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8-K - FORM 8-K - EQUITY ONE, INC. | g27101e8vk.htm |
Exhibit 10.1
EQUITY ONE, INC.
AMENDED AND RESTATED
2000 EXECUTIVE INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN
EQUITY ONE, INC.
AMENDED AND RESTATED
2000 EXECUTIVE INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN
Page | ||||||||
1. | Purpose | 1 | ||||||
2. | Definitions | 1 | ||||||
3. | Administration | 5 | ||||||
(a) | Authority of the Committee |
5 | ||||||
(b) | Manner of Exercise of Committee Authority |
5 | ||||||
(c) | Limitation of Liability |
5 | ||||||
4. | Stock Subject to Plan | 6 | ||||||
(a) | Limitation on Overall Number of Shares Subject to Awards |
6 | ||||||
(b) | Application of Limitations |
6 | ||||||
(c) | Limitation on Incentive Stock Options |
6 | ||||||
5. | Eligibility; Per-Person Award Limitations | 6 | ||||||
6. | Specific Terms of Awards | 7 | ||||||
(a) | General |
7 | ||||||
(b) | Options |
7 | ||||||
(c) | Stock Appreciation Rights |
9 | ||||||
(d) | Restricted Stock |
9 | ||||||
(e) | Deferred Stock |
11 | ||||||
(f) | Bonus Stock and Awards in Lieu of Obligations |
12 | ||||||
(g) | Dividend Equivalents |
12 | ||||||
(h) | Other Stock-Based Awards |
12 | ||||||
7. | Certain Provisions Applicable to Awards | 13 | ||||||
(a) | Stand-Alone, Additional, Tandem, and Substitute Awards |
13 | ||||||
(b) | Term of Awards |
13 | ||||||
(c) | Form and Timing of Payment Under Awards; Deferrals |
14 | ||||||
(d) | Exemptions from Section 16(b) Liability |
14 | ||||||
8. | Performance and Annual Incentive Awards | 14 | ||||||
(a) | Performance Conditions |
14 | ||||||
(b) | Performance Awards Granted to Designated Covered Employees |
14 | ||||||
(c) | Settlement of Performance Awards; Other Terms |
16 | ||||||
(d) | Annual Incentive Awards Granted to Designated Covered Employees |
16 | ||||||
(e) | Written Determinations |
17 | ||||||
(f) | Status of Section 8(b) and Section 8(d) Awards Under Code Section 162(m) |
18 |
i
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9. | Change in Control | 18 | ||||||
(a) | Effect of Change in Control. |
18 | ||||||
(b) | Definition of Change in Control. |
19 | ||||||
(c) | Definition of Change in Control Price. |
19 | ||||||
10. | General Provisions | 20 | ||||||
(a) | Compliance With Legal and Other Requirements |
20 | ||||||
(b) | Limits on Transferability; Beneficiaries |
20 | ||||||
(c) | Adjustments |
21 | ||||||
(d) | Taxes |
21 | ||||||
(e) | Changes to the Plan and Awards |
22 | ||||||
(f) | Limitation on Rights Conferred Under Plan |
22 | ||||||
(g) | Unfunded Status of Awards; Creation of Trusts |
22 | ||||||
(h) | Nonexclusivity of the Plan |
23 | ||||||
(i) | Payments in the Event of Forfeitures; Fractional Shares |
23 | ||||||
(j) | Governing Law |
23 | ||||||
(k) | Plan Effective Date and Stockholder Approval; Termination of Plan |
23 | ||||||
(l) | Section 409A Compliance |
23 |
ii
1. Purpose. The purpose of this AMENDED AND RESTATED 2000 EXECUTIVE INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN (the Plan)
is to assist EQUITY ONE, INC., a Maryland corporation (the Company) and its subsidiaries in
attracting, motivating, retaining and rewarding high-quality executives and other employees,
officers, directors and independent contractors by enabling such persons to acquire or increase a
proprietary interest in the Company in order to strengthen the mutuality of interests between such
persons and the Companys stockholders, and providing such persons with annual and long term
performance incentives to expend their maximum efforts in the creation of shareholder value. In the
event that the Company is or becomes a Publicly Held Corporation (as hereinafter defined), the Plan
is intended to qualify certain compensation awarded under the Plan for tax deductibility under
Section 162(m) of the Code (as hereafter defined) to the extent deemed appropriate by the Committee
(or any successor committee) of the Board of Directors of the Company.
2. Definitions. For purposes of the Plan, the following terms shall be defined as set forth below, in addition to
such terms defined in Section 1 hereof.
(a) Annual Incentive Award means a conditional right granted to a Participant under
Section 8(c) hereof to receive a cash payment, Stock or other Award, unless
otherwise determined by the Committee, for all or a portion of a specified fiscal year.
(b) Award means any Option, SAR (including Limited SAR), Restricted Stock, Deferred
Stock, Stock granted as a bonus or in lieu of another award, Dividend Equivalent, Other
Stock-Based Award, Performance Award or Annual Incentive Award, together with any other
right or interest, granted to a Participant under the Plan.
(c) Beneficiary means the person, persons, trust or trusts which have been designated
by a Participant in his or her most recent written beneficiary designation filed with the
Committee to receive the benefits specified under the Plan upon such Participants death or
to which Awards or other rights are transferred if and to the extent permitted under
Section 10(b) hereof. If, upon a Participants death, there is no designated
Beneficiary or surviving designated Beneficiary, then the term Beneficiary means the person,
persons, trust or trusts entitled by will or the laws of descent and distribution to receive
such benefits.
(d) Beneficial Owner, Beneficially Owning and Beneficial Ownership shall have the
meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act and any successor to
such Rule.
(e) Board means the Companys Board of Directors.
(f) Cause shall, with respect to any Participant, have the equivalent meaning (or the
same meaning as cause or for cause) set forth in any employment agreement between the
Participant and the Company or Parent Corporation or Subsidiary or, in the absence of any
such agreement, such term shall mean (i) the failure by the Participant to perform his or
her duties as assigned by the Company (or Parent Corporation or Subsidiary) in a reasonable
manner, (ii) any violation or breach by the
Participant of his or her employment agreement with the Company (or Parent Corporation
or Subsidiary), if any, (iii) any violation or breach by the Participant of his or her
non-competition and/or non-disclosure agreement with the Company (or Parent Corporation or
Subsidiary), if any, (iv) any act by the Participant of dishonesty or bad faith with respect
to the Company (or Parent Corporation or Subsidiary), (v) chronic addition to alcohol, drugs
or other similar substances affecting the Participants work performance, or (vi) the
commission by the Participant of any act, misdemeanor, or crime reflecting unfavorably upon
the Participant or the Company. The good faith determination by the Committee of whether the
Participants employment was terminated by the Company for Cause shall be final and
binding for all purposes hereunder.
(g) Change in Control means a Change in Control as defined with related terms in
Section 9 of the Plan.
(h) Change in Control Price means the amount calculated in accordance with
Section 9(c) of the Plan.
(i) Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time,
including regulations thereunder and successor provisions and regulations thereto.
(j) Committee means a committee designated by the Board to administer the Plan;
provided, however, that the Committee shall consist of at least two directors, and, in the
event the Company is or becomes a Publicly Held Corporation (as hereinafter defined), each
member of which shall be (i) a non-employee director within the meaning of Rule 16b-3
under the Exchange Act, unless administration of the Plan by non-employee directors is not
then required in order for exemptions under Rule 16b-3 to apply to transactions under the
Plan, and (ii) an outside director within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code,
unless administration of the Plan by outside directors is not then required in order to
qualify for tax deductibility under Section 162(m) of the Code.
(k) Corporate Transaction means a Corporate Transaction as defined in Section
9(b)(i) of the Plan.
