIAL MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS
Except as otherwise provided for or fixed pursuant to the provisions of Article IV of this Certificate of Incorporation relating to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock, a special meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called at any time only by the Board of Directors, or by the Chairman of the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer with the concurrence of a majority of the Board of Directors. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting.
ARTICLE VIII
EXISTENCE
The Corporation shall have perpetual existence.
ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENT
Section 9.1 Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation. The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by the laws of the State of Delaware, and all rights conferred herein are granted subject to this reservation; provided, however, that in addition to any requirements of law and any other provision of this Certificate of Incorporation, and notwithstanding any other provision of this Certificate of Incorporation or any provision of law which might otherwise permit a lesser vote or no vote, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66⅔% in voting power of the issued and outstanding stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, shall be required to amend or repeal, or adopt any provision inconsistent with, any provisions of Article V, Article VI, Article VII, Article IX or Article X of this Certificate of Incorporation.
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Section 9.2 Amendment of Bylaws. In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by the laws of the State of Delaware, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation. In addition to any requirements of law and any other provision of this Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Corporation, and notwithstanding any other provision of this Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws of the Corporation or any provision of law which might otherwise permit a lesser vote or no vote, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66⅔% in voting power of the issued and outstanding stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, shall be required for the stockholders to amend or repeal, or adopt any provision inconsistent with, any Bylaw of the Corporation.
ARTICLE X
LIABILITY OF DIRECTORS
Section 10.1 No Personal Liability. To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as the same exists or as may hereafter be amended, no director of the Corporation shall be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director.
Section 10.2 Amendment or Repeal. Any amendment, alteration or repeal of this Article X that adversely affects any right of a director shall be prospective only and shall not limit or eliminate any such right with respect to any proceeding involving any occurrence or alleged occurrence of any action or omission to act that took place prior to such amendment or repeal.
ARTICLE XI
LIABILITY OF OFFICERS
Section 11.1 No Personal Liability. To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as the same exists or as may hereafter be amended, no officer of the Corporation shall be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as an officer of the Corporation.
Section 11.2 Amendment or Repeal. Any amendment, alteration or repeal of this Article XI that adversely affects any right of an officer shall be prospective only and shall not limit or eliminate any such right with respect to any proceeding involving any occurrence or alleged occurrence of any action or omission to act that took place prior to such amendment or repeal.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Restated Certificate of Incorporation on this 14th day of May, 2025.
By: /s/ Lisa W. Cornehl
Name: Lisa W. Cornehl
Title: Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer
Exhibit 10.1
FIRST AMERICAN FINANCIAL CORPORATION
2020 INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN
As Amended and Restated effective May 13, 2025
1. ESTABLISHMENT, PURPOSES, AND DURATION
1.1. Establishment of the Plan. The Company hereby establishes this incentive compensation plan to be known as “First American Financial Corporation 2020 Incentive Compensation Plan,” as set forth in this document. The Plan permits the grant of Nonqualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Units, Performance Shares and Other Stock-Based Awards. The Plan was originally adopted by the Board of Directors (as defined below) on January 22, 2020 (the “Effective Date”) and approved by the Company’s stockholders at the Company’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 5, 2020. This amendment and restatement of the Plan is subject to approval by the Company’s stockholders at the Company’s 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 13, 2025 (the “Restatement Effective Date”). The Plan shall remain in effect as provided in Section 1.3.
1.2. Purposes of the Plan.The purposes of the Plan are to provide additional incentives to non-employee directors of the Company and to those officers and employees of the Company, Subsidiaries and Affiliates whose substantial contributions are essential to the continued growth and success of the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries and Affiliates, in order to strengthen their commitment to the Company and the Subsidiaries and Affiliates, and to attract and retain competent and dedicated individuals whose efforts will result in the long-term growth and profitability of the Company and to further align the interests of such non-employee directors, officers and employees with the interests of the stockholders of the Company. To accomplish such purposes, the Plan provides that the Company may grant Nonqualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Units, Performance Shares and Other Stock-Based Awards.
1.3. Duration of the Plan. The Plan shall commence on the Effective Date, as described in Section 1.1, and shall remain in effect, subject to the right of the Board of Directors to amend or terminate the Plan at any time pursuant to Article XVII, until all Shares subject to it shall have been delivered, and any restrictions on such Shares have lapsed, pursuant to the Plan’s provisions. However, in no event may an Award be granted under the Plan on or after ten years from the Restatement Effective Date.
2. DEFINITIONS
Whenever used in the Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below, and when the meaning is intended, the initial letter of the word shall be capitalized:
2.1. “Affiliate” means any entity other than the Company and any Subsidiary that is affiliated with the Company through stock or equity ownership or otherwise and is designated as an Affiliate for purposes of the Plan by the Committee; provided, however, that, notwithstanding any other provisions of the Plan to the contrary, for purposes of NQSOs and SARs, if an individual who otherwise qualifies as an Employee or Non-Employee Director provides services to such an entity and not to the Company or a Subsidiary, such entity may only be designated an Affiliate if the Company qualifies as a “service recipient,” within the meaning of Code Section 409A, with respect to such individual; provided further that such definition of “service recipient” shall be determined by (a) applying Code Section 1563(a)(1), (2) and (3), for purposes of determining a controlled group of corporations under Code Section 414(b), using the language “at least 50 percent” instead of “at least 80 percent” each place it appears in Code Section 1563(a)(1), (2) and (3), and by applying Treasury Regulations Section 1.414(c)-2, for purposes of determining trades or businesses (whether or not incorporated) that are under common control for purposes of Code Section 414(c), using the language “at least 50 percent” instead of “at least 80 percent” each place it appears in Treasury Regulations Section 1.414(c)-2, and (b) where the use of Shares with respect to the grant of an Option or SAR to such an individual is based upon legitimate business criteria, by applying Code Section 1563(a)(1), (2) and (3), for purposes of determining a controlled group of corporations under Code Section 414(b), using the language “at least 20 percent” instead of “at least 80
percent” at each place it appears in Code Section 1563(a)(1), (2) and (3), and by applying Treasury Regulations Section 1.414(c)-2, for purposes of determining trades or businesses (whether or not incorporated) that are under common control for purposes of Code Section 414(c), using the language “at least 20 percent” instead of “at least 80 percent” at each place it appears in Treasury Regulations Section 1.414(c)-2.
2.2. “Award” means, individually or collectively, a grant under the Plan of Nonqualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock Awards, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Shares, Performance Units, and Other Stock-Based Awards.
2.3. “Award Agreement” means either: (a) a written agreement setting forth the terms and provisions applicable to an Award granted under the Plan, or (b) a written or electronic instrument issued by the Company to a Participant describing the terms and provisions of such Award, including any amendment or modification thereof. An Award Agreement may be in the form of an agreement to be executed by both the Participant and the Company (or an authorized representative of the Company) or certificates, notices or similar instruments as approved by the Committee. The Committee may provide for the use of electronic, internet or other non-paper Award Agreements, and the use of electronic, internet or other non-paper means for the acknowledgement thereof, agreement thereto and actions thereunder by a Participant.
2.4. “Beneficial Ownership” (including correlative terms) shall have the meaning given such term in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.
2.5. “Board” or “Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
2.6. “Cause” shall have the definition given such term in a Participant’s Award Agreement, or in the absence of any such definition, as determined in good faith by the Committee.
2.7. “Change of Control” means the occurrence of any of the following:
(a) an acquisition in one transaction or a series of related transactions (other than directly from the Company or pursuant to Awards granted under the Plan or compensatory options or other similar awards granted by the Company) by any Person of any Voting Securities of the Company, immediately after which such Person has Beneficial Ownership of fifty percent (50%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding Voting Securities; provided, however, that in determining whether a Change of Control has occurred pursuant to this Section 2.7(a), Voting Securities of the Company which are acquired in a Non-Control Acquisition shall not constitute an acquisition that would cause a Change of Control; or
(b) any Person acquires in one transaction or a series of related transactions (or has acquired during the twelve (12)-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such Person) Beneficial Ownership of Voting Securities of the Company possessing thirty-five percent (35%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding Voting Securities; provided, however, that in determining whether a Change of Control has occurred pursuant to this Section 2.7(b), Voting Securities of the Company which are acquired in a Non-Control Acquisition shall not constitute an acquisition that would cause a Change of Control; or
(c) the individuals who, immediately prior to the Effective Date, are members of the Board (the “Company Incumbent Board”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the members of the Board; provided, however, that if the election, or nomination for election of any new director was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the Company Incumbent Board, such new director shall, for purposes of the Plan, be considered as a member of the Company Incumbent Board; provided further, however, that no individual shall be considered a member of the Company Incumbent Board if such individual initially assumed office as a result of either an actual or threatened “Election Contest” (as described in Rule 14a-11 promulgated under the Exchange Act) or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Board
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(a “Company Proxy Contest”) including by reason of any agreement intended to avoid or settle any Election Contest or Company Proxy Contest; or
(d) the consummation of any merger, consolidation, recapitalization or reorganization involving the Company unless:
(i) the stockholders of the Company, immediately before such merger, consolidation, recapitalization or reorganization, own, directly or indirectly, immediately following such merger, consolidation, recapitalization or reorganization, more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the outstanding Voting Securities of the corporation resulting from such merger or consolidation or reorganization (the “Company Surviving Corporation”) in substantially the same proportion as their ownership of the Voting Securities of the Company immediately before such merger, consolidation, recapitalization or reorganization; and
(ii) the individuals who were members of the Company Incumbent Board immediately prior to the execution of the agreement providing for such merger, consolidation, recapitalization or reorganization constitute at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the Company Surviving Corporation, or a corporation Beneficially Owning, directly or indirectly, a majority of the voting securities of the Company Surviving Corporation, and
(iii) no Person, other than (A) the Company, (B) any Related Entity, (C) any employee benefit plan (or any trust forming a part thereof) that, immediately prior to such merger, consolidation, recapitalization or reorganization, was maintained by the Company, the Company Surviving Corporation, or any Related Entity or (D) any Person who, together with its Affiliates, immediately prior to such merger, consolidation, recapitalization or reorganization had Beneficial Ownership of fifty percent (50%) or more of the then outstanding Voting Securities of the Company, owns, together with its Affiliates, Beneficial Ownership of fifty percent (50%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company Surviving Corporation’s then outstanding Voting Securities
(a transaction described in clauses (d)(i) through (d)(iii) above is referred to herein as a “Non-Control Transaction”); or
(e) the liquidation or dissolution of the Company; or
(f) any sale, lease, exchange, transfer or other disposition (in one transaction or a series of related transactions) of all or substantially all of the assets or business of the Company to any Person (other than (A) a transfer or distribution to a Related Entity, or (B) a transfer or distribution to the Company’s stockholders of the stock of a Related Entity or any other assets).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Change of Control shall not be deemed to occur solely because any Person (the “Subject Person”) acquired Beneficial Ownership of fifty percent (50%) or more of the combined voting power of the then outstanding Voting Securities of the Company as a result of the acquisition of Voting Securities of the Company by the Company which, by reducing the number of Voting Securities of the Company then outstanding, increases the proportional number of shares Beneficially Owned by the Subject Persons, provided that if a Change of Control would occur (but for the operation of this sentence) as a result of the acquisition of Voting Securities by the Company and (1) before such share acquisition by the Company the Subject Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of any new or additional Voting Securities of the Company in a related transaction or (2) after such share acquisition by the Company the Subject Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of any new or additional Voting Securities of the Company which in either case increases the percentage of the then outstanding Voting Securities of the Company Beneficially Owned by the Subject Person, then a Change of Control shall be deemed to occur.
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Solely for purposes of this Section 2.7, (1) “Affiliate” shall mean, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such Person, and (2) “control” (including with correlative meanings, the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as applied to any Person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of that Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities or by contract or otherwise. Any Relative (for this purpose, “Relative” means a spouse, child, parent, parent of spouse, sibling or grandchild) of an individual shall be deemed to be an Affiliate of such individual for this purpose. None of the Company or any Person controlled by the Company shall be deemed to be an Affiliate of any holder of Shares.
2.8. “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as it may be amended from time to time, including rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and successor provisions and rules and regulations thereto.
2.9. “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors or a subcommittee thereof, or such other committee designated by the Board to administer the Plan.
2.10. “Company Incumbent Board” shall have the meaning provided in Section 2.7(c).
2.11. “Company Proxy Contest” shall have the meaning provided in Section 2.7(c).
2.12. “Company Surviving Corporation” has the meaning provided in Section 2.7(d)(i).
