Document:

Exhibit 10.2

 

CACTUS, INC.

 

Long Term Incentive Plan

 

1.                                      Purpose.  The purpose of the Cactus, Inc. Long Term Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is to provide a means through which (a) Cactus, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and its Affiliates may attract, retain and motivate qualified persons as employees, directors and consultants, thereby enhancing the profitable growth of the Company and its Affiliates and (b) persons upon whom the responsibilities of the successful administration and management of the Company and its Affiliates rest, and whose present and potential contributions to the Company and its Affiliates are of importance, can acquire and maintain stock ownership or awards the value of which is tied to the performance of the Company, thereby strengthening their concern for the Company and its Affiliates. Accordingly, the Plan provides for the grant of Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Stock Awards, Dividend Equivalents, Other Stock-Based Awards, Cash Awards, Substitute Awards, Performance Awards, or any combination of the foregoing, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.

 

2.                                      Definitions.  For purposes of the Plan, the following terms shall be defined as set forth below:

 

(a)                                 “Affiliate” means any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, association, trust or other organization that, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Company.  For purposes of the preceding sentence, “control” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as used with respect to any entity or organization, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power (i) to vote more than 50% of the securities having ordinary voting power for the election of directors of the controlled entity or organization or (ii) to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of the controlled entity or organization, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise.

 

(b)                                 “ASC Topic 718” means the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, Compensation — Stock Compensation, as amended or any successor accounting standard.

 

(c)                                  “Award” means any Option, SAR, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Unit, Stock Award, Dividend Equivalent, Other Stock-Based Award, Cash Award, Substitute Award or Performance Award, together with any other right or interest, granted under the Plan.

 

(d)                                 “Award Agreement” means any written instrument (including any employment, severance or change in control agreement) that sets forth the terms, conditions, restrictions and/or limitations applicable to an Award, in addition to those set forth under the Plan.

 

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

 

(f)                                   “Cash Award” means an Award denominated in cash granted under Section 6(i).

 

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(g)                                  “Change in Control” means, except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, the occurrence of any of the following events after the Effective Date:

 

(i)                                     A “change in the ownership” of the Company within the meaning of Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3(i)(5)(v), whereby any one person, or more than one person acting as a “group” (for purposes of this Section 2(g)(i), as such term is defined in Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3(i)(5)(v)(B)), acquires ownership of stock in the Company that, together with stock held by such person or group, constitutes more than 50% of the total fair market value or total voting power of the stock of the Company.

 

(ii)                                  A “change in the effective control” of the Company within the meaning of Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3(i)(5)(vi), whereby either (A) any one person, or more than one person acting as a “group” (for purposes of this Section 2(g)(ii), as such term is defined in Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3(i)(5)(vi)(D)), acquires (or has acquired during the 12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons) ownership of stock of the Company possessing 30% or more of the total voting power of the stock of the Company; or (B) a majority of the members of the Board are replaced during any 12-month period by directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the members of the Board prior to the date of the appointment or election.

 

(iii)                               A “change in the ownership of a substantial portion” of the Company’s assets within the meaning of Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3(i)(5)(vii), whereby any one person, or more than one person acting as a “group” (for purposes of this Section 2(g)(iii), as such term is defined in Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3(i)(5)(vii)(C)), acquires (or has acquired during the 12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons) assets of the Company that have a total gross fair market value equal to or more than 40% of the total gross fair market value of all the assets of the Company immediately prior to such acquisition or acquisitions.

 

The preceding provisions of this Section 2(g) are intended to merely summarize the provisions of Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3(i)(5) and, to the extent that the preceding provisions of this Section 2(g) do not incorporate fully all of the provisions (or are otherwise inconsistent with the provisions) of Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3(i)(5), then the relevant provisions of such Treasury Regulation shall control.

 

(h)                                 “Change in Control Price” means the amount determined in the following clause (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) or (v), whichever the Committee determines is applicable, as follows:  (i) the price per share offered to holders of Stock in any merger or consolidation, (ii) the per share Fair Market Value of the Stock immediately before the Change in Control or other event without regard to assets sold in the Change in Control or other event and assuming the Company has received the consideration paid for the assets in the case of a sale of the assets, (iii) the amount distributed per share of Stock in a dissolution transaction, (iv) the price per share offered to holders of Stock in any tender offer or exchange offer whereby a Change in Control or other event takes place, or (v) if such Change in Control or other event occurs other than pursuant to a transaction described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) of this Section 2(h), the value per share of the Stock that may otherwise be obtained with respect to such Awards or to which such Awards track, as determined by the Committee as of the date determined by the Committee to be the date

 

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of cancellation and surrender of such Awards.  In the event that the consideration offered to stockholders of the Company in any transaction described in this Section 2(h) or in Section 8(e) consists of anything other than cash, the Committee shall determine the fair cash equivalent of the portion of the consideration offered which is other than cash and such determination shall be binding on all affected Participants to the extent applicable to Awards held by such Participants.

