Exhibit


Amended and Restated on February 24, 2016




EXHIBIT 10.6
XYLEM
2011 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN 


ARTICLE 1. ESTABLISHMENT, PURPOSE, AND DURATION 
1.1 Establishment. Xylem Inc., an Indiana corporation (the “Company”), establishes an incentive compensation plan to be known as the Xylem 2011 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), as set forth in this document. The Plan permits the grant of Nonqualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs), Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units and Other Awards. The Plan first became effective October 31, 2011 (the “Effective Date”) following the spin-off of Xylem Inc. from ITT Corporation (the “Predecessor Corporation”) on October 31, 2011. The Predecessor Corporation maintained a similar plan prior to the spin-off (the “Predecessor Plan”) and Participants shall receive full credit for their service and participation with the Predecessor Corporation as provided in Section 5.3 hereof. 
1.2 Purpose of the Plan. The purpose of the Plan is to promote the long-term interests of the Company and its shareholders by strengthening the Company’s ability to attract and retain employees of the Company and its Affiliates and members of the Board of Directors upon whose judgment, initiative, and efforts the financial success and growth of the business of the Company largely depend, and to provide an additional incentive for such individuals through share ownership and other rights that promote and recognize the financial success and growth of the Company and create value for shareholders. 
1.3 Duration of the Plan. The Plan shall commence as of the Effective Date, as described in Section 1.1 hereof, and shall remain in effect, subject to the right of the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee of the Board, (the “Committee”) to amend or terminate the Plan at any time pursuant to Article 14 hereof, until all Shares subject to it shall have been purchased or acquired according to the Plan’s provisions.


ARTICLE 2. DEFINITIONS 
Whenever used in the Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below, and when the meaning is intended, the initial letter of the word shall be capitalized. 
2.1 “Affiliate” means any Subsidiary and any other Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Person specified. 
2.2 “Award” means, individually or collectively, a grant under this Plan of Nonqualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Converted Awards and Other Awards. 
2.3 “Award Agreement” means either (i) an agreement entered into by the Company and a Participant setting forth the terms and provisions applicable to Awards granted under this Plan, or (ii) a statement issued by the Company to a Participant describing the terms and conditions of such Award. 
2.4 “Beneficial Owner” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 13d-3 and 13d-5 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act. 
2.5 “Benefits and Compensation Matters Agreement” means the Benefits and Compensation Matters Agreement by and among the Company, the Predecessor Corporation and Exelis Inc. (now Harris Inc.). 
2.6 “Board” or “Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company. 
2.7 “Change in Control” means the occurrence of any of the following:
		
	(a)
	a person or group (as defined in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) (other than the Company or a subsidiary of the Company or any employee benefit plan sponsored by the Company or a subsidiary) becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Act) of 30% or more of the outstanding common stock of Xylem Inc. (the “Stock”); 


		
	(b)
	any person or group (other than the Company or a subsidiary of the Company, or any employee benefit plan sponsored by the Company or a subsidiary) purchases shares to acquire Stock (or securities convertible into 



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Stock) through a tender offer or exchange offer where after consummation of the offer, the person in question will be the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 30% or more of Stock;
		
	(c)
	the consummation of (A) any consolidation, business combination or merger involving the Company, except where holders of Stock immediately prior to the consolidation, business combination or merger (x) continue to hold 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Company (or the corporation resulting from the merger or consolidation or the parent of such corporation) after the merger and (y) have the same proportionate ownership of Stock of the Company (or the corporation resulting from the merger or consolidation or the parent of such corporation), relative to other holders of Stock immediately after the transaction as immediately before, or (B) any sale, lease, exchange or other transfer (in one transaction or a series of related transactions) of all or substantially all the assets of the Company;


		
	(d)
	there is a change in a majority of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company within a 12-month period unless the election or nomination by the Company’s stockholders of each new director during such 12-month period was approved by the vote of 2/3rds of the directors then still in office who (x) were directors at the beginning of the 12-month period or (y) whose nomination or election as directors was recommended or approved by a majority of the directors who were directors at the beginning of the 12-month period; or


		
	(e)
	approval by the Company’s shareholders of a plan of complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company, other than a plan of liquidation or dissolution which results in the acquisition of all or substantially all of the assets by an Affiliate of the Company.


2.8 “Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time. 
2.9 “Committee” means the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee of the Board. 
2.10 “Company” means Xylem Inc., an Indiana corporation, and any successor thereto as provided in Article 16 herein; provided, however, that for purposes of grants made under the Predecessor Plan, Company shall mean the Predecessor Corporation as the original grantor. 
2.11 “Converted Award” means Nonqualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units and Other Awards denominated in Shares that were originally granted to a Participant under any of the Predecessor Corporation Equity Plans, as adjusted pursuant to the terms of the Benefits and Compensation Matters Agreement. 
2.12 “Covered Employee” means a Participant who is a “Covered Employee,” as defined in Code Section 162(m) and the regulations promulgated under Code Section 162(m), or any successor statute. 
2.13 “Director” means any individual who is a member of the Board of Directors. 
2.14 “Employee” means any employee of the Company or its Affiliates. 
2.15 “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, or any successor act thereto. 
2.16 “Fair Market Value” means a price that is based on the opening, closing, actual, high, low, or average selling prices of a Share on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) or other established stock exchange (or exchanges) on the applicable date, the preceding trading day, the next succeeding trading day, or an average of trading days, as determined by the Committee in its discretion. Such definition of Fair Market Value may differ depending on whether Fair Market Value is in reference to the grant, exercise, vesting, or settlement or payout of an Award. If, however, the accounting standards used to account for equity awards granted to Participants are substantially modified subsequent to the Effective Date of the Plan, the Committee shall have the ability to determine an Award’s Fair Market Value based on the relevant facts and circumstances. If Shares are not traded on an established stock exchange, Fair Market Value shall be determined by the Committee based on objective criteria. 
2.17 “Freestanding SAR” means a SAR that is granted independently of any Options, as described in Article 7 herein. 
2.18 “Full Value Award” means an Award other than an Option granted with an Option Price equal to at least Fair Market Value on the date of grant or a SAR with a Grant Price equal to at least Fair Market Value on the date of grant. 
2.19 “Grant Price” means the amount to which the Fair Market Value of a Share is compared pursuant to Section 7.6 to determine the amount of payment that should be made upon exercise of a SAR. 

