EXHIBIT 10.28
Amended and Restated in its entirety.
Effective January 1, 1998
Copyright (C) 1997
By Compensation Resource Group, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
63
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Purpose 67
ARTICLE 1 Definitions 67
ARTICLE 2 Selection, Enrollment, Eligibility 72
2.1 Selection by Committee 72
2.2 Enrollment Requirements 72
2.3 Eligibility; Commencement of Participation 72
2.4 Termination of Participation and/or Deferrals 72
ARTICLE 3 Deferral Commitments/Company Matching/Crediting Taxes 73
3.1 Minimum Deferrals 73
3.2 Maximum Deferral 73
3.3 Election to Defer; Effect of Election Form 74
3.4 Withholding of Annual Deferral Amounts 74
3.5 Discretionary Company Contribution Amount 74
3.6 Investment of Trust Assets 74
3.7 Vesting 74
3.8 Crediting/Debiting of Account Balances 75
3.9 FICA and Other Taxes 76
3.10 Distributions 76
4.1 Short-Term Payout 76
4.2 Other Benefits Take Precedence Over Short-Term 77
4.3 Withdrawal Payout/Suspensions for Unforeseeable
Financial Emergencies 77
4.4 Withdrawal Election 77
ARTICLE 5 Retirement Benefit 77
5.1 Retirement Benefit 77
5.2 Payment of Retirement Benefit 77
5.3 Death Prior to Completion of Retirement
Benefit 78
ARTICLE 6 Pre-Retirement Survivor Benefit 78
6.1 Pre-Retirement Survivor Benefit 78
6.2 Payment of Pre-Retirement Survivor Benefit 78
ARTICLE 7 Termination Benefit 78
7.1 Termination Benefit 78
7.2 Payment of Termination Benefit 79
ARTICLE 8 Disability Waiver and Benefit 79
8.1 Disability Waiver 79
8.2 Continued Eligibility; Disability Benefit 70
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ARTICLE 9 Beneficiary Designation 80
9.1 Beneficiary 80
9.2 Beneficiary Designation; Change; Spousal Consent 80
9.3 Acknowledgement 80
9.4 No Beneficiary Designation 80
9.5 Doubt as to Beneficiary 80
9.6 Discharge of Obligations 80
ARTICLE 10 Leave of Absence 81
10.1 Paid Leave of Absence 81
10.2 Unpaid Leave of Absence 81
ARTICLE 11 Termination, Amendment or Modification 81
11.1 Termination 81
11.2 Amendment 82
11.3 Plan Agreement 82
11.4 Effect of Payment 82
ARTICLE 12 Administration 82
12.1 Committee Duties 82
12.2 Agents 82
12.3 Binding Effect of Decisions 82
12.4 Indemnity of Committee 83
12.5 Employer Information 83
ARTICLE 13 Other Benefits and Agreements 83
13.1 Coordination with Other Benefits 83
ARTICLE 14 Claims Procedures 83
14.1 Presentation of Claim 83
14.2 Notification of Decision 83
14.3 Review of a Denied Claim 84
14.4 Decision on Review 84
14.5 Legal Action 84
ARTICLE 15 Trust 84
15.1 Establishment of the Trust 84
15.2 Interrelationship of the Plan and the Trust 85
15.3 Distributions From the Trust 85
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ARTICLE 16 Miscellaneous 85
16.1 Status of Plan 85
16.2 Unsecured General Creditor 85
16.3 Employer's Liability 85
16.4 Nonassignability 85
16.5 Not a Contract of Employment 85
16.6 Furnishing Information 86
16.7 Terms 86
16.8 Captions 86
16.9 Governing Law 86
16.10 Notice 86
16.11 Successors 86
16.12 Spouse's Interest 86
16.13 Validity 87
16.14 Incompetent 87
16.15 Court Order 87
16.16 Distribution in the Event of Taxation 87
16.17 Insurance 87
16.18 Legal Fees To Enforce Rights After Change in Control 88
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EMCON
DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
Effective January 1, 1998
Purpose
The purpose of this Plan is to provide specified benefits to a select
group of management and highly compensated Employees who contribute materially
to the continued growth, development and future business success of Emcon, a
California corporation, and its subsidiaries, if any, that sponsor this Plan.
This Plan shall be unfunded for tax purposes and for purposes of Title I of
ERISA.
ARTICLE 1
Definitions
For purposes of this Plan, unless otherwise clearly apparent from the
context, the following phrases or terms shall have the following indicated
meanings:
1.1 "Account Balance" shall mean, with respect to a Participant, a credit
on the records of the Employer equal to the sum of (i) the Deferral
Account balance, and (ii) the Company Contribution Account balance. The
Account Balance, and each other specified account balance, shall be a
bookkeeping entry only and shall be utilized solely as a device for the
measurement and determination of the amounts to be paid to a
Participant, or his or her designated Beneficiary, pursuant to this
Plan.
1.2 "Annual Bonus" shall mean any compensation, in addition to Base Annual
Salary relating to services performed during any calendar year, whether
or not paid in such calendar year or included on the Federal Income Tax
Form W-2 for such calendar year, payable to a Participant as an
Employee under any Employer's annual bonus and cash incentive plans,
excluding stock options.
1.3 "Annual Deferral Amount" shall mean that portion of a Participant's
Base Annual Salary and Annual Bonus that a Participant elects to have,
and is deferred, in accordance with Article 3, for any one Plan Year.
In the event of a Participant's Retirement, Disability (if deferrals
cease in accordance with Section 8.1), death or a Termination of
Employment prior to the end of a Plan Year, such year's Annual Deferral
Amount shall be the actual amount withheld prior to such event.
1.4 "Base Annual Salary" shall mean the annual cash compensation relating
to services performed during any calendar year, whether or not paid in
such calendar year or included on the Federal Income Tax Form W-2 for
such calendar year, excluding bonuses, commissions, overtime, fringe
benefits, stock options, relocation expenses, incentive payments,
non-monetary awards, and other fees, automobile and other allowances
paid to a Participant for employment services rendered (whether or not
such allowances are included in the Employee's gross income). Base
Annual Salary shall be calculated before reduction for compensation
voluntarily deferred or contributed by the Participant pursuant to all
qualified or non-qualified plans of any Employer and shall be
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calculated to include amounts not otherwise included in the
Participant's gross income under Code Sections 125, 402(e)(3), 402(h),
or 403(b) pursuant to plans established by any Employer; provided,
however, that all such amounts will be included in compensation only to
the extent that, had there been no such plan, the amount would have
been payable in cash to the Employee.
1.5 "Beneficiary" shall mean one or more persons, trusts, estates or other
entities, designated in accordance with Article 9, that are entitled to
receive benefits under this Plan upon the death of a Participant.
1.6 "Beneficiary Designation Form" shall mean the form established from
time to time by the Committee that a Participant completes signs and
returns to the Committee to designate one or more Beneficiaries.
1.7 "Board" shall mean the board of directors of the Company.
