RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT
PERFORMANCE-BASED (EBITDA)
This Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made as of the [ _____ ] (the “Grant Date”) between Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (the “Company”), and [ ______ ] (the “Participant”), and is made pursuant to the terms of the Company’s Amended & Restated 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). Capitalized terms used herein but not defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Plan.
Section 1. Grant of Restricted Stock Units. The Company hereby grants to the Participant, on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, an Award consisting of a target-level Award hereunder equal to [ # ] restricted stock units (the “EBITDA Target Award”), subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan. Subject to Section 2, the Participant’s right to receive all or any portion of the restricted stock units granted hereunder (“Restricted Stock Units” or “RSUs”) is contingent upon the Company’s level of achievement of the performance goals (“Performance Goals”) specified in the performance matrix attached as Exhibit A to this Agreement (the “Performance Matrix”), measured over the “Performance Period” indicated in the Performance Matrix. The maximum number of RSUs that the Participant can earn is equal to 200% of the EBITDA Target Award. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, each Restricted Stock Unit represents the right to receive the Fair Market Value of one Share, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement (including the Performance Matrix) and the Plan.
Section 2. Vesting of the Restricted Stock Units.
(a)Determination of Earned Award. No later than 70 days following the end of the Performance Period, the Committee shall determine whether and to what extent the Award of the Restricted Stock Units has been earned for the Performance Period (the actual date of such Committee determination, the “Determination Date”). The Committee’s determination of the foregoing shall be final and binding on the Participant. Upon such determination by the Committee, the applicable portion the EBITDA Target Award determined by the applicable Payout Percentage (as defined in the Performance Matrix) as a percentage the EBITDA Target Award, as applicable, shall vest and become non-forfeitable (subject to the Participant’s continuous service with the Company and its Affiliates (“Service”) from the Grant Date through the last day of the Performance Period). On the Determination Date, any Restricted Stock Units which do not vest in accordance with the immediately preceding sentence shall immediately be forfeited and cancelled, and the Participant shall not be entitled to any compensation or other amount with respect thereto.
(b)Change in Control. Notwithstanding Section 2(a), upon the occurrence of a Change in Control (“CIC”) prior to the Determination Date where a Replacement Award is provided to the Participant in lieu of all or a portion of the Restricted Stock Units, then a number of RSUs subject to such Replacement Award based on the greater of (x) target level of achievement or (y) actual level of achievement measured at the time of the CIC (as determined in accordance with the Performance Matrix) will be converted into time-based awards and such Replacement Award shall remain outstanding and unvested subject to continued Service through the last day of the Performance Period (the “Replacement Units”). With respect to any portion of the Restricted Stock Units for which a Replacement Award is not provided to the Participant upon a Change in Control, and with respect to any Eligible Units (as defined below) that are
then-outstanding, such portion of the Restricted Stock Units or Eligible Units, as applicable, shall immediately vest (i) at the greater of (x) target level or (y) actual level of achievement (as determined in accordance with the Performance Matrix in connection with the Change in Control), if the Change in Control occurs prior to the end of the Performance Period, or (ii) at the actual level of achievement (as determined in accordance with Section 2(a)), if the Change in Control occurs following the end of the Performance Period but prior to the Determination Date (in which case, the Determination Date shall occur prior to the Change in Control) (as applicable, the “CIC Vested Awards”). Any CIC Vested Awards will be treated in accordance with Section 12(b) of the Plan.
