Section 4.4. TAX WITHHOLDING. All distributions under the Plan are subject to withholding of all applicable taxes, and the Committee may condition the delivery of any shares or other benefits under the Plan on satisfaction of the applicable withholding obligations. The Committee, in its discretion, and subject to such requirements as the Committee may impose prior to the occurrence of such withholding, may permit such withholding obligations to be satisfied through cash payment by the Participant, through the surrender of shares of Stock which the Participant already owns, or through the surrender of shares of Stock to which the Participant is otherwise entitled under the Plan.
Section 4.5. GRANT AND USE OF AWARDS. In the discretion of the Committee, a Participant may be granted any Award permitted under the provisions of the Plan, and more than one Award may be granted to a Participant. Awards may be granted as alternatives to or replacement of awards granted or outstanding under the Plan, or any other plan or arrangement of the Company or a Member Company (including a plan or arrangement of a business or entity, all or a portion of which is acquired by the Company or a Member Company). Subject to the overall limitation on the number of shares of Stock that may be delivered under the Plan, the Committee may use available shares of Stock as the form of payment for compensation, grants or rights earned or due under any other compensation plans or arrangements of the Company or a Member Company, including the plans and arrangements of the Company or a Member Company assumed in business combinations.
Section 4.6. DIVIDENDS AND DIVIDEND EQUIVALENTS. An Award (including without limitation an Option or SAR Award) may provide the Participant with the right to receive dividend payments or dividend equivalent payments with respect to Stock subject to the Award (both before and after the Stock subject to the Award is earned, vested, or acquired), which payments may be either made currently or credited to an account for the Participant, and may be settled in cash or Stock, as determined by the Committee. Any such settlements, and any such crediting of dividends or dividend equivalents or reinvestment in shares of Stock, may be subject to such conditions, restrictions and contingencies as the Committee shall establish, including the reinvestment of such credited amounts in Stock equivalents.
Section 4.7. SETTLEMENT OF AWARDS. The obligation to make payments and distributions with respect to Awards may be satisfied through cash payments, the delivery of shares of Stock, the granting of replacement Awards, or combination thereof as the Committee shall determine. In lieu of issuing a fraction of a share upon any exercise of an Award, resulting from an adjustment of the Award pursuant to paragraph 4.2(f) of the Plan or otherwise, the Company will be entitled to pay to the Participant an amount equal to the fair market value of such fractional share. Satisfaction of any obligations under an Award, which is sometimes referred to as "settlement" of the Award, may be subject to such conditions, restrictions and contingencies as the Committee shall determine. The Committee may permit or require the deferral of any Award payment, subject to such rules and procedures as it may establish, which may include provisions for the payment or crediting of interest or dividend equivalents, and may include converting such credits into deferred Stock equivalents. Each Member Company shall be liable for payment of cash due under the Plan with respect to any Participant to the extent that such benefits are attributable to the services rendered for that Member Company by the Participant. Any disputes relating to liability of a Member Company for cash payments shall be resolved by the Committee.
(a) Awards under the Plan are not transferable except as designated by the Participant by will, by the laws of descent and distribution or by a beneficiary form filed with the Company.
(b) Awards may be exercised or claimed on behalf of a deceased Participant or other person entitled to benefits under the Plan by the beneficiary of such Participant or other person if the Company has a valid designation of such beneficiary on file, or otherwise by the personal legal representative of such Participant or other person.
Section 4.9. FORM AND TIME OF ELECTIONS. Unless otherwise specified herein, each election required or permitted to be made by any Participant or other person entitled to benefits under the Plan, and any permitted modification, or revocation thereof, shall be in writing filed with the Committee at
such times, in such form, and subject to such restrictions and limitations, not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, as the Committee shall require.
Section 4.10. AGREEMENT WITH COMPANY. An Award under the Plan shall be subject to such terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the Plan, as the Committee shall, in its sole discretion, prescribe. The terms and conditions of any Award to any Participant shall be reflected in such form of written document as is determined by the Committee. A copy of such document shall be provided to the Participant, and the Committee may, but need not require that the Participant sign a copy of such document. Such document is referred to in the Plan as an "Award Agreement" regardless of whether any Participant signature is required.