1.8 "Change in Control" shall mean the first to occur of any of the
following events:
(a) Any "person" (as that term is used in Section 13 and 14(d)(2)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act"))
becomes the beneficial owner (as that term is used in Section
13(d) of the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of 50% or
more of the Company's capital stock entitled to vote in the
election of directors;
(b) During any period of not more than two consecutive years, not
including any period prior to the adoption of this Plan,
individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the
board of directors of the Company, and any new director (other
than a director designated by a person who has entered into an
agreement with the Company to effect a transaction described
in clause (a), (c), (d) or (e) of this Section 1.8) whose
election by the board of directors or nomination for election
by the Company's stockholders was approved by a vote of at
least three-fourths (3/4ths) of the directors then still in
office who either were directors at the beginning of the
period or whose election or nomination for election was
previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute at
least a majority thereof;
(c) The shareholders of the Company approve any consolidation or
merger of the Company, other than a consolidation or merger of
the Company in which the holders of the common stock of the
Company immediately prior to the consolidation or merger hold
more than 50% of the common stock of the surviving corporation
immediately after the consolidation or merger;
(d) The shareholders of the Company approve any plan or proposal
for the liquidation or dissolution of the Company; or
(e) The shareholders of the Company approve the sale or transfer
of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company to
parties that are not within a "controlled group of
corporations" (as defined in Code Section 1563) in which the
Company is a member.
1.9 "Claimant" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 14.1.
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1.10 "Code" shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as it may be
amended from time to time.
1.11 "Committee" shall mean the committee described in Article 12.
1.12 "Company" shall mean EMCON Inc., a California corporation, and any
successor to all or substantially all of the Company's assets or
business.
1.13 "Company Contribution Account" shall mean (i) the sum of the
Participant's Annual Company Contribution Amounts, plus (ii) amounts
credited in accordance with all the applicable crediting provisions of
this Plan that relate to the Participant's Company Contribution
Account, less (iii) all distributions made to the Participant or his or
her Beneficiary pursuant to this Plan that relate to the Participant's
Company Contribution Account.
1.14 "Deduction Limitation" shall mean the following described limitation on
a benefit that may otherwise be distributable pursuant to the
provisions of this Plan. Except as otherwise provided, this limitation
shall be applied to all distributions that are "subject to the
Deduction Limitation" under this Plan. If an Employer determines in
good faith prior to a Change in Control that there is a reasonable
likelihood that any compensation paid to a Participant for a taxable
year of the Employer would not be deductible by the Employer solely by
reason of the limitation under Code Section 162(m), then to the extent
deemed necessary by the Employer to ensure that the entire amount of
any distribution to the Participant pursuant to this Plan prior to the
Change in Control is deductible, the Employer may defer all or any
portion of a distribution under this Plan. Any amounts deferred
pursuant to this limitation shall continue to be credited/debited with
additional amounts in accordance with Section 3.9 below, even if such
amount is being paid out in installments. The amounts so deferred and
amounts credited thereon shall be distributed to the Participant or his
or her Beneficiary (in the event of the Participant's death) at the
earliest possible date, as determined by the Employer in good faith, on
which the deductibility of compensation paid or payable to the
Participant for the taxable year of the Employer during which the
distribution is made will not be limited by Section 162(m), or if
earlier, the effective date of a Change in Control. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary in this Plan, the Deduction Limitation shall
not apply to any distributions made after a Change in Control.
1.15 "Deferral Account" shall mean (i) the sum of all of a Participant's
Annual Deferral Amounts, plus (ii) amounts credited in accordance with
all the applicable crediting provisions of this Plan that relate to the
Participant's Deferral Account, less (iii) all distributions made to
the Participant or his or her Beneficiary pursuant to this Plan that
relate to his or her Deferral Account.
1.16 "Director" shall mean any member of the board of directors of any
Employer.
1.17 "Disability" shall mean a period of disability during which a
Participant qualifies for permanent disability benefits under the
Participant's Employer's long-term disability plan, or, if a
Participant does not participate in such a plan, a period of disability
during which the Participant would have qualified for permanent
disability benefits under such a plan had the Participant been a
participant in such a plan, as determined in the sole discretion of the
Committee. If the Participant's Employer does not sponsor such a plan,
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or discontinues to sponsor such a plan, Disability shall be determined
by the Committee in its sole discretion.
1.18 "Disability Benefit" shall mean the benefit set forth in Article 8.
1.19 "Discretionary Company Contribution Amount" shall mean, for any one
Plan Year, the amount determined in accordance with Section 3.5.
1.20 "Election Form" shall mean the form established from time to time by
the Committee that a Participant completes, signs and returns to the
Committee to make an election under the Plan.
1.22 "Employee" shall mean a person who is an employee of any Employer.
1.23 "Employer(s)" shall mean the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries
(now in existence or hereafter formed or acquired) that have been
selected by the Board to participate in the Plan and have adopted the
Plan as a sponsor.
1.24 "ERISA" shall mean the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974,
as it may be amended from time to time."
1.25 "First Plan Year" shall mean the period beginning January 1, 1994 and
ending December 31, 1994.
1.26 "Index Rate" shall mean, for each Plan Year, an interest rate, which
may be positive or negative, determined by the Committee, in its sole
discretion, that, unless otherwise indicated by the Committee, shall be
equal to a rate based on an index announced by the Committee prior to
the beginning of the Plan Year."
1.27 "Monthly Installment Method" shall be a monthly installment payment
over the number of months selected by the Participant in accordance
with this Plan, calculated as follows: The Account Balance of the
Participant shall be calculated as of the close of business three
business days prior to the last business day of the month. The monthly
installment shall be calculated by multiplying this balance by a
fraction, the numerator of which is one, and the denominator of which
is the remaining number of monthly payments due the Participant. By way
of example, if the Participant elects a 120-month Monthly Installment
Method, the first payment shall be 1/120 of the Account Balance,
calculated as described in this definition. The following month, the
payment shall be 1/119 of the Account Balance, calculated as described
in this definition. Each monthly installment shall be paid on or as
soon as practicable after the last business day of the applicable
month.
1.28 "Participant" shall mean any Employee (i) who is selected to
participate in the Plan, (ii) who elects to participate in the Plan,
(iii) who signs a Plan Agreement, an Election Form and a Beneficiary
Designation Form, (iv) whose signed Plan Agreement, Election Form and
Beneficiary Designation Form are accepted by the Committee, (v) who
commences participation in the Plan, and (vi) whose Plan Agreement has
not terminated. A spouse or former spouse of a Participant shall not be
treated as a Participant in the Plan or have an account balance under
the Plan, even if he or she has an interest in the Participant's
benefits under the Plan as a result of applicable law or property
settlements resulting from legal separation or divorce.
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1.29 "Plan" shall mean the Company's Deferred Compensation Plan, which shall
be evidenced by this instrument and by each Plan Agreement, as they may
be amended from time to time.
1.30 "Plan Agreement" shall mean a written agreement, as may be amended from
time to time, which is entered into by and between an Employer and a
Participant. Each Plan Agreement executed by a Participant and the
Participant's Employer shall provide for the entire benefit to which
such Participant is entitled under the Plan; should there be more than
one Plan Agreement, the Plan Agreement bearing the latest date of
acceptance by the Employer shall supersede all previous Plan Agreements
in their entirety and shall govern such entitlement. The terms of any
Plan Agreement may be different for any Participant, and any Plan
Agreement may provide additional benefits not set forth in the Plan or
limit the benefits otherwise provided under the Plan; provided,
however, that any such additional benefits or benefit limitations must
be agreed to by both the Employer and the Participant.
