Document:

Exhibit

Exhibit 4.4

$350,000,000

HealthSouth Corporation
5.75% Senior Notes due 2025

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
September 16, 2015
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
  As Representative of the 
  several Purchasers (as defined below)
  c/o Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
1585 Broadway
New York, New York 10036 

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:

HealthSouth Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the purchasers listed on Schedule I to the Purchase Agreement (as defined below and such purchasers, collectively, the “Purchasers”), upon the terms set forth in a purchase agreement dated as of September 11, 2015 (the “Purchase Agreement”), $350,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 5.75% Senior Notes due 2025 (the “Initial Securities”) to be unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by the subsidiaries of the Company designated as guarantors in Schedule II to the Purchase Agreement (the “Initial Guarantors”) and certain subsidiaries of the Company (the “Additional Subsidiary Guarantors” and, together with the Initial Guarantors, the “Guarantors”) that shall become party to this Registration Rights Agreement (this “Agreement”) upon execution of a joinder agreement to this Agreement substantially in the form of Annex A hereto (the “Registration Rights Joinder”). The Initial Securities will be issued pursuant to an indenture (the “Base Indenture”), dated as of December 1, 2009, between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (successor to The Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Company of New York), as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by a seventh supplemental indenture to the Base Indenture (the “Seventh Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), dated September 16, 2015, among the Company, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto and the Trustee. As an inducement to the Purchasers to enter into the Purchase Agreement, the Company agrees with the Purchasers, for the benefit of the holders of the Initial Securities (including the Purchasers), the Exchange Securities (as defined below) and the Private Exchange Securities (as defined below) (collectively, the “Holders”), as follows:

1. Registered Exchange Offer. Unless not permitted by applicable law or Commission policy or required to avoid a violation of applicable law or Commission policy, the Company and the Guarantors shall prepare and use commercially reasonable efforts to file, not later than 180 days (or if the 180th day is not a business day, the first business day thereafter) (such 180th day or first business day thereafter 

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being an “Exchange Offer Filing Deadline”) after the date on which the Initial Securities are first issued (the “Issue Date”), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement (the “Exchange Offer Registration Statement”) on an appropriate form under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), with respect to a proposed offer (the “Registered Exchange Offer”) to the Holders of Initial Securities that are Transfer Restricted Securities (as defined in Section 6(d) hereof), who are not prohibited by any law or policy of the Commission from participating in the Registered Exchange Offer, to issue and deliver to such Holders, in exchange for the Initial Securities, a like aggregate principal amount of debt securities (the “Exchange Securities”) of the Company issued under the Indenture identical in all material respects to the Initial Securities (except for the transfer restrictions relating to the Initial Securities and the provisions relating to the matters described in Section 6 hereof) and that would be registered under the Securities Act. The Company and the Guarantors shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to (i) cause such Exchange Offer Registration Statement to become effective under the Securities Act within 240 days after the Issue Date (or if the 240th day is not a business day, the first business day thereafter) (such 240th or first business day thereafter day being an “Effectiveness Deadline”) and (ii) keep the Exchange Offer Registration Statement effective for not less than 30 days (or longer, if required by applicable law) after the date notice of the Registered Exchange Offer is sent to the Holders (such period being called the “Exchange Offer Registration Period”).  As used herein, the term “business day” means each day which is not a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which the Trustee is authorized or required by law to close or banking institutions are not required to be open in the State of New York.

If the Company commences the Registered Exchange Offer, the Company, on behalf of itself and the Guarantors, (i) will be entitled to consummate the Registered Exchange Offer 30 days after such commencement (provided that the Company has accepted all the Initial Securities theretofore validly tendered in accordance with the terms of the Registered Exchange Offer) and (ii) shall use commercially reasonable efforts to consummate the Registered Exchange Offer no later than 40 days (or longer if required by applicable law) after the date on which the Exchange Offer Registration Statement is declared effective by the Commission (or if the 40th day is not a business day, the first business day thereafter), but in any event no later than 300 days after the Issue Date (such 300th day (or longer if required by applicable law) being the “Consummation Deadline”).
Following the declaration of the effectiveness of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, the Company, on behalf of itself and the Guarantors, shall promptly commence the Registered Exchange Offer, it being the objective of such Registered Exchange Offer to enable each Holder of Transfer Restricted Securities electing to exchange the Initial Securities for Exchange Securities to trade such Exchange Securities from and after their receipt without any limitations or restrictions under the Securities Act and without material restrictions under the securities laws of the several states of the United States; provided that at the time of such exchange, such Holder (i) is not an affiliate (as defined below) of the Company or the Guarantors, (ii) acquires the Exchange Securities in the ordinary course of such Holder’s business, (iii) has no arrangements with any person to participate in the distribution of the Exchange Securities, (iv) is not prohibited by any law or policy of the Commission from participating in the Registered Exchange Offer and (v), if such Holder is a Participating Broker-Dealer (as defined below) and will receive Exchange Securities for its own account in exchange for Transfer Elected Securities 

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acquired as a result of market-making or other trading activities, agrees to deliver a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act in connection with any resale of the Exchange Securities.  As used herein, the term “affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
The Company and the Guarantors acknowledge that, pursuant to current interpretations by the Commission’s staff of Section 5 of the Securities Act, in the absence of an applicable exemption therefrom, (i) each Holder that is a broker-dealer electing to exchange Initial Securities, acquired for its own account as a result of market making activities or other trading activities, for Exchange Securities (an “Exchanging Dealer”), is required to deliver a prospectus containing the information set forth in (a) Annex B hereto on the cover of such prospectus, (b) Annex C hereto in the “Exchange Offer Procedures” section and the “Purpose of the Exchange Offer” section of such prospectus, and (c) Annex D hereto in the “Plan of Distribution” section of such prospectus in connection with a sale of any such Exchange Securities received by such Exchanging Dealer pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer and (ii) a Purchaser that elects to sell Exchange Securities acquired in exchange for Initial Securities constituting any portion of an unsold allotment is required to deliver a prospectus containing the information required by Item 507 or 508 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, as applicable, in connection with such sale.
The Company and the Guarantors shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to keep the Exchange Offer Registration Statement effective and to amend and supplement the prospectus contained therein, in order to permit such prospectus to be lawfully delivered by all persons subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act for such period of time as such persons must comply with such requirements in order to resell the Exchange Securities; provided, however, that (i) in the case where such prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto must be delivered by an Exchanging Dealer or a Purchaser, such period shall be the earlier to occur of the 180th day after the consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer and the date on which all Exchanging Dealers and the Purchasers have sold all Exchange Securities held by them (unless such period is extended pursuant to Section 3(j) below) and (ii) the Company and the Guarantors shall make such prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto available to any broker-dealer for use in connection with any resale of any Exchange Securities for a period of not less than 180 days after the consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer.
If, upon consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer, any Purchaser holds Initial Securities acquired by it as part of the initial distribution, the Company, on behalf of itself and the Guarantors and simultaneously with the delivery of the Exchange Securities pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer, shall issue and deliver to such Purchaser upon the written request of such Purchaser, which request must be made no later than the date of acceptance of the Exchange Offer, in exchange (the “Private Exchange”) for the Initial Securities held by such Purchaser, a like principal amount of debt securities of the Company issued under the Indenture and identical in all material respects (including the existence of restrictions on transfer under the Securities Act and the securities laws of the several states of the United States, but excluding provisions relating to the matters described in Section 6 hereof) to the Initial Securities (the “Private Exchange Securities”). The Initial Securities, the Exchange Securities and the Private Exchange Securities are herein collectively called the “Securities.”
In connection with the Registered Exchange Offer, the Company, on behalf of itself and the Guarantors, shall:

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(a) mail (or, to the extent permitted or required by applicable procedures or regulations of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), send electronically) to each Holder a copy of the prospectus forming part of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, together with an appropriate letter of transmittal and related documents;
(b) keep the Registered Exchange Offer open for not less than 30 days (or longer, if required by applicable law) after the date notice thereof is sent to the Holders;
(c) utilize the services of a depositary for the Registered Exchange Offer, which may be the Trustee or an affiliate of the Trustee;
(d) permit Holders to withdraw tendered Securities at any time prior to the close of business, New York time, on the last business day on which the Registered Exchange Offer shall remain open; and
(e) otherwise comply in all material respects with all applicable laws.

As soon as practicable after the close of the Registered Exchange Offer or the Private Exchange, as the case may be, the Company shall:

(x) accept for exchange all the Initial Securities validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer and the Private Exchange;
(y)  deliver to the Trustee for cancellation all the Initial Securities so accepted for exchange; and
(z)  cause the Trustee to authenticate and deliver promptly to each Holder of the Initial Securities, Exchange Securities or Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, equal in principal amount to the Initial Securities of such Holder so accepted for exchange.

The Indenture provides that the Exchange Securities will not be subject to the transfer restrictions set forth in the Indenture and that all the Securities will vote and consent together on all matters as one class and that none of the Securities will have the right to vote or consent as a class separate from one another on any matter.
Interest on each Exchange Security and Private Exchange Security issued pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer and in the Private Exchange will accrue from the last interest payment date on which interest was paid on the Initial Securities surrendered in exchange therefor or, if no interest has been paid on the Initial Securities, from September 16, 2015.
Each Holder participating in the Registered Exchange Offer shall be required to represent and warrant to the Company that at the time of the consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer (i) any Exchange Securities received by such Holder have been acquired in the ordinary course of business, (ii) such Holder has no arrangements or understanding with any person to participate in the distribution of the Exchange Securities within the meaning of the Securities Act, (iii) such Holder is not an affiliate of the Company or any Guarantor or if it is an affiliate, such Holder will comply with the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act to the extent applicable, (iv) if such Holder is not a broker-dealer, that it is not engaged in, and does not intend to engage in, the distribution of the Exchange Securities and (v) if such Holder is a broker-dealer, that it will receive Exchange Securities for its own account in exchange for Initial Securities that were acquired as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, that it will deliver a prospectus that meets the requirements of the Securities Act

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 in connection with any resale of the Exchange Securities and that it will acknowledge such prospectus delivery obligations.
Notwithstanding any other provisions hereof, the Company and the Guarantors will ensure that (i) any Exchange Offer Registration Statement and any amendment thereto and any prospectus forming part thereof and any supplement thereto complies in all material respects with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, (ii) any Exchange Offer Registration Statement and any amendment thereto does not, when it becomes effective, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and (iii) any prospectus forming part of any Exchange Offer Registration Statement, and any supplement to such prospectus, does not, as of its date, include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

2. Shelf Registration. If, (i) because of any change in law or in applicable interpretations thereof by the staff of the Commission, the Exchange Securities received by Holders in the Registered Exchange Offer are not or would not be, upon receipt, transferable by each such Holder without restriction under the Securities Act, (ii) the Registered Exchange Offer is not consummated by the 300th day after the Issue Date (or if the 300th day is not a business day, the first business day thereafter), (iii) any Purchaser so requests within 10 business days following the consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer with respect to Initial Securities not eligible to be exchanged for Exchange Securities in the Registered Exchange Offer (or Private Exchange Securities) and held by it following consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer or (iv) any Holder (other than an Exchanging Dealer) notifies the Company within 10 business days following consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer that such Holder is not eligible to participate in the Registered Exchange Offer or such Holder may not resell the Exchange Securities acquired by it in the Registered Exchange Offer to the public without delivering a prospectus and the prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement is not appropriate or available for such resales by such Holder, or such Holder is a broker-dealer and holds Initial Securities that are part of an unsold allotment from the original sale of the Initial Securities, the Company and the Guarantors shall take the following actions (the date on which any of the conditions described in the foregoing clauses (i) through (iv) occur, which date in the case of clause (iii) or (iv) shall be the date on which the Company receives the required notice, being a “Trigger Date”):

(a) The Company and the Guarantors shall, at their cost, promptly, but in no event more than 300 days after the Trigger Date (or if the 300th day is not a business day, the first business day thereafter) (such 300th day (or first business day thereafter, as applicable) being a “Shelf Registration Statement Filing Deadline,” together with the Exchange Offer Filing Deadline, each, a “Filing Deadline”), use commercially reasonable efforts to file on a single occasion with the Commission and thereafter (i) in the case of Section 2(i) above, use their commercially reasonable efforts to cause to be declared effective (unless it becomes effective automatically upon filing) on or prior to the 300th day following the Issue Date and (ii) in the case of Section 2(ii) through 2(iv) above, use their commercially reasonable efforts to cause to be declared effective (unless it becomes effective automatically upon filing) on or prior to the 90th day after the Shelf Registration Statement Filing Deadline (each of such days being an “Effectiveness 

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Deadline”) a registration statement (the “Shelf Registration Statement” and, together with the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, a “Registration Statement”) on an appropriate form under the Securities Act relating to the offer and sale of the Transfer Restricted Securities by the Holders thereof from time to time in accordance with the methods of distribution set forth in the Shelf Registration Statement and Rule 415 under the Securities Act (hereinafter, the “Shelf Registration”); provided, however, that no Holder (other than a Purchaser) shall be entitled to have the Securities held by it covered by such Shelf Registration Statement unless such Holder agrees in writing to be bound by all the provisions of this Agreement applicable to such Holder and complies with the provisions of Section 3(m); provided further that in no event shall the Company be required to file the Shelf Registration Statement or have such Shelf Registration Statement declared effective prior to the applicable deadlines for the Exchange Offer Registration Statement.