(l) Covered Employee means an Eligible Person who is a Covered Employee as specified
in Section 8(e) of the Plan.
(m) Deferred Stock means a right, granted to a Participant under Section
6(d)(v) hereof, to receive Stock, cash or a combination thereof at the end of a
specified deferral period.
(n) Director means a member of the Board.
(o) Disability means a permanent and total disability (within the meaning of Section
22(e) of the Code), as determined by a medical doctor satisfactory to the Committee.
2
(p) Dividend Equivalent means a right, granted to a Participant under Section
6(f) hereof, to receive cash, Stock, other Awards or other property equal in value to
dividends paid with respect to a specified number of shares of Stock, or other periodic
payments.
(q) Effective Date means the effective date of the Plan, which shall be April 24,
2000.
(r) Eligible Person means each Executive Officer of the Company (as defined under the
Exchange Act) and other officers, Directors and employees of the Company or of any
Subsidiary, and independent contractors with the Company or any Subsidiary. The foregoing
notwithstanding, only employees of the Company or any Subsidiary shall be Eligible Persons
for purposes of receiving any Incentive Stock Options. An employee on leave of absence may
be considered as still in the employ of the Company or a Subsidiary for purposes of
eligibility for participation in the Plan.
(s) Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to
time, including rules thereunder and successor provisions and rules thereto.
(t) Executive Officer means an executive officer of the Company as defined under the
Exchange Act.
(u) Fair Market Value means the fair market value of Stock, Awards or other property
as determined by the Committee or the Board, or under procedures established by the
Committee or the Board. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee or the Board, the Fair
Market Value of Stock as of any given date shall be the closing sale price per share
reported on a consolidated basis for stock listed on the principal stock exchange or market
on which Stock is traded on the date as of which such value is being determined or, if there
is no sale on that date, then on the last previous day on which a sale was reported.
(v) Incentive Stock Option or ISO means any Option intended to be designated as an
incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code or any successor
provision thereto.
(w) Incumbent Board means the Incumbent Board as defined in Section 9(b)(ii)
of the Plan.
(x) Limited SAR means a right granted to a Participant under Section 6(c)
hereof.
(y) Option means a right granted to a Participant under Section 6(b) hereof,
to purchase Stock or other Awards at a specified price during specified time periods.
(z) Other Stock-Based Awards means Awards granted to a Participant under Section
6(g) hereof.
3
(aa) Parent Corporation means any corporation (other than the Company) in an unbroken
chain of corporations ending with the Company, if each of the corporations in the chain
(other than the Company) owns stock possessing 50% or more of the combined voting power of
all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in the chain.
(bb) Participant means a person who has been granted an Award under the Plan which
remains outstanding, including a person who is no longer an Eligible Person.
(cc) Performance Award means a right, granted to an Eligible Person under Section
8(b) hereof, to receive Awards based upon performance criteria specified by the
Committee or the Board for a performance period that is longer than one fiscal years of the
Company.
(dd) Person shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(a)(9) of the
Exchange Act and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof, and shall include a group as
defined in Section 13(d) thereof.
(ee) Publicly Held Corporation shall mean a publicly held corporation as that term is
used under Section 162(m)(2) of the Code.
(ff) Restricted Stock means Stock granted to a Participant under Section
6(d) hereof, that is subject to certain restrictions and to a risk of forfeiture.
(gg) Rule 16b-3 and Rule 16a-1(c)(3) means Rule 16b-3 and Rule 16a-1(c)(3), as from
time to time in effect and applicable to the Plan and Participants, promulgated by the
Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
(hh) Stock means the Companys Common Stock, and such other securities as may be
substituted (or resubstituted) for Stock pursuant to Section 10(c) hereof.
(ii) Stock Appreciation Rights or SAR means a right granted to a Participant under
Section 6(c) hereof.
(jj) Subsidiary means any corporation or other entity in which the Company has a
direct or indirect ownership interest of 50% or more of the total combined voting power of
the then outstanding securities or interests of such corporation or other entity entitled to
vote generally in the election of directors or in which the Company has the right to receive
50% or more of the distribution of profits or 50% or more of the assets on liquidation or
dissolution.
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3. Administration.
(a) Authority of the Committee. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee; provided, however, that except as
otherwise expressly provided in this Plan or, during the period that the Company is a
Publicly Held Corporation, in order to comply with Code Section 162(m) or Rule 16b-3 under
the Exchange Act, the Board may exercise any power or authority granted to the Committee under this Plan. The Committee
or the Board shall have full and final authority, in each case subject to and consistent
with the provisions of the Plan, to select Eligible Persons to become Participants, grant
Awards, determine the type, number and other terms and conditions of, and all other matters
relating to, Awards, prescribe Award agreements (which need not be identical for each
Participant) and rules and regulations for the administration of the Plan, construe and
interpret the Plan and Award agreements and correct defects, supply omissions or reconcile
inconsistencies therein, and to make all other decisions and determinations as the Committee
or the Board may deem necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan. In
exercising any discretion granted to the Committee or the Board under the Plan or pursuant
to any Award, the Committee or the Board shall not be required to follow past practices, act
in a manner consistent with past practices, or treat any Eligible Person in a manner
consistent with the treatment of other Eligible Persons.
(b) Manner of Exercise of Committee Authority. In the event that the Company is or becomes a Publicly Held Corporation, the
Committee, and not the Board, shall exercise sole and exclusive discretion on any matter
relating to a Participant then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act with respect to the
Company to the extent necessary in order that transactions by such Participant shall be
exempt under Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act. Any action of the Committee or the Board
shall be final, conclusive and binding on all persons, including the Company, its
subsidiaries, Participants, Beneficiaries, transferees under Section 10(b) hereof
or other persons claiming rights from or through a Participant, and stockholders. The
express grant of any specific power to the Committee or the Board, and the taking of any
action by the Committee or the Board, shall not be construed as limiting any power or
authority of the Committee or the Board. The Committee or the Board may delegate to officers
or managers of the Company or any subsidiary, or committees thereof, the authority, subject
to such terms as the Committee or the Board shall determine, (i) to perform administrative
functions, (ii) with respect to Participants not subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act,
to perform such other functions as the Committee or the Board may determine, and (iii) with
respect to Participants subject to Section 16, to perform such other functions of the
Committee or the Board as the Committee or the Board may determine to the extent performance
of such functions will not result in the loss of an exemption under Rule 16b-3 otherwise
available for transactions by such persons, in each case to the extent permitted under
applicable law and subject to the requirements set forth in Section 8(e). The
Committee or the Board may appoint agents to assist it in administering the Plan.
(c) Limitation of Liability. The Committee and the Board, and each member thereof, shall be entitled to, in good
faith, rely or act upon any report or other information furnished to him or her by any
executive officer, other officer or employee of the Company or a Subsidiary, the Companys
independent auditors, consultants or any other agents assisting in the administration of the
Plan. Members of the Committee and the Board, and any officer or employee of the Company or
a subsidiary acting at the direction or on behalf of the Committee or the Board, shall not
be personally liable for any action or determination taken or made in good faith with
respect to the Plan, and shall, to the extent permitted by law, be fully indemnified and protected by the Company with respect
to any such action or determination.
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4. Stock Subject to Plan.
(a) Limitation on Overall Number of Shares Subject to Awards. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 10(c) hereof, the total number
of shares of Stock reserved and available for delivery in connection with Awards under the
Plan shall be the sum of (i) 13,500,000, plus (ii) the number of shares with respect to
Awards previously granted under the Plan that terminate without being exercised, expire, are
forfeited or canceled, and the number of shares of Stock that are surrendered in payment of
any Awards or any tax withholding with regard thereto. Any shares of Stock delivered under
the Plan may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued shares or treasury shares.
