Document:

Exhibit 10.5

 

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED

 

OPERATING AGREEMENT

 

of

 

RKT HOLDINGS, LLC

 

Dated as of [·], 2020

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Page
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE I   DEFINITIONS AND USAGE
    	
 
    	
1
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 1.01
    	
Definitions
    	
 
    	
1
    
	
Section 1.02
    	
Other Definitional and Interpretative Provisions
    	
 
    	
12
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE II   THE COMPANY
    	
 
    	
13
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 2.01
    	
Formation
    	
 
    	
13
    
	
Section 2.02
    	
Name
    	
 
    	
13
    
	
Section 2.03
    	
Term
    	
 
    	
13
    
	
Section 2.04
    	
Registered Agent and Registered Office
    	
 
    	
14
    
	
Section 2.05
    	
Purposes
    	
 
    	
14
    
	
Section 2.06
    	
Powers of the Company
    	
 
    	
14
    
	
Section 2.07
    	
Partnership Tax Status
    	
 
    	
14
    
	
Section 2.08
    	
Regulation of Internal Affairs
    	
 
    	
14
    
	
Section 2.09
    	
Ownership of Property
    	
 
    	
14
    
	
Section 2.10
    	
Subsidiaries
    	
 
    	
14
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE III   UNITS; MEMBERS; BOOKS AND RECORDS; REPORTS
    	
 
    	
14
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 3.01
    	
Units; Admission of Members
    	
 
    	
14
    
	
Section 3.02
    	
Substitute Members and Additional Members
    	
 
    	
15
    
	
Section 3.03
    	
Tax and Accounting Information
    	
 
    	
16
    
	
Section 3.04
    	
Books and Records
    	
 
    	
17
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE IV   ROCKETCO OWNERSHIP; RESTRICTIONS ON ROCKETCO STOCK
    	
 
    	
18
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 4.01
    	
RocketCo Ownership
    	
 
    	
18
    
	
Section 4.02
    	
Restrictions on RocketCo Common Stock
    	
 
    	
19
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE V   CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS; CAPITAL ACCOUNTS; DISTRIBUTIONS; ALLOCATIONS
    	
 
    	
21
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 5.01
    	
Capital Contributions
    	
 
    	
21
    
	
Section 5.02
    	
Capital Accounts
    	
 
    	
22
    
	
Section 5.03
    	
Amounts and Priority of Distributions
    	
 
    	
23
    
	
Section 5.04
    	
Allocations
    	
 
    	
26
    
	
Section 5.05
    	
Other Allocation Rules
    	
 
    	
28
    
	
Section 5.06
    	
Tax Withholding; Withholding Advances
    	
 
    	
30
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE VI   CERTAIN TAX MATTERS
    	
31
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 6.01
    	
Partnership Representative
    	
 
    	
31
    
	
Section 6.02
    	
Section 754 Election
    	
 
    	
32
    
	
Section 6.03
    	
Debt Allocation
    	
 
    	
32
    

 

i

 

	
ARTICLE VII MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY
    	
 
    	
32
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 7.01
    	
Management by the Managing Member
    	
 
    	
32
    
	
Section 7.02
    	
Withdrawal of the Managing Member
    	
 
    	
33
    
	
Section 7.03
    	
Decisions by the Members
    	
 
    	
33
    
	
Section 7.04
    	
Fiduciary Duties
    	
 
    	
34
    
	
Section 7.05
    	
Officers
    	
 
    	
35
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE VIII   TRANSFERS OF INTERESTS
    	
36
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 8.01
    	
Restrictions on Transfers
    	
 
    	
36
    
	
Section 8.02
    	
Certain Permitted Transfers
    	
 
    	
37
    
	
Section 8.03
    	
Registration of Transfers
    	
 
    	
37
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE IX   LIMITATION ON LIABILITY, EXCULPATION AND INDEMNIFICATION
    	
38
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 9.01
    	
Limitation on Liability
    	
 
    	
38
    
	
Section 9.02
    	
Exculpation and Indemnification
    	
 
    	
38
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE X   DISSOLUTION AND TERMINATION
    	
 
    	
41
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 10.01
    	
Dissolution
    	
 
    	
41
    
	
Section 10.02
    	
Winding Up of the Company
    	
 
    	
41
    
	
Section 10.03
    	
Termination
    	
 
    	
42
    
	
Section 10.04
    	
Survival
    	
 
    	
42
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE XI   MISCELLANEOUS
    	
 
    	
42
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 11.01
    	
Expenses
    	
 
    	
42
    
	
Section 11.02
    	
Further Assurances
    	
 
    	
42
    
	
Section 11.03
    	
Notices
    	
 
    	
43
    
	
Section 11.04
    	
Binding Effect; Benefit; Assignment
    	
 
    	
43
    
	
Section 11.05
    	
Jurisdiction
    	
 
    	
43
    
	
Section 11.06
    	
Counterparts
    	
 
    	
44
    
	
Section 11.07
    	
Entire Agreement
    	
 
    	
44
    
	
Section 11.08
    	
Severability
    	
 
    	
44
    
	
Section 11.09
    	
Amendment
    	
 
    	
44
    
	
Section 11.10
    	
Confidentiality
    	
 
    	
45
    
	
Section 11.11
    	
Governing Law
    	
 
    	
47
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Schedule   A        Common Units
    	
 
    

 

ii

 

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED OPERATING AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) OF RKT HOLDINGS, LLC, a Michigan limited liability company (the “Company”), dated as of [·], 2020, by and among the Company, Rocket Companies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“RocketCo”), Rock Holdings Inc., a Michigan corporation (“RHI”) and Daniel Gilbert (“Gilbert”).

 

W I T N E S S E T H:

 

WHEREAS, the Company has been heretofore formed as a limited liability company under the Michigan Act (as defined below) pursuant to the articles of organization which were executed and filed with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau of the State of Michigan on March 6, 2020;

 

WHEREAS, RHI entered into the initial Operating Agreement of the Company, dated as of March 6, 2020 (the “Initial Operating Agreement”);

 

WHEREAS, the Initial Operating Agreement was amended and restated in its entirety by the Amended and Restated Operating Agreement of the Company, dated as of [·], 2020, by and among the Company, RHI and Gilbert (the “A&R Operating Agreement”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Company, RHI and Gilbert desire to enter into this Agreement to admit RocketCo as a Member (as defined below) and to make the modifications hereinafter set forth.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein made and other good and valuable consideration, the parties hereto hereby agree, to amend and restate the A&R Operating Agreement in its entirety as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

 

DEFINITIONS AND USAGE

 

Section 1.01          Definitions.

 

(a)           The following terms shall have the following meanings for the purposes of this Agreement:

 

“Additional Member” means any Person admitted as a Member of the Company pursuant to Section 3.02 in connection with the new issuance of Units to such Person.

 

“Adjusted Capital Account Deficit” means, with respect to any Member, the deficit balance, if any, in such Member’s Capital Account as of the end of the relevant Fiscal Year, after giving effect to the following adjustments:

 

 

(i)            Credit to such Capital Account any amounts that such Member is deemed to be obligated to restore pursuant to the penultimate sentence in Treasury Regulations Sections 1.704-2(g)(1) and 1.704-2(i)(5); and

 

(ii)           Debit to such Capital Account the items described in Treasury Regulations Sections 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(4), 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(5) and 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(6).

 

The foregoing definition of Adjusted Capital Account Deficit is intended to comply with the provisions of Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d) and shall be interpreted consistently therewith.

 

“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with such Person; provided that no Member nor any Affiliate of any Member shall be deemed to be an Affiliate of any other Member or any of its Affiliates solely by virtue of such Members’ Units.

 

“Applicable Law” means, with respect to any Person, any federal, state or local law (statutory, common or otherwise), constitution, treaty, convention, ordinance, code, rule, regulation, order, injunction, judgment, decree, ruling or other similar requirement enacted, adopted, promulgated or applied by a Governmental Authority or Regulatory Agency that is binding upon or applicable to such Person or its assets, as amended unless expressly specified otherwise.

 

“Available Cash Flow” means, for any period, the Company’s consolidated net income determined in accordance with GAAP, adjusted by the Managing Member to exclude non-cash items, extraordinary or one-time items of gain or loss, any compensation expense related to Units or other Equity Securities issued under any management equity plan of RocketCo or the Company, and, to the extent not reflected in consolidated net income determined in accordance with GAAP, less any Reserves established during such period (including the amount of any net increase during such period to a Reserve established in a prior period) and plus the amount of any net decrease during such period to a Reserve established by a prior period.

 

“Business Day” means a day, other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York, New York or Detroit, Michigan are authorized or required by Applicable Law to close.

 

“Capital Account” means the capital account established and maintained for each Member pursuant to Section 5.02.

 

“Capital Contribution” means, with respect to any Member, the amount of money and the initial Carrying Value of any Property (other than money) contributed to the Company.

 

“Carrying Value” means with respect to any Property (other than money), such Property’s adjusted basis for U.S. federal income tax purposes, except as follows:

 

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(i)            The initial Carrying Value of any such Property contributed by a Member to the Company shall be the gross fair market value of such Property, as reasonably determined by the Managing Member;

 

(ii)           The Carrying Values of all such Properties shall be adjusted to equal their respective gross fair market values (taking Section 7701(g) of the Code into account), as reasonably determined by the Managing Member, at the time of any Revaluation pursuant to Section 5.02(c);

 

(iii)          The Carrying Value of any item of such Properties distributed to any Member shall be adjusted to equal the gross fair market value (taking Section 7701(g) of the Code into account) of such Property on the date of distribution as reasonably determined by the Managing Member; and

 

(iv)          The Carrying Values of such Properties shall be increased (or decreased) to reflect any adjustments to the adjusted basis of such Properties pursuant to Code Section 734(b) or Code Section 743(b), but only to the extent that such adjustments are taken into account in determining Capital Accounts pursuant to Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m) and subparagraph (vi) of the definition of “Net Income” and “Net Loss” or Section 5.04(b)(vi); provided, however, that Carrying Values shall not be adjusted pursuant to this subparagraph (iv) to the extent that an adjustment pursuant to subparagraph (ii) is required in connection with a transaction that would otherwise result in an adjustment pursuant to this subparagraph (iv).  If the Carrying Value of such Property has been determined or adjusted pursuant to subparagraph (i), (ii) or (iv), such Carrying Value shall thereafter be adjusted by the Depreciation taken into account with respect to such asset, for purposes of computing Net Income and Net Loss.

 

“Class A Common Stock” means Class A common stock, $0.00001 par value per share, of RocketCo.

 

“Class B Common Stock” means Class B common stock, $0.00001 par value per share, of RocketCo.

 

“Class C Common Stock” means Class C common stock, $0.00001 par value per share, of RocketCo.

 

“Class D Common Stock” means Class D common stock, $0.00001 par value per share, of RocketCo.

 

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.

 

“Common Unit” means a common limited liability company interest in the Company.

 

“Company Minimum Gain” means “partnership minimum gain,” as defined in Treasury Regulation Sections 1.704-2(b)(2) and 1.704-2(d).

 

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“Control” including the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with,” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting stock, by contract, or otherwise. A person who is the owner of 20% or more of the outstanding voting stock of a corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity shall be presumed to have control of such entity, in the absence of proof by a preponderance of the evidence to the contrary.

 

“Covered Person” means (i) each Member or an Affiliate thereof, in each case in such capacity, (ii) each officer, director, shareholder, member, partner, employee, representative, agent or trustee of a Member or an Affiliate thereof, in all cases in such capacity and (iii) each officer, director, shareholder (other than any public shareholder of RocketCo that is not a Member), member, partner, employee, representative, agent or trustee of the Managing Member, RocketCo (in the event RocketCo is not the Managing Member), the Company or an Affiliate controlled thereby, in all cases in such capacity.

 

“Depreciation” means, for each Fiscal Year, an amount equal to the depreciation, amortization, or other cost recovery deduction allowable with respect to an asset for such Fiscal Year, except that if the Carrying Value of an asset differs from its adjusted basis for U.S. federal income tax purposes at the beginning of such Fiscal Year, Depreciation shall be an amount that bears the same ratio to such beginning Carrying Value as the U.S. federal income tax depreciation, amortization, or other cost recovery deduction for such Fiscal Year bears to such beginning adjusted tax basis; provided, however, that if the adjusted basis for U.S. federal income tax purposes of an asset at the beginning of such Fiscal Year is zero, Depreciation shall be determined with reference to such beginning Carrying Value using any reasonable method selected by the Managing Member.

 

“DGCL” means the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as amended from time to time.

 

“Equity Securities” means, with respect to any Person, any (i) membership interests or shares of capital stock, (ii) equity, ownership, voting, profit or participation interests or (iii) similar rights or securities in such Person or any of its Subsidiaries, or any rights or securities convertible into or exchangeable for, options or other rights to acquire from such Person or any of its Subsidiaries, or obligation on the part of such Person or any of its Subsidiaries to issue, any of the foregoing.

 

“Exchange Agreement” means the Exchange Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and among RocketCo, the Company and the holders of Common Units and shares of Class C Common Stock and Class D Common Stock from time to time party thereto.

 

“Family Member” means, with respect to any natural person, the spouse, parents, grandparents, lineal descendants, siblings of such person or such person’s spouse and lineal descendants of siblings of such person or such person’s spouse.  Lineal

 

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descendants shall include adopted persons, but only so long as they are adopted during minority.

 

“FINRA” means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.

 

“Fiscal Year” means the Company’s fiscal year, which shall initially be the calendar year and which may be changed from time to time as determined by the Managing Member.

 

“Form 8-A Effective Time” has the meaning set forth in the Reorganization Agreement.

 

“Governmental Authority” means any transnational, domestic or foreign federal, state or local governmental, regulatory or administrative authority, department, court, agency or official, including any political subdivision thereof.

 

“Highest Member Tax Amount” means the Member receiving the greatest proportionate allocation of taxable income attributable to its ownership of the Company  in the applicable tax period (or portion thereof) (including as a result of the application of Section 704(c) of the Code or otherwise), and calculated by multiplying (x) the aggregate taxable income allocated to such Member  (excluding the tax consequences resulting from any adjustment under Sections 743(b) and 734(b) of the Code in such applicable taxable period (or portion thereof), by (y) the Tax Rate.

 

“Indebtedness” means (a) all indebtedness for borrowed money (including capitalized lease obligations, sale-leaseback transactions or other similar transactions, however evidenced), (b) any other indebtedness that is evidenced by a note, bond, debenture, draft or similar instrument, (c) notes payable and (d) lines of credit and any other agreements relating to the borrowing of money or extension of credit.

 

“IPO” means the initial underwritten public offering of RocketCo.

 

“Limited Ownership Minimum” means, with respect to the Rock Members, if the number of its Owned Shares exceeds [·], as adjusted for any stock split, stock dividend, reverse stock split, combination, recapitalization, reclassification or similar event.

 

“Managing Member” means (i) RocketCo so long as RocketCo has not withdrawn as the Managing Member pursuant to Section 7.02 and (ii) any successor thereof appointed as Managing Member in accordance with Section 7.02.

 

“Member” means any Person named as a Member of the Company on the Member Schedule and the books and records of the Company, as the same may be amended from time to time to reflect any Person admitted as an Additional Member or a Substitute Member, for so long as such Person continues to be a Member of the Company.

 

5

 

“Member Nonrecourse Debt” has the same meaning as the term “partner nonrecourse debt” in Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-2(b)(4).

 

“Member Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain” means an amount with respect to each “partner nonrecourse debt” (as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(b)(4)) equal to the Company Minimum Gain that would result if such partner nonrecourse debt were treated as a nonrecourse liability (as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.752-1(a)(2)) determined in accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i)(3).

 

“Member Nonrecourse Deductions” has the same meaning as the term “partner nonrecourse deductions” in Treasury Regulations Sections 1.704-2(i)(1) and 1.704-2(i)(2).

 

“Michigan Act” means the Michigan Limited Liability Company Act.

 

“Net Income” and “Net Loss” mean, for each Fiscal Year or other period, an amount equal to the Company’s taxable income or loss for such Fiscal Year or period, determined in accordance with Section 703(a) of the Code (for this purpose, all items of income, gain, loss, or deduction required to be stated separately pursuant to Section 703(a)(1) of the Code shall be included in taxable income or loss), with the following adjustments (without duplication):

 

(i)            Any income of the Company that is exempt from U.S. federal income tax and not otherwise taken into account in computing Net Income or Net Loss pursuant to this definition of “Net Income” and “Net Loss” shall be added to such taxable income or loss;

 

(ii)           Any expenditures of the Company described in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code or treated as Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code expenditures pursuant to Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(i), and not otherwise taken into account in computing Net Income and Net Loss pursuant to this definition of “Net Income” and “Net Loss,” shall be treated as deductible items;

 

(iii)          In the event the Carrying Value of any Company asset is adjusted pursuant to subparagraphs (ii) or (iii) of the definition of “Carrying Value,” the amount of such adjustment shall be treated as an item of gain (if the adjustment increases the Carrying Value of the asset) or an item of loss (if the adjustment decreases the Carrying Value of the asset) from the disposition of such asset and shall be taken into account, immediately prior to the event giving rise to such adjustment, for purposes of computing Net Income or Net Loss;

 

(iv)          Gain or loss resulting from any disposition of Property with respect to which gain or loss is recognized for U.S. federal income tax purposes shall be computed by reference to the Carrying Value of the Property disposed of, notwithstanding that the adjusted tax basis of such Property differs from its Carrying Value;

 

6

 

(v)           In lieu of the depreciation, amortization, and other cost recovery deductions taken into account in computing such taxable income or loss, there shall be taken into account Depreciation for such Fiscal Year, computed in accordance with the definition of Depreciation;

 

(vi)          To the extent an adjustment to the adjusted tax basis of any Company asset pursuant to Section 734(b) of the Code is required, pursuant to Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-(b)(2)(iv)(m)(4), to be taken into account in determining Capital Accounts as a result of a distribution other than in liquidation of a Member’s interest in the Company, the amount of such adjustment shall be treated as an item of gain (if the adjustment increases the basis of the asset) or loss (if the adjustment decreases such basis) from the disposition of such asset and shall be taken into account for purposes of computing Net Income or Net Loss; and

 

(vii)         Notwithstanding any other provision of this definition, any items that are specially allocated pursuant to Section 5.04(b), Section 5.04(c) and Section 5.04(d) shall not be taken into account in computing Net Income and Net Loss.

 

The amounts of the items of Company income, gain, loss, or deduction available to be specially allocated pursuant to Section 5.04(b), Section 5.04(c) and Section 5.04(d) shall be determined by applying rules analogous to those set forth in subparagraphs (i) through (vi) above.

 

“Non-RocketCo Member” means any Member that is not a RocketCo Member.

 

“Nonrecourse Deductions” has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulations Sections 1.704-2(b)(1) and 1.704-2(c).

 

“Owned Shares” with respect to the Rock Members, the total number of shares of Class A Common Stock beneficially owned (as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 and Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act) by the Rock Members (including, for the purposes of this definition, any Person that owns either Units or RocketCo Common Stock and that otherwise qualifies under the definition of “Rock Member”), in the aggregate and without duplication, as of the date of such calculation (determined on an “as-converted” basis taking into account any and all securities then convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, shares of Class A Common Stock (including Common Units and shares of Class C Common Stock exchangeable pursuant to the Exchange Agreement).

 

“Ownership Minimum” means, with respect to the Rock Members, if the number of its Owned Shares exceeds [•], as adjusted for any stock split, stock dividend, reverse stock split, combination, recapitalization, reclassification or similar event.

 

“Paired Interest” has the meaning set forth in the Exchange Agreement.

 

“Partnership Audit Provisions” means Title XI, Section 1101, of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, P.L. 114-74 (together with any subsequent amendments

 

7

 

thereto, Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, and published administrative interpretations thereof, and any comparable provisions of state or local tax law).

 

“Percentage Interest” means, with respect to any Member, a fractional amount, expressed as a percentage: (i) the numerator of which is the aggregate number of Common Units owned of record thereby and (ii) the denominator of which is the aggregate number of Common Units issued and outstanding.  The sum of the outstanding Percentage Interests of all Members shall at all times equal 100%.

 

“Permitted Transfer” means any Transfer (i) to any Permitted Transferee or (ii) following which such Units continue to be held by RHI or any Permitted Transferee and the direct or indirect equityholders of RHI or such Permitted Transferee immediately prior to such Transfer continue to hold a majority of the beneficial interests of RHI or such Permitted Transferee, as applicable, following such Transfer.

 

“Permitted Transferee” means, with respect to any Member, (i) RHI or any Rock Equityholder, (ii) any Family Member of such holder or any Family Member of any Rock Equityholder, (iii) any trust, family-partnership or estate-planning vehicle so long as such holder, any Family Member of such holder, any Rock Equityholder or any Family Member of a Rock Equityholder are the sole economic beneficiaries thereof, (iv) any partnership, corporation or other entity controlled by, or a majority of which is beneficially owned by, such holder or any of the persons listed in the foregoing clauses (i)-(iii), (v) any charitable trust or organization that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and controlled by such holder or any of the persons listed in the foregoing clauses (i)-(iv), (vi) an individual mandated under a qualified domestic relations order or (vii) a legal or personal representative of such holder, any Family Member of such holder, any Rock Equityholder or any Family Member of a Rock Equityholder in the event of the death or disability thereof.

 

“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity.

 

“Prime Rate” means the rate of interest from time to time identified by JP Morgan Chase, N.A. as being its “prime” or “reference” rate.

 

“Property” means an interest of any kind in any real, personal or intellectual (or mixed) property, including cash, and any improvements thereto, and shall include both tangible and intangible property.

 

“RocketCo Common Stock” means all classes and series of common stock of RocketCo, including the Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, Class C Common Stock and Class D Common Stock.

 

“RocketCo Equity Plan” means the Rocket Companies, Inc. 2020 Management Incentive Plan, as the same may be amended from time to time.

 

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“RocketCo Member” means (i) RocketCo and (ii) any Subsidiary of RocketCo (other than the Company and its Subsidiaries) that is a Member.

 

“Purchase Agreement” means the Purchase Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and between RHI and Rocket Companies, Inc.

 

“Registration Rights Agreement” means the Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and between RocketCo and RHI.