Section 4.11. ACTION BY COMPANY OR MEMBER COMPANY. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Company or any Member Company shall be by resolution of its board of directors, or by action of one or more members of the board (including a committee of the board) who are duly authorized to act for the board, or (except to the extent prohibited by applicable law or applicable rules of any stock exchange) by a duly authorized officer of such company.
Section 4.12. GENDER AND NUMBER. Where the context admits, words in any gender shall include any other gender, words in the singular shall include the plural and the plural shall include the singular.
Section 4.13. LIMITATION OF IMPLIED RIGHTS. |
(a) Neither a Participant nor any other person shall, by reason of participation in the Plan, acquire any right in or title to any assets, funds or property of the Company or any Member Company whatsoever, including, without limitation, any specific funds, assets, or other property which the Company or any Member Company, in its sole discretion, may set aside in anticipation of a liability under the Plan. A Participant shall have only a contractual right to the Stock or amounts, if any, payable under the Plan, unsecured by any assets of the Company or any Member Company, and nothing contained in the Plan shall constitute a guarantee that the assets of the Company or any Member Company shall be sufficient to pay any benefits to any person.
(b) The Plan does not constitute a contract of employment, and selection as a Participant will not give any participating employee the right to be retained in the employ of the Company or any Member Company, nor any right or claim to any benefit under the Plan, unless such right or claim has specifically accrued under the terms of the Plan. Except as otherwise provided in the Plan, no Award under the Plan shall confer upon the holder thereof any rights as a shareholder of the Company prior to the date on which the individual fulfills all conditions for receipt of such rights.
Section 4.14. EVIDENCE. Evidence required of anyone under the Plan may be by certificate, affidavit, document or other information which the person acting on it considers pertinent and reliable, and signed, made or presented by the proper party or parties.
Section 4.15. LIMITATIONS ON DEFERRED COMPENSATION. Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, the Committee shall not permit Participant deferrals or elections (under Section 4.7 or 4.9 of this Plan or otherwise) unless: (a) such deferrals or elections do not cause this Plan to become a “nonqualified deferred compensation plan” as defined in Section 409A of the Code, or (b) such elections or deferrals are made pursuant and subject to a “nonqualified deferred compensation plan” of the Company that is duly designated by the Committee and that is structured to avoid constructive receipt under Section 409A of the Code.
ARTICLE 5
CHANGE OF CONTROL
Subject to the provisions of paragraph 4.2(f) (relating to the adjustment of shares), and except as otherwise provided in the Plan or the Award Agreement reflecting the applicable Award, upon the
occurrence of a Change of Control the following provisions shall apply:
Section 5.1. ACCELERATION OF VESTING. If a Change of Control of the Company shall occur, then with respect to outstanding Awards not already vested and/or exercisable, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may determine that:
(a) All outstanding Options (regardless of whether in tandem with SARs) shall become fully exercisable.
(b) All outstanding SARs (regardless of whether in tandem with Options) shall become fully exercisable.
(c) All Stock Units, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, and Performance Shares shall become fully vested.
If the Committee determines to accelerate any such outstanding Awards, then such Awards shall remain vested and/or exercisable during the remaining term thereof, regardless of whether the employment or other status of the Participants with respect to which Awards have been granted shall continue with the Company or any Member Company.
Section 5.2. CASH PAYMENT. Without limiting the generality of Section 4.7, if a Change of Control of the Company shall occur, then the Committee, in its sole discretion, and without the consent of any Participant affected thereby, may determine that some or all Participants holding outstanding Awards shall receive cash settlements in exchange for redemption of all or a part of such Awards.
Section 5.3. LIMITATION ON CHANGE OF CONTROL PAYMENTS. Notwithstanding anything in Section 5.1 or 5.2 above to the contrary, if, with respect to a Participant, the acceleration of the exercisability and/or vesting of an Award as provided in Section 5.1 or the payment of cash in exchange for all or part of an Award as provided in Section 5.2 above (which acceleration or payment could be deemed a "payment" within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code), together with any other payments which such Participant has the right to receive from the Company or any corporation which is a member of an "affiliated group" (as defined in Section 1504(a) of the Code without regard to Section 1504(b) of the Code) of which the Company is a member, would constitute a "parachute payment" (as defined in Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code), then the acceleration of exercisability and/or vesting and the payments to such Participant pursuant to Sections 5.1 and 5.2 above shall be reduced to the extent or amount as, in the sole judgment of the Committee, will result in no portion of such payments being subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code.