2.13. “Covered Award” has the meaning provided in Section 20.2(b).
2.14. “Director” means any individual who is a member of the Board of Directors of the Company.
2.15. “Disability” means the inability to engage in any substantial gainful occupation to which the relevant individual is suited by education, training or experience, by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment, which condition can be expected to result in death or continues for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months; provided, however, that, for purposes of ISOs, “Disability” shall mean “permanent and total disability” as set forth in Section 22(e)(3) of the Code.
2.16. “Dividend Equivalents” means the equivalent value (in cash or Shares) of dividends that would otherwise be paid on the Shares subject to an Award but that have not been issued or delivered, as described in Article XII.
2.17. “Effective Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.1.
2.18. “Employee” means any person designated as an employee of the Company, a Subsidiary and/or an Affiliate on the payroll records thereof. An Employee shall not include any individual during any period he or she is classified or treated by the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate as an independent contractor, a consultant, or any employee of an employment, consulting, or temporary agency or any other entity other than the Company, a Subsidiary and/or an Affiliate without regard to whether such individual is subsequently determined to have been, or is subsequently retroactively reclassified as a common-law employee of the Company, a Subsidiary and/or an Affiliate during such period. As further provided in Section 20.4, for purposes of the Plan, upon approval by the Committee, the term Employee may also include Employees whose employment with the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate has been terminated subsequent to being granted an Award under the Plan. For the avoidance of doubt, a Director who would otherwise be an “Employee” within the meaning of this Section 2.18 shall be considered an Employee for purposes of the Plan.
2.19. “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as it may be amended from time to time, including the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and successor provisions and rules and regulations thereto.
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2.20. “Fair Market Value” means the fair market value of the Shares as determined by the Committee by the reasonable application of such reasonable valuation method, consistently applied, as the Committee deems appropriate; provided, however, that, with respect to ISOs, for purposes of Section 6.3 and 6.9(c), such fair market value shall be determined subject to Section 422(c)(7) of the Code; provided further, however, that (a) if the Shares are readily tradable on an established securities market, Fair Market Value on any date shall be the last sale price reported for the Shares on such market on the last date preceding such date on which a sale was reported, or (b) if the Shares are admitted for listing on the New York Stock Exchange or other comparable market, Fair Market Value on any date shall be the last sale price reported for the Shares on such market on the last day preceding such date on which a sale was reported. In each case, the Committee shall determine Fair Market Value in a manner that satisfies the applicable requirements of Code Section 409A.
2.21. “Fiscal Year” means the calendar year, or such other consecutive twelve-month period as the Committee may select.
2.22. “Freestanding SAR” means a SAR that is granted independently of any Options, as described in Article VII.
2.23. “Grant Price” means the price established at the time of grant of a SAR pursuant to Article VII, used to determine whether there is any payment due upon exercise of the SAR.
2.24. “Incentive Stock Option” or “ISO” means a right to purchase Shares under the Plan in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in Article VI and which is designated as an Incentive Stock Option and which is intended to meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Code.
2.25. “Insider” means an individual who is, on the relevant date, an officer, director or ten percent (10%) Beneficial Owner of any class of the Company’s equity securities that is registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, as determined by the Committee in accordance with Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
2.26. “Non-Control Acquisition” means an acquisition (whether by merger, stock purchase, asset purchase or otherwise) by (a) an employee benefit plan (or a trust forming a part thereof) maintained by (i) the Company or (ii) any corporation or other Person of which fifty percent (50%) or more of its total value or total voting power of its Voting Securities or equity interests is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company (a “Related Entity”); (b) the Company or any Related Entity; (c) any Person in connection with a Non-Control Transaction; or (d) any Person that owns, together with its Affiliates, Beneficial Ownership of fifty percent (50%) or more of the outstanding Voting Securities of the Company on the Effective Date.
2.27. “Non-Control Transaction” shall have the meaning provided in Section 2.7(d).
2.28. “Non-Employee Director” means a Director who is not an Employee.
2.29. “Nonqualified Stock Option” or “NQSO” means a right to purchase Shares under the Plan in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in Article VI and which is not intended to meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Code or otherwise does not meet such requirements.
2.30. “Notice” means notice provided by a Participant to the Company in a manner prescribed by the Committee.
2.31. “Option” or “Stock Option” means an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonqualified Stock Option, as described in Article VI.
2.32. “Option Price” means the price at which a Share may be purchased by a Participant pursuant to an Option.
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2.33. “Other Stock-Based Award” means an equity-based or equity-related Award described in Section 10.1, granted in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in Article X.
2.34. “Participant” means any eligible individual as set forth in Article V who holds one or more outstanding Awards.
2.35. “Performance Measure” means performance criteria or measures as described in Section 11.1 on which the performance goals described in Article XI are based.
2.36. “Performance Period” means the period of time during which the performance goals must be met in order to determine the degree of payout and/or vesting with respect to, or the amount or entitlement to, an Award.
2.37. “Performance Share” means an Award of a performance share granted to a Participant, as described in Article IX.
2.38. “Performance Unit” means an Award of a performance unit granted to a Participant, as described in Article IX.
2.39. “Period of Restriction” means the period during which Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units are subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture, and, in the case of Restricted Stock, the transfer of Shares of Restricted Stock is limited in some way, as provided in Article VIII.
2.40. “Person” means “person” as such term is used for purposes of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act, including any individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, trust, unincorporated organization, government or any agency or political subdivision thereof, or any other entity or any group of persons.
2.41. “Prior Plan” means the First American Financial Corporation 2010 Incentive Compensation Plan.
2.42. “Qualified Change of Control” means a Change of Control that qualifies as a change in the ownership or effective control of the Company, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company, within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(v) of the Code.
2.43. “Related Entity” has the meaning provided in Section 2.26.
2.44. “Restatement Effective Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.1.
2.45. “Restricted Stock” means an Award granted to a Participant pursuant to Article VIII.
2.46. “Restricted Stock Unit” means an Award, whose value is equal to a Share, granted to a Participant pursuant to Article VIII.
2.47. “Retirement” means Termination of a Participant due to either (a) retirement in accordance with any employee pension benefit plan maintained by the Company that is intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 401(a) of the Code entitling such Participant to a full pension under such plan or (b) retirement with the consent of the Committee.
2.48. “Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, or any successor rule, as the same may be amended from time to time.
2.49. “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as it may be amended from time to time, including the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and successor provisions and rules and regulations thereto.
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2.50. “Share” means a share of common stock, par value $0.00001 per share, of the Company (including any new, additional or different stock or securities resulting from any change in corporate capitalization as listed in Section 4.3).
2.51. “Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means an Award, granted alone (a “Freestanding SAR”) or in connection with a related Option (a “Tandem SAR”), designated as a SAR, pursuant to the terms of Article VII.
2.52. “Subject Person” has the meaning provided in Section 2.7.
2.53. “Subsidiary” means any present or future corporation which is or would be a “subsidiary corporation” of the Company as the term is defined in Section 424(f) of the Code.
2.54. “Substitute Awards” means Awards granted or Shares issued by the Company in assumption of, or in substitution or exchange for, options or other awards previously granted, or the right or obligation to grant future options or other awards, by a company acquired by the Company, a Subsidiary and/or an Affiliate or with which the Company, a Subsidiary and/or an Affiliate combines, or otherwise in connection with any merger, consolidation, acquisition of property or stock, or reorganization involving the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate, including a transaction described in Code Section 424(a).
2.55. “Tandem SAR” means a SAR that is granted in connection with a related Option pursuant to Article VII.
2.56. “Termination” means the time when a Participant ceases the performance of services for the Company, any Affiliate or Subsidiary, as applicable, for any reason, with or without Cause, including a Termination by resignation, discharge, death, Disability or Retirement, but excluding (a) a Termination where there is a simultaneous reemployment or continuing employment of a Participant by the Company, Affiliate or any Subsidiary, (b) at the discretion of the Committee, a Termination that results in a temporary severance, and (c) at the discretion of the Committee, a Termination of an Employee that is immediately followed by the Participant’s service as a Non-Employee Director. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Plan or any Award Agreement to the contrary, a Termination shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of any provision the Plan or any Award Agreement providing for payment or distribution with respect to an Award constituting deferred compensation subject to Code Section 409A upon or following a termination of employment unless such termination is also a “separation from service” within the meaning of Code Section 409A.
2.57. “Voting Securities” shall mean, with respect to any Person that is a corporation, all outstanding voting securities of such Person entitled to vote generally in the election of the board of directors of such Person.
3. ADMINISTRATION
3.1. General. The Committee shall have exclusive authority to operate, manage and administer the Plan in accordance with its terms and conditions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in its absolute discretion, the Board may at any time and from time to time exercise any and all rights, duties and responsibilities of the Committee under the Plan, including establishing procedures to be followed by the Committee, but excluding matters which under any applicable law, regulation or rule, including any exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including Rule 16b-3), are required to be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee. If and to the extent that the Committee does not exist or cannot function, the Board may take any action under the Plan that would otherwise be the responsibility of the Committee, subject to the limitations set forth in the immediately preceding sentence. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary, any action or determination specifically affecting or relating to an Award granted to a Non-Employee Director shall be taken or approved, by the Board or the Committee.
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3.2. Committee. The members of the Committee shall be appointed from time to time by, and shall serve at the discretion of, the Board of Directors. The Committee shall consist of not less than two (2) non-employee members of the Board, each of whom satisfies such criteria of independence as the Board may establish and such additional regulatory or listing requirements as the Board may determine to be applicable or appropriate. Appointment of Committee members shall be effective upon their acceptance of such appointment. Committee members may be removed by the Board at any time either with or without cause, and such members may resign at any time by delivering notice thereof to the Board. Any vacancy on the Committee, whether due to action of the Board or any other reason, shall be filled by the Board. The Committee shall keep minutes of its meetings. A majority of the Committee shall constitute a quorum and a majority of a quorum may authorize any action.
3.3. Authority of the Committee. The Committee shall have full discretionary authority to grant, pursuant to the terms of the Plan, Awards to those individuals who are eligible to receive Awards under the Plan. Except as limited by law or by the Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company, and subject to the provisions herein, the Committee shall have full power, in accordance with the other terms and provisions of the Plan, to:
(a) select Employees and Non-Employee Directors who may receive Awards under the Plan and become Participants;
(b) determine eligibility for participation in the Plan and decide all questions concerning eligibility for, and the amount of, Awards under the Plan;
(c) determine the sizes and types of Awards;
(d) determine the terms and conditions of Awards, including the Option Prices of Options and the Grant Prices of SARs;
(e) grant Awards as an alternative to, or as the form of payment for grants or rights earned or payable under, other bonus or compensation plans, arrangements or policies of the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate;
(f) grant Substitute Awards on such terms and conditions as the Committee may prescribe, subject to compliance with the ISO rules under Code Section 422 and the nonqualified deferred compensation rules under Code Section 409A, where applicable;
(g) make all determinations under the Plan concerning Termination of any Participant’s employment or service with the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate, including whether such Termination occurs by reason of Cause, Disability or Retirement or in connection with a Change of Control and whether a leave constitutes a Termination;
(h) construe and interpret the Plan and any agreement or instrument entered into under the Plan, including any Award Agreement;
(i) establish and administer any terms, conditions, restrictions, limitations, forfeiture, vesting or exercise schedule, and other provisions of or relating to any Award;
(j) establish and administer any performance goals in connection with any Awards, including related Performance Measures or performance criteria and applicable Performance Periods, determine the extent to which any performance goals and/or other terms and conditions of an Award are attained or are not attained, and certify whether, and to what extent, any such performance goals were in fact satisfied;
(k) construe any ambiguous provisions, correct any defects, supply any omissions and reconcile any inconsistencies in the Plan and/or any Award Agreement or any other instrument relating to any Awards;
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(l) establish, adopt, amend, waive and/or rescind rules, regulations, procedures, guidelines, forms and/or instruments for the Plan’s operation or administration;
(m) make all valuation determinations relating to Awards and the payment or settlement thereof;
(n) grant waivers of terms, conditions, restrictions and limitations under the Plan or applicable to any Award, or accelerate the vesting or exercisability of any Award;
(o) subject to the provisions of Article XVI, amend or adjust the terms and conditions of any outstanding Award and/or adjust the number and/or class of shares of stock subject to any outstanding Award;
(p) at any time and from time to time after the granting of an Award, specify such additional terms, conditions and restrictions with respect to such Award as may be deemed necessary or appropriate to ensure compliance with any and all applicable laws or rules, including terms, restrictions and conditions for compliance with applicable securities laws or listing rules, methods of withholding or providing for the payment of required taxes and restrictions regarding a Participant’s ability to exercise Options through a cashless (broker-assisted) exercise;
(q) determine whether, and to what extent and under what circumstances Awards may be settled in cash, Shares or other property or canceled or suspended; and
(r) exercise all such other authorities, take all such other actions and make all such other determinations as it deems necessary or advisable for the proper operation and/or administration of the Plan.