 

“Regulatory Agency” means the SEC, FINRA and any other regulatory authority or body (including any state or provincial securities authority and any self-regulatory organization) with jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

“Relative Percentage Interest” means, with respect to any Member relative to another Member or Members, a fractional amount, expressed as a percentage, the numerator of which is the Percentage Interest of such Member; and the denominator of which is (x) the Percentage Interest of such Member plus (y) the aggregate Percentage Interest of such other Member or Members.

 

“Reorganization” means the transactions contemplated by the Reorganization Agreement.

 

“Reorganization Agreement” means the Reorganization Agreement by and between RocketCo, the Company, RHI and Gilbert.

 

“Reorganization Date Capital Account Balance” means, with respect to any Member, the positive Capital Account balance of such Member as of immediately following the Reorganization, the amount or deemed value of which is set forth on the Member Schedule.

 

“Reorganization Documents” means the Reorganization Agreement, this Agreement, the Tax Receivable Agreement, the Exchange Agreement, the Purchase Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

“Reserves” means, as of any date of determination, amounts allocated by the Managing Member, in its reasonable judgment, to reserves maintained for working capital of the Company, for contingencies of the Company, for operating expenses and debt reduction of the Company.

 

“Rock Equityholders” means the direct or indirect equityholders of RHI.

 

“Rock Members” means (i) RHI, (ii) Gilbert and (iii) any Permitted Transferee of a Rock Member that owns Units from time to time.

 

“SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture or other business entity

 

9

 

of which more than 50% of the total voting power of Equity Securities or other ownership interests entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of the Person or Persons (whether directors, managers, trustees or other Persons performing similar functions) having the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof.

 

“Substitute Member” means any Person admitted as a Member of the Company pursuant to Section 3.02 in connection with the Transfer of then-existing Units to such Person.

 

“Tax Amount” means the Highest Member Tax Amount divided by the Percentage Interest of the Member described in the definition of “Highest Member Tax Amount”.

 

“Tax Distribution” means a distribution made by the Company pursuant to Section 5.03(e)(i) or Section 5.03(e)(iii) or a distribution made by the Company pursuant to another provision of Section 5.03 but designated as a Tax Distribution pursuant to Section 5.03(e)(ii).

 

“Tax Distribution Amount” means, with respect to a Member’s Units, whichever of the following applies with respect to the applicable Tax Distribution, in each case in amount not less than zero:

 

(i)            With respect to a Tax Distribution pursuant to Section 5.03(e)(i), the excess, if any, of (A) such Member’s required annualized income installment for such estimated payment date under Section 6655(e) of the Code, assuming that (x) such Member is a corporation (which assumption, for the avoidance of doubt, shall not affect the determination of the Tax Rate), (y) Section 6655(e)(2)(C)(ii) is in effect and (z) such Member’s only income is from the Company, which amount shall be calculated based on the projections believed by the Managing Member in good faith to be, reasonable projections of the product of (1) the Tax Amount and (2) such Member’s Percentage Interest over (B) the aggregate amount of Tax Distributions designated by the Company pursuant to Section 5.03(e)(ii) with respect to such Units since the date of the previous Tax Distribution pursuant to Section 5.03(e)(i) (or if no such Tax Distribution was required to be made, the date such Tax Distribution would have been made pursuant to Section 5.03(e)(i)).

 

(ii)           With respect to the designation of an amount as a Tax Distribution pursuant to Section 5.03(e)(ii), the product of (x) the Tax Amount projected, in the good faith belief of the Managing Member, during the period since the date of the previous Tax Distribution (or, if more recent, the date that the previous Tax Distribution pursuant to Section 5.03(e)(i) would have been made or, in the case of the first distribution pursuant to Section 5.03(b), the date of this Agreement) and (y) such Member’s Percentage Interest.

 

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(iii)          With respect to an entire Fiscal Year to be calculated for purposes of Section 5.03(e)(iii), the excess, if any, of (A) the product of (x) the Tax Amount for the relevant Fiscal Year and (y) such Member’s Percentage Interest, over (B) the aggregate amount of Tax Distributions (other than Tax Distributions under Section 5.03(e)(iii) with respect to a prior Fiscal Year) with respect to such Units made with respect to such Fiscal Year.

 

“Tax Rate” means the highest marginal federal, state and local tax rate for an individual or corporation that is resident in Michigan, New York City or California (whichever is higher) applicable to ordinary income, qualified dividend income or capital gains, as appropriate, taking into account the holding period of the assets disposed of and the year in which the taxable net income is recognized by the Company, and taking into account the deductibility of state and local income taxes as applicable at the time for U.S. federal income tax purposes and any limitations thereon including pursuant to Section 68 of the Code or Section 164 of the Code, which Tax Rate shall be the same for all Members.

 

“Tax Receivable Agreement” means the Tax Receivable Agreement by and between RocketCo, RHI and Gilbert.

 

“Transfer” of a Unit means, directly or indirectly, any sale, assignment, transfer, exchange, gift, bequest, pledge, hypothecation or other disposition or encumbrance of such Unit or any legal or beneficial interest in such Unit, in whole or in part, whether or not for value and whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of Applicable Law, and shall include all matters deemed to constitute a Transfer under Article VIII; provided, however, that the following shall not be considered a “Transfer”: (i) the pledge of Units by a Member that creates a mere security interest in such Units pursuant to a bona fide loan or indebtedness transaction so long as such Member continues to exercise sole voting control over such pledged Units; provided, however, that a foreclosure on such Units or other similar action by the pledgee shall constitute a “Transfer”; or (ii) the fact that the spouse of any Member possesses or obtains an interest in such Member’s Units arising solely by reason of the application of the community property laws of any jurisdiction, so long as no other event or circumstance shall exist or have occurred that constitutes a “Transfer” of such Units.  The terms “Transferred”, “Transferring”, “Transferor”, “Transferee” and “Transferable” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

 

“Treasury Regulations” mean the regulations promulgated under the Code, as amended from time to time.

 

“Units” means Common Units or any other class of limited liability interests in the Company designated by the Company after the date hereof in accordance with this Agreement; provided that any type, class or series of Units shall have the designations, preferences or special rights set forth or referenced in this Agreement, and the membership interests of the Company represented by such type, class or series of Units shall be determined in accordance with such designations, preferences or special rights.

 

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(b)           Each of the following terms is defined in the Section set forth opposite such term:

 

	
Term
    	
 
    	
Section
    
	
A&R Operating Agreement
    	
 
    	
Recitals
    
	
Agreed-Upon Venues
    	
 
    	
Section 11.05(a)
    
	
Agreement
    	
 
    	
Preamble
    
	
Company
    	
 
    	
Preamble
    
	
Confidential Information
    	
 
    	
Section 11.10(b)
    
	
Controlled Entities
    	
 
    	
Section 9.02(e)
    
	
Dissolution Event
    	
 
    	
Section 10.01(c)
    
	
Economic RocketCo Security
    	
 
    	
Section 4.01(a)
    
	
e-mail
    	
 
    	
Section 11.03
    
	
Member Parties
    	
 
    	
Section 11.10(a)
    
	
Member Schedule
    	
 
    	
Section 3.01(a)
    
	
Expenses
    	
 
    	
Section 9.02(e)
    
	
GAAP
    	
 
    	
Section 3.03(b)
    
	
Gilbert
    	
 
    	
Preamble
    
	
Imputed Underpayment Amount
    	
 
    	
Section 6.01(b)
    
	
Indemnification Sources
    	
 
    	
Section 9.02(e)
    
	
Indemnitee-Related Entities
    	
 
    	
Section 9.02(e)(i)
    
	
Initial Operating Agreement
    	
 
    	
Recitals
    
	
Jointly Indemnifiable Claims
    	
 
    	
Section 9.02(e)(ii)
    
	
Officers
    	
 
    	
Section 7.05(a)
    
	
Partnership Representative
    	
 
    	
Section 6.01(a)
    
	
Process Agent
    	
 
    	
Section 11.05(b)
    
	
Regulatory Allocations
    	
 
    	
Section 5.04(c)
    
	
Revaluation
    	
 
    	
Section 5.02(c)
    
	
RHI
    	
 
    	
Preamble
    
	
RocketCo
    	
 
    	
Preamble
    
	
Withholding Advances
    	
 
    	
Section 5.06(b)
    

 

Section 1.02          Other Definitional and Interpretative Provisions.  The words “hereof”, “herein” and “hereunder” and words of like import used in this Agreement shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement.  The captions herein are included for convenience of reference only and shall be ignored in the construction or interpretation hereof.  References to Articles, Sections and Schedules are to Articles, Sections and Schedules of this Agreement unless otherwise specified.  All Schedules annexed hereto or referred to herein are hereby incorporated in and made a part of this Agreement as if set forth in full herein.  Any capitalized terms used in any Schedule but not otherwise defined therein, shall have the meaning as defined in this Agreement.  Any singular term in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the plural, and any plural term the singular.  Whenever the words “include”, “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation”, whether or not they are in fact followed by those words or words of like import.  The word “or” shall be disjunctive but not exclusive. “Writing”, “written” and comparable terms refer to printing, typing and other means of reproducing words (including electronic media) in a visible form.  References to any statute shall be deemed to refer to such statute as amended from time to time and to any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder.  References to any agreement or contract are to that agreement or contract as amended, modified or supplemented from

 

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time to time in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof.  References to any Person include the successors and permitted assigns of that Person.  References from or through any date mean, unless otherwise specified, from and including or through and including, respectively.  References to “law”, “laws” or to a particular statute or law shall be deemed also to include any Applicable Law.  As used in this Agreement, all references to “majority in interest” and phrases of similar import shall be deemed to refer to such percentage or fraction of interest based on the Relative Percentage Interests of the Members subject to such determination.  Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, when any approval, consent or other matter requires any action or approval of any group of Members, including any holders of any class of Units, such approval, consent or other matter shall require the approval of a majority in interest of such group of Members.  Except to the extent otherwise expressly provided herein, all references to any Member shall be deemed to refer solely to such Person in its capacity as such Member and not in any other capacity.

 

ARTICLE II

 

THE COMPANY

 

Section 2.01          Formation.  The Company was formed upon the filing of the articles of organization of the Company with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau of the State of Michigan on March 6, 2020.  The Managing Member or an “authorized agent” within the meaning of the Michigan Act shall file and record any amendments or restatements to the articles of organization of the Company and such other certificates and documents (and any amendments or restatements thereof) as may be required under the laws of the State of Michigan and of any other jurisdiction in which the Company may conduct business.  The authorized agent or representative shall, on request, provide any Member with copies of each such document as filed and recorded.  The Members hereby agree that the Company and its Subsidiaries shall be governed by the terms and conditions of this Agreement and, except as provided herein, the Michigan Act.

 

Section 2.02          Name.  The name of the Company shall be RKT Holdings, LLC; provided that the Managing Member may change the name of the Company to such other name as the Managing Member shall determine in its sole discretion, and shall have the authority to execute, acknowledge, deliver, file and record such further certificates, amendments, instruments and documents, and to do all such other acts and things, as may be required by Applicable Law or as, in the reasonable judgment of the Managing Member, may be necessary or advisable to effect such change.

 

Section 2.03          Term.  The Company shall have perpetual existence unless sooner dissolved and its affairs wound up as provided in Article X.

 

Section 2.04          Registered Agent and Registered Office.  The name of the registered agent of the Company for service of process on the Company in the State of Michigan shall be CT Corporation, and the address of such registered agent and the address of the registered office of the Company in the State of Michigan shall be The Corporation Company, 40600 Ann Arbor Road East, Suite 201, Plymouth, Michigan

 

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48170.  Such office and such agent may be changed to such place within the State of Michigan and any successor registered agent, respectively, as may be determined from time to time by the Managing Member in accordance with the Michigan Act.

 

Section 2.05          Purposes.  The primary business and purpose of the Company shall be to engage in such activities as are permitted under the Michigan Act and determined from time to time by the Managing Member in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

 

Section 2.06          Powers of the Company.  The Company shall have the power and authority to take any and all actions necessary, appropriate or advisable to or for the furtherance of the purposes set forth in Section 2.05.

 

Section 2.07          Partnership Tax Status.  The Members intend that the Company shall be treated as a partnership for federal, state and local income tax purposes to the extent such treatment is available, and agree to take (or refrain from taking) such actions as may be necessary to receive and maintain such treatment and refrain from taking any actions inconsistent thereof.

 

Section 2.08          Regulation of Internal Affairs.  The internal affairs of the Company and the conduct of its business shall be regulated by this Agreement, and to the extent not provided for herein, shall be determined by the Managing Member.

 

Section 2.09          Ownership of Property.  Legal title to all Property, conveyed to, or held by the Company or its Subsidiaries shall reside in the Company or its Subsidiaries and shall be conveyed only in the name of the Company or its Subsidiaries and no Member or any other Person, individually, shall have any ownership of such Property.

 

Section 2.10          Subsidiaries.  The Company shall cause the business and affairs of each of the Subsidiaries to be managed by the Managing Member in accordance with and in a manner consistent with this Agreement.

 

ARTICLE III

 

UNITS; MEMBERS; BOOKS AND RECORDS; REPORTS

 

Section 3.01          Units; Admission of Members.

 

(a)           Effective upon the Reorganization, pursuant to Section 2.1(d)(ii) of the Reorganization Agreement, (i) RocketCo has been admitted to the Company as the Managing Member and (ii) the Company has hereby reclassified all membership interests of the Company outstanding as of immediately prior to the Form 8-A Effective Time into the number of Common Units, in the aggregate, set forth on Schedule A (the “Member Schedule”).  The Member Schedule shall be maintained by the Managing Member on behalf of the Company in accordance with this Agreement and, upon any subsequent update to the Member Schedule, the Managing Member shall promptly deliver a copy of such updated Member Schedule to each Member. When any Units or other Equity

 

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Securities of the Company are issued, repurchased, redeemed, converted or Transferred in accordance with this Agreement, the Member Schedule shall be amended by the Managing Member to reflect such issuance, repurchase, redemption or Transfer, the admission of additional or substitute Members and the resulting Percentage Interest of each Member.  Following the date hereof, no Person shall be admitted as a Member and no additional Units shall be issued except as expressly provided herein.

 

(b)           The Managing Member may cause the Company to authorize and issue from time to time such other Units or other Equity Securities of any type, class or series and having the designations, preferences or special rights as may be determined the Managing Member.  Such Units or other Equity Securities may be issued pursuant to such agreements as the Managing Member shall approve, with respect to Persons employed by or otherwise performing services for the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, other equity compensation agreements, options or warrants.  When any such other Units or other Equity Securities are authorized and issued, the Member Schedule and this Agreement shall be amended by the Managing Member to reflect such additional issuances and resulting dilution, which shall be borne pro rata by all Members based on their Common Units.

 

Section 3.02          Substitute Members and Additional Members.

 

(a)           No Transferee of any Units or Person to whom any Units are issued pursuant to this Agreement shall be admitted as a Member hereunder or acquire any rights hereunder, including any class voting rights or the right to receive distributions and allocations in respect of the Transferred or issued Units, as applicable, unless (i) such Units are Transferred or issued in compliance with the provisions of this Agreement (including Article VIII) and (ii) such Transferee or recipient shall have executed and delivered to the Company such instruments as the Managing Member deems necessary or desirable, in its reasonable discretion, to effectuate the admission of such Transferee or recipient as a Member and to confirm the agreement of such Transferee or recipient to be bound by all the terms and provisions of this Agreement.  Upon complying with the immediately preceding sentence, without the need for any further action of any Person, a Transferee or recipient shall be deemed admitted to the Company as a Member.  A Substitute Member shall enjoy the same rights, and be subject to the same obligations, as the Transferor; provided that such Transferor shall not be relieved of any obligation or liability hereunder arising prior to the consummation of such Transfer but shall be relieved of all future obligations with respect to the Units so Transferred.  As promptly as practicable after the admission of any Person as a Member, the books and records of the Company shall be changed to reflect such admission of a Substitute Member or Additional Member.  In the event of any admission of a Substitute Member or Additional Member pursuant to this Section 3.02(a), this Agreement shall be deemed amended to reflect such admission, and any formal amendment of this Agreement (including the Member Schedule) in connection therewith shall only require execution by the Company and such Substitute Member or Additional Member, as applicable, to be effective.

 

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(b)           If a Member shall Transfer all (but not less than all) its Units, the Member shall thereupon cease to be a Member of the Company.

 

Section 3.03          Tax and Accounting Information.

 

(a)           Accounting Decisions and Reliance on Others.  All decisions as to accounting matters, except as otherwise specifically set forth herein, shall be made by the Managing Member in accordance with Applicable Law and with accounting methods followed for U.S. federal income tax purposes.  In making such decisions, the Managing Member may rely upon the advice of the independent accountants of the Company.

 

(b)           Records and Accounting Maintained.  The books and records of the Company shall be kept, and the financial position and the results of its operations recorded, in all material respects in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles as in effect from time to time (“GAAP”).  The Fiscal Year of the Company shall be used for financial reporting and for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

(c)           Financial Reports.

 

(i)            The books and records of the Company shall be audited as of the end of each Fiscal Year by the same accounting firm that audits the books and records of RocketCo (or, if such firm declines to perform such audit, by an accounting firm selected by the Managing Member).

 

(ii)           In the event neither RocketCo nor the Company is required to file an annual report on Form 10-K or quarterly report on Form 10-Q, the Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, the following to each Rock Member, in each case so long as such Rock Member meets the Ownership Minimum:

 

(A)          not later than ninety (90) days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, a copy of the audited consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the end of such fiscal year and the related statements of operations and cash flows for such fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous year, all in reasonable detail; and

 

(B)          not later than forty five (45) days or such later time as permitted under applicable securities law after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year, the unaudited consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries, and the related statements of operations and cash flows for such quarter and for the period commencing on the first day of the fiscal year and ending on the last day of such quarter.

 

16

 

(d)           Tax Returns.

 

(i)            The Company shall timely cause to be prepared by an accounting firm selected by the Managing Member all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns (including information returns) of the Company and its Subsidiaries, which may be required by a jurisdiction in which the Company and its Subsidiaries operate or conduct business for each year or period for which such returns are required to be filed and shall cause such returns to be timely filed.  Upon request of RHI or any other Member, the Company shall furnish to such Member a copy of each such tax return;

 

(ii)           The Company shall furnish to each Member (a) as soon as reasonably practical after the end of each Fiscal Year, all information concerning the Company and its Subsidiaries required for the preparation of tax returns of such Members (or any beneficial owner(s) of such Member), including a report (including Schedule K-1), indicating each Member’s share of the Company’s taxable income, gain, credits, losses and deductions for such year, in sufficient detail to enable such Member to prepare its federal, state and other tax returns; provided that estimates of such information believed by the Managing Member in good faith to be reasonable shall be provided within 90 days of the end of the Fiscal Year, (b) as soon as reasonably possible after the close of the relevant fiscal period, but in no event later than ten days prior to the date an estimated tax payment is due, such information concerning the Company as is required to enable such Member (or any beneficial owner of such Member) to pay estimated taxes and (c) as soon as reasonably possible after a request by such Member, such other information concerning the Company and its Subsidiaries that is reasonably requested by such Member for compliance with its tax obligations (or the tax obligations of any beneficial owner(s) of such Member) or for tax planning purposes; and

 

(e)           Inconsistent Positions.  No Member shall take a position on its income tax return with respect to any item of Company income, gain, deduction, loss or credit that is different from the position taken on the Company’s income tax return with respect to such item unless such Member notifies the Company of the different position the Member desires to take and the Company’s regular tax advisors, after consulting with the Member, are unable to provide an opinion that (after taking into account all of the relevant facts and circumstances) the arguments in favor of the Company’s position outweigh the arguments in favor of the Member’s position.

 

Section 3.04          Books and Records.  The Company shall keep full and accurate books of account and other records of the Company at its principal place of business.  No Member (other than the Managing Member and, in each case so long as it meets the Ownership Minimum, the Rock Members) shall have any right to inspect the books and records of RocketCo, the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; provided that, in the case of the Rock Members, (i) such inspection shall be at reasonable times and upon reasonable prior notice to the Company, but not more frequently than once per calendar quarter and (ii) neither RocketCo, the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall be required to disclose (x) any information the Managing Member determines to be competitively sensitive or (y) any privileged information of RocketCo, the Company or any of its Subsidiaries so long as the Company has used commercially reasonable efforts

 

17

 

to enter into an arrangement pursuant to which it may provide such information to the Rock Members without the loss of any such privilege.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

ROCKETCO OWNERSHIP; RESTRICTIONS ON ROCKETCO STOCK

 

Section 4.01          RocketCo Ownership.

 

(a)           If at any time RocketCo issues a share of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock or any other Equity Security of RocketCo entitled to any economic rights (including in the IPO) (an “Economic RocketCo Security”) with regard thereto (other than Class C Common Stock, Class D Common Stock or other Equity Security of RocketCo not entitled to any economic rights with respect thereto), (i) the Company shall issue to RocketCo one Common Unit (if RocketCo issues a share of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock) or such other Equity Security of the Company (if RocketCo issues an Economic RocketCo Security other than Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock) corresponding to the Economic RocketCo Security, and with substantially the same rights to dividends and distributions (including distributions upon liquidation) and other economic rights as those of such Economic RocketCo Security and (ii) the net proceeds received by RocketCo with respect to the corresponding Economic RocketCo Security, if any, shall be concurrently contributed to the Company; provided, however, that if RocketCo issues any Economic RocketCo Securities, some or all of the net proceeds of which are to be used to fund expenses or other obligations of RocketCo for which RocketCo would be permitted a distribution pursuant to Section 5.03(c), then RocketCo shall not be required to transfer such net proceeds to the Company which are used or will be used to fund such expenses or obligations, and provided, further, that if RocketCo issues any shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock in order to purchase or fund the purchase from a Non-RocketCo Member of a number of Common Units (and shares of Class C Common Stock or Class D Common Stock, as applicable) or to purchase or fund the purchase of shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock, in each case equal to the number of shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock issued, then the Company shall not issue any new Common Units in connection therewith and RocketCo shall not be required to transfer such net proceeds to the Company (it being understood that such net proceeds shall instead be transferred to such Non-RocketCo Member as consideration for such purchase).