 

(i)                                     “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, including the guidance and regulations promulgated thereunder and successor provisions, guidance and regulations thereto.

 

(j)                                    “Committee” means a committee of two or more directors designated by the Board to administer the Plan; provided, however, that, unless otherwise determined by the Board, the Committee shall consist solely of two or more Qualified Members.

 

(k)                                 “Covered Employee” means an Eligible Person who is (i) a “covered employee” within the meaning of Section 162(m) or (ii) designated by the Committee, at the time of grant of a Performance Award or at any subsequent time, as reasonably expected to be a “covered employee” with respect to the taxable year of the Company in which any applicable Award will be paid.

 

(l)                                     “Dividend Equivalent” means a right, granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(g), to receive cash, Stock, other Awards or other property equal in value to dividends paid with respect to a specified number of shares of Stock, or other periodic payments.

 

(m)                             “Effective Date” means          , 2017.

 

(n)                                 “Eligible Person” means any individual who, as of the date of grant of an Award, is an officer or employee of the Company or of any of its Affiliates, and any other person who provides services to the Company or any of its Affiliates, including directors of the Company; provided, however, that, any such individual must be an “employee” of the Company or any of its parents or subsidiaries within the meaning of General Instruction A.1(a) to Form S-8 if such individual is granted an Award that may be settled in Stock.  An employee on leave of absence may be an Eligible Person.

 

(o)                                 “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, including the guidance, rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and successor provisions, guidance, rules and regulations thereto.

 

(p)                                 “Fair Market Value” of a share of Stock means, as of any specified date, (i) if the Stock is listed on a national securities exchange, the closing sales price of the Stock, as reported on the stock exchange composite tape on that date (or if no sales occur on such date, on the last preceding date on which such sales of the Stock are so reported); (ii) if the Stock is not traded on a national securities exchange but is traded over the counter on such date, the average between the reported high and low bid and asked prices of Stock on the most recent date on which Stock was publicly traded on or preceding the specified date; or (iii) in the event Stock is not publicly traded at the time a determination of its value is required to be made under the Plan, the amount determined by the Committee in its discretion in such manner as it deems appropriate, taking into account all factors the Committee deems appropriate, including the

 

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Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules.  Notwithstanding this definition of Fair Market Value, with respect to one or more Award types, or for any other purpose for which the Committee must determine the Fair Market Value under the Plan, the Committee may elect to choose a different measurement date or methodology for determining Fair Market Value so long as the determination is consistent with  the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules and all other applicable laws and regulations.

 

(q)                                 “ISO” means an Option intended to be and designated as an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.

 

(r)                                    “Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules” means the limitations or requirements of Section 409A of the Code, as amended from time to time, including the guidance and regulations promulgated thereunder and successor provisions, guidance and regulations thereto.

 

(s)                                   “Nonstatutory Option” means an Option that is not an ISO.

 

(t)                                    “Option” means a right, granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(b), to purchase Stock at a specified price during specified time periods, which may either be an ISO or a Nonstatutory Option.

 

(u)                                 “Other Stock-Based Award” means an Award granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(h).

 

(v)                                 “Participant” means a person who has been granted an Award under the Plan that remains outstanding, including a person who is no longer an Eligible Person.

 

(w)                               “Performance Award” means an award granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(k), the grant, vesting, exercisability and/or settlement of which (and/or the timing or amount thereof) is subject to the achievement of one or more performance goals specified by the Committee.

 

(x)                                 “Qualified Member” means a member of the Board who is (i) a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3(b)(3), (ii) following expiration of the Transition Period (as defined below), an “outside director” within the meaning of Section 162(m), and (iii) “independent” under the listing standards or rules of the securities exchange upon which the Stock is traded, but only to the extent such independence is required in order to take the action at issue pursuant to such standards or rules.

 

(y)                                 “Restricted Stock” means Stock granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(d) that is subject to certain restrictions and to a risk of forfeiture.