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2.20 “Incentive Stock Option” or “ISO” means an Option that meets the requirements of Code Section 422, or any successor provision, and that is not designated as a Nonqualified Stock Option. 
2.21 “Insider” means an individual who is, on the relevant date, an executive officer, Director, or more than ten percent (10%) Beneficial Owner of any class of the Company’s equity securities that is registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, as determined by the Board or the Committee in accordance with Section 16 of the Exchange Act. 
2.22 “Nonqualified Stock Option” or “NQSO” means an Option that is not intended to meet the requirements of Code Section 422, or that otherwise does not meet such requirements. 
2.23 “Option” means an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonqualified Stock Option to purchase Shares, as described in Article 6 herein. 
2.24 “Option Price” means the price at which a Share may be purchased by a Participant pursuant to an Option. 
2.25 “Other Award” means an Award granted to a Participant pursuant to Article 9 herein. 
2.26 “Participant” means an Employee or Director who has been selected to receive an Award or who has an outstanding Award granted under the Plan. 
2.27 “Performance-Based Compensation” means an Award that is intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section 162(m). 
2.28 “Performance Measures” means measures as described in Article 10, the attainment of which may determine the amount of payout and/or vesting with respect to Awards. 
2.29 “Performance Period” means the period of time during which the performance goals must be met in order to determine the amount of payout and/or vesting with respect to an Award. 
2.30 “Period of Restriction” means the period when Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units are subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture (based on the passage of time, the achievement of performance goals, or upon the occurrence of other events as determined by the Committee, at its discretion) and transfer restrictions, as provided in Article 8 herein. 
2.31 “Person” shall have the meaning given in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act, as modified and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof. 
2.32 “Plan Year” means the fiscal year of the Company. 
2.33 “Plan” means the Xylem Omnibus Incentive Plan; provided, however, that for purposes of grants made under the Predecessor Plan, Plan shall mean the Predecessor Plan as it existed on the date of such grant. 
2.34 “Predecessor Corporation Equity Plan” means any of the plans maintained by the Predecessor Corporation under which equity or equity-based awards were granted, including the ITT 2003 Equity Incentive Plan, ITT Corporation 1997 Long-Term Incentive Plan, 1994 ITT Incentive Stock Plan, ITT 1996 Restricted Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors, and 2002 ITT Stock Option Plan for Non-Employee Directors. 
2.35 “Restricted Stock” means an Award granted to a Participant pursuant to Article 8 herein. 
2.36 “Restricted Stock Unit” means an Award granted to a Participant pursuant to Article 8 herein. 
2.37 “Share” means a share of common stock of the Company, $0.01 par value per share. 
2.38 “Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means an Award granted to a Participant pursuant to Article 7 herein. 
2.39 “Subsidiary” means any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, or other entity (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain of entities beginning with the Company if each of the entities other than the last entity in the unbroken chain owns at least fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power in one of the other entities in such chain. 
2.40 “Substitute Awards” means Awards granted or Shares issued by the Company in assumption of, or in substitution or exchange for, awards previously granted, or the right or obligation to make future awards, by a company acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary or with which the Company or any Subsidiary combines.
2.41 “Tandem SAR” means a SAR that is granted in connection with a related Option pursuant to Article 7. 



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ARTICLE 3. ADMINISTRATION 
3.1 General. The Committee shall be responsible for administering the Plan. The Committee may employ attorneys, consultants, accountants, and other persons, and the Committee, the Company, and its officers and Directors shall be entitled to rely upon the advice, opinions, or valuations of any such persons. All actions taken and all interpretations and determinations made by the Committee shall be final and binding upon the Participants, the Company, and all other interested persons. 
3.2 Authority of the Committee. The Committee shall have full and exclusive discretionary power to interpret the terms and the intent of the Plan and to determine eligibility for Awards and to adopt such rules, regulations, and guidelines for administering the Plan as the Committee may deem necessary or proper. Such authority shall include, but not be limited to, selecting Award recipients, establishing all Award terms and conditions and making exceptions to any such terms and conditions if the Committee, in good faith, determines that it is appropriate to do so, defining any terms not otherwise defined herein, establishing and verifying the extent of satisfaction of any Performance Measures or other conditions applicable to the grant, issuance, retention, vesting, exercisability or settlement of any Award, prescribing and amending the terms of or form of any document or notice required to be delivered to the Company by Participants under this Plan, determining the extent to which adjustments are required pursuant to Section 4.2, approving corrections in the documentation or administration of any Award, and, subject to Article 14, adopting modifications and amendments to the Plan or any Award Agreement, including without limitation, any that are necessary to comply with the laws of the countries in which the Company and its Affiliates operate and making all other determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Plan. The Committee may, in its sole and absolute discretion, without amendment to the Plan but subject to the limitations otherwise set forth in Article 14, waive or amend the operation of Plan provisions respecting exercise after termination of employment or service to the Company or an Affiliate. The Committee or any member thereof may, in its sole and absolute discretion and, except as otherwise provided in Article 14, waive, settle or adjust any of the terms of any Award so as to avoid unanticipated consequences or address unanticipated events (including any temporary closure of an applicable stock exchange, disruption of communications or natural catastrophe). Any power of the Committee may also be exercised by the Board, except to the extent that the grant or exercise of such authority would (i) cause any Award or transaction to become subject to (or lose an exemption under) the short-swing profit recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, (ii) cause an Award intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code not to qualify for such treatment, or (iii) violate any requirement or rules of the stock exchange or market or quotation system on which the Shares are traded, listed or quoted.
3.3 Delegation. To the maximum extent permissible under applicable law, the Committee may delegate to one or more of its members or to one or more agents or advisors such administrative duties as it may deem advisable, and the Committee or any person to whom it has delegated duties as aforesaid may employ one or more persons to render advice with respect to any responsibility the Committee or such person may have under the Plan. The Committee may, by resolution, authorize one or more officers of the Company to do one or both of the following: (a) designate employees to be recipients of Awards; and (b) determine the size of the Award; provided, however, the Committee shall not delegate such responsibilities to any such officer for Awards granted to an Employee that is considered an executive officer of the Company, or to the extent it would unintentionally cause Performance-Based Compensation to lose its status as such. 





