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Exhibit 10(a)
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LONG-TERM INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN |
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Effective February 22, 1990 |
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(As amended and restated December 2, 1992, December 7, 1994, February 24, 1995, November 1, 1996, as of December 4, 1996, February 27, 1998, December 1, 1999 and February 25, 2000) |
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1. Purpose |
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The purpose of the Long-Term Incentive Compensation Plan ("the Plan") is to attract, retain and motivate strong management employees by providing additional incentive to key employees of Peoples Energy Corporation (the "Company")
and its Subsidiaries (as defined by paragraph 13) to acquire a proprietary interest in the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries and by encouraging the interest of such persons in the financial success and growth of the Company. The Plan contemplat
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2. Administration |
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(a) Generally |
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Except to the extent that this Plan applies to the Chief Executive Officer, this Plan shall be administered solely by the Compensation-Nominating Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Committee"). The
Committee shall be composed of not less than three persons who shall be appointed by the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board") from the membership of the Board. No person who is an officer or employee of the Company or a Subsidiary shall be a
member of
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(b) Chief Executive Officer |
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With respect to the Chief Executive Officer, this Plan shall be administered by the Committee subject to the approval of the majority of all members of the Board (including members of the Committee) who are not officers or
employees of the Company or a Subsidiary and who are Non-Employee Directors as defined under Rule 16b-3 under the 1934 Act (the "Outside Directors"). The Outside Directors shall not include any person whose inclusion would disqualify any transactions
made under
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3. Incentive Awards |
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Under the Plan participants may be granted any one or more of the following: |
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(a) Options: non-qualified stock options to purchase stock of the Company at a purchase price of 100 percent of the fair market value of such Common Stock on the date that the Option is granted. The stock under
Options granted under the Plan shall be shares of the Company's authorized but unissued common stock, without par value ("Common Stock").
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(b) SARs: a right to receive, for each SAR granted, cash in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of one share of the Common Stock of the Company on the date the SAR is exercised over the fair market
value of such Common Stock on the date the SAR is granted.
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(c) Restricted Stock Awards: shares of Common Stock which are restricted as provided in paragraph 8.
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Up to 4,300,000 shares of Common Stock (500,000 originally authorized under the Plan plus an additional 500,000 authorized for grant by the stockholders on February 28, 1986 plus an additional 400,000 authorized for grant by the
stockholders on February 23, 1990 plus an additional 400,000 authorized for grant by the stockholders on February 24, 1995 plus an additional 2,500,000 authorized for grant by the stockholders on February 25, 2000) may be sold under Options granted pursuan
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If an Option or SAR ceases to be exercisable in whole or in part by reason of the expiration of the term of the Option or SAR, the termination of the employment of the recipient or the waiver by a recipient of the right to
exercise an Option or SAR, the shares or SAR which were subject to such exercise but as to which the recipient has not exercised, shall again become available for further grants under the Plan. If a restricted stock award is forfeited in whole or in part
by reas
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4. Designation of Recipients and Allotment of Shares and SARs |
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The Committee shall determine and designate from time to time those key employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries (including officers and directors employed in capacities other than as directors only) to whom Options, SARs
and restricted stock awards, or any combination thereof, shall be granted and who shall thereby become recipients. The Committee shall also determine the number of shares of Common Stock to be optioned, the number of SARs to be granted and the number of
shar
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In selecting the key employees to whom Options, SARs or restricted stock awards, or any combination thereof, shall be granted, as well as in determining the number of SARs, shares under Option, or shares of restricted stock to be
granted to key employees, the Committee shall weigh the positions and responsibilities of the individuals being considered, the nature of their services to the Company, their past, present and potential contributions to the success of the Company or its Su
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The Committee may grant Options, SARs or restricted stock awards to any key employee at any time or from time to time during the period of such employee's employment under the Plan, in accordance with such determinations as the
Committee shall make from time to time. Options, SARs and restricted stock awards need not contain similar provisions. |
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5. Term of Plan |
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No Option, SAR or restricted stock award may be granted under this Plan after May 1, 2010. |
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6. Option and SAR Price |
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Shares of the Common Stock of the Company shall be optioned and SARs shall be granted from time to time at 100 percent of the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date the Option or SAR is granted (rounded, in the case of
a fraction of a cent, to the nearest full cent above). The day on which the Committee approves the granting of an Option or SAR shall be considered the date on which such Option or SAR is granted. The fair market value of the Common Stock on the date the
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7. Terms of Options and SARs |
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Each Option or SAR granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by a written agreement which shall comply with and be subject to the following terms and conditions: |
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(a) Full payment for shares purchased shall be made in cash and/or Common Stock of the Company at the time or times the Option is exercised in whole or in part. Payment in Common Stock may be made at the recipient's election
by the Company's deducting from the number of shares otherwise deliverable upon the exercise of the Option such number of shares of Common Stock as shall have a value equal to the amount of the Option exercise price. Any such Common Stock submitted in paym
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(b) A recipient's rights to exercise an Option or SAR shall terminate when the recipient is no longer an employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries unless such recipient's employment is terminated by reason of such
recipient's death, disability or retirement.