1.31 "Plan Year" shall mean a period beginning on January 1 of each calendar
year and continuing through December 31 of such calendar year.
1.32 "Pre-Retirement Survivor Benefit" shall mean the benefit set forth
in Article 6.
1.33 "Retirement", "Retire(s)" or "Retired" shall mean, severance from
employment with all Employers for any reason other than a leave of
absence, death or disability, and/or at a time when such Participant
would be considered Retired under the Company's qualified 401(k) Plan.
1.34 "Retirement Benefit" shall mean the benefit set forth in Article 5.
1.35 "Short-Term Payout" shall mean the payout set forth in Section 4.1.
1.36 "Termination Benefit" shall mean the benefit set forth in Article 7.
1.37 "Termination of Employment" shall mean the severing of employment with
all Employers, voluntarily or involuntarily, for any reason other than
Retirement, Disability, death or an authorized leave of absence.
1.38 "Trust" shall mean one or more trusts established pursuant to that
certain Master Trust Agreement, dated as of February 28, 1994 between
the Company and the trustee named therein, as amended from time to
time.
1.39 "Unforeseeable Financial Emergency" shall mean an unanticipated
emergency that is caused by an event beyond the control of the
Participant that would result in severe financial hardship to the
Participant resulting from (i) a sudden and unexpected illness or
accident of the Participant or a dependent of the Participant, (ii) a
loss of the Participant's property due to casualty, or (iii) such other
extraordinary and unforeseeable circumstances arising as a result of
events beyond the control of the Participant, all as determined in the
sole discretion of the Committee.
1.40 "Years of Plan Participation" shall mean the total number of full Plan
Years a Participant has been a Participant in the Plan prior to his or
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her Termination of Employment (determined without regard to whether
deferral elections have been made by the Participant for any Plan
Year). Any partial year shall not be counted. Notwithstanding the
previous sentence, a Participant's first Plan Year of participation
shall be treated as a full Plan Year for purposes of this definition,
even if it is only a partial Plan Year of participation.
1.41 "Years of Service" shall mean the total number of full years in which a
Participant has been employed by one or more Employers. For purposes of
this definition, a year of employment shall be a 365 day period (or 366
day period in the case of a leap year) that, for the first year of
employment, commences on the Employee's date of hiring and that, for
any subsequent year, commences on an anniversary of that hiring date.
Any partial year of employment shall not be counted.
ARTICLE 2
Selection, Enrollment, Eligibility
2.1 Selection by Committee. Participation in the Plan shall be limited to a
select group of management and highly compensated Employees of the
Employers, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. From
that group, the Committee shall select, in its sole discretion,
Employees to participate in the Plan.
2.2 Enrollment Requirements. As a condition to participation, each selected
Employee shall complete, execute and return to the Committee a Plan
Agreement, an Election Form and a Beneficiary Designation Form, all
within 30 days after he or she is selected to participate in the Plan.
In addition, the Committee shall establish from time to time such other
enrollment requirements as it determines in its sole discretion are
necessary.
2.3 Eligibility; Commencement of Participation. Provided an Employee
selected to participate in the Plan has met all enrollment requirements
set forth in this Plan and required by the Committee, including
returning all required documents to the Committee within the specified
time period, that Employee shall commence participation in the Plan on
the first day of the month following the month in which the Employee
completes all enrollment requirements. If an Employee fails to meet all
such requirements within the period required, in accordance with
Section 2.2, that Employee shall not be eligible to participate in the
Plan until the first day of the Plan Year following the delivery to and
acceptance by the Committee of the required documents.
2.4 Termination of Participation and/or Deferrals. If the Committee
determines in good faith that a Participant no longer qualifies as a
member of a select group of management or highly compensated employees,
as membership in such group is determined in accordance with Sections
201(2), 301(a)(3) and 401(a)(1) of ERISA, the Committee shall have the
right, in its sole discretion, to (i) terminate any deferral election
the Participant has made for the remainder of the Plan Year in which
the Participant's membership status changes, (ii) prevent the
Participant from making future deferral elections and/or (iii)
immediately distribute the Participant's then Account Balance as a
Termination Benefit and terminate the Participant's participation in
the Plan.
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ARTICLE 3
Deferral Commitments/Company Matching/Crediting/Taxes
3.1 Minimum Deferrals:
(a) Base Annual Salary, Annual Bonus. For each Plan Year, a
Participant may elect to defer, as his or her Annual Deferral
Amount, Base Annual Salary and/or Annual Bonus in the
following minimum amounts for each deferral elected:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Deferral Minimum Amount
Base Annual Salary $2,000
Annual Bonus $2,000
--------------------------------------------------------------
If an election is made for less than stated minimum amounts,
or if no election is made, the amount deferred shall be zero.
(b) Short Plan Year. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a
Participant first becomes a Participant after the first day of
a Plan Year, or in the case of the first Plan Year of the Plan
itself, the minimum Base Annual Salary deferral shall be an
amount equal to the minimum set forth above, multiplied by a
fraction, the numerator of which is the number of complete
months remaining in the Plan Year and the denominator of which
is 12.
3.2 Maximum Deferral:
(a) Base Annual Salary, Annual Bonus. For each Plan Year, a
Participant may elect to defer, as his or her Annual Deferral
Amount, Base Annual Salary and/or Annual Bonus up to the
following maximum percentages for each deferral elected:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Deferral Maximum Amount
Base Annual Salary 50%
Annual Bonus 100%
--------------------------------------------------------------
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Participant first becomes
a Participant after the first day of a Plan Year, or in the
case of the first Plan Year of the Plan itself, the maximum
Annual Deferral Amount, with respect to Base Annual Salary,
Annual Bonus shall be limited to the amount of compensation
not yet earned by the Participant as of the date the
Participant submits a Plan Agreement and Election Form to the
Committee for acceptance.
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3.3 Election to Defer; Effect of Election Form:
(a) First Plan Year. In connection with a Participant's
commencement of participation in the Plan, the Participant
shall make an irrevocable deferral election for the Plan Year
in which the Participant commences participation in the Plan,
along with such other elections as the Committee deems
necessary or desirable under the Plan. For these elections to
be valid, the Election Form must be completed and signed by
the Participant, timely delivered to the Committee (in
accordance with Section 2.2 above) and accepted by the
Committee.
(b) Subsequent Plan Years. For each succeeding Plan Year, an
irrevocable deferral election for that Plan Year, and such
other elections as the Committee deems necessary or desirable
under the Plan, shall be made by timely delivering to the
Committee, in accordance with its rules and procedures, before
the end of the Plan Year preceding the Plan Year for which the
election is made, a new Election Form. If no such Election
Form is timely delivered for a Plan Year, the Annual Deferral
Amount shall be zero for that Plan Year.
3.4 Withholding of Annual Deferral Amounts. For each Plan Year, the Base
Annual Salary portion of the Annual Deferral Amount shall be withheld
from each regularly scheduled Base Annual Salary payroll in equal
amounts, as adjusted from time to time for increases and decreases in
Base Annual Salary. The Annual Bonus or portion of the Annual Deferral
Amount shall be withheld at the time the Annual Bonus are or otherwise
would be paid to the Participant, whether or not this occurs during the
Plan Year itself.
