Document:

EXHIBIT 10.1

 

SUPERVALU INC.

2012 STOCK PLAN,

AS AMENDED

MAY 6, 2013

 

 

Table of Contents

 

	
Section 1.
    	
 
    	
Purpose
    	
1
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 2.
    	
 
    	
Definitions
    	
1
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 3.
    	
 
    	
Administration
    	
4
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(a)
    	
Power and Authority of the Committee
    	
4
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(b)
    	
Delegation
    	
5
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(c)
    	
Power and Authority of the Board
    	
5
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 4.
    	
 
    	
Shares   Available for Awards
    	
5
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(a)
    	
Shares Available
    	
5
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(b)
    	
Accounting for Awards
    	
6
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(c)
    	
Adjustments
    	
6
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(d)
    	
Award Limitations Under the Plan
    	
7
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 5.
    	
 
    	
Eligibility
    	
8
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 6.
    	
 
    	
Awards
    	
8
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(a)
    	
Options
    	
8
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(b)
    	
Stock Appreciation Rights
    	
10
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(c)
    	
Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock   Units
    	
10
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(d)
    	
Performance Awards
    	
11
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(e)
    	
Dividend Equivalents
    	
12
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(f)
    	
Stock Awards
    	
12
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(g)
    	
Other Stock-Based Awards
    	
12
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(h)
    	
General
    	
12
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 7.
    	
 
    	
Amendment and   Termination; Corrections
    	
14
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(a)
    	
Amendments to the Plan
    	
14
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(b)
    	
Amendments to Awards
    	
15
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(c)
    	
Correction of Defects, Omissions and   Inconsistencies
    	
15
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 8.
    	
 
    	
Income Tax   Withholding
    	
15
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 9.
    	
 
    	
General   Provisions
    	
16
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(a)
    	
No Rights to Awards
    	
16
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(b)
    	
Award Agreements
    	
16
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(c)
    	
Plan Provisions Control
    	
16
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(d)
    	
No Rights of Stockholders
    	
16
    

 

i

 

	
(e)
    	
No Limit on Other Compensation Plans or   Arrangements
    	
16
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(f)
    	
No Right to Employment or Directorship
    	
16
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(g)
    	
Governing Law
    	
17
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(h)
    	
Severability
    	
17
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(i)
    	
No Trust or Fund Created
    	
17
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(j)
    	
Other Benefits
    	
17
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(k)
    	
No Fractional Shares
    	
17
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(l)
    	
Headings
    	
17
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(m)
    	
Consultation With Professional Tax and   Investment Advisors
    	
17
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(n)
    	
Foreign Employees and Foreign Law   Considerations
    	
17
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(o)
    	
Blackout Periods
    	
18
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 10.
    	
 
    	
Clawback or   Recoupment
    	
18
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 11.
    	
 
    	
Effective Date   of the Plan; Effect on Prior Plan
    	
18
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 12.
    	
 
    	
Term of the   Plan
    	
18
    

 

ii

 

SUPERVALU INC.

2012 STOCK PLAN

 

Section 1.                                          Purpose

 

The purpose of the Plan is to promote the interests of the Company and its stockholders by aiding the Company in attracting and retaining employees, officers, non-employee Directors, consultants, independent contractors and advisors capable of assuring the future success of the Company, to offer such persons incentives to put forth maximum efforts for the success of the Company’s business and to compensate such persons through various stock-based and other arrangements and provide them with opportunities for stock ownership in the Company, thereby aligning the interests of such persons with the Company’s stockholders.

 

Section 2.                                          Definitions

 

As used in the Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

 

(a)                     “Affiliate” shall mean (i) any entity that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, is controlled by the Company and (ii) any entity in which the Company has a significant equity interest, in each case as determined by the Committee.

 

(b)                     “Award” shall mean any Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Unit, Performance Award, Dividend Equivalent, Stock Award or Other Stock-Based Award granted under the Plan.

 

(c)                      “Award Agreement” shall mean any written agreement, contract or other instrument or document evidencing an Award granted under the Plan.  An Award Agreement may be in an electronic medium and need not be signed by a representative of the Company or the Participant.  Each Award Agreement shall be subject to the applicable terms and conditions of the Plan and any other terms and conditions (not inconsistent with the Plan) determined by the Committee.

 

(d)                     “Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(e)                      “Change of Control” shall mean any of the following events for Awards granted under the Plan:

 

(i)                                     the acquisition by any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of more than fifty percent (50%) of either (A) the then outstanding shares of common stock of the Company or (B) the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors; provided, however, that for purposes of this subsection (i), the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change of Control: (A) any acquisition directly from the Company or (B) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any corporation controlled by the Company;

 

(ii)                                  the consummation of any merger or other business combination of the Company, sale or lease of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or combination of the foregoing transactions (the “Transactions”) other than a Transaction immediately following which the stockholders of the Company and any trustee or fiduciary of any Company employee benefit plan immediately prior to the Transaction own at least sixty percent (60%) of the voting power, directly or indirectly, of (A) the surviving corporation in any such merger or other

 

 

business combination; (B) the purchaser or lessee of the Company’s assets or (C) both the surviving corporation and the purchaser or lessee in the event of any combination of Transactions; or

 

(iii)                               within any 24-month period, the persons who were directors immediately before the beginning of such period (the “Incumbent Directors”) shall cease (for any reason other than death) to constitute at least a majority of the Board or the board of directors of a successor to the Company. For this purpose, any director who was not a director at the beginning of such period shall be deemed to be an Incumbent Director if such director was elected to the Board by, or on the recommendation of or with the approval of, at least three-fourths of the directors who then qualified as Incumbent Directors (so long as such director was not nominated by a person who has expressed an intent to effect a Change of Control or engage in a proxy or other control contest).

 

(f)                       “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and any regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(g)                      “Committee” shall mean the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee of the Board or any successor committee of the Board designated by the Board to administer the Plan.  The Committee shall be comprised of not less than such number of Directors as shall be required to permit Awards granted under the Plan to qualify under Rule 16b-3, and each member of the Committee shall be a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 and an “outside director” within the meaning of Section 162(m).  The Company expects to have the Plan administered in accordance with the requirements for the award of “qualified performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m).

 

(h)                     “Company” shall mean SUPERVALU INC., a Delaware corporation, or any successor corporation.

 

(i)                         “Director” shall mean a member of the Board.

 

(j)                        “Dividend Equivalent” shall mean any right granted under Section 6(e) of the Plan.

 

(k)                     “Eligible Person” shall mean any employee, officer, non-employee Director, consultant, independent contractor or advisor providing services to the Company or any Affiliate who the Committee determines to be an Eligible Person.  An Eligible Person must be a natural person.

 

(l)                         “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

(m)                 “Fair Market Value” shall mean, with respect to any property (including, without limitation, any Shares or other securities), the fair market value of such property determined by such methods or procedures as shall be established from time to time by the Committee.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, the Fair Market Value of a Share as of a given date for purposes of the Plan shall be, if the Shares are then listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the closing sale price of one Share on the New York Stock Exchange as reported on the consolidated transaction reporting system on such date or, if the New York Stock Exchange is not open for trading on such date, on the next date that the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading.

 

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(n)                     “Incentive Stock Option” shall mean an option granted under Section 6(a) of the Plan that is intended to meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Code or any successor provision.

 

(o)                     “Non-Qualified Stock Option” shall mean an option granted under Section 6(a) of the Plan that is not intended to be an Incentive Stock Option.

 

(p)                     “Option” shall mean an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

 

(q)                     “Other Stock-Based Award” shall mean any right granted under Section 6(g) of the Plan.

 

(r)                        “Participant” shall mean an Eligible Person designated to be granted an Award under the Plan.

 

(s)                       “Performance Award” shall mean any right granted under Section 6(d) of the Plan.

 

(t)                        “Performance Goal” shall mean one or more of the following performance goals, either individually, alternatively or in any combination: sales (including identical store sales), revenue, costs, expenses, earnings (including one or more of net profit after tax, gross profit, operating profit, earnings before interest and taxes (“EBIT”), earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) and net earnings), EBIT or EBITDA as a percent of net sales, earnings per share (basic or diluted), earnings per share from continuing operations, operating income, pre-tax income, operating income margin, net income, margins (including one or more of gross, operating and net income margins), ratios (including one or more of price to earnings, debt to assets, debt to net assets and ratios regarding liquidity, solvency, fiscal capacity, productivity or risk), returns (including one or more of return on actual or proforma assets, net assets, equity, investment, capital and net capital employed), stockholder return (including total stockholder return relative to an index or peer group), stock price, market capitalization, cash generation, cash flow (including, without limitation, operating cash flow, free cash flow and cash flow return on equity), unit volume, working capital, market share, cost reductions, budget comparisons, sales or profitability of an identifiable business unit or product, economic profit or value added, number of customers, workforce satisfaction and diversity goals, environmental health and safety goals, employee retention, customer satisfaction, implementation or completion of key projects and strategic plan development and implementation.  Such goals may reflect absolute entity or business unit performance or a relative comparison to the performance of a peer group of entities or other external measure of the selected performance criteria. The foregoing measures may relate to the Company, one or more of its subsidiaries or one or more of its divisions or units, product lines or product categories or any combination of the foregoing.  To the extent consistent with Section 162(m), the Committee may, when it establishes performance criteria, also provide for the adjustment for charges related to an event or occurrence which the Committee determines is appropriate for adjustment, including, but not limited to, any of the following events: asset write-downs; litigation or claim judgments or settlements; changes in tax law, accounting principles or other such laws or provisions affecting reported results; severance, contract termination and other costs related to exiting certain business activities; acquisitions; gains or losses from the disposition of businesses or assets or from the early extinguishment of debt; and unusual, extraordinary or nonrecurring events.