 

(b)           Notwithstanding Section 4.01(a), this Article IV shall not apply (i) to the issuance and distribution to holders of shares of RocketCo Common Stock of rights to purchase Equity Securities of RocketCo under a “poison pill” or similar shareholders rights plan (it being understood that upon exchange of Paired Interests for Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock, as the case may be, pursuant to the Exchange Agreement, such Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock, as the case may be, will be issued together with a corresponding right) or (ii) to the issuance under the RocketCo Equity Plan or RocketCo’s other employee benefit plans of any warrants, options or other rights to acquire Equity Securities of RocketCo or rights or

 

18

 

property that may be converted into or settled in Equity Securities of RocketCo, but shall in each of the foregoing cases apply to the issuance of Equity Securities of RocketCo in connection with the exercise or settlement of such rights, warrants, options or other rights or property.

 

Section 4.02          Restrictions on RocketCo Common Stock.

 

(a)           Except as otherwise determined by the Managing Member in accordance with Section 4.02(d), (i) the Company may not issue any additional Common Units to RocketCo or any of its Subsidiaries unless substantially simultaneously therewith RocketCo or such Subsidiary issues or sells an equal number of shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock to another Person and (ii) the Company may not issue any other Equity Securities of the Company to RocketCo or any of its Subsidiaries unless substantially simultaneously, RocketCo or such Subsidiary issues or sells, to another Person, an equal number of shares of a new class or series of Equity Securities of RocketCo or such Subsidiary with substantially the same rights to dividends and distributions (including distributions upon liquidation) and other economic rights as those of such Equity Securities of the Company.

 

(b)           Except as otherwise determined by the Managing Member in accordance with Section 4.02(d), (i) RocketCo or any of its Subsidiaries may not redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire any shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock unless substantially simultaneously the Company redeems, repurchases or otherwise acquires from RocketCo an equal number of Units for the same price per security (or, if RocketCo uses funds received from distributions from the Company or the net proceeds from an issuance of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock to fund such redemption, repurchase or acquisition, then the Company shall cancel an equal number of Units for no consideration) and (ii) RocketCo or any of its Subsidiaries may not redeem or repurchase any other Equity Securities of RocketCo unless substantially simultaneously, the Company redeems or repurchases from RocketCo an equal number of Equity Securities of the Company of a corresponding class or series with substantially the same rights to dividends and distributions (including distributions upon liquidation) or other economic rights as those of such Equity Securities of RocketCo for the same price per security (or, if RocketCo uses funds received from distributions from the Company or the net proceeds from an issuance of Equity Securities other than Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock to fund such redemption, repurchase or acquisition, then the Company shall cancel an equal number of its corresponding Equity Securities for no consideration).  Except  as otherwise determined by the Managing Member in accordance with Section 4.02(d): (x) the Company may not redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire Common Units from RocketCo or any of its Subsidiaries unless substantially simultaneously RocketCo or such Subsidiary redeems, repurchases or otherwise acquires an equal number of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock for the same price per security from holders thereof (except that if the Company cancels Common Units for no consideration as described in Section 4.02(b)(i), then the price per security need not be the same) and (y) the Company may not redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire any other Equity Securities of the Company from RocketCo or any of its Subsidiaries unless substantially simultaneously RocketCo or such Subsidiary redeems, repurchases or

 

19

 

otherwise acquires for the same price per security an equal number of Equity Securities of RocketCo of a corresponding class or series with substantially the same rights to dividends and distributions (including dividends and distributions upon liquidation) and other economic rights as those of such Equity Securities of RocketCo (except that if the Company cancels Equity Securities for no consideration as described in Section 4.02(b)(ii), then the price per security need not be the same).  Notwithstanding the immediately preceding sentence, to the extent that any consideration payable to RocketCo in connection with the redemption or repurchase of any shares or other Equity Securities of RocketCo or any of its Subsidiaries consists (in whole or in part) of shares or such other Equity Securities (including, for the avoidance of doubt, in connection with the cashless exercise of an option or warrant), then redemption or repurchase of the corresponding Common Units or other Equity Securities of the Company shall be effectuated in an equivalent manner (except if the Company cancels Common Units or other Equity Securities for no consideration as described in this Section 4.02(b)).

 

(c)           The Company shall not in any manner effect any subdivision (by any stock or unit split, stock or unit dividend or distribution, reclassification, reorganization, recapitalization or otherwise) or combination (by reverse stock or unit split, reclassification, reorganization, recapitalization or otherwise) of the outstanding Common Units unless accompanied by a substantively identical subdivision or combination, as applicable, of the outstanding RocketCo Common Stock, with corresponding changes made with respect to any other exchangeable or convertible securities.  RocketCo shall not in any manner effect any subdivision (by any stock or unit split, stock or unit dividend or distribution, reclassification, reorganization, recapitalization or otherwise) or combination (by reverse stock or unit split, reclassification, reorganization, recapitalization or otherwise) of the outstanding RocketCo Common Stock unless accompanied by a substantively identical subdivision or combination, as applicable, of the outstanding Common Units, with corresponding changes made with respect to any other exchangeable or convertible securities.

 

(d)           Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article IV:

 

(i)            if at any time the Managing Member shall determine that any debt instrument of RocketCo, the Company or its Subsidiaries shall not permit RocketCo or the Company to comply with the provisions of Section 4.02(a) or Section 4.02(b) in connection with the issuance, redemption or repurchase of any shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock or other Equity Securities of RocketCo or any of its Subsidiaries or any Units or other Equity Securities of the Company, then the Managing Member may in good faith implement an economically equivalent alternative arrangement without complying with such provisions; provided that, in the case that any such alternative arrangement is implemented because of restrictions in any debt instrument, such arrangement shall also be subject to the prior written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld) of each Rock Member, in each case so long as such Rock Member meets the Limited Ownership Minimum;

 

(ii)           if (x) RocketCo incurs any indebtedness and desires to transfer the proceeds of such indebtedness to the Company and (y) RocketCo is unable

 

20

 

to lend the proceeds of such indebtedness to the Company on an equivalent basis because of restrictions in any debt instrument of RocketCo, the Company or its Subsidiaries, then notwithstanding Section 4.02(a) or Section 4.02(b), the Managing Member may in good faith implement an economically equivalent alternative arrangement in connection with the transfer of proceeds to the Company using non-participating preferred Equity Securities of the Company without complying with such provisions; provided that, in the case that any such alternative arrangement is implemented because of restrictions in any debt instrument, such arrangement shall also be subject to the prior written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld) of each Rock Member, in each case so long as such Rock Member meets the Limited Ownership Minimum; and

 

(iii)          If RocketCo receives a distribution pursuant to Section 5.03 and RocketCo subsequently contributes any of the amounts received to the Company, the Managing Member may take any reasonable action to properly reflect the changes in the Members’ economic interests in the Company including by making appropriate adjustments to the number of Common Units held by the Members other than RocketCo in order to proportionally reduce the respective Percentage Interests held by the Members other than RocketCo.

 

(e)           In the event any adjustment pursuant to this Agreement in the number of Common Units held by a Member results (x) in a decrease in the number of Common Units held by a Member that constitute a portion of a Paired Interest, concurrently with such decrease, such Member shall surrender the number of shares of Class C Common Stock or Class D Common Stock, as the case may be, constituting the remainder of such Paired Interest (which, as of the date hereof, would be one share of Class C Common Stock or Class D Common Stock, as the case may be) to RocketCo or (y) in an increase in the number of Common Units held by a Member that constitute a portion of a Paired Interest, concurrently with such increase, RocketCo shall issue the number of shares of Class C Common Stock or Class D Common Stock, as the case may be, constituting the remainder of such Paired Interest (which, as of the date hereof, would be one share of Class C Common Stock or Class D Common Stock, as the case may be) to such Member.

 

ARTICLE V

 

CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS; CAPITAL ACCOUNTS;
 DISTRIBUTIONS; ALLOCATIONS

 

Section 5.01          Capital Contributions.

 

(a)           From and after the date hereof, no Member shall have any obligation to the Company, to any other Member or to any creditor of the Company to make any further Capital Contribution, except as expressly provided in Section 4.01(a).

 

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(b)           Except as expressly provided herein, no Member, in its capacity as a Member, shall have the right to receive any cash or any other property of the Company.

 

Section 5.02          Capital Accounts.

 

(a)           Maintenance of Capital Accounts.  The Company shall maintain a Capital Account for each Member on the books of the Company in accordance with the provisions of Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv) and, to the extent consistent with such provisions, the following provisions:

 

(i)            Each Member listed on the Member Schedule shall be credited with the Reorganization Date Capital Account Balance set forth on the Member Schedule.  The Member Schedule shall be amended by the Managing Member after the closing of the IPO and from time to time to reflect adjustments to the Members’ Capital Accounts made in accordance with Sections 5.02(a)(ii), 5.02(a)(iii), 5.02(a)(iv), 5.02(c) or otherwise.

 

(ii)           To each Member’s Capital Account there shall be credited:  (A) such Member’s Capital Contributions, (B) such Member’s distributive share of Net Income and any item in the nature of income or gain that is allocated pursuant to Section 5.04 and (C) the amount of any Company liabilities assumed by such Member or that are secured by any Property distributed to such Member.

 

(iii)          To each Member’s Capital Account there shall be debited: (A) the amount of money and the Carrying Value of any Property distributed to such Member pursuant to any provision of this Agreement, (B) such Member’s distributive share of Net Loss and any items in the nature of expenses or losses that are allocated to such Member pursuant to Section 5.04 and (C) the amount of any liabilities of such Member assumed by the Company or that are secured by any Property contributed by such Member to the Company.

 

(iv)          In determining the amount of any liability for purposes of subparagraphs (ii) and (iii) above there shall be taken into account Section 752(c) of the Code and any other applicable provisions of the Code and the Treasury Regulations.

 

The foregoing provisions and the other provisions of this Agreement relating to the maintenance of Capital Accounts are intended to comply with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b) and shall be interpreted and applied in a manner consistent with such Treasury Regulations.  In the event that the Managing Member shall reasonably determine that it is prudent to modify the manner in which the Capital Accounts or any debits or credits thereto are maintained (including debits or credits relating to liabilities that are secured by contributed or distributed Property or that are assumed by the Company or the Members), the Managing Member may make such modification so long as such modification will not have any effect on the amounts distributed to any Person pursuant to Article X upon the dissolution of the Company.  The Managing Member also

 

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shall (i) make any adjustments that are necessary or appropriate to maintain equality between Capital Accounts of the Members and the amount of capital reflected on the Company’s balance sheet, as computed for book purposes, in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(g) and (ii) make any appropriate modifications in the event unanticipated events might otherwise cause this Agreement not to comply with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b).

 

(b)           Succession to Capital Accounts.  In the event any Person becomes a Substitute Member in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, such Substitute Member shall succeed to the Capital Account of the former Member to the extent such Capital Account relates to the Transferred Units.

 

(c)           Adjustments of Capital Accounts.  The Company shall revalue the Capital Accounts of the Members in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f) (a “Revaluation”) at the following times:  (i) immediately prior to the contribution of more than a de minimis amount of money or other property to the Company by a new or existing Member as consideration for one or more Units; (ii) the distribution by the Company to a Member of more than a de minimis amount of property in respect of one or more Units; (iii) the issuance by the Company of more than a de minimis amount of Units as consideration for the provision of services to or for the benefit of the Company (as described in Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f)(5)(iii)); and (iv) the liquidation of the Company within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(g); provided, however, that adjustments pursuant to clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) above shall be made only if the Managing Member reasonably determines that such adjustments are necessary or appropriate to reflect the relative economic interest of the Members.

 

(d)           No Member shall be entitled to withdraw capital or receive distributions except as specifically provided herein.  A Member shall have no obligation to the Company, to any other Member or to any creditor of the Company to restore any negative balance in the Capital Account of such Member.  Except as expressly provided elsewhere herein, no interest shall be paid on the balance in any Member’s Capital Account.

 

(e)           Whenever it is necessary for purposes of this Agreement to determine a Member’s Capital Account on a per Unit basis, such amount shall be determined by dividing the Capital Account of such Member attributable to the applicable class of Units held of record by such Member by the number of Units of such class held of record by such Member.

 

Section 5.03          Amounts and Priority of Distributions.

 

(a)           Distributions Generally.  Except as otherwise provided in Section 10.02, distributions shall be made to the Members as set forth in this Section 5.03, at such times and in such amounts as the Managing Member, in its sole discretion, shall determine.

 

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(b)           Distributions to the Members.  Subject to Sections 5.03(e), and 5.03(f), at such times and in such amounts as the Managing Member, in its sole discretion, shall determine, distributions shall be made to the Members in proportion to their respective Percentage Interests.

 

(c)           RocketCo Distributions.  Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 5.03(b), the Managing Member, in its sole discretion, may authorize that (i) cash be paid to RocketCo (which payment shall be made without pro rata distributions to the other Members) in exchange for the redemption, repurchase or other acquisition of Units held by RocketCo to the extent that such cash payment is used to redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire an equal number of shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock in accordance with Section 4.02(b) and (ii) to the extent that the Managing Member determines that expenses or other obligations of RocketCo are related to its role as the Managing Member or the business and affairs of RocketCo that are conducted through the Company or any of the Company’s direct or indirect Subsidiaries, cash (and, for the avoidance of doubt, only cash) distributions may be made to RocketCo (which distributions shall be made without pro rata distributions to the other Members) in amounts required for RocketCo to pay (w) operating, administrative and other similar costs incurred by RocketCo, including payments in respect of Indebtedness and preferred stock, to the extent the proceeds are used or will be used by RocketCo to pay expenses or other obligations described in this clause (ii) (in either case only to the extent economically equivalent Indebtedness or Equity Securities of the Company were not issued to RocketCo), payments representing interest with respect to payments not made when due under the terms of the Tax Receivable Agreement and payments pursuant to any legal, tax, accounting and other professional fees and expenses (but, for the avoidance of doubt, excluding any tax liabilities of RocketCo), (x) any judgments, settlements, penalties, fines or other costs and expenses in respect of any claims against, or any litigation or proceedings involving, RocketCo, (y) fees and expenses (including any underwriters discounts and commissions) related to any securities offering, investment or acquisition transaction (whether or not successful) authorized by the board of directors of RocketCo and (z) other fees and expenses in connection with the maintenance of the existence of RocketCo (including any costs or expenses associated with being a public company listed on a national securities exchange).  For the avoidance of doubt, distributions made under this Section 5.03(c) may not be used to pay or facilitate dividends or distributions on the RocketCo Common Stock and must be used solely for one of the express purposes set forth under clause (i) or (ii) of the immediately preceding sentence.

 

(d)           Distributions in Kind.  Any distributions in kind shall be made at such times and in such amounts as the Managing Member, in its sole discretion, shall determine based on their fair market value as determined by the Managing Member in the same proportions as if distributed in accordance with Section 5.03(b), with all Members participating in proportion to their respective Percentage Interests.  If cash and property are to be distributed in kind simultaneously, the Company shall distribute such cash and property in kind in the same proportion to each Member.  For the purposes of this Section 5.03(d), if any such distribution in kind includes securities, distributions to the Members shall be deemed proportionate notwithstanding that the securities

 

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distributed to holders of Common Units that are included in Paired Interests with shares of Class D Common Stock have not more than ten times the voting power of any securities distributed to holders of Common Units that are included in Paired Interests with shares of Class C Common Stock, so long as such securities issued to the holders of Common Units that are included in Paired Interests with shares of Class D Common stock remain subject to automatic conversion on terms no more favorable to such holders than those set forth in Article IV, Section F of the certificate of incorporation of RocketCo.

 

(e)           Tax Distributions.

 

(i)            Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 5.03 to the contrary, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law and consistent with the Company’s obligations to its creditors as reasonably determined by the Managing Member, the Company shall make cash distributions by wire transfer of immediately available funds pursuant to this Section 5.03(e)(i) to the Members with respect to their Units in proportion to their respective Percentage Interests at least two Business Days prior to the date on which any U.S. federal corporate estimated tax payments are due, in an amount that in the Managing Member’s discretion allows each Member to satisfy its tax liability with respect to its Units,  up to such Member’s Tax Distribution Amount, if any; provided that the Managing Member shall have no liability to any Member in connection with any underpayment of estimated taxes, so long as cash distributions are made in accordance with this Section 5.03(e)(i) and the Tax Distribution Amounts are determined as provided in paragraph (i) of the definition of Tax Distribution Amount.

 

(ii)           On any date that the Company makes a distribution to the Members with respect to their Units under a provision of Section 5.03 other than this Section 5.03(e), if the Tax Distribution Amount is greater than zero, the Company shall designate all or a portion of such distribution as a Tax Distribution with respect to a Member’s Units to the extent of the Tax Distribution Amount with respect to such Member’s Units as of such date (but not to exceed the amount of such distribution).  For the avoidance of doubt, such designation shall be performed with respect to all Members with respect to which there is a Tax Distribution Amount as of such date.

 

(iii)          Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 5.03 to the contrary, if the Tax Distribution Amount for such Fiscal Year is greater than zero, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law and consistent with the Company’s obligations to its creditors as reasonably determined by the Managing Member, the Company shall make additional distributions under this Section 5.03(e)(iii) in an amount that in the Managing Member’s discretion allows each Member to satisfy its tax liability with respect to the Units, up to such Tax Distribution Amount for such Fiscal Year as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of such Fiscal Year (or as soon as reasonably practicable after any event that subsequently adjusts the taxable income of such Fiscal Year).

 

(iv)          Under no circumstances shall Tax Distributions reduce the amount otherwise distributable to any Member pursuant to this Section 5.03

 

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(other than this Section 5.03(e)) after taking into account the effect of Tax Distributions on the amount of cash or other assets available for distribution by the Company.

 

(f)            Pre-IPO Profits Distribution.  Notwithstanding Section 5.03(b), after the Reorganization, before any other distributions are distributed to the Members by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, the Company shall, or shall cause its Subsidiaries to, distribute to RHI and Gilbert, an aggregate amount of cash determined by the Managing Member up to an amount equal to (i) the Available Cash Flow attributable to the portion of the fiscal period beginning on January 1, 2020 and ended on the date hereof minus (ii) the amount of Available Cash Flow, if any, attributable to such period and distributed to RHI or Gilbert prior to the date hereof.

 

(g)           Assignment.  Rock Members shall have the right to assign to any Transferee of Common Units, pursuant to a Transfer made in compliance with this Agreement, the right to receive any portion of the amounts distributable or otherwise payable to such Rock Member pursuant to Section 5.03(b).

 

Section 5.04          Allocations.

 

(a)           Net Income and Net Loss.  Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, and after giving effect to the special allocations set forth in Section 5.04(b), Section 5.04(c) and Section 5.04(d), Net Income and Net Loss (and, to the extent necessary, individual items of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit) of the Company shall be allocated among the Capital Accounts of the Members pro rata in accordance with their respective Percentage Interests. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Managing Member shall make such adjustments to Capital Accounts as it determines in its sole discretion to be appropriate to ensure allocations are made in accordance with a Member’s interest in the Company.

 

(b)           Special Allocations.  The following special allocations shall be made in the following order:

 

(i)            Minimum Gain Chargeback.  Except as otherwise provided in Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-2(f), notwithstanding any other provision of this Article V, if there is a net decrease in Company Minimum Gain during any Fiscal Year, each Member shall be specially allocated items of Company income and gain for such Fiscal Year (and, if necessary, subsequent Fiscal Years) in an amount equal to such Member’s share of the net decrease in Company Minimum Gain, determined in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-2(g).  Allocations pursuant to the immediately preceding sentence shall be made in proportion to the respective amounts required to be allocated to each Member pursuant thereto.  The items to be so allocated shall be determined in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-2(f)(6) and 1.704-2(j)(2).  This Section 5.04(b)(i) is intended to comply with the minimum gain chargeback requirement in Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-2(f) and shall be interpreted consistently therewith.

 

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(ii)           Member Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain Chargeback.  Except as otherwise provided in Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-2(i)(4), notwithstanding any other provision of this Article V, if there is a net decrease in Member Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain attributable to a Member Nonrecourse Debt during any Fiscal Year, each Member who has a share of the Member Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain attributable to such Member Nonrecourse Debt, determined in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-2(i)(5), shall be specially allocated items of Company income and gain for such Fiscal Year (and, if necessary, subsequent Fiscal Years) in an amount equal to such Member’s share of the net decrease in Member Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain attributable to such Member Nonrecourse Debt, determined in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-2(i)(4).  Allocations pursuant to the previous sentence shall be made in proportion to the respective amounts required to be allocated to each Member pursuant thereto.  The items to be so allocated shall be determined in accordance with Treasury Regulations Sections 1.704-2(i)(4) and 1.704-2(j)(2).  This Section 5.04(b)(ii) is intended to comply with the minimum gain chargeback requirement in Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-2(i)(4) and shall be interpreted consistently therewith.

 

(iii)          Qualified Income Offset.  In the event any Member unexpectedly receives any adjustments, allocations, or distributions described in Treasury Regulations Sections 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(4), 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(5) or Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(6), items of Company income and gain shall be specially allocated to such Member in an amount and manner sufficient to eliminate, to the extent required by the Treasury Regulations, the Adjusted Capital Account Deficit of the Member as promptly as possible; provided that an allocation pursuant to this Section 5.04(b)(iii) shall be made only if and to the extent that the Member would have an Adjusted Capital Account Deficit after all other allocations provided for in this Article V have been tentatively made as if this Section 5.04(b)(iii) were not in the Agreement.

 

(iv)          Nonrecourse Deductions.  Nonrecourse Deductions for any Fiscal Year shall be specially allocated to the Members in a manner determined by the Managing Member consistent with Treasury Regulations Sections 1.704-2(b) and 1.704-2(c).

 

(v)           Member Nonrecourse Deductions.  Any Member Nonrecourse Deductions for any Fiscal Year shall be specially allocated to the Member who bears the economic risk of loss with respect to the Member Nonrecourse Debt to which such Member Nonrecourse Deductions are attributable in accordance with Treasury Regulations Sections 1.704-2(i)(1) and 1.704-2(j)(1).

