(ii) The Board may terminate the Plan in connection with the occurrence of a “change in control event” (within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5)) (a “409A Change in Control”), provided that the following requirements are satisfied:
(A) The Board takes irrevocable action to terminate and liquidate the Plan during the period beginning 30 days preceding the 409A Change in Control and ending twelve months following such 409A Change in Control;
(B) The vested Benefits of each Participant under the Plan and all other plans and other arrangements that are treated as single plan with this Plan under Treasury Regulation Sections 1.409A-1(c) and 1.409A-3(j)(4)(ix) (collectively, the “Other Arrangements”) are distributed within twelve months following the date that all necessary action to terminate and liquidate the Plan and the Other Arrangements is irrevocably taken; and
(C) All Other Arrangements are terminated and liquidated with respect to each Participant who experienced such 409A Change in Control. For purposes of any 409A Change in Control that results from an asset purchase transaction, the applicable “service recipient” (within the meaning of Code Section 409A) with the discretion to liquidate and terminate the Plan and the Other Arrangements shall be the “service recipient” that is primarily liable immediately after the transaction for the payment of the Plan Benefits.
(iii) The Board may terminate and liquidate the Plan for any other reason, provided that:
(A) The termination and liquidation of the Plan does not occur proximate to a downturn in the financial health of the Company and all of its Affiliates;
(B) The Employer and all of its Affiliates terminate and liquidate all Other Arrangements;
(C) No payments in liquidation of the Plan are made within twelve months of the date that the Company takes all necessary action to irrevocably terminate and liquidate the Plan, other than payments that would be payable under the terms of the Plan if the action to terminate and liquidate the Plan had not occurred;
(D) All payments are made within 24 months of the date that the Company takes all necessary action to irrevocably terminate and liquidate the Plan; and
(E) The Employer and all Affiliates do not adopt any Other Arrangement at any time during the three year period following the date
the Company takes all necessary action to irrevocably terminate and liquidate the Plan.
(iv) The Board may terminate and liquidate the Plan upon such other events and conditions as the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue may prescribe in generally applicable guidance published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin.
8.2 Existing Rights. Except for an amendment to comply with Code Section 409A, no amendment or termination of the Plan shall adversely affect the rights of any Participant with respect to his Benefit earned and vested before the later of the date such amendment or termination is adopted or effective.
ARTICLE 9
MISCELLANEOUS
9.1 No Funding. The Company intends that the Plan constitute an “unfunded” plan for tax purposes and for purposes of Title I of ERISA; provided that the Board may authorize the creation of trusts and deposit therein cash or other property, or make other arrangements to meet the Employers’ obligations under the Plan. Any such trust or other arrangements shall be consistent with the unfunded status of the Plan, unless the Board otherwise determines with the consent of each Participant.
9.2 General Creditor Status. The Plan constitutes a mere promise by the Employers to make payments in accordance with the terms of the Plan and Participants and Beneficiaries shall have the status of general unsecured creditors of the Employers. Nothing in the Plan will be construed to give any employee or any other person rights to any specific assets of the Employers or of any other person.
9.3 Non-assignability. None of the benefits, payments, proceeds or claims of any Participant or Beneficiary shall be subject to any claim of any creditor of any Participant or Beneficiary and, in particular, the same shall not be subject to attachment or garnishment or other legal process by any creditor of such Participant or Beneficiary, nor shall any Participant or Beneficiary have any right to alienate, anticipate, commute, pledge, encumber or assign any of the benefits or payments or proceeds that he or she may expect to receive, contingently or otherwise under the Plan.
9.4 Participants Bound. Any action with respect to the Plan taken by the Committee, the Board or a trustee (if any), or any action authorized by or taken at the direction of the Committee, the Board or a trustee (if any), shall be conclusive upon all Participants and Beneficiaries entitled to benefits under the Plan.
9.5 Satisfaction of Claims; Unclaimed Benefits. Any payment to any Participant or Beneficiary in accordance with the provisions of the Plan shall, to the extent thereof, be in full satisfaction of all claims under the Plan against the Company, the Employers, the Committee and a trustee (if any) under the Plan, and the Committee may require such Participant or Beneficiary, as a condition precedent to such payment, to execute a receipt and release to such effect. If any Participant or Beneficiary is determined by the Committee to be incompetent by reason of
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physical or mental disability (including minority) to give a valid receipt and release, the Committee may cause the payment or payments becoming due to such person to be made to another person for his benefit without responsibility on the part of the Committee, the Employer or a trustee (if any) to follow the application of such funds. In the case of a benefit payable on behalf of a Participant, if the Committee is unable to locate the Participant or beneficiary to whom such benefit is payable, upon the Committee’s determination thereof, such benefit shall be forfeited to the Employer. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if subsequent to any such forfeiture the Participant or beneficiary to whom such benefit is payable makes a valid claim for such benefit, such forfeited benefit shall be restored to the Plan by the Employer.
9.6 Governing Law and Severability. To the extent not preempted by federal law, the Plan shall be construed, administered, and governed in all respects under and by the laws of the State of Texas. If any provision is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unenforceable for any reason, said illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions hereof; instead, each provision shall be fully severable and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if said illegal or invalid provision had never been included herein.
9.7 Not Contract of Employment. The adoption and maintenance of the Plan shall not be deemed to be a contract between any Employer and any person or to be consideration for the employment of any person. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to give any person the right to be retained in the employ of any Employer or to restrict the right of any Employer to discharge any person at any time, with or without cause, nor shall the Plan be deemed to give any Employer the right to require any person to remain in the employ of any Employer or to restrict any person’s right to terminate his employment at any time.
9.8 Headings. Headings and subheadings in the Plan are inserted for convenience only and are not to be considered in the construction of the provisions hereof.
9.9 Number and Gender. Any reference in this Plan to the singular includes the plural where appropriate, and any reference in this Plan to the masculine gender includes the feminine and neuter genders where appropriate.
The Company has caused this Plan document to be executed by a duly authorized officer on this 22 day of May, 2008, to be effective as of June 1, 2008.
DYNEGY INC.
| By: | /s/ J. Kevin Blodgett |
| | J. Kevin Blodgett |
| | Executive Vice President, Administration |
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