 

(u)                     “Person” shall mean any individual or entity, including a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture or trust.

 

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(v)                     “Plan” shall mean the SUPERVALU INC. 2012 Stock Plan, as amended from time to time.

 

(w)                   “Restricted Stock” shall mean any Share granted under Section 6(c) of the Plan.

 

(x)                     “Restricted Stock Unit” shall mean any unit granted under Section 6(c) of the Plan evidencing the right to receive a Share (or a cash payment equal to the Fair Market Value of a Share) at some future date.

 

(y)                     “Rule 16b-3” shall mean Rule 16b-3 promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Exchange Act  or any successor rule or regulation.

 

(z)                      “Section 162(m)” shall mean Section 162(m) of the Code, or any successor provision, and the applicable Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(aa)              “Section 409A” shall mean Section 409A of the Code, or any successor provision, and applicable Treasury Regulations and other applicable guidance thereunder.

 

(bb)              “Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

(cc)                “Share” or “Shares” shall mean a share or shares of common stock, $1.00 par value per share, of the Company or such other securities or property as may become subject to Awards pursuant to an adjustment made under Section 4(c) of the Plan.

 

(dd)              “Specified Employee” shall mean a specified employee as defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B) of the Code or applicable proposed or final regulations under Section 409A, determined in accordance with procedures established by the Company and applied uniformly with respect to all plans maintained by the Company that are subject to Section 409A.

 

(ee)                “Stock Appreciation Right” shall mean any right granted under Section 6(b) of the Plan.

 

(ff)                  “Stock Award” shall mean any Share granted under Section 6(f) of the Plan.

 

Section 3.                                          Administration

 

(a)                     Power and Authority of the Committee.  The Plan shall be administered by the Committee.  Subject to the express provisions of the Plan and to applicable law, the Committee shall have full power and authority to:  (i) designate Participants; (ii) determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to each Participant under the Plan; (iii) determine the number of Shares to be covered by (or the method by which payments or other rights are to be calculated in connection with) each Award; (iv) determine the terms and conditions of any Award or Award Agreement; (v) amend the terms and conditions of any Award or Award Agreement, provided, however, that, except as otherwise permitted in connection with an event as provided under Section 4(c) hereof, the Committee shall not reprice, adjust or amend the exercise price of Options or the grant price of Stock Appreciation Rights previously awarded to any Participant, whether through amendment, cancellation and replacement grant, or any other means; (vi) accelerate the exercisability of any Award or the lapse of any restrictions relating to any Award; (vii) determine whether, to what extent and under what circumstances Awards may be exercised in cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property, or canceled, forfeited or suspended; (viii) determine whether, to what extent and under what circumstances cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards, other property and other amounts payable with

 

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respect to an Award under the Plan shall be deferred either automatically or at the election of the holder of the Award or the Committee; (ix) interpret and administer the Plan and any instrument or agreement, including any Award Agreement, relating to the Plan; (x) establish, amend, suspend or waive such rules and regulations and appoint such agents as it shall deem appropriate for the proper administration of the Plan; (xi) make any other determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan; and (xii) adopt such modifications, rules, procedures and subplans as may be necessary or desirable to comply with provisions of the laws of non-U.S. jurisdictions in which the Company or an Affiliate may operate, including, without limitation, establishing any special rules for Affiliates, Eligible Persons or Participants located in any particular country, in order to meet the objectives of the Plan and to ensure the viability of the intended benefits of Awards granted to Participants located in such non-United States jurisdictions. Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan, all designations, determinations, interpretations and other decisions under or with respect to the Plan or any Award or Award Agreement shall be within the sole discretion of the Committee, may be made at any time and shall be final, conclusive and binding upon any Participant, any holder or beneficiary of any Award or Award Agreement, and any employee of the Company or any Affiliate.

 

(b)                     Delegation.  The Committee may delegate its powers and duties under the Plan to one or more officers or Directors of the Company, subject to such terms, conditions and limitations as the Committee may establish in its sole discretion; provided, however, that the Committee shall not delegate its powers and duties under the Plan (i) with regard to officers or directors of the Company or any Affiliate who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, (ii) in such a manner as would cause the Plan not to comply with the requirements of Section 162(m) or (iii) in such a manner as would contravene Section 157 of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

(c)                      Power and Authority of the Board.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Board may, at any time and from time to time, without any further action of the Committee, exercise the powers and duties of the Committee under the Plan, unless the exercise of such powers and duties by the Board would cause the Plan not to comply with the requirements of Rule 16b-3 or Section 162(m).

 

Section 4.                                          Shares Available for Awards

 

(a)                     Shares Available.  Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4(c) of the Plan, the aggregate number of Shares that may be issued under all Awards under the Plan shall be the sum of (i) 29,500,000 and (ii) any Shares subject to awards as of May 22, 2012 under the Company’s 2007 Stock Plan that, on or after the effective date of the Plan, cease for any reason to be subject to such awards (other than by reason of exercise or settlement of such awards to the extent they are exercised for or settled in vested and nonforfeitable Shares).  The number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan pursuant to clause (ii) in the preceding sentence shall be the same number of Shares counted against the aggregate number of Shares available under the Company’s 2007 Stock Plan with respect to such awards.  Shares to be issued under the Plan may be authorized but unissued Shares, treasury shares or Shares acquired in the open market or otherwise.  If an Award terminates, is forfeited or is cancelled without the issuance of any Shares, or if any Shares covered by an Award or to which an Award relates are not issued for any other reason, then the number of Shares counted against the aggregate number of Shares available under the Plan with respect to such Award, to the extent of any such

 

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termination, forfeiture, cancellation or other event, shall again be available for granting Awards under the Plan.  If Shares of Restricted Stock are forfeited or otherwise reacquired by the Company prior to vesting, whether or not dividends have been paid on such Shares, then the number of Shares counted against the aggregate number of Shares available under the Plan with respect to such Award of Restricted Stock, to the extent of any such forfeiture or reacquisition by the Company, shall again be available for granting Awards under the Plan.  Shares that are withheld in full or partial payment to the Company of the purchase or exercise price relating to any Award or in connection with the satisfaction of tax obligations relating to any Award shall not be available for granting Awards under the Plan.  Additionally, if an Option is net exercised, as permitted by Section 6(a)(iii), the number of Shares counted against the aggregate number of Shares available under the Plan with respect to such Award shall be the gross amount of Shares subject to the Award.

 

(b)                     Accounting for Awards.  For purposes of this Section 4, if an Award entitles the holder thereof to receive or purchase Shares, the number of Shares covered by such Award or to which such Award relates shall be counted on the date of grant of such Award against the aggregate number of Shares available for granting Awards under the Plan.  With respect to Options, Stock Appreciation Rights or any other Awards under the Plan the value of which Awards is based solely on an increase in the value of the Shares after the date of grant of such Awards, the number of Shares available for Awards under the Plan shall be reduced by one Share for each Share covered by or payable under such Award or to which such Award relates.  With respect to any Awards other than Options, Stock Appreciation Rights or any other Awards under the Plan the value of which Awards is based solely on an increase in the value of the Shares after the date of grant of such Awards, the number of Shares available for Awards under the Plan shall be reduced by 2.63 Shares for each Share covered by such Award or to which such Award relates.  For Stock Appreciation Rights settled in Shares upon exercise, the aggregate number of Shares with respect to which the Stock Appreciation Right is exercised, rather than the number of Shares actually issued upon exercise, shall be counted against the number of Shares available for Awards under the Plan.  Awards that do not entitle the holder thereof to receive or purchase Shares and Awards that are settled in cash shall not be counted against the aggregate number of Shares available for Awards under the Plan.

 

(c)                      Adjustments.  In the event that any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Shares, other securities or other property), recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, repurchase or exchange of Shares or other securities of the Company, issuance of warrants or other rights to purchase Shares or other securities of the Company or other similar corporate transaction or event affects the Shares such that an adjustment is necessary in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan, then the Committee shall, in such manner as it may deem equitable, adjust any or all of (i) the number and type of Shares (or other securities or other property) that thereafter may be made the subject of Awards, (ii) the number and type of Shares (or other securities or other property) subject to outstanding Awards, (iii) the purchase price or exercise price with respect to any Award and (iv) the limitations contained in Section 4(d) of the Plan; provided, however, that the number of Shares covered by any Award or to which such Award relates shall always be a whole number.  Such adjustment shall be made by the Committee or the Board, whose determination in that respect shall be final, binding and conclusive.

 

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(d)                     Award Limitations Under the Plan.

 

(i)                         Section 162(m) Limitation for Certain Types of Awards.  No Eligible Person that may be a “covered person” within the meaning of Section 162(m) may be granted Options, Stock Appreciation Rights or any other Award or Awards under the Plan, the value of which Award or Awards is based solely on an increase in the value of the Shares after the date of grant of such Award or Awards, and which is intended to represent “qualified performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m), for more than 2,000,000 Shares or, if such Award is payable in cash, for an amount greater than the Fair Market Value of 2,000,000 Shares at the time of payment (subject, in each case, to adjustment as provided for in Section 4(c) of the Plan) in the aggregate in any calendar year.

 

(ii)                      Section 162(m) Limitations for Performance Awards.