 

(vi)          Section 754 Adjustments.  (A) To the extent an adjustment to the adjusted tax basis of any Company asset pursuant to Sections 734(b) or 743(b) of the Code is required, pursuant to Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m)(4), to be taken into account in determining Capital Accounts as a result of a distribution other than in liquidation of a Member’s interest in the Company, the

 

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amount of such adjustment shall be treated as an item of gain (if the adjustment increases the basis of such asset) or loss (if the adjustment decreases the basis of such asset) from the disposition of the asset and shall be taken into account for purposes of computing Net Income and Net Loss, and further (B) to the extent an adjustment to the adjusted tax basis of any Company asset pursuant to Sections 734(b) or 743(b) of the Code is required, pursuant to Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m)(2) or Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m)(4), to be taken into account in determining Capital Accounts as the result of a distribution to a Member in complete liquidation of such Member’s interest in the Company, the amount of such adjustment to Capital Accounts shall be treated as an item of gain (if the adjustment increases the basis of the asset) or loss (if the adjustment decreases such basis) and such gain or loss shall be specially allocated to such Members in accordance with their interests in the Company in the event Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m)(2) applies, or to the Member to whom such distribution was made in the event Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m)(4) applies.

 

(c)           Curative Allocations.  The allocations set forth in Section 5.04(b)(i) through Section 5.04(b)(vi) and Section 5.04(d) (the “Regulatory Allocations”) are intended to comply with certain requirements of the Treasury Regulations.  It is the intent of the Members that, to the extent possible, all Regulatory Allocations shall be offset either with other Regulatory Allocations or with special allocations of other items of Company income, gain, loss, or deduction pursuant to this Section 5.04(c).  Therefore, notwithstanding any other provision of this Article V (other than the Regulatory Allocations), the Managing Member shall make such offsetting special allocations of Company income, gain, loss, or deduction in whatever manner it determines appropriate so that, after such offsetting allocations are made, each Member’s Capital Account balance is, to the extent possible, equal to the Capital Account balance such Member would have had if the Regulatory Allocations were not part of the Agreement and all Company items were allocated pursuant to Section 5.04.

 

(d)           Loss Limitation.  Net Loss (or individual items of loss or deduction) allocated pursuant to Section 5.04 hereof shall not exceed the maximum amount of Net Loss (or individual items of loss or deduction) that can be allocated without causing any Member to have an Adjusted Capital Account Deficit at the end of any Fiscal Year.  In the event some but not all of the Members would have Adjusted Capital Account Deficits as a consequence of an allocation of Net Loss (or individual items of loss or deduction) pursuant to Section 5.04 hereof, the limitation set forth in this Section 5.04(d) shall be applied on a Member by Member basis and Net Loss (or individual items of loss or deduction) not allocable to any Member as a result of such limitation shall be allocated to the other Members in accordance with the positive balances in such Member’s Capital Accounts so as to allocate the maximum permissible Net Loss to each Member under Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d).  Any reallocation of Net Loss pursuant to this Section 5.04(d) shall be subject to chargeback pursuant to the curative allocation provision of Section 5.04(c).

 

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Section 5.05                             Other Allocation Rules.

 

(a)                                 Interim Allocations Due to Percentage Adjustment.  If a Percentage Interest is the subject of a Transfer or the Members’ interests in the Company change pursuant to the terms of the Agreement during any Fiscal Year, the amount of Net Income and Net Loss (or items thereof) to be allocated to the Members for such entire Fiscal Year shall be allocated to the portion of such Fiscal Year which precedes the date of such Transfer or change (and if there shall have been a prior Transfer or change in such Fiscal Year, which commences on the date of such prior Transfer or change) and to the portion of such Fiscal Year which occurs on and after the date of such Transfer or change (and if there shall be a subsequent Transfer or change in such Fiscal Year, which precedes the date of such subsequent Transfer or change), in accordance with a pro rata allocation unless the Managing Member elects to use an interim closing of the books, and the amounts of the items so allocated to each such portion shall be credited or charged to the Members in accordance with Section 5.04 as in effect during each such portion of the Fiscal Year in question.  Such allocation shall be in accordance with Section 706 of the Code and the regulations thereunder and made without regard to the date, amount or receipt of any distributions that may have been made with respect to the transferred Percentage Interest to the extent consistent with Section 706 of the Code and the regulations thereunder.  As of the date of such Transfer, the Transferee shall succeed to the Capital Account of the Transferor with respect to the transferred Units.

 

(b)                                 Tax Allocations: Code Section 704(c).  For U.S. federal, state and local income tax purposes, items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit shall be allocated to the Partners in accordance with the allocations of the corresponding items for Capital Account purposes under Section 5.04, except that in accordance with Section 704(c) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder, income, gain, loss, and deduction with respect to any Property contributed to the capital of the Company and with respect to reverse Code Section 704(c) allocations described in Treasury Regulations 1.704-3(a)(6) shall, solely for tax purposes, be allocated among the Members so as to take account of any variation between the adjusted basis of such Property to the Company for U.S. federal income tax purposes and its initial Carrying Value or its Carrying Value determined pursuant to Treasury Regulation 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f) (computed in accordance with the definition of Carrying Value) using the traditional allocation method under Treasury Regulation 1.704-3(b).  Any elections or other decisions relating to such allocations shall be made by the Managing Member in any manner that reasonably reflects the purpose and intention of this Agreement.  Allocations pursuant to this Section 5.05(b), Section 704(c) of the Code (and the principles thereof), and Treasury Regulation 1.704-1(b)(4)(i) are solely for purposes of federal, state, and local taxes and shall not affect, or in any way be taken into account in computing, any Member’s Capital Account or share of Net Income, Net Loss, other items, or distributions pursuant to any provision of this Agreement.

 

(c)                                  Modification of Allocations. The allocations set forth in Section 5.04 and Section 5.05 are intended to comply with certain requirements of the Treasury Regulations. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Article V, the

 

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Managing Member shall be authorized to make, in its reasonable discretion, appropriate amendments to the allocations of Net Income and Net Loss (and to individual items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit) pursuant to this Agreement (i) in order to comply with Section 704 of the Code or applicable Treasury Regulations, (ii) to allocate properly Net Income and Net Loss (and individual items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit) to those Members that bear the economic burden or benefit associated therewith and (iii) to cause the Members to achieve the objectives underlying this Agreement as reasonably determined by the Managing Member

 

Section 5.06                             Tax Withholding; Withholding Advances.

 

(a)                                 Tax Withholding.

 

(i)                                     If requested by the Managing Member, each Member shall, if able to do so, deliver to the Managing Member:  (A) an affidavit in form satisfactory to the Company that the applicable Member (or its partners, as the case may be) is not subject to withholding under the provisions of any Applicable Law; (B) any certificate that the Company may reasonably request with respect to any such laws; or (C) any other form or instrument reasonably requested by the Company relating to any Member’s status under such law.  In the event that a Member fails or is unable to deliver to the Company an affidavit described in subclause (A) of this clause (i), the Company may withhold amounts from such Member in accordance with Section 5.06(b).

 

(ii)                                  After receipt of a written request of any Member, the Company shall provide such information to such Member and take such other action as may be reasonably necessary to assist such Member in making any necessary filings, applications or elections to obtain any available exemption from, or any available refund of, any withholding imposed by any foreign taxing authority with respect to amounts distributable or items of income allocable to such Member hereunder to the extent not adverse to the Company or any Member.  In addition, the Company shall, at the request of any Member, make or cause to be made (or cause the Company to make) any such filings, applications or elections; provided that any such requesting Member shall cooperate with the Company, with respect to any such filing, application or election to the extent reasonably determined by the Company and that any filing fees, taxes or other out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred and related thereto shall be paid and borne by such requesting Member or, if there is more than one requesting Member, by such requesting Members in accordance with their Relative Percentage Interests.

 

(b)                                 Withholding Advances.  To the extent the Company is required by Applicable Law to withhold or to make tax payments on behalf of or with respect to any Member (e.g., backup withholding) (“Withholding Advances”), the Company may withhold such amounts and make such tax payments as so required.

 

(c)                                  Repayment of Withholding Advances.  All Withholding Advances made on behalf of a Member, plus interest thereon at a rate equal to the Prime Rate as of the date of such Withholding Advances plus 2.0% per annum, shall (i) be paid on demand by the Member on whose behalf such Withholding Advances were made (it

 

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being understood that no such payment shall increase such Member’s Capital Account), or (ii) with the consent of the Managing Member and the affected Member be repaid by reducing the amount of the current or next succeeding distribution or distributions that would otherwise have been made to such Member or, if such distributions are not sufficient for that purpose, by so reducing the proceeds of liquidation otherwise payable to such Member.  Whenever repayment of a Withholding Advance by a Member is made as described in clause (ii) of this Section 5.06(c), for all other purposes of this Agreement such Member shall be treated as having received all distributions (whether before or upon any Dissolution Event) unreduced by the amount of such Withholding Advance and interest thereon.

 

(d)                                 Withholding Advances — Reimbursement of Liabilities.  Each Member hereby agrees to reimburse the Company for any liability with respect to Withholding Advances (including interest thereon) required or made on behalf of or with respect to such Member (including penalties imposed with respect thereto).

 

ARTICLE VI

 

CERTAIN TAX MATTERS

 

Section 6.01                             Partnership Representative.

 

(a)                                 The “Partnership Representative” (as such term is defined under Partnership Audit Provisions) of the Company shall be selected by the Managing Member with the initial Partnership Representative being RocketCo. The Partnership Representative may retain, at the Company’s expense, such outside counsel, accountants and other professional consultants as it may reasonably deem necessary in the course of fulfilling its obligations as the Partnership Representative. The Partnership Representative is authorized to take, and shall determine in its sole discretion whether or not the Company will take, such actions and execute and file all statements and forms on behalf of the Company that are approved by the Managing Member and are permitted or required by the applicable provisions of the Partnership Audit Provisions (including a “push-out” election under Section 6226 of the Code or any analogous election under state or local tax Law). Each Member agrees to cooperate with the Partnership Representative and to use commercially reasonable efforts to do or refrain from doing any or all things requested by the Partnership Representative (including paying any and all resulting taxes, additions to tax, penalties and interest in a timely fashion) in connection with any examination of the Company’s affairs by any federal, state, or local tax authorities, including resulting administrative and judicial proceedings.

 

(b)                                 In the event that the Partnership Representative has not caused the Company to make a “push-out” election pursuant to Section 6226 of the Partnership Audit Provisions, then any “imputed underpayment” (as determined in accordance with Section 6225 of the Partnership Audit Provisions) or partnership adjustment that does not give rise to an imputed underpayment shall be apportioned among the Members of the Company for the taxable year in which the adjustment is finalized in such manner as may be necessary (as determined by the Partnership

 

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Representative in good faith) so that, to the maximum extent possible, the tax and economic consequences of the imputed underpayment or other partnership adjustment and any associated interest and penalties (any such amount, an “Imputed Underpayment Amount”) are borne by the Members based upon their Percentage Interests in the Company for the reviewed year. Imputed Underpayment Amounts also shall include any imputed underpayment within the meaning of Section 6225 of the Partnership Audit Provisions paid (or payable) by any entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes in which the Company holds (or has held) a direct or indirect interest other than through entities treated as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent that the Company bears the economic burden of such amounts, whether by Applicable Law or contract.

 

(c)                                  Each Member agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company from and against any liability with respect to such Member’s share of any tax deficiency paid or payable by the Company that is allocable to the Member as determined in accordance with Section 6.01(b) with respect to an audited or reviewed taxable year for which such Member was a partner in the Company. Any obligation of a Member pursuant to this Section 6.01(c) shall be implemented through adjustments to distributions otherwise payable to such Member as determined in accordance with Section 5.03; provided, however, that, at the written request of the Partnership Representative, each Member or former Member may be required to contribute to the Company such Member’s Imputed Underpayment Amount imposed on and paid by the Company; provided, further, that if a Member or former Member individually directly pays, pursuant to the Partnership Audit Provisions, any such Imputed Underpayment Amount, then such payment shall reduce any offset to distribution or required capital contribution of such Member or former Member. Any amount withheld from distributions pursuant to this Section 6.01(c) shall be treated as an amount distributed to such Member or former Member for all purposes under this Agreement.  For the avoidance of doubt, the obligations of a Member set forth in this Section 6.01(c) shall survive the withdrawal of a Member from the Company or any Transfer of a Member’s interest.

 

Section 6.02                             Section 754 Election.  The Company has previously made or will make a timely election under Section 754 of the Code (and a corresponding election under state and local law) effective starting with the taxable year ended December 31, 2020, and the Managing Member shall not take any action to revoke such election.

 

Section 6.03                             Debt Allocation.  Indebtedness of the Company treated as “excess nonrecourse liabilities” (as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.752-3(a)(3)) shall be allocated among the Members based on their Percentage Interests.

 

ARTICLE VII
  
 MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

 

Section 7.01                             Management by the Managing Member.  Except as otherwise specifically set forth in this Agreement, the Managing Member shall be deemed to be a “manager” for purposes of applying the Michigan Act.  Except as

 

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expressly provided in this Agreement or the Michigan Act, the day-to-day business and affairs of the Company and its Subsidiaries shall be managed, operated and controlled by the Managing Member in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and no other Members shall have management authority or rights over the Company or its Subsidiaries.  The Managing Member is, to the extent of its rights and powers set forth in this Agreement, an agent of the Company for the purpose of the Company’s and its Subsidiaries’ business, and the actions of the Managing Member taken in accordance with such rights and powers, shall bind the Company (and no other Members shall have such right).  Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, the Managing Member shall have all necessary powers to carry out the purposes, business, and objectives of the Company and its Subsidiaries.  The Managing Member may delegate to Members, employees, officers or agents of the Company or any Subsidiary in its discretion the authority to sign agreements and other documents on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

Section 7.02                             Withdrawal of the Managing Member.  RocketCo may withdraw as the Managing Member and appoint as its successor at any time upon written notice to the Company (i) any wholly-owned Subsidiary of RocketCo, (ii) any Person of which RocketCo is a wholly-owned Subsidiary, (iii) any Person into which RocketCo is merged or consolidated or (iv) any transferee of all or substantially all of the assets of RocketCo, which withdrawal and replacement shall be effective upon the delivery of such notice.  No appointment of a Person other than RocketCo (or its successor, as applicable) as Managing Member shall be effective unless RocketCo (or its successor, as applicable) and the new Managing Member (as applicable) provide all other Members with contractual rights, directly enforceable by such other Members against the new Managing Member, to cause the new Managing Member to comply with all the Managing Member’s obligations under this Agreement and the Exchange Agreement.

 

Section 7.03                             Decisions by the Members.

 

(a)                                 Other than the Managing Member, the Members shall take no part in the management of the Company’s business, shall transact no business for the Company and shall have no power to act for or to bind the Company; provided, however, that the Company may engage any Member or principal, partner, member, shareholder or interest holder thereof as an employee, independent contractor or consultant to the Company, in which event the duties and liabilities of such individual or firm with respect to the Company as an employee, independent contractor or consultant shall be governed by the terms of such engagement with the Company.

 

(b)                                 Except as expressly provided herein, neither the Members nor any class of Members shall have the power or authority to vote, approve or consent to any matter or action taken by the Company.  Except as otherwise provided herein, any proposed matter or action subject to the vote, approval or consent of the Members or any class of Members shall require the approval of (i) a majority in interest of the Members or such class of Members, as the case may be (by (x) resolution at a duly convened meeting of the Members or such class of Members, as the case may be, or (y) written consent of the Members or such class of Members, as the case may be) and (ii) except with respect

 

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to any approval or other rights expressly granted to the Rock Members, the Managing Member.  Except as expressly provided herein, all Members shall vote together as a single class on any matter subject to the vote, approval or consent of the Members (but not, for the avoidance of doubt, any vote, approval or consent of any class of Members).  In the case of any such approval, a majority in interest of the Members or any class of Members, as the case may be, may call a meeting of the Members or such class of Members at such time and place or by means of telephone or other communications facility that permits all persons participating in such meeting to hear and speak to each other for the purpose of a vote thereon.  Notice of any such meeting shall be required, which notice shall include a brief description of the action or actions to be considered by the Members or such class of Members, as the case may be.  Unless waived by any such Member in writing, notice of any such meeting shall be given to each Member or Member of such class, as the case may be, at least four (4) days prior thereto.  Attendance or participation of a Member at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when such Member attends or participates in the meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning thereof to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not properly called or convened.  Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Members may be taken without a meeting, if a consent in writing, setting forth the actions so taken, shall be signed by Members sufficient to approve such action pursuant to this Section 7.03(b).  A copy of any such consent in writing will be provided to the Members promptly thereafter.

 

Section 7.04                             Fiduciary Duties.

 

(a)                                 (i) The Managing Member shall, in its capacity as Managing Member, and not in any other capacity, have the same fiduciary duties to the Company and the Members as a member of the board of directors of a Delaware corporation (assuming such corporation had in its certificate of incorporation (A) a provision eliminating the liabilities of directors and officers to the maximum extent permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL and (B) a provision renouncing the right of such corporation to business opportunities to the maximum extent permitted by the certificate of incorporation of RocketCo); (ii) any member of the Board of Directors of RocketCo that is an officer of RocketCo or the Company shall, in its capacity as director, and not in any other capacity, have the same fiduciary duties to RocketCo as a member of the board of directors of a Delaware corporation (assuming such corporation had in its certificate of incorporation (A) a provision eliminating the liabilities of directors and officers to the maximum extent permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL and (B) a provision renouncing the right of such corporation to business opportunities to the maximum extent permitted by the certificate of incorporation of RocketCo); and (iii) each Officer and each officer of RocketCo shall, in their capacity as such, and not in any other capacity, have the same fiduciary duties to the Company and the Members (in the case of any Officer) or RocketCo (in the case of any officer of RocketCo) as an officer of a Delaware corporation (assuming such corporation had in its certificate of incorporation (A) a provision eliminating the liabilities of directors and officers to the maximum extent permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL and (B) a provision renouncing the right of such corporation to business opportunities to the maximum extent permitted by the certificate of incorporation of RocketCo).  For the avoidance of doubt, the fiduciary

 

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duties described in clause (i) above shall not be limited by the fact that the Managing Member shall be permitted to take certain actions in its sole or reasonable discretion pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or any agreement entered into in connection herewith.  Each of the Rock Members shall have the exclusive right to enforce the rights and duties, or to waive such rights and duties, set forth in this Section 7.07(a), in each case so long as such Rock Member meets the Limited Ownership Minimum.

 

(b)                                 The parties acknowledge that the Managing Member will take action through its board of directors, and that the members of the Managing Member’s board of directors will owe fiduciary duties to the stockholders of the Managing Member.  The Managing Member will use all commercially reasonable and appropriate efforts and means, as determined in good faith by the Managing Member, to minimize any conflict of interest between the Members, on the one hand, and the stockholders of the Managing Member, on the other hand, and to effectuate any transaction that involves or affects any of the Company, the Managing Member, the Members or the stockholders of the Managing Member in a manner that does not (i) disadvantage the Members or their interests relative to the stockholders of the Managing Member or (ii) advantage the stockholders of the Managing Member relative to the Members or (iii) treats the Members and the stockholders of the Managing Member differently; provided that in the event of a conflict between the interests of the stockholders of the Managing Member and the interests of the Members other than the Managing Member, such other Members agree that the Managing Member shall discharge its fiduciary duties to such other Members by acting in the best interests of the Managing Member’s stockholders.  Each of the Rock Members shall have the exclusive right to enforce the rights and duties, or to waive such rights and duties, set forth in this Section 7.04(b), so long as such Rock Member meets the Limited Ownership Minimum.

 

(c)                                  Without prior written consent of each Rock Member (in each case so long as such Rock Member owns any Owned Shares), the Managing Member will not engage in any business activity other than the direct or indirect management and ownership of the Company and its Subsidiaries, or own any assets (other than on a temporary basis) other than securities of the Company and its Subsidiaries (whether directly or indirectly held) or any cash or other property or assets distributed by or otherwise received from the Company and its Subsidiaries in accordance with this Agreement, provided that the Managing Member may take any action (including incurring its own Indebtedness) or own any asset if it determines in good faith that such actions or ownership are in the best interest of the Company.

 

Section 7.05                             Officers.

 

(a)                                 Appointment of Officers.  The Managing Member may appoint individuals as officers (“Officers”) of the Company, which may include such officers as the Managing Member determines are necessary and appropriate.  No Officer need be a Member.  An individual may be appointed to more than one office.

 

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(b)                                 Authority of Officers.  The Officers shall have the duties, rights, powers and authority as may be prescribed by the Managing Member from time to time.

 

(c)                                  Removal, Resignation and Filling of Vacancy of Officers.  The Managing Member may remove any Officer, for any reason or for no reason, at any time.  Any Officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Company, and such resignation shall take effect at the date of the receipt of that notice or any later time specified in that notice; provided that, unless otherwise specified in that notice, the acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.  Any such resignation shall be without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the Company or such Officer under this Agreement.  A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal or otherwise shall be filled by the Managing Member.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

TRANSFERS OF INTERESTS

 

Section 8.01                             Restrictions on Transfers.

 

(a)                                 Except as expressly permitted by Section 8.02, and subject to Section 8.01(b), Section 8.01(c) and Section 8.01(d), any underwriter lock-up agreement applicable to such Member or any other agreement between such Member and the Company, RocketCo or any of their controlled Affiliates, without the prior written approval of the Managing Member, no Member shall directly or indirectly Transfer all or any part of its Units or any right or economic interest pertaining thereto, including the right to vote or consent on any matter or to receive or have any economic interest in distributions or advances from the Company pursuant thereto.  Any such Transfer which is not in compliance with the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed a Transfer by such Member of Units in violation of this Agreement (and a breach of this Agreement by such Member) and shall be null and void ab initio.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article VIII, (i) the Exchange Agreement shall govern the exchange of Paired Interests for shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock, and an exchange pursuant to and in accordance with the Exchange Agreement shall not be considered a “Transfer” for purposes of this Agreement, (ii) the certificate of incorporation of RocketCo shall govern the conversion of Class B Common Stock to Class A Common Stock and the conversion of Class D Common Stock to Class C Common Stock, and a conversion pursuant to and in accordance with the certificate of incorporation of RocketCo shall not be considered a “Transfer” for purposes of this Agreement, (iii) a Transfer of Registrable Securities (as such term is defined in the Registration Rights Agreement) in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement shall not be considered a “Transfer” for the purposes of the Agreement and (iv) any other Transfer of shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock shall not be considered a “Transfer” for purposes of this Agreement.