ARTICLE 6
COMMITTEE
Section 6.1. ADMINISTRATION. The authority to control and manage the operation and administration of the Plan shall be vested in a committee (the "Committee") in accordance with this ARTICLE 6. The Committee shall be selected by the Board, and shall consist solely of two or more members of the Board who are not employees of the Company or any Member Company. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, the Compensation Committee of the Board shall serve as the Committee for purposes of the Plan. If at any time the Committee does not exist, or for any other reason determined by the Board, the Board may take any action under the Plan that would otherwise be the responsibility of the Committee.
Section 6.2. POWERS OF COMMITTEE. The Committee's administration of the Plan shall be subject to the following:
(a) Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee will have the authority and discretion to select from among the Eligible Recipients those persons who shall receive Awards, to determine the time or times of receipt, to determine the types of Awards and the number of shares covered
by the Awards, to establish the terms, conditions, performance criteria, restrictions, and other provisions of such Awards, and (subject to the restrictions imposed by ARTICLE 7) to cancel or suspend Awards.
(b) To the extent that the Committee determines that the restrictions imposed by the Plan preclude the achievement of the material purposes of the Awards in jurisdictions outside the United States, the Committee will have the authority and discretion to modify those restrictions as the Committee determines to be necessary or appropriate to conform to applicable requirements or practices of jurisdictions outside of the United States.
(c) The Committee will have the authority and discretion to interpret the Plan, to establish, amend, and rescind any rules and regulations relating to the Plan, to determine the terms and provisions of any Award Agreement made pursuant to the Plan, and to make all other determinations that may be necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan.
(d) Any interpretation of the Plan by the Committee and any decision made by it under the Plan is final and binding on all persons.
(e) In controlling and managing the operation and administration of the Plan, the Committee shall take action in a manner that conforms to the articles and by-laws of the Company, and applicable state corporate law.
Section 6.3. DELEGATION BY COMMITTEE. Except to the extent prohibited by applicable law or the applicable rules of a stock exchange, the Committee may allocate all or any portion of its responsibilities and powers to any one or more of its members and may delegate all or any part of its responsibilities and powers to any person or persons selected by it. Any such allocation or delegation may be revoked by the Committee at any time.
Section 6.4. INFORMATION TO BE FURNISHED TO COMMITTEE. The Company and Member Companies shall furnish the Committee with such data and information as it determines may be required for it to discharge its duties. The records of the Company and Member Companies as to an employee's or Participant's employment, termination of employment, leave of absence, reemployment and compensation shall be conclusive on all persons unless determined to be incorrect. Participants and other persons entitled to benefits under the Plan must furnish the Committee such evidence, data or information as the Committee considers desirable to carry out the terms of the Plan.
ARTICLE 7
AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION
The Board may, at any time, amend or terminate the Plan, provided that no amendment or termination may, in the absence of written consent to the change by the affected Participant (or, if the Participant is not then living, the affected beneficiary), adversely affect the rights of any Participant or beneficiary under any Award granted under the Plan prior to the date such amendment is adopted by the Board; and further provided that adjustments pursuant to paragraph 4.2(f) shall not be subject to the foregoing limitations of this ARTICLE 7. Amendments to this Plan shall be subject to shareholder approval to the extent such approval is required by applicable law or applicable requirements of any securities exchange or similar entity.
ARTICLE 8
DEFINED TERMS
In addition to the other definitions contained herein, the following definitions shall apply: |
(a) Award. The term "Award" shall mean any award or benefit granted under the Plan, including, without limitation, the grant of Options, SARs, Stock Unit Awards, Restricted Stock Awards, Restricted Stock Unit Awards, Performance Unit Awards, and Performance Share Awards.
(b) Award Agreement. The term "Award Agreement" has the meaning assigned in Section 4.10.
(c) Board. The term "Board" shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.