3.4. Award Agreements. The Committee shall, subject to applicable laws and rules, determine the date an Award is granted. Each Award shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement; however, two or more Awards granted to a single Participant may be combined in a single Award Agreement. An Award Agreement shall not be a precondition to the granting of an Award; provided, however, that (a) the Committee may, but need not, require as a condition to any Award Agreement’s effectiveness, that such Award Agreement be executed on behalf of the Company and/or by the Participant to whom the Award evidenced thereby shall have been granted (including by electronic signature or other electronic indication of acceptance), and such executed Award Agreement be delivered to the Company, and (b) no person shall have any rights under any Award unless and until the Participant to whom such Award shall have been granted has complied with the applicable terms and conditions of the Award. The Committee shall prescribe the form of all Award Agreements, and, subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, shall determine the content of all Award Agreements. Any Award Agreement may be supplemented or amended in writing from time to time as approved by the Committee; provided that the terms and conditions of any such Award Agreement as supplemented or amended are not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan. In the event of any dispute or discrepancy concerning the terms of an Award, the records of the Committee or its designee shall be determinative.
3.5. Discretionary Authority; Decisions Binding. The Committee shall have full discretionary authority in all matters related to the discharge of its responsibilities and the exercise of its authority under the Plan. All determinations, decisions, actions and interpretations by the Committee with respect to the Plan and any Award Agreement, and all related orders and resolutions of the Committee shall be final, conclusive and binding on all Participants, the Company and its shareholders, any Subsidiary or Affiliate and all persons having or claiming to have any right or interest in or under the Plan and/or any Award Agreement. The Committee shall consider such factors as it deems relevant to making or taking such decisions, determinations, actions and interpretations, including the recommendations or advice of any Director or officer or employee of the Company, any director, officer or employee of a Subsidiary or Affiliate and such attorneys, consultants and accountants as the Committee may select. A Participant or other holder of an Award may contest a decision or action by the Committee with respect to such person or Award only on the grounds that such decision or action was arbitrary or capricious or was unlawful,
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and any review of such decision or action shall be limited to determining whether the Committee’s decision or action was arbitrary or capricious or was unlawful.
3.6. Attorneys; Consultants. The Committee may consult with counsel who may be counsel to the Company. The Committee may, with the approval of the Board, employ such other attorneys and/or consultants, accountants, appraisers, brokers, agents and other persons, any of whom may be an Employee, as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate. The Committee, the Company and its officers and Directors shall be entitled to rely upon the advice, opinions or valuations of any such persons. The Committee shall not incur any liability for any action taken in good faith in reliance upon the advice of such counsel or other persons.
3.7. Delegation of Administration. Except to the extent prohibited by applicable law, including any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including Rule 16b-3), or the applicable rules of a stock exchange, the Committee may, in its discretion, allocate all or any portion of its responsibilities and powers under this Article III to any one or more of its members and/or delegate all or any part of its responsibilities and powers under this Article III to any person or persons selected by it; provided, however, that the Committee may not delegate its authority to correct defects, omissions or inconsistencies in the Plan. Any such authority delegated or allocated by the Committee under this Section 3.7 shall be exercised in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Plan and any rules, regulations or administrative guidelines that may from time to time be established by the Committee, and any such allocation or delegation may be revoked by the Committee at any time.
4. SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN AND ANNUAL AWARD LIMITS
4.1. Number of Shares Available for Grants. The shares of stock subject to Awards granted under the Plan shall be Shares. Such Shares subject to the Plan may be either authorized and unissued shares (which will not be subject to preemptive rights) or previously issued shares acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.3, the total number of Shares that may be delivered pursuant to Awards under the Plan shall be 8,425,000 Shares, reduced by one (1) Share for every one (1) Share issued pursuant to awards granted under the Prior Plan from and after January 1, 2020 and prior to May 5, 2020. Shares subject to outstanding awards under the Prior Plan as of May 5, 2020 (such awards the “Prior Plan Awards”) that, from and after May 5, 2020, are canceled, expired, forfeited or otherwise not issued pursuant to such Prior Plan Award (including as a result of being withheld to pay withholding taxes in connection with any such awards (other than options or stock appreciation rights) or such award being settled in cash) shall be added to the number of Shares issuable under this Plan. In addition, if (a) any Shares are subject to an Option, SAR, or other Award which for any reason expires or is terminated or canceled without having been fully exercised, or are subject to any Restricted Stock Award (including any Shares subject to a Participant’s Restricted Stock Award that are repurchased by the Company at the Participant’s cost), Restricted Stock Unit Award or other Award granted under the Plan which are forfeited, or (b) any Award based on Shares is settled for cash, expires or otherwise terminates without the issuance of such Shares, the Shares subject to any such Award shall, to the extent of any such expiration, termination, cancellation, forfeiture or cash settlement, be available for delivery in connection with future Awards under the Plan; provided, however, that (i) all Shares covered by a SAR, to the extent that it is exercised, and whether or not Shares are actually issued to the Participant upon exercise of the SAR and (ii) all Shares withheld by the Company to pay the exercise price of an Option and/or the withholding taxes related an Award shall reduce the total number of Shares available for delivery under the Plan. Any Shares delivered under the Plan upon exercise or satisfaction of Substitute Awards shall not reduce the Shares available for delivery under the Plan; provided, however, that the total number of Shares that may be delivered pursuant to Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan shall be the number of Shares set forth in the first sentence of this Section 4.1, as adjusted pursuant to this Section 4.1, but without application of the foregoing provisions of this sentence.
4.2. Annual Award Limits. The following limits shall apply to grants of all Awards under the Plan:
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(a) Options: The maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be subject to Options granted in any one Fiscal Year to any one Participant shall be five hundred thousand (500,000) Shares.
(b) SARs: The maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be subject to Stock Appreciation Rights granted in any one Fiscal Year to any one Participant shall be five hundred thousand (500,000) Shares. Any Shares covered by Options which include Tandem SARs granted to one Participant in any Fiscal Year shall reduce this limit on the number of Shares subject to SARs that can be granted to such Participant in such Fiscal Year.
(c) Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units: The maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be subject to Awards of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units granted in any one Fiscal Year to any one Participant shall be two hundred thousand (200,000) Shares.
(d) Performance Shares or Performance Units: The maximum aggregate grant with respect to Awards of Performance Shares or Performance Units granted in any one Fiscal Year to any one Participant shall be two hundred thousand (200,000) Shares.
(e) Other Stock-Based Awards: The maximum aggregate grant with respect to Other Stock-Based Awards made in any one Fiscal Year to any one Participant shall be two hundred thousand (200,000) Shares (or cash amounts based on the value of such number of Shares).
(f) Director Awards: The maximum aggregate dollar value of equity-based (based on the grant date fair value of equity-based) Awards and cash compensation granted under this Plan or otherwise during any one Fiscal Year to any one Participant who is a Non-Employee Director for service on the Board shall not exceed $500,000.
4.3. Adjustments in Authorized Shares. In the event of any corporate event or transaction (including a change in the Shares or the capitalization of the Company), such as a reclassification, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, reorganization (whether or not such reorganization comes within the definition of such term in Section 368 of the Code), issuance of warrants or rights, dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, stock or other property), stock split or reverse stock split, spin-off, split-up, combination or exchange of shares, repurchase of shares, or other like change in corporate structure, partial or complete liquidation of the Company or distribution (other than ordinary cash dividends) to stockholders of the Company, or any similar corporate event or transaction, the Committee, in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of Participants’ rights under the Plan, shall substitute or adjust, as applicable, the number, class and kind of securities which may be delivered under Section 4.1; the number, class and kind, and/or price (such as the Option Price of Options or the Grant Price of SARs) of securities subject to outstanding Awards; the Award limits set forth in Section 4.2; and other value determinations applicable to outstanding Awards; provided, however, that the number of Shares subject to any Award shall always be a whole number. The Committee shall also make appropriate adjustments and modifications in the terms of any outstanding Awards to reflect or related to any such events, adjustments, substitutions or changes, including modifications of performance goals and changes in the length of Performance Periods. Any adjustment, substitution or change pursuant to this Section 4.3 made with respect to an Award intended to be an Incentive Stock Option shall be made only to the extent consistent with such intent, unless the Committee determines otherwise. The Committee shall not make any adjustment pursuant to this Section 4.3 that would cause an Award that is otherwise exempt from Code Section 409A to become subject to Code Section 409A, or that would cause an Award that is subject to Code Section 409A to fail to satisfy the requirements of Code Section 409A. All determinations of the Committee as to adjustments or changes, if any, under this Section 4.3 shall be conclusive and binding on the Participants.
4.4. No Limitation on Corporate Actions. The existence of the Plan and any Awards granted hereunder shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Company, any Subsidiary or any Affiliate to make or authorize any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in its capital structure or business structure, any merger or consolidation, any issuance of debt, preferred or prior preference stock ahead of or affecting the Shares, additional shares of capital stock or other securities or
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subscription rights thereto, any dissolution or liquidation, any sale or transfer of all or part of its assets or business or any other corporate act or proceeding. Further, except as expressly provided herein or by the Committee, (i) the issuance by the Company of Shares or any class of securities convertible into shares of stock of any class, for cash, property, labor or services, upon direct sale, upon the exercise of rights or warrants to subscribe therefor, or upon conversion of shares or obligations of the Company convertible into such shares or other securities, (ii) the payment of an ordinary dividend in cash or property other than Shares, or (iii) the occurrence of any similar transaction, and in any case whether or not for fair value, shall not affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number of Shares subject to Awards theretofore granted or the Option Price, Grant Price or purchase price per share applicable to any Award, unless the Committee shall determine, in its discretion, that an adjustment is necessary or appropriate.
5. ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION
5.1. Eligibility. Employees and Non-Employee Directors shall be eligible to become Participants and receive Awards in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Plan, subject to the limitations on the granting of ISOs set forth in Section 6.9(a), the granting of SARs set forth in Section 7.1 and the granting of Performance Units and Performance Shares set forth in Section 9.1.
5.2. Actual Participation. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee may, from time to time, select Participants from all eligible Employees and Non-Employee Directors and shall determine the nature and amount of each Award.
6. STOCK OPTIONS
6.1. Grant of Options. Subject to the terms and provisions of the Plan, Options may be granted to Participants in such number, and upon such terms, and at any time and from time to time as shall be determined by the Committee. The Committee may grant an Option or provide for the grant of an Option, either from time to time in the discretion of the Committee or automatically upon the occurrence of specified events, including the achievement of performance goals, the satisfaction of an event or condition within the control of the recipient of the Option or within the control of others. The granting of an Option shall take place when the Committee by resolution, written consent or other appropriate action determines to grant such Option for a particular number of Shares to a particular Participant at a particular Option Price.
6.2. Award Agreement. Each Option grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that shall specify the Option Price, the maximum duration of the Option, the number of Shares to which the Option pertains, the conditions upon which the Option shall become exercisable and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine, which are not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan; provided that if an Award Agreement does not contain exercisability criteria, the Option governed by such Award Agreement shall become exercisable in equal parts on each of the first five (5) anniversaries of the date on which the Option was granted, subject to the other terms and conditions of the Award Agreement and the Plan. The Award Agreement also shall specify whether the Option is intended to be an ISO or an NQSO. To the extent that any Option does not qualify as an ISO (whether because of its provisions or the time or manner of its exercise or otherwise), such Option, or the portion thereof which does not so qualify, shall constitute a separate NQSO.
6.3. Option Price. The Option Price for each Option shall be determined by the Committee and set forth in the Award Agreement; provided that, subject to Section 6.9(c), the Option Price of an Option shall be not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the Option is granted; provided further, that Substitute Awards or Awards granted in connection with an adjustment provided for in Section 4.3, in the form of stock options, shall have an Option Price per Share that is intended to maintain the economic value of the Award that was replaced or adjusted, as determined by the Committee.