(c)Termination of Service without Cause, for Good Reason, or due to Death, Disability or Retirement (other than During the 18-Month Period Immediately Following a Change in Control). Notwithstanding anything in Section 2(a) or Section 2(d) to the contrary, upon the occurrence of a termination of the Participant’s Service prior to the last day of the Performance Period by the Company and its Affiliates without Cause, by the Participant for Good Reason, or by reason of the Participant’s death, Disability or Retirement, in each case, other than during the 18-month period immediately following a Change in Control (the “CIC Period”), the Participant will remain eligible to vest (determined in accordance with Section 2(a) following the end of the Performance Period) in a pro rata portion of the Restricted Stock Units, determined by multiplying the total number of Restricted Stock Units underlying the EBITDA Target Award by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full months that the Participant provided continuous Service during the Performance Period, and the denominator of which is the total number of months (36) in the Performance Period (such pro-rata portion, the “Eligible Units”). Any Restricted Stock Units that do not constitute Eligible Units as a result of the immediately preceding sentence shall immediately be forfeited and cancelled, and the Participant shall not be entitled to any compensation or other amount with respect thereto. “Retirement” means the Company’s termination of Participant’s Service without Cause or the Participant’s voluntary termination at a time when the Participant is at least age of 55 and the sum of the Participant’s age plus years of Service with the Company or its Affiliates (including Service with any predecessor) are equal to or greater than 65.
(d)Qualifying Termination During the CIC Period. Notwithstanding anything in Section 2(a)-(c), if the Participant’s Service is terminated by the Company without Cause, by the Participant for Good Reason, or as a result of the Participant’s death, Disability or Retirement (each, a “Qualifying Termination”) during the CIC Period and prior to the last day of the Performance Period, then the Participant’s Replacement Units (if any) shall immediately vest.
(e)For purposes of Sections 2(c) and (d), “Good Reason” shall have the meaning set forth in the Plan, except that the phrase “50 miles” as used in subsection (ii) of such definition shall be replaced by the phrase “100 miles”.
(f)Other Terminations of Service. Upon the occurrence of a termination of Participant’s Service prior to the last day of the Performance Period for any reason other than as provided in Section 2(c) or (d), all unvested Restricted Stock Units shall be forfeited and cancelled and Participant shall not be entitled to any compensation or other amount with respect thereto. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, upon a termination of the Participant’s Service for Cause at any time, all RSUs shall be forfeited and cancelled, and the Participant shall not be entitled to any compensation or other amount with respect thereto.
Section 3. Settlement. Any Restricted Stock Units that become vested and non-forfeitable pursuant to Section 2 (“Vested RSUs”) shall be settled as soon as reasonably practicable following the Determination Date (but in no event later than March 15th of the
calendar year immediately following the calendar year in which the Performance Period ended); provided, however, that (a) if a Change in Control occurs and a Replacement Award is not provided to Participant in lieu of a portion of the Restricted Stock Units, then the Vested RSUs relating to such portion shall be settled immediately upon the Change in Control; and (b) if a Qualifying Termination occurs during the CIC Period, then the vested portion of the Replacement Units determined in accordance with Section 2(d) shall be settled within ten (10) days following the Qualifying Termination. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, Vested RSUs will be settled by the Company through the delivery to Participant of a number of shares of common stock equal to the number of Vested RSUs (rounded down to the nearest whole number).
Section 4. Restrictions on Transfer. No Restricted Stock Units (nor any interest therein) may be sold, assigned, alienated, pledged, attached or otherwise transferred or encumbered by the Participant otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and any such purported sale, assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or any Affiliate; provided that the designation of a beneficiary shall not constitute a sale, assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, transfer or encumbrance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the discretion of the Committee, Restricted Stock Units may be transferred by the Participant solely to the Participant’s spouse, siblings, parents, children and grandchildren or trusts for the benefit of such persons or partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies or other entities owned solely by such persons, including, but not limited to, trusts for such persons.
Section 5. Investment Representation. The Participant is acquiring the Restricted Stock Units for investment purposes only and not with a view to, or in connection with, the public distribution thereof in violation of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). No Shares shall be acquired unless and until the Company and/or the Participant shall have complied with all applicable federal or state registration, listing and/or qualification requirements and all other requirements of law or of any regulatory agencies having jurisdiction, unless the Committee has received evidence satisfactory to it that the Participant may acquire such shares pursuant to an exemption from registration under the applicable securities laws. The Participant understands and agrees that none of the RSUs may be offered, sold, assigned, transferred, pledged, hypothecated or otherwise disposed of except in compliance with this Agreement and the Securities Act pursuant to an effective registration statement or applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall have no obligation to deliver any Shares hereunder or make any other distribution of benefits under hereunder unless such delivery or distribution would comply with all applicable laws (including, without limitation, the Securities Act), and the applicable requirements of any securities exchange or similar entity.