(b) Application of Limitations. The limitation contained in Section 4(a) shall apply not only to Awards that
are settleable by the delivery of shares of Stock but also to Awards relating to shares of
Stock but settleable only in cash (such as cash-only SARs). The Committee or the Board may
adopt reasonable counting procedures to ensure appropriate counting, avoid double counting
(as, for example, in the case of tandem or substitute awards) and make adjustments if the
number of shares of Stock actually delivered differs from the number of shares previously
counted in connection with an Award.
(c) Limitation on Incentive Stock Options. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 10(c) hereof, the maximum
aggregate number of shares of Stock that may be issued under the Plan as a result of the
exercise of Incentive Stock Options is 13,500,000 shares.
5. Eligibility; Per-Person Award Limitations. Awards may be granted under the Plan only to Eligible Persons. In each fiscal year during any
part of which the Plan is in effect, an Eligible Person may not be granted Awards relating to more
than 700,000 shares of Stock, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 10(c), under
each of Sections 6(b), 6(c), 6(d), 6(d)(v), 6(e),
6(f), 6(g), and, to the extent the Award is valued by reference to a designated
number of shares of Stock, under Section 8(d). In each fiscal year during any part of
which the Plan is in effect, an Eligible Person may not be granted Performance Awards under
Section 8(b) valued by reference to a designated number of shares of Stock in respect of a
performance period exceeding one year of more than the product of (i) 700,000 shares, subject to
adjustment as provided in Section 10(c), multiplied by (ii) the number of fiscal years (or
a portion thereof) in the performance periods for the Awards. The maximum dollar amount that may
be earned as an Annual Incentive Award valued by reference to a designated amount of property
(including cash) other than Shares in any fiscal year by any one Participant shall be $2,800,000,
and the maximum dollar amount that may be earned as a Performance Award valued by reference to a
designated amount of property (including cash) other than Shares in respect of a performance period
exceeding one year by any one Participant shall be the product of (i) $2,800,000 multiplied by (ii)
the number of fiscal years (or a portion thereof) in the performance period for the Award.
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6. Specific Terms of Awards.
(a) General. Awards may be granted on the terms and conditions set forth in this Section
6. In addition, the Committee or the Board may impose on any Award or the exercise
thereof, at the date of grant or thereafter (subject to Section 10(e)), such
additional terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as the
Committee or the Board shall determine, including terms requiring forfeiture of Awards in
the event of termination of employment by the Participant and terms permitting a Participant
to make elections relating to his or her Award. The Committee or the Board shall retain full
power and discretion to accelerate, waive or modify, at any time, any term or condition of
an Award that is not mandatory under the Plan. Except in cases in which the Committee or the
Board is authorized to require other forms of consideration under the Plan, or to the extent
other forms of consideration must be paid to satisfy the requirements of Maryland law, no
consideration other than services may be required for the grant (but not the exercise) of
any Award.
(b) Options. The Committee and the Board each is authorized to grant Options to Participants on
the following terms and conditions:
(i) Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Stock purchasable under an Option shall be
determined by the Committee or the Board, provided that such exercise price shall
not, in the case of Incentive Stock Options, be less than 100% of the Fair Market
Value of the Stock on the date of grant of the Option and shall not, in any event,
be less than the par value of a share of Stock on the date of grant of such Option.
If an employee owns or is deemed to own (by reason of the attribution rules
applicable under Section 424(d) of the Code) more than 10% of the combined voting
power of all classes of stock of the Company or any Parent Corporation or Subsidiary
and an Incentive Stock Option is granted to such employee, the option price of such
Incentive Stock Option (to the extent required by the Code at the time of grant)
shall be no less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of the Stock on the date such
Incentive Stock Option is granted.
(ii) Time and Method of Exercise. The Committee or the Board shall determine the time or times at which or the
circumstances under which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part (including
based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), the
time or times at which Options shall cease to be or become exercisable following
termination of employment or upon other conditions, the methods by which such
exercise price may be paid or deemed to be paid (including in the discretion of the
Committee or the Board a cashless exercise procedure), the form of such payment,
including, without limitation, cash, Stock, other Awards or awards granted under
other plans of the Company or any subsidiary, or other property (including notes or
other contractual obligations of Participants to make payment on a deferred basis),
and the methods by or forms in which Stock will be delivered or deemed to be
delivered to Participants.
7
(iii) ISOs. The terms of any ISO granted under the Plan shall comply in all respects with
the provisions of Section 422 of the Code. Anything in the Plan to the contrary
notwithstanding, no term of the Plan relating to ISOs (including any SAR in tandem
therewith) shall be interpreted, amended or altered, nor shall any discretion or
authority granted under the Plan be exercised, so as to disqualify either the Plan
or any ISO under Section 422 of the Code, unless the Participant has first requested
the change that will result in such disqualification. Thus, if and to the extent
required to comply with Section 422 of the Code, Options granted as Incentive Stock
Options shall be subject to the following special terms and conditions:
(A) | the Option shall not be exercisable more than ten years after the date such Incentive Stock Option is granted; provided, however, that if a Participant owns or is deemed to own (by reason of the attribution rules of Section 424(d) of the Code) more than 10% of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any Parent Corporation and the Incentive Stock Option is granted to such Participant, the term of the Incentive Stock Option shall be (to the extent required by the Code at the time of the grant) for no more than five years from the date of grant; and | ||
(B) | The aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the date the Incentive Stock Option is granted) of the shares of stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan and all other option plans of the Company or its Parent Corporation during any calendar year exercisable for the first time by the Participant during any calendar year shall not (to the extent required by the Code at the time of the grant) exceed $100,000. |
(iv) Repurchase Rights. The Committee and the Board shall have the discretion to grant Options which
are exercisable for unvested shares of Common Stock. Should the Optionee cease to be
employed with or perform services to the Company (or a Parent Corporation or
Subsidiary) while holding such unvested shares, the Company shall have the right to
repurchase, at the exercise price paid per share, any or all of those unvested shares. The terms upon which such repurchase right shall be exercisable (including
the period and procedure for exercise and the appropriate vesting schedule for the
purchased shares) shall be established by the Committee or the Board and set forth
in the document evidencing such repurchase right.
8
(c) Stock Appreciation Rights. The Committee and the Board each is authorized to grant SARs to Participants on the
following terms and conditions:
(i) Right to Payment. A SAR shall confer on the Participant to whom it is granted a right to
receive, upon exercise thereof, the excess of (A) the Fair Market Value of one share
of stock on the date of exercise (or, in the case of a Limited SAR that may be
exercised only in the event of a Change in Control, the Fair Market Value determined
by reference to the Change in Control Price, as defined under Section 9(c)
hereof), over (B) the grant price of the SAR as determined by the Committee or the
Board. The grant price of an SAR shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of a
share of Stock on the date of grant except as provided under Section 7(a)
hereof.
(ii) Other Terms. The Committee or the Board shall determine at the date of grant or
thereafter, the time or times at which and the circumstances under which a SAR may
be exercised in whole or in part (including based on achievement of performance
goals and/or future service requirements), the time or times at which SARs shall
cease to be or become exercisable following termination of employment or upon other
conditions, the method of exercise, method of settlement, form of consideration
payable in settlement, method by or forms in which Stock will be delivered or deemed
to be delivered to Participants, whether or not a SAR shall be in tandem or in
combination with any other Award, and any other terms and conditions of any SAR.
Limited SARs that may only be exercised in connection with a Change in Control or
other event as specified by the Committee or the Board, may be granted on such
terms, not inconsistent with this Section 6(c), as the Committee or the
Board may determine. SARs and Limited SARs may be either freestanding or in tandem
with other Awards.