 

(z)                                  “Restricted Stock Unit” means a right, granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(e), to receive Stock, cash or a combination thereof at the end of a specified period (which may or may not be coterminous with the vesting schedule of the Award).

 

(aa)                          “Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3, promulgated by the SEC under Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

 

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(bb)                          “SAR” means a stock appreciation right granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(c).

 

(cc)                            “SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

(dd)                          “Section 162(m)” means Section 162(m) of the Code and Treasury Regulation § 1.162-27, as amended from time to time, and any other guidance and regulations promulgated thereunder and successor provisions, guidance and regulations thereto.

 

(ee)                            “Section 162(m) Award” means a Performance Award granted under Section 6(k)(i) to a Covered Employee that is intended to satisfy the requirements for “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m).

 

(ff)                              “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time, including the guidance, rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and successor provisions, guidance, rules and regulations thereto.

 

(gg)                            “Stock” means the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, and such other securities as may be substituted (or re-substituted) for Stock pursuant to Section 8.

 

(hh)                          “Stock Award” means unrestricted shares of Stock granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(f).

 

(ii)                                  “Substitute Award” means an Award granted under Section 6(j).

 

3.                                      Administration.

 

(a)                                 Authority of the Committee.  The Plan shall be administered by the Committee except to the extent the Board elects to administer the Plan, in which case references herein to the “Committee” shall be deemed to include references to the “Board.”  Subject to the express provisions of the Plan, Rule 16b-3 and other applicable laws, the Committee shall have the authority, in its sole and absolute discretion, to:

 

(i) designate Eligible Persons as Participants;

 

(ii) determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to an Eligible Person;

 

(iii) determine the number of shares of Stock or amount of cash to be covered by Awards;

 

(iv) determine the terms and conditions of any Award, including whether, to what extent and under what circumstances Awards may be vested, settled, exercised, cancelled or forfeited (including conditions based on continued employment or service requirements or the achievement of one or more performance goals);

 

(v) modify, waive or adjust any term or condition of an Award that has been granted, which may include the acceleration of vesting, waiver of forfeiture restrictions, modification of the form of settlement of the Award (for example, from cash to Stock or

 

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vice versa), early termination of a performance period, or modification of any other condition or limitation regarding an Award;

 

(vi) determine the treatment of an Award upon a termination of employment or other service relationship;

 

(vii) impose a holding period with respect to an Award or the shares of Stock received in connection with an Award;

 

(viii) interpret and administer the Plan and any Award Agreement;

 

(ix) correct any defect, supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan, in any Award, or in any Award Agreement; and

 

(x) make any other determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan.

 

The express grant of any specific power to the Committee, and the taking of any action by the Committee, shall not be construed as limiting any power or authority of the Committee.  Any action of the Committee shall be final, conclusive and binding on all persons, including the Company, its Affiliates, stockholders, Participants, beneficiaries, and permitted transferees under Section 7(a) or other persons claiming rights from or through a Participant.

 

(b)                                 Exercise of Committee Authority.  At any time that a member of the Committee is not a Qualified Member, any action of the Committee relating to (i) an Award granted or to be granted to an Eligible Person who is then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act in respect of the Company where such action is not taken by the full Board, or (ii) a Section 162(m) Award, may be taken either (A) by a subcommittee, designated by the Committee, composed solely of two or more Qualified Members, or (B) by the Committee but with each such member who is not a Qualified Member abstaining or recusing himself or herself from such action; provided, however, that upon such abstention or recusal, the Committee remains composed solely of two or more Qualified Members.  Such action, authorized by such a subcommittee or by the Committee upon the abstention or recusal of such non-Qualified Member(s), shall be the action of the Committee for purposes of the Plan.  For the avoidance of doubt, the full Board may take any action relating to an Award granted or to be granted to an Eligible Person who is then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act in respect of the Company, so long as such Award is not a Section 162(m) Award.

 

(c)                                  Delegation of Authority.  The Committee may delegate any or all of its powers and duties under the Plan to a subcommittee of directors or to any officer of the Company, including the power to perform administrative functions and grant Awards; provided, however, that such delegation does not (i) violate state or corporate law, (ii) result in the loss of an exemption under Rule 16b-3(d)(1) for Awards granted to Participants subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act in respect of the Company, or (iii) cause Section 162(m) Awards to fail to so qualify.  Upon any such delegation, all references in the Plan to the “Committee,” other than in Section 8, shall be deemed to include any subcommittee or officer of the Company to whom such powers have been delegated by the Committee.  Any such delegation shall not limit the right of such subcommittee members or such an officer to receive Awards; provided, however,

 

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that such subcommittee members and any such officer may not grant Awards to himself or herself, a member of the Board, or any executive officer of the Company or an Affiliate, or take any action with respect to any Award previously granted to himself or herself, a member of the Board, or any executive officer of the Company or an Affiliate. The Committee may also appoint agents who are not executive officers of the Company or members of the Board to assist in administering the Plan, provided, however, that such individuals may not be delegated the authority to (A) grant or modify any Awards that will, or may, be settled in Stock or (B) take any action that would cause Section 162(m) Awards to fail to so qualify, if applicable.