(b) The Company and the Guarantors shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to keep the Shelf Registration Statement continuously effective in order to permit the prospectus included therein to be lawfully delivered by the Holders of the relevant Securities for a period of one year (or for such longer period if extended pursuant to Section 3(j) below) from the effective date of the Shelf Registration Statement or such shorter period that will terminate (i) when all the Securities covered by the Shelf Registration Statement have been sold pursuant thereto or (ii) on the earliest date (A) that is no less than one year after the Issue Date and (B) on which all the Securities covered by the Shelf Registration Statement (except for Securities held by an affiliate of the Company) are no longer subject to any restrictions on transfer under the Securities Act, including those pursuant to Rule 144 (the “Shelf Registration Period”). Except as provided elsewhere in this Agreement, the Company and the Guarantors shall be deemed not to have used their commercially reasonable efforts to keep the Shelf Registration Statement effective during the requisite period if they voluntarily take any action that would result in Holders of Securities covered thereby not being able to offer and sell such Securities during that period, unless such action is required by applicable law or Commission policy or required to avoid a violation of applicable law or Commission policy.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, the Company and the Guarantors shall cause the Shelf Registration Statement and the related prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, as of the effective date of the Shelf Registration Statement, amendment or supplement, (i) to comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission and (ii) not to contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, that the Company shall not be responsible for any information furnished by or on behalf of a Holder for inclusion in the Shelf Registration Statement or any related prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto.

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3. Registration Procedures. In connection with any Shelf Registration contemplated by Section 2 hereof and, to the extent applicable, any Registered Exchange Offer contemplated by Section 1 hereof, the following provisions shall apply:

(a) The Company and the Guarantors shall (i) furnish to each Purchaser, prior to the filing thereof with the Commission, a copy of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereof and each supplement, if any, to the prospectus included therein; (ii) include the information set forth in Annex B hereto on the cover, in Annex C hereto in the “Exchange Offer Procedures” section and the “Purpose of the Exchange Offer” section and in Annex D hereto in the “Plan of Distribution” section of the prospectus forming a part of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement and include the information set forth in Annex E hereto in the Letter of Transmittal delivered pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer (in each case, subject to such changes therein as are required to accurately reflect then-current law or Commission policy and to conform to the style and terms used in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or the Letter of Transmittal, as applicable); (iii) if requested by a Purchaser, include the information required by Item 507 or 508 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, as applicable, in the prospectus forming a part of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement; (iv) include within the prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement a section entitled “Plan of Distribution,” reasonably acceptable to the Representative, which shall contain a summary statement of the positions taken or policies made by the staff of the Commission with respect to the potential “underwriter” status of any broker-dealer that is the beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) of Exchange Securities received by such broker-dealer in the Registered Exchange Offer (a “Participating Broker-Dealer”), whether such positions or policies have been publicly disseminated by the staff of the Commission or such positions or policies, in the reasonable judgment of the Representative based upon advice of counsel (which may be in-house counsel), represent the prevailing views of the staff of the Commission; and (v) in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, include in the prospectus included in the Shelf Registration Statement (or, if permitted by Rule 430B(b) under the Securities Act, in the prospectus supplement that becomes a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B(f) under the Securities Act) that is delivered to any Holder pursuant to Section 3(d) and (f) the names of the Holders who propose to sell Transfer Restricted Securities pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement as selling securityholders; provided that such Holders have provided the Company with such information prior to the filing of the Shelf Registration Statement or the prospectus supplement, as applicable. 

(b) The Company and the Guarantors shall give notice to the Purchasers, the Holders of the Securities and, with respect to clauses (ii) through (v) below, any Participating Broker-Dealer from whom the Company has received prior written notice that it will be a Participating Broker-Dealer in the Registered Exchange Offer (which notice pursuant to clauses (ii) through (v) below shall be accompanied by an instruction to suspend the use of the prospectus until the requisite changes have been made):

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(i) when the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective;
(ii) of any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the prospectus included therein or for additional information;
(iii) of the initiation of any proceedings for the purpose of suspending effectiveness of the Registration Statement, of the issuance by the Commission of a notification of objection to the use of the form on which the Registration Statement has been filed, and of the happening of any event that causes the Company to become an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act;
(iv) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and
(v) of the happening of any event that requires the Company to make changes in the Registration Statement or the prospectus in order that the Registration Statement or the prospectus does not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of the prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading.

(c) The Company and the Guarantors shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the withdrawal at the earliest possible time of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement.

(d) If not otherwise available on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval (“EDGAR”) System or similar system, upon the written request of a Holder of Securities included within the coverage of the Shelf Registration, the Company and the Guarantors shall furnish to such Holder, without charge and upon the written request of such Holder, at least one copy of the Shelf Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment or supplement thereto, including financial statements and schedules, and, if such Holder so requests in writing, all exhibits thereto (including those, if any, incorporated by reference therein). The Company and the Guarantors shall not, without the prior consent of the Purchasers, and each Purchaser, Holder of the Securities and Participant Broker-Dealer shall not, without the prior written consent of the Company, make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

(e) If not otherwise available on the Commission’s EDGAR System or similar system, upon the written request of a Purchaser, Exchanging Dealer or Holder, the Company and the Guarantors shall deliver to such Exchanging Dealer and such Purchaser, and to such Holder who so requests, without charge, at least one copy of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules, and, if any Purchaser or any such Holder requests, all exhibits thereto (including those incorporated by reference).

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(f) The Company and the Guarantors shall, during the Shelf Registration Period, deliver to each Holder of Securities included within the coverage of the Shelf Registration, without charge, as many copies of the prospectus (including each preliminary prospectus) included in the Shelf Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto as such person may reasonably request. The Company consents, subject to the provisions of this Agreement, to the use of the prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto by each of the selling Holders of the Securities in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities covered by the prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, included in the Shelf Registration Statement.

(g) The Company and the Guarantors shall deliver to each Purchaser, any Exchanging Dealer, any Participating Broker-Dealer and such other persons required to deliver a prospectus following the Registered Exchange Offer, without charge, as many copies of the final prospectus included in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto as such persons may reasonably request. The Company consents, subject to the provisions of this Agreement, to the use of the prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto by any Purchaser, if necessary, any Participating Broker-Dealer and such other persons required to deliver a prospectus following the Registered Exchange Offer in connection with the offering and sale of the Exchange Securities covered by the prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, included in such Exchange Offer Registration Statement.

(h) Prior to any public offering of the Securities pursuant to any Registration Statement, the Company, on behalf of itself and the Guarantors, shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify or cooperate with the Holders of the Securities included therein and their respective counsel in connection with the registration or qualification of the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or “blue sky” laws of such states of the United States as any Holder of the Securities reasonably requests in writing and do any and all other acts or things necessary or advisable to enable the offer and sale in such jurisdictions of the Securities covered by such Registration Statement; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified or (ii) take any action which would subject it to general service of process or to taxation in any jurisdiction where it is not then so subject.

(i) Unless the Securities are in book-entry form, the Company and the Guarantors shall cooperate with the Holders of the Securities to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing the Securities to be sold pursuant to any Registration Statement free of any restrictive legends (consistent with the provisions of the Indenture) and in such denominations and registered in such names as the Holders may request a reasonable period of time prior to sales of the Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement.

(j) Upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by paragraphs (ii) through (v) of Section 3(b) above during the period for which the Company is required to maintain an effective 

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Registration Statement, the Company and the Guarantors shall promptly prepare and file a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or a supplement to the related prospectus and any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered to Holders of the Securities or purchasers of Securities, the prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If the Company notifies the Purchasers, the Holders of the Securities and any known Participating Broker-Dealer in accordance with paragraphs (ii) through (v) of Section 3(b) above to suspend  the use of the prospectus until the requisite changes to the prospectus have been made (the “Suspension Notice”), then the Purchasers, the Holders of the Securities and any such Participating Broker-Dealers shall suspend use of such prospectus (and shall keep confidential the cause of such notice for so long as such cause is not otherwise publicly known), and the period of effectiveness of the Shelf Registration Statement provided for in Section 2(b) above and the Exchange Offer Registration Statement provided for in Section 1 above shall each be extended by the number of days from and including the date of the giving of such notice to and including the date when the Purchasers, the Holders of the Securities and any known Participating Broker-Dealer shall have received such amended or supplemented prospectus pursuant to this Section 3(j). Each Holder receiving a Suspension Notice hereby agrees that (unless prohibited by applicable law or internal policy of such Holder) it will either (i) destroy all prospectuses, other than permanent file copies, then in such Holder’s possession which have been replaced by the Company with more recently dated prospectuses or (ii) deliver to the Company all copies, other than permanent file copies, then in such Holder’s possession of the prospectus covering such Securities that was current at the time of receipt of the Suspension Notice. During the period in which the Company is required to maintain an effective Shelf Registration Statement pursuant to this Agreement, the Company and the Guarantors will, prior to the three-year expiration of that Shelf Registration Statement, file and use their commercially reasonable efforts to cause to be declared effective (unless it becomes effective automatically upon filing) within a period that avoids any interruption in the ability of Holders of Securities covered by the expiring Shelf Registration Statement to make registered dispositions of such Securities, a new registration statement relating to the Securities, which shall be deemed the “Shelf Registration Statement” for purposes of this Agreement; provided, however in no event shall the Company and the Guarantors be obligated to keep any Shelf Registration Statement effective beyond the period as required by Section 2(b) of this Agreement as extended by the number of days provided for in the second sentence of this Section 3(j) and the penultimate sentence of Section 3(u).

(k) Not later than the effective date of the applicable Registration Statement, the Company and the Guarantors will provide a CUSIP number for the Initial Securities, the Exchange Securities or the Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, and provide the applicable trustee with printed certificates for the Initial Securities, the Exchange Securities or the Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, in a form eligible for deposit with DTC.

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(l) The Company and the Guarantors will comply in all material respects with all rules and regulations of the Commission to the extent and so long as they are applicable to the Registered Exchange Offer or the Shelf Registration and will make generally available to its security holders (or otherwise provide in accordance with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act) an earnings statement satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act, no later than 45 days after the end of a 12-month period (or 90 days, if such period is a fiscal year) beginning with the first month of the Company’s first fiscal quarter commencing after the effective date of the Registration Statement, which statement shall cover such 12-month period.

(m) The Company may require each Holder of Securities to be sold pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement to furnish to the Company such information regarding the Holder and the distribution of the Securities as the Company may from time to time reasonably require for inclusion in the Shelf Registration Statement.  The Company may exclude from such registration the Securities of any Holder that unreasonably fails to furnish such information within a reasonable period of time after receiving such request; no Holder shall be entitled to Additional Interest pursuant to Section 6 unless and until such Holder shall have provided such information.

(n) The Company and the Guarantors shall enter into such customary agreements (including, if requested, an underwriting agreement in customary form) and take all such other action, if any, as any Holder of the Transfer Restricted Securities shall reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Transfer Restricted Securities pursuant to any Shelf Registration.

(o) In the case of any Shelf Registration, the Company and the Guarantors, as applicable, shall (i) make reasonably available for inspection by the Holders of the Securities, any underwriter participating in any disposition pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement and any attorney, accountant or other agent retained by the Holders of the Securities or any such underwriter all relevant financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Company at such offices where such information is normally kept and during normal business hours and (ii) cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees, and use commercially reasonable efforts to cause its accountants and auditors, to supply all relevant information reasonably requested by the Holders of the Securities or any such underwriter, attorney, accountant or agent in connection with the Shelf Registration Statement, in each case, as shall be reasonably necessary to enable such persons to conduct a reasonable investigation within the meaning of Section 11 of the Securities Act; provided, however, that the foregoing inspection and information gathering shall be coordinated on behalf of the Purchasers by Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and on behalf of the other parties, by one counsel designated by and on behalf of such other parties as described in Section 4 hereof; provided further, however, that the conduct of the foregoing inspection and information gathering shall be subject to the execution by all persons party to such inspection and information gathering of a reasonable confidentiality undertaking in customary form with respect to confidential and proprietary information of the Company.

