5. Successors. Except for limitations on assignment set forth in Section 5.1, this Plan will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Company and each Eligible Employee and their respective successors, assigns, heirs, executors, and administrators. In the event of a Change in Control, the surviving entity or any parent thereof shall expressly assume this Plan.
6. Language. All words used in this Plan should be construed to be of such gender or number as the circumstances require. The headings and captions herein are provided for reference and convenience only and are not intended to affect the construction or interpretation of this Plan.
7. Unfunded Plan. The Plan will not be required to be funded unless such funding is authorized by the Board in its sole discretion. Regardless of whether the Plan is funded, no Eligible Employee will have any right to, or interest in, any assets of the Parent or the Company which may be applied by the Parent or the Company to the payment of benefits or other rights under this Plan.
8. Notice. Any notice or other communication required or permitted pursuant to the terms hereof will have been duly given when delivered or mailed by mail, first class, postage prepaid (or such local equivalent thereof), addressed to the intended recipient at his, her or its last known address.
9. Governing Law. This Plan will be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Eligible Employee is regularly payrolled (without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule that would cause the application of laws of any other jurisdiction).
10. Withholding. All benefits hereunder will be reduced by withholding of any applicable income and social security tax or other taxes and charges, and will be subject to applicable tax reporting, as the Company may deem necessary or appropriate for purposes of compliance with applicable tax laws.
Section 6 Claims, Inquiries, Appeals.
1. Applications for Benefits and Inquiries. Any application for benefits, inquiries about the Plan or inquiries about present or future rights under the Plan must be submitted to the Company.
2. Denial of Claims. In the event that any application for benefits is denied in whole or in part, the Company must notify the applicant, in writing, of the denial of the application, and of the applicant’s right to review the denial. The written notice of denial will be set forth in a manner designed to be understood by the employee, and will include specific reasons for the denial, specific references to the Plan provision upon which the denial is based, a description of any information or material that the Company needs to complete the review and an explanation of the Plan’s review procedure.
This written notice will be given to the employee within 30 days after the Company receives the application, unless special circumstances require an extension of time, in which case, the Company has up to an additional 30 days for processing the application. If an extension of time for processing is required, written notice of the extension will be furnished to the applicant before the end of the initial 30-day period.
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