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ARTICLE 4. SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN AND MAXIMUM AWARDS 
4.1 Number of Shares Available for Awards. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.2 herein, the number of Shares hereby reserved for issuance to Participants under the Plan shall be eighteen million (18,000,000). For purposes of the prior sentence, Shares subject to outstanding awards under the Predecessor Plan shall not be considered available for issuance under the Predecessor Plan. Any Shares related to Awards under the Plan or awards under the Predecessor Plan that terminate by expiration, forfeiture, cancellation, or otherwise without the issuance of such Shares, are settled in cash in lieu of Shares, or are exchanged with the Committee’s permission for Awards not involving Shares, shall be available again for grant under the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (a) upon the exercise of a stock-settled SAR or net-settled Option, the number of Shares subject to the Award (or portion of the Award) that is then being exercised shall be counted against the maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be issued under the Plan as provided above, on the basis of one Share for every Share subject thereto, regardless of the actual number of Shares issued upon exercise and (b) any Shares withheld with respect to an Award (or, with respect to Restricted Stock, returned) in satisfaction of tax withholding obligations shall be counted as Shares issued. 
In addition, any Shares related to Full Value Awards under the Plan or the Predecessor Plan that terminate by expiration, forfeiture, cancellation, or otherwise without the issuance of such Shares, are settled in cash in lieu of Shares, or are exchanged with the Committee’s permission for Awards not involving Shares, shall be available again for grant of Full Value Awards under the Plan. 
All of the reserved Shares may be used as ISOs. 
The Shares available for issuance under the Plan may be authorized and unissued Shares or treasury Shares. 
The following limits (“Award Limits”) shall apply to Awards (other than Converted Awards), dividends and dividend equivalent intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation: 
		
	(a)
	Options: The maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be granted in the form of Options, pursuant to any Award granted in any one Plan Year to any one Participant shall be three million (3,000,000). 


		
	(b)
	SARs: The maximum number of Shares that may be granted in the form of SARs, pursuant to any Award granted in any one Plan Year to any one Participant shall be three million (3,000,000). 


		
	(c)
	Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units: The maximum aggregate grant with respect to Awards of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units granted in any one Plan Year to any one Participant shall be one million (1,000,000). 


		
	(d)
	Other Awards: The maximum aggregate number of Shares with respect to which Other Awards may be granted in any one Plan Year to any one Participant shall be one million (1,000,000) and the maximum aggregate cash that may be payable with respect to Other Awards granted in any one Plan Year to any one Participant shall be fifteen million ($15,000,000) dollars. 


		
	(e)
	Dividends and Dividend Equivalents: The maximum aggregate value of cash dividends (other than large, nonrecurring cash dividends) or dividend equivalents that any one Participant may receive pursuant to Awards in any one Plan Year shall not exceed six million ($6,000,000) dollars. 


Substitute Awards shall not reduce the Shares authorized for issuance under the Plan or authorized for grant to a Participant in any Plan Year. Additionally, in the event that a company acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary, or with which the Company or any Subsidiary combines, has shares available under a pre-existing plan approved by stockholders and not adopted in contemplation of such acquisition or combination, the shares available for grant pursuant to the terms of such pre-existing plan (as adjusted, to the extent appropriate, using the exchange ratio or other adjustment or valuation ratio or formula used in such acquisition or combination to determine the consideration payable to the holders of common stock of the entities party to such acquisition or combination) may be used for Awards under the Plan and shall not reduce the Shares authorized for issuance under the Plan; provided that Awards using such available shares shall not be made after the date awards or grants could have been made under the terms of the pre-existing plan, absent the acquisition or combination, and shall only be made to individuals who were employees or directors of such acquired or combined company before such acquisition or combination.

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4.2 Adjustments in Authorized Shares. In the event of any equity restructuring (within the meaning of FASB Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 718 (formerly FAS 123R) that causes the per share value of Shares to change, such as a stock dividend, stock split, spin off, rights offering, or recapitalization through a large, nonrecurring cash dividend, the Committee shall cause there to be made an equitable adjustment to: (a) the number and, if applicable, kind of shares that may be issued under the Plan or pursuant to any type of Award under the Plan, (b) the Award Limits, (c) the number and, if applicable, kind of shares subject to outstanding Awards, as applicable, the Option Price or Grant Price of any then outstanding Awards, vesting and other terms, which adjustments need to be uniform as between different Awards or types of Awards. In the event of any other change in corporate structure or capitalization, such as a merger, consolidation, any reorganization (whether or not such reorganization comes within the definition of such term in Section 368 of the Code) or any partial or complete liquidation of the Company, the Committee, in its sole discretion, in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of Participants’ rights under the Plan, shall cause there to be made such equitable adjustments described in the foregoing sentence. Any fractional shares resulting from adjustments made pursuant to this Section 4.2 shall be eliminated. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 4.2 shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes of the Plan. 
Except to the extent it would unintentionally cause Performance Based Compensation to fail to qualify for the performance based exception to Code Section 162(m), appropriate adjustments may also be made by the Committee in the terms of any Awards under the Plan to reflect such changes or distributions and to modify any other terms of outstanding Awards on an equitable basis, including modifications of performance goals and changes in the length of Performance Periods. The determination of the Committee as to the foregoing adjustments, if any, shall be conclusive and binding on Participants under the Plan and need to be uniform as between different Awards or types of Awards. 