6.4. Duration of Options. Each Option granted to a Participant shall expire at such time as the Committee shall determine at the time of grant and set forth in the Award Agreement; provided, however,
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that no Option shall be exercisable later than the tenth (10th) anniversary of its date of grant, subject to the respective last sentences of Sections 6.5 and 6.9(c).
6.5. Exercise of Options. Options shall be exercisable at such times and be subject to such restrictions and conditions as the Committee shall in each instance determine and set forth in the Award Agreement, which need not be the same for each grant or for each Option or Participant. An Award Agreement may provide that the period of time over which an Option other than an ISO may be exercised shall be automatically extended if on the scheduled expiration date of such Option the Optionee’s exercise of such Option would violate applicable securities laws; provided, however, that during such extended exercise period the Option may only be exercised to the extent the Option was exercisable in accordance with its terms immediately prior to such scheduled expiration date; provided further, however, that such extended exercise period shall end not later than thirty (30) days after the exercise of such Option first would no longer violate such laws.
6.6. Payment. Options shall be exercised by the delivery of a written notice of exercise to the Company, in a form specified or accepted by the Committee, or by complying with any alternative exercise procedures that may be authorized by the Committee, setting forth the number of Shares with respect to which the Option is to be exercised, accompanied by full payment for such Shares, which shall include applicable taxes, if any, in accordance with Article XVII. The Option Price upon exercise of any Option shall be payable to the Company in full either: (a) in cash or its equivalent; (b) subject to such terms, conditions and limitations as the Committee may prescribe, by tendering (either by actual delivery or attestation) unencumbered Shares previously acquired by the Participant exercising such Option having an aggregate Fair Market Value at the time of exercise equal to the total Option Price, (c) by a combination of (a) and (b); or (d) by any other method approved or accepted by the Committee in its sole discretion, including, if the Committee so determines, a cashless (broker-assisted) exercise that complies with all applicable laws and/or by the Company withholding of Shares otherwise deliverable upon exercise of such Option. Subject to any governing rules or regulations, as soon as practicable after receipt of a written notification of exercise and full payment in accordance with the preceding provisions of this Section 6.6, the Company shall deliver to the Participant exercising an Option, in the Participant’s name, evidence of book entry Shares, or, upon the Participant’s request, Share certificates, in an appropriate amount based upon the number of Shares purchased under the Option, subject to Section 20.10. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, all payments under all of the methods described above shall be paid in United States dollars.
6.7. Rights as a Stockholder. No Participant or other person shall become the beneficial owner of any Shares subject to an Option, nor have any rights to dividends or other rights of a stockholder with respect to any such Shares, until the Participant has actually received such Shares following exercise of his or her Option in accordance with the provisions of the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement.
6.8. Termination of Employment or Service. Except as otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, an Option may be exercised only to the extent that it is then exercisable, and if at all times during the period beginning with the date of granting of such Option and ending on the date of exercise of such Option the Participant is an Employee or Non-Employee Director, and shall terminate immediately upon a Termination of the Participant.
Notwithstanding the immediately foregoing paragraph, an Option may only be exercised following Termination as provided below in this Section 6.8, unless otherwise provided by the Committee or in the Award Agreement:
(a) In the event a Participant ceases to be an Employee because of Retirement or ceases to be a Non-Employee Director because of voluntary resignation, the Participant shall have the right to exercise his or her Option, to the extent exercisable as of the date of such Retirement or voluntary resignation, respectively, at any time within one (1) year after Retirement or voluntary resignation, respectively.
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(b) In the event a Participant ceases to be an Employee or Non-Employee Director due to Disability, the Option held by the Participant may be exercised, to the extent exercisable as of the date of such Termination, at any time within one (1) year after such Termination.
(c) In the event a Participant’s employment with the Company or any Affiliate or Subsidiary or a Participant’s rendering of services as a Non-Employee Director to the Company ceases for reasons other than those described in subsections (a) or (b) immediately above and not due to Termination for Cause, his or her Option, to the extent exercisable as of the date of such Termination, may be exercised at any time prior to the first (1st) anniversary of the date of such Termination.
(d) In the event a Participant dies either while an Employee or Non-Employee Director or after Termination under circumstances described in subsections (a), (b) or (c) immediately above within the applicable time period described therein, any Options held by such Participant, to the extent such Options would have been exercisable in accordance with the applicable subsection of this Section 6.8 as of the date of the Participant’s death, may be exercised at any time within one (1) year after the Participant’s death by the Participant’s beneficiary or the executors or administrators of the Participant’s estate or by any person or persons who shall have acquired the Option directly from the Participant by bequest or inheritance, in accordance herewith.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 6.8 to the contrary, the Committee may determine in its discretion that an Option may be exercised following any such Termination, whether or not exercisable at the time of such Termination. Subsections (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this Section 6.8, and the immediately preceding sentence, shall be subject to the condition that, except as otherwise provided by the Committee, no Option may be exercised after a Participant’s Termination for Cause or after the expiration date of such Option specified in the applicable Award Agreement.
6.9. Limitations on Incentive Stock Options.
(a) General. No ISO shall be granted to any individual otherwise eligible to participate in the Plan who is not an Employee of the Company or a Subsidiary on the date of granting of such Option. Any ISO granted under the Plan shall contain such terms and conditions, consistent with the Plan, as the Committee may determine to be necessary to qualify such Option as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Code. Any ISO granted under the Plan may be modified by the Committee to disqualify such Option from treatment as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Code.
(b) $100,000 Per Year Limitation. Notwithstanding any intent to grant ISOs, an Option granted under the Plan will not be considered an ISO to the extent that it, together with any other “incentive stock options” (within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code, but without regard to subsection (d) of such Section) under the Plan and any other “incentive stock option” plans of the Company, any Subsidiary and any “parent corporation” of the Company within the meaning of Section 424(e) of the Code, are exercisable for the first time by any Participant during any calendar year with respect to Shares having an aggregate Fair Market Value in excess of $100,000 (or such other limit as may be required by the Code) as of the time the Option with respect to such Shares is granted. The rule set forth in the preceding sentence shall be applied by taking Options into account in the order in which they were granted.
(c) Options Granted to Certain Shareholders. No ISO shall be granted to an individual otherwise eligible to participate in the Plan who owns (within the meaning of Section 424(d) of the Code), at the time the Option is granted, more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or a Subsidiary or any “parent corporation” of the Company within the meaning of Section 424(e) of the Code. This restriction does not apply if at the time such ISO is granted the Option Price of the ISO is at least 110% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date such ISO is granted, and the ISO by its terms is not exercisable after the expiration of five years from such date of grant. 6.10.No Repricing. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, no Option may be repriced, regranted through cancellation (or exchanged, through cancellation or otherwise, for another Award), or otherwise amended to reduce the Option Price applicable thereto (other than with respect to adjustments described in Section 4.3), without the approval of the Company’s stockholders.
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6.10. No Repricing. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, without the approval of the Company’s stockholders, (a) no Option may be repriced, regranted through cancellation (or exchanged, through cancellation or otherwise, for another Award), or otherwise amended to reduce the Option Price applicable thereto (other than with respect to adjustments described in Section 4.3) and (b) no other action shall be taken with respect to Options that would be treated as a repricing under generally accepted accounting principles or the rules of any stock exchange or market upon which such Shares are then listed and/or traded.
7. STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS
7.1. Grant of SARs. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, SARs may be granted to Participants other than Non-Employee Directors at any time and from time to time as shall be determined by the Committee. The Committee may grant a SAR (a) in connection and simultaneously with the grant of an Option (a Tandem SAR) or (b) independent of, and unrelated to, an Option (a Freestanding SAR). The Committee shall have complete discretion in determining the number of Shares to which a SAR pertains (subject to Article IV) and, consistent with the provisions of the Plan, in determining the terms and conditions pertaining to any SAR. The terms and conditions of SARs shall be consistent with the Plan and set forth in the Award Agreement and need not be uniform among all SARs or all Participants receiving such SARs.
7.2. Grant Price. The Grant Price for each SAR shall be determined by the Committee and set forth in the Award Agreement, subject to the limitations of this Section 7.2. The Grant Price for each Freestanding SAR shall be not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date such Freestanding SAR is granted, except in the case of Substitute Awards or Awards granted in connection with an adjustment provided for in Section 4.3. The Grant Price of a Tandem SAR shall be equal to the Option Price of the related Option.
7.3. Exercise of Tandem SARs. Tandem SARs may be exercised for all or part of the Shares subject to the related Option upon the surrender of the right to exercise the equivalent portion of the related Option. A Tandem SAR shall be exercisable only when and to the extent the related Option is exercisable and may be exercised only with respect to the Shares for which the related Option is then exercisable. A Tandem SAR shall entitle a Participant to elect, in the manner set forth in the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement, in lieu of exercising his or her unexercised related Option for all or a portion of the Shares for which such Option is then exercisable pursuant to its terms, to surrender such Option to the Company with respect to any or all of such Shares and to receive from the Company in exchange therefor a payment described in Section 7.7. An Option with respect to which a Participant has elected to exercise a Tandem SAR shall, to the extent of the Shares covered by such exercise, be canceled automatically and surrendered to the Company. Such Option shall thereafter remain exercisable according to its terms only with respect to the number of Shares as to which it would otherwise be exercisable, less the number of Shares with respect to which such Tandem SAR has been so exercised. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary, with respect to a Tandem SAR granted in connection with an ISO: (a) the Tandem SAR will expire no later than the expiration of the related ISO; (b) the value of the payment with respect to the Tandem SAR may not exceed the difference between the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the related ISO at the time the Tandem SAR is exercised and the Option Price of the related ISO; and (c) the Tandem SAR may be exercised only when the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the ISO exceeds the Option Price of the ISO.
7.4. Exercise of Freestanding SARs. Freestanding SARs may be exercised upon whatever terms and conditions the Committee, in its sole discretion, in accordance with the Plan, determines and sets forth in the Award Agreement.
7.5. Award Agreement. Each SAR grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that shall specify the number of Shares to which the SAR pertains, the Grant Price, the term of the SAR, and such other terms and conditions as the Committee shall determine in accordance with the Plan.
7.6. Term of SARs. The term of a SAR granted under the Plan shall be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion; provided, however, that the term of any Tandem SAR shall be the same
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as the related Option and no SAR shall be exercisable more than ten (10) years after it is granted, subject to the last sentence of Section 6.5 in the case of a Tandem SAR.
7.7. Payment of SAR Amount. An election to exercise SARs shall be deemed to have been made on the date of Notice of such election to the Company. Upon exercise of a SAR, a Participant shall be entitled to receive payment from the Company in an amount determined by multiplying:
(a) The excess of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of exercise over the Grant Price of the SAR; by
(b) The number of Shares with respect to which the SAR is exercised.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 7.7 to the contrary, the Committee may establish and set forth in the applicable Award Agreement a maximum amount per Share that will be payable upon the exercise of a SAR. At the discretion of the Committee, such payment upon exercise of a SAR shall be in cash, in Shares of equivalent Fair Market Value, or in some combination thereof.
7.8. Rights as a Stockholder. A Participant receiving a SAR shall have the rights of a Stockholder only as to Shares, if any, actually issued to such Participant upon satisfaction or achievement of the terms and conditions of the Award, and in accordance with the provisions of the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement, and not with respect to Shares to which such Award relates but which are not actually issued to such Participant.
7.9. Termination of Employment or Service. Each SAR Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to exercise the SAR following such Participant’s Termination, subject to Section 6.8, as applicable to any Tandem SAR. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, need not be uniform among all SARs issued pursuant to the Plan, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for Termination.
7.10. No Repricing. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, without the approval of the Company’s stockholders, (a) no SAR may be repriced, regranted through cancellation (or exchanged, through cancellation or otherwise, for another Award), or otherwise amended to reduce the Grant Price applicable thereto (other than with respect to adjustments described in Section 4.3) and (b) no other action shall be taken with respect to SARs that would be treated as a repricing under generally accepted accounting principles or the rules of any stock exchange or market upon which such Shares are then listed and/or traded.
8. RESTRICTED STOCK AND RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS
8.1. Awards of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units. Subject to the terms and provisions of the Plan, the Committee, at any time and from time to time, may grant Shares of Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units to Participants in such amounts as the Committee shall determine. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Article VIII and the Award Agreement, upon delivery of Shares of Restricted Stock to a Participant, or creation of a book entry evidencing a Participant’s ownership of Shares of Restricted Stock, pursuant to Section 8.6, the Participant shall have all of the rights of a stockholder with respect to such Shares, subject to the terms and restrictions set forth in this Article VIII or the applicable Award Agreement or as determined by the Committee. Restricted Stock Units shall be similar to Restricted Stock, except no Shares are actually awarded to a Participant who is granted Restricted Stock Units on the date of grant, and such Participant shall have no rights of a stockholder with respect to such Restricted Stock Units.
