(c) Each employee, as a condition to such employee’s participation in the Plan, agrees to keep confidential the existence of, and any information concerning, a dispute, controversy or claim described in Section 23, except that an employee may disclose information concerning such dispute, controversy or claim to the court that is considering such dispute, controversy or claim or to such employee’s legal counsel (provided that such counsel agrees not to disclose any such information other than as necessary to the prosecution or defense of the dispute, controversy or claim).
EACH PARTICIPANT WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION BASED ON, ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE PLAN.
Each participating employee recognizes and agrees that before electing to participate in the Plan, the employee has no right to any benefits under the Plan. Accordingly, in consideration of the employee’s receipt of any benefits hereunder, the employee expressly waives any right to contest the number of Shares issuable hereunder, any determination, action or omission hereunder by the Committee, the Company or the Board, or any amendment to the Plan. The employee further waives any claim for damages or payment in lieu of benefits provided under the Plan, whether related or attributable to any contractual or common law termination entitlements or otherwise. Nothing contained in the Plan, and no action taken pursuant to its provisions, will create or be construed to create a trust of any kind or a fiduciary relationship between the Company and any employee. The Plan is not intended to be subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”), as amended.
24. | Severability; Entire Agreement. |
If any provision of the Plan is finally held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable (whether in whole or in part), such provision will be deemed modified to the extent, but only to the extent, of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability and the remaining provisions will not be affected thereby; provided that if any of such provisions is finally held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable because it exceeds the maximum scope determined to be acceptable to permit such provision to be enforceable, such provision will be deemed to be modified to the minimum extent necessary to modify such scope in order to make such provision enforceable hereunder. The Plan contains the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter thereof and supersedes all prior agreements, promises, covenants, arrangements, communications, representations and warranties between them, whether written or oral with respect to the subject matter thereof.
25. | No Liability With Respect to Tax Qualification or Adverse Tax Treatment. |
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, in no event will the Company be liable to a participating employee on account of the failure of an issuance of Shares to (a) qualify for favorable United States, federal, state or local or foreign tax treatment or (b) avoid adverse tax treatment under United States or foreign law, including, without limitation, Section 409A.
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