Exhibit 10.29
MANAGEMENT STABILITY AGREEMENT
This Management Stability Agreement is dated November 6, 2002, between
Tesoro Petroleum Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Rodney
S. Cason ("Employee").
Recitals:
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has determined that it is
in the best interest of the Company to reduce uncertainty to certain key
employees of the Company in the event of certain fundamental events involving
the control or existence of the Company;
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has determined that an
agreement protecting certain interests of key employees of the Company in the
event of certain fundamental events involving the control or existence of the
Company is in the best interest of the Company because it will assist the
Company in attracting and retaining key employees such as this Employee; and
WHEREAS, the Employee is relying on this Agreement and the obligations of
the Company hereunder in continuing to work for the Company.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE PARTIES AGREE AS FOLLOWS:
1. Termination Following Change of Control.
Should Employee at any time within two years of a change of control cease
to be an employee of the Company (or its successor), by reason of (i)
involuntary termination by the Company (or its successor) other than for "cause"
(following a change of control), "cause" shall be limited to the conviction of
or a plea of nolo contendere to the charge of a felony (which, through lapse of
time or otherwise, is not subject to appeal), a material breach of fiduciary
duty to the Company through the misappropriation of Company funds or property)
or (ii) voluntary termination by Employee for "good reason upon change of
control" (as defined below), the Company (or its successor) shall pay to
Employee within ten days of such termination the following severance payments
and benefits:
(a) A lump-sum payment equal to two times the base salary of the
Employee at the then current rate; and
(b) A lump-sum payment equal to (i) two times the sum of the target
bonuses under all of the Company's incentive bonus plans applicable
to the Employee for the year in which the termination occurs or the
year in which the change of control occurred, whichever is greater,
and (ii) if termination occurs in the fourth quarter of a calendar
year, the sum of the target bonuses under all of the Company's
incentive bonus plans applicable to Employee for the year in which
the termination occurs prorated daily based on the number of days
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from the beginning of the calendar year in which the termination
occurs to and including the date of termination.
The Company (or its successor) shall also provide continuing coverage and
benefits comparable to all life, health and disability plans of the Company for
a period of 24 months from the date of termination and shall receive two years
additional service credit under the current non-qualified supplemental pension
plans, or successors thereto, of the Company applicable to the Employee on the
date of termination.
For purposes of this Agreement, a "change of control" shall be
deemed to have occurred if (i) there shall be consummated (A) any
consolidation or merger of the Company in which the Company is not
the continuing or surviving corporation or pursuant to which shares
of the Company's Common Stock would be converted into cash,
securities or other property, other than a merger of the Company
where a majority of the Board of Directors of the surviving
corporation are, and for a two year period after the merger continue
to be, persons who were directors of the Company immediately prior
to the merger or were elected as directors, or nominated for
election as directors, by a vote of at least two-thirds of the
directors then still in office who were directors of the Company
immediately prior to the merger, or (B) any sale, lease, exchange or
transfer (in one transaction or a series of related transactions) of
all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or (ii) the
shareholders of the Company shall approve any plan or proposal for
the liquidation or dissolution of the Company, or (iii) (A) any
"person" (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"),
other than the Company or a subsidiary thereof or any employee
benefit plan sponsored by the Company or a subsidiary thereof, shall
become the beneficial owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under
the Exchange Act) of securities of the Company representing 20
percent or more of the combined voting power of the Company's then
outstanding securities ordinarily (and apart from rights accruing in
special circumstances) having the right to vote in the election of
directors, as a result of a tender or exchange offer, open market
purchases, privately negotiated purchases or otherwise, and (B) at
any time during a period of one year thereafter, individuals who
immediately prior to the beginning of such period constituted the
Board of Directors of the Company shall cease for any reason to
constitute at least a majority thereof, unless the election or the
nomination by the Board of Directors for election by the Company's
shareholders of each new director during such period was approved by
a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in office
who were directors at the beginning of such period.