3.5 Discretionary Company Contribution Amount. For each Plan Year, an
Employer, in its sole discretion, may, but is not required to, credit
any amount it desires to any Participant's Company Contribution Account
under this Plan, which amount shall be for that Participant the
Discretionary Company Contribution Amount for that Plan Year. The
amount so credited to a Participant may be smaller or larger than the
amount credited to any other Participant, and the amount credited to
any Participant for a Plan Year may be zero, even though one or more
other Participants receive a Discretionary Company Contribution Amount
for that Plan Year. The Discretionary Company Contribution Amount, if
any, shall be credited as of the first day of the Plan Year.
3.6 Investment of Trust Assets. The Trustee of the Trust shall be
authorized, upon written instructions received from the Committee or
investment manager appointed by the Committee, to invest and reinvest
the assets of the Trust in accordance with the applicable Trust
Agreement, including the disposition of stock and reinvestment of the
proceeds in one or more investment vehicles designated by the
Committee.
3.7 Vesting:
(a) A Participant shall at all times be 100% vested in his or her
Deferral Account.
(b) A Participant shall at all times be zero percent (0%) vested
in his or her Company Contribution Account, unless fully or
partially vested in accordance with the vesting schedule, if
any, provided in his or her Plan Agreement.
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3.8 Crediting/Debiting of Account Balances. In accordance with, and subject
to, the rules and procedures that are established from time to time by
the Committee, in its sole discretion, amounts shall be credited or
debited to a Participant's Account Balance in accordance with the
following rules:
(a) Election of Measurement Funds. A Participant, in connection
with his or her initial deferral election in accordance with
Section 3.3(a) above, shall elect, on the Election Form, one
or more Measurement Fund(s) (as described in Section 3.8(c)
below) to be used to determine the additional amounts to be
credited to his or her Account Balance for the Plan Year.
(b) Proportionate Allocation. In making any election described in
Section 3.8(a) above, the Participant shall specify on the
Election Form, in increments of five percentage points (5%),
the percentage of his or her Account Balance to be allocated
to a Measurement Fund (as if the Participant was making an
investment in that Measurement Fund with that portion of his
or her Account Balance).
(c) Measurement Funds. The Participant may elect one or more of
the following measurement funds, for the purpose of crediting
additional amounts to his or her Account Balance:
(1) Moody's Rate. Based on the Moody's Seasoned Corporate
Bond Rate.
(2) S&P Index Rate.
As necessary, the Committee may, in its sole discretion,
discontinue, substitute or add a Measurement Fund. Each such
action will take effect as of the first day of the Plan Year
that follows by thirty (30) days the day on which the
Committee gives Participants advance written notice of such
change.
(d) Crediting or Debiting Method. The performance of each elected
Measurement Fund (either positive or negative) will be
determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, based on
the performance of the Measurement Funds themselves. A
Participant's Account Balance shall be credited or debited on
a daily basis based on the performance of each Measurement
Fund selected by the Participant, as determined by the
Committee in its sole discretion, as though (i) a
Participant's Account Balance were invested in the Measurement
Fund(s) selected by the Participant, in the percentages
applicable to such Plan Year, as of the close of business on
the first business day of such Plan Year, at the closing price
on such date; (ii) and any distribution made to a Participant
that decreases such Participant's Account Balance ceased being
invested in the Measurement Fund(s), in the percentages
applicable to such Plan Year, no earlier than three business
days prior to the distribution, at the closing price on such
date.
(e) No Actual Investment. Notwithstanding any other provision of
this Plan that may be interpreted to the contrary, the
Measurement Funds are to be used for measurement purposes
only, and a Participant's election of any such Measurement
Fund, the allocation to his or her Account Balance thereto,
the calculation of additional
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amounts and the crediting or debiting of such amounts to a
Participant's Account Balance shall not be considered or
construed in any manner as an actual investment of his or her
Account Balance in any such Measurement Fund. In the event
that the Company or the Trustee (as that term is defined in
the Trust), in its own discretion, decides to invest funds in
any or all of the Measurement Funds, no Participant shall have
any rights in or to such investments themselves. Without
limiting the foregoing, a Participant's Account Balance shall
at all times be a bookkeeping entry only and shall not
represent any investment made on his or her behalf by the
Company or the Trust; the Participant shall at all times
remain an unsecured creditor of the Company.
3.9 FICA and Other Taxes:
(a) Annual Deferral Amounts. For each Plan Year in which an Annual
Deferral Amount is being withheld from a Participant, the
Participant's Employer(s) shall withhold from that portion of
the Participant's Base Annual Salary and Bonus that is not
being deferred, in a manner determined by the Employer(s), the
Participant's share of FICA and other employment taxes on such
Annual Deferral Amount. If necessary, the Committee may reduce
the Annual Deferral Amount in order to comply with this
Section 3.9.
(b) Company Contribution Amounts. When a participant becomes
vested in a portion of his or her Company Contribution
Account, the Participant's Employer(s) shall withhold from the
Participant's Base Annual Salary and/or Bonus that is not
deferred, in a manner determined by the Employer(s), the
Participant's share of FICA and other employment taxes. If
necessary, the Committee may reduce the vested portion of the
Participant's Company Contribution Account in order to comply
with this Section 3.9.
3.10 Distributions. The Participant's Employer(s), or the trustee of the
Trust, shall withhold from any payments made to a Participant under
this Plan all federal, state and local income, employment and other
taxes required to be withheld by the Employer(s), or the trustee of the
Trust, in connection with such payments, in amounts and in a manner to
be determined in the sole discretion of the Employer(s) and the trustee
of the Trust.
ARTICLE 4
Short-Term Payout; Unforeseeable Financial Emergencies;
Withdrawal Election
4.1 Short-Term Payout. In connection with each election to defer an Annual
Deferral Amount, a Participant may irrevocably elect to receive a
future "Short-Term Payout" from the Plan with respect to such Annual
Deferral Amount. Subject to the Deduction Limitation, the Short-Term
Payout shall be a lump sum payment in an amount that is equal to the
Annual Deferral Amount plus amounts credited or debited in the manner
provided in Section 3.9 above on that amount, determined at the time
that the Short-Term Payout becomes payable (rather than the date of a
Termination of Employment). Subject to the Deduction Limitation and the
other terms and conditions of this Plan, each Short-Term Payout elected
shall be paid out during a period beginning 1 day and ending 60 days
after the last day of any Plan Year designated by the Participant that
is at least five Plan Years after the Plan Year in which the Annual
Deferral Amount is actually deferred. By way of example, if a five year
Short-Term Payout is elected for Annual Deferral Amounts that are
deferred in the Plan Year commencing January 1, 1998, the five year
Short-Term Payout would become payable during a 60 day period
commencing January 1, 2003.
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4.2 Other Benefits Take Precedence Over Short-Term. Should an event occur
that triggers a benefit under Article 5, 6, 7 or 8, any Annual Deferral
Amount, plus amounts credited or debited thereon, that is subject to a
Short-Term Payout election under Section 4.1 shall not be paid in
accordance with Section 4.1 but shall be paid in accordance with the
other applicable Article. Moreover, any Short-Term Payout shall be
adjusted to take into account any contribution under Section 4.5 below.
