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6. NO ASSIGNMENT |
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(A) | No award, and no right under any award shall be assignable, alienable, saleable, or transferable by a participant other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution or pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order as defined in the Code (as defined below), or Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, or the rules thereunder; provided however, that if so determined by the Committee, a participant may in the manner established by the Committee, designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries to exercise the rights of the participant, and to receive any cash distributable, with respect to any award upon the death of the participant. Each award, and each right under any award, shall be issuable or payable only to the participant, or, if permissible under applicable law, to the participant’s guardian or legal representative or to a transferee receiving such award pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order referred to above. No award, and no right under any such award, may be pledged, alienated, attached, or otherwise encumbered and any purported pledge, alienation, attachment, or encumbrance thereof shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or any affiliate. |
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7. ADMINSTRATION |
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(A) | The Plan shall be administered by a committee designated by the Board of Directors to administer the Plan (the “Committee”) which shall consist of members of the Board of Directors of the Company who are “outside directors” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and regulations promulgated thereunder. The Committee shall be composed of not less than the minimum number of outside directors from time to time required by Section 162(m) of the Code. |
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(B) | The Committee may establish rules for the administration of the Plan and may make administrative decisions regarding the Plan and awards hereunder. The Committee may delegate its functions hereunder to the extent consistent with applicable law. |
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(C) | Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan, all designations, determinations, interpretations, and other decisions under or with respect to the Plan, any award, or any award agreement or certificate shall be with and in the sole discretion of the Committee, may be made at any time, and shall be final, conclusive, and binding upon all persons, including the Company, any affiliate, any participant, any holder or beneficiary of any award, and any employee of the Company or of any affiliate. |
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8. PLAN AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION |
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(A) | The Committee may amend, suspend, or terminate the Plan in whole or in part at any time, provided, however, that if in the judgment of the Committee such amendment or other action would have a material effect on the Plan, such amendment or other action must be taken by the Board of Directors of the Company. No amendment which would materially increase the cost of the Plan shall be made effective unless approved by the shareholders of the Company. This Plan may not be amended, suspended or terminated from and after the date of a Change of Control (as defined above) or in anticipation of a Change of Control so as to reduce or otherwise adversely affect the benefits to which participants in the Plan are entitled upon a Change of Control, calculated as of the date of the amendment, suspension or termination. Any termination of the Plan shall be made in accordance with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, if applicable. |
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9. SECTION 162(m) |
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(A) | Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this Section 9 shall be applicable to awards made under the Plan to “162(m) Covered Employees” and such awards shall be referred to as “162(m) Covered Awards.” (162(m) refers to the provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code.) 162(m) Covered Employees shall consist of employees in compensation Band H and above, or as such similar employees are designated in the future. For purposes of this Section 9 “162(m) Covered Employees” includes participants in the Plan who are or are expected to be, at the time taxable income will be realized with respect to the award, “covered employees” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code and the Treasury regulations thereunder. |
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(B) | 162(m) Covered Awards shall be granted subject to the achievement of one or more pre-established objective Performance Goals (as defined below), in accordance with the requirements of Code Section 162(m) applicable to “qualified performance-based compensation” and the procedures to be established by the Committee from time to time. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, the Committee shall not have discretion to waive or amend such Performance Goals or to increase the amount payable pursuant to 162 (m) Covered Awards after the Performance Goals have been established. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, reduce the amount which would otherwise be payable with respect to any 162(m) Covered Award, provided that the Change of Control provisions of Section 5 shall override any contrary provisions of this Section 9. |
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(C) | “Performance Goals” means one or more objective performance goals, established by the Committee at the time an award is granted, and based upon the attainment of targets for one or any combination of the following criteria: operating income, |