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For purposes of this Section 1, "good reason upon change of control"
shall exist if any of the following occurs:
(i) without Employee's express written consent, the assignment to
Employee of any duties inconsistent with the employment of Employee
immediately prior to the change of control, or a significant
diminution of Employee's positions, duties, responsibilities and
status with the Company from those immediately prior to a change of
control or a diminution in Employee's titles or offices as in effect
immediately prior to a change of control, or any removal of Employee
from, or any failure to reelect Employee to, any of such positions;
(ii) a reduction by the Company in Employee's base salary in effect
immediately prior to a change of control;
(iii) the failure by the Company to continue in effect any thrift,
stock ownership, pension, life insurance, health, dental and
accident or disability plan in which Employee is participating or is
eligible to participate at the time of the change of control (or
plans providing Employee with substantially similar benefits),
except as otherwise required by the terms of such plans as in effect
at the time of any change of control or the taking of any action by
the Company which would adversely affect Employee's participation in
or materially reduce Employee's benefits under any of such plans or
deprive Employee of any material fringe benefits enjoyed by Employee
at the time of the change of control or the failure by the Company
to provide the Employee with the number of paid vacation days to
which Employee is entitled in accordance with the vacation policies
of the Company in effect at the time of a change of control;
(iv) the failure by the Company to continue in effect any incentive
plan or arrangement (including without limitation, the Company's
Incentive Compensation Plan and similar incentive compensation
benefits) in which Employee is participating at the time of a change
of control (or to substitute and continue other plans or
arrangements providing the Employee with substantially similar
benefits), except as otherwise required by the terms of such plans
as in effect at the time of any change of control;
(v) the failure by the Company to continue in effect any plan or
arrangement with respect to securities of the Company (including,
without limitation, any plan or arrangement to receive and exercise
stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock or grants
thereof or to acquire stock or other securities of the Company) in
which Employee is participating at the time of a change of control
(or to substitute and continue plans or arrangements providing the
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Employee with substantially similar benefits), except as otherwise
required by the terms of such plans as in effect at the time of any
change of control or the taking of any action by the Company which
would adversely affect Employee's participation in or materially
reduce Employee's benefits under any such plan;
(vi) the relocation of the Company's offices where Employee is
presently based to a location outside that office area, or the
Company's requiring Employee to be based anywhere other than at the
location of the Company's offices where Employee is presently based,
except for required travel on the Company's business to an extent
substantially consistent with Employee's present business travel
obligations, or, in the event Employee consents to any such
relocation of the Company's offices where Employee is presently
based, the failure by the Company to pay (or reimburse Employee for)
all reasonable moving expenses incurred by Employee relating to a
change of Employee's principal residence in connection with such
relocation and to indemnify Employee against any loss (defined as
the difference between the actual sale price of such residence and
the higher of (a) Employee's aggregate investment in such residence
or (b) the fair market value thereof as determined by a real estate
appraiser reasonably satisfactory to both Employee and the Company
at the time the Employee's principal residence is offered for sale
in connection with any such change of residence;
(vii) any failure by the Company to obtain the assumption of this
Agreement by any successor or assign of the Company;
In the event of a change of control as "change of control" is defined in
any stock option plan or stock option agreement pursuant to which the Employee
holds options to purchase common stock of the Company, Employee shall retain the
rights to all accelerated vesting and other benefits under the terms thereof.
The Company shall pay any attorney fees incurred by Employee in reasonably
seeking to enforce the terms of this Paragraph 1.
2. Complete Agreement.
This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and
cancels and supersedes all other agreements between the parties which may have
related to the subject matter contained in this Agreement.
3. Modification; Amendment; Waiver.
No modification, amendment or waiver of any provisions of this Agreement
shall be effective unless approved in writing by both parties. The failure at
any time to enforce any of the provisions
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of this Agreement shall in no way be construed as a waiver of such provisions
and shall not affect the right of either party thereafter to enforce each and
every provision hereof in accordance with its terms.
4. Governing Law; Jurisdiction.
This Agreement and performance under it, and all proceedings that may
ensue from its breach, shall be construed in accordance with and under the laws
of the State of Texas.
5. Severability.
Whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted
in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any
provision of this Agreement shall be held to be prohibited by or invalid under
applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective only to the extent of such
prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provision
or the remaining provisions of this Agreement.
6. Assignment.
The rights and obligations of the parties under this Agreement shall be
binding upon and inure to the benefit of their respective successors, assigns,
executors, administrators and heirs, provided, however, that the Company may not
assign any duties under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the
Employee.
7. Limitation.
This Agreement shall not confer any right or impose any obligation on the
Company to continue the employment of Employee in any capacity, or limit the
right of the Company or Employee to terminate Employee's employment.
8. Notices.
All notices and other communications under this Agreement shall be in
writing and shall be given in person or by telegraph, facsimile or first class
mail, certified or registered with return receipt requested, and shall be deemed
to have been duly given when delivered personally or three days after mailing or
one day after transmission of a telegram or facsimile, as the case may be, to
the representative persons named below:
If to the Company: Corporate Secretary
Tesoro Petroleum Corporation
300 Concord Plaza Drive
San Antonio, Texas 78216-6999
If to the Employee: Rodney S. Cason
50663 Dossow Street
Kenai, Alaska 99611
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the day
and year first above written.
COMPANY: TESORO PETROLEUM CORPORATION
By /s/ BRUCE A. SMITH
---------------------------------------------
Bruce A. Smith
Chairman of the Board of Directors, President
and Chief Executive Officer
EMPLOYEE: /s/ RODNEY S. CASON
---------------------------------------------
Rodney S. Cason
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