 

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(b)                                 Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, it shall be a condition precedent to any Transfer otherwise permitted or approved pursuant to this Article VIII that:

 

(i)                                     the Transferor shall have provided to the Company prior notice of such Transfer;

 

(ii)                                  the Transfer shall comply with all Applicable Laws; and

 

(iii)                               with respect to any Transfer of any Common Unit that constitutes a portion of a Paired Interest, concurrently with such Transfer, such Transferor shall also Transfer to such Transferee the number of shares of Class C Common Stock or Class D Common Stock, as the case may be, constituting the remainder of such Paired Interest (which, as of the date hereof, would be one share of Class C Common Stock or Class D Common Stock, as the case may be).

 

(c)                                  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, no Member shall directly or indirectly Transfer all or any part of its Units or any right or economic interest pertaining thereto if such Transfer, in the reasonable discretion of the Managing Member, would cause the Company to be classified as a “publicly traded partnership” as that term is defined in Section 7704 of the Code and Regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(d)                                 Any Transfer of Units pursuant to this Agreement, including this Article VIII, shall be subject to the provisions of Section 3.01 and Section 3.02.

 

Section 8.02                             Certain Permitted Transfers.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the following Transfers shall be permitted:

 

(a)                                 Any Transfer by any Member of its Units pursuant to a RocketCo Offer (as such term is defined in the Exchange Agreement);

 

(b)                                 At any time, any Permitted Transfer; provided that such Transfer, alone or together with other Transfers by any Rock Member and any Transferee thereof, would not result in the all Rock Members and their Transferees, in the aggregate, representing at any time more than fifty partners for the purposes of Treasury Regulation Section 1.7704-1(h)(1)(ii), including the application of the anti-avoidance rule of Treasury Regulation Section 1.7704-1(h)(3), excluding RocketCo from the fifty partners and treating RHI as one partner for purposes of this Section 8.02(b); or

 

(c)                                  At any time, any Transfer by any Member (other than any Rock Member) of Units to any Transferee (i) previously approved in writing by the Company prior to the Reorganization or (ii) approved in writing by the Managing Member (not to be unreasonably withheld), it being understood that it shall be reasonable for the Managing Member to withhold such consent if the Managing Member reasonably determines that such Transfer would materially increase the risk that the Company would

 

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be classified as a “publicly traded partnership” as that term is defined in Section 7704 of the Code and Regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Section 8.03                             Registration of Transfers.  When any Units are Transferred in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Company shall cause such Transfer to be registered on the books of the Company.

 

ARTICLE IX

 

LIMITATION ON LIABILITY, EXCULPATION
 AND INDEMNIFICATION

 

Section 9.01                             Limitation on Liability.  The debts, obligations and liabilities of the Company, whether arising in contract, tort or otherwise, shall be solely the debts, obligations and liabilities of the Company, and no Covered Person shall be obligated personally for any such debt, obligation or liability of the Company; provided that the foregoing shall not alter a Member’s obligation to return funds wrongfully distributed to it.

 

Section 9.02                             Exculpation and Indemnification.

 

(a)                                 Subject to the duties of the Managing Member and Officers set forth in Section 7.04, neither the Managing Member nor any other Covered Person described in clause (iii) of the definition thereof shall be liable, including under any legal or equitable theory of fiduciary duty or other theory of liability, to the Company or to any other Covered Person for any losses, claims, damages or liabilities incurred by reason of any act or omission performed or omitted by such Covered Person in good faith on behalf of the Company.  There shall be, and each Covered Person shall be entitled to, a presumption that such Covered Person acted in good faith.

 

(b)                                 A Covered Person shall be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the records of the Company and upon such information, opinions, reports or statements presented to the Company by any Person as to matters the Covered Person reasonably believes are within such Person’s professional or expert competence.

 

(c)                                  The Company shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless each Covered Person against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities, expenses (including all reasonable out-of-pocket fees and expenses of counsel and other advisors), judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts arising from any and all claims, demands, actions, suits or proceedings, in which such Covered Person may be involved or become subject to, in connection with any matter arising out of or in connection with the Company’s business or affairs, or this Agreement or any related document, unless such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense, judgment, fine, settlement or other amount (i) is as a result of a Covered Person not acting in good faith on behalf of the Company or arose as a result of the willful commission by such Covered Person of any act that is dishonest and materially injurious to the Company or (ii) results from the breach by any Member (in such capacity) of its contractual obligations under this Agreement.  If any Covered

 

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Person becomes involved in any capacity in any action, suit, proceeding or investigation in connection with any matter arising out of or in connection with the Company’s business or affairs, or this Agreement or any related document, other than by reason of a Covered Person not acting in good faith on behalf of the Company or by reason of the willful commission by such Covered Person of any act that is dishonest and materially injurious to the Company, the Company shall reimburse such Covered Person for its reasonable legal and other reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (including the cost of any investigation and preparation) as they are incurred in connection therewith; provided that such Covered Person shall promptly repay to the Company the amount of any such reimbursed expenses paid to it if it shall be finally judicially determined that such Covered Person was not entitled to indemnification by, or contribution from, the Company in connection with such action, suit, proceeding or investigation.  If for any reason (other than by reason of a Covered Person not acting in good faith on behalf of the Company or by reason of the willful commission by such Covered Person of any act that is dishonest and materially injurious to the Company) the foregoing indemnification is unavailable to such Covered Person, or insufficient to hold it harmless, then the Company shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Covered Person as a result of such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense, judgment, fine, settlement or other amount in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect any relevant equitable considerations.  There shall be, and each Covered Person shall be entitled to, a rebuttable presumption that such Covered Person acted in good faith.

 

(d)                                 The obligations of the Company under Section 9.02(c) shall be satisfied solely out of and to the extent of the Company’s assets, and no Covered Person shall have any personal liability on account thereof.

 

(e)                                  Given that certain Jointly Indemnifiable Claims may arise by reason of the service of a Covered Person to the Company or as a director, trustee, officer, partner, member, manager, employee, consultant, fiduciary or agent of other corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, joint ventures, trusts, employee benefit plans or other enterprises controlled by the Company (collectively, the “Controlled Entities”), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in any such capacity, the Company acknowledges and agrees that the Company shall, and to the extent applicable shall cause the Controlled Entities to, be fully and primarily responsible for the payment to the Covered Person in respect of indemnification or advancement of all out-of-pocket costs of any type or nature whatsoever (including, without limitation, all attorneys’ fees and related disbursements) in each case, actually and reasonably incurred by or on behalf of a Covered Person in connection with either the investigation, defense or appeal of a claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding or establishing or enforcing a right to indemnification under this Agreement or otherwise incurred in connection with a claim that is indemnifiable hereunder (collectively, “Expenses”) in connection with any such Jointly Indemnifiable Claim, pursuant to and in accordance with (as applicable) the terms of (i) the Michigan Act, (ii) this Agreement, (iii) any other agreement between the Company or any Controlled Entity and the Covered Person pursuant to which the Covered Person is indemnified, (iv) the laws of the jurisdiction of incorporation or organization of any Controlled Entity or (v) the certificate

 

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of incorporation, certificate of organization, bylaws, partnership agreement, operating agreement, certificate of formation, certificate of limited partnership, certificate of qualification or other organizational or governing documents of any Controlled Entity ((i) through (v) collectively, the “Indemnification Sources”), irrespective of any right of recovery the Covered Person may have from the Indemnitee-Related Entities.  Under no circumstance shall the Company or any Controlled Entity be entitled to any right of subrogation or contribution by the Indemnitee-Related Entities and no right of advancement or recovery the Covered Person may have from the Indemnitee-Related Entities shall reduce or otherwise alter the rights of the Covered Person or the obligations of the Company or any Controlled Entity under the Indemnification Sources.  In the event that any of the Indemnitee-Related Entities shall make any payment to the Covered Person in respect of indemnification or advancement of Expenses with respect to any Jointly Indemnifiable Claim, (i) the Company shall, and to the extent applicable shall cause the Controlled Entities to, reimburse the Indemnitee-Related Entity making such payment to the extent of such payment promptly upon written demand from such Indemnitee-Related Entity, (ii) to the extent not previously and fully reimbursed by the Company or any Controlled Entity pursuant to clause (i), the Indemnitee-Related Entity making such payment shall be subrogated to the extent of the outstanding balance of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of the Covered Person against the Company or any Controlled Entity, as applicable, and (iii) the Covered Person shall execute all papers reasonably required and shall do all things that may be reasonably necessary to secure such rights, including the execution of such documents as may be necessary to enable the Indemnitee-Related Entities effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.  The Company and the Covered Person agree that each of the Indemnitee-Related Entities shall be third-party beneficiaries with respect to this Section 9.02(e), entitled to enforce this Section 9.02(e) as though each such Indemnitee-Related Entity were a party to this Agreement.  The Company shall cause each of the Controlled Entities to perform the terms and obligations of this Section 9.02(e) as though each such Controlled Entity was the “Company” under this Agreement.  For purposes of this Section 9.02(e), the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

(i)                                     The term “Indemnitee-Related Entities” means any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise (other than the Company, any Controlled Entity or the insurer under and pursuant to an insurance policy of the Company or any Controlled Entity) from whom a Covered Person may be entitled to indemnification or advancement of Expenses with respect to which, in whole or in part, the Company or any Controlled Entity may also have an indemnification or advancement obligation.

 

(ii)                                  The term “Jointly Indemnifiable Claims” shall be broadly construed and shall include, without limitation, any claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding for which the Covered Person shall be entitled to indemnification or advancement of Expenses from both (i) the Company or any Controlled Entity pursuant to the Indemnification Sources, on the one hand, and (ii) any Indemnitee-Related Entity pursuant to any other agreement between any Indemnitee-Related Entity and the Covered Person pursuant to which the Covered Person is indemnified, the laws of the jurisdiction

 

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of incorporation or organization of any Indemnitee-Related Entity or the certificate of incorporation, certificate of organization, bylaws, partnership agreement, operating agreement, certificate of formation, certificate of limited partnership or other organizational or governing documents of any Indemnitee-Related Entity, on the other hand.

 

ARTICLE X

 

DISSOLUTION AND TERMINATION

 

Section 10.01                      Dissolution.

 

(a)                                 The Company shall not be dissolved by the admission of Additional Members or Substitute Members pursuant to Section 3.02.

 

(b)                                 No Member shall (i) resign from the Company prior to the dissolution and winding up of the Company except in connection with a Transfer of Units pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or (ii) take any action to dissolve, terminate or liquidate the Company or to require apportionment, appraisal or partition of the Company or any of its assets, or to file a bill for an accounting, except as specifically provided in this Agreement, and each Member, to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, hereby waives any rights to take any such actions under Applicable Law, including any right to petition a court for judicial dissolution under Section 450.4802 of the Michigan Act.

 

(c)                                  The Company shall be dissolved and its business wound up only upon the earliest to occur of any one of the following events (each a “Dissolution Event”):

 

(i)                                     The expiration of forty-five (45) days after the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all the assets of the Company; or

 

(ii)                                  upon the approval of the Managing Member.

 

(d)                                 The death, retirement, resignation, expulsion, bankruptcy, insolvency or dissolution of a Member or the occurrence of any other event that terminates the continued membership of a Member of the Company shall not in and of itself cause dissolution of the Company.

 

Section 10.02                      Winding Up of the Company.

 

(a)                                 The Managing Member shall promptly notify the other Members of any Dissolution Event.  Upon dissolution, the Company’s business shall be liquidated in an orderly manner.  The Managing Member shall appoint a liquidating trustee to wind up the affairs of the Company pursuant to this Agreement.  In performing its duties, the liquidating trustee is authorized to sell, distribute, exchange or otherwise dispose of the assets of the Company in accordance with the Delaware Act and in any

 

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reasonable manner that the liquidating trustee shall determine to be in the best interest of the Members.

 

(b)                                 The proceeds of the liquidation of the Company shall be distributed in the following order and priority:

 

(i)                                     first, to the creditors (including any Members or their respective Affiliates that are creditors) of the Company in satisfaction of all of the Company’s liabilities (whether by payment or by making reasonable provision for payment thereof, including the setting up of any reserves which are, in the judgment of the liquidating trustee, reasonably necessary therefor); and

 

(ii)                                  second, to the Members in the same manner as distributions under Section 5.03(b), subject to Section 5.03(e).

 

(c)                                  Distribution of Property.  In the event it becomes necessary in connection with the liquidation of the Company to make a distribution of Property in-kind, subject to the priority set forth in Section 10.02, the liquidating trustee shall have the right to compel each Member to accept a distribution of any Property in-kind (with such Property, as a percentage of the total liquidating distributions to such Member, corresponding as nearly as possible to such Member’s Percentage Interest), with such distribution being based upon the amount of cash that would be distributed to such Members if such Property were sold for an amount of cash equal to the fair market value of such Property, as determined by the liquidating trustee in good faith, subject to the last sentence of Section 5.03(d).

 

Section 10.03                      Termination.  The Company shall terminate when all of the assets of the Company, after payment of or reasonable provision for the payment of all debts and liabilities of the Company, shall have been distributed to the Members in the manner provided for in this Article X, and the articles of organization of the Company shall have been cancelled in the manner required by the Michigan Act.

 

Section 10.04                      Survival.  Termination, dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Company for any reason shall not release any party from any liability which at the time of such termination, dissolution, liquidation or winding up already had accrued to any other party or which thereafter may accrue in respect to any act or omission prior to such termination, dissolution, liquidation or winding up.

 

ARTICLE XI

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 11.01                      Expenses.  Other than as set forth in Section 4.11 of the Reorganization Agreement, all costs and expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be paid by the party incurring such cost or expense.

 

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Section 11.02                      Further Assurances.  Each Member agrees to execute, acknowledge, deliver, file and record such further certificates, amendments, instruments and documents, and to do all such other acts and things, as may be required by Applicable Law or as, in the reasonable judgment of the Managing Member, may be necessary or advisable to carry out the intent and purposes of this Agreement.

 

Section 11.03                      Notices.  All notices, requests and other communications to any party hereunder shall be in writing (including facsimile transmission and electronic mail (“e-mail”) transmission, so long as a receipt of such e-mail is requested and received) and shall be given to such party at the address, facsimile number or e-mail address specified for such party on the Member Schedule hereto.  All such notices, requests and other communications shall be deemed received on the date of receipt by the recipient thereof if received prior to 5:00 p.m. on a Business Day in the place of receipt.  Otherwise, any such notice, request or communication shall be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day in the place of receipt.

 

Section 11.04                      Binding Effect; Benefit; Assignment.

 

(a)                                 The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.  No provision of this Agreement is intended to confer any rights, benefits, remedies, obligations or liabilities hereunder upon any Person other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

 

(b)                                 Except as provided in Article VIII, no Member may assign, delegate or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the consent of the Managing Member (it being understood that any Rock Member may assign, delegate or otherwise transfer such rights or obligations without such consent to Permitted Transferees).

 

Section 11.05                      Jurisdiction.

 

(a)                                 The exclusive venues for all disputes arising out of this Agreement shall be the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and the Third Judicial Circuit, Wayne County, Michigan (the “Agreed-Upon Venues”), and no other venues.  The parties stipulate that the Agreement is an arms-length transaction entered into by sophisticated parties, and that the Agreed-Upon Venues are convenient, are not unreasonable, unfair, or unjust, and will not deprive any party of any remedy to which it may be entitled.  The parties agree to consent to the dismissal of any action arising out of this Agreement that may be filed in a venue other than one of the Agreed-Upon Venues; the reasonable legal fees and costs of the party seeking dismissal for improper venue will be paid by the party that filed suit in the improper venue.

 

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Without limiting the foregoing, each party agrees that service of process on such party as provided in Section 11.03 shall be deemed effective service of process on such party.

 

(b)                                 EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE MEMBERS HEREBY IRREVOCABLY DESIGNATES THE CORPORATION TRUST COMPANY (IN SUCH CAPACITY, THE “PROCESS AGENT”), WITH AN OFFICE AT THE CORPORATION COMPANY, 40600 ANN ARBOR ROAD EAST, SUITE 201, PLYMOUTH, MICHIGAN 48170, AS ITS DESIGNEE, APPOINTEE AND AGENT TO RECEIVE, FOR AND ON ITS BEHALF SERVICE OF PROCESS IN SUCH JURISDICTION IN ANY LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDINGS WITH RESPECT TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER AGREEMENT EXECUTED IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT, AND SUCH SERVICE SHALL BE DEEMED COMPLETE UPON DELIVERY THEREOF TO THE PROCESS AGENT; PROVIDED THAT IN THE CASE OF ANY SUCH SERVICE UPON THE PROCESS AGENT, THE PARTY EFFECTING SUCH SERVICE SHALL ALSO DELIVER A COPY THEREOF TO EACH OTHER SUCH PARTY IN THE MANNER PROVIDED IN SECTION 11.03 OF THIS AGREEMENT.  EACH PARTY SHALL TAKE ALL SUCH ACTION AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO CONTINUE SAID APPOINTMENT IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT OR TO APPOINT ANOTHER AGENT SO THAT SUCH PARTY SHALL AT ALL TIMES HAVE AN AGENT FOR SERVICE OF PROCESS FOR THE ABOVE PURPOSES IN WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.  NOTHING HEREIN SHALL AFFECT THE RIGHT OF ANY PARTY TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY MANNER PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.  EACH PARTY EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE FOREGOING WAIVER IS INTENDED TO BE IRREVOCABLE UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AND OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

 

Section 11.06                      Counterparts.  This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.  Until and unless each party has received a counterpart hereof signed by the other party hereto, this Agreement shall have no effect and no party shall have any right or obligation hereunder (whether by virtue of any other oral or written agreement or other communication).

 

Section 11.07                      Entire Agreement.  This Agreement and the other Reorganization Documents constitute the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, both oral and written, between the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement.  Nothing in this Agreement shall create any third-party beneficiary rights in favor of any Person or other party, except to the extent provided herein with respect to Indemnitee-Related Entities, each of whom are intended third-party beneficiaries of those provisions that specifically relate to them with the right to enforce such provisions as if they were a party hereto.

 

Section 11.08                      Severability.  If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other Governmental Authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions,

 

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covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated so long as the economic or legal substance of the transactions contemplated hereby is not affected in any manner materially adverse to any party.  Upon such a determination, the parties shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible in an acceptable manner in order that the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated as originally contemplated to the fullest extent possible.

 

Section 11.09                      Amendment.

 

(a)                                 This Agreement can be amended at any time and from time to time by the Managing Member; provided, in addition to the approval of the Managing Member, no amendment to this Agreement may:

 

(i)                                     without the prior written consent of each Rock Member, (x) adversely modify the limited liability of any Rock Member set forth in Section 5.01, Section 5.02, Section 5.04, Section 5.05, Section 5.06, Section 6.01(c), Section 6.03, Section 9.01, Section 9.02 or Section 11.01, or otherwise modify in any material respect the limited liability of any Rock Member, or adversely increase the liabilities or obligations (other than de minimis liabilities or obligations) of any Rock Member or (y) adversely modify the express rights of any Rock Member set forth in Section 3.01(a), Section 3.03(c)(ii), Section 3.04, Article IV, Section 5.03(e), Section 7.03(b), Section 7.04 and this Section 11.09 (in the case of clause (y), only so long as such Rock Member is entitled to such express rights);

 

(ii)                                  adversely modify in any material respect the Units (or the rights, preferences or privileges of the Units) then held by any Members in any materially disproportionate manner to those then held by any other Members without the prior written consent of a majority in interest of such disproportionately affected Member or Members.

 

(b)                                 For the avoidance of doubt, the Managing Member, acting alone, may amend this Agreement, including the Member Schedule, (x) to reflect the admission of new Members or Transfers of Units, each as provided by and in accordance with, the terms of this Agreement, (y) to effect any subdivisions or combinations of Units made in compliance with Section 4.02(c) and (z) to issue additional Common Units or any new class of Units (whether or not pari passu with the Common Units) in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and to provide that the Members being issued such new Units be entitled to the rights provided to the Rock Members with respect to all or a portion of the provisions applicable thereto hereunder and any other rights that do not diminish or eliminate any of the express rights of the Rock Members described in Section 11.09(a)(i)(y).

 

(c)                                  No waiver of any provision or default under, nor consent to any exception to, the terms of this Agreement or any agreement contemplated hereby shall be effective unless in writing and signed by the party to be bound and then only to the specific purpose, extent and instance so provided.

 

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Section 11.10                      Confidentiality.

 

(a)                                 Each Member shall, and shall direct those of its Affiliates and their respective directors, officers, members, stockholders, partners, employees, attorneys, accountants, consultants, trustees and other advisors (the “Member Parties”) who have access to Confidential Information to, keep confidential and not disclose any Confidential Information to any Person other than a Member Party who agrees to keep such Confidential Information confidential in accordance with this Section 11.10, in each case without the express consent, in the case of Confidential Information acquired from the Company, of the Managing Member or, in the case of Confidential Information acquired from another Member, such other Member, unless:

 

(i)                                     such disclosure is required by Applicable Law;

 

(ii)                                  such disclosure is reasonably required in connection with any tax audit involving the Company or any Member or its Affiliates;

 

(iii)                               such disclosure is reasonably required in connection with any litigation against or involving the Company or any Member; or

 

(iv)                              such disclosure is reasonably required in connection with any proposed Transfer of all or any part of such Member’s Units in the Company; provided that with respect to any such use of any Confidential Information referred to in this clause (iv), advance notice must be given to the Managing Member so that it may require any proposed Transferee that is not a Member to enter into a confidentiality agreement with terms substantially similar to the terms of this Section 11.10 (excluding this clause (iv)) prior to the disclosure of such Confidential Information.

 

(b)                                 “Confidential Information” means any information related to the activities of the Company, the Members and their respective Affiliates that an Member may acquire from the Company or the Members, other than information that (i) is already available through publicly available sources of information (other than as a result of disclosure by such Member), (ii) was available to a Member on a non-confidential basis prior to its disclosure to such Member by the Company, or (iii) becomes available to a Member on a non-confidential basis from a third party, provided such third party is not known by such Member, after reasonable inquiry, to be bound by this Agreement or another confidentiality agreement with the Company.  Such Confidential Information may include information that pertains or relates to the business and affairs of any other Member or any other Company matters.  Confidential Information may be used by a Member and its Member Parties only in connection with Company matters and in connection with the maintenance of its interest in the Company.