 

(A)                   Performance Awards Denominated in Shares.  No Eligible Person that may be a “covered person” within the meaning of Section 162(m) may be granted Awards denominated in Shares under the Plan which are intended to represent “qualified performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m) (including, without limitation, Performance Awards, Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units), for more than 2,000,000 Shares (subject to adjustment as provided for in Section 4(c) of the Plan) in the aggregate in any calendar year.  The limitation contained in this Section 4(d)(ii)(A) does not apply to any Award subject to the limitations contained in Section 4(d)(i) or Section 4(d)(ii)(B).

 

(B)                   Performance Awards Denominated in Cash.  The maximum amount payable pursuant to all Performance Awards denominated in cash under the Plan which are intended to represent “qualified performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m) to any Participant that may be a “covered person” within the meaning of Section 162(m) in the aggregate in any calendar year shall be $10,000,000 in value, whether payable in cash, Shares or other property.  The limitation contained in this Section 4(d)(ii)(B) does not apply to any Award subject to the limitations contained in Section 4(d)(i) or Section 4(d)(ii)(A).

 

(iii)                   Limitation for Awards to Consultants and Advisors.  Awards will only be granted to consultants or advisors in compliance with Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

 

(iv)                  The limitations contained in this Section 4(d) shall apply only with respect to Awards granted under this Plan, and limitations on awards granted under any other stockholder approved executive incentive plan maintained by the Company will be governed solely by the terms of such other plan.

 

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Section 5.                                          Eligibility

 

Any Eligible Person shall be eligible to be designated a Participant.  In determining which Eligible Persons shall receive an Award and the terms of any Award, the Committee may take into account the nature of the services rendered by the respective Eligible Persons, their present and potential contributions to the success of the Company or such other factors as the Committee, in its discretion, shall deem relevant.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Incentive Stock Option may only be granted to full-time or part-time employees (which term as used herein includes, without limitation, officers and Directors who are also employees), and an Incentive Stock Option shall not be granted to an employee of an Affiliate unless such Affiliate is also a “subsidiary corporation” of the Company within the meaning of Section 424(f) of the Code or any successor provision.

 

Section 6.                                          Awards

 

(a)                     Options.  The Committee is hereby authorized to grant Options to Eligible Persons with the following terms and conditions and with such additional terms and conditions not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan as the Committee shall determine:

 

(i)                         Exercise Price.  The purchase price per Share purchasable under an Option shall be determined by the Committee and shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of such Option; provided, however, that the Committee may designate a purchase price below Fair Market Value on the date of grant (A) to the extent necessary or appropriate, as determined by the Committee, to satisfy applicable legal or regulatory requirements of a foreign jurisdiction or (B) if the Option is granted in substitution for a stock option previously granted by an entity that is acquired by or merged with the Company or an Affiliate.

 

(ii)                      Option Term.  The term of each Option shall be fixed by the Committee at the time of grant, but shall not be longer than 10 years from the date of grant.

 

(iii)                   Time and Method of Exercise.  The Committee shall determine the time or times at which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part and the method or methods by which, and the form or forms (including, without limitation, cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property, or any combination thereof, having a Fair Market Value on the exercise date equal to the applicable exercise price) in which, payment of the exercise price with respect thereto may be made or deemed to have been made. Alternatively, the Committee may, in its discretion, permit a Non-Qualified Stock Option (but not an Incentive Stock Option) to be exercised by delivering to the Participant a number of Shares having an aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the date of exercise) equal to the excess, if positive, of the Fair Market Value of the Shares underlying the Non-Qualified Stock Option being exercised, on the date of exercise, over the exercise price of the Non-Qualified Stock Option for such Shares.

 

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(iv)                  Incentive Stock Options.  Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, the following additional provisions shall apply to the grant of Options which are intended to qualify as Incentive Stock Options:

 

(A)                   The Committee will not grant Incentive Stock Options in which the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the time the Option is granted) of the Shares with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by any Participant during any calendar year (under this Plan and all other plans of the Company and its Affiliates) shall exceed $100,000.

 

(B)                   All Incentive Stock Options must be granted within 10 years from the earlier of the date on which this Plan was adopted by the Board or the date this Plan was approved by the stockholders of the Company.

 

(C)                   Unless sooner exercised, all Incentive Stock Options shall expire and no longer be exercisable no later than 10 years after the date of grant; provided, however, that in the case of a grant of an Incentive Stock Option to a Participant who, at the time such Option is granted, owns (within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code) stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or of its Affiliate, such Incentive Stock Option shall expire and no longer be exercisable no later than five years from the date of grant.

 

(D)                   The purchase price per Share for an Incentive Stock Option shall be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of the Incentive Stock Option; provided, however, that, in the case of the grant of an Incentive Stock Option to a Participant who, at the time such Option is granted, owns (within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code) stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or of its Affiliate, the purchase price per Share purchasable under an Incentive Stock Option shall be not less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of the Incentive Stock Option.

 

(E)                    Any Incentive Stock Option authorized under the Plan shall contain such other provisions as the Committee shall deem advisable, but shall in all events be consistent with and contain all provisions required in order to qualify the Option as an Incentive Stock Option.

 

(b)                     Stock Appreciation Rights.  The Committee is hereby authorized to grant Stock Appreciation Rights to Eligible Persons subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement.  A Stock Appreciation Right granted under the Plan shall confer on the holder thereof a right to receive upon exercise thereof the excess of (i) the Fair Market Value of one Share on the date of exercise (or, if the Committee shall so determine, at any time during a specified period before or after the date of exercise) over (ii) the grant price of the Stock Appreciation Right as specified by the Committee, which price shall not be less than

 

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100% of the Fair Market Value of one Share on the date of grant of the Stock Appreciation Right; provided, however, that the Committee may designate a per share grant price below Fair Market Value on the date of grant (A) to the extent necessary or appropriate, as determined by the Committee, to satisfy applicable legal or regulatory requirements of a foreign jurisdiction or (B) if the Stock Appreciation Right is granted in substitution for a stock appreciation right previously granted by an entity that is acquired by or merged with the Company or an Affiliate.  Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, the grant price, term, methods of exercise, dates of exercise, methods of settlement and any other terms and conditions of any Stock Appreciation Right shall be as determined by the Committee; provided, however, that the term of each Stock Appreciation Right shall not be longer than 10 years from the date of grant.  The Committee may impose such conditions or restrictions on the exercise of any Stock Appreciation Right as it may deem appropriate.

 

(c)                      Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units.  The Committee is hereby authorized to grant an Award of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units to Eligible Persons with the following terms and conditions and with such additional terms and conditions not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan as the Committee shall determine:

 

(i)                         Restrictions.  Shares of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to such restrictions as the Committee may impose (including, without limitation, any limitation on the right to vote a Share of Restricted Stock or the right to receive any dividend or other right or property with respect thereto), which restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such time or times, in such installments or otherwise as the Committee may deem appropriate.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may permit acceleration of vesting of such Awards in certain events including, but not limited to, the Participant’s death, disability, termination, retirement or a Change of Control.

 

(ii)                      Issuance and Delivery of Shares.  Any Restricted Stock granted under the Plan shall be issued at the time such Awards are granted and may be evidenced in such manner as the Committee may deem appropriate, including book-entry registration or issuance of a stock certificate or certificates, which certificate or certificates shall be held by the Company.  Such certificate or certificates shall be registered in the name of the Participant and shall bear an appropriate legend referring to the restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock.  Shares representing Restricted Stock that are no longer subject to restrictions shall be delivered to the Participant promptly after the applicable restrictions lapse or are waived.  In the case of Restricted Stock Units, no Shares shall be issued at the time such Awards are granted.  Upon the lapse or waiver of restrictions and the restricted period relating to Restricted Stock Units evidencing the right to receive Shares, such Shares shall be issued and delivered to the holder of the Restricted Stock Units.

 

(iii)                   Forfeiture.  Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, upon a Participant’s termination of employment or resignation or removal as a Director (in either case, as determined under criteria established by the Committee) during the applicable restriction period, all Shares of Restricted

 

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Stock and all Restricted Stock Units held by the Participant at such time shall be forfeited and reacquired by the Company; provided, however, that the Committee may, when it finds that a waiver would be in the best interest of the Company, waive in whole or in part any or all remaining restrictions with respect to Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units, except as otherwise provided in the Award Agreement.

 

(d)                     Performance Awards.  The Committee is hereby authorized to grant Performance Awards to Eligible Persons subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement.  A Performance Award granted under the Plan (i) may be denominated or payable in cash, Shares (including, without limitation, Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units), other securities, other Awards or other property and (ii) shall confer on the holder thereof the right to receive payments, in whole or in part, upon the achievement of one or more performance goals during such performance periods as the Committee shall establish.  Subject to the terms of the Plan, the performance goals to be achieved during any performance period, the length of any performance period, the amount of any Performance Award granted, the amount of any payment or transfer to be made pursuant to any Performance Award and any other terms and conditions of any Performance Award shall be determined by the Committee.  Performance Awards that are granted to Eligible Persons who may be “covered employees” under Section 162(m) and that are intended to be “qualified performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m), to the extent required by Section 162(m), shall be conditioned solely on the achievement of one or more objective Performance Goals established by the Committee within the time prescribed by Section 162(m), and shall otherwise comply with the requirements of Section 162(m), as described below.

 

(i)                         Timing of Designations; Duration of Performance Periods.  For each Award intended to be “qualified performance-based compensation,” the Committee shall, not later than 90 days after the beginning of each performance period, (i) designate all Participants for such performance period and (ii) establish the objective performance factors for each Participant for that performance period on the basis of one or more objective Performance Goals; provided, however,  that, with respect to such Performance Goals, the outcome is substantially uncertain at the time the Committee actually establishes each Performance Goal.  The Committee shall have sole discretion to determine the applicable performance period, provided that in the case of a performance period less than 12 months, in no event shall a Performance Goal be considered to be pre-established if it is established after 25 percent of the performance period (as scheduled in good faith at the time the Performance Goal is established) has elapsed.