(d) Restricted Stock. The Committee and the Board each is authorized to grant Restricted Stock to
Participants on the following terms and conditions:
(i) Grant and Restrictions. Restricted Stock shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability,
risk of forfeiture and other restrictions, if any, as the Committee or the Board may
impose, which restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times,
under such circumstances (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or
future service requirements), in such installments or otherwise, as the Committee or
the Board may determine at the date of grant or thereafter. Except to the extent
restricted under the terms of the Plan and any Award agreement relating to the
Restricted Stock, a Participant granted Restricted Stock shall have all of the
rights of a stockholder, including the right to vote the Restricted Stock and the
right to receive dividends thereon (subject to any mandatory reinvestment or other
requirement imposed by the Committee or the Board). During the restricted period
applicable to the Restricted Stock, subject to Section 10(b) below, the
Restricted Stock may not be sold, transferred, pledged, hypothecated, margined or
otherwise encumbered by the Participant.
(ii) Forfeiture. Except as otherwise determined by the Committee or the Board at the time of
the Award, upon termination of a Participants employment during the applicable
restriction period, the Participants Restricted
Stock that is at that time subject to restrictions shall be forfeited and
reacquired by the Company; provided that the Committee or the Board may provide, by
rule or regulation or in any Award agreement, or may determine in any individual
case, that restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to Restricted Stock shall
be waived in whole or in part in the event of terminations resulting from specified
causes, and the Committee or the Board may in other cases waive in whole or in part
the forfeiture of Restricted Stock.
9
(iii) Certificates for Stock. Restricted Stock granted under the Plan may be evidenced in such manner as
the Committee or the Board shall determine. If certificates representing Restricted
Stock are registered in the name of the Participant, the Committee or the Board may
require that such certificates bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms,
conditions and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock, that the Company
retain physical possession of the certificates, and that the Participant deliver a
stock power to the Company, endorsed in blank, relating to the Restricted Stock.
(iv) Dividends and Splits. As a condition to the grant of an Award of Restricted Stock, the Committee or
the Board may require that any cash dividends paid on a share of Restricted Stock be
automatically reinvested in additional shares of Restricted Stock or applied to the
purchase of additional Awards under the Plan. Unless otherwise determined by the
Committee or the Board, Stock distributed in connection with a Stock split or Stock
dividend, and other property distributed as a dividend, shall be subject to
restrictions and a risk of forfeiture to the same extent as the Restricted Stock
with respect to which such Stock or other property has been distributed.
(v) Automatic Restricted Stock Grants to Non-Employee Directors. Non-Employee Directors shall be eligible to receive Restricted Stock Awards
under this Section 6(d)(v).
(vi) Automatic Restricted Stock Grants to Non-Employee Directors. Non-Employee Directors shall be eligible to receive Restricted Stock Awards
under this Section 6(d)(vi).
(A) | Initial Grants. On the date that an eligible Non-Employee Director is first elected to the Board, such Non-Employee Director shall receive 2,000 shares of Restricted Stock (an Initial Grant); provided that any Non-Employee Director who is a member of the Board as of the Effective Date of this Plan shall be entitled to received an Initial Grant. The Initial Grant shall be subject to the availability and adjustment of shares of Stock issuable under the Plan pursuant to Section 4 and shall not be subject to the discretion of any person or persons. |
10
(B) | Service Grants. On each January 1 while the Plan remains in effect, each then Non-Employee Director shall be granted an additional 2,000 shares of Restricted Stock (a Service Grant), subject to the availability and adjustment of shares of Stock issuable under the Plan pursuant to Section 4 and shall not be subject to the discretion of any person or persons. In addition, on each January 1 while the Plan remains in effect, the lead director of the Company, if any, shall be granted an additional 1,000 shares of Restricted Stock, as an additional Service Grant, subject to the availability and adjustment of shares of Stock issuable under the Plan pursuant to Section 4 and shall not be subject to the discretion of any person or persons. | ||
(C) | Terms of Initial Grants and Service Grants. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee or in any Restricted Stock Agreement, each Restricted Stock Award granted pursuant to this Section 6(d)(vi) shall vest in two (2) equal installments on the first and second December 31 subsequent to the date on which the shares of Restricted Stock are granted. |
(e) Deferred Stock. The Committee and the Board each is authorized to grant Deferred Stock to
Participants, which are rights to receive Stock, cash, or a combination thereof at the end
of a specified deferral period, subject to the following terms and conditions:
(i) Award and Restrictions. Satisfaction of an Award of Deferred Stock shall occur upon expiration of the
deferral period specified for such Deferred Stock by the Committee or the Board (or,
if permitted by the Committee or the Board, as elected by the Participant). In
addition, Deferred Stock shall be subject to such restrictions (which may include a
risk of forfeiture) as the Committee or the Board may impose, if any, which
restrictions may lapse at the expiration of the deferral period or at earlier
specified times (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future
service requirements), separately or in combination, in installments or otherwise,
as the Committee or the Board may determine. Deferred Stock may be satisfied by
delivery of Stock, cash equal to the Fair Market Value of the specified number of shares of Stock covered by the Deferred Stock, or a combination thereof, as
determined by the Committee or the Board at the date of grant or thereafter. Prior
to satisfaction of an Award of Deferred Stock, an Award of Deferred Stock carries no
voting or dividend or other rights associated with share ownership.
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(ii) Forfeiture. Except as otherwise determined by the Committee or the Board, upon
termination of a Participants employment during the applicable deferral period
thereof to which forfeiture conditions apply (as provided in the Award agreement
evidencing the Deferred Stock), the Participants Deferred
Stock that is at that time subject to deferral (other than a deferral at the
election of the Participant) shall be forfeited; provided that the Committee or the
Board may provide, by rule or regulation or in any Award agreement, or may determine
in any individual case, that restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to
Deferred Stock shall be waived in whole or in part in the event of terminations
resulting from specified causes, and the Committee or the Board may in other cases
waive in whole or in part the forfeiture of Deferred Stock.
(iii) Dividend Equivalents. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee or the Board at date of grant,
Dividend Equivalents on the specified number of shares of Stock covered by an Award
of Deferred Stock shall be either (A) paid with respect to such Deferred Stock at
the dividend payment date in cash or in shares of unrestricted Stock having a Fair
Market Value equal to the amount of such dividends, or (B) deferred with respect to
such Deferred Stock and the amount or value thereof automatically deemed reinvested
in additional Deferred Stock, other Awards or other investment vehicles, as the
Committee or the Board shall determine or permit the Participant to elect.
(f) Bonus Stock and Awards in Lieu of Obligations. The Committee and the Board each is authorized to grant Stock as a bonus, or to grant
Stock or other Awards in lieu of Company obligations to pay cash or deliver other property
under the Plan or under other plans or compensatory arrangements, provided that, in the case
of Participants subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the amount of such grants remains
within the discretion of the Committee to the extent necessary to ensure that acquisitions
of Stock or other Awards are exempt from liability under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act.
Stock or Awards granted hereunder shall be subject to such other terms as shall be
determined by the Committee or the Board.
(g) Dividend Equivalents. The Committee and the Board each is authorized to grant Dividend Equivalents to a
Participant entitling the Participant to receive cash, Stock, other Awards, or other
property equal in value to dividends paid with respect to a specified number of shares of
Stock, or other periodic payments. Dividend Equivalents may be awarded on a free-standing
basis or in connection with another Award. The Committee or the Board may provide that
Dividend Equivalents shall be paid or distributed when accrued or shall be deemed to have
been reinvested in additional Stock, Awards, or other investment vehicles, and subject to
such restrictions on transferability and risks of forfeiture, as the Committee or the Board
may specify.