ARTICLE 5. ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION 
5.1 Eligibility. Individuals eligible to participate in this Plan include all employees and Directors. 
5.2 Actual Participation. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee may, from time to time, select from all eligible individuals, those to whom Awards shall be granted and shall determine the form and amount of each Award. 
5.3 Prior Participation. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary, all prior service and participation by a Participant with the Predecessor Corporation shall be credited in full towards a Participant’s service and participation with the Corporation. 


ARTICLE 6. STOCK OPTIONS 
6.1 Grant of Options. Subject to the terms and provisions of the Plan, Options may be granted to Participants in such number, and upon such terms, and at any time and from time to time as shall be determined by the Committee. ISOs may not be granted following the ten-year (10) anniversary of the date the Plan was last approved by shareholders in a manner that satisfies the shareholder approval requirements applicable to ISOs. ISOs may be granted only to Employees. 
6.2 Award Agreement. Each Option grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that shall specify the Option Price, the duration of the Option, the number of Shares to which the Option pertains, the conditions upon which an Option shall become vested and exercisable, and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine which are not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan. The Award Agreement also shall specify whether the Option is intended to be an ISO or an NQSO. 
6.3 Option Price. The Option Price for each grant of an Option under this Plan shall be as determined by the Committee; provided, however, the Option Price shall not be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the Option is granted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Option Price with respect to an Option that is a Substitute Award for options held by optionees of the acquired entity may be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date such Option is granted if such Option Price is based on a formula set forth in the terms of the options held by such optionees or in the terms of the agreement providing for such merger or other acquisition that satisfies the requirements of Section 409A and Section 424(a) of the Code, as applicable.

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6.4 Duration of Options. Each Option granted to a Participant shall expire at such time as the Committee shall determine at the time of grant; provided, however, no Option shall be exercisable later than the tenth (10th) anniversary of its grant. 
6.5 Exercise of Options. Options granted under this Article 6 shall be exercisable at such times and be subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee shall in each instance approve, which need not be the same for each grant or for each Participant. 
6.6 Payment. Options granted under this Article 6 shall be exercised by the delivery of notice of exercise to an agent designated by the Company or by complying with any alternative procedures which may be authorized by the Committee, setting forth the number of Shares with respect to which the Option is to be exercised. 
A condition of the issuance of the Shares as to which an Option shall be exercised shall be the payment of the Option Price. The Option may be exercised (and the Option Price may be satisfied) by (a) delivering cash or its equivalent, (b) tendering (either by actual delivery or attestation) previously acquired Shares having an aggregate Fair Market Value at the time of exercise equal to the Option Price, (c) broker-assisted cashless exercise, (d) net exercise, (e) a combination of the foregoing or (f) by any other method approved by the Committee in its sole discretion. The Committee shall determine acceptable methods for tendering Shares as payment upon exercise of an Option and may impose such limitations and prohibitions on the use of Shares to exercise an Option as it deems appropriate. 
Subject to any governing rules or regulations, as soon as practicable after receipt of written notification of exercise and full payment (including satisfaction of any applicable tax withholding), the Company shall deliver to the Participant evidence of book entry Shares, or upon the Participant’s request, Share certificates in an appropriate amount based upon the number of Shares purchased under the Option(s). 
Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, all payments under the methods indicated above shall be paid in United States dollars. 
6.7 Restrictions on Share Transferability. The Committee may impose such restrictions on any Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Option granted under this Article 6 as it may deem advisable, including, without limitation, restrictions under applicable federal securities laws, under the requirements of any stock exchange or market upon which such Shares are then listed and/or traded, and under any blue sky or state securities laws applicable to such Shares. 
6.8 Termination of Employment or Service as a Director. The impact of a termination of a Participant’s employment on an Option’s vesting and exercise period shall be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, in the Participant’s Award Agreement, and need not be uniform among Option grants or Participants. The impact of a termination on a Participant’s service as a Director on an Option’s vesting and exercise period shall be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, in the Participant’s Award Agreement, and need not be uniform among Option grants or Participants. 
6.9 Transferability of Options. During his or her lifetime, only the Participant shall have the right to exercise the Options. After the Participant’s death, the Participant’s estate or beneficiary shall have the right to exercise such Options. 
		
	(a)
	Incentive Stock Options. No ISO granted under the Plan may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. 


		
	(b)
	Nonqualified Stock Options. Except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Award Agreement, no NQSO granted under this Article 6 may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. Under no circumstances may an NQSO be transferable for value or consideration. 


6.10 Notification of Disqualifying Disposition. If any Participant shall make any disposition of Shares issued pursuant to the exercise of an ISO under the circumstances described in Section 421(b) of the Code (relating to certain disqualifying dispositions), such Participant shall notify the Company of such disposition within ten (10) days thereof. 
6.11 Incentive Stock Options. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article 6, in the case of the grant of an Option intending to qualify as an ISO, if the Participant owns stock possessing more than 10 percent of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company (a “10% Stockholder”), the Option Price of such Option must be at least 110 percent of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant and the Option must expire within a period of not more than five (5) years from the date of grant. Notwithstanding anything in this Article 6 to the contrary, Options designated as ISO shall not be eligible for treatment under the Code as ISOs (and will be deemed to be NQSOs) 

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to the extent that either (a) the aggregate Fair Market Value of Shares (determined as of the time of grant) with respect to which such Options are exercisable for the first time by the Participant during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company and any Subsidiary) exceeds $100,000, taking Options into account in the order in which they were granted, or (b) such Options otherwise remain exercisable but are not exercised within three (3) months (or such other period of time provided in Section 422 of the Code) of separation of service (as determined in accordance with Section 3401(c) of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder).


