hereunder, the assets of which shall be at all times subject to the claims of creditors as provided for in such trust.
4.8 Withholding. Any benefits paid or provided pursuant to the Plan shall be subject to any required tax withholding.
4.9 Severability. Any provision in the Plan that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction by reason of applicable law shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective only to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating or affecting the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.
4.10 The Plan’s Relation to other Descriptive Matter. The Plan shall contain no terms or provisions except those set forth herein, or as hereafter amended in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.3 of the Plan. If any description made in any other document is deemed to be in conflict with any provision of the Plan, the provisions of the Plan shall control.
4.11 Non-alienation of Benefits. No benefits payable under the Plan shall be subject to anticipation, alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or other encumbrance, and any attempt to do so shall be void.
4.12 Governing Law. The provisions of the Plan shall be construed, administered and enforced according to ERISA and, to the extent not preempted, by the laws of the State of Delaware.
4.13 Effect on other Plans. Subject to the provisions of Section 3.5, the Plan has no effect on the rights of any participant under any other employee benefit plan or policy sponsored by the Company such as any profit-sharing, medical, dental or hospitalization, life insurance, AD&D, incentive compensation, or Personal Paid Time plan. Rights under those plans or policies are governed solely by their terms.
4.14 Miscellaneous. Where the context so indicates, the singular will include the plural and vice versa. Titles are provided herein for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of the Plan. Unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary, a reference to a statute or document shall be construed as referring to any subsequently enacted, adopted, or executed counterpart.
4.15 Plan Administration. The administration and operation of the Plan is directed by the Plan Administrator. The Plan Administrator will have full power to administer the Plan in all of its details. The Plan Administrator’s power and authority will include, but will not be limited to, the sole discretion to:
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• | make and enforce such rules and regulations as it deems necessary or proper for the efficient administration of the Plan or as are required to comply with applicable law; |
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• | interpret the Plan and authorize the payment of any benefits under it, its interpretation thereof to be final and conclusive regarding any employee, former employee, participant, former participant and/or beneficiary; |
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• | decide all questions concerning the Plan and the eligibility of any individual to participate in the Plan; |
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• | compute the amount of benefits which will be payable to any participant, former participant or beneficiary in accordance with the provisions of the Plan, and to determine the person or persons to whom such benefits will be paid; |
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• | keep such records and submit such filings, elections, applications, returns or other documents or forms as may be required under the Code, and applicable regulations, or under state or local law and regulations; |
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• | appoint such agents, counsel, accountants and consultants as may be required to assist in administering the Plan; and |
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• | by written instrument, allocate and delegate its fiduciary responsibilities in accordance with Section 405 of ERISA. |
All such rules, regulations, determinations, constructions, decisions and interpretations made by the Plan Administrator will be final and binding, except as otherwise required by law. To the extent the Plan Administrator has been granted discretionary authority under the Plan, the Plan Administrator’s prior exercise of such authority shall not obligate it to exercise its authority in a like fashion thereafter.
4.16 Compliance with Code Section 409A. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, if any Plan provision or benefits under the Plan would result in the imposition of an additional tax under Code Section 409A and related Treasury Department regulations and pronouncements (“Section 409A”), that Plan provision or benefit will be reformed (without the consent of Covered Individuals) to avoid imposition of the applicable tax and no action to comply with Section 409A shall be deemed to adversely affect the eligible Covered Individual’s right to benefits.
V. CLAIM REVIEW PROCEDURE
5.1 Authority to Adopt Procedures. The Plan Administrator shall have the power and authority to establish written procedures for processing claims for Plan benefits and reviews of Plan benefit claims which have been denied or modified. Such procedures may be amended and modified from time to time in the discretion of the Plan Administrator. The procedures as adopted and amended and modified from time to time by the Plan Administrator are hereby incorporated by reference as a part of the Plan.