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(h) Other Stock-Based Awards. The Committee and the Board each is authorized, subject to limitations under
applicable law, to grant to Participants such other Awards that may be denominated or
payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, or related
to, Stock, as deemed by the Committee or the Board to be consistent with the purposes of the
Plan, including, without limitation, convertible or exchangeable debt securities, other
rights convertible or exchangeable into Stock, purchase rights for Stock, Awards with value
and payment contingent upon performance of the Company or any other factors designated by
the Committee or the Board, and Awards valued by reference to the book value of Stock or the
value of securities of or the
performance of specified subsidiaries or business units. The Committee or the Board
shall determine the terms and conditions of such Awards. Stock delivered pursuant to an
Award in the nature of a purchase right granted under this Section 6(h) shall be
purchased for such consideration (including without limitation loans from the Company or a
Parent Corporation or a Subsidiary), paid for at such times, by such methods, and in such
forms, including, without limitation, cash, Stock, other Awards or other property, as the
Committee or the Board shall determine. The Committee and the Board shall have the
discretion to grant such other Awards which are exercisable for unvested shares of Common
Stock. Should the Optionee cease to be employed with or perform services to the Company (or
a Parent Corporation or Subsidiary) while holding such unvested shares, the Company shall
have the right to repurchase, at the exercise price paid per share, any or all of those
unvested shares. The terms upon which such repurchase right shall be exercisable (including
the period and procedure for exercise and the appropriate vesting schedule for the purchased shares) shall be established by the Committee or the Board and set forth in the document
evidencing such repurchase right. Cash awards, as an element of or supplement to any other
Award under the Plan, may also be granted pursuant to this Section 6(h).
7. Certain Provisions Applicable to Awards.
(a) Stand-Alone, Additional, Tandem, and Substitute Awards. Awards granted under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee or the Board,
be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with, or in substitution or exchange
for, any other Award or any award granted under another plan of the Company, any subsidiary,
or any business entity to be acquired by the Company or a subsidiary, or any other right of
a Participant to receive payment from the Company or any subsidiary. Such additional,
tandem, and substitute or exchange Awards may be granted at any time. If an Award is granted
in substitution or exchange for another Award or award, the Committee or the Board shall
require the surrender of such other Award or award in consideration for the grant of the new
Award. In addition, Awards may be granted in lieu of cash compensation, including in lieu of
cash amounts payable under other plans of the Company or any subsidiary, in which the value
of Stock subject to the Award is equivalent in value to the cash compensation (for example,
Deferred Stock or Restricted Stock), or in which the exercise price, grant price or purchase
price of the Award in the nature of a right that may be exercised is equal to the Fair
Market Value of the underlying Stock minus the value of the cash compensation surrendered
(for example, Options granted with an exercise price discounted by the amount of the cash
compensation surrendered).
(b) Term of Awards. The term of each Award shall be for such period as may be determined by the Committee
or the Board; provided that in no event shall the term of any Option or SAR exceed a period
of ten years (or such shorter term as may be required in respect of an ISO under Section 422
of the Code).
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(c) Form and Timing of Payment Under Awards; Deferrals. Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award agreement, payments to be
made by the Company or a subsidiary upon the exercise of an Option or other Award or
settlement of
an Award may be made in such forms as the Committee or the Board shall determine,
including, without limitation, cash, other Awards or other property, and may be made in a
single payment or transfer, in installments, or on a deferred basis. The settlement of any
Award may be accelerated, and cash paid in lieu of Stock in connection with such settlement,
in the discretion of the Committee or the Board or upon occurrence of one or more specified
events (in addition to a Change in Control). Installment or deferred payments may be
required by the Committee or the Board (subject to Section 10(e) of the Plan) or
permitted at the election of the Participant on terms and conditions established by the
Committee or the Board. Payments may include, without limitation, provisions for the payment
or crediting of a reasonable interest rate on installment or deferred payments or the grant
or crediting of Dividend Equivalents or other amounts in respect of installment or deferred
payments denominated in Stock.
(d) Exemptions from Section 16(b) Liability. If and to the extent that the Company is or becomes a Publicly Held Corporation, it
is the intent of the Company that this Plan comply in all respects with applicable
provisions of Rule 16b-3 or Rule 16a-1(c)(3) to the extent necessary to ensure that neither
the grant of any Awards to nor other transaction by a Participant who is subject to Section
16 of the Exchange Act is subject to liability under Section 16(b) thereof (except for
transactions acknowledged in writing to be non-exempt by such Participant). Accordingly, if
any provision of this Plan or any Award agreement does not comply with the requirements of
Rule 16b-3 or Rule 16a-1(c)(3) as then applicable to any such transaction, such provision
will be construed or deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to the applicable
requirements of Rule 16b-3 or Rule 16a-1(c)(3) so that such Participant shall avoid
liability under Section 16(b). In addition, the purchase price of any Award conferring a
right to purchase Stock shall be not less than any specified percentage of the Fair Market
Value of Stock at the date of grant of the Award then required in order to comply with Rule
16b-3.
8. Performance and Annual Incentive Awards.
(a) Performance Conditions. The right of a Participant to exercise or receive a grant or settlement of any Award,
and the timing thereof, may be subject to such performance conditions as may be specified by
the Committee or the Board. The Committee or the Board may use such business criteria and
other measures of performance as it may deem appropriate in establishing any performance
conditions, and may exercise its discretion to reduce the amounts payable under any Award
subject to performance conditions, except as limited under Sections 8(b) and
8(d) hereof in the case of a Performance Award or Annual Incentive Award intended
to qualify under Code Section 162(m). At such times as the Company is a Publicly Held
Corporation, if and to the extent required under Code Section 162(m), any power or authority
relating to a Performance Award or Annual Incentive Award intended to qualify under Code
Section 162(m), shall be exercised by the Committee and not the Board.
(b) Performance Awards Granted to Designated Covered Employees. If and to the extent that the Committee determines that a Performance Award to be
granted to an Eligible Person who is designated by the Committee as likely to be a Covered
Employee should qualify as performance-based compensation for purposes of Code Section
162(m), the grant, exercise and/or settlement of such Performance Award shall be
contingent upon achievement of preestablished performance goals and other terms set forth in
this Section 8(b).
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(i) Performance Goals Generally. The performance goals for such Performance Awards shall consist of one or
more business criteria and a targeted level or levels of performance with respect to
each of such criteria, as specified by the Committee consistent with this
Section 8(b). Performance goals shall be objective and shall otherwise meet
the requirements of Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder including the
requirement that the level or levels of performance targeted by the Committee result
in the achievement of performance goals being substantially uncertain. The
Committee may determine that such Performance Awards shall be granted, exercised
and/or settled upon achievement of any one performance goal or that two or more of
the performance goals must be achieved as a condition to grant, exercise and/or
settlement of such Performance Awards. Performance goals may differ for Performance
Awards granted to any one Participant or to different Participants.