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(p) In the case of any Shelf Registration, the Company, if requested by any Holder of Securities covered thereby, shall (i) use commercially reasonable efforts to cause its counsel (who may be an employee of the Company) to deliver one or more opinions and updates thereof relating to the Securities in forms materially consistent (taking into account the nature of the relevant offering) with the opinions agreed upon by such counsel and the Purchasers in connection with the Company’s issuance of the Initial Securities addressed to such Holders and the Managing Underwriters (as defined below), if any, thereof and dated, in the case of the initial opinion, the effective date of such Shelf Registration Statement; (ii) cause its officers to execute and deliver all documents and certificates and updates thereof customary for underwritten offerings of debt securities similar to the Securities requested by the Managing Underwriters and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to cause its independent registered public accounting firm and the independent registered public accounting firm with respect to any other entity for which financial information is provided in the Shelf Registration Statement to provide to the selling Holders of the applicable Securities and any underwriter therefor a comfort letter in customary form and covering matters of the type customarily covered in comfort letters in connection with primary underwritten offerings, subject to receipt of appropriate documentation as contemplated, and only if permitted, by AU Section 634 of the Interim Auditing Standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and any other applicable pronouncements.

(q) If a Registered Exchange Offer or a Private Exchange is to be consummated, upon delivery of the Initial Securities by Holders to the Company (or to such other Person as directed by the Company) in exchange for the Exchange Securities or the Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, the Company shall mark, or cause to be marked, on the Initial Securities so exchanged that such Initial Securities are being canceled in exchange for the Exchange Securities or the Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be; in no event shall the Initial Securities be marked as paid or otherwise satisfied.

(r) If so requested by Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of Securities covered by a Registration Statement, or by the Managing Underwriters, if any, the Company and the Guarantors will use their commercially reasonable efforts to (a) if the Initial Securities have been rated prior to the initial sale of such Initial Securities, confirm such ratings will apply to the Securities covered by such Registration Statement, or (b) if the Initial Securities were not previously rated, cause the Securities covered by such Registration Statement to be rated with the appropriate rating agencies.

(s) In the event that any broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act shall underwrite any Securities or participate as a member of an underwriting syndicate or selling group or “assist in the distribution” (within the meaning of the Conduct Rules (the “Rules”) of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.) thereof, whether as a Holder of such Securities or as an underwriter, a placement or sales agent or a broker or dealer in respect thereof, or otherwise, the Company and the Guarantors will assist such broker-dealer in complying with the requirements of such Rules, including, without limitation, by (i) if such Rules, including Rule 5121, shall so 

12

        

require, engaging a “qualified independent underwriter” (as defined in Rule 5121) to participate in the preparation of the Registration Statement relating to such Securities, to exercise usual standards of due diligence in respect thereto and, if any portion of the offering contemplated by such Registration Statement is an underwritten offering or is made through a placement or sales agent, to recommend the yield of such Securities, (ii) indemnifying any such qualified independent underwriter to the extent of the indemnification of underwriters provided in Section 5 hereof and (iii) providing such information to such broker-dealer as may be required in order for such broker-dealer to comply with the requirements of the Rules.

(t) The Company and the Guarantors shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to take all other steps necessary to effect the registration of the Securities covered by a Registration Statement contemplated hereby.

(u) Each Holder and each Participating Broker-Dealer agrees by acquisition of Initial Securities or Exchange Securities that, upon the Company providing notice to such Holder or Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, (x) of the happening of any event of the kind described in paragraphs (ii) through (v) of Section 3(b) hereof, or (y) that the Board of Directors of the Company has resolved that the Company has a bona fide business purpose for doing so, then, upon providing such notice (which shall refer to this Section 3(u)), the Company may delay the filing or the effectiveness of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or the Shelf Registration Statement (if not then filed or effective, as applicable) and shall not be required to maintain the effectiveness thereof or amend or supplement the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or the Shelf Registration Statement, in all cases, for a period (a “Delay Period”) expiring upon the earlier to occur of (i) in the case of the immediately preceding clause (x), such Holder’s or Participating Broker-Dealer’s receipt of the copies of the supplemented or amended prospectus contemplated by Section 3(g) hereof or its being advised in writing by the Company that the use of the applicable prospectus may be resumed, and its receipt of copies of any amendments or supplements thereto, and (ii) in the case of the immediately preceding clause (y), (A) the date on which such business purpose ceases to interfere with the Company’s and the Guarantors’ obligations to file or maintain the effectiveness of any such Registration Statement pursuant to this Agreement and (B) the date which is 90 days after the Company notifies the Holders of such good faith determination. There shall not be more than 90 days of Delay Periods during any 12-month period. The period of effectiveness of the Shelf Registration Statement provided for in Section 2(b) above and the Exchange Offer Registration Statement provided for in Section 1 above shall each be extended by a number of days equal to the number of days during any Delay Period. Any Delay Period will not alter the obligations of the Company or the Guarantors to pay Additional Interest under the circumstances set forth in Section 6 hereof.

4. Registration Expenses.

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(a) All expenses incident to the Company’s and the Guarantors’ performance of and compliance with this Agreement will be borne by the Company and the Guarantors, regardless of whether a Registration Statement is ever filed or becomes effective, including without limitation:
(i) all registration and filing fees and expenses;
(ii) all fees and expenses of compliance with federal securities and state “blue sky” or securities laws;
(iii) all expenses of printing (including printing certificates for the Securities to be issued in the Registered Exchange Offer and the Private Exchange and printing of Prospectuses if requested by the Managing Underwriters, if any, by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Transfer Restricted Securities in any Registration Statement or by any Participating Broker-Dealer during the period such persons must comply with the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act in order to resell the Exchange Securities), messenger, telephone and delivery services incurred in connection with performance of their obligations hereunder;
(iv) all fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and the Guarantors; and
(v) all fees and disbursements of the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company (including the expenses of any special audit and comfort letters required by or incident to such performance).

The Company and the Guarantors will bear their internal expenses (including, without limitation, all salaries and expenses of their officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), the expenses of any annual audit and the fees and expenses of any person, including special experts, retained by the Company and the Guarantors.

(b) In the event that a Shelf Registration Statement is required by this Agreement, the Company and the Guarantors shall bear or reimburse the Holders of the Securities covered thereby for the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of not more than one firm of counsel, who shall be Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP unless another firm shall be chosen by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Initial Securities covered thereby to act as counsel for the Holders of the Initial Securities in connection therewith.

5. Indemnification; Contribution.
(a) The Company and each of the Guarantors, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and hold harmless each Holder of the Securities, any Participating Broker-Dealer and each of their respective affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents and each person who controls (within the meaning of either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act) any Holder of the Securities or any Participating Broker-Dealer, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact 

14

        

contained in a Registration Statement as originally filed or in any amendment thereof, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the prospectus included in a Registration Statement or in any preliminary prospectus or any “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act), or in any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and agrees to reimburse each such indemnified party, as incurred, for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the Company and the Guarantors will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of such Holders or any such Participating Broker-Dealer specifically for inclusion therein.  The Company and the Guarantors shall also indemnify the underwriters in connection with any Shelf Registration, their officers and directors and each person who controls such underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act to the same extent as provided above with respect to the indemnification of the Holders of the Securities if requested in writing by such Holders.  This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company or the Guarantors may otherwise have.  
(b) Each Holder of the Securities and each Participating Broker-Dealer agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs a Registration Statement, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company and the Guarantors to the Holders of the Securities and Participating Broker-Dealers, but only with reference to written information relating to the Holders of the Securities and the Participating Broker-Dealers furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any such Holder or Participating Broker-Dealer specifically for inclusion in the documents referred to in the foregoing indemnity.  Any underwriter that is covered by the indemnity in the preceding paragraph (a) shall also indemnify the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs a Registration Statement, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, to the same extent as provided above in this paragraph (b). This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which any such underwriter, the Holders of the Securities and Participating Broker-Dealers may otherwise have.    
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 5 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 5, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party (i) will 

15

        

not relieve the indemnifying party from liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above.  The indemnifying party shall be entitled to appoint counsel of the indemnifying party’s choice at the indemnifying party’s expense to represent the indemnified party in any action for which indemnification is sought (in which case the indemnifying party shall not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of any separate counsel retained by the indemnified party or parties except as set forth below); provided, however, that such counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party.  Notwithstanding the indemnifying party’s election to appoint counsel to represent the indemnified party in an action, the indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel), and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses of such separate counsel if (i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest, (ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of, any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of such action or (iv) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party.  An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent (x) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding, and (y) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.  
(d) In the event that the indemnity provided in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section 5 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party for any reason, each indemnifying party agrees to contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending the same) (collectively “Losses”) to which the indemnified party may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the indemnifying party or parties, on the one hand, and the indemnified party on the other hand from the exchange of Securities pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer or the registration of the Initial Securities pursuant to the Shelf Registration, as applicable.  If the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is unavailable for any reason, the Company, the Guarantors, the Holders of Securities and the Participating Broker-Dealers shall contribute in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company and 

16

        

the Guarantors, on the one hand, and of the Holders of Securities and the Participating Broker-Dealers, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  Relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any untrue or any alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information provided by the Company and the Guarantors on the one hand or the relevant Holder, Participating Broker-Dealer or other indemnified party on the other, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission.  The Company, the Guarantors, the Holders of Securities and any Participating Broker-Dealer agrees that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 5 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (d), no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  For purposes of this Section 5, each person who controls a Holder of Securities or Participating Broker-Dealer within the meaning of either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act and each affiliate, director, officer, employee and agent of a Holder of Securities or Participating Broker-Dealer shall have the same rights to contribution as such Holder of Securities or Participating Broker-Dealer, and each person who controls the Company or the Guarantors within the meaning of either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, each officer of the Company or the Guarantors who shall have signed a Registration Statement and each director of the Company or the Guarantors shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company and the Guarantors, subject in each case to the applicable terms and conditions of this paragraph (d).  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 5(d), no Holder of the Securities shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the net proceeds received by such Holder from the sale of the Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement exceeds the amount of damages which such Holder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. 
(e) The agreements contained in this Section 5 shall survive the sale of the Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination or cancellation of this Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

6. Additional Interest Under Certain Circumstances.

(a) Additional interest (the “Additional Interest”) with respect to the Transfer Restricted Securities shall be assessed as follows if any of the following events occur (each such event in clauses (i) through (iii) below being herein called a “Registration Default”):

(i) the Registered Exchange Offer has not been consummated on or prior to the Consummation Deadline; 

17

        

(ii) the Company is obligated to file a Shelf Registration Statement pursuant to Section 2 of this Agreement and such Registration Statement is not declared effective by the relevant Effectiveness Deadline; or
(iii) any Registration Statement required by this Agreement has been declared effective by the Commission but (A) such Registration Statement thereafter ceases to be effective during the period specified in Section 1 and Section 2(b) of this Agreement, except, in the case of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, following the consummation of the Exchange Offer with respect to all Securities tendered in connection therewith prior to the expiration of the Exchange Offer or (B) such Registration Statement or the related prospectus ceases to be usable in connection with resales of Transfer Restricted Securities during the periods specified herein because either (1) any event occurs as a result of which the related prospectus forming part of such Registration Statement would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (2) it shall be necessary to amend such Registration Statement or supplement the related prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or the respective rules thereunder, or (3) such Registration Statement is a Shelf Registration Statement that has expired before a replacement Shelf Registration Statement has become effective, causing an interruption in the ability of Holders of Securities covered by the expiring Shelf Registration Statement to make registered dispositions of such Securities during a time when the Company remains under an obligation to keep a Shelf Registration Statement effective pursuant to this Agreement.

Additional Interest shall accrue on the Transfer Restricted Securities over and above the interest set forth in the title of the Transfer Restricted Securities, from and including the date on which any such Registration Default shall occur to but excluding the date on which all such Registration Defaults have been cured, at a rate of 0.25% per annum (the “Additional Interest Rate”) for the first 90-day period immediately following the occurrence of such Registration Default. The Additional Interest Rate shall increase by an additional 0.25% per annum with respect to each subsequent 90-day period until all Registration Defaults have been cured, up to a maximum Additional Interest Rate of 0.50% per annum; provided that the Company shall in no event be required to pay Additional Interest for more than one Registration Default at any given time. Following the earlier of the date that all Registration Defaults are cured and a Security ceases to be a Transfer Restricted Security, the accrual of Additional Interest will cease.