5.2 Summary of Claims Procedures. In order to file a claim for benefits under the Plan, you must submit to the Vice President of Human Resources (the “Benefits Administrator”) a written claim for Plan benefits containing a description of (a) an alleged failure to receive a benefit payable under the Plan or (b) an alleged discrepancy between the amount of a benefit owed and the amount of the benefit you received under the Plan. In connection with the submission of a claim, you may examine the Plan and any other relevant documents relating to the claim, and you may submit written comments relating to such claim to the Benefits Administrator. If you need additional information regarding your claim for benefits, then you can submit a written request to the Benefits Administrator for such information. Failure to
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furnish a written claim description or to otherwise comply with the claim submission procedure will invalidate your claim unless the Benefits Administrator determines that it was not reasonably possible to comply with such procedure.
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| (a) Upon the filing of a claim for benefits, the Benefits Administrator will determine if the request is clear, and if so, will proceed with the processing of the claim. If the Benefits Administrator determines that the claim is not clear, then the claim will be referred to the Plan Administrator for review. |
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| (b) Within 90 days from the date a completed claim for benefits is filed (or such longer period as may be necessary due to unusual circumstances, but in any event no longer than the time period described in the next paragraph), the Plan Administrator will make a decision as to whether the claim is to be approved, modified, or denied. If the Plan Administrator approves the claim, then the Benefits Administrator will process the claim as soon as administratively practicable. |
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| (c) In the event of an “Adverse Benefit Determination” (which includes a denial or modification of your claim, or an invalidation for failing to follow the Plan’s claim submission procedures), you will be notified in writing not later than 90 days following the date the claim was filed (or within 180 days under special circumstances, in which case you will be informed of the extension and the circumstances requiring the extension in writing prior to its commencement) of the following: |
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| | • | The specific reason or reasons for the Adverse Benefit Determination; |
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| | • | The Plan provisions upon which the Adverse Benefit Determination is based; |
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| | • | Any additional material or information necessary to perfect the claim and the reasons why such material or information is necessary; |
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| | • | The Plan’s claims review procedure; and |
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| | • | A description of your right to bring a civil action under ERISA with respect to the Adverse Benefit Determination upon completion of the Plan’s claims procedures. |
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| (d) Within 60 days following receipt of an Adverse Benefit Determination, you may submit a written request to the Plan Administrator for review of such determination. During this review process, you will have the opportunity to submit written comments and other information relating to the claim and you will have reasonable access to, and copies of, all documents and other information related to the claim free of charge. Any items you submit to the Plan Administrator will be considered without regard to whether such items were considered in the initial benefit determination. |
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| (e) Within 60 days following a request for review (or within 120 days under special circumstances, in which case you will receive written notice of the extension and the circumstances requiring the extension prior to its commencement), the Plan Administrator must, after providing you with a full and fair review, render its final decision in writing (or electronically). However, the review process may be delayed if you fail to provide information that is requested by the Plan Administrator. If the Plan Administrator approves the claim on review, then the Benefits Administrator will process |
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the claim as soon as administratively practicable. In the event of an Adverse Benefit Determination on review, the Plan Administrator’s final decision will include:
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| | • | The specific reason or reasons for the Adverse Benefit Determination; |
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| | • | The Plan provisions upon which the Adverse Benefit Determination is based; |
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| | • | A statement that you are entitled to reasonable access to, and copies of, all documents and other information related to the claim free of charge; and |
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| | • | A description of your right to bring a civil action under ERISA with respect to the Adverse Benefit Determination. |
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| (f) You may, by submitting a written statement to the Plan Administrator, authorize an individual or entity to pursue your claim for benefits under the Plan and/or your request for a review of an Adverse Benefit Determination made with respect to a claim. |
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| (g) Completion of the claims procedures described in this Section 5.2 will be a condition precedent to the commencement of any legal or equitable action in connection with a claim for benefits under the Plan by a claimant or by any other person claiming rights individually or through a claimant. |
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VI. | ERISA RIGHTS |
As a participant in the Plan, you are entitled to certain rights and protections under ERISA. ERISA provides that all Plan participants shall be entitled to:
6.1 Receive Information About Your Plan and Benefits:
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| (a) Examine without charge, at the Plan Administrator’s office and at other specified locations, such as worksites and union halls, all documents governing the Plan, including insurance contracts and collective bargaining agreements, and a copy of the latest annual report (Form 5500 Series) filed by the Plan with the U.S. Department of Labor and available at the Public Disclosure Room of the Employee Benefits Security Administration. |
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| (b) Obtain, upon written request to the Plan Administrator, copies of documents governing the operation of the Plan, including insurance contracts and collective bargaining agreements, and copies of the latest annual report (Form 5500 Series) and updated summary plan description. The Plan Administrator may make a reasonable charge for the copies. |
6.2 Prudent Actions By Plan Fiduciaries. In addition to creating rights for Plan participants, ERISA imposes obligations upon the people who are responsible for the operation of employee benefit plans. The people who operate the Plan, called “fiduciaries” of the Plan, have a duty to do so prudently and in the interest of you and other Plan participants and beneficiaries. No one, including your employer, your union, or any other person may fire you or otherwise discriminate against you in any way to prevent you from obtaining a welfare benefit or exercising your rights under ERISA.
