The Committee may conduct or authorize investigations into or studies of matters within the Committee’s scope of responsibilities, and may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser. The Committee shall be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser retained by the Committee, the expense of which shall be borne by the Company. The Committee shall select an independent compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser to the Committee and may take into consideration all factors relevant to that person’s independence from management, including the following:
| (i) | The provision of other services to the Company by the person that employs the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser; |
| (ii) | The amount of fees received from the Company by the person that employs the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser, as a percentage of the total revenue of the person that employs the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser; |
| (iii) | The policies and procedures of the person that employs the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser that are designed to prevent conflicts of interest; |
| (iv) | Any business or personal relationship of the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser with a member of the Committee or the Board; |
| (v) | Any stock or other securities of the Company owned by the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser; and |
| (vi) | Any business or personal relationship of the compensation consultant, legal counsel, other adviser or the person employing the adviser with an executive officer or other significant stockholder of the Company. |
The Committee shall conduct the independence assessment with respect to any compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser that provides advice to the Committee, other than: (i) in-house legal counsel; and (ii) any compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser whose role is limited to the following activities for which no disclosure would be required under Item 407(e)(3)(iii) of Regulation S-K: (x) consulting on any broad-based plan that does not discriminate in scope, terms, or operation, in favor of executive officers or directors of the Company, and that is available generally to all salaried employees; or (y) providing information that either is not customized for the Company or that is customized based on parameters that are not developed by the compensation consultant, and about which the compensation consultant does not provide advice.
Nothing herein shall be construed to require the Committee to implement or act consistently with the advice or recommendations of the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser to the Committee.