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(c) If a recipient dies prior to termination of such recipient's Option or SAR without having fully exercised such Option or SAR, the beneficiary or beneficiaries designated by such recipient pursuant to paragraph 7(f) hereof,
or, if no such beneficiary or beneficiaries have been designated by such recipient or if no such beneficiary or beneficiaries have survived the recipient, then the recipient's surviving spouse, or, if the recipient has no surviving spouse, then the estate
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(d) If a recipient's employment is terminated by reason of such recipient's disability (as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee) prior to termination of such recipient's Option or SAR without the recipient's
having fully exercised such Option or SAR, such recipient shall have the right to exercise the Option or SAR during its term within such period as may be provided at the time of the grant, not to exceed three years after termination of employment, but
only to t
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(e) If a recipient retires prior to termination of such recipient's Option or SAR without having fully exercised such Option or SAR, such recipient shall have the right to exercise the Option or SAR during its term within such
period as may be provided at the time of the grant, not to exceed three years after retirement, but only to the extent such Option or SAR was exercisable by the recipient immediately prior to such recipient's retirement.
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(f) Except as otherwise expressly provided in this paragraph 7(f), Options and SARs shall not be transferable other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and during a recipient's lifetime shall be exercisable
only by the recipient or the recipient's guardian or legal representative. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, a recipient may, by giving notice to the Company during the recipient's lifetime, designate (i) a beneficiary or beneficiaries to whom Optio
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(g) Subject to paragraph 7(i) below, no Option or SAR granted under this Plan shall be exercisable before the expiration of one year from the date of grant of such Option or SAR.
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(h) Options and SARs granted under this Plan shall contain such provisions as may be deemed advisable by the Committee.
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(i) In no event shall any Option or SAR granted under the Plan be exercisable after the expiration of ten years from the date such Option or SAR is granted.
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(j) All outstanding Options and SARs granted under the Plan shall immediately become exercisable upon the occurrence of a Change in Control (as defined by paragraph 13).
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8. Terms of Restricted Stock Awards |
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Each restricted stock award granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by a written agreement which shall comply with and be subject to the following terms and conditions: |
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(a) Shares of Common Stock covered by a restricted stock award may not be sold, assigned, transferred or otherwise disposed of, or mortgaged, pledged or otherwise encumbered until such shares have become fully vested pursuant
to paragraph 8(d) or 8(f).
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(b) The recipient of a restricted stock award shall have the right to vote the shares of Common Stock covered by such award and to receive dividends thereon, unless and until such shares are forfeited pursuant to paragraph 8(e).
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(c) Shares of Common Stock covered by a restricted stock award will be held by the Company until such shares have become vested pursuant to paragraph 8(d) or 8(f), and will thereupon, subject to the satisfaction of the
withholding obligations described in paragraph 11, be delivered to the recipient.
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(d) Shares of Common Stock covered by a restricted stock award granted to a recipient shall vest in accordance with the terms of the grant; provided, however, that shares of Common Stock covered by a restricted stock award
granted to a recipient shall vest with respect to 100% of the shares covered by the restricted stock award upon the termination of the recipient's employment by reason of death, disability (as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee) or
retirement a
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(e) In the event of the termination of employment of the recipient of a restricted stock award other than by reason of death, disability (as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee) or retirement after attaining age
65 (or such earlier date as determined by the Committee) the recipient will forfeit the shares of Common Stock covered by the restricted stock award which are not vested.
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(f) All outstanding restricted stock awards granted under the Plan shall immediately become fully vested upon the occurrence of a Change in Control (as defined by paragraph 13).
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(g) Restricted stock awards granted under this Plan shall contain such provisions as may be deemed advisable by the Committee.
