Exhibit








Exhibit 10.53


Certain information has been excluded from this exhibit because it both (i) is not material and (ii) would be competitively harmful if publicly disclosed. 




INTELSAT S.A. 
2013 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN 


PERFORMANCE-BASED
RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT
THIS PERFORMANCE-BASED RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT, including the Exhibit hereto (the “Agreement”), is entered into as of [***], by and between Intelsat S.A., a société anonyme organized under the laws of Luxembourg (the “Company”), and [***] (the “Participant”). 
WHEREAS, the Company has adopted the Intelsat S.A. 2013 Equity Incentive Plan (as amended, the “Plan”), pursuant to which performance-based Restricted Stock Units (“PSUs”) may be granted; and
WHEREAS, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Committee”) has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to grant the PSUs provided for herein to the Participant subject to the terms set forth herein. 
NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the premises and the covenants of the parties contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, for themselves, their successors and assigns, hereby agree as follows: 


		
	1.
	Grant of Restricted Stock Units.




(a)Grant. The Company hereby grants to the Participant a total of [***] PSUs, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and as otherwise provided in the Plan.  The PSUs shall be credited to a separate book-entry account maintained for the Participant on the books of the Company.


(b)Incorporation by Reference. The provisions of the Plan are incorporated herein by reference. Except as otherwise expressly set forth herein, this Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the provisions of the Plan and any interpretations, amendments, rules and regulations promulgated by the Committee from time to time pursuant to the Plan. Any capitalized terms not otherwise defined in this Agreement shall have the definitions set forth in the Plan. The Committee shall have final authority to interpret and construe the Plan and this Agreement and to make any and all determinations under them, and its decision shall be binding and conclusive upon the Participant and his or her legal representative in respect of any questions arising under the Plan or this Agreement.  The Participant acknowledges that he or she has received a copy of the Plan and has had an opportunity to review the Plan and agrees to be bound by all the terms and provisions of the Plan.


		
	2.
	Vesting; Settlement.  Except as may otherwise be provided herein, the PSUs shall vest subject to (A) the attainment of the Performance Goal set forth on Exhibit A for the period beginning on [***] (except as otherwise indicated on Exhibit A) and ending on [***] (the “Performance Period”), and (B) the Participant’s continued employment with the Company or an Affiliate through [***] (the “Vesting Date”).  As soon as administratively practicable after the end of the Performance Period, the Committee shall determine the level attained for the Performance Goal, and on the Vesting Date (provided that the Participant remains continuously employed through such date), the Participant shall be entitled to receive that number of PSUs (if any) equal to (x) the applicable percentage of PSUs vested in accordance with Exhibit A (the “Performance Leverage Factor”) multiplied by (y) the Target PSUs (as defined in Exhibit A).  Each PSU shall be settled within 30 days following the Vesting Date in shares of Common Stock.















		
	3.
	Dividend Equivalents.  In the event of any issuance of a cash dividend on the shares of Common Stock (a “Dividend”), the Participant shall be credited, as of the payment date for such Dividend, with an additional number of PSUs (each, an “Additional PSU”) equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (a) the product of (i) the number of PSUs granted pursuant to this Agreement and outstanding as of the record date for such Dividend multiplied by (ii) the amount of the Dividend per share, divided by (b) the Fair Market Value per share on the payment date for such Dividend, such quotient to be rounded to the nearest hundredth. Once credited, each Additional PSU shall be treated as a PSU granted hereunder and shall be subject to all terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan.




		
	4.
	Termination of Employment.  




(a)If, on or prior to the Vesting Date, the Participant’s employment with the Company and its Affiliates is terminated (A) by the Company or its Affiliate without Cause, (B) by the Participant for Good Reason (as defined in the Participant’s employment agreement with the Company or the Affiliate as in effect on the date of such termination), (C) due to the Participant’s death or (D) by the Company or its Affiliate due to Disability, the Participant shall be eligible to receive a number of PSUs based on actual performance through the end of the Performance Period, if any, equal to: (i) the Target PSUs, multiplied by (ii)(x) the number of days elapsed during the Performance Period through and including the effective date of such termination divided by (y) the number of days in the Performance Period, multiplied by (iii) the applicable Performance Leverage Factor based on actual achievement as determined by the Committee as soon as administratively practicable after the end of the Performance Period; provided that, if the quotient of (x) and (y) in clause (ii) above is less than sixty-seven percent (67%), all unvested PSUs shall be cancelled immediately and the Participant shall not be entitled to receive any payments with respect thereto under this clause (a) or otherwise, regardless of the applicable Performance Leverage Factor.  Each PSU shall be settled within 30 days following the Vesting Date in shares of Common Stock.


(b)If the Participant’s employment with the Company and its Affiliates terminates during the Performance Period for any reason other than as set forth in Section 4(a) or Section 6 hereof, all unvested PSUs shall be cancelled immediately, and the Participant shall not be entitled to receive any payments with respect thereto.