(b) A Registration Default referred to in Section 6(a)(iii) hereof shall be deemed not to have occurred and be continuing in relation to a Shelf Registration Statement or the related prospectus if (i) such Registration Default has occurred solely as a result of (x) the filing of a post-effective amendment to such Shelf Registration Statement to incorporate annual audited financial information with respect to the Company where such post-effective amendment is not yet effective and needs to be declared effective to permit Holders to use the related prospectus or (y) other material events, with respect to the Company that would need to be described in such 

18

        

Shelf Registration Statement or the related prospectus and (ii) in the case of clause (y), the Company is proceeding promptly and in good faith to amend or supplement such Shelf Registration Statement and related prospectus to describe such events; provided, however, that in any case if such Registration Default occurs for a continuous period in excess of 45 days, Additional Interest shall be payable in accordance with the above paragraph from the day such Registration Default occurs until such Registration Default is cured.

(c) Any amounts of Additional Interest due pursuant to Section 6(a) above will be payable in cash on the regular interest payment dates with respect to the Transfer Restricted Securities. The amount of Additional Interest will be determined by multiplying the applicable Additional Interest Rate by the principal amount of the Transfer Restricted Securities and further multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days such Additional Interest Rate was applicable during such period (determined on the basis of a 360-day year comprising twelve 30-day months), and the denominator of which is 360. 

(d) “Transfer Restricted Securities” means each Security until (i) the date on which such Security has been exchanged by a person other than a broker-dealer for an Exchange Security in the Registered Exchange Offer, (ii) following the exchange by a broker-dealer in the Registered Exchange Offer of an Initial Security for an Exchange Security, the date on which such Exchange Security is sold to a purchaser who receives from such broker-dealer on or prior to the date of such sale a copy of the prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, (iii) the date on which such Security has been effectively registered under the Securities Act and disposed of in accordance with the Shelf Registration Statement, (iv) the date on which such Security is distributed to the public pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act or (v) such Security ceases to be outstanding.

7. Rules 144 and 144A. The Company and the Guarantors shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to file the reports required to be filed by them under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act in a timely manner and, if at any time the Company is not required to file such reports, the Company and the Guarantors will, upon the request of any Holder of Securities that are “restricted securities” within the meaning of Rule 144 and are not saleable pursuant to Rule 144(d), make publicly available other information so long as necessary to permit sales of such Holders’ Securities pursuant to Rules 144 and 144A. The Company and the Guarantors covenant that they will take such further action as any Holder of Securities may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Holder to sell Securities without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rules 144 and 144A (including the requirements of Rule 144A(d)(4)). Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Section 7 shall be deemed to require the Company and the Guarantors to register any of their securities pursuant to the Exchange Act.

8. Underwritten Registrations. If any of the Transfer Restricted Securities covered by any Shelf Registration are to be sold in an underwritten offering, the investment banker or investment bankers and manager or managers that will administer the offering (“Managing Underwriters”) will be selected by 

19

        

the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of such Transfer Restricted Securities to be included in such offering, subject to approval by the Company, which will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

No person may participate in any underwritten registration hereunder unless such person (i) agrees to sell such person’s Transfer Restricted Securities on the basis reasonably provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the persons entitled hereunder to approve such arrangements and (ii) timely completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements.

9. Miscellaneous.

(a) Remedies. The Company and the Guarantors acknowledge and agree that any failure by the Company and the Guarantors to comply with their obligations under Sections 1 and 2 hereof may result in material irreparable injury to the Purchasers or the Holders for which there may be no adequate remedy at law, that it may not be possible to measure damages for such injuries precisely and that, in the event of any such failure, the Purchasers or any Holder shall be entitled to seek such relief as may be required to specifically enforce the Company’s and the Guarantors’ obligations under Sections 1 and 2 hereof. The Purchasers and the Holders acknowledge and agree that the Additional Interest provided by Section 6 of this Agreement shall be the exclusive monetary remedy available to Holders for any Registration Default.

(b) Joinders. Promptly following the Issue Date and, in no event later than such time as the applicable Additional Subsidiary Guarantor will become a guarantor under the Company’s senior secured credit agreement, the Company shall cause such Additional Subsidiary Guarantor to join this Agreement by executing and delivering to the Representative the Registration Rights Joinder.

(c) No Inconsistent Agreements. On or after the date of this Agreement, the Company will not enter into any agreement with respect to its securities that is inconsistent with the rights granted to the Holders in this Agreement or otherwise conflicts with the provisions hereof. The rights granted to the Holders hereunder do not in any way conflict with and are not inconsistent with the rights granted to the holders of the Company’s securities under any agreement in effect on the date hereof.

(d) Amendments and Waivers. The provisions of this Agreement may not be amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given, except in writing by the Company on behalf of itself and the Guarantors and the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Transfer Restricted Securities affected by such amendment, modification, supplement, waiver or consents. Without the consent of the Holder of each Security, however, no modification may change the provisions relating to the payment of Additional Interest.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, a waiver or consent to depart from the provisions hereof with respect to a matter that relates 

20

        

exclusively to the rights of Holders of Transfer Restricted Securities whose securities are being tendered pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer or sold pursuant to a Shelf Registration and that does not directly or indirectly affect, impair, limit or compromise the rights of other Holders of Transfer Restricted Securities may be given by Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Transfer Restricted Securities being tendered or being sold by such Holders pursuant to such Shelf Registration.

(e) Notices. All notices and other communications provided for or permitted hereunder shall be made in writing by hand delivery, first-class mail, facsimile or other customary electronic transmission, or air courier which guarantees overnight delivery:

(1) if to a Holder of the Securities, at the most current address given by such Holder to the Company.

(2) if to the Purchasers:

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC.
1585 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
Attn: Legal Department 

with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP
80 Pine Street
New York, NY 10005    
Fax No.: 212-269-5420
Attn: Geoffrey Liebmann

(3) if to the Company or any of the Guarantors, at its address as follows:

HealthSouth Corporation
3660 Grandview Parkway, Suite 200
Birmingham, AL 35243
Fax No.: (205) 262-3948
Attn: John P. Whittington, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

Covington & Burling LLP
One CityCenter
850 Tenth Street, NW

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Washington, DC 20001-4956
Fax No.: (202) 662-6291
Attn: Michael Riella

All such notices and communications shall be deemed to have been duly given: at the time delivered by hand, if personally delivered; three business days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; when receipt is acknowledged by recipient’s facsimile machine operator, if sent by facsimile transmission; when receipt is acknowledged (whether automated acknowledgment or acknowledgment by the recipient), if sent by other electronic communication; and on the day delivered, if sent by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery.

(f) Third Party Beneficiaries. The Holders and the indemnified parties described in Section 5 shall be third party beneficiaries to the agreements made hereunder between the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Purchasers, on the other hand, and shall have the right to enforce such agreements directly to the extent they may deem such enforcement necessary or advisable to protect their rights or the rights of Holders hereunder.

(g) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns.

(h) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

(i) Headings. The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.

(j) Governing Law. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAWS THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE APPLICATION OF THE SUBSTANTIVE LAW OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION. The Company, each Guarantor and each of the Purchasers hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

(k) Severability. If any one or more of the provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of any such provision in every other respect and of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not be affected or impaired thereby.

(l) Securities Held by the Company. Whenever the consent or approval of Holders of a specified percentage of principal amount of Securities is required hereunder, Securities held by the Company or its affiliates (other than subsequent Holders of Securities if such subsequent 

22

        

Holders are deemed to be affiliates solely by reason of their holdings of such Securities) shall not be counted in determining whether such consent or approval was given by the Holders of such required percentage.

(m) Entire Agreement.  This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between or among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the several Purchasers, the Guarantors and the Company in accordance with its terms.

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Very truly yours,
HealthSouth Corporation
		
	By:
	/s/ Douglas E. Coltharp     
Name:   Douglas E. Coltharp     
Title:     Executive Vice President and Chief          

  Financial Officer

[HealthSouth - Registration Rights Agreement]

        

GUARANTORS:

CMS Jonesboro Rehabilitation, Inc.
Continental Medical of Arizona, Inc.
Continental Medical Systems, Inc.
Continental Rehabilitation Hospital of Arizona, Inc.
HEALTHSOUTH LTAC of Sarasota, Inc.
HEALTHSOUTH of Dothan, Inc.
HEALTHSOUTH of Nittany Valley, Inc.
HEALTHSOUTH of South Carolina, Inc.
HEALTHSOUTH of Spring Hill, Inc.
HEALTHSOUTH of Treasure Coast, Inc.
HEALTHSOUTH of Yuma, Inc.
HEALTHSOUTH Rehabilitation Center, Inc.
HEALTHSOUTH Rehabilitation Center of New Hampshire, Inc.
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Austin, Inc.
HEALTHSOUTH Rehabilitation Hospital of Manati, Inc.
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Montgomery, Inc.
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of San Juan, Inc.
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Texarkana, Inc.
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital The Woodlands, Inc.
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Institute of San Antonio, (RIOSA), Inc.
Lakeshore System Services of Florida, Inc.
Rehab Concepts Corp.
Rehabilitation Hospital of Colorado Springs, Inc.
Rehabilitation Hospital of Nevada-Las Vegas, Inc.
Sherwood Rehabilitation Hospital, Inc.
Tarrant County Rehabilitation Hospital, Inc.
Tyler Rehabilitation Hospital, Inc.
Western Neuro Care, Inc.

By: /s/ Edmund M. Fay
      Name: Edmund M. Fay
  Title: Authorized Signatory

[Signatures Continued on Next Page]

[HealthSouth - Registration Rights Agreement]

        

       Lakeview Rehabilitation Group Partners
By: Continental Medical of Kentucky, Inc.
Its: General Partner
                        
Southern Arizona Regional Rehabilitation Hospital, L.P.
By: Continental Rehabilitation Hospital of Arizona, Inc.
Its: General Partner

Western Medical Rehab Associates, L.P.
By: Western Neuro Care, Inc.
Its: General Partner

By: /s/ Edmund M. Fay
Name: Edmund M. Fay
             Title: Authorized Signatory 

[Signatures Continued on Next Page]

[HealthSouth - Registration Rights Agreement]

        

Advantage Health, LLC
HealthSouth Arizona Real Estate, LLC
HealthSouth Aviation, LLC
HealthSouth Bakersfield Rehabilitation Hospital, LLC
HealthSouth California Real Estate, LLC
HealthSouth Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital, LLC
HealthSouth Colorado Real Estate, LLC
HealthSouth Deaconess Holdings, LLC
HealthSouth East Valley Rehabilitation Hospital, LLC
HealthSouth Harmarville Rehabilitation Hospital, LLC
HealthSouth Johnson City Holdings, LLC
HealthSouth Joint Ventures Holdings, LLC
HealthSouth Kansas Real Estate, LLC
HealthSouth Kentucky Real Estate, LLC
HealthSouth Littleton Rehabilitation, LLC
HealthSouth Martin County Holdings, LLC
HealthSouth Middletown Rehabilitation Hospital, LLC
HealthSouth Nevada Real Estate, LLC
HealthSouth New Mexico Real Estate, LLC
HealthSouth Northern Kentucky Rehabilitation Hospital, LLC
HealthSouth Ohio Real Estate, LLC
HealthSouth Owned Hospitals Holdings, LLC
HealthSouth Pennsylvania Real Estate, LLC
HealthSouth Plano Rehabilitation Hospital, LLC
HealthSouth Properties, LLC
HealthSouth Reading Rehabilitation Hospital, LLC
HealthSouth Real Estate, LLC
HealthSouth Real Property Holding, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital at Drake, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Arlington, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Beaumont, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Charleston, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Cypress, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Desert Canyon, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Fort Worth, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Fredericksburg, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Gadsden, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Henderson, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Humble, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Largo, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Las Vegas, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Marion County, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Mechanicsburg, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Miami, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Midland/Odessa, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Modesto, LLC

[HealthSouth - Registration Rights Agreement]

        

HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of New Mexico, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Newnan, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Virginia, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Petersburg, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Sarasota, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Seminole County, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Sewickley, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of South Jersey, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Sugar Land, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Tallahassee, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Utah, LLC
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Institute of Tucson, LLC
HealthSouth Savannah Holdings, LLC
HealthSouth Scottsdale Rehabilitation Hospital, LLC
HealthSouth Sea Pines Holdings, LLC
HealthSouth South Carolina Real Estate, LLC
HealthSouth Specialty Hospital of North Louisiana, LLC
HealthSouth Sub-Acute Center of Mechanicsburg, LLC
HealthSouth Sunrise Rehabilitation Hospital, LLC
HealthSouth Support Companies, LLC
HealthSouth Texas Real Estate, LLC
HealthSouth Tucson Holdings, LLC
HealthSouth Utah Real Estate, LLC
HealthSouth Valley of the Sun Rehabilitation Hospital, LLC
HealthSouth Virginia Real Estate, LLC
HealthSouth Walton Rehabilitation Hospital, LLC
HealthSouth West Virginia Real Estate, LLC
HealthSouth Westerville Holdings, LLC
HealthSouth of East Tennessee, LLC
HealthSouth of Erie, LLC
HealthSouth of Fort Smith, LLC
HealthSouth of Pittsburgh, LLC
HealthSouth of Toms River, LLC
HealthSouth of York, LLC
New England Rehabilitation Management Co., LLC
Print Promotions Group, LLC
Rebound, LLC
Rehabilitation Hospital Corporation of America, LLC
Rehabilitation Hospital of Plano, LLC
Rehabilitation Institute of Western Massachusetts, LLC

By: /s/ Edmund M. Fay
      Name: Edmund M. Fay
      Title: Authorized Signatory  

[HealthSouth - Registration Rights Agreement]

        

The foregoing Registration Rights 
Agreement is hereby confirmed and
accepted as of the date first written above.

MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC as Representative of the several Purchasers

By: /s/ Nehal Abdel Hakim
      Name: Nehal Abdel Hakim 
      Title:  Authorized Signatory

[HealthSouth - Registration Rights Agreement]

        

ANNEX A

$350,000,000

HealthSouth Corporation
5.75% Senior Notes due 2025

REGISTRATION RIGHTS JOINDER
[                    ] 
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC,
  As Representative of the several Purchasers
1585 Broadway
New York, New York 10036

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Reference is made to the Registration Rights Agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) dated September 16, 2015, among HealthSouth Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), certain affiliates of the Company party thereto and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, as representative for the several Purchasers named therein (in such capacity, the “Representative”), concerning certain registration rights provisions with respect to the $350,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.75% Senior Notes due 2025 issued by the Company.  Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein have the meanings ascribed to them in the Registration Rights Agreement. This agreement (this “Registration Rights Joinder”) is the “Registration Rights Joinder” referred to in the Registration Rights Agreement. 
Each of the Additional Subsidiary Guarantors, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, hereby agrees to join, and to become bound by the terms, conditions, covenants, agreements, indemnities and other provisions of, the Registration Rights Agreement as a “Guarantor,” in each case with all attendant rights, duties and obligations stated therein, with the same force and effect as if originally a party thereto, and as if such party executed the Registration Rights Agreement on the date thereof.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of this Registration Rights Joinder by signing in the space provided below.

        

Very truly yours,

[Additional Subsidiary Guarantor Signature Blocks]

        

ANNEX B

Each broker-dealer that receives Exchange Securities for its own account pursuant to the Exchange Offer must acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of those Exchange Securities. The Letter of Transmittal states that by so acknowledging and by delivering a prospectus, a broker-dealer will not be deemed to admit that it is an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act. This prospectus, as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, may be used by a broker-dealer in connection with resales of Exchange Securities received in exchange for Initial Securities where those Initial Securities were acquired by that broker-dealer as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities. The Company has agreed that, for a period of 180 days after the Expiration Date (as defined herein), it will make this prospectus available to any broker-dealer for use in connection with any such resale. See “Plan of Distribution.”

        

ANNEX C

Each broker-dealer that receives Exchange Securities for its own account in exchange for Initial Securities, where such Initial Securities were acquired by such broker-dealer as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, must acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such Exchange Securities. See “Plan of Distribution.”

        

ANNEX D

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
Each broker-dealer that receives Exchange Securities for its own account pursuant to the Exchange Offer must acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such Exchange Securities. This Prospectus, as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, may be used by a broker-dealer in connection with resales of Exchange Securities received in exchange for Initial Securities where such Initial Securities were acquired as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities. The Company has agreed that, for a period of 180 days after the Expiration Date, it will make this prospectus, as amended or supplemented, available to any broker-dealer for use in connection with any such resale. In addition, until          , 201 , all dealers effecting transactions in the Exchange Securities may be required to deliver a prospectus.
The Company will not receive any proceeds from any sale of Exchange Securities by broker-dealers. The Exchange Securities received by broker-dealers for their own account pursuant to the Exchange Offer may be sold from time to time in one or more transactions in the over-the-counter market, in negotiated transactions, through the writing of options on the Exchange Securities or a combination of such methods of resale, at market prices prevailing at the time of resale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices or negotiated prices. Any such resale may be made directly to purchasers or to or through brokers or dealers who may receive compensation in the form of commissions or concessions from any such broker-dealer or the purchasers of any such Exchange Securities. Any broker-dealer that resells Exchange Securities that were received by it for its own account pursuant to the Exchange Offer and any broker or dealer that participates in a distribution of such Exchange Securities may be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act and any profit on any such resale of Exchange Securities and any commission or concessions received by any such persons may be deemed to be underwriting compensation under the Securities Act. The Letter of Transmittal states that, by acknowledging that it will deliver and by delivering a prospectus, a broker-dealer will not be deemed to admit that it is an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act.
For a period of 180 days after the Expiration Date, the Company will promptly send additional copies of this Prospectus and any amendment or supplement to this Prospectus to any broker-dealer that requests such documents in the Letter of Transmittal. The Company has agreed to pay all expenses incident to the Exchange Offer (including the expenses of one counsel for the Holders of the Securities) other than transfer taxes and commissions or concessions of any brokers or dealers and will indemnify the Holders of the Securities (including any broker-dealers) against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

        

ANNEX E

[ ]    CHECK HERE IF YOU ARE A BROKER-DEALER AND WISH TO RECEIVE 10 ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THE PROSPECTUS AND 10 COPIES OF ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO.
Name:    __________________________________
Address:     __________________________________

If the undersigned is not a broker-dealer, the undersigned represents that it is not engaged in, and does not intend to engage in, a distribution of Exchange Securities. If the undersigned is a broker-dealer that will receive Exchange Securities for its own account in exchange for Initial Securities that were acquired as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, it acknowledges that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such Exchange Securities; however, by so acknowledging and by delivering a prospectus, the undersigned will not be deemed to admit that it is an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act.ex10-1.htm

Exhibit 10.1

VERTEX ENERGY, INC.

AMENDED AND RESTATED 2013 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

ARTICLE I -- PREAMBLE

1.1           This Amended and Restated 2013 Stock Incentive Plan of Vertex Energy, Inc. (the "Company") is intended to secure for the Company and its Affiliates the benefits arising from ownership of the Company's Common Stock by the Employees, Officers, Directors and Consultants of the Company and its Affiliates, all of whom are and will be responsible for the Company's future growth.  The Plan is designed to help attract and retain for the Company and its Affiliates personnel of superior ability for positions of exceptional responsibility, to reward Employees, Officers, Directors and Consultants for their services and to motivate such individuals through added incentives to further contribute to the success of the Company and its Affiliates. With respect to persons subject to Section 16 of the Act, transactions under this Plan are intended to satisfy the requirements of Rule 16b-3 of the Act.

1.2           Awards under the Plan may be made to an Eligible Person in the form of (i) Incentive Stock Options (to Eligible Employees only); (ii) Nonqualified Stock Options; (iii) Restricted Stock; (iv) Stock Awards; (v) Performance Shares; or (vi) any combination of the foregoing.

1.3           The Company’s board of directors adopted the Plan effective on April 25, 2013  (the "Effective Date"), subject to approval by the shareholders of the Company to the extent necessary to satisfy the requirements of the Code, the Act, or other applicable federal or state law.  Unless sooner terminated as provided elsewhere in this Plan, this Plan shall terminate upon the close of business on the day next preceding the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Effective Date.  Award Agreements outstanding on such date shall continue to have force and effect in accordance with the provisions thereof.

1.4           The Plan shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Texas (except its choice-of-law provisions).

1.5           Capitalized terms shall have the meaning provided in Article II unless otherwise provided in this Plan or any related Award Agreement.

ARTICLE II -- DEFINITIONS

DEFINITIONS.  Except where the context otherwise indicates, the following definitions apply:

2.1           "Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as now in effect or as hereafter amended.

2.2           "Affiliate" means any parent corporation or subsidiary corporation of the Company, whether now or hereinafter existing, as those terms are defined in Sections 424(e) and (f), respectively, of the Code.

 

2.3           "Award" means an award granted to a Participant in accordance with the provisions of the Plan, including, but not limited to, Stock Options, Restricted Stock, Stock Awards, Performance Shares, or any combination of the foregoing.

2.4           "Award Agreement" means the separate written agreement evidencing each Award granted to a Participant under the Plan.

2.5           "Board of Directors" or "Board" means the Board of Directors of the Company, as constituted from time to time.

2.6           “Bylaws” means the Company’s bylaws as amended from time to time.

 

  

  

  

2.7           "Change of Control" means (i) the adoption of a plan of merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation or association as a result of which the holders of the voting capital stock of the Company as a group would receive less than 50% of the voting capital stock of the surviving or resulting corporation; (ii) the approval by the Board of Directors of an agreement providing for the sale or transfer (other than as security for obligations of the Company) of substantially all the assets of the Company; or (iii) in the absence of a prior expression of approval by the Board of Directors, the acquisition of more than 20% of the Company's voting capital stock by any person within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Act (other than the Company or a person that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Company).

2.8           "Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and interpretations promulgated thereunder.

2.9           "Committee" means a committee of two or more members of the Board appointed by the Board in accordance with Section 3.2 of the Plan.

2.10           "Common Stock" means the Company’s common stock.

2.11           "Company" means Vertex Energy, Inc., a Nevada corporation.

2.12           "Consultant" means any person, including an advisor engaged by the Company or an Affiliate to render bona fide consulting or advisory services to the Company or an Affiliate, other than as an Employee, Director or Non-Employee Director.

2.13           "Director" means a member of the Board of Directors of the Company.

2.14           "Disability" means the permanent and total disability of a person within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code.

2.15           "Effective Date" shall be the date set forth in Section 1.3 of the Plan.

2.16           "Eligible Employee" means an Eligible Person who is an Employee of the Company or any Affiliate.

2.17           "Eligible Person" means any Employee, Officer, Director, Non-Employee Director or Consultant of the Company or any Affiliate, except for instances where services are in connection with the offer or sale of securities in a capital-raising transaction, or they directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the Company’s securities, subject to any other limitations as may be provided by the Code, the Act, or the Board.  In making such determinations, the Board may take into account the nature of the services rendered by such person, his or her present and potential contribution to the Company’s success, and such other factors as the Board in its discretion shall deem relevant.

2.19           “Employee” means an individual who is a common-law employee of the Company or an Affiliate including employment as an Officer.  Mere service as a Director or payment of a director's fee by the Company or an Affiliate shall not be sufficient to constitute "employment" by the Company or an Affiliate.

2.20           "ERISA" means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as now in effect or as hereafter amended.

2.21           "Fair Market Value" means:

(a)           for purposes of an Incentive Stock Option, if there is a market for the Company’s stock, on a stock exchange or in an over-the-counter market, or otherwise, the Fair Market Value shall be the mean between the highest and lowest quoted selling prices on the valuation date of the Incentive Stock Option, or if there were no sales of the Company’s Common Stock on the valuation date, the Fair Market Value shall be the weighted average of the means between the highest and lowest sales on the nearest date before and the nearest date after the valuation date.  If a valuation pursuant to this paragraph is not available, the appropriate method described in Section 20.2031-2 of the Treasury Regulations adopted under the Code shall be used for the Fair Market Value, and

  

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(b)           for all other purposes, the mean between the highest and lowest quoted selling prices of the Common Stock (if actual sales price information on such trading day is not available, the mean between the bona fide bid and asked prices on such trading day shall be used) on the trading day immediately prior to the date on which a determination is being made pursuant to this Section 2.21 (the “Mean Selling Price”), as reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System (“NASDAQ”), or if the Common Stock is not traded on NASDAQ, the Mean Selling Price in the over-the-counter market; provided, however, that if the Common Stock is listed on a stock exchange, the Fair Market Value shall be the Mean Selling Price on such exchange; and, provided further, that if the Common Stock is not quoted or listed by any organization, the fair value of the Common Stock, as determined by the Board, whose determination shall be conclusive, shall be used.  In no event shall the Fair Market Value of any share of Common Stock be less than its par value.

2.22           "Grant Date" means, as to any Award, the latest of:

(a)           the date on which the Board authorizes the grant of the Award; or

 

(b)           the date the Participant receiving the Award becomes an Employee or a Director of the Company or its Affiliate, to the extent employment status is a condition of the grant or a requirement of the Code or the Act; or

 

(c)           such other date (later than the dates described in (a) and (b) above) as the Board may designate and as set forth in the Participant's Award Agreement.

2.23           "Immediate Family" means any child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law or sister-in-law and shall include adoptive relationships.

2.24           "Incentive Stock Option" means a Stock Option intended to qualify as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code and is granted under Article IV of the Plan and designated as an Incentive Stock Option in a Participant's Award Agreement.

2.25           "Non-Employee Director" shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16b-3 under the Act.

2.26           "Nonqualified Stock Option" means a Stock Option not intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option and is not so designated in the Participant's Award Agreement.

2.27           “Officer” means a person who is an officer of the Company within the meaning of Section 16 of the Act.

