10.3Changes in Common Stock or Assets of the Company, Acquisition or Liquidation of the Company and Other Corporate Events.
(a) Subject to Section 10.3(d), in the event that the Committee (or the Board, in the case of awards granted to Independent Directors) determines that any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Common Stock, other securities, or other property) (other than normal cash dividends), recapitalization, reclassification, stock split, reverse stock split, reorganization, merger, consolidation,split-up,spin-off, combination, repurchase, liquidation, dissolution, or sale, transfer, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company (including, but not limited to, a Corporate Transaction), or exchange of Common Stock or other securities of the Company, issuance of warrants or other rights to purchase Common Stock or other securities of the Company, or other similar corporate transaction or event (other than an Equity Restructuring), in the Committee’s sole discretion (or in the case of awards granted to Independent Directors, the Board’s sole discretion), affects the Common Stock such that an adjustment is determined by the Committee to be appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan or with respect to an Option, Restricted Stock award, Performance Award, Stock Appreciation Right, Dividend Equivalent, Restricted Stock Unit award or Stock Payment, then the Committee (or the Board, in the case of awards granted to Independent Directors) shall, in such manner as it may deem equitable, adjust any or all of:
(i) the number and kind of shares of Common Stock (or other securities or property) with respect to which Options, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Awards, Stock Appreciation Rights, Dividend Equivalents or Stock Payments may be granted under the Plan, or which may be granted as Restricted Stock (including, but not limited to, adjustments of the limitations in Section 2.1 on the maximum number and kind of shares which may be issued, adjustments of the Award Limit and adjustments of the manner in which shares subject to Full Value Awards will be counted),
(ii) the number and kind of shares of Common Stock (or other securities or property) subject to outstanding Options, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Awards, Stock Appreciation Rights, Dividend Equivalents, or Stock Payments, and in the number and kind of shares of outstanding Restricted Stock,
(iii) the grant or exercise price with respect to any Option, Restricted Stock Unit, Performance Award, Stock Appreciation Right, Dividend Equivalent or Stock Payment, and
(iv) the number and kind of shares of Common Stock (or other securities or property) for which automatic grants of Options and Restricted Stock Units are subsequently to be made to new and continuing Independent Directors pursuant to Section 3.4(d) and Section 7.4(b), respectively.
(b) Subject to Sections 10.3(b)(vii), 10.3(d) and 10.3(e) in the event of any Corporate Transaction or other transaction or event described in Section 10.3(a) or any unusual or nonrecurring transactions or events affecting the Company, any affiliate of the Company, or the financial statements of the Company or any affiliate, or of changes in applicable laws, regulations, or accounting principles, the Committee (or the Board, in the case of awards granted to Independent Directors) in its discretion is hereby authorized to take any one or more of the following actions whenever the Committee (or the Board, in the case of awards granted to Independent Directors) determines that such action is appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan or with respect to any option, right or other award under this Plan, to facilitate such transactions or events or to give effect to such changes in laws, regulations or principles:
(i) In its sole and absolute discretion, and on such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate, the Committee (or the Board, in the case of awards granted to Independent Directors) may provide, either by the terms of the agreement or by action taken prior to the occurrence of such transaction or event and either automatically or upon the optionee’s request, for either the purchase of any such Option, Performance Award, Stock Appreciation Right, Dividend Equivalent, or Stock Payment, or any Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit for an amount of cash equal to the amount that could have been attained upon the exercise of such option, right or award or realization of the optionee’s rights had such option, right or award been currently exercisable or payable or fully vested or the replacement of such option, right or award with other rights or property selected by the Committee (or the Board, in the case of awards granted to Independent Directors) in its sole discretion;
(ii) In its sole and absolute discretion, the Committee (or the Board, in the case of awards granted to Independent Directors) may provide, either by the terms of such Option, Performance Award, Stock Appreciation Right, Dividend Equivalent, or Stock Payment, or Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit award or by action taken prior to the occurrence of such transaction or event that it cannot be exercised after such event;
(iii) In its sole and absolute discretion, and on such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate, the Committee (or the Board, in the case of awards granted to Independent Directors) may provide, either by the terms of such Option, Performance Award, Stock Appreciation Right, Dividend Equivalent, or Stock Payment, or Restricted Stock or
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