 

(c)                                  In the event that any Member or any Member Parties of such Member is required to disclose any of the Confidential Information, such Member shall use reasonable efforts to provide the Company with prompt written notice so that the Company may seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy or waive compliance with the provisions of this Agreement, and such Member shall use reasonable

 

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efforts to cooperate with the Company in any effort any such Person undertakes to obtain a protective order or other remedy.  In the event that such protective order or other remedy is not obtained, or that the Company waives compliance with the provisions of this Section 11.10, such Member and its Member Parties shall furnish only that portion of the Confidential Information that is legally required and shall exercise all reasonable efforts to obtain reasonably reliable assurance that the Confidential Information shall be accorded confidential treatment.

 

(d)                                 Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, each Member may disclose to any persons the U.S. federal income tax treatment and tax structure of the Company and the transactions set out in the Reorganization Agreement.  For this purpose, “tax structure” is limited to any facts relevant to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the Company and does not include information relating to the identity of the Company or any Member.

 

Section 11.11                      Governing Law.  This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Michigan without giving effect to choice of law principles that would require the application of the laws of another state.

 

[signature pages follow]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amended and Restated Operating Agreement to be duly executed as of the day and year first written above.

 

 

	
 
    	
RKT HOLDINGS, LLC
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
ROCK   HOLDINGS INC.
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
DANIEL   GILBERT
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
ROCKET COMPANIES, INC.
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    

 

[Signature Page to the Second Amended and Restated
 Operating Agreement of RKT Holdings, LLC]Exhibit 10.6

 

ROCKET COMPANIES, INC. 
 2020 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN

 

1.                                      Purpose.  The purpose of the Rocket Companies, Inc. 2020 Omnibus Incentive Plan (as amended from time to time, the “Plan”) is to (i) attract and retain individuals to serve as employees, consultants or Directors (collectively, the “Service Providers”) of Rocket Companies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (together with its Subsidiaries, whether existing or thereafter acquired or formed, and any and all successor entities, the “Company”) and its Affiliates by providing them the opportunity to acquire an equity interest in the Company or other incentive compensation and (ii) align the interests of the Service Providers with those of the Company’s stockholders.

 

2.                                      Effective Date; Duration.  The Plan shall be effective as of the effective date of the Company’s initial public offering (the “Effective Date”).  The expiration date of the Plan, on and after which date no Awards may be granted under the Plan, shall be the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date; provided, however, that such expiration shall not affect Awards then outstanding, and the terms and conditions of the Plan shall continue to apply to such Awards.

 

3.              Definitions.  The following definitions shall apply throughout the Plan:

 

(a)                                 “Affiliate” means (i) any person or entity that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the Company and/or (ii) to the extent provided by the Committee, any person or entity in which the Company has a significant interest.  The term “control”, as applied to any person or entity, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such person or entity, whether through the ownership of voting or other securities, by contract or otherwise.

 

(b)                                 “Award” means, individually or collectively, any Incentive Stock Option, Nonqualified Stock Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Unit, Other Stock-Based Award, or Other Cash-Based Award granted under the Plan.

 

(c)                                  “Award Agreement” means any agreement, contract or other instrument or document evidencing any Award granted under the Plan (including, in each case, in electronic form), which may, but need not, be executed or acknowledged by a Participant (as determined by the Committee).

 

(d)                                 “Award Transfer Program” means any program approved by the Committee which would permit Participants the opportunity to transfer any outstanding Awards to a financial institution or other person or entity selected by the Committee.

 

(e)                                  “Beneficial Ownership” has the meaning set forth in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under Section 13 of the Exchange Act.

 

(f)                                   “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(g)                                  “Cause” means, unless the applicable Award Agreement states otherwise, (A) the Participant’s conviction of, or entry of a plea of no contest to a felony (or the equivalent of a felony in a jurisdiction other than the United States), (B) the Participant’s gross negligence or willful misconduct, or a willful failure to attempt in good faith to substantially perform his or her duties

 

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(other than due to physical illness or incapacity), (C) the Participant’s material breach of a material provision of any employment agreement, consulting agreement, directorship agreement or similar services agreement or offer letter between the Participant and the Company or any of its Affiliates, or any non-competition, non-disclosure or non-solicitation agreement with the Company or any of its Affiliates, (D) the Participant’s material violation of any material written policies adopted by the Company or any of its Affiliates governing the conduct of persons performing services on behalf of the Company or any of its Affiliates, (E) the Participant’s fraud or misappropriation, embezzlement or material misuse of funds or property belonging to the Company or any of its Affiliates, or (F) willful or reckless misconduct in respect of the Participant’s obligations to the Company or its Affiliates or other acts of misconduct by the Participant occurring during the course of the Participant’s employment or service that in either case results in or could reasonably be expected to result in material damage to the property, business or reputation of the Company or its Affiliates.  The determination of whether Cause exists shall be made by the Committee in good faith in its sole discretion upon, or within 60 days following, termination of the Participant’s employment or service based on information available to the Committee through such 60-day period.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, Cause shall not exist unless the Participant has first received a written notice from the Company which sets forth in reasonable detail the circumstances giving rise to Cause and the Participant shall have a period of 30 days to cure (if capable of cure).

 

(h)                                 “Change in Control” means, unless the applicable Award Agreement or the Committee provides otherwise, the first to occur of any of the following events:

 

(i)                                     the acquisition by any Person or related “group” (as such term is used in Section 13(d) and Section 14(d) of the Exchange Act) of Persons, or Persons acting jointly or in concert, of Beneficial Ownership (including control or direction) of 50% or more of the combined voting power of the then-outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote in the election of Directors (the “Outstanding Company Voting Securities”), but excluding any acquisition by the Company or any of its Affiliates, Permitted Holders or any of their respective Affiliates or by any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Company or any of its Affiliates;

 

(ii)                                  a change in the composition of the Board such that members of the Board during any consecutive 24-month period (the “Incumbent Directors”) cease to constitute a majority of the Board.  Any person becoming a Director through election or nomination for election approved by a valid vote of the Incumbent Directors shall be deemed an Incumbent Director; provided, however, that no individual becoming a Director as a result of an actual or threatened election contest, as such terms are used in Rule 14a-12 of Regulation 14A promulgated under the Exchange Act, or as a result of any other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of any person other than the Board, shall be deemed an Incumbent Director;

 

(iii)                               the approval by the stockholders of the Company of a plan of complete dissolution or liquidation of the Company; and

 

(iv)                              the consummation of a reorganization, recapitalization, merger, amalgamation, consolidation, statutory share exchange or similar form of corporate transaction involving the Company (a “Business Combination”), or sale, transfer or other

 

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disposition of all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company to an entity that is not an Affiliate of the Company, the Permitted Holder Group or Permitted Holders (a “Sale”), unless immediately following such Business Combination or Sale:  (A) more than 50% of the total voting power of the entity resulting from such Business Combination or the entity that acquired all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company in such Sale (in either case, the “Surviving Company”), or the ultimate parent entity that has Beneficial Ownership of sufficient voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors (or analogous governing body) of the Surviving Company (the “Parent Company”), is represented by the Outstanding Company Voting Securities that were outstanding immediately prior to such Business Combination or Sale (or, if applicable, is represented by Shares into which the Outstanding Company Voting Securities were converted pursuant to such Business Combination or Sale), and such voting power among the holders thereof is in substantially the same proportion as the voting power of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities among the holders thereof immediately prior to the Business Combination or Sale and (B) no Person (other than RHI, the Permitted Holder Group, Permitted Holders or any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Surviving Company or the Parent Company) is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 50% or more of the total voting power of the outstanding voting securities eligible to elect members of the board of directors (or the analogous governing body) of the Parent Company (or, if there is no Parent Company, the Surviving Company).

 

(i)                                     “Class D Share” means a share of Class D common stock of the Company, par value of $0.00001 per share.

 

(j)                                    “Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any successor thereto.  References to any section of the Code shall be deemed to include any regulations or other interpretative guidance under such section, and any amendments or successors thereto.

 

(k)                                 “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board or subcommittee thereof or, if no such committee or subcommittee thereof exists, or if the Board otherwise takes action hereunder on behalf of the Committee, the Board.

 

(l)                                     “Common Stock” means the Class A common stock of the Company, par value of $0.00001 per share.

 

(m)                             “Company” has the meaning set forth in Section 1 of the Plan.

 

(n)                                 “Deferred Award” means an Award granted pursuant to Section 13 of the Plan.

 

(o)                                 “Director” means any member of the Company’s Board.

 

(p)                                 “Disability” means, unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, cause for termination of a Participant’s employment or service due to a determination that a Participant is disabled in accordance with a long-term disability insurance program maintained by the Company or a determination by the U.S. Social Security Administration that the Participant is totally disabled.

 

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(q)                                 “$” shall refer to the United States dollars.

 

(r)                                    “Effective Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.

 

(s)                                   “Eligible Director” means a Director who satisfies the conditions set forth in Section 4(a) of the Plan.

 

(t)                                    “Eligible Person” means any (i) individual employed by the Company or an Affiliate, (ii) any Director or officer of the Company or an Affiliate, (iii) consultant or advisor to the Company or an Affiliate, or (iv) prospective employee, Director, officer, consultant or advisor who has accepted an offer of employment or service and would satisfy the provisions of clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above once such individual begins employment with or providing services to the Company or an Affiliate.

 

(u)                                 “ESPP” means the Rocket Companies, Inc. 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

 

(v)                                 “Employment Agreement” means any employment, severance, consulting or similar agreement (including any offer letter) between the Company or any Subsidiary and a Participant.

 

(w)                               “Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and any successor thereto.  References to any section of (or rule promulgated under) the Exchange Act shall be deemed to include any rules, regulations or other interpretative guidance under such section or rule, and any amendments or successors thereto.

 

(x)                                 “Fair Market Value” means, (i) with respect to a Share of Common Stock on a given date, (x) if the Common Stock is listed on a national securities exchange, the closing sales price of a Share reported on such exchange on such date, or if there is no such sale on that date, then on the last preceding date on which such a sale was reported, or (y) if the Common Stock is not listed on any national securities exchange, the amount determined by the Committee in good faith to be the fair market value of the Common Stock, or (ii) with respect to any other property on any given date, the amount determined by the Committee in good faith to be the fair market value of such other property as of such date; provided, however, as to any Awards granted on or with a date of grant of the pricing of the Company’s initial public offering (if any), “Fair Market Value” shall be equal to the per Share price the Common Stock is offered to the public in connection with such initial public offering.

 

(y)                                 “Incentive Stock Option” means an Option that is designated by the Committee as an incentive stock option as described in Section 422 of the Code and otherwise meets the requirements set forth in the Plan.

 

(z)                                  “Intrinsic Value” with respect to an Option or SAR means (i) the excess, if any, of the price or implied price per Share in a Change in Control or other event over (ii) the exercise or hurdle price of such Award multiplied by (iii) the number of Shares covered by such Award.

 

(aa)                          “Immediate Family Members” has the meaning set forth in Section 15(b)(ii) of the Plan.

 

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(bb)                          “Indemnifiable Person” has the meaning set forth in Section 4(e) of the Plan.

 

(cc)                            “NYSE” means The New York Stock Exchange.

 

(dd)                          “Nonqualified Stock Option” means an Option that is not designated by the Committee as an Incentive Stock Option.

 

(ee)                            “Option” means an Award granted under Section 7 of the Plan.

 

(ff)                              “Option Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 7(c) of the Plan.

 

(gg)                            “Other Cash-Based Award” means an Award granted under Section 10 of the Plan that is denominated and/or payable in cash, including cash awarded as a bonus or upon the attainment of specific performance criteria or as otherwise permitted by the Plan or as contemplated by the Committee.

 

(hh)                          “Other Stock-Based Award” means an Award granted under Section 10 of the Plan.

 

(ii)                                  “Participant” has the meaning set forth in Section 6(a) of the Plan.

 

(jj)                                “Performance Conditions” means specific levels of performance of the Company (and/or one or more Affiliates, divisions or operational and/or business units, product lines, brands, business segments, administrative departments, units, or any combination of the foregoing), which may be determined in accordance with GAAP or on a non-GAAP basis, including without limitation, on the following measures: (i) net earnings or net income (before or after taxes); (ii) basic or diluted earnings per share (before or after taxes); (iii) net revenue or net revenue growth; (iv) gross revenue or gross revenue growth, gross profit or gross profit growth; (v) net operating profit (before or after taxes); (vi) return measures (including, but not limited to, return on investment, assets, net assets, capital, gross revenue or gross revenue growth, invested capital, equity or sales); (vii) cash flow measures (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow, free cash flow and cash flow return on capital), which may but are not required to be measured on a per-share basis; (viii) earnings before or after taxes, interest, depreciation, and amortization (including EBIT and EBITDA); (ix) gross or net operating margins; (x) productivity ratios; (xi) share price (including, but not limited to, growth measures and total shareholder return); (xii) expense targets or cost reduction goals, general and administrative expense savings; (xiii) operating efficiency; (xiv)  customer satisfaction; (xv) working capital targets; (xvi) measures of economic value added or other ‘‘value creation’’ metrics; (xvii) enterprise value; (xviii) stockholder return; (xix) client or customer retention; (xx) competitive market metrics; (xxi) employee retention; (xxii)  personal targets, goals or completion of projects (including but not limited to succession and hiring projects, completion of specific acquisitions, reorganizations or other corporate transactions or capital-raising transactions, expansions of specific business operations and meeting divisional or project budgets); (xxiii) system-wide revenues; (xxiv) cost of capital, debt leverage year-end cash position or book value; (xxv) strategic objectives, development of new product lines and related revenue, sales and margin targets, or international operations; or (xxvi)  any combination of the foregoing. Any one or more of the aforementioned performance criteria may be stated as a percentage of another performance criteria, or used on an absolute or relative basis to measure the Company and/or one or more Affiliates as a whole or any divisions or operational and/or business units, product lines, brands, business segments,

 

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administrative departments of the Company and/or one or more Affiliates or any combination thereof, as the Committee may deem appropriate, or any of the above performance criteria may be compared to the performance of a group of comparator companies, or a published or special index that the Committee deems appropriate, or as compared to various stock market indices.  The Performance Conditions may include a threshold level of performance below which no payment shall be made (or no vesting shall occur), levels of performance at which specified payments shall be made (or specified vesting shall occur), and a maximum level of performance above which no additional payment shall be made (or at which full vesting shall occur). The Committee shall have the authority to make equitable adjustments to the Performance Conditions as may be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion.

 

(kk)                          “Permitted Holder Group” means any group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or Section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act, or any successor provision) the members of which include any of the Permitted Holders specified in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of the definition of “Permitted Holders” and that, directly or indirectly, hold or acquire Beneficial Ownership of the voting stock of Rocket Companies, Inc., so long as (1) each member of the Permitted Holder Group has voting rights proportional to the percentage of ownership interests held or acquired by such member (or more favorable voting rights, in the case of any Permitted Holders specified in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of the definition of “Permitted Holders”) and (2) no person or other “group” (other than Permitted Holders specified in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of the definition of “Permitted Holders”) beneficially owns more than 50% on a fully diluted basis of the voting stock held by the Permitted Holder Group.

 

(ll)                                  “Permitted Holders” means, at any time, each of (i) Daniel Gilbert, his spouse, children (natural or adopted), lineal descendants or the estates, heirs, executors, personal representatives, successors or administrators upon or as a result of the death, incapacity or incompetency of such Person, or any trust established for the benefit of (or any charitable trust or non-profit entity established by) any Gilbert family member mentioned in this clause (i), or any trustee, protector or similar person of such trust or non-profit entity or any Person, directly or indirectly, controlling, controlled by or under common control with any Permitted Holder mentioned in this clause (i), (ii) Jay Farner, his spouse, children (natural or adopted), lineal descendants or heirs, or any trust established for the benefit of (or any charitable trust or non-profit entity established by) any Farner family member mentioned in this clause (ii), or any trustee, protector or similar person of such trust or non-profit entity or any Person, directly or indirectly, controlling, controlled by or under common control with any Permitted Holder mentioned in this clause (ii), (iii) RHI and any of its Subsidiaries, (iv) any person who is acting solely as an underwriter in connection with a public or private offering of equity interests of Rocket Companies, Inc. or any of its direct or indirect parent companies, acting in such capacity and (v) any Permitted Holder Group.

 

(mm)                  “Permitted Transferee” has the meaning set forth in Section 15(b)(ii)(E) of the Plan.

 

(nn)                          “Person” has the meaning given in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act, as modified and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof, except that such term shall not include (i) the Company, (ii) a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or any of its Affiliates, (iii) an underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of such securities, or (iv) a corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders

 

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of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of Common Stock of the Company.

 

(oo)                          “Released Unit” has the meaning set forth in Section 9(e)(ii) of the Plan.

 

(pp)                          “Restricted Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 9(a) of the Plan.

 

(qq)                          “Restricted Stock” means an Award of Common Stock, subject to certain specified restrictions, granted under Section 9 of the Plan.

 

(rr)                                “Restricted Stock Unit” means an Award of an unfunded and unsecured promise to deliver Shares, cash, other securities or other property, subject to certain specified restrictions, granted under Section 9 of the Plan.

 

(ss)                              “RHI” means Rock Holdings Inc. (f/k/a Rock Acquisition corporation), a Michigan corporation.

 

(tt)                                “SAR Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 8(c) of the Plan.

 

(uu)                          “Securities Act” means the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any successor thereto.  Reference in the Plan to any section of (or rule promulgated under) the Securities Act shall be deemed to include any rules, regulations or other interpretative guidance under such section or rule, and any amendments or successor provisions to such section, rules, regulations or other interpretive guidance.

 

(vv)                          “Share” means a share of Common Stock, par value of $0.00001 per share.

 

(ww)                      “Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means an Award granted under Section 8 of the Plan.

 

(xx)                          “Subsidiary” means (i) any entity that, directly or indirectly, is controlled by the Company, (ii) any entity in which the Company, directly or indirectly, has a significant equity interest, in each case as determined by the Committee and (iii) any other company which the Committee determines should be treated as a “Subsidiary.”

 

(yy)                          “Substitute Awards” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(g) of the Plan.

 

4.                                      Administration.

 

(a)                                 The Committee shall administer the Plan, and shall have the sole and plenary authority to (i) designate Participants, (ii) determine the type, size, and terms and conditions of Awards (including Substitute Awards) to be granted and to grant such Awards, (iii) determine the method by which an Award may be settled, exercised, canceled, forfeited, suspended, or repurchased by the Company, (iv) implement an Award Transfer Program, (v) determine the circumstances under which the delivery of cash, property or other amounts payable with respect to an Award may be deferred, either automatically or at the Participant’s or Committee’s election, (vi) interpret, administer, reconcile any inconsistency in, correct any defect in and supply any omission in the Plan and any Award granted under the Plan, (vii) establish, amend, suspend, or

 

7

 

waive any rules and regulations and appoint such agents as the Committee shall deem appropriate for the proper administration of the Plan, (viii) accelerate or modify the vesting, delivery or exercisability of, or payment for or lapse of restrictions on, or waive any condition in respect of, Awards, and (ix) make any other determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan or to comply with any applicable law.  To the extent determined by the Board and/or required to comply with the provisions of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act (if applicable and if the Board is not acting as the Committee under the Plan), or any exception or exemption under applicable securities laws or the applicable rules of the NYSE or any other securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation service on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted, as applicable, it is intended that each member of the Committee shall, at the time such member takes any action with respect to an Award under the Plan, be (1) a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act and/or (2) an “independent director” under the rules of the NYSE or any other securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation service on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted, or a person meeting any similar requirement under any successor rule or regulation (“Eligible Director”).  However, the fact that a Committee member shall fail to qualify as an Eligible Director shall not invalidate any Award granted or action taken by the Committee that is otherwise validly granted or taken under the Plan.

 

(b)                                 The Committee may delegate all or any portion of its responsibilities and powers to any person(s) selected by it, except for grants of Awards to persons who are members of the Board or are otherwise subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act.  To the extent permitted by applicable law, including under Section 157(c) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Committee may delegate to one or more officers of the Company the authority to grant Options, SARs, RSUs or other Awards in the form of rights to Shares, except that such delegation shall not be applicable to any Award for a Person then covered by Section 16 of the Exchange Act, and the Committee may delegate to one or more committees or the Board (which may consist of solely one Director) the authority to grant all types of awards, in accordance with applicable law.  Any such delegation may be revoked by the Committee at any time.

 

(c)                                  As further set forth in Section 15(f) of the Plan, the Committee shall have the authority to amend the Plan and Awards to the extent necessary to permit participation in the Plan by Eligible Persons who are located outside of the United States or are subject to laws outside the United States on terms and conditions comparable to those afforded to Eligible Persons located within the United States; provided, however, that no such action shall be taken without stockholder approval if such approval is required by applicable securities laws or regulation or NYSE listing guidelines.

 

(d)                                 Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan, all designations, determinations, interpretations, and other decisions regarding the Plan or any Award or any documents evidencing Awards granted pursuant to the Plan shall be within the sole discretion of the Committee, may be made at any time and shall be final, conclusive and binding upon all persons and entities, including, without limitation, the Company, any Affiliate, any Participant, any holder or beneficiary of any Award, and any stockholder of the Company.