2.28           "Option Period" means the period during which a Stock Option may be exercised from time to time, as established by the Board and set forth in the Award Agreement for each Participant who is granted a Stock Option.

2.29           "Option Price" means the purchase price for a share of Common Stock subject to purchase pursuant to a Stock Option, as established by the Board and set forth in the Award Agreement for each Participant who is granted a Stock Option.

2.30           “Outside Director” means a Director who either (i) is not a current employee of the Company or an "affiliated corporation" (within the meaning of Treasury Regulations promulgated under Section 162(m) of the Code), is not a former employee of the Company or an "affiliated corporation" receiving compensation for prior services (other than benefits under a tax qualified pension plan), was not an officer of the Company or an "affiliated corporation" at any time and is not currently receiving direct or indirect remuneration from the Company or an "affiliated corporation" for services in any capacity other than as a Director or (ii) is otherwise considered an "outside director" for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

  

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2.31           "Participant" means an Eligible Person to whom an Award has been granted and who has entered into an Award Agreement evidencing the Award or, if applicable, such other person who holds an outstanding Award.

2.32           "Performance Objectives" shall have the meaning set forth in Article IX of the Plan.

2.33           "Performance Period" shall have the meaning set forth in Article IX of the Plan.

2.34           "Performance Share" means an Award under Article IX of the Plan of a unit valued by reference to the Common Stock, the payout of which is subject to achievement of such Performance Objectives, measured during one or more Performance Periods, as the Board, in its sole discretion, shall establish at the time of such Award and set forth in a Participant's Award Agreement.

2.35           "Plan" means this Vertex Energy, Inc. 2013 Stock Incentive Plan, as it may be amended from time to time.

2.36           “Reporting Person” means a person required to file reports under Section 16(a) of the Act.

2.37           "Restricted Stock" means an Award under Article VII of the Plan of shares of Common Stock that are at the time of the Award subject to restrictions or limitations as to the Participant's ability to sell, transfer, pledge or assign such shares, which restrictions or limitations may lapse separately or in combination at such time or times, in installments or otherwise, as the Board, in its sole discretion, shall determine at the time of such Award and set forth in a Participant's Award Agreement.

2.38           "Restriction Period" means the period commencing on the Grant Date with respect to such shares of Restricted Stock and ending on such date as the Board, in its sole discretion, shall establish and set forth in a Participant's Award Agreement.

2.39           "Retirement" means retirement as determined under procedures established by the Board or in any Award, as set forth in a Participant's Award Agreement.

2.40           “Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Act or any successor to Rule 16b-3, as in effect from time to time.  Those provisions of the Plan which make express reference to Rule 16b-3, or which are required in order for certain option transactions to qualify for exemption under Rule 16b-3, shall apply only to a Reporting Person.

2.41           "Stock Award" means an Award of shares of Common Stock under Article VIII of the Plan.

2.42           "Stock Option" means an Award under Article IV or Article V of the Plan of an option to purchase Common Stock. A Stock Option may be either an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonqualified Stock Option.

2.43           "Ten Percent Stockholder" means an individual who owns (or is deemed to own pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code), at the time of grant, stock possessing more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any of its Affiliates.

2.44           "Termination of Service" means (i) in the case of an Eligible Employee, the discontinuance of employment of such Participant with the Company or its Subsidiaries for any reason other than a transfer to another member of the group consisting of the Company and its Affiliates and (ii) in the case of a Director who is not an Employee of the Company or any Affiliate, the date such Participant ceases to serve as a Director. The determination of whether a Participant has discontinued service shall be made by the Board in its sole discretion. In determining whether a Termination of Service has occurred, the Board may provide that service as a Consultant or service with a business enterprise in which the Company has a significant ownership interest shall be treated as employment with the Company.

 

  

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ARTICLE III – ADMINISTRATION

3.1           The Plan shall be administered by the Board of Directors of the Company.  The Board shall have the exclusive right to interpret and construe the Plan, to select the Eligible Persons who shall receive an Award, and to act in all matters pertaining to the grant of an Award and the determination and interpretation of the provisions of the related Award Agreement, including, without limitation, the determination of the number of shares subject to Stock Options and the Option Period(s) and Option Price(s) thereof, the number of shares of Restricted Stock or shares subject to Stock Awards or Performance Shares subject to an Award, the vesting periods (if any) and the form, terms, conditions and duration of each Award, and any amendment thereof consistent with the provisions of the Plan.  The Board may adopt, establish, amend and rescind such rules, regulations and procedures as it may deem appropriate for the proper administration of the Plan, make all other determinations which are, in the Board’s judgment, necessary or desirable for the proper administration of the Plan, amend the Plan or a Stock Award as provided in Article XI, and terminate or suspend the Plan as provided in Article XI.  All acts, determinations and decisions of the Board made or taken pursuant to the Plan or with respect to any questions arising in connection with the administration and interpretation of the Plan or any Award Agreement, including the severability of any and all of the provisions thereof, shall be conclusive, final and binding upon all persons.

3.2           The Board may, to the full extent permitted by and consistent with applicable law and the Company’s Bylaws, and subject to Subparagraph 3.2(b) hereinbelow, delegate any or all of its powers with respect to the administration of the Plan to a Committee consisting of not fewer than two members of the Board each of whom shall qualify (at the time of appointment to the Committee and during all periods of service on the Committee) in all respects as a Non-Employee Director and as an Outside Director.

(a)           If administration is delegated to a Committee, the Committee shall have, in connection with the administration of the Plan, the powers theretofore possessed by the Board, including the power to delegate to a subcommittee any of the administrative powers the Committee is authorized to exercise (and references in the Plan to the Board shall thereafter be to the Committee or subcommittee), subject, however, to such resolutions, not consistent with the provisions of the Plan, as may be adopted from time to time by the Board.

(b)           The Board may abolish the Committee at any time and reassume all powers and authority previously delegated to the Committee.

(c)           In addition to, and not in limitation of, the right of any Committee so designated by the Board to administer this Plan to grant Awards to Eligible Persons under this Plan, the full Board of Directors may from time to time grant Awards to Eligible Persons pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Plan, subject to the requirements of the Code, Rule 16b-3 under the Act or any other applicable law, rule or regulation. In connection with any such grants, the Board of Directors shall have all of the power and authority of the Committee to determine the Eligible Persons to whom such Awards shall be granted and the other terms and conditions of such Awards.

3.3           Without limiting the provisions of this Article III, and subject to the provisions of Article X, the Board is authorized to take such action as it determines to be necessary or advisable, and fair and equitable to Participants and to the Company, with respect to an outstanding Award in the event of a Change of Control as described in Article X or other similar event. Such action may include, but shall not be limited to, establishing, amending or waiving the form, terms, conditions and duration of an Award and the related Award Agreement, so as to provide for earlier, later, extended or additional times for exercise or payments, differing methods for calculating payments, alternate forms and amounts of payment, an accelerated release of restrictions or other modifications. The Board may take such actions pursuant to this Section 3.3 by adopting rules and regulations of general applicability to all Participants or to certain categories of Participants, by including, amending or waiving terms and conditions in an Award and the related Award Agreement, or by taking action with respect to individual Participants from time to time.

 

  

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3.4           Subject to the provisions of Section 3.9, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Common Stock which may be issued pursuant to Awards under the Plan shall be 3,575,000 shares. Such shares of Common Stock shall be made available from authorized and unissued shares of the Company.

(a)           For all purposes under the Plan, each Performance Share awarded shall be counted as one share of Common Stock subject to an Award.

(b)           If, for any reason, any shares of Common Stock (including shares of Common Stock subject to Performance Shares) that have been awarded or are subject to issuance or purchase pursuant to Awards outstanding under the Plan are not delivered or purchased, or are reacquired by the Company, for any reason, including but not limited to a forfeiture of Restricted Stock or failure to earn Performance Shares or the termination, expiration or cancellation of a Stock Option, or any other termination of an Award without payment being made in the form of shares of Common Stock (whether or not Restricted Stock), such shares of Common Stock shall not be charged against the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock available for Award under the Plan and shall again be available for Awards under the Plan. In no event, however, may Common Stock that is surrendered or withheld to pay the exercise price of a Stock Option or to satisfy tax withholding requirements be available for future grants under the Plan.

(c)           The foregoing subsections (a) and (b) of this Section 3.4 shall be subject to any limitations provided by the Code or by Rule 16b-3 under the Act or by any other applicable law, rule or regulation.

3.5           Each Award granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by a written Award Agreement, which shall be subject to and shall incorporate (by reference or otherwise) the applicable terms and conditions of the Plan and shall include any other terms and conditions (not inconsistent with the Plan) required by the Board.

3.6           The Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificates for shares of Common Stock under the Plan prior to:

(a)           any required approval of the Plan by the shareholders of the Company; and

(b)            the completion of any registration or qualification of such shares of Common Stock under any federal or state law, or any ruling or regulation of any governmental body that the Company shall, in its sole discretion, determine to be necessary or advisable.

3.7           The Board may require any Participant acquiring shares of Common Stock pursuant to any Award under the Plan to represent to and agree with the Company in writing that such person is acquiring the shares of Common Stock for investment purposes and without a view to resale or distribution thereof.  Shares of Common Stock issued and delivered under the Plan shall also be subject to such stop-transfer orders and other restrictions as the Board may deem advisable under the rules, regulations and other requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, any stock exchange upon which the Common Stock is then listed and any applicable federal or state laws, and the Board may cause a legend or legends to be placed on the certificate or certificates representing any such shares to make appropriate reference to any such restrictions. In making such determination, the Board may rely upon an opinion of counsel for the Company.

3.8           Except as otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or in an Award Agreement with respect to an Award, no Participant shall have any right as a shareholder of the Company with respect to any shares of Common Stock subject to such Participant's Award except to the extent that, and until, one or more certificates representing such shares of Common Stock shall have been delivered to the Participant. No shares shall be required to be issued, and no certificates shall be required to be delivered, under the Plan unless and until all of the terms and conditions applicable to such Award shall have, in the sole discretion of the Board, been satisfied in full and any restrictions shall have lapsed in full, and unless and until all of the requirements of law and of all regulatory bodies having jurisdiction over the offer and sale, or issuance and delivery, of the shares shall have been fully complied with.

 

  

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3.9           The total amount of shares with respect to which Awards may be granted under the Plan and rights of outstanding Awards (both as to the number of shares subject to the outstanding Awards and the Option Price(s) or other purchase price(s) of such shares, as applicable) shall be appropriately adjusted for any increase or decrease in the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company resulting from payment of a stock dividend on the Common Stock, a stock split or subdivision or combination of shares of the Common Stock, or a reorganization or reclassification of the Common Stock, or any other change in the structure of shares of the Common Stock. The foregoing adjustments and the manner of application of the foregoing provisions shall be determined by the Board in its sole discretion. Any such adjustment may provide for the elimination of any fractional shares which might otherwise become subject to an Award. All adjustments made as the result of the foregoing in respect of each Incentive Stock Option shall be made so that such Incentive Stock Option shall continue to be an Incentive Stock Option, as defined in Section 422 of the Code.

3.10           No director or person acting pursuant to authority delegated by the Board shall be liable for any action or determination under the Plan made in good faith.  The members of the Board shall be entitled to indemnification by the Company in the manner and to the extent set forth in the Company's Articles of Incorporation, as amended, Bylaws or as otherwise provided from time to time regarding indemnification of Directors.

3.11           The Board shall be authorized to make adjustments in any performance based criteria or in the other terms and conditions of outstanding Awards in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events affecting the Company (or any Affiliate, if applicable) or its financial statements or changes in applicable laws, regulations or accounting principles. The Board may correct any defect, supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan or any Award Agreement in the manner and to the extent it shall deem necessary or desirable to reflect any such adjustment. In the event the Company (or any Affiliate, if applicable) shall assume outstanding employee benefit awards or the right or obligation to make future such awards in connection with the acquisition of another corporation or business entity, the Board may, in its sole discretion, make such adjustments in the terms of outstanding Awards under the Plan as it shall deem appropriate.

3.12           Subject to the express provisions of the Plan, the Board shall have full power and authority to determine whether, to what extent and under what circumstances any outstanding Award shall be terminated, canceled, forfeited or suspended. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of the Plan or an Award Agreement, all Awards to any Participant that are subject to any restriction or have not been earned or exercised in full by the Participant shall be terminated and canceled if the Participant is terminated for cause, as determined by the Board in its sole discretion.

ARTICLE IV -- INCENTIVE STOCK OPTIONS

4.1           The Board, in its sole discretion, may from time to time on or after the Effective Date grant Incentive Stock Options to Eligible Employees, subject to the provisions of this Article IV and Articles III and VI and subject to the following conditions:

(a)           Incentive Stock Options shall be granted only to Eligible Employees, each of whom may be granted one or more of such Incentive Stock Options at such time or times determined by the Board.