4.3 Withdrawal Payout/Suspensions for Unforeseeable Financial Emergencies.
If the Participant experiences an Unforeseeable Financial Emergency,
the Participant may petition the Committee to (i) suspend any deferrals
required to be made by a Participant and/or (ii) receive a partial or
full payout from the Plan. The payout shall not exceed the lesser of
the Participant's vested Account Balance, calculated as if such
Participant were receiving a Termination Benefit, or the amount
reasonably needed to satisfy the Unforeseeable Financial Emergency. If,
subject to the sole discretion of the Committee, the petition for a
suspension and/or payout is approved, suspension shall take effect upon
the date of approval and any payout shall be made within 60 days of the
date of approval. The payment of any amount under this Section 4.3
shall not be subject to the Deduction Limitation.
4.4 Withdrawal. A Participant (or, after a Participant's death, his or her
Beneficiary) may elect, at any time, to withdraw all of his or her
vested Account Balance, calculated as if there had occurred a
Termination of Employment as of the day of the election, less a
withdrawal penalty equal to 10% of such amount (the net amount shall be
referred to as the "Withdrawal Amount"). This election can be made at
any time, before or after Retirement, Disability, death or Termination
of Employment, and whether or not the Participant (or Beneficiary) is
in the process of being paid pursuant to an installment payment
schedule. If made before Retirement, Disability or death, a
Participant's Withdrawal Amount shall be his or her Account Balance
calculated as if there had occurred a Termination of Employment as of
the day of the election. No partial withdrawals of the Withdrawal
Amount shall be allowed. The Participant (or his or her Beneficiary)
shall make this election by giving the Committee advance written notice
of the election in a form determined from time to time by the
Committee. The Participant (or his or her Beneficiary) shall be paid
the Withdrawal Amount within 60 days of his or her election. Once the
Withdrawal Amount is paid, the Participant's participation in the Plan
shall terminate and the Participant shall not be eligible to
participate in the Plan in the future. The payment of this Withdrawal
Amount shall not be subject to the Deduction Limitation.
ARTICLE 5
Retirement Benefit
5.1 Retirement Benefit. Subject to the Deduction Limitation, a Participant
who Retires shall receive, as a Retirement Benefit, his or her vested
Account Balance.
5.2 Payment of Retirement Benefit. A Participant, in connection with his or
her commencement of participation in the Plan, shall elect on an
Election Form to receive the Retirement Benefit in a lump sum or
pursuant to a Annual Installment Method of 5 years. The Participant may
annually change his or her election to an allowable alternative payout
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period by submitting a new Election Form to the Committee, provided
that any such Election Form is submitted at least 18 months prior to
the Participant's Retirement and is accepted by the Committee in its
sole discretion. The Election Form most recently accepted by the
Committee shall govern the payout of the Retirement Benefit. If a
Participant does not make any election with respect to the payment of
the Retirement Benefit, then such benefit shall be payable in a lump
sum. The lump sum payment shall be made, or installment payments shall
commence, no later than 60 days after the date the Participant Retires.
Any payment made shall be subject to the Deduction Limitation.
5.3 Death Prior to Completion of Retirement Benefit. If a Participant dies
after Retirement but before the Retirement Benefit is paid in full, the
Participant's unpaid Retirement Benefit payments shall continue and
shall be paid to the Participant's Beneficiary (a) over the remaining
number of years and in the same amounts as that benefit would have been
paid to the Participant had the Participant survived, or (b) in a lump
sum, if requested by the Beneficiary and allowed in the sole discretion
of the Committee, that is equal to the Participant's unpaid remaining
Account Balance.
ARTICLE 6
Pre-Retirement Survivor Benefit
6.1 Pre-Retirement Survivor Benefit. Subject to the Deduction Limitation,
the Participant's Beneficiary shall receive a Pre-Retirement Survivor
Benefit equal to the Participant's vested Account Balance if the
Participant dies before he or she Retires, experiences a Termination of
Employment or suffers a Disability.
6.2 Payment of Pre-Retirement Survivor Benefit. A Participant, in
connection with his or her commencement of participation in the Plan,
shall elect on an Election Form whether the Pre-Retirement Survivor
Benefit shall be received by his or her Beneficiary in a lump sum or
pursuant to a Annual Installment Method of 5 years. The Participant may
annually change this election to an allowable alternative payout period
by submitting a new Election Form to the Committee, which form must be
accepted by the Committee in its sole discretion. The Election Form
most recently accepted by the Committee prior to the Participant's
death shall govern the payout of the Participant's Pre-Retirement
Survivor Benefit. If a Participant does not make any election with
respect to the payment of the Pre-Retirement Survivor Benefit, then
such benefit shall be paid in a lump sum. Despite the foregoing, if the
Participant's Account Balance at the time of his or her death is less
than $25,000, payment of the Pre-Retirement Survivor Benefit may be
made, in the sole discretion of the Committee, in a lump sum or
pursuant to a Annual Installment Method of not more than 60 months. The
lump sum payment shall be made, or installment payments shall commence,
no later than 5 years after the date the Committee is provided with
proof that is satisfactory to the Committee of the Participant's death.
Any payment made shall be subject to the Deduction Limitation.
ARTICLE 7
Termination Benefit
7.1 Termination Benefit. Subject to the Deduction Limitation, the
Participant shall receive a Termination Benefit, which shall be equal
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to the Participant's vested Account Balance if a Participant
experiences a Termination of Employment prior to his or her Retirement,
death or Disability.
7.2 Payment of Termination Benefit. If the Participant's Account Balance at
the time of his or her Termination of Employment is less than $25,000,
payment of his or her Termination Benefit shall be paid in a lump sum.
If his or her Account Balance at such time is equal to or greater than
that amount, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may cause the
Termination Benefit to be paid in a lump sum or in substantially equal
annual installment payments over a period of time that does not exceed
five years in duration. The lump sum payment shall be made, or
installment payments shall commence, no later than 60 days after the
date the date of the Participant's Termination of Employment. Any
payment made shall be subject to the Deduction Limitation.
ARTICLE 8
Disability Waiver and Benefit
8.1 Disability Waiver:
(a) Waiver of Deferral. A Participant who is determined by the
Committee to be suffering from a Disability shall be excused
from fulfilling that portion of the Annual Deferral Amount
commitment that would otherwise have been withheld from a
Participant's Base Annual Salary and/or Annual Bonus for the
Plan Year during which the Participant first suffers a
Disability. During the period of Disability, the Participant
shall not be allowed to make any additional deferral
elections, but will continue to be considered a Participant
for all other purposes of this Plan.
(b) Return to Work. If a Participant returns to employment, with
an Employer, after a Disability ceases, the Participant may
elect to defer an Annual Deferral Amount for the Plan Year
following his or her return to employment or service and for
every Plan Year thereafter while a Participant in the Plan;
provided such deferral elections are otherwise allowed and an
Election Form is delivered to and accepted by the Committee
for each such election in accordance with Section 3.3 above.
8.2 Continued Eligibility; Disability Benefit. A Participant suffering a
Disability shall, for benefit purposes under this Plan, continue to be
considered to be employed, or in the service of an Employer and shall
be eligible for the benefits provided for in Articles 4, 5, 6 or 7 in
accordance with the provisions of those Articles. Notwithstanding the
above, the Committee shall have the right to, in its sole and absolute
discretion and for purposes of this Plan only, and must in the case of
a Participant who is otherwise eligible to Retire, deem the Participant
to have experienced a Termination of Employment, or in the case of a
Participant who is eligible to Retire, to have Retired, at any time (or
in the case of a Participant who is eligible to Retire, as soon as
practicable) after such Participant is determined to be suffering a
Disability, in which case the Participant shall receive a Disability
Benefit equal to his or her Account Balance at the time of the
Committee's determination; provided, however, that should the
Participant otherwise have been eligible to Retire, he or she shall be
paid in accordance with Article 5. The Disability Benefit shall be paid
79
in a lump sum within 60 days of the Committee's exercise of such right.