		
	5.
	Rights as a Stockholder. The Participant shall not be deemed for any purpose to be the owner of any shares of Common Stock underlying the PSUs unless, until and to the extent that (i) the Company shall have issued and delivered to the Participant the shares of Common Stock underlying the PSUs and (ii) the Participant’s name shall have been entered as a stockholder of record with respect to such shares of Common Stock on the books of the Company.  The Company shall cause the actions described in clauses (i) and (ii) of the preceding sentence to occur promptly following settlement as contemplated by this Agreement, subject to compliance with applicable laws.




		
	6.
	Change in Control.  If a Change in Control occurs and the Participant’s employment with the Company and its Affiliates is thereafter terminated prior to the Vesting Date (A) by the Company or its Affiliate without Cause, (B) by the Participant for Good Reason (as defined in the Participant’s employment agreement with the Company or the Affiliate as in effect on the date of such termination), (C) due to the Participant’s death or (D) by the Company or its Affiliate due to Disability, the Participant shall receive a number of PSUs equal to the Target PSUs.  Each PSU shall be settled within 30 days following the effective date of such termination in shares of Common Stock.




		
	7.
	Compliance with Legal Requirements.   




(a)Generally.  The granting and settlement of the PSUs, and any other obligations of the Company under this Agreement, shall be subject to all applicable U.S. federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations, all applicable non-U.S. laws, rules and regulations and to such approvals by any regulatory or governmental agency as may be required. The Participant agrees to take all steps the Committee or the Company determines are reasonably necessary to comply with all applicable provisions of U.S. federal and state securities law and non-U.S. securities law in exercising his or her rights under this Agreement.    


(b)Tax Withholding. Vesting and settlement of the PSUs shall be subject to the Participant satisfying any applicable U.S. federal, state and local tax withholding obligations and non-U.S. tax withholding obligations.  The Company shall have the right and is hereby authorized to withhold from any amounts payable to the Participant in connection with the PSUs or otherwise the amount of any required withholding taxes in respect of the PSUs, its settlement or any payment or transfer of the PSUs or under the Plan and to take any such other action as the Committee or the Company deem necessary to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such withholding taxes.  The Participant may elect to satisfy, and the Company may require the Participant to satisfy, in whole or in part, the tax obligations by withholding shares of Common Stock that would otherwise be deliverable to the Participant upon 











settlement of the PSUs with a Fair Market Value equal to such withholding liability or, if permitted by the Company, such higher amount determined using rates not exceeding the maximum statutory rate in the applicable jurisdiction(s).  


		
	8.
	Clawback.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Committee may cancel the PSU award if the Participant, without the consent of the Company, has engaged in or engages in activity that is in conflict with or adverse to the interest of the Company or any Affiliate while employed by or providing services to the Company or any Affiliate, including fraud or conduct contributing to any financial restatements or irregularities, or violates a non-competition, non-solicitation, non-disparagement or non-disclosure covenant or agreement with the Company or any Affiliate, as determined by the Committee.  In such event, the Participant will forfeit any compensation, gain or other value realized thereafter on the vesting or settlement of the PSUs, the sale or other transfer of the PSUs, or the sale of shares of Common Stock acquired in respect of the PSUs, and must promptly repay such amounts to the Company.  If the Participant receives any amount in excess of what the Participant should have received under the terms of the PSUs for any reason (including without limitation by reason of a financial restatement, mistake in calculations or other administrative error), all as determined by the Committee, then the Participant shall be required to promptly repay any such excess amount to the Company.  To the extent required by applicable law and/or the rules and regulations of the NYSE or other securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted, or if so required pursuant to a written policy adopted by the Company, the PSUs shall be subject (including on a retroactive basis) to clawback, forfeiture or similar requirements (and such requirements shall be deemed incorporated by reference into this Agreement).




		
	9.
	Miscellaneous.




(a)Transferability. The PSUs may not be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered (a “Transfer”) by the Participant other than by will or by the applicable laws of descent and distribution, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order or as otherwise permitted under Section 15(b) of the Plan.  Any attempted Transfer of the PSUs contrary to the provisions hereof, and the levy of any execution, attachment or similar process upon the PSUs, shall be null and void and without effect.


(b)Waiver. Any right of the Company contained in this Agreement may be waived in writing by the Committee. No waiver of any right hereunder by any party shall operate as a waiver of any other right, or as a waiver of the same right with respect to any subsequent occasion for its exercise, or as a waiver of any right to damages. No waiver by any party of any breach of this Agreement shall be held to constitute a waiver of any other breach or a waiver of the continuation of the same breach. 


(c)Section 409A.  The PSUs are intended to be exempt from, or compliant with, Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any provision of the Plan or this Agreement, if any provision of the Plan or this Agreement contravenes Section 409A of the Code or could cause the Participant to incur any tax, interest or penalties under Section 409A of the Code, the Committee may, in its sole discretion and without the Participant’s consent, modify such provision to (i) comply with, or avoid being subject to, Section 409A of the Code, or to avoid the incurrence of taxes, interest and penalties under Section 409A of the Code, and (ii) maintain, to the maximum extent practicable, the original intent and economic benefit to the Participant of the applicable provision without materially increasing the cost to the Company or contravening the provisions of Section 409A of the Code. This Section 9(c) does not create an obligation on the part of the Company to modify the Plan or this Agreement and does not guarantee that the PSUs will not be subject to interest and penalties under Section 409A.