ARTICLE 7. STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS 
7.1 Grant of SARs. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, SARs may be granted to Participants at any time and from time to time as shall be determined by the Committee. The Committee may grant Freestanding SARs, Tandem SARs, or any combination of these forms of SARs. All Tandem SARs shall have the same exercise price, vesting, exercisability, forfeiture and termination provisions as the Award to which they relate. 
Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Committee shall have complete discretion in determining the number of SARs granted to each Participant and, consistent with the provisions of the Plan, in determining the terms and conditions pertaining to such SARs. 
The SAR Grant Price for each grant of a Freestanding SAR shall be determined by the Committee and shall be specified in the Award Agreement. The SAR Grant Price shall not be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the SAR is granted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Grant Price with respect to a SAR that is a Substitute Award for stock appreciation rights held by award holders of the acquired entity may be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date such SAR is granted if such Grant Price is based on a formula set forth in the terms of the stock appreciation rights held by such award holders or in the terms of the agreement providing for such merger or other acquisition that satisfies the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. The Grant Price of Tandem SARs shall be equal to the Option Price of the related Option. 
7.2 SAR Agreement. Each SAR Award shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that shall specify the Grant Price, the term of the SAR, and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine. 
7.3 Term of SAR. The term of a SAR granted under the Plan shall be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, provided that, no SAR shall be exercisable later than the tenth (10th) anniversary of its grant. 
7.4 Exercise of Freestanding SARs. Freestanding SARs may be exercised upon whatever terms and conditions the Committee, in its sole discretion, imposes upon them; provided, however, such terms and conditions shall be subject to Section 7.1 as to grant price and Section 7.3 as to the term of the SAR. 
7.5 Exercise of Tandem SARs. Tandem SARs may be exercised for all or part of the Shares subject to the related Option upon the surrender of the right to exercise the equivalent portion of the related Option. A Tandem SAR may be exercised only with respect to the Shares for which its related Option is then exercisable. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, with respect to a Tandem SAR granted in connection with an ISO: (a) the Tandem SAR will expire no later than the expiration of the underlying ISO; (b) the value of the payout with respect to the Tandem SAR may be for no more than one hundred percent (100%) of the difference between the Option Price of the underlying ISO and the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the underlying ISO at the time the Tandem SAR is exercised; and (c) the Tandem SAR may be exercised only when the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the ISO exceeds the Option Price of the ISO. 
7.6 Payment of SAR Amount. Upon the exercise of a SAR, a Participant shall be entitled to receive payment from the Company in an amount determined by multiplying: 
		
	(a)
	The difference between the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of exercise over the Grant Price; by 


		
	(b)
	The number of Shares with respect to which the SAR is exercised. 


At the discretion of the Committee, the payment upon a SAR exercise may be in cash, in Shares of equivalent value, in some combination thereof, or in any other manner approved by the Committee at its sole discretion. The Committee’s determination regarding the form of SAR payout shall be set forth in the Award Agreement pertaining to the grant of the SAR. 

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7.7 Termination of Employment or Service as a Director. The impact of a termination of a Participant’s employment on a SAR’s vesting and exercise period shall be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, in the Participant’s Award Agreement, and need not be uniform among SAR grants or Participants. The impact of a termination on a Participant’s service as a Director on a SAR’s vesting and exercise period shall be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, in the Participant’s Award Agreement, and need not be uniform among SAR grants or Participants. 
7.8 Nontransferability of SARs. Except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Award Agreement, no SAR granted under the Plan may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. Under no circumstances may a SAR be transferable for value or consideration. Further, except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Award Agreement, all SARs granted to a Participant under the Plan shall be exercisable during his or her lifetime only by such Participant. 
7.9 Other Restrictions. The Committee shall impose such other conditions and/or restrictions on any Shares received upon exercise of a SAR granted pursuant to the Plan as it may deem advisable. This includes, but is not limited to, requiring the Participant to hold the Shares received upon exercise of a SAR for a specified period of time. 


ARTICLE 8. RESTRICTED STOCK AND RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS 
8.1 Grant of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Committee, at any time and from time to time, may grant Shares of Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units to Participants in such amounts as the Committee shall determine. Restricted Stock Units shall be similar to Restricted Stock except that no Shares are actually awarded to the Participant on the date of grant. 
8.2 Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit Agreement. Each Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Unit grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that shall specify the Period(s) of Restriction, the number of Shares of Restricted Stock or the number of Restricted Stock Units granted, and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine. 
8.3 Transferability. Except as provided in this Article 8, the Shares of Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units granted herein may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated until the end of the applicable Period of Restriction established by the Committee and specified in the Award Agreement (and in the case of Restricted Stock Units until the date of delivery or other payment), or upon earlier satisfaction of any other conditions, as specified by the Committee, in its sole discretion, and set forth in the Award Agreement. 
8.4 Other Restrictions. The Committee shall impose such other conditions and/or restrictions on any Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units granted pursuant to the Plan as it may deem advisable including, without limitation, a requirement that Participants pay a stipulated purchase price for each Share of Restricted Stock or each Restricted Stock Unit, restrictions based upon the achievement of specific performance goals, time-based restrictions on vesting following the attainment of the performance goals, time-based restrictions, and/or restrictions under applicable federal or state securities laws. 
To the extent deemed appropriate by the Committee, the Company may retain the certificates representing Shares of Restricted Stock in the Company’s possession until such time as all conditions and/or restrictions applicable to such Shares have been satisfied or lapse. 
Except as otherwise provided in this Article 8, Shares of Restricted Stock covered by each Restricted Stock Award shall become freely transferable by the Participant after all conditions and restrictions applicable to such Shares have been satisfied or lapse (including satisfaction of any applicable tax withholding obligations), and Restricted Stock Units shall be paid in cash, Shares, or a combination of cash and Shares as the Committee, in its sole discretion shall determine. 
8.5 Voting Rights. To the extent permitted or required by law, as determined by the Committee, Participants holding Shares of Restricted Stock granted hereunder may be granted the right to exercise full voting rights with respect to those Shares during the Period of Restriction. A Participant shall have no voting rights with respect to any Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder. 
8.6 Dividends and Other Distributions. During the Period of Restriction, Participants holding Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder may, if the Committee so determines, be credited with dividends paid with respect to the underlying Shares or dividend equivalents while they are so held in a manner determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. The Committee may apply any restrictions to the dividends or dividend equivalents 