Any payment made shall be subject to the Deduction Limitation.
ARTICLE 9
Beneficiary Designation
9.1 Beneficiary. Each Participant shall have the right, at any time, to
designate his or her Beneficiary(is) (both primary as well as
contingent) to receive any benefits payable under the Plan to a
beneficiary upon the death of a Participant. The Beneficiary designated
under this Plan may be the same as or different from the Beneficiary
designation under any other plan of an Employer in which the
Participant participates.
9.2 Beneficiary Designation; Change; Spousal Consent. A Participant shall
designate his or her Beneficiary by completing and signing the
Beneficiary Designation Form, and returning it to the Committee or its
designated agent. A Participant shall have the right to change a
Beneficiary by completing, signing and otherwise complying with the
terms of the Beneficiary Designation Form and the Committee's rules and
procedures, as in effect from time to time. If the Participant names
someone other than his or her spouse as a Beneficiary, a spousal
consent, in the form designated by the Committee, must be signed by
that Participant's spouse and returned to the Committee. Upon the
acceptance by the Committee of a new Beneficiary Designation Form, all
Beneficiary designations previously filed shall be canceled. The
Committee shall be entitled to rely on the last Beneficiary Designation
Form filed by the Participant and accepted by the Committee prior to
his or her death.
9.3 Acknowledgment. No designation or change in designation of a
Beneficiary shall be effective until received and acknowledged in
writing by the Committee or its designated agent.
9.4 No Beneficiary Designation. If a Participant fails to designate a
Beneficiary as provided in Sections 9.1, 9.2 and 9.3 above or, if all
designated Beneficiaries predecease the Participant or die prior to
complete distribution of the Participant's benefits, then the
Participant's designated Beneficiary shall be deemed to be his or her
surviving spouse. If the Participant has no surviving spouse, the
benefits remaining under the Plan to be paid to a Beneficiary shall be
payable to the executor or personal representative of the Participant's
estate.
9.5 Doubt as to Beneficiary. If the Committee has any doubt as to the
proper Beneficiary to receive payments pursuant to this Plan, the
Committee shall have the right, exercisable in its discretion, to cause
the Participant's Employer to withhold such payments until this matter
is resolved to the Committee's satisfaction.
9.6 Discharge of Obligations. The payment of benefits under the Plan to a
Beneficiary shall fully and completely discharge all Employers and the
Committee from all further obligations under this Plan with respect to
the Participant, and that Participant's Plan Agreement shall terminate
upon such full payment of benefits.
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ARTICLE 10
Leave of Absence
10.1 Paid Leave of Absence. If a Participant is authorized by the
Participant's Employer for any reason to take a paid leave of absence
from the employment of the Employer, the Participant shall continue to
be considered employed by the Employer and the Annual Deferral Amount
shall continue to be withheld during such paid leave of absence in
accordance with Section 3.3.
10.2 Unpaid Leave of Absence. If a Participant is authorized by the
Participant's Employer for any reason to take an unpaid leave of
absence from the employment of the Employer, the Participant shall
continue to be considered employed by the Employer and the Participant
shall be excused from making deferrals until the earlier of the date
the leave of absence expires or the Participant returns to a paid
employment status. Upon such expiration or return, deferrals shall
resume for the remaining portion of the Plan Year in which the
expiration or return occurs, based on the deferral election, if any,
made for that Plan Year. If no election was made for that Plan Year, no
deferral shall be withheld.
ARTICLE 11
Termination, Amendment or Modification
11.1 Termination. Although each Employer anticipates that it will continue
the Plan for an indefinite period of time, there is no guarantee that
any Employer will continue the Plan or will not terminate the Plan at
any time in the future. Accordingly, each Employer reserves the right
to discontinue its sponsorship of the Plan and/or to terminate the Plan
at any time with respect to any or all of its participating Employees,
by action of its board of directors. Upon the termination of the Plan
with respect to any Employer, the Plan Agreements of the affected
Participants who are employed by that Employer, or in the service of
that Employer, shall terminate and their vested Account Balances,
determined as if they had experienced a Termination of Employment on
the date of Plan termination or, if Plan termination occurs after the
date upon which a Participant was eligible to Retire, then with respect
to that Participant as if he or she had Retired on the date of Plan
termination, shall be paid to the Participants as follows: Prior to a
Change in Control, if the Plan is terminated with respect to all of its
Participants, an Employer shall have the right, in its sole discretion,
and notwithstanding any elections made by the Participant, to pay such
benefits in a lump sum or pursuant to a Monthly Installment Method of
up to 15 years, with amounts credited and debited during the
installment period as provided herein. If the Plan is terminated with
respect to less than all of its Participants, an Employer shall be
required to pay such benefits in a lump sum. After a Change in Control,
the Employer shall be required to pay such benefits in a lump sum. The
termination of the Plan shall not adversely affect any Participant or
Beneficiary who has become entitled to the payment of any benefits
under the Plan as of the date of termination; provided however, that
the Employer shall have the right to accelerate installment payments
without a premium or prepayment penalty by paying the vested Account
Balance in a lump sum or pursuant to a Monthly Installment Method using
fewer months (provided that the present value of all payments that will
have been received by a Participant at any given point of time under
the different payment schedule shall equal or exceed the present value
of all payments that would have been received at that point in time
under the original payment schedule).
81
11.2 Amendment. Any Employer may, at any time, amend or modify the Plan in
whole or in part with respect to that Employer by the action of its
board of directors; provided, however, that no amendment or
modification shall be effective to decrease or restrict the value of a
Participant's vested Account Balance in existence at the time the
amendment or modification is made, calculated as if the Participant had
experienced a Termination of Employment as of the effective date of the
amendment or modification or, if the amendment or modification occurs
after the date upon which the Participant was eligible to Retire, the
Participant had Retired as of the effective date of the amendment or
modification. The amendment or modification of the Plan shall not
affect any Participant or Beneficiary who has become entitled to the
payment of benefits under the Plan as of the date of the amendment or
modification; provided, however, that the Employer shall have the right
to accelerate installment payments by paying the vested Account Balance
in a lump sum or pursuant to a Monthly Installment Method using fewer
months (provided that the present value of all payments that will have
been received by a Participant at any given point of time under the
different payment schedule shall equal or exceed the present value of
all payments that would have been received at that point in time under
the original payment schedule).
11.3 Plan Agreement. Despite the provisions of Sections 11.1 and 11.2 above,
if a Participant's Plan Agreement contains benefits or limitations that
are not in this Plan document, the Employer may only amend or terminate
such provisions with the consent of the Participant.
11.4 Effect of Payment. The full payment of the applicable benefit under
Articles 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 of the Plan shall completely discharge all
obligations to a Participant and his or her designated Beneficiaries
under this Plan and the Participant's Plan Agreement shall terminate.