 

(ii)                      Certification.  Following the close of each performance period and prior to payment of any amount to a Participant with respect to an Award intended to be “qualified performance-based compensation,” the Committee shall certify in writing as to the attainment of all factors (including the performance factors for a Participant) upon which any payments to a Participant for that performance period are to be based.

 

(iii)                   Payment of Qualified Performance Awards.  Certified Awards shall be paid no later than two and one-half months following the conclusion of the

 

11

 

applicable performance period; provided, however, that the Committee may establish procedures that allow for the payment of Awards on a deferred basis subject to the requirements of Section 409A.  The Committee may, in its discretion, reduce the amount of a payout achieved and otherwise to be paid in connection with an Award intended to be “qualified performance-based compensation,” but may not exercise discretion to increase such amount.

 

(e)                      Dividend Equivalents.  The Committee is hereby authorized to grant Dividend Equivalents to Eligible Persons under which the Participant shall be entitled to receive payments (in cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property as determined in the discretion of the Committee) equivalent to the amount of cash dividends paid by the Company to holders of Shares with respect to a number of Shares determined by the Committee.  Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, such Dividend Equivalents may have such terms and conditions as the Committee shall determine.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may not grant Dividend Equivalents to Eligible Persons in connection with grants of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights to such Eligible Persons.

 

(f)                       Stock Awards.  The Committee is hereby authorized to grant to Eligible Persons Shares without restrictions thereon, as deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purpose of the Plan.  Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, such Stock Awards may have such terms and conditions as the Committee shall determine.

 

(g)                      Other Stock-Based Awards.  The Committee is hereby authorized to grant to Eligible Persons such other Awards that are denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on or related to, Shares (including, without limitation, securities convertible into Shares), as are deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purpose of the Plan.  The Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of such Awards, subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement.  The consideration paid by the Participant may be paid by such method or methods and in such form or forms (including, without limitation, cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property or any combination thereof), as the Committee shall determine.

 

(h)                     General.

 

(i)                         Consideration for Awards.  Awards may be granted for no cash consideration or for any cash or other consideration as may be determined by the Committee or required by applicable law.

 

(ii)                      Awards May Be Granted Separately or Together.  Awards may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with or in substitution for any other Award or any award granted under any other plan of the Company or any Affiliate.  Awards granted in addition to or in tandem with other Awards or in addition to or in tandem with awards granted under any other plan of the Company or any Affiliate may be granted either at the same time as or at a different time from the grant of such other Awards or awards.

 

(iii)                   Forms of Payment under Awards.  Subject to the terms of the Plan and of any applicable Award Agreement, payments or transfers to be made by the

 

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Company or an Affiliate upon the grant, exercise or payment of an Award may be made in such form or forms as the Committee shall determine (including, without limitation, cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property or any combination thereof), and may be made in a single payment or transfer, in installments or on a deferred basis, in each case in accordance with rules and procedures established by the Committee.  Such rules and procedures may include, without limitation, provisions for the payment or crediting of reasonable interest on installment or deferred payments or the grant or crediting of Dividend Equivalents with respect to installment or deferred payments.

 

(iv)                  Term of Awards.  Subject to Section 6(a)(iv)(C), the term of each Award shall be for a period not to exceed 10 years from the date of grant as determined by the Committee at the time of grant.

 

(v)                     Limits on Transfer of Awards.  Except as provided by the Committee or by this Plan, any Award (other than Stock Awards) and any right under any such Award shall not be transferable by a Participant other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution or by transfer of an Award back to the Company, including transfer of an Award (but not any Option) to the Company in connection with a deferral election under a Company deferred compensation plan.  Notwithstanding the immediately preceding sentence, Awards of Incentive Stock Options shall not be transferable by a Participant other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.  The Committee may establish procedures as it deems appropriate for a Participant to designate a Person or Persons, as beneficiary or beneficiaries, to exercise the rights of the Participant and receive any property distributable with respect to any Award in the event of the Participant’s death.  The Committee, in its discretion and subject to such additional terms and conditions as it determines, may permit a Participant to transfer a Non-Qualified Stock Option to any “family member” (as defined in the General Instructions to Form S-8 (or any successor to such Instructions or such Form) under the Securities Act) at any time that such Participant holds such Option, provided that such transfers may not be for “value” (as defined in the General Instructions to Form S-8 (or any successor to such Instructions or such Form) under the Securities Act) and the family member may not make any subsequent transfers other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.  Each Award under the Plan or right under any such Award shall be exercisable during the Participant’s lifetime only by the Participant (except as provided herein or in an Award Agreement or amendment thereto relating to a Non-Qualified Stock Option) or, if permissible under applicable law, by the Participant’s guardian or legal representative.  No Award (other than a Stock Award) or right under any such Award may be pledged, alienated, attached or otherwise encumbered, and any purported pledge, alienation, attachment or encumbrance thereof shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or any Affiliate.

 

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(vi)                  Restrictions; Securities Exchange Listing.  All Shares or other securities delivered under the Plan pursuant to any Award or the exercise thereof shall be subject to such restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the Plan, applicable federal or state securities laws and regulatory requirements, and the Committee may cause appropriate entries to be made with respect to, or legends to be placed on the certificates for, such Shares or other securities to reflect such restrictions.  The Company shall not be required to deliver any Shares or other securities covered by an Award unless and until the requirements of any federal or state securities or other laws, rules or regulations (including the rules of any securities exchange) as may be determined by the Company to be applicable are satisfied.

 

(vii)               Section 409A Provisions.  Notwithstanding anything in the Plan or any Award Agreement to the contrary, to the extent that any amount or benefit that constitutes “deferred compensation” to a Participant under Section 409A and applicable guidance thereunder is otherwise payable or distributable to a Participant under the Plan or any Award Agreement solely by reason of the occurrence of a Change of Control or due to the Participant’s disability or “separation from service” (as defined under Section 409A), such amount or benefit will not be payable or distributable to the Participant by reason of such circumstance unless the Committee determines in good faith that (i) the circumstances giving rise to such Change of Control, disability or separation from service meet the definition of a change in ownership or control, disability or separation from service, as the case may be, in Section 409A(a)(2)(A) of the Code and applicable proposed or final regulations, or (ii) the payment or distribution of such amount or benefit would be exempt from the application of Section 409A by reason of the short-term deferral exemption or otherwise.  Any payment or distribution that otherwise would be made to a Participant who is a Specified Employee (as determined by the Committee in good faith) on account of separation from service may not be made before the date which is six months after the date of the Specified Employee’s separation from service (or if earlier, upon the Specified Employee’s death) unless the payment or distribution is exempt from the application of Section 409A by reason of the short-term deferral exemption or otherwise.

 

Section 7.                                          Amendment and Termination; Corrections

 

(a)                     Amendments to the Plan.  The Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or terminate the Plan at any time; provided, however, that, notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or any Award Agreement, prior approval of the stockholders of the Company shall be required for any amendment to the Plan that:

 

(i)                         requires stockholder approval under the rules or regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York Stock Exchange or any other securities exchange applicable to the Company;

 

(ii)                      increases the number of shares authorized under the Plan as specified in Section 4(a) of the Plan;

 

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(iii)                   increases the number of shares subject to the limitations contained in Section 4(d)(i) or Section 4(d)(ii)(A) of the Plan or the dollar amount subject to the limitation contained in Section 4(d)(ii)(B) of the Plan;

 

(iv)                  permits repricing of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights, which is prohibited by Section 3(a)(v) of the Plan;

 

(v)                     permits the award of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights at a price less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right, contrary to the provisions of Section 6(a) and Section 6(b) of the Plan; or

 

(vi)                  would cause Section 162(m) to become unavailable with respect to the Plan.

 

(b)                     Amendments to Awards.  Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee may waive any conditions of or rights of the Company under any outstanding Award, prospectively or retroactively.  Except as otherwise provided in the Plan, the Committee may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or terminate any outstanding Award, prospectively or retroactively, but no such action may adversely affect the rights of the holder of such Award without the consent of the Participant or holder or beneficiary thereof.  The Company intends that Awards under the Plan shall satisfy the requirements of Section 409A to avoid any adverse tax results thereunder, and the Committee shall administer and interpret the Plan and all Award Agreements in a manner consistent with that intent.  If any provision of the Plan or an Award Agreement would result in adverse tax consequences under Section 409A, the Committee may amend that provision (or take any other action reasonably necessary) to avoid any adverse tax results and no action taken to comply with Section 409A shall be deemed to impair or otherwise adversely affect the rights of any holder of an Award or beneficiary thereof.

 

(c)                      Correction of Defects, Omissions and Inconsistencies.  The Committee may correct any defect, supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan or in any Award or Award Agreement in the manner and to the extent it shall deem desirable to implement or maintain the effectiveness of the Plan.

 

Section 8.                                          Income Tax Withholding

 

In order to comply with all applicable federal, state, local or foreign income tax laws or regulations, the Company may take such action as it deems appropriate to ensure that all applicable federal, state, local or foreign payroll, withholding, income or other taxes, which are the sole and absolute responsibility of a Participant, are withheld or collected from such Participant.  In order to assist a Participant in paying all or a portion of the applicable taxes to be withheld or collected upon exercise or receipt of (or the lapse of restrictions relating to) an Award, the Committee, in its discretion and subject to such additional terms and conditions as it may adopt, may permit the Participant to satisfy such tax obligation by (a) electing to have the Company withhold a portion of the Shares otherwise to be delivered upon exercise or receipt of (or the lapse of restrictions relating to) such Award with a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such taxes or (b) delivering to the Company Shares other than Shares issuable upon exercise or receipt of (or the lapse of restrictions relating to) such Award with a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such taxes.  The election, if any, must be made on or before the date that the amount of tax to be withheld is determined.