(ii) Business Criteria. The following business criterion for the Company, on a consolidated basis,
and/or with regard to specified subsidiaries, geographic regions or business units
of the Company (except with respect to the total stockholder return and earnings per
share criteria), shall be used exclusively by the Committee in establishing
performance goals for such Performance Awards: (1) earnings per share, (2) revenues
or margins; (3) increase in cash flow; (4) operating margin; (5) return on net
assets, return on investment, return on capital, return on equity; (6) economic
value added; (7) direct contribution; (8) net income; pretax earnings; earnings
before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization; earnings after interest
expense and before extraordinary or special items; operating income; income before
interest income or expense, unusual items and income taxes, local, state or federal
and excluding budgeted and actual bonuses which might be paid under any ongoing
bonus plans of ours; (9) working capital; (10) management of fixed costs or variable
costs; (11) identification or consummation of investment opportunities or completion
of specified projects in accordance with corporate business plans, including
strategic mergers, acquisitions or divestitures and development and redevelopment
projects; (12) total stockholder return; (13) debt reduction; (14) funds from
operations on an absolute or per share basis; (15) financial measures and ratios,
including debt service coverage, dividend coverage, debt to assets, debt to
stockholders equity or other similar measures; (16) share price; (17) dividends;
(18) market share or market penetration; (19) attainment of financing, refinancing,
or capitalization goals; (20) value creation in the form of an increase in the net
asset value of a real estate development or redevelopment project; (21) attainment
of leasing goals; (22) operating or property related criteria (on a same property
basis or otherwise), including occupancy, net operating income, leasing spreads,
improvements in net effective rent, or other similar measures; and (23) any of the
above goals determined on an absolute or relative basis and/or as compared to the
performance of a published or special index deemed applicable by the compensation committee
including, but not limited to, the Standard & Poors 500 Stock Index or peer group
of industry competitors selected by the compensation committee. The foregoing
business criterion shall also be exclusively used in establishing performance goals
for Annual Incentive Awards granted to a Covered Employee under Section
8(c) hereof that are intended to qualify as performance-based compensation
under Code Section 162(m).
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(iii) Performance Period; Timing For Establishing Performance Goals. Achievement of performance goals in respect of such Performance Awards shall
be measured over a performance period of up to ten years, as specified by the
Committee. Performance goals shall be established not later than 90 days after the
beginning of any performance period applicable to such Performance Awards, or at
such other date as may be required or permitted for performance-based compensation
under Code Section 162(m).
(iv) Performance Award Pool. The Committee may establish a Performance Award pool, which shall be an
unfunded pool, for purposes of measuring Company performance in connection with
Performance Awards. The amount of such Performance Award pool shall be based upon
the achievement of a performance goal or goals based on one or more of the business
criteria set forth in Section 8(b)(ii) hereof during the given performance
period, as specified by the Committee in accordance with Section 8(b)(iii)
hereof. The Committee may specify the amount of the Performance Award pool as a
percentage of any of such business criteria, a percentage thereof in excess of a
threshold amount, or as another amount which need not bear a strictly mathematical
relationship to such business criteria.
(c) Settlement of Performance Awards; Other Terms. Settlement of such Performance Awards shall be in cash, Stock, other Awards or other
property, in the discretion of the Committee. The Committee may, in its discretion, reduce
the amount of a settlement otherwise to be made in connection with such Performance Awards.
The Committee shall specify the circumstances in which such Performance Awards shall be paid
or forfeited in the event of termination of employment by the Participant prior to the end
of a performance period or settlement of Performance Awards.
(d) Annual Incentive Awards Granted to Designated Covered Employees. The Committee may, within its discretion, grant one or more Annual Incentive Awards
to any Eligible Person, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Section
8(d).
(i) Annual Incentive Award Pool. The Committee may establish an Annual Incentive Award pool, which shall be an
unfunded pool, for purposes of measuring Company performance in connection with
Annual Incentive Awards. In the case of Annual Incentive Awards intended to qualify
as performance-based compensation for purposes of Code Section 162(m), the amount
of such Annual Incentive Award pool shall be based upon the achievement of a
performance goal or goals based on one or more of the business criteria set forth
in Section 8(b)(ii) hereof during the given performance period, as
specified by the Committee in accordance with Section 8(b)(iii) hereof. The
Committee may specify the amount of the Annual Incentive Award pool as a percentage
of any such business criteria, a percentage thereof in excess of a threshold amount,
or as another amount which need not bear a strictly mathematical relationship to
such business criteria.
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(ii) Potential Annual Incentive Awards. Not later than the end of the 90th day of each fiscal year, or at such other
date as may be required or permitted in the case of Awards intended to be
performance-based compensation under Code Section 162(m), the Committee shall
determine the Eligible Persons who will potentially receive Annual Incentive Awards,
and the amounts potentially payable thereunder, for that fiscal year, either out of
an Annual Incentive Award pool established by such date under Section
8(d)(i) hereof or as individual Annual Incentive Awards. In the case of
individual Annual Incentive Awards intended to qualify under Code Section 162(m),
the amount potentially payable shall be based upon the achievement of a performance
goal or goals based on one or more of the business criteria set forth in Section
8(b)(ii) hereof in the given performance year, as specified by the Committee;
in other cases, such amount shall be based on such criteria as shall be established
by the Committee. In all cases, the maximum Annual Incentive Award of any
Participant shall be subject to the limitation set forth in Section 5
hereof.
(iii) Payout of Annual Incentive Awards. After the end of each fiscal year, the Committee shall determine the amount,
if any, of (A) the Annual Incentive Award pool, and the maximum amount of potential
Annual Incentive Award payable to each Participant in the Annual Incentive Award
pool, or (B) the amount of potential Annual Incentive Award otherwise payable to
each Participant. The Committee may, in its discretion, determine that the amount
payable to any Participant as an Annual Incentive Award shall be reduced from the
amount of his or her potential Annual Incentive Award, including a determination to
make no Award whatsoever. The Committee shall specify the circumstances in which an
Annual Incentive Award shall be paid or forfeited in the event of termination of
employment by the Participant prior to the end of a fiscal year or settlement of
such Annual Incentive Award.
(e) Written Determinations. All determinations by the Committee as to the establishment of performance goals, the
amount of any Performance Award pool or potential individual Performance Awards and as to
the achievement of performance goals relating to Performance Awards under Section
8(b), and the amount of any Annual Incentive Award pool or potential individual Annual
Incentive Awards and the amount of final Annual Incentive Awards under Section
8(d), shall be made in writing in the case of any Award intended to qualify under Code
Section 162(m). The Committee may not delegate any responsibility relating to such
Performance Awards or Annual Incentive Awards if and to the extent required to comply with
Code Section 162(m).
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(f) Status of Section 8(b) and Section 8(d) Awards Under Code Section
162(m). It is the intent of the Company that Performance Awards and Annual Incentive Awards
under Section 8(b) and 8(d) hereof granted to persons who are designated
by the Committee as likely to be Covered Employees within the meaning of Code Section 162(m)
and regulations thereunder shall, if so designated by the Committee, constitute qualified
performance-based compensation within the meaning of Code Section 162(m) and regulations
thereunder. Accordingly, the terms of Sections 8(b), (c), (d) and
(e), including the definitions of Covered Employee and other terms used therein,
shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with Code Section 162(m) and regulations
thereunder. The foregoing notwithstanding, because the Committee cannot determine with
certainty whether a given Participant will be a Covered Employee with respect to a fiscal
year that has not yet been completed, the term Covered Employee as used herein shall mean
only a person designated by the Committee, at the time of grant of Performance Awards or an
Annual Incentive Award, as likely to be a Covered Employee with respect to that fiscal year.
If any provision of the Plan or any agreement relating to such Performance Awards or Annual
Incentive Awards does not comply or is inconsistent with the requirements of Code Section
162(m) or regulations thereunder, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to the
extent necessary to conform to such requirements.
9. Change in Control.
(a) Effect of Change in Control.If and to the extent provided in the Award, in the event of a Change in Control, as
defined in Section 9(b):
(i) The Committee may, within its discretion, accelerate the vesting and
exercisability of any Award carrying a right to exercise that was not previously
vested and exercisable as of the time of the Change in Control, subject to
applicable restrictions set forth in Section 10(a) hereof;
(ii) The Committee may, within its discretion, accelerate the exercisability of
any limited SARs (and other SARs if so provided by their terms) and provide for the
settlement of such SARs for amounts, in cash, determined by reference to the Change
in Control Price;
(iii) The Committee may, within its discretion, lapse the restrictions,
deferral of settlement, and forfeiture conditions applicable to any other Award
granted under the Plan and such Awards may be deemed fully vested as of the time of
the Change in Control, except to the extent of any waiver by the Participant and
subject to applicable restrictions set forth in Section 10(a) hereof; and
(iv) With respect to any such outstanding Award subject to achievement of
performance goals and conditions under the Plan, the Committee may, within its
discretion, deem such performance goals and other conditions as having been met as
of the date of the Change in Control.