ARTICLE 12
Administration
12.1 Committee Duties. This Plan shall be administered by a Committee, which
shall consist of the Board, or such committee as the Board shall
appoint. Members of the Committee may be Participants under this Plan.
The Committee shall also have the discretion and authority to (i) make,
amend, interpret, and enforce all appropriate rules and regulations for
the administration of this Plan and (ii) decide or resolve any and all
questions including interpretations of this Plan, as may arise in
connection with the Plan. Any individual serving on the Committee who
is a Participant shall not vote or act on any matter relating solely to
himself or herself. When making a determination or calculation, the
Committee shall be entitled to rely on information furnished by a
Participant or the Company.
12.2 Agents. In the administration of this Plan, the Committee may, from
time to time, employ agents and delegate to them such administrative
duties as it sees fit (including acting through a duly appointed
representative) and may from time to time consult with counsel who may
be counsel to any Employer.
12.3 Binding Effect of Decisions. The decision or action of the Committee
with respect to any question arising out of or in connection with the
82
administration, interpretation and application of the Plan and the
rules and regulations promulgated hereunder shall be final and
conclusive and binding upon all persons having any interest in the
Plan.
12.4 Indemnity of Committee. All Employers shall indemnify and hold harmless
the members of the Committee, and any Employee to whom the duties of
the Committee may be delegated, against any and all claims, losses,
damages, expenses or liabilities arising from any action or failure to
act with respect to this Plan, except in the case of willful misconduct
by the Committee or any of its members or any such Employee.
12.5 Employer Information. To enable the Committee to perform its functions,
each Employer shall supply full and timely information to the Committee
on all matters relating to the compensation of its Participants, the
date and circumstances of the Retirement, Disability, death or
Termination of Employment of its Participants, and such other pertinent
information as the Committee may reasonably require.
ARTICLE 13
Other Benefits and Agreements
13.1 Coordination with Other Benefits. The benefits provided for a
Participant and Participant's Beneficiary under the Plan are in
addition to any other benefits available to such Participant under any
other plan or program for employees of the Participant's Employer. The
Plan shall supplement and shall not supersede, modify or amend any
other such plan or program except as may otherwise be expressly
provided.
ARTICLE 14
Claims Procedures
14.1 Presentation of Claim. Any Participant or Beneficiary of a deceased
Participant (such Participant or Beneficiary being referred to below as
a "Claimant") may deliver to the Committee a written claim for a
determination with respect to the amounts distributable to such
Claimant from the Plan. If such a claim relates to the contents of a
notice received by the Claimant, the claim must be made within 60 days
after such notice was received by the Claimant. All other claims must
be made within 180 days of the date on which the event that caused the
claim to arise occurred. The claim must state with particularity the
determination desired by the Claimant.
14.2 Notification of Decision. The Committee shall consider a Claimant's
claim within a reasonable time, and shall notify the Claimant in
writing:
(a) that the Claimant's requested determination has been made, and
that the claim has been allowed in full; or
(b) that the Committee has reached a conclusion contrary, in whole
or in part, to the Claimant's requested determination, and
such notice must set forth in a manner calculated to be
understood by the Claimant:
(1) the specific reason(s) for the denial of the claim, or any
part of it;
83
(2) specific reference(s) to pertinent provisions of the Plan
upon which such denial was based;
(3) a description of any additional material or information
necessary for the Claimant to perfect the claim, and an
explanation of why such material or information is
necessary; and
(4) an explanation of the claim review procedure set forth in
Section 14.3 below.
14.3 Review of a Denied Claim. Within 60 days after receiving a notice from
the Committee that a claim has been denied, in whole or in part, a
Claimant (or the Claimant's duly authorized representative) may file
with the Committee a written request for a review of the denial of the
claim. Thereafter, but not later than 30 days after the review
procedure began, the Claimant (or the Claimant's duly authorized
representative):
(a) may review pertinent documents;
(b) may submit written comments or other documents; and/or
(c) may request a hearing, which the Committee, in its sole
discretion, may grant.
14.4 Decision on Review. The Committee shall render its decision on review
promptly, and not later than 60 days after the filing of a written
request for review of the denial, unless a hearing is held or other
special circumstances require additional time, in which case the
Committee's decision must be rendered within 120 days after such date.
Such decision must be written in a manner calculated to be understood
by the Claimant, and it must contain:
(a) specific reasons for the decision;
(b) specific reference(s) to the pertinent Plan provisions upon
which the decision was based; and
(c) such other matters as the Committee deems relevant.
14.5 Legal Action. A Claimant's compliance with the foregoing provisions of
this Article 14 is a mandatory prerequisite to a Claimant's right to
commence any legal action with respect to any claim for benefits under
this Plan.
ARTICLE 15
Trust
15.1 Establishment of the Trust. The Company shall establish the Trust, and
each Employer shall at least annually transfer over to the Trust such
assets as the Employer determines, in its sole discretion, are
necessary to provide, on a present value basis, for its respective
future liabilities created with respect to the Annual Deferral Amounts,
Annual Company Contribution Amounts, and Company Matching Amounts for
such Employer's Participants for all periods prior to the transfer, as
well as any debits and credits to the Participants' Account Balances
84
for all periods prior to the transfer, taking into consideration the
value of the assets in the trust at the time of the transfer.
15.2 Interrelationship of the Plan and the Trust. The provisions of the Plan
and the Plan Agreement shall govern the rights of a Participant to
receive distributions pursuant to the Plan. The provisions of the Trust
shall govern the rights of the Employers, Participants and the
creditors of the Employers to the assets transferred to the Trust. Each
Employer shall at all times remain liable to carry out its obligations
under the Plan.
15.3 Distributions From the Trust. Each Employer's obligations under the
Plan may be satisfied with Trust assets distributed pursuant to the
terms of the Trust, and any such distribution shall reduce the
Employer's obligations under this Plan.
ARTICLE 16
Miscellaneous
16.1 Status of Plan. The Plan is intended to be a plan that is not qualified
within the meaning of Code Section 401(a) and that "is unfunded and is
maintained by an employer primarily for the purpose of providing
deferred compensation for a select group of management or highly
compensated employee" within the meaning of ERISA Sections 201(2),
301(a)(3) and 401(a)(1). The Plan shall be administered and interpreted
to the extent possible in a manner consistent with that intent.
16.2 Unsecured General Creditor. Participants and their Beneficiaries,
heirs, successors and assigns shall have no legal or equitable rights,
interests or claims in any property or assets of an Employer. For
purposes of the payment of benefits under this Plan, any and all of an
Employer's assets shall be, and remain, the general, unpledged
unrestricted assets of the Employer. An Employer's obligation under the
Plan shall be merely that of an unfunded and unsecured promise to pay
money in the future.
16.3 Employer's Liability. An Employer's liability for the payment of
benefits shall be defined only by the Plan and the Plan Agreement, as
entered into between the Employer and a Participant. An Employer shall
have no obligation to a Participant under the Plan except as expressly
provided in the Plan and his or her Plan Agreement.