8.2. Award Agreement. Each Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Unit Award shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that shall specify the Period of Restriction, the number of Shares of Restricted Stock or the number of Restricted Stock Units granted, and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine in accordance with the Plan.
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8.3. Nontransferability of Restricted Stock. Except as provided in this Article VIII, Shares of Restricted Stock may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, encumbered, alienated, hypothecated or otherwise disposed of until the end of the applicable Period of Restriction established by the Committee and specified in the Restricted Stock Award Agreement.
8.4. Period of Restriction and Other Restrictions. The Period of Restriction shall lapse based on continuing service as a Non-Employee Director or continuing employment with the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate, the achievement of performance goals, the satisfaction of other conditions or restrictions or upon the occurrence of other events, in each case, as determined by the Committee, at its discretion, and stated in the Award Agreement.
8.5. Delivery of Shares, Payment of Restricted Stock Units. Subject to Section 20.10, after the last day of the Period of Restriction applicable to a Participant’s Shares of Restricted Stock, and after all conditions and restrictions applicable to such Shares of Restricted Stock have been satisfied or lapse (including satisfaction of any applicable withholding tax obligations), pursuant to the applicable Award Agreement, such Shares of Restricted Stock shall become freely transferable by such Participant. After the last day of the Period of Restriction applicable to a Participant’s Restricted Stock Units, and after all conditions and restrictions applicable to Restricted Stock Units have been satisfied or lapse (including satisfaction of any applicable withholding tax obligations), pursuant to the applicable Award Agreement, such Restricted Stock Units shall be settled by delivery of Shares, a cash payment determined by reference to the then-current Fair Market Value of Shares or a combination of Shares and such cash payment as the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall determine, either by the terms of the Award Agreement or otherwise.
8.6. Forms of Restricted Stock Awards. Each Participant who receives an Award of Shares of Restricted Stock shall be issued a stock certificate or certificates evidencing the Shares covered by such Award registered in the name of such Participant, which certificate or certificates may contain an appropriate legend. The Committee may require a Participant who receives a certificate or certificates evidencing a Restricted Stock Award to immediately deposit such certificate or certificates, together with a stock power or other appropriate instrument of transfer, endorsed in blank by the Participant, with signatures guaranteed in accordance with the Exchange Act if required by the Committee, with the Secretary of the Company or an escrow holder as provided in the immediately following sentence. The Secretary of the Company or such escrow holder as the Committee may appoint shall retain physical custody of each certificate representing a Restricted Stock Award until the Period of Restriction and any other restrictions imposed by the Committee or under the Award Agreement with respect to the Shares evidenced by such certificate expire or shall have been removed. The foregoing to the contrary notwithstanding, the Committee may, in its discretion, provide that a Participant’s ownership of Shares of Restricted Stock prior to the lapse of the Period of Restriction or any other applicable restrictions shall, in lieu of such certificates, be evidenced by a “book entry” (i.e., a computerized or manual entry) in the records of the Company or its designated agent in the name of the Participant who has received such Award. Such records of the Company or such agent shall, absent manifest error, be binding on all Participants who receive Restricted Stock Awards evidenced in such manner. The holding of Shares of Restricted Stock by the Company or such an escrow holder, or the use of book entries to evidence the ownership of Shares of Restricted Stock, in accordance with this Section 8.6, shall not affect the rights of Participants as owners of the Shares of Restricted Stock awarded to them, nor affect the restrictions applicable to such shares under the Award Agreement or the Plan, including the Period of Restriction.
8.7. Voting Rights. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee and set forth in a Participant’s Award Agreement, to the extent permitted or required by law, as determined by the Committee, Participants holding Shares of Restricted Stock may be granted the right to exercise full voting rights with respect to those Shares during the Period of Restriction. A Participant shall have no voting rights with respect to any Restricted Stock Units.
8.8. Dividends and Other Distributions. During the Period of Restriction, Participants holding Shares of Restricted Stock shall be credited with any cash dividends paid with respect to such Shares while they are so held, unless determined otherwise by the Committee. Such dividends shall be subject to the same terms and conditions, including the Period of Restriction, as relate to the original Shares of
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Restricted Stock. Except as set forth in the Award Agreement, in the event of (a) any adjustment as provided in Section 4.3, or (b) any shares or securities are received as a dividend, or an extraordinary dividend is paid in cash, on Shares of Restricted Stock, any new or additional Shares or securities or any extraordinary dividends paid in cash received by a recipient of Restricted Stock shall be subject to the same terms and conditions, including the Period of Restriction, as relate to the original Shares of Restricted Stock.
8.9. Termination of Employment or Service. Except as otherwise provided in this Section 8.9, during the Period of Restriction, any Restricted Stock Units and/or Shares of Restricted Stock held by a Participant shall be forfeited and revert to the Company (or, if Shares of Restricted Sock were sold to the Participant, the Participant shall be required to resell such Shares to the Company at cost) upon the Participant’s Termination or the failure to meet or satisfy any applicable performance goals or other terms, conditions and restrictions to the extent set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. Each applicable Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which, if any, the Participant shall have the right to retain Restricted Stock Units and/or Shares of Restricted Stock following such Participant’s Termination. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, shall be included in the applicable Award Agreement, need not be uniform among all such Awards issued pursuant to the Plan, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for, or circumstances of, such Termination.
8.10. Compliance With Code Section 409A. Unless the Committee provides otherwise in an Award Agreement, each Restricted Stock Unit shall be paid in full to the Participant no later than the fifteenth day of the third month after the end of the first calendar year in which the Restricted Stock Unit is no longer subject to a “substantial risk of forfeiture” within the meaning of Code Section 409A. If the Committee provides in an Award Agreement that a Restricted Stock Unit is intended to be subject to Code Section 409A, the Award Agreement shall include terms that are intended to satisfy the requirements of Code Section 409A.
9. PERFORMANCE UNITS AND PERFORMANCE SHARES
9.1. Grant of Performance Units and Performance Shares. Subject to the terms of the Plan, Performance Units and/or Performance Shares may be granted to Participants other than Non-Employee Directors in such amounts and upon such terms, and at any time and from time to time, as shall be determined by the Committee, in accordance with the Plan. A Performance Unit or Performance Share entitles the Participant who receives such Award to receive Shares or cash upon the attainment of performance goals and/or satisfaction of other terms and conditions determined by the Committee when the Award is granted and set forth in the Award Agreement. Such entitlements of a Participant with respect to his or her outstanding Performance Unit or Performance Share shall be reflected by a bookkeeping entry in the records of the Company, unless otherwise provided by the Award Agreement. The terms and conditions of such Awards shall be consistent with the Plan and set forth in the Award Agreement and need not be uniform among all such Awards or all Participants receiving such Awards.
9.2. Value of Performance Units and Performance Shares. Each Performance Unit shall have an initial value that is established by the Committee at the time of grant. Each Performance Share shall have an initial value equal to the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant. The Committee shall set performance goals in its discretion which, depending on the extent to which they are met, will determine the number and/or value of Performance Units and Performance Shares that will be paid out to the Participant.
9.3. Earning of Performance Units and Performance Shares. Subject to the terms of the Plan, after the applicable Performance Period has ended, the holder of Performance Units or Performance Shares shall be entitled to receive payment on the number and value of Performance Units or Performance Shares earned by the Participant over the Performance Period, to be determined as a function of the extent to which the corresponding performance goals and/or other terms and conditions have been achieved or satisfied. The Committee shall determine the extent to which any such pre-established performance goals and/or other terms and conditions of a Performance Unit or Performance Share are attained or not attained following conclusion of the applicable Performance Period.
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The Committee may, in its discretion, waive any such performance goals and/or other terms and conditions relating to any such Award.
9.4. Form and Timing of Payment of Performance Units and Performance Shares. Payment of earned Performance Units and Performance Shares shall be as determined by the Committee and as set forth in the Award Agreement. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may pay earned Performance Units and Performance Shares in the form of cash or in Shares (or in a combination thereof) which have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the value of the earned Performance Units or Performance Shares as soon as practicable after the end of the Performance Period and following the Committee’s determination of actual performance against the performance goals and/or other terms and conditions established by the Committee. Such Shares may be granted subject to any restrictions imposed by the Committee, including pursuant to Section 20.10. The determination of the Committee with respect to the form of payment of such Awards shall be set forth in the Award Agreement pertaining to the grant of the Award.
9.5. Rights as a Stockholder. A Participant receiving a Performance Unit or Performance Share shall have the rights of a stockholder only as to Shares, if any, actually received by the Participant upon satisfaction or achievement of the terms and conditions of such Award and not with respect to Shares subject to the Award but not actually issued to such Participant.
9.6. Termination of Employment or Service. Each Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to retain Performance Units and/or Performance Shares following such Participant’s Termination. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, shall be included in the applicable Award Agreement, need not be uniform among all such Awards issued pursuant to the Plan, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for Termination.
9.7. Compliance With Code Section 409A. Unless the Committee provides otherwise in an Award Agreement, each Performance Unit and/or Performance Share that is considered deferred compensation subject to the requirements of Code Section 409A shall be paid in full to the Participant no later than the fifteenth day of the third month after the end of the first calendar year in which such Award is no longer subject to a “substantial risk of forfeiture” within the meaning of Code Section 409A. If the Committee provides in an Award Agreement that a Performance Share or Performance Unit is intended to be subject to Code Section 409A, the Award Agreement shall include terms that are intended to satisfy the requirements of Code Section 409A.
10. OTHER STOCK-BASED AWARDS
10.1. Other Stock-Based Awards. The Committee may grant types of equity-based or equity-related Awards not otherwise described by the terms of the Plan (including the grant or offer for sale of unrestricted Shares), in such amounts (subject to Article IV) and subject to such terms and conditions, as the Committee shall determine. Such Other Stock-Based Awards may involve the transfer of actual Shares to Participants, or payment in cash or otherwise of amounts based on the value of Shares and may include Awards designed to comply with or take advantage of the applicable local laws of jurisdictions other than the United States. The terms and conditions of such Awards shall be consistent with the Plan and set forth in the Award Agreement and need not be uniform among all such Awards or all Participants receiving such Awards.
10.2 Value of Other Stock-Based Awards. Each Other Stock-Based Award shall be expressed in terms of Shares or units based on Shares, as determined by the Committee. The Committee may establish performance goals in its discretion, and any such performance goals shall be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. If the Committee exercises its discretion to establish performance goals, the number and/or value of Other Stock-Based Awards that will be paid out to the Participant will depend on the extent to which such performance goals are met.
10.3. Payment of Other Stock-Based Awards. Payment, if any, with respect to an Other Stock-Based Award shall be made in accordance with the terms of the Award, as set forth in the Award Agreement, in cash or Shares as the Committee determines.
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10.4. Termination of Employment or Service. The Committee shall determine the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to receive Other Stock-Based Awards following the Participant’s Termination. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, such provisions may be included in the applicable Award Agreement, but need not be uniform among all Other Stock-Based Awards issued pursuant to the Plan, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for Termination.
10.5. Compliance With Code Section 409A. Unless the Committee provides otherwise in an Award Agreement, each Other Stock-Based Award that is considered deferred compensation subject to the requirements of Code Section 409A shall be paid in full to the Participant no later than the fifteenth day of the third month after the end of the first calendar year in which the Other Stock-Based Award is no longer subject to a “substantial risk of forfeiture” within the meaning of Code Section 409A. If the Committee provides in an Award Agreement that an Other Stock-Based Award is intended to be subject to Code Section 409A, the Award Agreement shall include terms that are intended to satisfy the requirements of Code Section 409A.
11. PERFORMANCE MEASURES
11.1. Performance Measures. The objective performance goals upon which the granting, payment and/or vesting of Awards to Covered Employees may occur may be based on any one or more of the following Performance Measures selected by the Committee (or such other performance criteria as determined by the Committee):
(a) Earnings per share;
(b) Net earnings or net income (before or after taxes);
(c) Net sales or revenue;
(d) Net operating profit;
(e) Return measures (including return on assets, capital, invested capital, equity, sales or revenue);
(f) Cash flow (including operating cash flow, free cash flow, cash flow return on equity and cash flow return on investment);
(g) Earnings before or after interest, taxes, depreciation and/or amortization;
(h) Gross or operating margins;
(i) Productivity ratios;
(j) Revenue growth;
(k) Expenses;
(l) Margins;
(m) Operating efficiency;
(n) Customer satisfaction;
(o) Working capital;
(p) Market share;
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(q) Share price (including growth measures, market capitalization, total shareholder return and return relative to market indices); and
(r) Economic value added or EVA (net operating profit after tax minus capital multiplied by the cost of capital).