 

15

 

Section 9.                                          General Provisions

 

(a)                     No Rights to Awards.  No Eligible Person, Participant or other Person shall have any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan, and there is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of Eligible Persons, Participants or holders or beneficiaries of Awards under the Plan.  The terms and conditions of Awards need not be the same with respect to any Participant or with respect to different Participants.

 

(b)                     Award Agreements.  No Participant shall have rights under an Award granted to such Participant unless and until an Award Agreement shall have been duly executed on behalf of the Company and, if requested by the Company, signed by the Participant, or until such Award Agreement is delivered and accepted through an electronic medium in accordance with procedures established by the Company.

 

(c)                      Plan Provisions Control.  In the event that any provision of an Award Agreement conflicts with or is inconsistent in any respect with the terms of the Plan as set forth herein or subsequently amended, the terms of the Plan shall control.

 

(d)                     No Rights of Stockholders.  Except with respect to Restricted Stock and Stock Awards, neither a Participant nor the Participant’s legal representative shall be, or have any of the rights and privileges of, a stockholder of the Company with respect to any Shares issuable upon the exercise or payment of any Award, in whole or in part, unless and until such Shares have been issued.

 

(e)                      No Limit on Other Compensation Plans or Arrangements.  Nothing contained in the Plan shall prevent the Company or any Affiliate from adopting or continuing in effect other or additional compensation plans or arrangements, and such plans or arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases.

 

(f)                       No Right to Employment or Directorship.  The grant of an Award shall not be construed as giving a Participant the right to be retained as an employee of the Company or any Affiliate, or the right to be retained as a Director, nor will it affect in any way the right of the Company or an Affiliate to terminate a Participant’s employment at any time, with or without cause, or remove a Director in accordance with applicable law.  In addition, the Company or an Affiliate may at any time dismiss a Participant from employment, or remove a Director who is a Participant, free from any liability or any claim under the Plan or any Award, unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or in any Award Agreement.  By participating in the Plan, each Participant shall be deemed to have accepted all the conditions of the Plan and the terms and conditions of any rules and regulations adopted by the Committee and shall be fully bound thereby.

 

(g)                      Governing Law.  The internal law, and not the law of conflicts, of the State of Delaware shall govern all questions concerning the validity, construction and effect of the Plan or any Award, and any rules and regulations relating to the Plan or any Award.

 

(h)                     Severability.  If any provision of the Plan or any Award is or becomes or is deemed to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction 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 applicable laws, or if it cannot be so construed or deemed amended without, in the determination of the Committee, materially altering the purpose or

 

16

 

intent of the Plan or the Award, such provision shall be stricken as to such jurisdiction or Award, and the remainder of the Plan or any such Award shall remain in full force and effect.

 

(i)                         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 and a Participant or any other Person.  To the extent that any Person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company or any Affiliate pursuant to an Award, such right shall be no greater than the right of any unsecured general creditor of the Company or any Affiliate.

 

(j)                        Other Benefits.  No compensation or benefit awarded to or realized by any Participant under the Plan shall be included for the purpose of computing such Participant’s compensation or benefits under any pension, retirement, savings, profit sharing, group insurance, disability, severance, termination pay, welfare or other benefit plan of the Company, unless required by law or otherwise provided by such other plan.

 

(k)                     No Fractional Shares.  No fractional Shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award, and the Committee shall determine whether cash shall be paid in lieu of any fractional Share or whether such fractional Share or any rights thereto shall be canceled, terminated or otherwise eliminated.

 

(l)                         Headings.  Headings are given to the sections and subsections of the Plan solely as a convenience to facilitate reference.  Such headings shall not be deemed in any way material or relevant to the construction or interpretation of the Plan or any provision thereof.

 

(m)                 Consultation With Professional Tax and Investment Advisors.  The holder of any Award granted hereunder acknowledges that the grant, exercise, vesting or any payment with respect to such an Award, and the sale or other disposition of the Shares acquired pursuant to the Plan, may have tax consequences pursuant to the Code or under local, state or international tax laws.  Such a holder further acknowledges that such holder is relying solely and exclusively on the holder’s own professional tax and investment advisors with respect to any and all such matters (and is not relying, in any manner, on the Company or any of its employees or representatives).  Finally, such a holder understands and agrees that any and all tax consequences resulting from the Award and its grant, exercise, vesting or any payment with respect thereto, and the sale or other disposition of the Shares acquired pursuant to the Plan, is solely and exclusively the responsibility of such holder without any expectation or understanding that the Company or any of its employees, representatives or Affiliates will pay or reimburse such holder for such taxes or other items.

 

(n)                     Foreign Employees and Foreign Law Considerations.  The Committee may grant Awards to Eligible Persons who are foreign nationals, who are located outside the United States, who are United States citizens or resident aliens on global assignments in foreign nations, who are not compensated from a payroll maintained in the United States, or who are otherwise subject to (or could cause the Company to be subject to) legal or regulatory provisions of countries or jurisdictions outside the United States, on such terms and conditions different from those specified in the Plan as may, in the judgment of the Committee, be necessary or desirable to foster and promote achievement of the purposes of the Plan, and, in furtherance of such purposes, the Committee may make such modifications, amendments, procedures, or subplans as may be necessary or advisable to comply with such legal or regulatory provisions.

 

17

 

(o)                     Blackout Periods.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan or any Award or Award Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall have the authority to establish any “blackout” period that the Company deems necessary or advisable with respect to any or all Awards.

 

Section 10.                                   Clawback or Recoupment

 

All Awards under this Plan shall be subject to forfeiture or other penalties pursuant to the Company’s Clawback Policy, as amended from time to time, and such forfeiture and/or penalty conditions or provisions as determined by the Committee and set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

Section 11.                                   Effective Date of the Plan; Effect on Prior Plan

 

The Plan shall be subject to approval by the stockholders of the Company at the annual meeting of stockholders of the Company to be held on July 17, 2012 and the Plan shall be effective as of the date of such stockholder approval.  On and after the date of stockholder approval of the Plan, no awards shall be granted under the Company’s 2007 Stock Plan, but all outstanding awards previously granted under the 2007 Stock Plan shall remain outstanding in accordance with the terms thereof.

 

Section 12.                                   Term of the Plan

 

No Award shall be granted under the Plan after (i) 10 years from the earlier of the date of adoption of the Plan by the Board or the date of stockholder approval or (ii) any earlier date of discontinuation or termination established pursuant to Section 7(a) of the Plan; provided, however, that in the case of a Performance Award intended to be “qualified performance-based compensation,” no such Performance Award shall be granted under the Plan after the fifth year following the year in which stockholders approved the Performance Goals unless and until the Performance Goals are re-approved by the stockholders.  However, unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or in an applicable Award Agreement, any Award theretofore granted may extend beyond such dates, and the authority of the Committee provided for hereunder with respect to the Plan and any Awards, and the authority of the Board to amend the Plan, shall extend beyond the termination of the Plan.

 

18EXHIBIT 10.2

 

SUPERVALU INC.

2012 STOCK PLAN

 

STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

 

This agreement is made and entered into as of the grant date indicated below (the “Grant Date”), by and between SUPERVALU INC. (the “Company”) and the individual whose name appears below (“Optionee”).

 

The Company has established the 2012 Stock Plan (the “Plan”), under which directors and key employees of the Company and its Affiliates may be granted Options to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock. Optionee has been selected by the Company to receive an Option subject to the provisions of this agreement. Capitalized terms that are used in this agreement, that are not defined, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plan.

 

In consideration of the foregoing, the Company and Optionee hereby agree as follows:

 

1.              Option Grant.  The Company hereby grants to Optionee, subject to Optionee’s acceptance hereof, the right and option to purchase the number of Shares indicated below at the exercise price per Share indicated below (the “Exercise Price”), effective as of the Grant Date. The Option has been designated as a Non-Qualified Stock Option (“NQ”) for tax purposes, the consequences of which are set forth in the prospectus that describes the Plan.

 

2.              Acceptance of Option and Stock Option Terms and Conditions.  The Option is subject to and governed by the Stock Option Terms and Conditions (“Terms and Conditions”) attached hereto, which is incorporated in the terms and provisions of the Plan.  To accept the Option, this agreement must be delivered and accepted through an electronic medium in accordance with procedures established by the Company or Optionee must sign and return a copy of this agreement to the Company within sixty (60) days after the Grant Date. By so doing, Optionee acknowledges receipt of the accompanying Terms and Conditions and the Plan, and represents that Optionee has read and understands the same and agrees to be bound by the accompanying Terms and Conditions and the terms and provisions of the Plan. In the event that any provision of this agreement or the accompanying Terms and Conditions is inconsistent with the terms and provisions of the Plan, the terms and provisions of the Plan shall govern.  Any question of administration or interpretation arising under this agreement or the accompanying Terms and Conditions shall be determined by the Committee administering the Plan, and such determination shall be final, conclusive and binding upon all parties in interest.

 

3.              Vesting, Exercise Rights and Expiration. Except as otherwise provided in the accompanying Terms and Conditions: (i) the Option shall vest on the schedule below (ii) the vested portion of the Option may be exercised in whole or part, and (iii) the Option will expire on the expiration date indicated below (the “Expiration Date”).