16.4 Nonassignability. Neither a Participant nor any other person shall have
any right to commute, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, anticipate,
mortgage or otherwise encumber, transfer, hypothecate, alienate or
convey in advance of actual receipt, the amounts, if any, payable
hereunder, or any part thereof, which are, and all rights to which are
expressly declared to be, unassignable and non-transferable. No part of
the amounts payable shall, prior to actual payment, be subject to
seizure, attachment, garnishment or sequestration for the payment of
any debts, judgments, alimony or separate maintenance owed by a
Participant or any other person, be transferable by operation of law in
the event of a Participant's or any other person's bankruptcy or
insolvency or be transferable to a spouse as a result of a property
settlement or otherwise.
16.5 Not a Contract of Employment. The terms and conditions of this Plan
shall not be deemed to constitute a contract of employment between any
Employer and the Participant. Such employment is hereby acknowledged to
85
be an "at will" employment relationship that can be terminated at any
time for any reason, or no reason, with or without cause, and with or
without notice, unless expressly provided in a written employment
agreement. Nothing in this Plan shall be deemed to give a Participant
the right to be retained in the service of any Employer, to interfere
with the right of any Employer to discipline or discharge the
Participant at any time.
16.6 Furnishing Information. A Participant or his or her Beneficiary will
cooperate with the Committee by furnishing any and all information
requested by the Committee and take such other actions as may be
requested in order to facilitate the administration of the Plan and the
payments of benefits hereunder, including but not limited to taking
such physical examinations as the Committee may deem necessary.
16.7 Terms. Whenever any words are used herein in the masculine, they shall
be construed as though they were in the feminine in all cases where
they would so apply; and whenever any words are used herein in the
singular or in the plural, they shall be construed as though they were
used in the plural or the singular, as the case may be, in all cases
where they would so apply.
16.8 Captions. The captions of the articles, sections and paragraphs of this
Plan are for convenience only and shall not control or affect the
meaning or construction of any of its provisions.
16.9 Governing Law. Subject to ERISA, the provisions of this Plan shall be
construed and interpreted according to the internal laws of the State
of California without regard to its conflicts of law principles.
16.10 Notice. Any notice or filing required or permitted to be given to the
Committee under this Plan shall be sufficient if in writing and
hand-delivered, or sent by registered or certified mail, to the address
below:
Deferred Compensation Plan Committee
EMCON
400 South El Camino Real, Suite 1200
San Mateo, California 94402
Such notice shall be deemed given as of the date of delivery or, if
delivery is made by mail, as of the date shown on the postmark on the
receipt for registration or certification.
Any notice or filing required or permitted to be given to a Participant
under this Plan shall be sufficient if in writing and hand-delivered,
or sent by mail, to the last known address of the Participant.
16.11 Successors. The provisions of this Plan shall bind and inure to the
benefit of the Participant's Employer and its successors and assigns
and the Participant and the Participant's designated Beneficiaries.
16.12 Spouse's Interest. The interest in the benefits hereunder of a spouse
of a Participant who has predeceased the Participant shall
automatically pass to the Participant and shall not be transferable by
such spouse in any manner, including but not limited to such spouse's
will, nor shall such interest pass under the laws of intestate
succession.
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16.13 Validity. In case any provision of this Plan shall be illegal or
invalid for any reason, said illegality or invalidity shall not affect
the remaining parts hereof, but this Plan shall be construed and
enforced as if such illegal or invalid provision had never been
inserted herein.
16.14 Incompetent. If the Committee determines in its discretion that a
benefit under this Plan is to be paid to a minor, a person declared
incompetent or to a person incapable of handling the disposition of
that person's property, the Committee may direct payment of such
benefit to the guardian, legal representative or person having the care
and custody of such minor, incompetent or incapable person. The
Committee may require proof of minority, incompetence, incapacity or
guardianship, as it may deem appropriate prior to distribution of the
benefit. Any payment of a benefit shall be a payment for the account of
the Participant and the Participant's Beneficiary, as the case may be,
and shall be a complete discharge of any liability under the Plan for
such payment amount.
16.15 Court Order. The Committee is authorized to make any payments directed
by court order in any action in which the Plan or the Committee has
been named as a party. In addition, if a court determines that a spouse
or former spouse of a Participant has an interest in the Participant's
benefits under the Plan in connection with a property settlement or
otherwise, the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall have the right,
notwithstanding any election made by a Participant, to immediately
distribute the spouse's or former spouse's interest in the
Participant's benefits under the Plan to that spouse or former spouse.
16.16 Distribution in the Event of Taxation:
(a) In General. If, for any reason, all or any portion of a
Participant's benefits under this Plan becomes taxable to the
Participant prior to receipt, a Participant may petition the
Committee before a Change in Control, or the trustee of the
Trust after a Change in Control, for a distribution of that
portion of his or her benefit that has become taxable. Upon
the grant of such a petition, which grant shall not be
unreasonably withheld (and, after a Change in Control, shall
be granted), a Participant's Employer shall distribute to the
Participant immediately available funds in an amount equal to
the taxable portion of his or her benefit (which amount shall
not exceed a Participant's unpaid vested Account Balance under
the Plan). If the petition is granted, the tax liability
distribution shall be made within 90 days of the date when the
Participant's petition is granted. Such a distribution shall
affect and reduce the benefits to be paid under this Plan.
(b) Trust. If the Trust terminates in accordance with Section
3.6(e) of the Trust and benefits are distributed from the
Trust to a Participant in accordance with that Section, the
Participant's benefits under this Plan shall be reduced to the
extent of such distributions.
16.17 Insurance. The Employers, on their own behalf or on behalf of the
trustee of the Trust, and, in their sole discretion, may apply for and
procure insurance on the life of the Participant, in such amounts and
in such forms as the Trust may choose. The Employers or the trustee of
the Trust, as the case may be, shall be the sole owner and beneficiary
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of any such insurance. The Participant shall have no interest
whatsoever in any such policy or policies, and at the request of the
Employers shall submit to medical examinations and supply such
information and execute such documents as may be required by the
insurance company or companies to whom the Employers have applied for
insurance.
16.18 Legal Fees To Enforce Rights After Change in Control. The Company and
each Employer is aware that upon the occurrence of a Change in Control,
the Board or the board of directors of a Participant's Employer (which
might then be composed of new members) or a shareholder of the Company
or the Participant's Employer, or of any successor corporation might
then cause or attempt to cause the Company, the Participant's Employer
or such successor to refuse to comply with its obligations under the
Plan and might cause or attempt to cause the Company or the
Participant's Employer to institute, or may institute, litigation
seeking to deny Participants the benefits intended under the Plan. In
these circumstances, the purpose of the Plan could be frustrated.
Accordingly, if, following a Change in Control, it should appear to any
Participant that the Company, the Participant's Employer or any
successor corporation has failed to comply with any of its obligations
under the Plan or any agreement thereunder or, if the Company, such
Employer or any other person takes any action to declare the Plan void
or unenforceable or institutes any litigation or other legal action
designed to deny, diminish or to recover from any Participant the
benefits intended to be provided, then the Company and the
Participant's Employer irrevocably authorize such Participant to retain
counsel of his or her choice at the expense of the Company and the
Participant's Employer (who shall be jointly and severally liable) to
represent such Participant in connection with the initiation or defense
of any litigation or other legal action, whether by or against the
Company, the Participant's Employer or any , officer, shareholder or
other person affiliated with the Company, the Participant's Employer or
any successor thereto in any jurisdiction.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has signed this Plan document as of
__________, 199_.
"Company"
EMCON
a California corporation
By:
Title:
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