Any Performance Measures may be used to measure the performance of the Company, its Affiliates, and/or Subsidiaries as a whole or any business unit of the Company, its Affiliates, and/or Subsidiaries or any combination thereof, as the Committee may deem appropriate, or any of the above Performance Measures as compared to the performance of a group of comparator companies, or published or special index that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate, or the Company may select any Performance Measure as compared to various stock market indices.
11.2. Evaluation of Performance. The Committee may provide in any Award that any evaluation of performance may include or exclude any of the following events that occurs during a Performance Period: (a) asset write-downs, (b) litigation or claim judgments or settlements, (c) the effect of changes in tax laws, accounting principles, or other laws or provisions affecting reported results, (d) any reorganization and restructuring programs, (e) extraordinary, unusual and/or nonrecurring items of gain or loss, (f) acquisitions or divestitures, and (g) foreign exchange gains and losses.
12. DIVIDEND EQUIVALENTS
12.1. Dividend Equivalents. Unless otherwise provided by the Committee, no adjustment shall be made in the Shares issuable or taken into account under Awards on account of cash dividends that may be paid or other rights that may be issued to the holders of Shares prior to issuance of such Shares under such Award. The Committee may grant Dividend Equivalents based on the dividends declared on Shares that are subject to any Award, including any Award the payment or settlement of which is deferred pursuant to Section 20.6. Dividend Equivalents may be credited as of the dividend payment dates, during the period between the date the Award is granted and the date the Award becomes payable or terminates or expires. Any such Dividend Equivalents shall be subject to the same terms and conditions, including vesting conditions, as relate to the original Award, as well as such other limitations and/or restrictions determined by the Committee. Subject to the preceding sentence, Dividend Equivalents shall be converted to cash or additional Shares by such formula and at such time, and shall be paid at such times, as may be determined by the Committee. Unless the Award Agreement provides otherwise, Dividend Equivalents that are considered deferred compensation subject to the requirements of Code Section 409A shall be paid to the Participant at least annually, not later than the fifteenth day of the third month following the end of the calendar year in which the Dividend Equivalents are credited (or, if later, the fifteenth day of the third month following the end of the calendar year in which the Dividend Equivalents are no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture within the meaning of Code Section 409A). Any Dividend Equivalents that are accumulated and paid after the date specified in the preceding sentence shall be explicitly set forth in a separate arrangement that provides for the payment of the dividend equivalents at a time and in a manner that satisfies the requirements of Code Section 409A. No Dividend Equivalents shall relate to Shares underlying an Option or SAR unless such Dividend Equivalent rights are explicitly set forth as a separate arrangement and do not cause any such Option or SAR to be subject to Code Section 409A.
13. TRANSFERABILITY OF AWARDS; BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION
13.1. Transferability of Incentive Stock Options. No ISO or Tandem SAR granted in connection with an ISO may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution or in accordance with Section 13.3. Further, all ISOs and Tandem SARs granted in connection with ISOs granted to a Participant shall be exercisable during his or her lifetime only by such Participant.
13.2. All Other Awards. Except as otherwise provided in Section 8.5 or Section 13.3 or a Participant’s Award Agreement or otherwise determined at any time by the Committee, no Award granted under the Plan may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated,
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other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution; provided that the Committee may permit further transferability, on a general or a specific basis, and may impose conditions and limitations on any permitted transferability, subject to Section 13.1 and any applicable Period of Restriction. Further, except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Award Agreement or otherwise determined at any time by the Committee, or unless the Committee decides to permit further transferability, subject to Section 13.1 and any applicable Period of Restriction, all Awards granted to a Participant under the Plan, and all rights with respect to such Awards, shall be exercisable or available during his or her lifetime only by or to such Participant. With respect to those Awards, if any, that are permitted to be transferred to another individual, references in the Plan to exercise or payment related to such Awards by or to the Participant shall be deemed to include, as determined by the Committee, the Participant’s permitted transferee. In the event any Award is exercised by or otherwise paid to the executors, administrators, heirs or distributees of the estate of a deceased Participant, or such a Participant’s beneficiary, or the transferee of an Award, in any such case, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement and in accordance with such terms and conditions as may be specified from time to time by the Committee, the Company shall be under no obligation to issue Shares thereunder unless and until the Company is satisfied, as determined in the discretion of the Committee, that the person or persons exercising such Award, or to receive such payment, are the duly appointed legal representative of the deceased Participant’s estate or the proper legatees or distributees thereof or the named beneficiary of such Participant, or the valid transferee of such Award, as applicable. Any purported assignment, transfer or encumbrance of an Award that does not comply with this Section 13.2 shall be void and unenforceable against the Company.
13.3. Beneficiary Designation. Each Participant may, from time to time, name any beneficiary or beneficiaries who shall be permitted to exercise his or her Option or SAR or to whom any benefit under the Plan is to be paid in case of the Participant’s death before he or she fully exercises his or her Option or SAR or receives any or all of such benefit. Each such designation shall revoke all prior designations by the same Participant, shall be in a form prescribed by the Company, and will be effective only when filed by the Participant in writing with the Company during the Participant’s lifetime. In the absence of any such beneficiary designation, a Participant’s unexercised Option or SAR, or amounts due but remaining unpaid to such Participant, at the Participant’s death, shall be exercised or paid as designated by the Participant by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.
14. RIGHTS OF PARTICIPANTS
14.1. Rights or Claims. No individual shall have any rights or claims under the Plan except in accordance with the provisions of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement. The grant of an Award under the Plan shall not confer any rights upon the Participant holding such Award other than such terms, and subject to such conditions, as are specified in the Plan as being applicable to such type of Award, or to all Awards, or as are expressly set forth in the Award Agreement evidencing such Award. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, nothing contained in the Plan or in any Award Agreement shall be deemed to:
(a) Give any Employee or Non-Employee Director the right to be retained in the service of the Company, an Affiliate and/or a Subsidiary, whether in any particular position, at any particular rate of compensation, for any particular period of time or otherwise;
(b) Restrict in any way the right of the Company, an Affiliate and/or a Subsidiary to terminate, change or modify any Employee’s employment or any Non-Employee Director’s service as a Director at any time with or without Cause;
(c) Give any Employee or Non-Employee Director the right to receive any bonus, whether payable in cash or in Shares, or in any combination thereof, from the Company, an Affiliate and/or a Subsidiary, nor be construed as limiting in any way the right of the Company, an Affiliate and/or a Subsidiary to determine, in its sole discretion, whether or not it shall pay any Employee or Non-Employee Director bonuses, and, if so paid, the amount thereof and the manner of such payment; or
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(d) Give any Participant any rights whatsoever with respect to an Award except as specifically provided in the Plan and the Award Agreement.
14.2. Adoption of the Plan. The adoption of the Plan shall not be deemed to give any Employee or Non-Employee Director or any other individual any right to be selected as a Participant or to be granted an Award, or, having been so selected, to be selected to receive a future Award.
14.3. Vesting. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, a Participant’s right or entitlement to exercise or otherwise vest in any Award not exercisable or vested at the time of grant shall only result from continued services as a Non-Employee Director or continued employment with the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate, or satisfaction of any other performance goals or other conditions or restrictions applicable, by its terms, to such Award.
14.4. No Effects on Benefits. Payments and other compensation received by a Participant under an Award are not part of such Participant’s normal or expected compensation or salary for any purpose, including calculating termination, indemnity, severance, resignation, redundancy, end of service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, pension or retirement benefits or similar payments under any laws, plans, contracts, arrangements or otherwise. No claim or entitlement to compensation or damages arises from the termination of the Plan or diminution in value of any Award or Shares purchased or otherwise received under the Plan.
14.5. One or More Types of Awards. A particular type of Award may be granted to a Participant either alone or in addition to other Awards under the Plan.
15. CHANGE OF CONTROL
15.1. Treatment of Outstanding Awards. In the event of a Change of Control, unless otherwise specifically prohibited by any applicable laws, rules or regulations or otherwise provided in any applicable Award Agreement, as in effect prior to the occurrence of the Change of Control, specifically with respect to a Change of Control:
(a) Immediately prior to the occurrence of such Change of Control, any and all Options, SARs and Other Stock-Based Awards (if applicable) which are outstanding shall immediately become fully exercisable as to all Shares covered thereby, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or the Award Agreement, and, in the event of a Participant’s Termination (including termination of employment or services with any successor of the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate) under any circumstances during the one year period following the Change of Control, all Options, SARs and Other Stock-Based Awards (if applicable) held by such Participant (or such Participant’s beneficiary or transferee) shall remain exercisable at least until the first anniversary of such Termination or the expiration of the term of such Option, SAR or Other Stock-Based Award, if earlier.
(b) Immediately prior to the occurrence of such Change of Control, any restrictions, performance goals or other conditions applicable to Restricted Stock Units, Shares of Restricted Stock and Other Stock-Based Awards previously awarded to Participants shall be immediately canceled or deemed achieved, the Period of Restriction applicable thereto shall immediately terminate, and all restrictions on transfer, sale, assignment, pledge or other disposition applicable to any such Shares of Restricted Stock shall immediately lapse, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or the Award Agreement.
(c) Immediately prior to the occurrence of such Change of Control, all Awards which are outstanding shall immediately become fully vested and nonforfeitable.
(d) The target payment opportunities attainable under any outstanding Awards of Performance Units, Performance Shares and other Awards shall be deemed to have been fully earned for the entire Performance Period(s) immediately prior to the effective date of the Change of Control, unless actual performance exceeds the target, in which case actual performance shall be used. There shall be paid out to each Participant holding such an Award denominated in Shares, not later than five (5) days
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prior to the effective date of the Change of Control, a pro rata number of Shares (or the equivalent Fair Market Value thereof, as determined by the Committee, in cash) based upon an assumed achievement of all relevant targeted performance goals, unless actual performance exceeds the target, in which case actual performance shall be used, and upon the length of time within the Performance Period which has elapsed prior to the Change of Control. Awards denominated in cash shall be paid pro rata to applicable Participants in cash within thirty (30) days following the effective date of the Change of Control, with the pro-ration determined as a function of the length of time within the Performance Period which has elapsed prior to the Change of Control, and based on an assumed achievement of all relevant targeted performance goals, unless actual performance exceeds the target, in which case actual performance shall be used.
(e) Subject to Section 15.4, any Award the payment or settlement of which was deferred under Section 20.6 or otherwise shall be paid or distributed immediately prior to the Change of Control, except as otherwise provided by the Committee in accordance with Section 15.1(f).
(f) In its discretion, and on such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate, the Committee may provide, either by the terms of the Award Agreement applicable to any Award or by resolution adopted prior to the occurrence of the Change of Control, that any outstanding Award shall be adjusted by substituting for each Share subject to such Award immediately prior to the transaction resulting in the Change of Control the consideration (whether stock or other securities of the surviving corporation or any successor corporation to the Company, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, or that may be issuable by another corporation that is a party to the transaction resulting in the Change of Control) received in such transaction by holders of Shares for each Share held on the closing or effective date of such transaction, in which event the aggregate Option Price or Grant Price, as applicable, of the Award shall remain the same; provided, however, that if such consideration received in such transaction is not solely stock of a successor, surviving or other corporation, the Committee may provide for the consideration to be received upon exercise or payment of an Award, for each Share subject to such Award, to be solely stock or other securities of the successor, surviving or other corporation, as applicable, equal in fair market value, as determined by the Committee, to the per-Share consideration received by holders of Shares in such transaction.
(g) In its discretion, and on such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate, the Committee may provide, either by the terms of the Award Agreement applicable to any Award or by resolution adopted prior to the occurrence of the Change of Control, that any outstanding Award (or portion thereof) shall be converted into a right to receive cash, on or as soon as practicable following the closing date or expiration date of the transaction resulting in the Change of Control in an amount equal to the highest value of the consideration to be received in connection with such transaction for one Share, or, if higher, the highest Fair Market Value of a Share during the thirty (30) consecutive business days immediately prior to the closing date or expiration date of such transaction, less the per-Share Option Price, Grant Price or outstanding unpaid purchase price, as applicable to the Award, multiplied by the number of Shares subject to such Award, or the applicable portion thereof.