 

(e)                                  No member of the Board or the Committee, nor any employee or agent of the Company (each such person, an “Indemnifiable Person”), shall be liable for any action taken or

 

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omitted to be taken or any determination made with respect to the Plan or any Award hereunder (unless constituting fraud or a willful criminal act or willful criminal omission).  Each Indemnifiable Person shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company against and from any loss, cost, liability, or expense (including attorneys’ fees) that may be imposed upon or incurred by such Indemnifiable Person in connection with or resulting from any action, suit or proceeding to which such Indemnifiable Person may be involved as a party, witness or otherwise by reason of any action taken or omitted to be taken or determination made under the Plan or any Award Agreement and against and from any and all amounts paid by such Indemnifiable Person with the Company’s approval (not to be unreasonably withheld), in settlement thereof, or paid by such Indemnifiable Person in satisfaction of any judgment in any such action, suit or proceeding against such Indemnifiable Person, and the Company shall advance to such Indemnifiable Person any such expenses promptly upon written request (which request shall include an undertaking by the Indemnifiable Person to repay the amount of such advance if it shall ultimately be determined as provided below that the Indemnifiable Person is not entitled to be indemnified); provided, that the Company shall have the right, at its own expense, to assume and defend any such action, suit or proceeding, and once the Company gives notice of its intent to assume the defense, the Company shall have sole control over such defense with counsel of recognized standing of the Company’s choice.  The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be available to an Indemnifiable Person to the extent that a final judgment or other final adjudication (in either case not subject to further appeal) binding upon such Indemnifiable Person determines that the acts or omissions or determinations of such Indemnifiable Person giving rise to the indemnification claim resulted from such Indemnifiable Person’s fraud or willful criminal act or willful criminal omission or that such right of indemnification is otherwise prohibited by law or by the Company’s certificate of incorporation or by-laws.  The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of or otherwise supersede any other rights of indemnification to which such Indemnifiable Persons may be entitled under the Company’s certificate of incorporation or by-laws, as a matter of law, individual indemnification agreement or contract or otherwise, or any other power that the Company may have to indemnify such Indemnifiable Persons or hold them harmless.

 

(f)                                   The Board may at any time and from time to time grant Awards and administer the Plan with respect to such Awards.  In any such case, the Board shall have all the authority granted to the Committee under the Plan.

 

5.                                      Grant of Awards; Available for Awards; Limitations.

 

(a)                                 Awards.  The Committee may grant Awards to one or more Eligible Persons.  All Awards granted under the Plan shall vest and, if applicable, become exercisable in such manner and on such date or dates or upon such event or events as determined by the Committee and as set forth in an Award Agreement.

 

(b)                                 Available Shares.  Subject to Section 11 of the Plan and subsection (e) below, the maximum number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan shall not exceed [·],(1) plus the number of Shares set forth in the next sentence (the “Share Pool”) on a fully diluted basis taking into account the conversion of all shares of our Class D common stock and assuming that all shares

 

(1)  Note:  This will be 4.5% of the Common Stock on a fully diluted basis (0.5% will be allocated to the ESPP), taking into account the conversion of all shares of our Class D common stock and assuming that all shares available for issuance under Plan and ESPP are issued and outstanding.

 

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available for issuance under the Plan and the ESPP are issued and outstanding.  The Share Pool will automatically increase each fiscal year following the Effective Date beginning with fiscal year 2021 and ending with fiscal year 2025 by the lesser of (a) 1% of the total number of Shares outstanding on the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year on a fully diluted basis taking into account the conversion of all shares of our Class D common stock and assuming that all shares available for issuance under the Plan and the ESPP are issued and outstanding or (b) such number of Shares determined by the Board.  The increase shall occur on the first day of each such fiscal year or another day selected by the Board during such fiscal year.

 

(c)                                  Incentive Stock Options Limit.  The maximum number of Shares that may be delivered pursuant to the exercise of Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan shall not exceed [·](2).

 

(d)                                 Director Compensation Limit.  The maximum amount (based on the fair value of Shares underlying Awards on the grant date as determined in accordance with applicable financial accounting rules) of Awards that may be granted in any single fiscal year to any non-employee member of the Board, taken together with any cash fees paid to such non-employee member of the Board during such fiscal year, shall be $750,000 during such fiscal year.

 

(e)                                  Share Counting.  The Share Pool shall be reduced by the number of Shares delivered for each Award granted under the Plan that is valued by reference to a Share of Common Stock; provided, that Awards that are valued by reference to Shares but are required to or may be paid in cash pursuant to their terms shall not reduce the Share Pool.  If and to the extent that Awards terminate, expire, or are cash-settled, canceled, forfeited, exchanged, or surrendered without having been exercised, vested, or settled, the Shares subject to such Awards shall again be available for Awards under the Share Pool.  In addition, any (i) Shares tendered by Participants, or withheld by the Company, as full or partial payment to the Company upon the exercise of Stock Options granted under the Plan; (ii) Shares reserved for issuance upon the grant of Stock Appreciation Rights, to the extent that the number of reserved Shares exceeds the number of Shares actually issued upon the exercise of the Stock Appreciation Rights; and (iii) Shares withheld by, or otherwise remitted to, the Company to satisfy a Participant’s tax withholding obligations upon the exercise of Options or SARs granted under the Plan, or upon the lapse of restrictions on, or settlement of, an Award, shall again be available for Awards under the Share Pool.

 

(f)                                   Source of Shares.  Shares delivered by the Company in settlement of Awards may be authorized and unissued Shares, Shares held in the treasury of the Company, Shares purchased on the open market or by private purchase, or a combination of the foregoing.

 

(g)                                  Substitute Awards.  The Committee may grant Awards in assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding awards previously granted by the Company or any Affiliate or an entity directly or indirectly acquired by the Company or with which the Company combines (“Substitute Awards”), and such Substitute Awards shall not be counted against the aggregate number of Shares available for Awards (i.e., Substitute Awards will not be counted against the Share Pool); provided, that Substitute Awards issued or intended as “incentive stock options”

 

(2)  Note:  50% of the 4.5% share reserve will be allocated to ISOs.

 

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within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code shall be counted against the aggregate number of Incentive Stock Options available under the Plan.

 

6.                                      Eligibility.

 

(a)                                 Participation shall be for Eligible Persons who have been selected by the Committee or its delegate to receive grants under the Plan (each such Eligible Person, a “Participant”).

 

(b)                                 Holders of options and other types of awards granted by a company acquired by the Company or with which the Company combines are eligible for grants of Substitute Awards under the Plan to the extent permitted under applicable regulations of any stock exchange on which the Company is listed.

 

7.                                      Options.

 

(a)                                 Generally.  Each Option shall be subject to the conditions set forth in the Plan and in the applicable Award Agreement.  All Options granted under the Plan shall be Nonqualified Stock Options unless the Award Agreement expressly states otherwise.  Incentive Stock Options shall be granted only subject to and in compliance with Section 422 of the Code, and only to Eligible Persons who are employees of the Company and its Affiliates and who are eligible to receive an Incentive Stock Option under the Code.  If for any reason an Option intended to be an Incentive Stock Option (or any portion thereof) shall not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, then, to the extent of such nonqualification, such Option or portion thereof shall be regarded as a Nonqualified Stock Option properly granted under the Plan.

 

(b)                                 Exercise Price.  The exercise price per Share of Common Stock for each Option (that is not a Substitute Award), which is the purchase price per Share underlying the Option, shall be determined by the Committee, and unless otherwise determined by the Committee, or for Substitute Awards, shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of such Share, determined as of the date of grant.

 

(c)                                  Vesting, Exercise and Expiration.  The Committee shall determine the manner and timing of vesting, exercise and expiration of Options.  The period between the date of grant and the scheduled expiration date of the Option (“Option Period”) shall not exceed ten years, unless the Option Period (other than in the case of an Incentive Stock Option) would expire at a time when trading in the Shares is prohibited by the Company’s insider-trading policy or a Company-imposed “blackout period,” in which case, unless otherwise provided by the Committee, the Option Period may be extended automatically until the 30th day following the expiration of such prohibition (so long as such extension shall not violate Section 409A of the Code) or the Committee may provide for the automatic exercise of such Option prior to the expiration of the Option Period. The Committee may accelerate the vesting and/or exercisability of any Option, which acceleration shall not affect any other terms and conditions of such Option.

 

(d)                                 Method of Exercise and Form of Payment.  No Shares shall be delivered pursuant to any exercise of an Option until the Participant has paid the exercise price to the Company in full, and an amount equal to any applicable U.S. federal, state and local income and employment taxes and non-U.S. income and employment taxes, social contributions and any other tax-related

 

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items required to be withheld.  Options may be exercised by delivery of written or electronic notice of exercise to the Company or its designee (including a third-party administrator) in accordance with the terms of the Option and the Award Agreement accompanied by payment of the exercise price and such applicable taxes.  The exercise price and delivery of all applicable required withholding taxes shall be payable (i) in cash or by check, cash equivalent and/or, if permitted by the Award Agreement and/or Committee, Shares valued at the Fair Market Value at the time the Option is exercised or any combination of the foregoing; provided, that such Shares are not subject to any pledge or other security interest; or (ii) by such other method as elected by the Participant and that the Committee may permit, in its sole discretion, including without limitation:  (A) in the form of other property having a Fair Market Value on the date of exercise equal to the exercise price and all applicable required withholding taxes; (B) if permitted by the Award Agreement and/or Committee, if there is a public market for the Shares at such time, by means of a broker-assisted “cashless exercise” pursuant to which the Company or its designee (including third-party administrators) is delivered a copy of irrevocable instructions to a stockbroker to sell the Shares otherwise deliverable upon the exercise of the Option and to deliver promptly to the Company an amount equal to the exercise price and all applicable required withholding taxes against delivery of the Shares to settle the applicable trade; or (C) if permitted by the Award Agreement and/or Committee by means of a “net exercise” procedure effected by withholding the minimum number of Shares otherwise deliverable in respect of an Option that are needed to pay for the exercise price and all applicable required withholding taxes.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless otherwise determined by the Committee or as set forth in an Award Agreement, if on the last day of the Option Period, the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock exceeds the exercise price, the Participant has not exercised the Option, and the Option has not previously expired, such Option shall be deemed exercised by the Participant on such last day by means of a “net exercise” procedure described above.  In all events of cashless or net exercise, any fractional Shares shall be settled in cash.

 

(e)                                  Compliance with Laws.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the Participant be permitted to exercise an Option in a manner that the Committee determines would violate the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or any other applicable law or the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission or the applicable rules and regulations of any securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation service on which the Common Stock of the Company is listed or quoted.

 

8.                                      Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs).

 

(a)                                 Generally.  Each SAR shall be subject to the conditions set forth in the Plan and the Award Agreement.

 

(b)                                 Exercise Price.  The exercise or hurdle price per Share of Common Stock for each SAR shall be determined by the Committee and, unless otherwise determined by the Committee or for Substitute Awards, shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of such Share, determined as of the date of grant.

 

(c)                                  Vesting and Expiration.  SARs shall vest and become exercisable and shall expire in such manner and on such date or dates determined by the Committee and shall expire after such period, not to exceed ten years, as may be determined by the Committee (the “SAR Period”);

 

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provided, however, that notwithstanding any vesting or exercisability dates set by the Committee, the Committee may accelerate the vesting and/or exercisability of any SAR, which acceleration shall not affect the terms and conditions of such SAR other than with respect to vesting and/or exercisability.  If the SAR Period would expire at a time when trading in the Shares is prohibited by the Company’s insider trading policy or a Company-imposed “blackout period,” unless otherwise provided by the Committee, the SAR Period may be extended automatically until the 30th day following the expiration of such prohibition (so long as such extension shall not violate Section 409A of the Code).

 

(d)                                 Method of Exercise.  SARs may be exercised by delivery of written or electronic notice of exercise to the Company or its designee (including a third-party administrator) in accordance with the terms of the Award, specifying the number of SARs to be exercised and the date on which such SARs were awarded.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless otherwise determined by the Committee or as set forth in an Award Agreement, if on the last day of the SAR Period, the Fair Market Value exceeds the exercise price, the Participant has not exercised the SAR, and the SAR has previously expired, such SAR shall be deemed to have been exercised by the Participant on such last day and the Company shall make the appropriate payment therefor.

 

(e)                                  Payment.  Upon the exercise of a SAR, the Company shall pay to the holder thereof an amount equal to the number of Shares subject to the SAR that are being exercised multiplied by the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value of one Share of Common Stock on the exercise date over the exercise price, less an amount equal to any applicable U.S. federal, state and local income and employment taxes and non-U.S. income and employment taxes, social contributions and any other tax-related items required to be withheld.  The Company shall pay such amount in cash, in Shares valued at Fair Market Value as determined on the date of exercise, or any combination thereof, as determined by the Committee.  Any fractional Shares shall be settled in cash.

 

9.                                      Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units.

 

(a)                                 Generally.  Each Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Unit Award shall be subject to the conditions set forth in the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement.  The Committee shall establish restrictions applicable to Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units, including the period over which the restrictions shall apply (the “Restricted Period”), and the time or times at which Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units shall become vested (which, for the avoidance of doubt, may include service- and/or performance-based vesting conditions).  The Committee may accelerate the vesting and/or the lapse of any or all of the restrictions on Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units which acceleration shall not affect any other terms and conditions of such Awards.  No Share of Common Stock shall be issued at the time an Award of Restricted Stock Units is made, and the Company will not be required to set aside a fund for the payment of any such Award.

 

(b)                                 Director Retainer Fees.  To the extent permitted by the Board and subject to such rules, approvals, and conditions as the Committee may impose from time to time, an Eligible Person who is a non-employee or unaffiliated Director may elect to receive all or a portion of such Eligible Person’s cash director fees and other cash director compensation payable for director services provided to the Company by such Eligible Person in any fiscal year, in whole or in part, in the form of Restricted Stock Units or Shares, which shall not count against the Share Pool.

 

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(c)                                  Stock Certificates; Escrow or Similar Arrangement.  Upon the grant of Restricted Stock, the Committee shall cause Share(s) of Common Stock to be registered in the name of the Participant, which may be evidenced in any manner the Committee may deem appropriate, including in book-entry form subject to the Company’s directions or the issuance of a stock certificate registered in the name of the Participant.  In such event, the Committee may provide that such certificates shall be held by the Company or in escrow rather than delivered to the Participant pending vesting and release of restrictions, in which case the Committee may require the Participant to execute and deliver to the Company or its designee (including third-party administrators) (i) an escrow agreement satisfactory to the Committee, if applicable, and (ii) the appropriate stock power (endorsed in blank) with respect to the Restricted Stock.  Subject to the restrictions set forth in the applicable Award Agreement, a Participant generally shall have the rights and privileges of a stockholder with respect to Awards of Restricted Stock, including the right to vote such Shares of Restricted Stock and the right to receive dividends.  Unless otherwise provided by the Committee or in an Award Agreement, an RSU shall not convey to the Participant the rights and privileges of a stockholder with respect to the Share subject to the RSU, such as the right to vote or the right to receive dividends, unless and until a Share is issued to the Participant to settle the RSU.

 

(d)                                 Restrictions; Forfeiture.  Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units awarded to the Participant shall be subject to forfeiture until the expiration of the Restricted Period and the attainment of any other vesting criteria established by the Committee, and shall be subject to the restrictions on transferability set forth in the Award Agreement.  Unless otherwise provided by the Committee, in the event of any forfeiture, all rights of the Participant to such Restricted Stock (or as a stockholder with respect thereto), and to such Restricted Stock Units, as applicable, shall terminate without further action or obligation on the part of the Company.  The Committee shall have the authority to remove any or all of the restrictions on the Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units whenever it may determine that, by reason of changes in applicable laws or other changes in circumstances arising after the date of grant of the Restricted Stock Award or Restricted Stock Unit Award, such action is appropriate.

 

(e)                                  Delivery of Restricted Stock and Settlement of Restricted Stock Units.

 

(i)             Upon the expiration of the Restricted Period with respect to any Shares of Restricted Stock and the attainment of any other vesting criteria, the restrictions set forth in the applicable Award Agreement shall be of no further force or effect, except as set forth in the Award Agreement.  If an escrow arrangement is used, upon such expiration the Company shall deliver to the Participant or such Participant’s beneficiary or Permitted Transferee (via book-entry notation or, if applicable, in stock certificate form) the Shares of Restricted Stock with respect to which the Restricted Period has expired (rounded down to the nearest full Share).

 

(ii)          Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in an Award Agreement, upon the expiration of the Restricted Period and the attainment of any other vesting criteria established by the Committee, with respect to any outstanding Restricted Stock Units, the Company shall deliver to the Participant, or such Participant’s beneficiary (via book-entry notation or, if applicable, in stock certificate form), one Share of Common Stock (or other securities or other property, as applicable) for each such outstanding Restricted Stock Unit

 

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that has not then been forfeited and with respect to which the Restricted Period has expired and any other such vesting criteria are attained (“Released Unit”); provided, however, that the Committee may elect to (A) pay cash or part cash and part Common Stock in lieu of delivering only Shares in respect of such Released Units or (B) defer the delivery of Common Stock (or cash or part Common Stock and part cash, as the case may be) beyond the expiration of the Restricted Period if such extension would not cause adverse tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code.  If a cash payment is made in lieu of delivering Shares, the amount of such payment shall be equal to the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock as of the date on which the Shares would have otherwise been delivered to the Participant in respect of such Restricted Stock Units.

 

(e)                                  Legends on Restricted Stock.  Each certificate representing Shares of Restricted Stock awarded under the Plan, if any, shall bear as appropriate a legend substantially in the form of the following in addition to any other information the Company deems appropriate until the lapse of all restrictions with respect to such Common Stock:

 

TRANSFER OF THIS CERTIFICATE AND THE SHARES REPRESENTED HEREBY IS RESTRICTED PURSUANT TO THE TERMS OF THE ROCKET COMPANIES, INC.  2020 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN AND A RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT, DATED AS OF           , BETWEEN ROCKET COMPANIES, INC.  AND          .  A COPY OF SUCH PLAN AND AWARD AGREEMENT IS ON FILE AT THE PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES OF ROCKET COMPANIES, INC.

 

10.                               Other Stock-Based Awards and Other Cash-Based Awards.  The Committee may issue unrestricted Common Stock, rights to receive future grants of Awards, or other Awards denominated in Common Stock (including performance shares or performance units), or Awards that provide for cash payments based in whole or in part on the value or future value of Shares (“Other Stock-Based Awards”) and Other Cash-Based Awards under the Plan to Eligible Persons, alone or in tandem with other Awards, in such amounts as the Committee shall from time to time determine.  Each Other Stock-Based Award shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement, which may include conditions including, without limitation, the payment by the Participant of the Fair Market Value of such Shares on the date of grant.  Each Other Cash-Based Award granted under the Plan shall be evidenced in such form as the Committee may determine from time to time.

 

11.                               Changes in Capital Structure and Similar Events.  In the event of (a) any dividend (other than regular cash dividends) or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Shares, other securities or other property), recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, reorganization, merger, amalgamation, consolidation, split-up, split-off, spin-off, combination, repurchase or exchange of Shares or other securities of the Company, issuance of warrants or other rights to acquire Shares or other securities of the Company, or other similar corporate transaction or event (including, without limitation, a Change in Control) that affects the Shares, or (b) unusual or nonrecurring events (including, without limitation, a Change in Control) affecting the Company, any Affiliate, or the financial statements of the Company or any Affiliate, or changes in applicable rules, rulings, regulations or other requirements of any governmental body or securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation service, accounting principles or law, such that in any case an adjustment

 

15

 

is determined by the Committee to be necessary or appropriate, then the Committee shall (other than with respect to Other Cash-Based Awards), to the extent permitted under Section 409A of the Code, make any such adjustments in such manner as it may deem equitable, including without limitation any or all of the following:

 

(i)                                     adjusting any or all of (A) the number of Shares or other securities of the Company (or number and kind of other securities or other property) that may be delivered in respect of Awards or with respect to which Awards may be granted under the Plan (including, without limitation, adjusting any or all of the limitations under Section 5 of the Plan) and (B) the terms of any outstanding Award, including, without limitation, (1) the number of Shares or other securities of the Company (or number and kind of other securities or other property) subject to outstanding Awards or to which outstanding Awards relate, (2) the exercise price with respect to any Award and/or (3) any applicable performance measures (including, without limitation, Performance Conditions and performance periods);

 

(ii)                                  providing for a substitution or assumption of Awards (or awards of an acquiring company), accelerating the delivery, vesting and/or exercisability of, lapse of restrictions and/or other conditions on, or termination of, Awards or providing for a period of time (which shall not be required to be more than ten (10) days) for Participants to exercise outstanding Awards prior to the occurrence of such event (and any such Award not so exercised shall terminate or become no longer exercisable upon the occurrence of such event); and

 

(iii)                               cancelling any one or more outstanding Awards (or awards of an acquiring company) and causing to be paid to the holders thereof, in cash, Shares, other securities or other property, or any combination thereof, the value of such Awards, if any, as determined by the Committee (which if applicable may be based upon the price per Share of Common Stock received or to be received by other stockholders of the Company in such event), including without limitation, in the case of an outstanding Option or SAR, a cash payment in an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value (as of a date specified by the Committee) of the Shares subject to such Option or SAR over the aggregate exercise price of such Option or SAR, respectively (it being understood that, in such event, any Option or SAR having a per-Share exercise price equal to, or in excess of, the Fair Market Value (as of the date specified by the Committee) of a Share of Common Stock subject thereto may be canceled and terminated without any payment or consideration therefor);

 

provided, however, that the Committee shall make an equitable or proportionate adjustment to outstanding Awards to reflect any “equity restructuring” (within the meaning of the Financial Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (or any successor pronouncement thereto)).  Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, any adjustment in Incentive Stock Options under this Section 11 (other than any cancellation of Incentive Stock Options) shall be made only to the extent not constituting a “modification” within the meaning of Section 424(h)(3) of the Code, and any adjustments under this Section 11 shall be made in a manner that does not adversely affect the exemption provided pursuant to Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.  Any such adjustment shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes. In anticipation of the occurrence of any event listed in the first sentence of this Section 11, for reasons of administrative convenience,

 

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the Committee in its sole discretion may refuse to permit the exercise of any Award or as it otherwise may determine during a period of up to 30 days prior to, and/or up to 30 days after, the anticipated occurrence of any such event.

 

12.                               Effect of Termination of Service or a Change in Control on Awards.

 

(a)                                 Termination.  To the extent permitted under Section 409A of the Code, the Committee may provide, by rule or regulation or in any applicable Award Agreement, or may determine in any individual case, the circumstances in which, and to the extent to which, an Award may be exercised, settled, vested, paid or forfeited in the event of the Participant’s termination of service prior to the end of a performance period or vesting, exercise or settlement of such Award.