 

	
Option Number:
    	
%%OPTION_NUMBER%-%
    
	
Grant Date:
    	
%%OPTION_DATE,’Month   DD, YYYY’%-%
    
	
Number of Shares:
    	
%%TOTAL_SHARES_GRANTED,’999,999,999’%-%
    
	
Exercise Price:
    	
%%OPTION_PRICE,’$999,999,999.99’%-%
    
	
Expiration Date:
    	
%%EXPIRE_DATE_PERIOD1,’Month   DD, YYYY’%-%
    
	
Vesting Schedule:
    	
 
    

 

	
SUPERVALU   INC.
    	
 
    	
RECIPIENT:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	

    	
 
    	
 
    
	
By:
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Michele   A. Murphy
   Executive Vice President
    	
 
    	
%%FIRST_NAME%-%%%MIDDLE_NAME%-%   %%LAST_NAME%-%
    
	
 
    	
Human   Resources & Corporate Communications
    	
 
    	
%%EMPLOYEE_IDENTIFIER%-%
    

 

 

SUPERVALU INC.

2012 STOCK PLAN

 

STOCK OPTION TERMS AND CONDITIONS

(FOR EMPLOYEES)

 

These Stock Option Terms and Conditions (“Terms and Conditions”) apply to the Option granted to you under the Plan, pursuant to the Stock Option Agreement (the “Agreement”) to which this document is attached.  Capitalized terms that are used in this document, but are not defined, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plan or the attached Agreement.  See Section 20 for a list of defined terms.

 

1.              Vesting and Exercisability.  The Option shall vest on the date or dates and in the amount or amounts set forth in the attached Agreement.

 

The vested portion of the Option may be exercised at any time, or from time to time, to purchase Shares.  If in any year the full amount of Shares that may be purchased pursuant to the vested portion of the Option is not purchased, the remaining amount of such Shares shall be available for purchase during the remainder of the term of the Option. The term of the Option shall be for a period of ten (10) years from the Grant Date, terminating at the close of business on the Expiration Date or such shorter period as is provided for herein.

 

2.  Manner of Exercise.  Except as provided in Section 8 below, you cannot exercise the Option unless at the time of exercise you are an employee of the Company or an Affiliate.  Prior to your death or Disability (as set forth in Section 8 below), only you may exercise the Option.  You may exercise the Option as follows:

 

a)             By delivering a “Notice of Exercise of Stock Option” to the Company at its principal office, attention: Vice President, Compensation, stating the number of Shares being purchased and accompanied by payment of the full purchase price for such Shares (determined by multiplying the Exercise Price by the number of Shares to be purchased). Note: In the event the Option is exercised by any person other than you pursuant to any of the provisions of Section 7 below, the Notice must be accompanied by appropriate proof of such person’s right to exercise the Option; or

 

b)             By entering an order to exercise the Option using E*TRADE’s website.

 

3.  Method of Payment.  The full purchase price for the Shares to be purchased upon exercise of the Option must be paid as follows:

 

a)             By delivering directly to the Company, cash or its equivalent payable to the Company;

 

b)             By delivering indirectly to the Company, cash or its equivalent payable to the Company through E*TRADE’s website;

 

c)              By delivering directly to the Company Shares having a Fair Market Value as of the exercise date equal to the purchase price (commonly known as a “Stock Swap”);

 

d)             By delivering directly to the Company the full purchase price in a combination of cash and Shares; or

 

e)              By the Company delivering to you a number of Shares having an aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the date of exercise) equal to the excess, if positive, of the Fair Market Value of the Shares underlying the Option being exercised, on the date of exercise, over the exercise price of the Option for such Shares (commonly known as a “net exercise”).

 

You shall represent and warrant in writing that you are the owner of the Shares so delivered, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, security interests and restrictions. To the extent that you possess Shares in certificated form, you shall duly endorse in blank all certificates delivered to the Company.

 

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4.  Delivery of Shares.  You shall not have any of the rights of a stockholder with respect to any Shares subject to the Option until such Shares are purchased by you upon exercise of the Option.  Such Shares shall then be issued and delivered to you by the Company as follows:

 

a)             In the form of a stock certificate registered in your name or your name and the name of another adult person (twenty-one (21) years of age or older) as joint tenants, and mailed to your address; or

 

b)             In “book entry” form, that is, registered with the Company’s stock transfer agent, in your name or your name and the name of another adult person (twenty-one (21) years of age or older) as joint tenants, and sent by electronic delivery to your brokerage account.

 

The Company will not deliver any fractional Share but will pay, in lieu thereof, the Fair Market Value of such fractional Share.

 

5.  Withholding Taxes.  You are responsible for the payment of any federal, state, local or other taxes that are required to be withheld by the Company upon exercise of the Option and you must promptly remit such taxes to the Company.  You may elect to remit these taxes by:

 

a)             Delivering directly to the Company, cash or its equivalent payable to the Company;

 

b)             Delivering indirectly to the Company, cash or its equivalent payable to the Company through E*TRADE’s website;

 

c)              Having the Company withhold a portion of the Shares to be issued upon exercise of the Option having a Fair Market Value as of the exercise date equal to the amount of federal and state income tax required to be withheld upon such exercise (commonly referred to as a “Tax Swap” or “Stock for Tax”); or

 

d)             Delivering directly to the Company, Shares, other than the Shares issuable upon exercise of the Option, having a Fair Market Value as of the exercise date equal to such taxes.

 

You shall represent and warrant in writing that you are the owner of the Shares so delivered, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, security interests and restrictions.  To the extent that you possess Shares in certificated form, you shall duly endorse in blank all certificates delivered to the Company.

 

6.              Change of Control.

 

a)             If, within two (2) years after a Change of Control you experience an involuntary termination of employment initiated by the Company for reasons other than Cause, or a termination of employment for Good Reason, the unvested portion of the Option shall immediately vest and the Option shall become immediately exercisable in full and remain exercisable for one (1) year beginning on the date of your termination of employment.  If the Option is replaced pursuant to subsection (d) below, the protections and rights granted under this subsection (a) shall transfer and apply to such replacement option.

 

b)             If, in the event of a Change of Control, and to the extent the Option is not assumed by a successor corporation (or affiliate thereto) or other successor entity or person, or replaced with an award or grant that, solely in the discretionary judgment of the Committee preserves the existing value of the Option at the time of the Change of Control, then the unvested portion of the Option shall immediately vest and the Option shall become immediately exercisable in full upon the Change of Control.

 

c)              In the discretion of the Committee and notwithstanding subsection (b) above or any other provision, the Option (whether or not exercisable) may be cancelled at the time of the Change of Control in exchange for cash, property or a combination thereof that is determined by the Committee to be at least equal to the excess (if any) of the value of the consideration that would be received in such Change of Control by the holders of Common Stock, over the Exercise Price for the Option. For purposes of clarification, by operation of this provision Options that would not yield a gain at the time of the Change of Control under the aforementioned equation are subject to cancellation without consideration. Furthermore, the Committee is under no obligation to treat Options and/or holders of Options uniformly and has the discretionary authority to treat Options and/or holders of Options disparately.

 

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d)             If in the event of a Change of Control and to the extent that this Option is assumed by any successor corporation, affiliate thereof, person or other entity, or is replaced with awards that, solely in the discretionary judgment of the Committee preserve the existing value of this Option at the time of the Change of Control and provide for vesting and settlement terms that are at least as favorable to you as the vesting and payout terms applicable to this Option, then the assumed Option or such substitute therefore shall remain outstanding and be governed by its respective terms.

 

7.  Transferability.  The Option shall not be transferable other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.  More particularly, the Option may not be assigned, transferred, pledged or hypothecated in any way (whether by operation of law or otherwise) and shall not be subject to execution, attachment or similar process. Any attempted assignment, transfer, pledge, hypothecation or other disposition of the Option contrary to these provisions, or the levy of an execution, attachment or similar process upon the Option, shall be void.

 

You may designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries to exercise your rights with respect to the Option upon your death.  In the absence of any such designation, benefits remaining unpaid at your death shall be paid to your estate.

 

8.  Effect of Termination of Employment.  Following the termination of your employment with the Company or an Affiliate for any of the reasons set forth below, your right to exercise the Option, as well as that of your beneficiary or beneficiaries, shall be as follows:

 

a)             Voluntary. If your employment is terminated voluntarily, you may exercise the Option prior to its Expiration Date, at any time within a period of up to thirty (30) days after such termination of employment, to the full extent of the number of Shares you were entitled to purchase under that portion of the Option which was vested as of the date of termination of your employment.

 

b)             Involuntary. If your employment is terminated involuntarily for any reason other than death, permanent disability or Cause, you may exercise the Option prior to its Expiration Date, at any time within a period of up to one (1) year after such termination of employment, to the full extent of the number of Shares you were entitled to purchase under that portion of the Option which was vested as of the date of termination of your employment.

 

c)              Death.  If your employment terminates as a result of your death, the unvested portion of the Option shall immediately vest in full. Thereafter, the Option may be exercised prior to its Expiration Date, by your beneficiary(ies), or a legatee(s) under your last will, or your personal representative(s) or the distributee(s) of your estate, to the full extent of the Shares covered by the Option that were not previously purchased, at any time within a period of up to one (1) year after your death.

 

d)             Disability.  If your employment terminates as a result of a permanent disability the unvested portion of the Option shall immediately vest in full. Thereafter, the Option may be exercised prior to its Expiration Date, by you or by your personal representative(s), to the full extent of the Shares covered by the Option that were not previously purchased, at any time within a period of one (1) year after your employment terminates due to such permanent disability.