9




that the Committee deems appropriate. The Committee, in its sole discretion, may determine the time and form of payment of dividends or dividend equivalents, including cash, Shares, Restricted Stock, or Restricted Stock Units; provided, however, that if dividends or dividend equivalents are granted with respect to any Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Share Units that are subject to performance goals, the dividends or dividend equivalents shall be accumulated or reinvested and paid following the time such performance goals are met, as set forth by the Committee in the applicable Award Agreement. 
8.7 Termination of Employment or Service as a Director. The impact of a termination of a Participant’s employment on a Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit’s vesting and settlement shall be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, in the Participant’s Award Agreement, and need not be uniform among Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit grants or Participants. The impact of a termination of a Participant’s service as a Director on a Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit’s vesting and settlement shall be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, in the Participant’s Award Agreement, and need not be uniform among Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit grants or Participants. 
8.8 Section 83(b) Election. The Committee may provide in an Award Agreement that the Award of Restricted Stock is conditioned upon the Participant making or refraining from making an election with respect to the Award under Section 83(b) of the Code. If a Participant makes an election pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Code concerning a Restricted Stock Award, the Participant shall be required to file promptly a copy of such election with the Company. 


ARTICLE 9. OTHER AWARDS 
The Committee may grant Other Awards, which may include, without limitation, unrestricted Shares, the payment of Shares in lieu of cash, the payment of cash based on attainment of Performance Goals, service conditions or other goals established by the Committee and the payment of Shares in lieu of cash under other Company incentive or bonus programs. Payment under or settlement of any such Other Awards shall be made in such manner, at such times and subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee may determine. 


ARTICLE 10. PERFORMANCE MEASURES 
Unless and until the Committee proposes for shareholder vote and the shareholders approve a change in the general Performance Measures set forth in this Article 10, the performance goals upon which the payment or vesting of an Award to a Covered Employee that is intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation shall be limited to one or more of the following Performance Measures: 
		
	(a)
	Net earnings; 


		
	(b)
	Earnings per share; 


		
	(c)
	Net sales growth; 


		
	(d)
	Net income (before or after taxes); 


		
	(e)
	Net operating profit; 


		
	(f)
	Return measures (including, but not limited to, return on assets, capital, equity, or sales); 


		
	(g)
	Cash flow (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow and free cash flow); 


		
	(h)
	Cash flow return on capital; 


		
	(i)
	Earnings before or after taxes, interest, depreciation, and/or amortization; 


		
	(j)
	Gross or operating margins; 


		
	(k)
	Productivity ratios; 


		
	(l)
	Share price (including, but not limited to, growth measures and total shareholder return); 


		
	(m)
	Expense targets; 


		
	(n)
	Margins; 


		
	(o)
	Operating efficiency; 


		
	(p)
	Customer satisfaction; 


		
	(q)
	Employee satisfaction metrics; 


		
	(r)
	Human resources metrics; 


		
	(s)
	Working capital targets; and 


		
	(t)
	EVA®. 



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Any Performance Measure(s) may be used to measure the performance of the Company or an Affiliate as a whole or any business unit of the Company or an Affiliate or any combination thereof, as the Committee may deem appropriate, or any of the above Performance Measures as compared to the performance of a group of comparator companies, or published or special index that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate, or the Company may select Performance Measure (l) above as compared to various stock market indices. The Committee also has the authority to provide for accelerated vesting of any Award based on the achievement of performance goals pursuant to the Performance Measures specified in this Article 10. 
The Committee may provide in any such Award that any evaluation of performance may include or exclude any of the following events that occurs during a Performance Period: (a) asset write—downs, (b) litigation or claim judgments or settlements, (c) the effect of changes in tax laws, accounting principles, or other laws or provisions affecting reported results, (d) any reorganization and restructuring programs, (e) extraordinary nonrecurring items as described in Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 30 and/or in management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations appearing in the Company’s annual report to shareholders for the applicable year, (f) acquisitions or divestitures, and (g) foreign exchange gains and losses. To the extent such inclusions or exclusions affect Awards to Covered Employees, they shall be prescribed in a form that meets the requirements of Code Section 162(m) for deductibility. 
Awards that are designed to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, and that are held by Covered Employees, may not be adjusted upward. The Committee shall retain the discretion to adjust such Awards downward. In the event that applicable tax and/or securities laws change to permit Committee discretion to alter the governing Performance Measures without obtaining shareholder approval of such changes, the Committee shall have sole discretion to make such changes without obtaining shareholder approval. 


ARTICLE 11. BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION 
Each Participant under the Plan may, from time to time, name any beneficiary or beneficiaries (who may be named contingently or successively) to whom any benefit under the Plan is to be paid in case of his or her death before he or she receives any or all of such benefit. Each such designation shall revoke all prior designations by the same Participant, shall be in a form prescribed by the Committee, and will be effective only when filed by the Participant in writing with the Company during the Participant’s lifetime. In the absence of any such designation, benefits remaining unpaid at the Participant’s death shall be paid to the Participant’s estate. 