 

(b)                                 Change in Control.  In the event of a Change in Control, notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, the Committee may provide for:  (i) continuation or assumption of such outstanding Awards under the Plan by the Company (if it is the surviving corporation) or by the surviving corporation or its parent; (ii) substitution by the surviving corporation or its parent of awards with substantially the same terms and value for such outstanding Awards (in the case of an Option or SAR, the Intrinsic Value at grant of such Substitute Award shall equal the Intrinsic Value of the Award); (iii) acceleration of the vesting (including the lapse of any restrictions, with any performance criteria or other performance conditions deemed met at target) or right to exercise such outstanding Awards immediately prior to or as of the date of the Change in Control, and the expiration of such outstanding Awards to the extent not timely exercised by the date of the Change in Control or other date thereafter designated by the Committee; or (iv) in the case of an Option or SAR, cancelation in consideration of a payment in cash or other consideration to the Participant who holds such Award in an amount equal to the Intrinsic Value of such Award (which may be equal to but not less than zero), which, if in excess of zero, shall be payable upon the effective date of such Change in Control. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event of a Change in Control, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, terminate any Option or SARs for which the exercise or hurdle price is equal to or exceeds the per Share value of the consideration to be paid in the Change in Control transaction without payment of consideration therefor.

 

13.                               Deferred Awards.  The Committee is authorized, subject to limitations under applicable law, to grant to Participants Deferred Awards, which may be a right to receive Shares or cash under the Plan (either independently or as an element of or supplement to any other Award under the Plan), including, as may be required by any applicable law or regulations or determined by the Committee, in lieu of any annual bonus, commission or retainer that may be payable to a Participant under any applicable, bonus, commission or retainer plan or arrangement. The Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of such Deferred Awards, including, without limitation, the method of converting the amount of annual bonus into a Deferred Award, if applicable, and the form, vesting, settlement, forfeiture and cancellation provisions or any other criteria, if any, applicable to such Deferred Awards. Shares underlying a Share-denominated Deferred Award, which is subject to a vesting schedule or other conditions or criteria, including forfeiture or cancellation provisions, set by the Committee shall not be issued until or following the date that those conditions and criteria have been satisfied.  Deferred Awards shall be subject to such restrictions as the Committee may impose (including any limitation on the right to vote a Share underlying a Deferred Award or the right to receive any dividend, dividend equivalent or

 

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other right), which restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such time or times, in such installments or otherwise, as the Committee may deem appropriate. The Committee may determine the form or forms (including cash, Shares, other Awards, other property or any combination thereof) in which payment of the amount owing upon settlement of any Deferred Award may be made.

 

14.                               Amendments and Termination.

 

(a)                                 Amendment and Termination of the Plan.  The Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue, or terminate the Plan or any portion thereof at any time; provided, that no such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuation or termination shall be made without stockholder approval if such approval is necessary to comply with any tax or regulatory requirement applicable to the Plan (including, without limitation, as necessary to comply with any applicable rules or requirements of any securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation service on which the Shares may be listed or quoted, for changes in GAAP to new accounting standards); provided, further, that any such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance or termination that would materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant or any holder or beneficiary of any Award theretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of the affected Participant, holder or beneficiary, unless the Committee determines that such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance or termination is either required or advisable in order for the Company, the Plan or the Award to satisfy any applicable law or regulation.

 

(b)                                 Amendment of Award Agreements.  The Committee may, to the extent not inconsistent with the terms of any applicable Award Agreement or the Plan, waive any conditions or rights under, amend any terms of, or alter, suspend, discontinue, cancel or terminate, any Award theretofore granted or the associated Award Agreement, prospectively or retroactively (including after the Participant’s termination of employment or service with the Company); provided, that any such waiver, amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, cancellation or termination that would materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant with respect to any Award theretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of the affected Participant unless the Committee determines that such waiver, amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, cancellation or termination is either required or advisable in order for the Company, the Plan or the Award to satisfy any applicable law or regulation; provided, further, that the Committee may, without stockholder approval, (i) reduce the exercise price of any Option or SAR, (ii) cancel any outstanding Option or SAR and replace it with a new Option or SAR (with a lower exercise price) or other Award or cash, (iii) take any other action that is considered a “repricing” for purposes of the stockholder approval rules of the applicable securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation service on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted, and/or (iv) cancel any outstanding Option or SAR that has a per-Share exercise price (as applicable) at or above the Fair Market Value of a Share of Common Stock on the date of cancellation, and pay any consideration to the holder thereof, whether in cash, securities, or other property, or any combination thereof.

 

15.                               General.

 

(a)                                 Award Agreements; Other Agreements.  Each Award (other than an Other Cash-Based Award) under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement, which shall be delivered

 

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to the Participant and shall specify the terms and conditions of the Award and any rules applicable thereto.  In the event of any conflict between the terms of the Plan and any Award Agreement or employment, change-in-control, severance or other agreement in effect with the Participant, the terms of the Plan shall control.

 

(b)                                 Nontransferability.

 

(i)                                     Each Award shall be exercisable only by the Participant during the Participant’s lifetime, or, if permissible under applicable law or the Plan, by the Participant’s legal guardian or representative or beneficiary or Permitted Transferee.  No Award may be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by the Participant other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution or as set forth below in clause (ii), and any such purported assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or an Affiliate; provided, that the designation of a beneficiary shall not constitute an assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance.

 

(ii)                                  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may permit Awards (other than Incentive Stock Options) to be transferred by the Participant, without consideration, subject to such rules as the Committee may adopt, to (A) any person who is a “family member” of the Participant, as such term is used in the instructions to Form S-8 under the Securities Act or any successor form of registration statements promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (collectively, the “Immediate Family Members”); (B) a trust solely for the benefit of the Participant or the Participant’s Immediate Family Members; (C) a partnership or limited liability company whose only partners or stockholders are the Participant and the Participant’s Immediate Family Members; (D) a bank or third party pursuant to an Award Transfer Program; or (E) any other transferee as may be approved either (1) by the Board or the Committee, or (2) as provided in the applicable Award Agreement; (each transferee described in clause (A), (B), (C) or (D) above is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Transferee”); provided, that the Participant gives the Committee or its delegate advance written notice describing the terms and conditions of the proposed transfer and the Committee or its delegate notifies the Participant in writing that such a transfer would comply with the requirements of the Plan.

 

(iii)                               The terms of any Award transferred in accordance with the immediately preceding paragraph shall apply to the Permitted Transferee, and any reference in the Plan, or in any applicable Award Agreement, to the Participant shall be deemed to refer to the Permitted Transferee, except that, as otherwise provided by the Committee, (A) Permitted Transferees shall not be entitled to transfer any Award, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution; (B) Permitted Transferees shall not be entitled to exercise any transferred Option unless there shall be in effect a registration statement on an appropriate form covering the Shares to be acquired pursuant to the exercise of such Option if the Committee determines, consistent with any applicable Award Agreement, that such a registration statement is necessary or appropriate; (C) the Committee or the Company shall not be required to provide any notice to a Permitted Transferee, whether or not such notice is or would otherwise have been required to be given to the Participant under the Plan or otherwise; (D) the consequences of the termination of the Participant’s employment by, or

 

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services to, the Company or an Affiliate under the terms of the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement shall continue to be applied with respect to the transferred Award, including, without limitation, that an Option shall be exercisable by the Permitted Transferee only to the extent, and for the periods, specified in the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement; and (E) any non-competition, non-solicitation, non-disparagement, non-disclosure, or other restrictive covenants contained in any Award Agreement or other agreement between the Participant and the Company or any Affiliate shall continue to apply to the Participant.

 

(c)                                  Dividends and Dividend Equivalents.  The Committee may specify in the applicable Award Agreement that any or all dividends, dividend equivalents or other distributions, as applicable, paid on Awards prior to vesting or settlement, as applicable, be paid either in cash or in additional Shares and either on a current or deferred basis and that such dividends, dividend equivalents or other distributions may be reinvested in additional Shares, which may be subject to the same restrictions as the underlying Awards.

 

(d)                                 Tax Withholding.

 

(i)                                     The Participant shall be required to pay to the Company or any Affiliate, and the Company or any Affiliate shall have the right (but not the obligation) and is hereby authorized to withhold, from any cash, Shares, other securities or other property deliverable under any Award or from any compensation or other amounts owing to the Participant, the amount (in cash, Common Stock, other securities or other property) of any required withholding taxes (up to the maximum permissible withholding amounts) in respect of an Award, its exercise, or any payment or transfer under an Award or under the Plan and to take such other action that the Committee or the Company deem necessary to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such withholding taxes.

 

(ii)                                  Without limiting the generality of paragraph (i) above, the Committee may permit the Participant to satisfy, in whole or in part, the foregoing withholding liability by (A) payment in cash, (B) the delivery of Shares (which Shares are not subject to any pledge or other security interest) owned by the Participant having a Fair Market Value on such date equal to such withholding liability or (C) having the Company withhold from the number of Shares otherwise issuable or deliverable pursuant to the exercise or settlement of the Award a number of Shares with a Fair Market Value on such date equal to such withholding liability.  In addition, subject to any requirements of applicable law, the Participant may also satisfy the tax withholding obligations by other methods, including selling Shares that would otherwise be available for delivery, provided, that the Board or the Committee has specifically approved such payment method in advance.

 

(e)                                  No Claim to Awards; No Rights to Continued Employment, Directorship or Engagement.  No employee, Director of the Company, consultant providing service to the Company or an Affiliate, or other person, shall have any claim or right to be granted an Award under the Plan or, having been selected for the grant of an Award, to be selected for a grant of any other Award.  There is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of Participants or holders or beneficiaries of Awards.  The terms and conditions of Awards and the Committee’s determinations and interpretations with respect thereto need not be the same with respect to each Participant and

 

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may be made selectively among Participants, whether or not such Participants are similarly situated.  Neither the Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as giving any Participant any right to be retained in the employ or service of the Company or an Affiliate, or to continue in the employ or the service of the Company or an Affiliate, nor shall it be construed as giving any Participant who is a Director any rights to continued service on the Board.

 

(f)                                   International Participants.  With respect to Participants who reside or work outside of the United States or are subject to non-U.S. legal restrictions or regulations, the Committee may amend the terms of the Plan or appendices thereto, or outstanding Awards, with respect to such Participants, in order to conform such terms with or accommodate the requirements of local laws, procedures or practices or to obtain more favorable tax or other treatment for the Participant, the Company or its Affiliates.  Without limiting the generality of this subsection, the Committee is specifically authorized to adopt rules, procedures and sub-plans with provisions that limit or modify rights on death, disability, retirement or other terminations of employment, available methods of exercise or settlement of an Award, payment of income, social insurance contributions or payroll taxes, withholding procedures and handling of any stock certificates or other indicia of ownership that vary with local requirements. The Committee may also adopt rules, procedures or sub-plans applicable to particular Affiliates or locations.

 

(g)                                  Beneficiary Designation.  The Participant’s beneficiary shall be the Participant’s spouse (or domestic partner if such status is recognized by the Company and in such jurisdiction), or if the Participant is otherwise unmarried at the time of death, the Participant’s estate, except to the extent that a different beneficiary is designated in accordance with procedures that may be established by the Committee from time to time for such purpose.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the absence of a beneficiary validly designated under such Committee-established procedures and/or applicable law who is living (or in existence) at the time of death of a Participant residing or working outside the United States, any required distribution under the Plan shall be made to the executor or administrator of the estate of the Participant, or to such other individual as may be prescribed by applicable law.

 

(h)                                 Termination of Employment or Service.  The Committee, in its sole discretion, shall determine the effect of all matters and questions related to the termination of employment of or service of a Participant.  Except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, or any employment, consulting, change-in-control, severance or other agreement between the Participant and the Company or an Affiliate, unless determined otherwise by the Committee: (i) neither a temporary absence from employment or service due to illness, vacation or leave of absence (including, without limitation, a call to active duty for military service through a Reserve or National Guard unit) nor a transfer from employment or service with the Company to employment or service with an Affiliate (or vice versa) shall be considered a termination of employment or service with the Company or an Affiliate; and (ii) if the Participant’s employment with the Company or its Affiliates terminates, but such Participant continues to provide services with the Company or its Affiliates in a non-employee capacity (including as a non-employee Director) (or vice versa), such change in status shall not be considered a termination of employment or service with the Company or an Affiliate for purposes of the Plan.

 

(i)                                     No Rights as a Stockholder.  Except as otherwise specifically provided in the Plan or any Award Agreement, no person shall be entitled to the privileges of ownership in respect of

 

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Shares that are subject to Awards hereunder until such Shares have been issued or delivered to that person.

 

(j)                                    Government and Other Regulations.

 

(i)                                     Nothing in the Plan shall be deemed to authorize the Committee or Board or any members thereof to take any action contrary to applicable law or regulation, or rules of the NYSE or any other securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation service on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted.

 

(ii)                                  The obligation of the Company to settle Awards in Common Stock or other consideration shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by governmental agencies as may be required.  Notwithstanding any terms or conditions of any Award to the contrary, the Company shall be under no obligation to offer to sell or to sell, and shall be prohibited from offering to sell or selling, any Shares pursuant to an Award unless such Shares have been properly registered for sale pursuant to the Securities Act with the Securities and Exchange Commission or unless the Company has received an opinion of counsel, satisfactory to the Company, that such Shares may be offered or sold without such registration pursuant to and in compliance with the terms of an available exemption.  The Company shall be under no obligation to register for sale under the Securities Act any of the Shares to be offered or sold under the Plan.  The Committee shall have the authority to provide that all Shares or other securities of the Company or any Affiliate delivered under the Plan shall be subject to such stop-transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the Plan, the applicable Award Agreement, U.S. federal securities laws, or the rules, regulations and other requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation service upon which such Shares or other securities of the Company are then listed or quoted and any other applicable federal, state, local or non-U.S. laws, rules, regulations and other requirements, and, without limiting the generality of Section 9 of the Plan, the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be put on any such certificates of Common Stock or other securities of the Company or any Affiliate delivered under the Plan to make appropriate reference to such restrictions or may cause such Common Stock or other securities of the Company or any Affiliate delivered under the Plan in book-entry form to be held subject to the Company’s instructions or subject to appropriate stop-transfer orders.  Notwithstanding any provision in the Plan to the contrary, the Committee reserves the right to add any additional terms or provisions to any Award granted under the Plan that it in its sole discretion deems necessary or advisable in order that such Award complies with the legal requirements of any governmental entity to whose jurisdiction the Award is subject.

 

(iii)                               The Committee may cancel an Award or any portion thereof if it determines that legal or contractual restrictions and/or blockage and/or other market considerations would make the Company’s acquisition of Shares from the public markets, the Company’s issuance of Common Stock to the Participant, the Participant’s acquisition of Common Stock from the Company and/or the Participant’s sale of Common Stock to the public markets illegal, impracticable or inadvisable.  If the Committee determines to cancel all or any portion of an Award in accordance with the foregoing, unless prevented by applicable

 

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laws, the Company shall pay to the Participant an amount equal to the excess of (A) the aggregate Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to such Award or portion thereof canceled (determined as of the applicable exercise date, or the date that the Shares would have been vested or delivered, as applicable), over (B) the aggregate exercise price (in the case of an Option or SAR, respectively) or any amount payable as a condition of delivery of Shares (in the case of any other Award).  Such amount shall be delivered to the Participant as soon as practicable following the cancellation of such Award or portion thereof.

 

(k)                                 Payments to Persons Other Than Participants.  If the Committee shall find that any person to whom any amount is payable under the Plan is unable to care for such person’s affairs because of illness or accident, or is a minor, or has died, then any payment due to such person or such person’s estate (unless a prior claim therefor has been made by a duly appointed legal representative or a beneficiary designation form has been filed with the Company) may, if the Committee so directs the Company, be paid to such person’s spouse, child, or relative, or an institution maintaining or having custody of such person, or any other person deemed by the Committee to be a proper recipient on behalf of such person otherwise entitled to payment.  Any such payment shall be a complete discharge of the liability of the Committee and the Company therefor.

 

(l)                                     Nonexclusivity of the Plan.  Neither the adoption of the Plan by the Board nor the submission of the Plan to the stockholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board to adopt such other incentive arrangements as it may deem desirable, including, without limitation, the granting of stock options or awards otherwise than under the Plan, and such arrangements may be either applicable generally or only in specific cases.

 

(m)                             No Trust or Fund Created.  Neither the Plan nor any Award shall create or be construed to create a trust or separate fund of any kind or a fiduciary relationship between the Company or any Affiliate, on the one hand, and the Participant or other person or entity, on the other hand.  No provision of the Plan or any Award shall require the Company, for the purpose of satisfying any obligations under the Plan, to purchase assets or place any assets in a trust or other entity to which contributions are made or to otherwise segregate any assets, nor shall the Company maintain separate bank accounts, books, records or other evidence of the existence of a segregated or separately maintained or administered fund for such purposes.  Participants shall have no rights under the Plan other than as unsecured general creditors of the Company.

 

(n)                                 Reliance on Reports.  Each member of the Committee and each member of the Board (and each such member’s respective designees) shall be fully justified in acting or failing to act, as the case may be, and shall not be liable for having so acted or failed to act in good faith, in reliance upon any report made by the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company and its Affiliates and/or any other information furnished in connection with the Plan by any agent of the Company or the Committee or the Board, other than such member or designee.

 

(o)                                 Relationship to Other Benefits.  No payment under the Plan shall be taken into account in determining any benefits under any pension, retirement, profit sharing, group insurance or other benefit plan of the Company except as otherwise specifically provided in such other plan.

 

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(p)                                 Governing Law.  The Plan shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to principles of conflicts of laws thereof, or principles of conflicts of laws of any other jurisdiction that could cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware.

 

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

 

(r)                                    Obligations Binding on Successors.  The obligations of the Company under the Plan shall be binding upon any successor corporation or organization resulting from the merger, consolidation or other reorganization of the Company, or upon any successor corporation or organization succeeding to all or substantially all of the assets and business of the Company.

 

(s)                                   Section 409A of the Code.

 

(i)                                     It is intended that the Plan comply with Section 409A of the Code, and all provisions of the Plan shall be construed and interpreted in a manner consistent with the requirements for avoiding taxes or penalties under Section 409A of the Code.  Each Participant is solely responsible and liable for the satisfaction of all taxes and penalties that may be imposed on or in respect of such Participant in connection with the Plan or any other plan maintained by the Company, including any taxes and penalties under Section 409A of the Code, and neither the Company nor any Affiliate shall have any obligation to indemnify or otherwise hold such Participant or any beneficiary harmless from any or all of such taxes or penalties.  With respect to any Award that is considered “deferred compensation” subject to Section 409A of the Code, references in the Plan to “termination of employment” (and substantially similar phrases) shall mean “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code.  For purposes of Section 409A of the Code, each of the payments that may be made in respect of any Award granted under the Plan is designated as a separate payment.

 

(ii)                                  Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, if the Participant is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, no payments or deliveries in respect of any Awards that are “deferred compensation” subject to Section 409A of the Code shall be made to such Participant prior to the date that is six months after the date of such Participant’s “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code or, if earlier, the Participant’s date of death.  All such delayed payments or deliveries will be paid or delivered (without interest) in a single lump sum on the earliest date permitted under Section 409A of the Code that is also a business day.

 

(iii)                               In the event that the timing of payments in respect of any Award that would otherwise be considered “deferred compensation” subject to Section 409A of the Code

 

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would be accelerated upon the occurrence of (A) a Change in Control, no such acceleration shall be permitted unless the event giving rise to the Change in Control satisfies the definition of a change in the ownership or effective control of a corporation, or a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of a corporation pursuant to Section 409A of the Code and any Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder or (B) a Disability, no such acceleration shall be permitted unless the Disability also satisfies the definition of “disability” pursuant to Section 409A of the Code and any Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(t)                                    Clawback/Forfeiture.  The Committee shall have full authority to implement any policies and procedures necessary to comply with Section 10D of the Exchange Act and any rules promulgated thereunder and any other regulatory regimes.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Committee may, to the extent permitted by applicable law and stock exchange rules or by any applicable Company policy or arrangement, and shall, to the extent required, cancel or require reimbursement of any Awards granted to the Participant or any Shares issued or cash received upon vesting, exercise or settlement of any such Awards or sale of Shares underlying such Awards.  By accepting an Award, the Participant agrees that the Participant is subject to any clawback policies of the Company in effect from time to time.

 

(u)                                 No Representations or Covenants With Respect to Tax Qualification.  Although the Company may endeavor to (i) qualify an Award for favorable U.S. or non-U.S. tax treatment or (ii) avoid adverse tax treatment, the Company makes no representation to that effect and expressly disavows any covenant to maintain favorable or avoid unfavorable tax treatment. The Company shall be unconstrained in its corporate activities without regard to the potential negative tax impact on holders of Awards under the Plan.

 

(v)                                 No Interference.  The existence of the Plan, any Award Agreement, and the Awards granted hereunder shall not affect or restrict in any way the right or power of the Company, the Board, the Committee, or the stockholders of the Company to make or authorize any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization, or other change in the Company’s capital structure or its business, any merger or consolidation of the Company, any issue of stock or of options, warrants, or rights to purchase stock or of bonds, debentures, or preferred or prior preference stocks whose rights are superior to or affect the Common Stock or the rights thereof or that are convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, or the dissolution or liquidation of the Company or any Affiliate, or any sale or transfer of all or any part of their assets or business, or any other corporate act or proceeding, whether of a similar character or otherwise.

 

(w)                               Expenses; Titles and Headings.  The expenses of administering the Plan shall be borne by the Company and its Affiliates.  The titles and headings of the sections in the Plan are for convenience of reference only, and in the event of any conflict, the text of the Plan, rather than such titles or headings shall control.

 

(x)                                 Whistleblower Acknowledgments.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing in this Plan or any Award Agreement will (i) prohibit a Participant from making reports of possible violations of federal law or regulation to any governmental agency or entity in accordance with the provisions of and rules promulgated under Section 21F of the Exchange Act or Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or of any other whistleblower protection

 

25

 

provisions of federal law or regulation, or (ii) require prior approval by the Company or any of its Affiliates of any reporting described in clause (i).

 

(y)                                 Lock-Up Agreements.  The Committee may require a Participant receiving Shares pursuant to the Plan, as a condition precedent to receipt of such Shares, to enter into a shareholder agreement or “lock-up” agreement in such form as the Committee shall determine is necessary or desirable to further the Company’s interests.

 

(z)                                  Restrictive Covenants.  The Committee may impose restrictions on any Award with respect to non-competition, confidentiality and other restrictive covenants as it deems necessary or appropriate in its sole discretion.

 

*       *       *

 

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