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(b) Definition of Change in Control. A Change in Control shall be deemed to have occurred upon:
(i) Approval by the stockholders of the Company of (x) a reorganization,
merger, consolidation or other form of corporate transaction or series of
transactions, in each case, with respect to which persons who were the stockholders
of the Company immediately prior to such reorganization, merger or consolidation or
other transaction do not, immediately thereafter, own more than 50% of the combined
voting power entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the
reorganized, merged or consolidated companys then outstanding voting securities, in
substantially the same proportions as their ownership immediately prior to such
reorganization, merger, consolidation or other transaction, or (y) a liquidation or
dissolution of the Company or (z) the sale of all or substantially all of the assets
of the Company (unless such reorganization, merger, consolidation or other corporate
transaction, liquidation, dissolution or sale is subsequently abandoned);
(ii) Individuals who, as of the Effective Date, constitute the Board (the
Incumbent Board) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the
Board, provided (i) that any person becoming a director subsequent to the Effective
Date whose election, or nomination for election by the Companys stockholders, was
approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then comprising the
Incumbent Board (other than an election or nomination of an individual whose initial
assumption of office is in connection with an actual or threatened election contest
relating to the election of the Directors of the Company, as such terms are used in
Rule 14a-11 of Regulation 14A promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act) or (ii)
any individual appointed to the Board by the Incumbent Board shall be, for purposes
of this Agreement, considered as though such person were a member of the Incumbent
Board; or
(iii) the acquisition (other than from the Company) by any person, entity or
group, within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Securities
Exchange Act, of more than 35% of either the then outstanding shares of the
Companys Common Stock or the combined voting power of the Companys then
outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of
directors (hereinafter referred to as the ownership of a Controlling Interest)
excluding, for this purpose, any acquisitions by (1) the Company or its
Subsidiaries, or (2) any person, entity or group that as of the Effective Date
owns beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the
Securities Exchange Act) of a Controlling Interest or any affiliate of such person,
entity or group.
(c) Definition of Change in Control Price. The Change in Control Price means an amount in cash equal to the higher of (i) the
amount of cash and fair market value of property that is the highest price per share paid
(including extraordinary dividends) in any Corporate Transaction triggering the Change in
Control under Section 9(b)(i) hereof or any liquidation of shares following a sale
of substantially all of the
assets of the Company, or (ii) the highest Fair Market Value per share at any time
during the 60-day period preceding and the 60-day period following the Change in Control.
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10. General Provisions.
(a) Compliance With Legal and Other Requirements. The Company may, to the extent deemed necessary or advisable by the Committee or the
Board, postpone the issuance or delivery of Stock or payment of other benefits under any
Award until completion of such registration or qualification of such Stock or other required
action under any federal or state law, rule or regulation, listing or other required action
with respect to any stock exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Stock or
other Company securities are listed or quoted, or compliance with any other obligation of
the Company, as the Committee or the Board, may consider appropriate, and may require any
Participant to make such representations, furnish such information and comply with or be
subject to such other conditions as it may consider appropriate in connection with the
issuance or delivery of Stock or payment of other benefits in compliance with applicable
laws, rules, and regulations, listing requirements, or other obligations. The foregoing
notwithstanding, in connection with a Change in Control, the Company shall take or cause to
be taken no action, and shall undertake or permit to arise no legal or contractual
obligation, that results or would result in any postponement of the issuance or delivery of
Stock or payment of benefits under any Award or the imposition of any other conditions on
such issuance, delivery or payment, to the extent that such postponement or other condition
would represent a greater burden on a Participant than existed on the 90th day preceding the
Change in Control.
(b) Limits on Transferability; Beneficiaries. No Award or other right or interest of a Participant under the Plan, including any
Award or right which constitutes a derivative security as generally defined in Rule 16a-1(c)
under the Exchange Act, shall be pledged, hypothecated or otherwise encumbered or subject to
any lien, obligation or liability of such Participant to any party (other than the Company
or a Subsidiary), or assigned or transferred by such Participant otherwise than by will or
the laws of descent and distribution or to a Beneficiary upon the death of a Participant,
and such Awards or rights that may be exercisable shall be exercised during the lifetime of
the Participant only by the Participant or his or her guardian or legal representative,
except that Awards and other rights (other than ISOs and SARs in tandem therewith) may be
transferred to one or more Beneficiaries or other transferees during the lifetime of the
Participant, and may be exercised by such transferees in accordance with the terms of such
Award, but only if and to the extent such transfers and exercises are permitted by the
Committee or the Board pursuant to the express terms of an Award agreement (subject to any
terms and conditions which the Committee or the Board may impose thereon, and further
subject to any prohibitions or restrictions on such transfers pursuant to Rule 16b-3). A
Beneficiary, transferee, or other person claiming any rights under the Plan from or through
any Participant shall be subject to all terms and conditions of the Plan and any Award
agreement applicable to such Participant, except as otherwise determined by the Committee or
the Board, and to any additional terms and conditions deemed necessary or appropriate by the
Committee or the Board.
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(c) Adjustments. In the event that any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash,
Stock, or other property), recapitalization, forward or reverse split, reorganization,
merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination, repurchase, share exchange, liquidation,
dissolution or other similar corporate transaction or event affects the Stock such that a
substitution or adjustment is determined by the Committee or the Board to be appropriate in
order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the rights of Participants under the Plan, then
the Committee or the Board shall, in such manner as it may deem equitable, substitute or
adjust any or all of (i) the number and kind of shares of Stock which may be delivered in
connection with Awards granted thereafter, (ii) the number and kind of shares of Stock by
which annual per-person Award limitations are measured under Section 5 hereof,
(iii) the number and kind of shares of Stock subject to or deliverable in respect of
outstanding Awards and (iv) the exercise price, grant price or purchase price relating to
any Award and/or make provision for payment of cash or other property in respect of any
outstanding Award. In addition, the Committee (and the Board if and only to the extent such
authority is not required to be exercised by the Committee to comply with Code Section
162(m)) is authorized to make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria
included in, Awards (including Performance Awards and performance goals, and Annual
Incentive Awards and any Annual Incentive Award pool or performance goals relating thereto)
in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including, without limitation, events
described in the preceding sentence, as well as acquisitions and dispositions of businesses
and assets) affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any business unit, or the financial
statements of the Company or any Subsidiary, or in response to changes in applicable laws,
regulations, accounting principles, tax rates and regulations or business conditions or in
view of the Committees assessment of the business strategy of the Company, any Subsidiary
or business unit thereof, performance of comparable organizations, economic and business
conditions, personal performance of a Participant, and any other circumstances deemed
relevant; provided that no such adjustment shall be authorized or made if and to the extent
that such authority or the making of such adjustment would cause Options, SARs, Performance
Awards granted under Section 8(b) hereof or Annual Incentive Awards granted under
Section 8(d) hereof to Participants designated by the Committee as Covered
Employees and intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under Code Section
162(m) and the regulations thereunder to otherwise fail to qualify as performance-based
compensation under Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder.