(d)General Assets.  All amounts credited in respect of the PSUs to the book-entry account under this Agreement shall continue for all purposes to be part of the general assets of the Company.  The Participant’s interest in such account shall make the Participant only a general, unsecured creditor of the Company.


(e)Notices. Any notices provided for in this Agreement or the Plan shall be in writing and shall be deemed sufficiently given if either hand delivered or if sent by fax, pdf/email or overnight courier, or by postage paid first class mail. Notices sent by mail shall be deemed received three business days after mailing but in no event later than the date of actual receipt. Notices shall be directed, if to the Participant, at the Participant’s address indicated by the Company’s records, or if to the Company, to the attention of the Corporate Secretary at the Company’s principal executive office.


(f)Severability.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement and each other provision of this Agreement shall be severable and enforceable to the extent permitted by law. 













(g)No Rights to Employment. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as giving the Participant any right to be retained, in any position, as an employee, consultant or director of the Company or its Affiliates or shall interfere with or restrict in any way the rights of the Company or its Affiliates, which are hereby expressly reserved, to remove, terminate or discharge the Participant at any time for any reason whatsoever. 


(h)Fractional Shares. In lieu of issuing a fraction of a share of Common Stock resulting from adjustment of the PSUs pursuant to Section 12 of the Plan or otherwise, the Company shall be entitled to pay to the Participant an amount in cash equal to the Fair Market Value of such fractional share. 


(i)Beneficiary. The Participant may file with the Committee a written designation of a beneficiary on such form as may be prescribed by the Committee and may, from time to time, amend or revoke such designation. 


(j)Successors. The terms of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Company and its successors and assigns, and of the Participant and the beneficiaries, executors, administrators, heirs and successors of the Participant. 


(k)Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the Plan contain the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter contained herein and supersedes all prior communications, representations and negotiations in respect thereto. No change, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be valid unless the same be in writing and signed by the parties hereto, except for any changes permitted without consent under Section 12 or 14 of the Plan. 


(l)Governing Law and Venue. This Agreement shall be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, U.S.A., without regard to principles of conflicts of laws thereof, or principles of conflicts of laws of any other jurisdiction which could cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware, U.S.A.  
(i)Dispute Resolution; Consent to Jurisdiction.  All disputes between or among any Persons arising out of or in any way connected with the Plan, this Agreement or the PSUs shall be solely and finally settled by the Committee, acting in good faith, the determination of which shall be final.   Any matters not covered by the preceding sentence shall be solely and finally settled in accordance with the Plan, and the Participant and the Company consent to the personal jurisdiction of the United States Federal and state courts sitting in Wilmington, Delaware as the exclusive jurisdiction with respect to matters arising out of or related to the enforcement of the Committee’s determinations and resolution of matters, if any, related to the Plan or this Agreement not required to be resolved by the Committee.  Each such Person hereby irrevocably consents to the service of process of any of the aforementioned courts in any such suit, action or proceeding by the mailing of copies thereof by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, to the last known address of such Person, such service to become effective ten (10) days after such mailing.
(ii)Waiver of Jury Trial. Each party hereto hereby waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any right it may have to a trial by jury in any legal proceeding directly or indirectly arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated (whether based on contract, tort or any other theory).  Each party hereto (A) certifies that no representative, agent or attorney of any other party has represented, expressly or otherwise, that such other party would not, in the event of litigation, seek to enforce the foregoing waiver and (B) acknowledges that it and the other parties hereto have been induced to enter into this Agreement by, among other things, the mutual waivers and certifications in this section.  
(m)Headings; Gender. The headings of the Sections hereof are provided for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction, and shall not constitute a part, of this Agreement.  Masculine pronouns and other words of masculine gender shall refer to both men and women as appropriate.


(n)Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts (including via facsimile and electronic image scan (pdf)), each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the parties and delivered to the other parties.


(o)Electronic Signature and Delivery.  This Agreement may be accepted by return signature or by electronic confirmation.  By accepting this Agreement, the Participant consents to the electronic delivery of prospectuses, annual reports and other information required to be delivered by U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules (which consent may be revoked in writing by the Participant at any time upon three business days’ notice to the Company, in which case subsequent prospectuses, annual reports and other information will be delivered in hard copy to the Participant). 













(p)Electronic Participation in Plan.  The Company may, in its sole discretion, decide to deliver any documents related to current or future participation in the Plan by electronic means.  The Participant hereby consents to receive such documents by electronic delivery and agrees to participate in the Plan through an on-line or electronic system established and maintained by the Company or a third party designated by the Company.




IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been executed by the Company and the Participant as of the day first written above. 


 INTELSAT S.A.
By: /s/ Michelle Bryan
Name:  Michelle Bryan
Title:  Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer


Accepted on [***]


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