| 9.4 | Assignment, Pledge or Encumbrance |
No assignment, pledge or other encumbrance of any payments or benefits under the Plan shall be permitted or recognized and, to the extent permitted by law, no such payments or benefits shall be subject to legal process or attachment for the payment of any claim of any person entitled to receive the same, except to the extent such assignment, pledge or other encumbrance is in favor of the Company to secure a loan or other extension of credit from the Company to the Participant.
The provisions of this Plan shall be binding upon each Participant as a consequence of the Participant’s election to participate in the Plan, upon the Company, upon the Participant’s heirs, executors and administrators and upon the successors and assigns of the Participant and the Company.
Any election made or notice given by a Participant pursuant to the Plan shall be in writing to the Committee or to such representative thereof as may be designated by the Committee for such purpose and shall be deemed to have been made or given on the date received by the Committee or its representative.
The validity and interpretation of the Plan and of any of its provisions shall be construed under the laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to the choice of law provisions thereof.
The Company shall have the right to deduct from the amounts distributable hereunder any federal, state or local taxes required by law to be withheld with respect to such distributions, and such additional amounts of withholding as are reasonably requested by the Participant.
This Plan shall be effective as of March 12, 1999. The Plan was amended and restated effective May 14, 2002, October 24, 2003, July 27, 2004, February 10, 2005, July 21, 2005, February 8, 2006, July 20, 2006 and November 12, 2007. The Plan was amended on May 5, 2010, July 20, 2010, July 24, 2012, April 30, 2014, February 18, 2015, July 27, 2015, October 21, 2015, October 24, 2018 and February 21, 2020.
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