 

(b)           The Option Price per share of Common Stock for an Incentive Stock Option shall be set in the Award Agreement, but shall not be less than (i) one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock at the Grant Date, or (ii) in the case of an Incentive Stock Option granted to a Ten Percent Stockholder, one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock at the Grant Date.

 

(c)           An Incentive Stock Option may be exercised in full or in part from time to time within ten (10) years from the Grant Date, or such shorter period as may be specified by the Board as the Option Period and set forth in the Award Agreement; provided, however, that, in the case of an Incentive Stock Option granted to a Ten Percent Stockholder, such period shall not exceed five (5) years from the Grant Date; and further, provided that, in any event, the Incentive Stock Option shall lapse and cease to be exercisable upon a Termination of Service or within such period following a Termination of Service as shall have been determined by the Board and set forth in the related Award Agreement; and provided, further, that such period shall not exceed the period of time ending on the date three (3) months following a Termination of Service, unless employment shall have terminated:

  

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(i)           as a result of Disability, in which event such period shall not exceed the period of time ending on the date twelve (12) months following a Termination of Service; or

(ii)           as a result of death, or if death shall have occurred following a Termination of Service (other than as a result of Disability) and during the period that the Incentive Stock Option was still exercisable, in which event such period may not exceed the period of time ending on the earlier of the date twelve (12) months after the date of death;

and provided, further, that such period following a Termination of Service or death shall in no event extend beyond the original Option Period of the Incentive Stock Option.

(d)           The aggregate Fair Market Value of the shares of Common Stock with respect to which any Incentive Stock Options (whether under this Plan or any other plan established by the Company) are first exercisable during any calendar year by any Eligible Employee shall not exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), determined based on the Fair Market Value(s) of such shares as of their respective Grant Dates; provided, however, that to the extent permitted under Section 422 of the Code, if the aggregate Fair Market Values of the shares of Common Stock with respect to which Stock Options intended to be Incentive Stock Options are first exercisable by any Eligible Employee during any calendar year (whether such Stock Options are granted under this Plan or any other plan established by the Company) exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), the Stock Options or portions thereof which exceed such limit (according to the order in which they were granted) shall be treated as  Nonqualified Stock Options.

(e)           No Incentive Stock Options may be granted more than ten (10) years from the Effective Date.

(f)            The Award Agreement for each Incentive Stock Option shall provide that the Participant shall notify the Company if such Participant sells or otherwise transfers any shares of Common Stock acquired upon exercise of the Incentive Stock Option within two (2) years of the Grant Date of such Incentive Stock Option or within one (1) year of the date such shares were acquired upon the exercise of such Incentive Stock Option.

4.2           Subject to the limitations of Section 3.4, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Common Stock subject to Incentive Stock Option Awards shall be the maximum aggregate number of shares available for Awards under the Plan.

4.3           The Board may provide for any other terms and conditions which it determines should be imposed for an Incentive Stock Option to qualify under Section 422 of the Code, as well as any other terms and conditions not inconsistent with this Article IV or Articles III or VI, as determined in its sole discretion and set forth in the Award Agreement for such Incentive Stock Option.

 

4.4           Each provision of this Article IV and of each Incentive Stock Option granted hereunder shall be construed in accordance with the provisions of Section 422 of the Code, and any provision hereof that cannot be so construed shall be disregarded.

 

  

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ARTICLE V -- NONQUALIFIED STOCK OPTIONS

5.1           The Board, in its sole discretion, may from time to time on or after the Effective Date grant Nonqualified Stock Options to Eligible Persons, subject to the provisions of this Article V and Articles III and VI and subject to the following conditions:

(a)           Nonqualified Stock Options may be granted to any Eligible Person, each of whom may be granted one or more of such Nonqualified Stock Options, at such time or times determined by the Board.

(b)           The Option Price per share of Common Stock for a Nonqualified Stock Option shall be set in the Award Agreement and may be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock at the Grant Date; provided, however, that the exercise price of each Nonqualified Stock Option granted under the Plan shall in no event be less than the par value per share of the Company’s Common Stock.

(c)           A Nonqualified Stock Option may be exercised in full or in part from time to time within the Option Period specified by the Board and set forth in the Award Agreement; provided, however, that, in any event, the Nonqualified Stock Option shall lapse and cease to be exercisable upon a Termination of Service or within such period following a Termination of Service as shall have been determined by the Board and set forth in the related Award Agreement.

5.2           The Board may provide for any other terms and conditions for a Nonqualified Stock Option not inconsistent with this Article V or Articles III or VI, as determined in its sole discretion and set forth in the Award Agreement for such Nonqualified Stock Option.

ARTICLE VI -- INCIDENTS OF STOCK OPTIONS

6.1           Each Stock Option shall be granted subject to such terms and conditions, if any, not inconsistent with this Plan, as shall be determined by the Board and set forth in the related Award Agreement, including any provisions as to continued employment as consideration for the grant or exercise of such Stock Option and any provisions which may be advisable to comply with applicable laws, regulations or rulings of any governmental authority.

6.2           Except as hereinafter described, a Stock Option shall not be transferable by the Participant other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and shall be exercisable during the lifetime of the Participant only by the Participant or the Participant's guardian or legal representative.  In the event of the death of a Participant, any unexercised Stock Options may be exercised to the extent otherwise provided herein or in such Participant's Award Agreement by the executor or personal representative of such Participant's estate or by any person who acquired the right to exercise such Stock Options by bequest under the Participant's will or by inheritance. The Board, in its sole discretion, may at any time permit a Participant to transfer a Nonqualified Stock Option for no consideration to or for the benefit of one or more members of the Participant's Immediate Family (including, without limitation, to a trust for the benefit of the Participant and/or one or more members of such Participant's Immediate Family or a corporation, partnership or limited liability company established and controlled by the Participant and/or one or more members of such Participant's Immediate Family), subject to such limits as the Board may establish. The transferee of such Nonqualified Stock Option shall remain subject to all terms and conditions applicable to such Nonqualified Stock Option prior to such transfer. The foregoing right to transfer the Nonqualified Stock Option, if granted by the Board shall apply to the right to consent to amendments to the Award Agreement.

 

6.3           Shares of Common Stock purchased upon exercise of a Stock Option shall be paid for in such amounts, at such times and upon such terms as shall be determined by the Board, subject to limitations set forth in the Stock Option Award Agreement. The Board may, in its sole discretion, permit the exercise of a Stock Option by payment in cash or by tendering shares of Common Stock (either by actual delivery of such shares or by attestation), or any combination thereof, as determined by the Board. In the sole discretion of the Board, payment in shares of Common Stock also may be made with shares received upon the exercise or partial exercise of the Stock Option, whether or not involving a series of exercises or partial exercises and whether or not share certificates for such shares surrendered have been delivered to the Participant. The Board also may, in its sole discretion, permit the payment of the exercise price of a Stock Option by the voluntary surrender of all or a portion of the Stock Option. Shares of Common Stock previously held by the Participant and surrendered in payment of the Option Price of a Stock Option shall be valued for such purpose at the Fair Market Value thereof on the date the Stock Option is exercised.  

  

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6.4           The holder of a Stock Option shall have no rights as a shareholder with respect to any shares covered by the Stock Option (including, without limitation, any voting rights, the right to inspect or receive the Company’s balance sheets or financial statements or any rights to receive dividends or non-cash distributions with respect to such shares) until such time as the holder has exercised the Stock Option and then only with respect to the number of shares which are the subject of the exercise.  No adjustment shall be made for dividends or other rights for which the record date is prior to the date such stock certificate is issued.

6.5           The Board may permit the voluntary surrender of all or a portion of any Stock Option granted under the Plan to be conditioned upon the granting to the Participant of a new Stock Option for the same or a different number of shares of Common Stock as the Stock Option surrendered, or may require such voluntary surrender as a condition precedent to a grant of a new Stock Option to such Participant. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, such new Stock Option shall be exercisable at such Option Price, during such Option Period and on such other terms and conditions as are specified by the Board at the time the new Stock Option is granted. Upon surrender, the Stock Options surrendered shall be canceled and the shares of Common Stock previously subject to them shall be available for the grant of other Stock Options.

6.6           The Board may at any time offer to purchase a Participant's outstanding Stock Option for a payment equal to the value of such Stock Option payable in cash, shares of Common Stock or Restricted Stock or other property upon surrender of the Participant's Stock Option, based on such terms and conditions as the Board shall establish and communicate to the Participant at the time that such offer is made.

6.7           The Board shall have the discretion, exercisable either at the time the Award is granted or at the time the Participant discontinues employment, to establish as a provision applicable to the exercise of one or more Stock Options that, during a limited period of exercisability following a Termination of Service, the Stock Option may be exercised not only with respect to the number of shares of Common Stock for which it is exercisable at the time of the Termination of Service but also with respect to one or more subsequent installments for which the Stock Option would have become exercisable had the Termination of Service not occurred.

ARTICLE VII -- RESTRICTED STOCK

7.1           The Board, in its sole discretion, may from time to time on or after the Effective Date award shares of Restricted Stock to Eligible Persons as a reward for past service and an incentive for the performance of future services that will contribute materially to the successful operation of the Company and its Affiliates, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Article VII.

7.2           The Board shall determine the terms and conditions of any Award of Restricted Stock, which shall be set forth in the related Award Agreement, including without limitation:

(a)           the purchase price, if any, to be paid for such Restricted Stock, which may be zero, subject to such minimum consideration as may be required by applicable law;

 

(b)           the duration of the Restriction Period or Restriction Periods with respect to such Restricted Stock and whether any events may accelerate or delay the end of such Restriction Period(s);

(c)           the circumstances upon which the restrictions or limitations shall lapse, and whether such restrictions or limitations shall lapse as to all shares of Restricted Stock at the end of the Restriction Period or as to a portion of the shares of Restricted Stock in installments during the Restriction Period by means of one or more vesting schedules;

  

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(d)           whether such Restricted Stock is subject to repurchase by the Company or to a right of first refusal at a predetermined price or if the Restricted Stock may be forfeited entirely under certain conditions;

(e)            whether any performance goals may apply to a Restriction Period to shorten or lengthen such period; and

(f)            whether dividends and other distributions with respect to such Restricted Stock are to be paid currently to the Participant or withheld by the Company for the account of the Participant.

7.3           Awards of Restricted Stock must be accepted within a period of thirty (30) days after the Grant Date (or such shorter or longer period as the Board may specify at such time) by executing an Award Agreement with respect to such Restricted Stock and tendering the purchase price, if any. A prospective recipient of an Award of Restricted Stock shall not have any rights with respect to such Award, unless such recipient has executed an Award Agreement with respect to such Restricted Stock, has delivered a fully executed copy thereof to the Board and has otherwise complied with the applicable terms and conditions of such Award.

7.4           In the sole discretion of the Board and as set forth in the Award Agreement for an Award of Restricted Stock, all shares of Restricted Stock held by a Participant and still subject to restrictions shall be forfeited by the Participant upon the Participant's Termination of Service and shall be reacquired, canceled and retired by the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement with respect to an Award of Restricted Stock, in the event of the death, Disability or Retirement of a Participant during the Restriction Period, or in other cases of special circumstances (including hardship or other special circumstances of a Participant whose employment is involuntarily terminated), the Board may elect to waive in whole or in part any remaining restrictions with respect to all or any part of such Participant's Restricted Stock, if it finds that a waiver would be appropriate.

7.5           Except as otherwise provided in this Article VII, no shares of Restricted Stock received by a Participant shall be sold, exchanged, transferred, pledged, hypothecated or otherwise disposed of during the Restriction Period.

7.6           Upon an Award of Restricted Stock to a Participant, a certificate or certificates representing the shares of such Restricted Stock will be issued to and registered in the name of the Participant. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, such certificate or certificates will be held in custody by the Company until (i) the Restriction Period expires and the restrictions or limitations lapse, in which case one or more certificates representing such shares of Restricted Stock that do not bear a restrictive legend (other than any legend as required under applicable federal or state securities laws) shall be delivered to the Participant, or (ii) a prior forfeiture by the Participant of the shares of Restricted Stock subject to such Restriction Period, in which case the Company shall cause such certificate or certificates to be canceled and the shares represented thereby to be retired, all as set forth in the Participant's Award Agreement.  It shall be a condition of an Award of Restricted Stock that the Participant deliver to the Company a stock power endorsed in blank relating to the shares of Restricted Stock to be held in custody by the Company.