ARTICLE 12. RIGHTS OF PARTICIPANTS 
12.1 Employment. Nothing in the Plan or an Award Agreement shall interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company and/or its Affiliates to terminate any Participant’s employment or of the Board of Directors to terminate service as a Director at any time or for any reason not prohibited by law, nor confer upon any Participant any right to continue his or her employment or service as a Director for any specified period of time. 
Neither an Award nor any benefits arising under this Plan shall constitute an employment contract with the Company and, accordingly, subject to Article 3 and Section 14.1, this Plan and the benefits hereunder may be terminated at any time in the sole and exclusive discretion of the Committee without giving rise to any liability on the part of the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries. 
12.2 Participation. No individual shall have the right to be selected to receive an Award under this Plan, or, having been so selected, to be selected to receive a future Award. 
12.3 Rights as a Shareholder. Except as otherwise provided in Section 8 of the Plan or in an Award Agreement, a Participant shall have none of the rights of a shareholder with respect to Shares covered by any Award until the Participant becomes the record holder of such Shares. 


ARTICLE 13. CHANGE IN CONTROL 
The Compensation Committee shall specify in each Participant’s Award Agreement the treatment of outstanding Awards upon a Change in Control; provided that any Converted Award will continue to apply the definition of “change in 

11




control” or “Acceleration Event” as provided in the Predecessor Corporation Equity Plan under which such Converted Award was originally granted, as adjusted pursuant to the terms of the Benefits and Compensation Matters Agreement. 
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in the event of a Change in Control in which the acquiring or surviving company in the transaction does not assume or continue outstanding Awards upon the Change in Control, immediately prior to the Change in Control, all Awards that are not assumed or continued shall be treated as follows effective immediately prior to the Change in Control: (a) in the case of an Option or SAR, the Participant shall have the ability to exercise such Option or SAR, including any portion of the Option or SAR not previously exercisable, (b) in the case of any Award the vesting of which is in whole or in part subject to Performance Measures, all conditions to the grant, issuance, retention, vesting or transferability of, or any other restrictions applicable to, such Award shall immediately lapse and the Participant shall have the right to receive a payment based on performance or deemed performance in accordance with the terms of the applicable Award Agreement, and (c) in the case of outstanding Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units and or Other Awards (other than those referenced in subsection (b)), all conditions to the grant, issuance, retention, vesting or transferability of, or any other restrictions applicable to, such Award shall immediately lapse. In no event shall any action be taken pursuant to this Article 13 that would change the payment or settlement date of an Award in a manner that would result in the imposition of any additional taxes or penalties pursuant to Section 409A of the Code.


ARTICLE 14. AMENDMENT, MODIFICATION, SUSPENSION, AND TERMINATION 
14.1 Amendment, Modification, Suspension, and Termination. Subject to Section 14.3, the Committee may, at any time and from time to time, alter, amend, modify, suspend, or terminate the Plan and any Award Agreement in whole or in part; provided, however, that, except for a change or adjustment made pursuant to Section 4.2, no Option Price of an outstanding Option or Grant Price of an outstanding SAR shall be reduced (whether through amendment, cancellation or replacement of Awards with other Awards or other payments of cash or property) without shareholder approval. 
14.2 Adjustment of Awards upon the Occurrence of Certain Unusual or Nonrecurring Events. The Committee may make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in, Awards in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including, without limitation, the events described in Section 4.2 hereof) affecting the Company or the financial statements of the Company or of changes in applicable laws, regulations, or accounting principles, whenever the Committee determines that such adjustments are appropriate in order to prevent unintended dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan. The determination of the Committee as to the foregoing adjustments, if any, shall be conclusive and binding on Participants under the Plan. 
14.3 Awards Previously Granted. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary, no termination, amendment, suspension, or modification of the Plan or an Award Agreement shall adversely affect in any material way any Award previously granted under the Plan, without the written consent of the Participant holding such Award, provided that no such consent shall be required if the Committee determines in its sole discretion and prior to the date of any Change in Control that such amendment or alteration either (a) is required or advisable in order for the Company, the Plan or the Award to satisfy any law or regulation or to meet the requirements of or avoid adverse financial accounting consequences under any accounting standard, or (b) is not reasonably likely to significantly diminish the benefits provided under such Award, or that any such diminishment has been adequately compensated. 


ARTICLE 15. WITHHOLDING 
15.1 Tax Withholding. The Company shall have the power and the right to deduct or withhold, or require a Participant to remit to the Company, the minimum statutory amount (or such other amount that will not cause an adverse accounting consequence or cost) to satisfy federal, state, and local taxes, domestic or foreign, required by law or regulation to be withheld with respect to any taxable event arising as a result of this Plan. 
15.2 Share Withholding. With respect to withholding required upon the exercise of Options, or SARs, upon the lapse of restrictions on Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units, or any other taxable event arising as a result of Awards granted hereunder, Participants may elect, subject to the approval of the Committee, to satisfy the withholding requirement, in whole or in part, by having the Company withhold Shares having a Fair Market Value on the date the tax is to be determined equal to the minimum statutory total tax that could be imposed on the transaction (or such other 

12




amount that will not cause an adverse accounting consequence or cost). All such elections shall be irrevocable, made in writing, and signed by the Participant, and shall be subject to any restrictions or limitations that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate. 


ARTICLE 16. SUCCESSORS 
All obligations of the Company under the Plan with respect to Awards granted hereunder shall be binding on any successor to the Company, whether the existence of such successor is the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation, or otherwise, of all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company. 