(h) The Committee may, in its discretion, provide that an Award can or cannot be exercised after, or will otherwise terminate or not terminate as of, a Change of Control.
15.2. No Implied Rights; Other Limitations. No Participant shall have any right to prevent the consummation of any of the acts described in Section 4.3 or 15.1 affecting the number of Shares available to, or other entitlement of, such Participant under the Plan or such Participant’s Award. Any actions or determinations of the Committee under this Article XV need not be uniform as to all outstanding Awards, nor treat all Participants identically. Notwithstanding the adjustments described in Section 15.1, in no event may any Option or SAR be exercised after ten (10) years from the date it was originally granted, and any changes to ISOs pursuant to this Article XV shall, unless the Committee determines otherwise, only be effective to the extent such adjustments or changes do not cause a “modification” (within the meaning of Section 424(h)(3) of the Code) of such ISOs or adversely affect the tax status of such ISOs.
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15.3. Termination, Amendment, and Modifications of Change of Control Provisions. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan (but subject to the limitations of Section 15.1(g), the last sentence of Section 16.1 and Section 16.2) or any Award Agreement provision, the provisions of this Article XV may not be terminated, amended, or modified on or after the date of a Change of Control to materially impair any Participant’s Award theretofore granted and then outstanding under the Plan without the prior written consent of such Participant.
15.4. Compliance with Code Section 409A. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Plan or any Award Agreement to the contrary, if a Change of Control that is not a Qualified Change of Control occurs, and payment or distribution of an Award constituting deferred compensation subject to Code Section 409A would otherwise be made or commence on the date of such Change of Control (pursuant to the Plan, the Award Agreement or otherwise), (a) the vesting of such Award shall accelerate in accordance with the Plan and the Award Agreement, (b) such payment or distribution shall not be made or commence prior to the earliest date on which Code Section 409A permits such payment or distribution to be made or commence without additional taxes or penalties under Code Section 409A, and (c) in the event any such payment or distribution is deferred in accordance with the immediately preceding clause (b), such payment or distribution that would have been made prior to the deferred payment or commencement date, but for Code Section 409A, shall be paid or distributed on such earliest payment or commencement date, together, if determined by the Committee, with interest at the rate established by the Committee. The Committee shall not extend the period to exercise an Option or Stock Appreciation Right to the extent that such extension would cause the Option or Stock Appreciation Right to become subject to Code Section 409A. Additionally, the Committee shall not take any action pursuant to this Article XV that would cause an Award that is otherwise exempt from Code Section 409A to become subject to Code Section 409A, or that would cause an Award that is subject to Code Section 409A to fail to satisfy the requirements of Code Section 409A.
16. AMENDMENT, MODIFICATION, AND TERMINATION
16.1. Amendment, Modification, and Termination. The Board may, at any time and with or without prior notice, amend, alter, suspend, or terminate the Plan, and the Committee may, to the extent permitted by the Plan, amend the terms of any Award theretofore granted, including any Award Agreement, in each case, retroactively or prospectively; provided, however, that no such amendment, alteration, suspension, or termination of the Plan shall be made which, without first obtaining approval of the stockholders of the Company (where such approval is necessary to satisfy (i) the then-applicable requirements of Rule 16b-3, (ii) any requirements under the Code relating to ISOs, or (iii) any applicable law, regulation or rule (including the applicable regulations and rules of the SEC and any national securities exchange)), would:
(a) except as is provided in Section 4.3, increase the maximum number of Shares which may be sold or awarded under the Plan or increase the maximum limitations set forth in Section 4.2;
(b) except as is provided in Section 4.3, decrease the minimum Option Price or Grant Price requirements of Sections 6.3 and 7.2, respectively;
(c) change the class of persons eligible to receive Awards under the Plan;
(d) extend the duration of the Plan or the period during which Options or SARs may be exercised under Section 6.4 or 7.6, as applicable; or
(e) otherwise require stockholder approval to comply with any applicable law, regulation or rule (including the applicable regulations and rules of the SEC and any national securities exchange).
In addition, (A) no such amendment, alteration, suspension or termination of the Plan or any Award theretofore granted, including any Award Agreement, shall be made which would materially impair the previously accrued rights of a Participant under any outstanding Award without the written consent of
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such Participant, provided, however, that the Board may amend or alter the Plan and the Committee may amend or alter any Award, including any Agreement, either retroactively or prospectively, without the consent of the applicable Participant, (x) so as to preserve or come within any exemptions from liability under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, pursuant to the rules and releases promulgated by the SEC (including Rule 16b-3), or (y) if the Board or the Committee determines in its discretion that such amendment or alteration either (I) is required or advisable for the Company, the Plan or the Award to satisfy, comply with or meet the requirements of any law, regulation, rule or accounting standard or (II) is not reasonably likely to significantly diminish the benefits provided under such Award, or that such diminishment has been or will be adequately compensated, and (B) except as is provided in Section 4.3, but notwithstanding any other provisions of the Plan, neither the Board nor the Committee may take any action (1) to amend the terms of an outstanding Option or SAR to reduce the Option Price or Grant Price thereof, cancel an Option or SAR and replace it with a new Option or SAR with a lower Option Price or Grant Price, or that has an economic effect that is the same as any such reduction or cancellation; or (2) to cancel an outstanding Option or SAR having an Option Price or Grant Price above the then-current Fair Market Value of the Shares in exchange for the grant of another type of Award, without, in each such case, first obtaining approval of the stockholders of the Company of such action.
16.2. Adjustment of Awards Upon the Occurrence of Certain Unusual or Nonrecurring Events. The Board or the Committee may make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in, Awards in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including the events described in Section 4.3) affecting the Company or the financial statements of the Company or of changes in applicable laws, regulations, or accounting principles, whenever the Committee determines that such adjustments are appropriate in order to prevent unintended dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan. Any such adjustment with respect to an Award intended to be an ISO shall be made only to the extent consistent with such intent, unless the Board or the Committee determines otherwise. Additionally, neither the Board nor the Committee shall not make any adjustment pursuant to this Article XVI that would cause an Award that is otherwise exempt from Code Section 409A to become subject to Code Section 409A, or that would cause an Award that is subject to Code Section 409A to fail to satisfy the requirements of Code Section 409A. The determination of the Committee as to the foregoing adjustments, if any, shall be conclusive and binding on Participants under the Plan.
17. TAX WITHHOLDING AND OTHER TAX MATTERS
17.1. Tax Withholding. The Company and/or any Subsidiary or Affiliate are authorized to withhold from any Award granted or payment due under the Plan the amount of all Federal, state, local and non-United States taxes due in respect of such Award or payment and take any such other action as may be necessary or appropriate, as determined by the Committee, to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such taxes. The recipient of any payment or distribution under the Plan shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Company, as determined in the Committee’s discretion, for the satisfaction of any tax obligations that arise by reason of any such payment or distribution. The Company shall not be required to make any payment or distribution under or relating to the Plan or any Award until such obligations are satisfied or such arrangements are made, as determined by the Committee in its discretion.
17.2. Withholding or Tendering Shares. Without limiting the generality of Section 17.1, the Committee may in its discretion permit a Participant to satisfy or arrange to satisfy, in whole or in part, the tax obligations incident to an Award by: (a) electing to have the Company withhold Shares or other property otherwise deliverable to such Participant pursuant to his or her Award and/or (b) tendering to the Company Shares owned by such Participant (or by such Participant and his or her spouse jointly) and purchased or held for the requisite period of time as may be required to avoid the Company’s or the Affiliates’ or Subsidiaries’ incurring an adverse accounting charge, based, in each case, on the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the payment date as determined by the Committee. All such elections shall be irrevocable, made in writing, signed by the Participant, and shall be subject to any restrictions or limitations that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate. For avoidance of doubt, the amount of any Shares so withheld under (a) may exceed the amount necessary to satisfy the minimum required Federal, state, local and non-United States withholding obligations.
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17.3. Restrictions. The satisfaction of tax obligations pursuant to this Article XVII shall be subject to such restrictions as the Committee may impose, including any restrictions required by applicable law or the rules and regulations of the SEC, and shall be construed consistent with an intent to comply with any such applicable laws, rule and regulations.
17.4. Special ISO Obligations. The Committee may require a Participant to give prompt written notice to the Company concerning any disposition of Shares received upon the exercise of an ISO within: (i) two (2) years from the date of granting such ISO to such Participant or (ii) one (1) year from the transfer of such Shares to such Participant or (iii) such other period as the Committee may from time to time determine. The Committee may direct that a Participant with respect to an ISO undertake in the applicable Award Agreement to give such written notice described in the preceding sentence, at such time and containing such information as the Committee may prescribe, and/or that the certificates evidencing Shares acquired by exercise of an ISO refer to such requirement to give such notice.
17.5. Section 83(b) Election. If a Participant makes an election under Section 83(b) of the Code to be taxed with respect to an Award as of the date of transfer of Shares rather than as of the date or dates upon which the Participant would otherwise be taxable under Section 83(a) of the Code, such Participant shall deliver a copy of such election to the Company immediately after filing such election with the Internal Revenue Service. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary or Affiliate shall have any liability or responsibility relating to or arising out of the filing or not filing of any such election or any defects in its construction.
17.6. No Guarantee of Favorable Tax Treatment. Although the Company intends to administer the Plan so that Awards will be exempt from, or will comply with, the requirements of Code Section 409A, the Company does not warrant that any Award under the Plan will qualify for favorable tax treatment under Code Section 409A or any other provision of federal, state, local, or non-United States law. The Company shall not be liable to any Participant for any tax, interest, or penalties the Participant might owe as a result of the grant, holding, vesting, exercise, or payment of any Award under the Plan.
18. LIMITS OF LIABILITY; INDEMNIFICATION
18.1. Limits of Liability.
(a) Any liability of the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate to any Participant with respect to any Award shall be based solely upon contractual obligations created by the Plan and the Award Agreement.
(b) None of the Company, any Subsidiary, any Affiliate, any member of the Board or the Committee or any other person participating in any determination of any question under the Plan, or in the interpretation, administration or application of the Plan, shall have any liability, in the absence of bad faith, to any party for any action taken or not taken in connection with the Plan, except as may expressly be provided by statute.
(c) Each member of the Committee, while serving as such, shall be considered to be acting in his or her capacity as a director of the Company. Members of the Board of Directors and members of the Committee acting under the Plan shall be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the advice of counsel and shall incur no liability except for gross negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of their duties.
(d) The Company shall not be liable to a Participant or any other person as to: (i) the non-issuance of Shares as to which the Company has been unable to obtain from any regulatory body having relevant jurisdiction the authority deemed by the Committee or the Company’s counsel to be necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any Shares hereunder, and (ii) any tax consequence expected, but not realized, by any Participant or other person due to the receipt, exercise or settlement of any Option or other Award.
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18.2. Indemnification. Subject to the requirements of Delaware law, each individual who is or shall have been a member of the Committee or of the Board, or an officer of the Company to whom authority was delegated in accordance with Article III, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company against and from any loss, cost, liability, or expense that may be imposed upon or reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with or resulting from any claim, action, suit, or proceeding to which he or she may be a party or in which he or she may be involved by reason of any action taken or failure to act under the Plan and against and from any and all amounts paid by him or her in settlement thereof, with the Company’s approval, or paid by him or her in satisfaction of any judgment in any such action, suit, or proceeding against him or her, provided he or she shall give the Company an opportunity, at its own expense, to handle and defend the same before he or she undertakes to handle and defend it on his or her own behalf, unless such loss, cost, liability, or expense is a result of the individual’s own willful misconduct or except as provided by statute. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such individual may be entitled under the Company’s Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any power that the Company may have to indemnify or hold harmless such individual.
19. SUCCESSORS
19.1. General. All obligations of the Company under the Plan with respect to Awards granted hereunder shall be binding on any successor to the Company, whether the existence of such successor is the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation, or otherwise, of all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company.
20. MISCELLANEOUS
20.1. Drafting Context. Except where otherwise indicated by the context, any masculine term used herein also shall include the feminine; the plural shall include the singular and the singular shall include the plural. The words “Article,” “Section,” and “paragraph” herein shall refer to provisions of the Plan, unless expressly indicated otherwise. The words “include,” “includes,” and “including” herein shall be deemed to be followed by “without limitation” whether or not they are in fact followed by such words or words of similar import, unless the context otherwise requires.