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6.3 Enforce Your Rights. If your claim for a benefit is denied or ignored, in whole or in part, you have a right to know why this was done, to obtain copies of documents relating to the decision without charge, and to appeal any denial, all within certain time schedules. Under ERISA, there are steps you can take to enforce the above rights. For instance, if you request a copy of Plan documents or the latest annual report from the Plan and do not receive them within 30 days, you may file suit in a Federal court. In such a case, the court may require the Plan Administrator to provide the materials and pay you up to $110 a day until you receive the materials, unless the materials were not sent because of reasons beyond the control of the administrator. If you have a claim for benefits that is denied or ignored, in whole or in part, you may file suit in a state or Federal court. In addition, if you disagree with the Plan’s decision or lack thereof concerning the qualified status of a domestic relations order, you may file suit in Federal court. If it should happen that Plan fiduciaries misuse the Plan’s money, or if you are discriminated against for asserting your rights, you may seek assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor, or you may file suit in a Federal court. The court will decide who should pay court costs and legal fees. If you are successful, the court may order the person you have sued to pay these costs and fees. If you lose, the court may order you to pay these costs and fees (for example, if it finds that your claim is frivolous).
6.4 Assistance With Your Questions. If you have any questions about the Plan, you should contact the Plan Administrator. If you have any questions about this statement or about your rights under ERISA, or if you need assistance in obtaining documents from the Plan Administrator, you should contact the nearest office of the Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, listed in your telephone directory or the Division of Technical Assistance and Inquiries, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210. You may also obtain certain publications about your rights and responsibilities under ERISA by calling the publications hotline of the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
VII. IDENTIFYING DATA
The Plan is a welfare benefit plan providing benefits from the general assets of the Employer. Dynegy Inc. is the plan sponsor. The Plan Year is from January 1 to the following December 31 of each year. The plan sponsor has assigned plan number 515 to the Plan. The Employer identification number for Dynegy Inc. is 20-5653152.
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| A. | Plan Sponsor |
| | Dynegy Inc. 1000 Louisiana Street, Suite 5800 Houston, Texas 77002 (713) 507-6400 |
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| B. | Plan Administrator |
| | Dynegy Inc. Benefit Plans Committee c/o Executive Vice President, Administration Dynegy Inc. 1000 Louisiana Street, Suite 5800 Houston, Texas 77002 (713) 507-6400 |
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| C. | Agent for Legal Service of Process |
| | Dynegy Inc. Benefit Plans Committee c/o Executive Vice President, Administration Dynegy Inc. 1000 Louisiana Street, Suite 5800 Houston, Texas 77002 |
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| EXECUTED AND EFFECTIVE this 3rd day of April, 2008. |
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| DYNEGY INC. |
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| By: | /s/ J. Kevin Blodgett |
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| | J. Kevin Blodgett |
| | Executive Vice President, Administration |
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Attachment A
Subsidiaries Participating in the
Dynegy Inc. Change in Control
Executive Severance Pay Plan
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| 1. | Dynegy Marketing and Trade; |
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| 2. | Dynegy Midwest Generation, Inc.; |
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| 3. | Dynegy Northeast Generation, Inc; |
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| 4. | Dynegy Energy Services, Inc.; |
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| 5. | Dynegy Operating Company; |
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| 6. | Sithe Energies, Inc.; |
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| 7. | Sithe Energies Power Services, Inc.; and |
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| 8. | Dynegy Power Corp. |