ARTICLE 17. GENERAL PROVISIONS 
17.1 Forfeiture Events. The Committee may specify in an Award Agreement that the Participant’s rights, payments, and benefits with respect to an Award shall be subject to reduction, cancellation, forfeiture, or recoupment upon the occurrence of certain specified events, in addition to any otherwise applicable vesting or performance conditions of an Award. Such events shall include, but shall not be limited to, termination of employment for cause, violation of material Company and/or Affiliate policies, breach of noncompetition, confidentiality, or other restrictive covenants that may apply to the Participant, or other conduct by the Participant that is detrimental to the business or reputation of the Company and/or its Affiliates. 
17.2 Legend. The certificates for Shares may include any legend which the Committee deems appropriate to reflect any restrictions on transfer of such Shares. 
17.3 Gender and Number. Except where otherwise indicated by the context, any masculine term used herein also shall include the feminine, the plural shall include the singular, and the singular shall include the plural. 
17.4 Severability. In the event any provision of the Plan shall be held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision had not been included. 
17.5 Requirements of Law. The granting of Awards and the issuance of Shares under the Plan shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by any governmental agencies or national securities exchanges as may be required. 
17.6 Securities Law Compliance. With respect to Insiders, transactions under this Plan are intended to comply with all applicable conditions of Rule 16b-3 or its successor under the Exchange Act. To the extent any provision of the Plan or action by the Committee fails to so comply, it shall be deemed null and void, to the extent permitted by law and deemed advisable by the Committee. 
17.7 Registration and Listing. The Company may use reasonable endeavors to register Shares allotted pursuant to the exercise of an Award with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or to effect compliance with the registration, qualification, and listing requirements of any national securities laws, stock exchange, or automated quotation system. 
17.8 Delivery of Title. The Company shall have no obligation to issue or deliver evidence of title for Shares issued under the Plan prior to: 
		
	(a)
	Obtaining any approvals from governmental agencies that the Company determines are necessary or advisable; and 


		
	(b)
	Completion of any registration or other qualification of the Shares under any applicable national or foreign law or ruling of any governmental body that the Company determines to be necessary or advisable. 


17.9 Inability to Obtain Authority. The inability of the Company to obtain authority from any regulatory body having jurisdiction, which authority is deemed by the Company’s counsel to be necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any Shares hereunder, shall relieve the Company of any liability in respect of the failure to issue or sell such Shares as to which such requisite authority shall not have been obtained. 

13




17.10 Employees or Directors Based Outside of the United States. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in order to comply with the laws in other countries in which the Company and its Affiliates operate or have employees or Directors, the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall have the power and authority to: 
		
	(a)
	Determine which Affiliates shall be covered by the Plan; 


		
	(b)
	Determine which employees and/or Directors outside the United States are eligible to participate in the Plan; 


		
	(c)
	Modify the administrative terms and conditions of any Award granted to employees and/or Directors outside the United States to comply with applicable foreign laws; 


		
	(d)
	Establish subplans and modify exercise procedures and other terms and procedures, to the extent such actions may be necessary or advisable. Any subplans and modifications to Plan terms and procedures established under this Section 17.10 by the Committee shall be attached to this Plan document as appendices; and 


		
	(e)
	Take any action, before or after an Award is made, that it deems advisable to obtain approval or comply with any necessary local government regulatory exemptions or approvals. 


		
	(f)
	Notwithstanding the above, the Committee may not take any actions hereunder, and no Awards shall be granted, that would violate the Exchange Act, the Code, any securities law, or governing statute or any other applicable law. 


17.11 Uncertificated Shares. To the extent that the Plan provides for issuance of certificates to reflect the transfer of Shares, the transfer of such Shares may be effected on a non-certificated basis, to the extent not prohibited by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange. 
17.12 Unfunded Plan. Participants shall have no right, title, or interest whatsoever in or to any investments that the Company may make to aid it in meeting its obligations under the Plan. Nothing contained in the Plan, and no action taken pursuant to its provisions, shall create or be construed to create a trust of any kind, or a fiduciary relationship between the Company and any Participant, beneficiary, legal representative, or any other person. To the extent that any person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company under the Plan, such right shall be no greater than the right of an unsecured general creditor of the Company. All payments to be made hereunder shall be paid from the general funds of the Company and no special or separate fund shall be established and no segregation of assets shall be made to assure payment of such amounts except as expressly set forth in the Plan. The Plan is not subject to ERISA. 
17.13 No Fractional Shares. No fractional Shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award. The Committee shall determine whether cash, Awards, or other property shall be issued or paid in lieu of fractional Shares or whether such fractional Shares or any rights thereto shall be forfeited or otherwise eliminated. 
17.14 Retirement and Welfare Plans. The value of compensation paid under this Plan will not be included as “compensation” for purposes of computing the benefits payable to any participant under the Company’s retirement plans (both qualified and non-qualified) or welfare benefit plans unless such other plan expressly provides that such compensation shall be taken into account in computing a participant’s benefit. 
17.15 Governing Law. The Plan and each Award Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York, excluding any conflicts or choice of law rule or principle that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of the Plan to the substantive law of another jurisdiction. Unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, recipients of an Award under the Plan are deemed to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the federal or state courts of New York, to resolve any and all issues that may arise out of or relate to the Plan or any related Award Agreement. 
17.16 Specified Employee Delay. To the extent any payment under this Plan is considered deferred compensation subject to the restrictions contained in Section 409A of the Code, and to the extent necessary to avoid the imposition of taxes under Section 409A of the Code, such payment may not be made to a specified employee (as determined in accordance with a uniform policy adopted by the Company with respect to all arrangements subject to Section 409A of the Code) upon separation from service (as defined for purposes of Section 409A of the Code) before the date that is six months after the specified employee’s separation from service (or, if earlier, the specified employee’s death). Any payment that would otherwise be made during this period of delay shall be accumulated and paid on the sixth month plus one day following the specified employee’s separation from service (or, if earlier, as soon as administratively practicable after the specified employee’s death).

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