 

You shall be considered permanently disabled if you suffer from a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that renders you incapable of performing any substantial gainful employment, and is evidenced by a certification to such effect by a doctor of medicine approved by the Company.  In lieu of such certification, the Company shall accept, as proof of permanent disability, your eligibility for long-term disability payments under the applicable Long-Term Disability Plan of the Company

 

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e)          Cause.  If your employment is terminated for Cause, you may exercise the option prior to the date of termination of your employment to the full extent of the number of Shares you are entitled to purchase under that portion of the Option which was vested as of the date of exercise.

 

f)               Change in Duties/Leave of Absence.  The Option shall not be affected by any change of your duties or position or by a temporary leave of absence approved by the Company, so long as you continue to be an employee of the Company or of an Affiliate.

 

9.  Repurchase Rights.  If you exercise the Option within six (6) months prior to your employment with the Company or an Affiliate is terminated for Cause, or if you breach any of the covenants contained in Section 10 below, the Company shall have the right and option to repurchase from you, that number of Shares which is equal to the number you purchased upon such exercise(s) within such time periods, and you agree to sell such Shares to the Company.

 

The Company may exercise its repurchase rights by depositing in the United States mail a written notice addressed to you at the latest mailing address for you on the records of the Company (i) within thirty (30) days following the termination of your employment for the repurchase of Shares purchased prior to such termination, or (ii) within thirty (30) days after any exercise of the Option for the repurchase of Shares purchased after your termination of employment. Within thirty (30) days after the mailing of such notice, you shall deliver to the Company the number of Shares the Company has elected to repurchase and the Company shall pay to you in cash, as the repurchase price for such Shares upon their delivery, an amount which shall be equal to the purchase price paid by you for the Shares. If you have disposed of the Shares, then in lieu of delivering an equivalent number of Shares to the Company, you must pay to the Company the amount of gain realized by you from the disposition of the Shares exclusive of any taxes due and payable or commissions or fees arising from such disposition.

 

If the Company exercises its repurchase option prior to the actual issuance and delivery to you of any Shares pursuant to the exercise of the Option, no Shares need be issued or delivered. In lieu thereof, the Company shall return to you the purchase price you tendered upon the exercise of the Option to the extent that it was actually received from you by the Company.

 

Following the occurrence of a Change of Control, the Company shall have no right to exercise the repurchase rights set forth in this Section 9.

 

10. Employee Covenants.  In consideration of benefits described elsewhere in these Terms and Conditions and the attached Agreement, and in recognition of the fact that, as a result of your employment with the Company or any of its Affiliates, you have had or will have access to and gain knowledge of highly confidential or proprietary information or trade secrets pertaining to the Company or its Affiliates, as well as the customers, suppliers, joint ventures, licensors, licensees, distributors or other persons and entities with whom the Company or any of its Affiliates does business (“Confidential Information”), which the Company or its Affiliates have expended time, resources and money to obtain or develop and which have significant value to the Company and its Affiliates, you agree for the benefit of the Company and its Affiliates, and as a material condition to your receipt of benefits described elsewhere in these Terms and Conditions and the attached Agreement, as follows:

 

a)             Non-Disclosure of Confidential Information.  You acknowledge that you will receive access or have received access to Confidential Information about the Company or its Affiliates, that this information was obtained or developed by the Company or its Affiliates at great expense and is zealously guarded by the Company and its Affiliates from unauthorized disclosure, and that your possession of this special knowledge is due solely to your employment with the Company or one (1) or more of its Affiliates.  In recognition of the foregoing, you will not at any time during employment or following termination of employment for any reason, disclose, use or otherwise make available to any third party, any Confidential Information relating to the Company’s or any Affiliate’s business, products, services, customers, vendors, or suppliers; trade secrets, data, specifications, developments, inventions and research activity; marketing 

 

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and sales strategies, information and techniques; long and short term plans; existing and prospective client, vendor, supplier and employee lists, contacts and information; financial, personnel and information system information and applications; and any other information concerning the business of the Company or its Affiliates which is not disclosed to the general public or known in the industry, except for disclosure necessary in the course of your duties or with the express written consent of the Company.  All Confidential Information, including all copies, notes regarding and replications of such Confidential Information will remain the sole property of the Company or its Affiliate, as applicable, and must be returned to the Company or such Affiliate immediately upon termination of your employment.

 

b)             Return of Property.  Upon termination of employment with the Company or any of its Affiliates, or at any other time at the request of the Company, you shall deliver to a designated Company representative all records, documents, hardware, software and all other property of the Company or its Affiliates and all copies of such property in your possession.  You acknowledge and agree that all such materials are the sole property of the Company or its Affiliates and that you will certify in writing to the Company at the time of delivery, whether upon termination or otherwise, that you have complied with this obligation.

 

c)              Non-Solicitation of Existing or Prospective Customers, Vendors and Suppliers.  You specifically acknowledge that the Confidential Information described in Section 10(a) includes confidential data pertaining to existing and prospective customers, vendors and suppliers of the Company or its Affiliates; that such data is a valuable and unique asset of the business of the Company or its Affiliates; and that the success or failure of their businesses depends upon their ability to establish and maintain close and continuing personal contacts and working relationships with such existing and prospective customers, vendors and suppliers and to develop proposals which are specific to such existing and prospective customers, vendors and suppliers.  Therefore, during your employment with the Company or any of its Affiliates and for the twelve (12) months following termination of employment for any reason, you agree that you will not, except on behalf of the Company or its Affiliates, or with the Company’s express written consent, solicit, approach, contact or attempt to solicit, approach or contact, either directly or indirectly, on your own behalf or on behalf of any other person or entity, any existing or prospective customers, vendors or suppliers of the Company or its Affiliates with whom you had contact or about whom you gained Confidential Information during your employment with the Company or its Affiliates for the purpose of obtaining business or engaging in any commercial relationship that would be competitive with the “Business of the Company” (as defined below in Section 10(e)(i)) or cause such customer, supplier or vendor to materially change or terminate its business or commercial relationship with the Company or its Affiliates.

 

d)             Non-Solicitation of Employees.  You specifically acknowledge that the Confidential Information described in Section 10(a) also includes confidential data pertaining to employees and agents of the Company or its Affiliates, and you further agree that during your employment with the Company or its Affiliates and for the twelve (12) months following termination of employment for any reason, you will not, directly or indirectly, on your own behalf or on behalf of any other person or entity, solicit, contact, approach, encourage, induce or attempt to solicit, contact, approach, encourage or induce any of the employees or agents of the Company or its Affiliates to terminate their employment or agency with the Company or any of its Affiliates.

 

e)              Non-Competition.  You covenant and agree that during your employment with the Company or any of its Affiliates and for the twelve (12) months following termination of employment for any reason, you will not, in any geographic market in which you worked on behalf of the Company or any of its Affiliates, or for which you had any sales, marketing, operational, logistical or other management or oversight responsibility, engage in or carry on, directly or indirectly, as an owner, employee, agent, associate, consultant, partner or in any other capacity, a business competitive with the Business of the Company.

 

i)                 The “Business of the Company” shall mean any business or activity involved in grocery or general merchandise retailing and supply chain logistics, including but not limited to grocery distribution, 

 

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business-to-business portal, retail support services and third-party logistics, of the type provided by the Company or its Affiliates, or presented in concept to you by the Company or its Affiliates at any time during your employment with the Company or any of its Affiliates.

 

ii)              To “engage in or carry on” shall mean to have ownership in such business (excluding ownership of up to one percent (1%) of the outstanding shares of a publicly-traded company) or to consult, work in, direct or have responsibility for any area of such business, including but not limited to operations, logistics, sales, marketing, finance, recruiting, sourcing, purchasing, information technology or customer service.

 

f)               No Disparaging Statements.  You agree that you will not make any disparaging statements about the Company, its Affiliates, directors, officers, agents, employees, products, pricing policies or services.

 

g)              Remedies for Breach of These Covenants.  Any breach of the covenants in this Section 10 likely will cause irreparable harm to the Company or its Affiliates for which money damages could not reasonably or adequately compensate the Company or its Affiliates.  Accordingly, the Company or any of its Affiliates shall be entitled to all forms of injunctive relief (whether temporary, emergency, preliminary, prospective or permanent) to enforce such covenants, in addition to damages and other available remedies, and you consent to the issuance of such an injunction without the necessity of the Company or any such Affiliate posting a bond or, if a court requires a bond to be posted, with a bond of no greater than $500 in principal amount.  In the event that injunctive relief or damages are awarded to the Company or any of its Affiliates for any breach by you of this Section 10, you further agree that the Company or such Affiliate shall be entitled to recover its costs and attorneys’ fees necessary to obtain such recovery.  In addition, you agree that upon your breach of any covenant in this Section 10, the Option, and any other unexercised options issued under the Plan or any other stock option plans of the Company will immediately terminate and the Company shall have the right to exercise any and all of the rights described above including the provisions articulated in Section 9.

 

h)             Enforceability of These Covenants.  It is further agreed and understood by you and the Company that if any part, term or provision of these Terms and Conditions should be held to be unenforceable, invalid or illegal under any applicable law or rule, the offending term or provision shall be applied to the fullest extent enforceable, valid or lawful under such law or rule, or, if that is not possible, the offending term or provision shall be struck and the remaining provisions of these Terms and Conditions shall not be affected or impaired in any way.