7.7           Except as provided in this Article VII or in the related Award Agreement, a Participant receiving an Award of shares of Restricted Stock Award shall have, with respect to such shares, all rights of a shareholder of the Company, including the right to vote the shares and the right to receive any distributions, unless and until such shares are otherwise forfeited by such Participant; provided, however, the Board may require that any cash dividends with respect to such shares of Restricted Stock be automatically reinvested in additional shares of Restricted Stock subject to the same restrictions as the underlying Award, or may require that cash dividends and other distributions on Restricted Stock be withheld by the Company or its Affiliates for the account of the Participant. The Board shall determine whether interest shall be paid on amounts withheld, the rate of any such interest, and the other terms applicable to such withheld amounts.

 

ARTICLE VIII -- STOCK AWARDS

8.1           The Board, in its sole discretion, may from time to time on or after the Effective Date grant Stock Awards to Eligible Persons in payment of compensation that has been earned or as compensation to be earned, including without limitation compensation awarded or earned concurrently with or prior to the grant of the Stock Award, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Article VIII.

  

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8.2           For the purposes of this Plan, in determining the value of a Stock Award, all shares of Common Stock subject to such Stock Award shall be set in the Award Agreement and may be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock at the Grant Date.

8.3           Unless otherwise determined by the Board and set forth in the related Award Agreement, shares of Common Stock subject to a Stock Award will be issued, and one or more certificates representing such shares will be delivered, to the Participant as soon as practicable following the Grant Date of such Stock Award. Upon the issuance of such shares and the delivery of one or more certificates representing such shares to the Participant, such Participant shall be and become a shareholder of the Company fully entitled to receive dividends, to vote and to exercise all other rights of a shareholder of the Company. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, unless the Board expressly provides otherwise with respect to a Stock Award, as set forth in the related Award Agreement, no Stock Award shall be deemed to be an outstanding Award for purposes of the Plan.

ARTICLE IX -- PERFORMANCE SHARES

9.1           The Board, in its sole discretion, may from time to time on or after the Effective Date award Performance Shares to Eligible Persons as an incentive for the performance of future services that will contribute materially to the successful operation of the Company and its Affiliates, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Article IX.

9.2           The Board shall determine the terms and conditions of any Award of Performance Shares, which shall be set forth in the related Award Agreement, including without limitation:

(a)            the purchase price, if any, to be paid for such Performance Shares, which may be zero, subject to such minimum consideration as may be required by applicable law;

(b)            the performance period (the "Performance Period") and/or performance objectives (the "Performance Objectives") applicable to such Awards;

(c)            the number of Performance Shares that shall be paid to the Participant if the applicable Performance Objectives are exceeded or met in whole or in part; and

(d)            the form of settlement of a Performance Share.

9.3           At any date, each Performance Share shall have a value equal to the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock.

9.4           Performance Periods may overlap, and Participants may participate simultaneously with respect to Performance Shares for which different Performance Periods are prescribed.

 

9.5           Performance Objectives may vary from Participant to Participant and between Awards and shall be based upon such performance criteria or combination of factors as the Board may deem appropriate, including, but not limited to, minimum earnings per share or return on equity. If during the course of a Performance Period there shall occur significant events which the Board expects to have a substantial effect on the applicable Performance Objectives during such period, the Board may revise such Performance Objectives.

9.6           In the sole discretion of the Board and as set forth in the Award Agreement for an Award of Performance Shares, all Performance Shares held by a Participant and not earned shall be forfeited by the Participant upon the Participant's Termination of Service. Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement with respect to an Award of Performance Shares, in the event of the death, Disability or Retirement of a Participant during the applicable Performance Period, or in other cases of special circumstances (including hardship or other special circumstances of a Participant whose employment is involuntarily terminated), the Board may determine to make a payment in settlement of such Performance Shares at the end of the Performance Period, based upon the extent to which the Performance Objectives were satisfied at the end of such period and pro rated for the portion of the Performance Period during which the Participant was employed by the Company or an Affiliate; provided, however, that the Board may provide for an earlier payment in settlement of such Performance Shares in such amount and under such terms and conditions as the Board deems appropriate or desirable.

  

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9.7           The settlement of a Performance Share shall be made in cash, whole shares of Common Stock or a combination thereof and shall be made as soon as practicable after the end of the applicable Performance Period.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board in its sole discretion may allow a Participant to defer payment in settlement of Performance Shares on terms and conditions approved by the Board and set forth in the related Award Agreement entered into in advance of the time of receipt or constructive receipt of payment by the Participant.

9.8           Performance Shares shall not be transferable by the Participant. The Board shall have the authority to place additional restrictions on the Performance Shares including, but not limited to, restrictions on transfer of any shares of Common Stock that are delivered to a Participant in settlement of any Performance Shares.

ARTICLE X -- CHANGES OF CONTROL OR OTHER FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES

10.1          Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control and unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement with respect to a particular Award:

(a)            all outstanding Stock Options shall become immediately exercisable in full, subject to any appropriate adjustments in the number of shares subject to the Stock Option and the Option Price, and shall remain exercisable for the remaining Option Period, regardless of any provision in the related Award Agreement limiting the exercisability of such Stock Option or any portion thereof for any length of time;

(b)            all outstanding Performance Shares with respect to which the applicable Performance Period has not been completed shall be paid out as soon as practicable as follows:

(i)            all Performance Objectives applicable to the Award of Performance Shares shall be deemed to have been satisfied to the extent necessary to earn one hundred percent (100%) of the Performance Shares covered by the Award;

(ii)            the applicable Performance Period shall be deemed to have been completed upon occurrence of the Change of Control;

(iii)            the payment to the Participant in settlement of the Performance Shares shall be the amount determined by the Board, in its sole discretion, or in the manner stated in the Award Agreement, as multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full calendar months of the applicable Performance Period that have elapsed prior to occurrence of the Change of Control, and the denominator of which is the total number of months in the original Performance Period; and

(iv)            upon the making of any such payment, the Award Agreement as to which it relates shall be deemed terminated and of no further force and effect.

(c)            all outstanding shares of Restricted Stock with respect to which the restrictions have not lapsed shall be deemed vested, and all such restrictions shall be deemed lapsed and the Restriction Period ended.

 

10.2          Anything contained herein to the contrary notwithstanding, upon the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, each Award granted under the Plan and then outstanding shall terminate; provided, however, that following the adoption of a plan of dissolution or liquidation, and in any event prior to the effective date of such dissolution or liquidation, each such outstanding Award granted hereunder shall be exercisable in full and all restrictions shall lapse, to the extent set forth in Section 10.1(a), (b) and (c) above.

  

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10.3          After the merger of one or more corporations into the Company or any Affiliate, any merger of the Company into another corporation, any consolidation of the Company or any Affiliate of the Company and one or more corporations, or any other corporate reorganization of any form involving the Company as a party thereto and involving any exchange, conversion, adjustment or other modification of the outstanding shares of the Common Stock, each Participant shall, at no additional cost, be entitled, upon any exercise of such Participant's Stock Option, to receive, in lieu of the number of shares as to which such Stock Option shall then be so exercised, the number and class of shares of stock or other securities or such other property to which such Participant would have been entitled to pursuant to the terms of the agreement of merger or consolidation or reorganization, if at the time of such merger or consolidation or reorganization, such Participant had been a holder of record of a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of shares as to which such Stock Option shall then be so exercised. Comparable rights shall accrue to each Participant in the event of successive mergers, consolidations or reorganizations of the character described above. The Board may, in its sole discretion, provide for similar adjustments upon the occurrence of such events with regard to other outstanding Awards under this Plan. The foregoing adjustments and the manner of application of the foregoing provisions shall be determined by the Board in its sole discretion. Any such adjustment may provide for the elimination of any fractional shares which might otherwise become subject to an Award. All adjustments made as the result of the foregoing in respect of each Incentive Stock Option shall be made so that such Incentive Stock Option shall continue to be an Incentive Stock Option, as defined in Section 422 of the Code.

 

ARTICLE XI -- AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION

11.1          Subject to the provisions of Section 11.2, the Board of Directors at any time and from time to time may amend or terminate the Plan as may be necessary or desirable to implement or discontinue the Plan or any provision hereof.  To the extent required by the Act or the Code, however, no amendment, without approval by the Company's shareholders, shall:

(a)           materially alter the group of persons eligible to participate in the Plan;

(b)            except as provided in Section 3.4, change the maximum aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that are available for Awards under the Plan;

(c)           alter the class of individuals eligible to receive an Incentive Stock Option or increase the limit on Incentive Stock Options set forth in Section 4.1(d) or the value of shares of Common Stock for which an Eligible Employee may be granted an Incentive Stock Option.

11.2           No amendment to or discontinuance of the Plan or any provision hereof by the Board of Directors or the shareholders of the Company shall, without the written consent of the Participant, adversely affect (in the sole discretion of the Board) any Award theretofore granted to such Participant under this Plan; provided, however, that the Board retains the right and power to:

 

(a)           annul any Award if the Participant is terminated for cause as determined by the Board; and

(b)           convert any outstanding Incentive Stock Option to a Nonqualified Stock Option.

11.3           If a Change of Control has occurred, no amendment or termination shall impair the rights of any person with respect to an outstanding Award as provided in Article X.

ARTICLE XII -- MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

12.1          Nothing in the Plan or any Award granted hereunder shall confer upon any Participant any right to continue in the employ of the Company or its Affiliates or to serve as a Director or shall interfere in any way with the right of the Company or its Affiliates or the shareholders of the Company, as applicable, to terminate the employment of a Participant or to release or remove a Director at any time.  Unless specifically provided otherwise, no Award granted under the Plan shall be deemed salary or compensation for the purpose of computing benefits under any employee benefit plan or other arrangement of the Company or its Affiliates for the benefit of their respective employees unless the Company shall determine otherwise.  No Participant shall have any claim to an Award until it is actually granted under the Plan and an Award Agreement has been executed and delivered to the Company.  To the extent that any person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company under the Plan, such right shall, except as otherwise provided by the Board, 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 provided in Article VII with respect to Restricted Stock and except as otherwise provided by the Board.

 

  

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12.2          The Plan and the grant of Awards shall be subject to all applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations and to such approvals by any government or regulatory agency as may be required. Any provision herein relating to compliance with Rule 16b-3 under the Act shall not be applicable with respect to participation in the Plan by Participants who are not subject to Section 16 of the Act.

12.3          The terms of the Plan shall be binding upon the Company, its successors and assigns.

12.4          Neither a Stock Option nor any other type of equity-based compensation provided for hereunder shall be transferable except as provided for in Section 6.2. In addition to the transfer restrictions otherwise contained herein, additional transfer restrictions shall apply to the extent required by federal or state securities laws.  If any Participant makes such a transfer in violation hereof, any obligation hereunder of the Company to such Participant shall terminate immediately.

12.5          This Plan and all actions taken hereunder shall be governed by the laws of the State of Texas.

12.6          Each Participant exercising an Award hereunder agrees to give the Board prompt written notice of any election made by such Participant under Section 83(b) of the Code, or any similar provision thereof.

12.7          If any provision of this Plan or an Award Agreement is or becomes or is deemed invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, or would disqualify the Plan or any Award Agreement under any law deemed applicable by the Board, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to conform to applicable laws, or if it cannot be construed or deemed amended without, in the determination of the Board, materially altering the intent of the Plan or the Award Agreement, it shall be stricken, and the remainder of the Plan or the Award Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

12.8          The grant of an Award pursuant to this Plan shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Company or any of its Affiliates to make adjustments, reclassification, reorganizations, or changes of its capital or business structure, or to merge or consolidate, or to dissolve, liquidate or sell, or to transfer all or part of its business or assets.

12.9          The Plan is not subject to the provisions of ERISA or qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code.

12.10        If a Participant is required to pay to the Company an amount with respect to income and employment tax withholding obligations in connection with (i) the exercise of a Nonqualified Stock Option, (ii) certain dispositions of Common Stock acquired upon the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option, or (iii) the receipt of Common Stock pursuant to any other Award, then the issuance of Common Stock to such Participant shall not be made (or the transfer of shares by such Participant shall not be required to be effected, as applicable) unless such withholding tax or other withholding liabilities shall have been satisfied in a manner acceptable to the Company.  To the extent provided by the terms of an Award Agreement, the Participant may satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding obligation relating to the exercise or acquisition of Common Stock under an Award by any of the following means (in addition to the Company's right to withhold from any compensation paid to the Participant by the Company) or by a combination of such means: (i) tendering a cash payment; (ii) authorizing the Company to withhold shares of Common Stock from the shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable to the Participant as a result of the exercise or acquisition of Common Stock under the Award, provided, however, that no shares of Common Stock are withheld with a value exceeding the minimum amount of tax required to be withheld by law; or (iii) delivering to the Company owned and unencumbered shares of Common Stock.

 

Adopted by the Company's Board of Directors on April 25, 2014, and approved by the Company's stockholders on June 7, 2013.

 

Amended by the stockholders of the Company on September 16, 2015.

 

  

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