14. Amendments and Termination.
(a) Amendment and Termination of the Plan. The Administrator may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue, or terminate the Plan or any portion thereof at any time; provided, that no such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuation or termination shall be made without shareholder approval if such approval is necessary to comply with any tax or regulatory requirement applicable to the Plan (including, without limitation, as necessary to comply with any applicable rules or requirements of any securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation service on which the shares of Common Stock may be listed or quoted, for changes in GAAP to new accounting standards); provided, further, that any such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance or termination that would materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant or any holder or beneficiary of any Award theretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of the affected Participant, holder or beneficiary, unless the Administrator determines that such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance or termination is either required or advisable in order for the Company, the Plan or the Award to satisfy any applicable law or regulation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Exchange Programs are expressly permitted hereunder and the Administrator may in its sole discretion, and without shareholder approval, institute any such Exchange Program.
(b) Amendment of Award Agreements. The Administrator may, to the extent not inconsistent with the terms of any applicable Award Agreement or the Plan, waive any conditions or rights under, amend any terms of, or alter, suspend, discontinue, cancel or terminate, any Award theretofore granted or the associated Award Agreement, prospectively or retroactively (including after the Participant’s termination of employment or service with the Company or any Subsidiary); provided, that any such waiver, amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, cancellation or termination that would materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant with respect to any Award theretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of the affected Participant unless the Administrator determines that such waiver, amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, cancellation or termination is either required or advisable in order for the Company, the Plan or the Award to satisfy any applicable law or regulation.
15. General.
(a) Award Agreements; Other Agreements. Each Award under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement, which shall be delivered to the Participant and shall specify the terms and conditions of the Award and any rules applicable thereto. In the event of any conflict between the terms of the Plan and any Award Agreement or employment, change-in-control, severance or other agreement in effect with the Participant, the term of the Plan shall control.
(b) Nontransferability.
(i) Each Award shall be exercisable only by the Participant during the Participant’s lifetime, or, if permissible under applicable law, by the Participant’s legal guardian or representative. No Award may be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by the Participant other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution or, subject to the consent of the Administrator, pursuant to a DRO, unless and until such Award has been exercised (if applicable) and the Shares underlying such Award have been issued and all restrictions applicable to such Shares have lapsed, and any such purported assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or an Affiliate; provided, that the designation of a beneficiary shall not constitute an assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance.
(ii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrator may permit Awards (other than Incentive Stock Options) to be transferred by the Participant, without consideration, subject to such rules as the Administrator may adopt, to (A) any person who is a “family member” of the Participant, as such term is used in the instructions to Form S-8 under the Securities Act or any
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