Section 6. Adjustments. The Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder shall be subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4(b) of the Plan.
Section 7. No Right of Continued Service. Nothing in the Plan or this Agreement shall confer upon the Participant any right to continued service with the Company or any Affiliate.
Section 8. Limitation of Rights; Dividend Equivalents. The Participant shall not have any privileges of a stockholder of the Company with respect to any Restricted Stock Units, including without limitation any right to vote any Shares underlying such Restricted Stock Units or to receive dividends or other distributions in respect thereof, unless and until Shares underlying the Restricted Stock Units are delivered to the Participant in accordance with this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any dividends payable with respect to the Restricted Stock Units during the period from the Grant Date through the date the applicable Restricted Stock Units are settled in accordance with this Agreement will accumulate in cash and be payable to the Participant on a deferred basis, but only to the extent that the Restricted Stock Units vest and are earned in accordance with this Agreement. In no event shall the Participant be entitled to any payments relating to dividends paid after the earlier to occur of the settlement or forfeiture of the applicable Restricted Stock Units and, for the avoidance of doubt, all accumulated dividends shall be forfeited immediately upon the forfeiture or cancellation of the Restricted Stock Units or applicable portion thereof.
Section 9. Construction. The Award of Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder is granted by the Company pursuant to the Plan and is in all respects subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan. The Participant hereby acknowledges that a copy of the Plan has been delivered to the Participant and accepts the Restricted Stock Units hereunder subject to all terms and provisions of the Plan, which are incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a conflict or ambiguity between any term or provision contained herein and a term or provision of the Plan, the Plan will govern and prevail. The construction of and decisions under the Plan and this Agreement are vested in the Committee, whose determinations shall be final, conclusive and binding upon the Participant.
Section 10. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada, without giving effect to the choice of law principles thereof, or principles of conflicts of laws of any other jurisdiction which could cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Nevada.
Section 11. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
Section 12. Binding Effect. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns.
Section 13. Section 409A. This Agreement is intended to comply with, or be exempt from, Section 409A of the Code and shall be construed and administered in accordance with Section 409A of the Code. If a Change in Control constitutes a payment event with respect to
any portion of the RSUs that are determined to be subject to Section 409A of the Code, then, to the extent required to avoid the imposition of additional taxes under Section 409A of the Code, the transaction or event shall only constitute a Change in Control for purposes of the payment timing of such RSUs if such transaction also constitutes a “change in control event,” as defined in Treasury Regulation §1.409A-3(i)(5). The Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder shall be subject to the provisions of Section 16 of the Plan.
Section 14. Entire Agreement. The Participant acknowledges and agrees that this Agreement and the Plan constitute the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof.
Section 15. Clawback. The Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to the Company’s Policy for Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation, effective as of December 1, 2023, as such policy may be amended from time to time. In addition, the Board may impose such other clawback, recovery or recoupment provisions as the Board determines necessary or appropriate, including but not limited to a reacquisition right in respect of previously acquired Shares or other cash or property upon the occurrence of Cause. The implementation of any clawback policy will not be deemed a triggering event for purposes of any definition of “good reason” for resignation or “constructive termination.”
Section 16. Taxes. The Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to tax and/or other withholding in accordance with Section 15(e) of the Plan.
Section 17. Fractional Shares. No fractional shares shall be delivered under this Agreement and any fractional shares shall be rounded down to the nearest whole share
(SIGNATURES ON FOLLOWING PAGE)
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement effective as of the date first above written.
CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
By:
Name:
Title:
PARTICIPANT
Participant’s Signature
Date
Name