(d) Taxes. The Company and any Subsidiary is authorized to withhold from any Award granted, any
payment relating to an Award under the Plan, including from a distribution of Stock, or any
payroll or other payment to a Participant, amounts of withholding and other taxes due or
potentially payable in connection with any transaction involving an Award, and to take such
other action as the Committee or the Board may deem advisable to enable the Company and
Participants to satisfy obligations for the payment of withholding taxes and other tax
obligations relating to any Award. This authority shall include authority to withhold or
receive Stock or other property and to make cash payments in respect thereof in satisfaction
of a Participants tax obligations, either on a mandatory or elective basis in the
discretion of the Committee.
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(e) Changes to the Plan and Awards. The Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or terminate the Plan, or the
Committees authority to grant Awards under the Plan, without the consent of stockholders or
Participants, except that any amendment or alteration to the Plan shall be subject to the
approval of the Companys stockholders not later than the annual meeting next following such
Board action if such stockholder approval is required by any federal or state law or
regulation (including, without limitation, Rule 16b-3 or Code Section 162(m)) or the rules
of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which the Stock may then be listed or
quoted, and the Board may otherwise, in its discretion, determine to submit other such
changes to the Plan to stockholders for approval; provided that, without the consent of an
affected Participant, no such Board action may materially and adversely affect the rights of
such Participant under any previously granted and outstanding Award. The Committee or the
Board may waive any conditions or rights under, or amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or
terminate any Award theretofore granted and any Award agreement relating thereto, except as
otherwise provided in the Plan; provided that, without the consent of an affected
Participant, no such Committee or the Board action may materially and adversely affect the
rights of such Participant under such Award. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the
contrary, if any right under this Plan would cause a transaction to be ineligible for
pooling of interest accounting that would, but for the right hereunder, be eligible for such
accounting treatment, the Committee or the Board may modify or adjust the right so that
pooling of interest accounting shall be available, including the substitution of Stock
having a Fair Market Value equal to the cash otherwise payable hereunder for the right which
caused the transaction to be ineligible for pooling of interest accounting.
(f) Limitation on Rights Conferred Under Plan. Neither the Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as (i) giving any
Eligible Person or Participant the right to continue as an Eligible Person or Participant or
in the employ of the Company or a Subsidiary; (ii) interfering in any way with the right of
the Company or a Subsidiary to terminate any Eligible Persons or Participants employment
at any time, (iii) giving an Eligible Person or Participant any claim to be granted any
Award under the Plan or to be treated uniformly with other Participants and employees, or
(iv) conferring on a Participant any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company unless
and until the Participant is duly issued or transferred shares of Stock in accordance with
the terms of an Award.
(g) Unfunded Status of Awards; Creation of Trusts. The Plan is intended to constitute an unfunded plan for incentive and deferred
compensation. With respect to any payments not yet made to a Participant or obligation to
deliver Stock pursuant to an Award, nothing contained in the Plan or any Award shall give
any such Participant any rights that are greater than those of a general creditor of the
Company; provided that the Committee may authorize the creation of trusts and deposit
therein cash, Stock, other Awards or other property, or make other arrangements to meet the
Companys obligations under the Plan. Such trusts or other arrangements shall be consistent
with the unfunded status of the Plan unless the Committee otherwise determines with the
consent of each affected Participant. The trustee of such trusts may be authorized to
dispose of trust assets and reinvest the proceeds in alternative investments, subject
to such terms and conditions as the Committee or the Board may specify and in accordance
with applicable law.
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(h) Nonexclusivity of the Plan. Neither the adoption of the Plan by the Board nor its submission to the stockholders
of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of
the Board or a committee thereof to adopt such other incentive arrangements as it may deem
desirable including incentive arrangements and awards which do not qualify under Code
Section 162(m).
(i) Payments in the Event of Forfeitures; Fractional Shares. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee or the Board, in the event of a
forfeiture of an Award with respect to which a Participant paid cash or other consideration,
the Participant shall be repaid the amount of such cash or other consideration. No
fractional shares of Stock shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award.
The Committee or the Board shall determine whether cash, other Awards or other property
shall be issued or paid in lieu of such fractional shares or whether such fractional shares or any rights thereto shall be forfeited or otherwise eliminated.
(j) Governing Law. The validity, construction and effect of the Plan, any rules and regulations under
the Plan, and any Award agreement shall be determined in accordance with the laws of the
State of Maryland without giving effect to principles of conflicts of laws, and applicable
federal law.
(k) Plan Effective Date and Stockholder Approval; Termination of Plan. The Plan shall become effective on the Effective Date, subject to subsequent approval
within 12 months of its adoption by the Board by stockholders of the Company eligible to
vote in the election of directors, by a vote sufficient to meet the requirements of Code
Sections 162(m) (if applicable) and 422, Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act (if applicable),
applicable New York Stock Exchange requirements, and other laws, regulations, and
obligations of the Company applicable to the Plan. Awards may be granted subject to
stockholder approval, but may not be exercised or otherwise settled in the event stockholder
approval is not obtained. The Plan shall terminate on the earliest to occur of (i) the day
immediately prior to the tenth anniversary of the date the stockholders of the Company
approved to limit the terms hereof (such date being May 2, 2021), or (ii) the date on which
no shares of Common Stock remain available for issuance under the Plan and the Company has
no further rights or obligations with respect to outstanding Awards under the Plan.
(l) Section 409A Compliance.
(i) The Award agreement for any Award that the Committee reasonably determines
to constitute a Section 409A Plan, as defined in Section 10(l)(ii) hereof,
and the provisions of the Plan applicable to that Award, shall be construed in a
manner consistent with the applicable requirements of Section 409A, and the
Committee, in its sole discretion and without the consent of any Participant, may
amend any Award agreement (and the provisions of the Plan
applicable thereto) if and to the extent that the Committee determines that
such amendment is necessary or appropriate to comply with the requirements of
Section 409A of the Code.
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(ii) If any Award constitutes a nonqualified deferred compensation plan under
Section 409A of the Code (a Section 409A Plan), then the Award shall be subject to
the following additional requirements, if and to the extent required to comply with
Section 409A of the Code:
(A) | Payments under the Section 409A Plan may not be made earlier than the first to occur of (u) the Participants separation from service, (v) the date the Participant becomes disabled, (w) the Participants death, (x) a specified time (or pursuant to a fixed schedule) specified in the Award agreement for the Award at the date of the deferral of such compensation, (y) a change in the ownership or effective control of the corporation, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company, or (z) the occurrence of an unforeseeble emergency; | ||
(B) | The time or schedule for any payment of the deferred compensation may not be accelerated, except to the extent provided in applicable Treasury Regulations or other applicable guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service; | ||
(C) | Any elections with respect to the deferral of such compensation or the time and form of distribution of such deferred compensation shall comply with the requirements of Section 409A(a)(4) of the Code; and | ||
(D) | In the case of any Participant who is specified employee, a distribution on account of a separation from service may not be made before the date which is six months after the date of the Participants separation from service (or, if earlier, the date of the Participants death). |
For purposes of the foregoing, the terms in quotations shall have the same
meanings as those terms have for purposes of Section 409A of the Code, and the
limitations set forth herein shall be applied in such manner (and only to the
extent) as shall be necessary to comply with any requirements of Section 409A of the
Code that are applicable to the Award.
(iii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, or any provision of this Plan or any Award
agreement for an Award, the Company does not make any representation to any
Participant or Beneficiary that any Awards made pursuant to this Plan are
exempt from, or satisfy, the requirements of, Section 409A, and the Company
shall have no liability or other obligation to indemnify or hold harmless the
Participant or any Beneficiary for any tax, additional tax, interest or penalties
that the Participant or any Beneficiary may incur in the event that any provision of
this Plan, or any Award agreement for an Award, or any amendment or modification
thereof, or any other action taken with respect thereto, is deemed to violate any of
the requirements of Section 409A.
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