or the subsequent sale of any of the shares of Stock. The Company and its Subsidiaries do not commit and are under no obligation to structure the Award to reduce or eliminate Participant’s tax liability.
(b) Payment of Withholding Taxes. Prior to any event in connection with Units awarded (e.g., vesting) that the Company determines may result in any tax withholding obligation, whether United States federal, state or local taxes and including any employment tax obligation (the “Tax Withholding Obligation”), Participant must arrange for the satisfaction of such Tax Withholding Obligation in a manner acceptable to the Company, including by means of one of the following methods:
(i) By Share Withholding. Unless Participant determines to satisfy the Tax Withholding Obligation by some other means in accordance with clause (iii) below, Participant authorizes the Company (in the exercise of its sole discretion) to withhold from those shares of Stock issuable to Participant the whole number of shares sufficient to satisfy the Tax Withholding Obligation, provided that the Company shall withhold only the amount of shares necessary to satisfy the minimum applicable Tax Withholding Obligation. Share withholding will result in issuance of a lower number of shares of Stock to Participant. Share withholding will generally be used to satisfy the tax liability of individuals subject to the short-swing profit restrictions of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(ii) By Sale of Shares. Unless Participant determines to satisfy the Tax Withholding Obligation by some other means in accordance with clause (iii) below, and provided that the terms of this clause (ii) do not violate Section 13(k) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, Participant’s acceptance of the Award constitutes Participant’s instruction and authorization to the Company and any brokerage firm determined acceptable to the Company for such purpose to sell on Participant’s behalf a whole number of shares from those shares of Stock issuable to Participant as the Company determines to be appropriate to generate cash proceeds sufficient to satisfy the minimum applicable Tax Withholding Obligation. Such shares will be sold on the day such Tax Withholding Obligation arises (e.g., a vesting date) or as soon thereafter as practicable. Participant will be responsible for all broker’s fees and other costs of sale, and Participant agrees to indemnify and hold the Company harmless from any losses, costs, damages, or expenses relating to any such sale. To the extent the proceeds of such sale exceed the minimum Tax Withholding Obligation, the Company agrees to pay such excess in cash to Participant. Participant acknowledges that the Company or its designee is under no obligation to arrange for such sale at any particular price, and that the proceeds of any such sale may not be sufficient to satisfy the minimum Tax Withholding Obligation. Accordingly, Participant agrees to pay to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries as soon as practicable, including through additional payroll withholding, any amount of the minimum Tax Withholding Obligation that is not satisfied by the sale of shares described above.
(iii) By Check, Wire Transfer or Other Means. At any time not less than five (5) business days (or such fewer number of days as determined by the Committee or its designee) before any Tax Withholding Obligation arises (e.g., a vesting date), Participant may elect to satisfy the Tax Withholding Obligation by delivering to the Company an amount that the Company determines is sufficient to satisfy the Tax Withholding Obligation by (x) wire transfer to such account as the Company may direct, (y) delivery of a certified check payable to the Company, or (z) such other means as specified from time to time by the Committee or its designee.
7. Successors. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns. Nothing contained in the 2002 Plan, the Notice of Award or this Agreement shall be interpreted as imposing any
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liability on the Company or the Committee in favor of Participant or any purchaser or other transferee of Units or shares of Stock with respect to any loss, cost or expense which such Participant, purchaser or other transferee may incur in connection with, or arising out of any transaction involving, any Units or shares of Stock subject to the 2002 Plan, the Notice of Award or this Agreement.
8. No Compensation Deferrals. None of the 2002 Plan, the Notice of Award and this Agreement are intended to provide for an elective deferral of compensation that would be subject to Section 409A (“Section 409A”) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The Company reserves the right, to the extent the Company deems necessary or advisable in its sole discretion, to unilaterally amend or modify the 2002 Plan, the Notice of Award and/or this Agreement to ensure that no awards (including, without limitation, the Units) become subject to the requirements of Section 409A, provided, however, that the Company makes no representation that the Units are not subject to Section 409A nor makes any undertaking to preclude Section 409A from applying to the Units.
9. Integration. The terms of the 2002 Plan, the Notice of Award and this Agreement are intended by the Company and Participant to be the final expression of their agreement with respect to Units and may not be contradicted by evidence of any prior or contemporaneous agreement. The Company and Participant further intend that the 2002 Plan, the Notice of Award and this Agreement shall constitute the complete and exclusive statement of their terms and that no extrinsic evidence whatsoever may be introduced in any arbitration, judicial, administrative or other legal proceeding involving the 2002 Plan, the Notice of Award or this Agreement. Accordingly, the 2002 Plan, the Notice of Award and this Agreement contain the entire understanding between the parties and supersede all prior oral, written and implied agreements, understandings, commitments and practices among the parties.
10. Waivers. Any failure to enforce any terms or conditions of the 2002 Plan, the Notice of Award or this Agreement by the Company or by Participant shall not be deemed a waiver of that term or condition, nor shall any waiver or relinquishment of any right or power for all or any other times.
11. Severability of Provisions. If any provision of the 2002 Plan, the Notice of Award or this Agreement shall be held invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision thereof; and the 2002 Plan, the Notice of Award and this Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if none of them included such provision.
12. Committee Decisions Conclusive. All decisions of the Committee arising under the 2002 Plan, the Notice of Award or this Agreement shall be conclusive.
13. Mandatory Arbitration. To the extent permitted by law, any dispute arising out of or relating to the 2002 Plan, the Notice of Award and this Agreement, including the meaning or interpretation thereof, shall be resolved solely by arbitration before an arbitrator selected in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. The location for the arbitration shall be in the county or comparable jurisdiction of Participant’s employment. Judgment on the award rendered may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. Each party shall pay an equal share of the arbitrator’s fees. All statutes of limitation which would otherwise be applicable shall apply to any arbitration proceeding under this paragraph. The provisions of this paragraph are intended by Participant and the Company to be exclusive for all purposes and applicable to any and all disputes arising out of or relating to the 2002 Plan, the Notice of Award and this Agreement. The arbitrator who hears and decides any dispute shall have jurisdiction and authority only to award compensatory damages to make whole a person or entity sustaining foreseeable economic damages, and shall not have jurisdiction and authority to make any other
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award of any type, including without limitation, punitive damages, unforeseeable economic damage, damages for pain, suffering or emotional distress, or any other kind or form of damages. The remedy, if any, awarded by the arbitrator shall be the sole and exclusive remedy for any dispute which is subject to arbitration under this paragraph.
14. Delaware Law. The 2002 Plan, the Notice of Award and this Agreement shall be construed and enforced according to the laws of the State of Delaware to the extent not preempted by the federal laws of the United States of America.
END OF AGREEMENT
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