shall continue to be eligible for the Survivor Annuity Equivalent during such leave of absence.
The Eligible Employee shall cease to be eligible for the Survivor Annuity Equivalent at the conclusion of the day immediately preceding the date the Eligible Employee becomes eligible for the Immediate Automatic Pre-retirement Survivor Annuity of the SBCPBP.
(a) Termination of an Eligible Employee's employment with his or her employing company for any reason other than (i) death, (ii) Disability as such term is defined in the SRIP, or (iii) Retirement.
(b) In the case of an Eligible Employee who terminates employment by reason of a disability but who does not realize an Event of Termination because of Section 7a(ii) above, a termination of the Eligible Employee's total Disability that is not accompanied by either a return to employment with his or her employing company or the Eligible Employee's death or Retirement.
(c) Except in the case of an Eligible Employee who has theretofore terminated employment for a reason described in Section 7a(ii) or (iii) above, SBC elects to terminate the Eligible Employee's coverage under the Plan by a written notice to that effect given to the Eligible Employee. SBC shall have no right to amend the Plan or terminate the Eligible Employee's coverage under the Plan with respect to an Eligible Employee who has theretofore terminated employment for a reason described in Section 7a(ii) or (iii) above without the written consent of the Eligible Employee.
8. Non-Competition. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, no coverage shall be provided under this Plan with respect to any Eligible Employee who shall, without the written consent of SBC, and while employed by SBC or any subsidiary thereof, or within three (3) years after termination of employment from SBC or any subsidiary thereof, engage in competition with SBC or any subsidiary thereof or with any business with which a subsidiary of SBC or an affiliated company has a substantial interest (collectively referred to herein as "Employer business"). For purposes of this Plan, engaging in competition with any Employer business shall mean engaging by Eligible Employee in any business or activity in the same geographical market where the same or substantially similar business or activity is being carried on as an Employer business. Such term shall not include owning a nonsubstantial publicly traded interest as a shareholder in a business that competes with an Employer business. However, engaging in competition with an Employer business shall include representing or providing consulting services to, or being an employee of, any person or entity that is engaged in competition with any Employer business or that takes a position adverse to any Employer business. Accordingly, coverage shall not be provided under this Plan if, within the time period and without the written consent specified, Eligible Employee either engages directly in competitive activity or in any capacity in any location becomes employed by, associated with, or renders service to any company, or parent or affiliate thereof, or any subsidiary of any of them, if any of them is engaged in competition with an Employer business, regardless of the position or duties the Eligible Employee takes and regardless of whether or not the employing company, or the company that Eligible Employee becomes associated with or renders service to, is itself engaged in direct competition with an Employer business.
9. Restriction on Assignment. The Eligible Employee may assign all or any part of his or her right, title, claim, interest, benefits and all other incidents of ownership which he or she may have in the Insurance Contract to any other individual or trustee, provided that any such assignment shall be subject to the terms of this Plan; except neither the Eligible Employee 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 the amounts, if any, payable as a Salary Continuation Death Benefit hereunder , which are, and all rights to which are, expressly declared to be unassignable and non-transferable. No part of the amounts payable as a Salary Continuation Death Benefit hereunder shall, prior to actual payment, be subject to seizure or sequestration for the payment of any debts, judgments, alimony or separate maintenance owed by the Eligible Employee or any other person, nor be transferable by operation of law in the event of the Eligible Employee's or any other person’s bankruptcy or insolvency. Except as provided in this Section 8, no assignment or alienation of any benefits under the Plan will be permitted or recognized.
10. Unsecured General Creditor. Except to the extent of rights with respect to the Insurance Contract in the absence of an election to receive benefits in Salary Continuation Death Benefit form, the Eligible Employee and his or her Beneficiaries, heirs, successors and assigns shall have no legal or equitable rights, interest or claims in any property or assets of SBC, nor shall they be beneficiaries, or have any rights, claims or interests in, any life insurance policies, annuity contracts or the proceeds therefrom owned or which may be acquired by SBC ("Policies"); such Policies or other assets of SBC shall not be held under any trust for the benefit of the Eligible Employee , his or her designated beneficiaries, heirs, successors or assigns, or held in any way as collateral security for the fulfilling of the obligations of SBC under this Agreement; any and all of SBC’s assets and Policies shall be, and remain, the general, unpledged, unrestricted assets of SBC; SBC shall have no obligation to acquire any Policies or any other assets; and SBC’s obligations under this Agreement shall be merely that of an unfunded and unsecured promise of SBC to pay money in the future.
11. Employment Not Guaranteed. Nothing contained in this Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as a contract of employment or as giving the Eligible Employee any right to be retained in the employ of any SBC company.
12. Protective Provisions. The Eligible Employee will cooperate with SBC by furnishing any and all information requested by SBC, in order to facilitate the payment of
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benefits hereunder, taking such physical examinations as SBC may deem necessary and taking such other relevant action as may be requested by SBC, in order to facilitate the payment of benefits hereunder. If the Eligible Employee refuses so to cooperate, the Eligible Employee's participation in the Plan shall terminate and SBC shall have no further obligation to the Eligible Employee or his or her designated Beneficiary hereunder. If the Eligible Employee commits suicide during the two-year period beginning on the date of eligibility under the Plan, or if the Eligible Employee makes any material misstatement of information or nondisclosure of medical history, then no benefits will be payable by reason of this Plan to the Eligible Employee or his or her designated Beneficiary, or in SBC’s sole discretion, benefits may be payable in a reduced amount.
13. Change in Status. In the event of a change in the employment status of an Eligible Employee to a status in which he or she is no longer an Eligible Employee under the Plan, such Eligible Employee shall immediately cease to be eligible for any benefits under this Plan; provided, however, such survivor benefits as would be available to such employee by reason of his or her new status but which do not automatically become effective upon attainment of such new status shall continue to be provided under this Plan until such benefits become effective or until such employee has had reasonable opportunity to effectuate such benefits but has failed to take any requisite action necessary for such benefits to become effective.
14. Named Fiduciary. If this Plan is subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), SBC is the "named fiduciary" of the Plan.
15. Applicable Law. This Plan and the rights and obligations hereunder shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas to the extent such law is not preempted by ERISA.
16. Administration of the Plan. The Committee shall be the sole administrator of the Plan and will administer the Plan, interpret, construe and apply its provisions in accordance with its terms. The Committee shall further establish, adopt or revise such rules and regulations as it may deem necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan. All decisions of the Committee shall be binding.
17. Relation to Prior Plans. This Plan supersedes and replaces prior Senior Management Survivor Benefit, Senior Management Supplementary Life Insurance, and Senior Management Alternate Death Benefit Life Insurance Plans as in effect prior to January 1, 1986, except such plans shall continue to apply to Eligible Employees who retired before January 1, 1986; provided, however, that with respect to
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those Eligible Employees who retired during calendar year 1986 by reason of the fact of attaining age 65, the Post-Retirement Benefit provided pursuant to the Senior Management Survivor Benefit Plan as in effect prior to January 1, 1986, shall continue to apply and the post-retirement benefit provided under the Basic Death Benefit portion hereof shall not apply.
18. Amendments and Termination. This Plan may be modified or terminated at any time in accordance with the provisions of SBC's Schedule of Authorizations. A modification or Plan termination may affect present and future Eligible Employees; provided, however, that no modification shall be made to this Plan with respect to an Eligible Employee who terminates employment for reason of disability or Retirement), nor shall a termination of the Plan operate so as to be applicable to such an individual, without the written consent of the Eligible Employee.