20.2. Forfeiture Events.
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, the Committee shall have the authority to determine (and may so provide in any Award Agreement) that a Participant’s (including his or her estate’s, beneficiary’s or transferee’s) rights (including the right to exercise any Option or SAR), payments and benefits with respect to any Award shall be subject to reduction, cancellation or forfeiture in the event of the Participant’s Termination for Cause or due to voluntary resignation; material violation of the Company’s or a Subsidiary’s or Affiliate’s policies; willful breach of fiduciary duty; willful unauthorized disclosure of any trade secret or confidential information of the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate; breach of applicable noncompetition, nonsolicitation, confidentiality or other restrictive covenants; or other misconduct or unauthorized activity that is substantially detrimental to the business, reputation or interests of the Company and/or any Subsidiary or Affiliate; or upon the occurrence of certain events specified in the applicable Award Agreement (in any such case, whether or not the Participant is then an Employee or Non-Employee Director). The determination of whether a Participant’s conduct, activities or circumstances are described in the immediately preceding sentence shall be made by the Committee in its good faith discretion, and pending any such determination, the Committee shall have the authority to suspend the exercise, payment, delivery or settlement of all or any portion of such Participant’s outstanding Awards pending an investigation of the matter.
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, the Committee shall have the authority to determine (and may so provide in any Award Agreement) that a Participant’s (including his or her estate’s, beneficiary’s or transferee’s) rights, payments and benefits with respect to any Covered Award shall be subject to recoupment in the event of the Participant’s Termination for Cause; willful breach of fiduciary duty; willful unauthorized disclosure of any trade secret or confidential information of the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate; or other misconduct or unauthorized activity that is
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substantially detrimental to the business, reputation or interests of the Company and/or any Subsidiary or Affiliate; or upon the occurrence of certain events specified in the applicable Award Agreement (in any such case, whether or not the Participant is then an Employee or Non-Employee Director). The determination of whether a Participant’s conduct, activities or circumstances are described in the immediately preceding sentence shall be made by the Committee in its good faith discretion. “Covered Award” means an Award granted at any time during the then current fiscal year and the two full fiscal years prior to the date on which the Committee makes a determination in a manner consistent with Section 20.2(b). For the avoidance of doubt, an Award (or any portion thereof) which would have been delivered but for a deferral pursuant to a deferred compensation arrangement made available by the Company shall be subject to the provisions of this Section 20.2(b) (to the extent it is a “Covered Award”) but not subject to the provisions of Section 20.2(a).
(c) If the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement due to the material noncompliance of the Company, as a result of misconduct, with any financial reporting requirement under the securities laws, if the Participant knowingly or grossly negligently engaged in the misconduct, or knowingly or grossly negligently failed to prevent the misconduct, or if the Participant is one of the individuals subject to automatic forfeiture under Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Participant shall reimburse the Company the amount of any payment in settlement of an Award earned or accrued during the twelve- (12-) month period following the first public issuance or filing with the SEC (whichever just occurred) of the financial document embodying such financial reporting requirement.
20.3. Severability. In the event any provision of the Plan shall be held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision had not been included.
20.4. Transfer, Leave of Absence. For purposes of the Plan, a transfer of an Employee from the Company to an Affiliate or Subsidiary (or, for purposes of any ISO granted under the Plan, only a Subsidiary), or vice versa, or from one Affiliate or Subsidiary to another (or in the case of an ISO, only from one Subsidiary to another), and a leave of absence, duly authorized in writing by the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate, shall not be deemed a Termination of the Employee for purposes of the Plan or with respect to any Award (in the case of ISOs, to the extent permitted by the Code). The Committee shall have the discretion to determine the effects upon any Award, upon an individual’s status as an Employee or Non-Employee Director for purposes of the Plan (including whether a Participant shall be deemed to have experienced a Termination or other change in status) and upon the exercisability, vesting, termination or expiration of any Award in the case of: (a) any Participant who is employed by an entity that ceases to be an Affiliate or Subsidiary (whether due to a spin-off or otherwise), (b) any transfer of a Participant between locations of employment with the Company, an Affiliate, and/or Subsidiary or between the Company, an Affiliate or Subsidiary or between Affiliates or Subsidiaries, (c) any leave of absence of a Participant, (d) any change in a Participant’s status from an Employee to a Non-Employee Director, or vice versa; and (e) upon approval by the Committee, any Employee who experiences a Termination but becomes employed by a partnership, joint venture, corporation or other entity not meeting the requirements of an Affiliate or Subsidiary, subject, in each case, to the requirements of Code Section 422 applicable to any ISOs and Code Section 409A applicable to any Options and SARs.
20.5. Exercise and Payment of Awards. An Award shall be deemed exercised or claimed when the Secretary of the Company or any other Company official or other person designated by the Committee for such purpose receives appropriate written notice from a Participant, in form acceptable to the Committee, together with payment of the applicable Option Price, Grant Price or other purchase price, if any, and compliance with Article XVII, in accordance with the Plan and such Participant’s Award Agreement.
20.6. Deferrals. To the extent provided in the Award Agreement, the Committee may permit or require a Participant to defer such Participant’s receipt of the payment of cash or the delivery of Shares that would otherwise be due to such Participant by virtue of the lapse or waiver of the Period of Restriction or other restrictions with respect to Restricted Stock or the payment or satisfaction of Restricted Stock Units, Performance Units, Performance Shares, or Other Stock-Based Awards. If any
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such deferral election is required or permitted, (a) such deferral shall represent an unfunded and unsecured obligation of the Company and shall not confer the rights of a stockholder unless and until Shares are issued thereunder; (b) the number of Shares subject to such deferral shall, until settlement thereof, be subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 4.3; and (c) the Committee shall establish rules and procedures for such deferrals and payment or settlement thereof, which may be in cash, Shares or any combination thereof, and such deferrals may be governed by the terms and conditions of any deferred compensation plan of the Company or Affiliate specified by the Committee for such purpose. Notwithstanding any provisions of the Plan to the contrary, in no event shall any deferral under this Section 20.6 be permitted if the Committee determines that such deferral would result in the imposition of additional tax under Code Section 409A.
20.7. No Effect on Other Plans. Neither the adoption of the Plan nor anything contained herein shall affect any other compensation or incentive plans or arrangements of the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate, or prevent or limit the right of the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate to establish any other forms of incentives or compensation for their directors, officers or eligible employees or grant or assume options or other rights otherwise than under the Plan.
20.8. Section 16 of Exchange Act. Unless otherwise stated in the Award Agreement, notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, any Award granted to an Insider shall be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including Rule 16b-3) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule, and the Plan and the Award Agreement shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such limitations.
20.9. Requirements of Law; Limitations on Awards.
(a) The granting of Awards and the issuance of Shares under the Plan shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by any governmental agencies or national securities exchanges as may be required.
(b) If at any time the Committee shall determine, in its discretion, that the listing, registration and/or qualification of Shares upon any securities exchange or under any state, Federal or non-United States law, or the consent or approval of any governmental regulatory body, is necessary or desirable as a condition of, or in connection with, the sale or purchase of Shares hereunder, the Company shall have no obligation to allow the grant, exercise or payment of any Award, or to issue or deliver evidence of title for Shares issued under the Plan, in whole or in part, unless and until such listing, registration, qualification, consent and/or approval shall have been effected or obtained, or otherwise provided for, free of any conditions not acceptable to the Committee.
(c) If at any time counsel to the Company shall be of the opinion that any sale or delivery of Shares pursuant to an Award is or may be in the circumstances unlawful or result in the imposition of excise taxes on the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate under the statutes, rules or regulations of any applicable jurisdiction, the Company shall have no obligation to make such sale or delivery, or to make any application or to effect or to maintain any qualification or registration under the Securities Act, or otherwise with respect to Shares or Awards and the right to exercise or payment of any Option or Award shall be suspended until, in the opinion of such counsel, such sale or delivery shall be lawful or will not result in the imposition of excise taxes on the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate.
(d) Upon termination of any period of suspension under this Section 20.10, any Award affected by such suspension which shall not then have expired or terminated shall be reinstated as to all Shares available before such suspension and as to the Shares which would otherwise have become available during the period of such suspension, but no suspension shall extend the term of any Award.
(e) The Committee may require each person receiving Shares in connection with any Award under the Plan to represent and agree with the Company in writing that such person is acquiring such Shares for investment without a view to the distribution thereof, and/or provide such other representations and agreements as the Committee may prescribe. The Committee, in its absolute discretion, may impose such restrictions on the ownership and transferability of the Shares purchasable
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or otherwise receivable by any person under any Award as it deems appropriate. Any such restrictions shall be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement, and the certificates evidencing such shares may include any legend that the Committee deems appropriate to reflect any such restrictions.
(f) An Award and any Shares received upon the exercise or payment of an Award shall be subject to such other transfer and/or ownership restrictions and/or legending requirements as the Committee may establish in its discretion and may be referred to on the certificates evidencing such Shares, including restrictions under applicable Federal securities laws, under the requirements of any stock exchange or market upon which such Shares are then listed and/or traded, and under any blue sky or state securities laws applicable to such Shares.
20.10. Participants Deemed to Accept Plan. By accepting any benefit under the Plan, each Participant and each person claiming under or through any such Participant shall be conclusively deemed to have indicated their acceptance and ratification of, and consent to, all of the terms and conditions of the Plan and any action taken under the Plan by the Board, the Committee or the Company, in any case in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Plan.
20.11. Governing Law. The Plan and all Award Agreements and other agreements hereunder shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the state of Delaware, without giving effect to the choice of law principles thereof, except to the extent superseded by applicable United States federal law. Unless otherwise provided in the Agreement, Participants are deemed to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the federal or state courts of Delaware, to resolve any and all issues that may arise out of or relate to the Plan or any related Award Agreement.
20.12. Plan Unfunded. The Plan shall be unfunded. The Company shall not be required to establish any special or separate fund or to make any other segregation of assets to assure the issuance of Shares or the payment of cash upon exercise or payment of any Award. Proceeds from the sale of Shares pursuant to Options or other Awards granted under the Plan shall constitute general funds of the Company.
20.13. Administration Costs. The Company shall bear all costs and expenses incurred in administering the Plan, including expenses of issuing Shares pursuant to any Options or other Awards granted hereunder.
20.14. Uncertificated Shares. To the extent that the Plan provides for issuance of certificates to reflect the transfer of Shares, the transfer of such Shares may nevertheless be effected on a noncertificated basis, to the extent not prohibited by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange.
20.15. No Fractional Shares. An Option or other Award shall not be exercisable with respect to a fractional Share or the lesser of fifty (50) shares or the full number of Shares then subject to the Option or other Award. No fractional Shares shall be issued upon the exercise or payment of an Option or other Award.
20.16. Deferred Compensation. If any Award would be considered deferred compensation as defined under Code Section 409A and would fail to meet the requirements of Code Section 409A, then such Award shall be null and void; provided, however, that the Committee may permit deferrals of compensation pursuant to the terms of a Participant’s Award Agreement, a separate plan, or a subplan which (in each case) meets the requirements of Code Section 409A. Additionally, to the extent any Award is subject to Code Section 409A, notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, the Plan does not permit the acceleration of the time or schedule of any distribution related to such Award, except as permitted by Code Section 409A.
20.17. Employees Based Outside of the United States. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in order to comply with the laws or practices of countries other than the United States in which the Company, any Affiliate, and/or any Subsidiary operates or has Employees or Non-Employee Directors, the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall have the power and authority to:
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(a) Determine which Affiliates and Subsidiaries shall be covered by the Plan;
(b) Determine which Employees and/or Non-Employee Directors outside the United States are eligible to participate in the Plan;
(c) Grant Awards (including substitutes for Awards), and modify the terms and conditions of any Awards, on such terms and conditions as the Committee determines necessary or appropriate to permit participation in the Plan by individuals otherwise eligible to so participate who are non-United States nationals or employed outside the United States, or otherwise to comply with applicable non-United States laws or conform to applicable requirements or practices of jurisdictions outside the United States;
(d) Establish subplans and adopt or modify exercise procedures and other terms and procedures, to the extent such actions may be necessary or advisable. Any subplans and modifications to Plan terms and procedures established under this Section 20.17 by the Committee shall be attached to the Plan as appendices; and
(e) Take any action, before or after an Award is made, that the Committee, in its discretion, deems advisable to obtain approval or comply with any necessary local government regulatory exemptions or approvals.
Notwithstanding the above, the Committee may not take any actions hereunder, and no Awards shall be granted, that would violate any applicable law.
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