The Committee may terminate the Plan at any time. Upon termination of the Plan, contributions shall no longer be made under the Plan.
After termination of the Plan, Participants shall continue to earn interest on undistributed amounts and shall continue to receive all distributions under this Plan at such time as provided in and pursuant to the terms and conditions of Participant's elections and this Plan.
The Committee may at any time amend the Plan in whole or in part; provided, however, that no amendment, including but not limited to an amendment to this section, shall be effective, without the consent of a Participant, to alter, to the material detriment of such Participant, any of the Cash Deferral Accounts of the Participant. For purposes of this section, an alteration to the material detriment of a Participant shall include, but not be limited to, a material reduction in the period of time over which the Participant’s Cash Deferral Account may be distributed to a Participant, any reduction in the amounts credited to the Participant's Cash Deferral Accounts, or any reduction in the Plan Interest Rate (other than as it may fluctuate in accordance with its terms) for Cash Deferral Accounts previously elected by the Participant. Any such consent may be in a writing, telecopy, or e-mail or in another electronic format. An election to make Employee Contributions shall be conclusively deemed to be the consent of the Participant to any and all amendments to the Plan prior to such election, and such consent shall be a condition to making any election with respect to Employee Contributions.
Upon a distribution from a Participant’s Cash Deferral Account, SBC shall withhold sufficient amounts to satisfy the minimum amount of Federal, state, and local taxes required by law to be withheld as a result of such distribution.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Plan, all elections and notices of every kind under this Plan shall be made on forms prepared by SBC or the General Counsel, Secretary or Assistant Secretary, or their respective delegates or shall be made in such other manner as permitted or required by SBC or the General Counsel, Secretary or Assistant Secretary, or their respective delegates, including through electronic means, over the Internet or otherwise. An election shall be deemed made when received by SBC (or its designated agent, but only in cases where the designated agent has been appointed for the purpose of receiving such election), which may waive any defects in form. Unless made irrevocable by the electing person, each election with regard to making Employee Contributions or distributions of Cash Deferral Accounts shall become irrevocable at the close of business on the last day to make such election. SBC may limit the time an election may be made in advance of any deadline.
If not otherwise specified by this Plan or SBC, any notice or filing required or permitted to be given to SBC under the Plan shall be delivered to the principal office of SBC, directed to the attention of the Senior Executive Vice President in charge of Human Resources for SBC or his or her successor. Such notice shall be deemed given on the date of delivery.
Notice to the Participant shall be deemed given when mailed (or sent by telecopy) to the Participant's work or home address as shown on the records of SBC or, at the option of SBC, to the
Participant's e-mail address as shown on the records of SBC. It is the Participant's responsibility to ensure that the Participant's addresses are kept up to date on the records of SBC. In the case of notices affecting multiple Participants, the notices may be given by general distribution at the Participants' work locations.
By participating in the Plan, each Participant agrees that SBC may provide any documents required or permitted under the Federal or state securities laws, including but not limited to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, by e-mail, by e-mail attachment, or by notice by e-mail of electronic delivery through SBC's Internet Web site or by other electronic means.
8.3 | Unsecured General Creditor. |
Participants and their beneficiaries, heirs, successors, and assigns shall have no legal or equitable rights, interest, or claims in any property or assets of any Employer. No assets of any Employer shall be held under any trust for the benefit of Participants, their beneficiaries, heirs, successors, or assigns, or held in any way as collateral security for the fulfilling of the obligations of any Employer under this Plan. Any and all of each Employer's assets shall be, and remain, the general, unpledged, unrestricted assets of such Employer. The only obligation of an Employer under the Plan shall be merely that of an unfunded and unsecured promise of SBC to make distributions under and in accordance with the terms of the Plan.
SBC may offset against the amount otherwise distributable to a Participant, any amounts due an Employer by a Participant, including but not limited to overpayments under any compensation or benefit plans.
Neither a Participant nor any other person shall have any right to commute, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, anticipate, mortgage, or otherwise encumber, transfer, hypothecate or convey in advance of actual receipt, any Cash Deferral Account under the Plan, if any, or any part thereof, which are, and all rights to which are, expressly declared to be unassignable and non-transferable. No part of a distributable Cash Deferral Account shall, prior to actual distribution, be subject to seizure or sequestration for the payment of any debts, judgments, alimony or separate maintenance owed by a Participant or any other person, nor be transferable by operation of law in the event of a Participant's or any other person's bankruptcy or insolvency.
8.6 | Employment Not Guaranteed. |
Nothing contained in this Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as a contract of employment or as giving any employee any right to be retained in the employ of an Employer or to serve as a director.
At any time SBC or an Employer may correct any error made under the Plan without prejudice to SBC or any Employer. Such corrections may include, among other things, refunding contributions to a Participant with respect to any period he or she made Employee Contributions while not an Eligible Employee, or canceling the enrollment of a non-Eligible Employee. Neither SBC nor any Employer shall be liable for any damages resulting from failure to timely allow any contribution to be made to the Plan or for any damages resulting from the correction of, or a delay in correcting, any error made under the Plan. In no event shall SBC or any Employer be liable for
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consequential or incidental damages arising out of a failure to comply with the terms of the Plan.
The captions of the articles, sections, and paragraphs of this Plan are for convenience only and shall not control nor affect the meaning or construction of any of its provisions.
To the extent not preempted by Federal law, the Plan, and all benefits and agreements hereunder, and any and all disputes in connection therewith, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflict or choice of law principles which might otherwise refer the construction, interpretation or enforceability of this Plan to the substantive law of another jurisdiction.
Because benefits under the Plan are granted in Texas, records relating to the Plan and benefits thereunder are located in Texas, and the Plan and benefits thereunder are administered in Texas, SBC and the Participant under this Plan, for themselves and their successors and assigns, irrevocably submit to the exclusive and sole jurisdiction and venue of the state or Federal courts of Texas with respect to any and all disputes arising out of or relating to this Plan, the subject matter of this Plan or any benefits under this Plan, including but not limited to any disputes arising out of or relating to the interpretation and enforceability of any benefits or the terms and conditions of this Plan. To achieve certainty regarding the appropriate forum in which to prosecute and defend actions arising out of or relating to this Plan, and to ensure consistency in application and interpretation of the Governing Law to the Plan, the parties agree that (a) sole and exclusive appropriate venue for any such action shall be an appropriate Federal or state court in Bexar County, Texas, and no other, (b) all claims with respect to any such action shall be heard and determined exclusively in such Texas court, and no other, (c) such Texas court shall have sole and exclusive jurisdiction over the person of such parties and over the subject matter of any dispute relating hereto and (d) that the parties waive any and all objections and defenses to bringing any such action before such Texas court, including but not limited to those relating to lack of personal jurisdiction, improper venue or forum non conveniens.
8.10 | Plan to Comply with Section 409A. |
In the event any provision of this Plan is held invalid, void, or unenforceable, the same shall not affect, in any respect whatsoever, the validity of any other provision of this Plan. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in this Plan, each provision in this Plan shall be interpreted to permit the deferral of compensation in accordance with Section 409A of the Code and any provision that would conflict with such requirements shall not be valid or enforceable.
8.11 | Successors and Assigns. |
This Plan shall be binding upon SBC and its successors and assigns.
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