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9. Adjustment Upon Changes in Capitalization, Etc. |
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In the event there is any change in the Common Stock of the Company through the declaration of stock dividends, or through recapitalization resulting in stock split-ups, or combinations or exchanges of shares, or otherwise, then
the number of SARs and shares remaining available for future grants of Options and restricted stock awards under the Plan and exercisable under existing grants of SARs and Options shall be appropriately adjusted by the Committee. Appropriate adjustment sha
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10. Amendment; Termination |
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The Board may, by resolution, at any time and from time to time, amend, revise or terminate this Plan, except that, without stockholder approval, no amendment shall increase the maximum number of SARs which may be granted or
shares which may be sold pursuant to Options or covered by restricted stock awards granted under the Plan, reduce the exercise price of any Option or the exercise price of any SAR (except as provided by paragraph 9), change the class of employees
eligible to
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11. Taxes |
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The Company may make such provisions and take such steps as it may deem necessary or appropriate for the withholding of all federal, state and local taxes required by law to be withheld with respect to Options, SARs and
restricted stock awards granted pursuant to the Plan including, but not limited to (a) deducting the amount required to be withheld from any other amount then or thereafter payable to a recipient or legal representative, and (b) requiring a recipient or
legal repres
Company the amount required to be withheld as a condition of releasing shares of Common Stock. In addition, subject to the Committee's sole discretion and to such rules and regulations as the Committee shall from time to time establish, a recipient shall
be permitted to satisfy federal, state and local taxes, if any, imposed upon the exercise of an Option or the vesting of a restricted stock award at a rate up to such recipient's maximum marginal tax rate with respect to each such tax by (i) electing to ha
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12. Effective Date |
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Any amendment to this Plan requiring shareholder approval shall become effective upon approval thereof by the holders of a majority of the Company's outstanding shares of Common Stock, provided such approval occurs within twelve
months of the date such amendment is adopted by the Board. No SARs or shares of Common Stock shall be issued pursuant to this Plan prior to compliance with requirements under applicable laws and regulations. |
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13. Definitions and Miscellaneous |
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(a) For purposes of this Plan, a Subsidiary is any corporation more than 50 percent of the total combined voting power of which is owned by the Company or by another corporation qualifying as a Subsidiary within this definition,
or by a combination of any of them. |
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(b) For purposes of this Plan, a Change in Control means,
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(i) with respect to Options, SARs and restricted stock awards granted prior to December 4, 1996, that any of the following events described in this paragraph (i) or in paragraph (ii) below has occurred: |
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(A) twenty percent (20%) or more of the Company's outstanding shares of Common Stock have been acquired by any person (as defined by Section 3(a)(9) of the 1934 Act) other than directly from the Company;
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(B) there has been a merger or equivalent combination after which forty-nine percent (49%) or more of the voting stock of the surviving corporation is held by persons other than former stockholders of the Company; or
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(C) twenty percent (20%) or more of the directors elected by stockholders to the Board of Directors of the Company are persons who were not nominated by management in the most recent proxy statement of the Company.
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(ii) with respect to Options, SARs and restricted stock awards granted on or after December 4, 1996, any of the following events has occurred: |
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(A) either (1) receipt by the Company of a report on Schedule 13D, or an amendment to such a report, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") pursuant to Section 13(d) of the 1934 Act disclosing that any
person (as such term is used in Section 13(d) of the 1934 Act) ("Person"), is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of twenty (20) percent or more of the outstanding stock of the Company, or (2) actual knowledge by the Company of facts, on the
basis of w
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(B) purchase by any Person, other than the Company or a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, of shares pursuant to a tender or exchange offer to acquire any stock of the Company (or securities convertible into stock) for
cash, securities or any other consideration provided that, after consummation of the offer, such Person is the beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the 1934 Act), directly or indirectly, of twenty (20) percent or more of the outstanding stock
of t
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(C) approval by the shareholders of the Company of (1) any consolidation or merger of the Company in which the Company is not the continuing or surviving corporation or pursuant to which shares of stock of the Company would be
converted into cash, securities or other property, other than a consolidation or merger of the Company in which holders of its stock immediately prior to the consolidation or merger have substantially the same proportionate ownership of common stock of the
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(D) a change in the majority of the members of the Board within a twenty-four (24) month period, unless the election or nomination for election by the Company's shareholders of each new director was approved by the vote of at
least two-thirds of the directors then still in office who were in office at the beginning of the twenty-four (24) month period.
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(c) The transfer of an employee from the Company to a Subsidiary or from a Subsidiary to the Company or another Subsidiary shall not be a termination of employment or an interruption of continuous employment for the purposes
of this Plan. |
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(d) No SAR, Option, restricted stock award, shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of an Option or cash payable incident to the exercise of an SAR granted under this Plan shall be transferable or assignable by
anticipation either by the voluntary or involuntary act of the recipient or by operation of law, or be liable for any debts or liabilities of the recipient, except as provided herein. |
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(e) Nothing herein shall entitle any employee to remain in the employ of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or affect the right of such employer to discharge such employee with or without cause. |
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(f) The right of recipients to designate one or more beneficiaries pursuant to paragraph 7(f) or paragraph 8(d) shall apply to any and all Options, SARs or restricted shares granted under the Plan, notwithstanding anything
contained in any written agreement evidencing such grant of Options, SARs or restricted stock to the contrary. |
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(g) Notwithstanding anything contained in any written agreement evidencing a grant of Options or restricted stock made under the Plan prior to November 1, 1996, recipients of Options or restricted stock may make, on or after
November 1, 1996 at any time at the recipient's discretion, but subject to such rules and regulations as the Committee may from time to time establish, one or more elections for the Company to withhold from the number of shares of Common Stock otherwise del
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(h) This Plan shall be construed according to the laws of the State of Illinois. |
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