(d) Change of Control. The term "Change of Control" shall mean (a) the sale, lease, exchange or other transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company (in one transaction or in a series of related transactions) to a corporation that is not controlled by the Company, (b) the approval by the shareholders of the Company of any plan or proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of the Company, (c) a successful tender offer for the Common Stock of the Company, after which the tendering party holds more than 30% of the issued and outstanding Common Stock of the Company, or (d) a merger, consolidation, share exchange, or other transaction to which the Company is a party pursuant to which the holders of all of the shares of the Company outstanding prior to such transaction do not hold, directly or indirectly, at least 70% of the outstanding shares of the surviving company after the transaction.
(e) Code. The term "Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. A reference to any provision of the Code shall include reference to any successor provision of the Code.
(f) Committee. The term "Committee" has the meaning assigned in Section 6.1.
(g) Company. The term "Company" has the meaning assigned in Section 1.1.
(h) Effective Date. The term "Effective Date" has the meaning assigned in Section 4.1.
(i) Eligible Recipient. The term "Eligible Recipient" shall mean any employee of the Company or a Member Company and any of those consultants and independent contractors of the Company or a Member Company who are natural persons. An Award may be granted to an employee, consultant or independent contractor in connection with hiring, retention or otherwise, prior to the date he or she first performs services for the Company or the Member Companies, provided that such Awards shall not become vested prior to the date he or she first performs such services. An Award may also be granted to an employee, consultant or independent contractor in connection with the conclusion of such employee, consultant or independent contractor's performance of services and separation from the Company or its Member Companies. The effect of discontinuity in an Eligible Recipient's service with the Company or its Member Companies on any outstanding Award shall be at the discretion of the Committee.
(j) Exercise Price. The term "Exercise Price" has the meaning assigned in Section 2.2.
(k) Fair Market Value. For purposes of determining the "Fair Market Value" of a share of Stock as of any date, the following rules shall apply:
(i) If the principal market for the Stock is a national securities exchange or the NASDAQ Stock Market, then the "Fair Market Value" as of that date shall be the closing sale price of the Common Stock on the principal exchange or market on which the Common Stock is then listed or admitted to trading on such date.
(ii) If sale prices are not available or if the principal market for the Stock is not a national securities exchange and the Stock is not quoted on the NASDAQ Stock Market, the average between the highest bid and lowest asked prices for the Stock on such day as reported on the NASDAQ OTC Bulletin Board Service or by the National Quotation Bureau, Incorporated or a comparable service.
(iii) If the day is not a business day, and as a result, paragraphs (i) and (ii) next above are inapplicable, the Fair Market Value of the Stock shall be determined as of the next earlier business day. If paragraphs (i) and (ii) next above are otherwise inapplicable, then the Fair Market Value of the Stock shall be determined in good faith by the Committee.
(l) ISO. The term "ISO" has the meaning assigned in Section 2.1(a).
(m) Member Company. The term “Member Company” means any “parent corporation” or “subsidiary corporation” (within the meaning of Section 424 of the Code) of the Company, including a corporation that becomes a Member Company after the adoption of this Plan, that the Board or Committee designates as a participating employer in the Plan.
(n) NQO. The term "NQO" has the meaning assigned in Section 2.1(a).
(o) Option. The term "Option" has the meaning assigned in Section 2.1(a).
(p) Participant. The term "Participant" has the meaning assigned in Section 1.2.
(q) Performance Unit. The term "Performance Unit" has the meaning assigned in Section 3.1(c).
(r) Performance Share. The term "Performance Share" has the meaning assigned in Section 3.1(b).
(s) Plan. The term "Plan" has the meaning assigned in Section 1.1.
(t) Prior Plan. The term "Prior Plan" has the meaning assigned in Section 4.2(b).
(u) Restricted Stock. The term "Restricted Stock" has the meaning assigned in Section 3.1(d).
(v) Restricted Stock Unit. The term "Restricted Stock Unit" has the meaning assigned in Section 3.1(d).
(w) SAR. The term "SAR" has the meaning assigned in Section 2.1(b).
(x) Stock. The term "Stock" shall mean shares of common stock of the Company.
(y) Stock Unit. The term "Stock Unit" has the meaning assigned in Section 3.1(a).
End of Exhibit 10.1