 

11.  Arbitration.  You and the Company agree that any controversy, claim or dispute arising out of or relating to the attached Agreement or the breach of any of these Terms and Conditions, or arising out of or relating to your employment relationship with the Company or any of its Affiliates, or the termination of such relationship, shall be resolved by final and binding arbitration under the Employment Arbitration Rules and Mediation Procedures of the American Arbitration Association, or other neutral arbitrator and rules as mutually agreed to by you and the Company, except for claims by the Company relating to your alleged breach of any of the employee covenants set forth in Section 10 above.  This agreement to arbitrate specifically includes, but is not limited to, discrimination claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and under state and local laws prohibiting employment discrimination.  Nothing in this Section 11 shall preclude the Company from pursuing a court action to obtain a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction relating to the alleged breach of any of the covenants set forth in Section 10.  The agreement to arbitrate shall continue in full force and effect despite the expiration or termination of your Option or your employment relationship with the Company or any of its Affiliates.  You and the Company agree that any award rendered by the arbitrator must be in writing and include the findings of fact and conclusions of law upon which it is based, shall be final and binding and that judgment upon the final award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.  The arbitrator may grant any remedy or relief that the arbitrator deems just and equitable, including any remedy or relief that would have been available to you or the Company or any of its Affiliates had the matter been heard in court.  All expenses of arbitration, including the required travel and 

 

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other expenses of the arbitrator and any witnesses, and the costs relating to any proof produced at the direction of the arbitrator, shall be borne equally by you and the Company unless otherwise mutually agreed or unless the arbitrator directs otherwise in the award.  The arbitrator’s compensation shall be borne equally by you and the Company unless otherwise mutually agreed or the law provides otherwise.

 

12.  Adjustments. In the event that any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Shares, other securities or other property), recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, repurchase or exchange of Shares or other securities of the Company, issuance of warrants or other rights to purchase Shares or other securities of the Company or other similar corporate transaction or event affects the Shares covered by the Option such that an adjustment is necessary in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under these Terms and Conditions and the attached Agreement, then the Committee administering the Plan shall, in such manner as it may deem equitable, adjust any or all of the number and type of Shares (or other securities or other property) covered by the Option and the Exercise Price of the Option.

 

13.  Severability.  In the event that any portion of these Terms and Conditions shall be held to be invalid, the same shall not affect in any respect whatsoever the validity and enforceability of the remainder of these Terms and Conditions.

 

14.  No Right to Employment.  Nothing in these Terms and Conditions or the attached Agreement or the Plan shall be construed as giving you the right to be retained as an employee of the Company.  In addition, the Company may at any time dismiss you from employment, free from any liability or any claim under these Terms and Conditions or the attached Agreement, unless otherwise expressly provided in these Terms and Conditions or the attached Agreement.

 

15.  Reservation of Shares.  The Company shall at all times during the term of the Option reserve and keep available such number of Shares as will be sufficient to satisfy the requirements of these Terms and Conditions and the attached Agreement.

 

16.  Securities Matters.  The Company shall not be required to deliver any Shares until the requirements of any federal or state securities or other laws, rules or regulations (including the rules of any securities exchange) as may be determined by the Company to be applicable are satisfied.

 

17.  Headings.  Headings are given to the sections and subsections of these Terms and Conditions and the attached Agreement solely as a convenience to facilitate reference.  Such headings shall not be deemed in any way material or relevant to the construction or interpretation of these Terms and Conditions or the attached Agreement or any provision hereof or thereof.

 

18.  Governing Law.  The internal law, and not the law of conflicts, of the State of Delaware will govern all questions concerning the validity, construction and effect of these Terms and Conditions and the attached Agreement.

 

19.  Notice.  For purpose of the Agreement and these Terms and Conditions, notices and all other communications provided for in the Agreement, these Terms and Conditions or contemplated by either shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when personally delivered or when mailed United States certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, and addressed, in the case of the Company, to the Company at:

 

P.O. Box 990

Minneapolis, MN 55440

Attention:  Corporate Secretary

 

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and in the case of you, to you at the most current address shown on your employment records.  Either party may designate a different address by giving notice of change of address in the manner provided above, except that notices of change of address shall be effective only upon receipt.

 

a)             Notice of Termination by Company.  Any purported termination of employment of you by the Company (whether for Cause or without Cause) shall be communicated by a Notice of Termination to you.  No purported termination of employment of you by the Company shall be effective without a Notice of Termination having been given.

 

b)             Good Reason Notice by You.  Any purported termination of employment by you for Good Reason shall be communicated by a Notice of Termination to the Company.  Your termination of employment will not be for Good Reason unless (i) you give the Company written notice of the event or circumstance which you claim is the basis for Good Reason within six (6) months of such event or circumstance first occurring, and (ii) the Company is given thirty (30) days from its receipt of such notice within which to cure or resolve the event or circumstance so noticed.  If the circumstance is cured or resolved within said thirty (30) days, your termination of employment will not be for Good Reason.

 

20.  Definitions.  The following terms, and terms derived from the following terms, shall have the following meanings when used in these Terms and Conditions or the attached Agreement with initial capital letters unless, in the context, it would be unreasonable to do so.

 

a)             Cause shall mean:

 

i)                 your continued failure to perform your duties with the Company (other than any such failure resulting from incapacity due to physical or mental illness), after a written demand for substantial performance is delivered to you by the Board or an officer of the Company which specifically identifies the manner in which the Board or the officer believes that you have not substantially performed your duties;

 

ii)              the conviction of, or plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, a felony or the willful engaging by you in conduct which is materially and demonstrably injurious to the Company;

 

iii)           your commission of a material act or material acts of personal dishonesty intended to result in your substantial personal enrichment at the expense of the Company; or

 

iv)          your material violation of Company policies relating to Code of Business Conduct, Equal Employment Opportunities and Harassment or Workplace Violence;

 

provided, however, that in no event shall Cause exist by virtue of any action taken by you (A) in compliance with express written directions of the Board, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer or the officer to whom you report, or (B) in reliance upon the express written consent of the Company’s counsel.

 

In each case above, for a termination of employment to be for Cause, you must be provided with a Notice of Termination (as described in Section 19(a)) within six (6) months after the Company has actual knowledge of the act or omission constituting Cause.  Whether a termination of employment is for Cause as provided above will be determined by the Company in its sole discretion based on all the facts and circumstances.

 

b)             Change of Control shall be deemed to have occurred upon any of the following events:

 

i)                 the acquisition by any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of fifty percent (50%) or more of either (A) the then outstanding shares of common stock of the Company, or (B) the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors; provided, however, that for purposes of this subsection (i), the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change of Control:  (A) any acquisition directly from the Company, or (B) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any corporation controlled by the Company;;

 

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ii)              the consummation of any merger or other business combination of the Company, sale or lease of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or combination of the foregoing transactions (the “Transactions”) other than a Transaction immediately following which the stockholders of the Company and any trustee or fiduciary of any Company employee benefit plan immediately prior to the Transaction own at least sixty percent (60%) of the voting power, directly or indirectly, of (A) the surviving corporation in any such merger or other business combination; (B) the purchaser or lessee of the Company’s assets, or (C) both the surviving corporation and the purchaser or lessee in the event of any combination of Transactions; or

 

iii)           within any 24-month period, the persons who were directors immediately before the beginning of such period (the “Incumbent Directors”) shall cease (for any reason other than death) to constitute at least a majority of the Board or the board of directors of a successor to the Company.  For this purpose, any director who was not a director at the beginning of such period shall be deemed to be an Incumbent Director if such director was elected to the Board by, or on the recommendation of or with the approval of, at least three-fourths of the directors who then qualified as Incumbent Directors (so long as such director was not nominated by a person who has expressed an intent to effect a Change of Control or engage in a proxy or other control contest).

 

c)              Change of Control Date shall mean the date on which a Change of Control occurs.

 

d)             Good Reason shall mean any one (1) or more of the following events occurring during the two-year period following the Change of Control Date:

 

i)                 your annual base salary is reduced below the amount in effect on the Change of Control Date;

 

ii)              your Target Bonus is reduced below the Target Bonus as it existed on the Change of Control Date;

 

iii)           your title is reduced from the title that you had on the Change of Control Date, or your duties and responsibilities are materially and adversely diminished in comparison to the duties and responsibilities that you had on the Change of Control Date other than in a general reduction of the number or scope of personnel for which you are responsible for supervising which reduction occurs in connection with a restructuring or recapitalization of the Company or the division of the Company in which you work;

 

iv)          the program of long term incentive compensation is materially and adversely diminished in comparison to the program of long term incentive compensation as it existed for you on the Change of Control Date (for purposes of this clause (iv), a reduction of fifteen percent (15%) or more of the target dollar amount of your long term incentive compensation as it existed for you on the Change of Control Date based on your most recent award of long term incentive compensation prior to the Change of Control Date shall be considered to be material and adverse); or

 

v)             you are required to be based at a location more than forty-five (45) miles from the location where you were based and performed services on the Change of Control Date;

 

provided, however, that any diminution of duties or responsibilities that occurs solely as a result of the fact that the Company ceases to be a public company or that the size of the Company has been reduced as a result of the Change of Control shall not, in and of itself, constitute Good Reason.

 

e)              Notice of Termination shall mean a written notice which shall indicate the specific provision in these Terms and Conditions relied upon and shall set forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for your termination of employment under the provisions so indicated.

 

f)               Target Bonus shall mean the target amount of bonus established under the annual bonus plan for you for the year in which the termination of employment occurs. When the context requires, it shall also mean the target amount of bonus established for any earlier or later year.

 

Original Approval:

 

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