 

(d)                                 Limitation of Liability.  The Committee and each member thereof shall be entitled to, in good faith, rely or act upon any report or other information furnished to him or her by any officer or employee of the Company or any of its Affiliates, the Company’s legal counsel, independent auditors, consultants or any other agents assisting in the administration of the Plan.  Members of the Committee and any officer or employee of the Company or any of its Affiliates acting at the direction or on behalf of the Committee shall not be personally liable for any action or determination taken or made in good faith with respect to the Plan, and shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be indemnified and held harmless by the Company with respect to any such action or determination.

 

(e)                                  Participants in Non-U.S. Jurisdictions. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, to comply with applicable laws in countries other than the United States in which the Company or any of its Affiliates operates or has employees, directors or other service providers from time to time, or to ensure that the Company complies with any applicable requirements of foreign securities exchanges, the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall have the power and authority to: (i) determine which of the Company’s Affiliates shall be covered by the Plan; (ii) determine which Eligible Persons outside the United States are eligible to participate in the Plan; (iii) modify the terms and conditions of any Award granted to Eligible Persons outside the United States to comply with applicable foreign laws or listing requirements of any foreign exchange; (iv) establish sub-plans and modify exercise procedures and other terms and procedures, to the extent such actions may be necessary or advisable (any such sub-plans and/or modifications shall be attached to the Plan as appendices), provided, however, that no such sub-plans and/or modifications shall increase the share limitations contained in Section 4(a); and (v) take any action, before or after an Award is granted, that it deems advisable to comply with any applicable governmental regulatory exemptions or approval or listing requirements of any such foreign securities exchange.  For purposes of the Plan, all references to foreign laws, rules, regulations or taxes shall be references to the laws, rules, regulations and taxes of any applicable jurisdiction other than the United States or a political subdivision thereof.

 

4.                                      Stock Subject to Plan.

 

(a)                                 Number of Shares Available for Delivery.  Subject to adjustment in a manner consistent with Section 8,               shares of Stock are reserved and available for delivery with respect to Awards, and such total shall be available for the issuance of shares upon the exercise of ISOs.

 

(b)                                 Application of Limitation to Grants of Awards.  Subject to Section 4(c), no Award may be granted if the number of shares of Stock that may be delivered in connection

 

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with such Award exceeds the number of shares of Stock remaining available under the Plan minus the number of shares of Stock issuable in settlement of or relating to then-outstanding Awards.  The Committee may adopt reasonable counting procedures to ensure appropriate counting, avoid double counting (as, for example, in the case of tandem or Substitute Awards) and make adjustments if the number of shares of Stock actually delivered differs from the number of shares previously counted in connection with an Award.

 

(c)                                  Availability of Shares Not Delivered under Awards.  Shares of Stock subject to an Award under this Plan that expires or is cancelled, forfeited, exchanged, settled in cash or otherwise terminated without the actual delivery of shares (Awards of Restricted Stock shall not be considered “delivered shares” for this purpose), will again be available for Awards, except that if any such shares could not again be available for Awards to a particular Participant under any applicable law or regulation, such shares shall be available exclusively for Awards to Participants who are not subject to such limitation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the number of shares tendered or withheld in payment of any exercise or purchase price of an Award or taxes relating to an Award, (ii) shares that were subject to an Option or an SAR but were not issued or delivered as a result of the net settlement or net exercise of such Option or SAR and (iii) shares repurchased on the open market with the proceeds of an Option’s exercise price, will not, in each case, be available for Awards.  If an Award may be settled only in cash, such Award need not be counted against any share limit under this Section 4, but will remain subject to the limitations in Section 5 to the extent required to preserve the status of any Award intended to be a Section 162(m) Award.

 

(d)                                 Stock Offered.  The shares of Stock to be delivered under the Plan shall be made available from (i) authorized but unissued shares of Stock, (ii) Stock held in the treasury of the Company, or (iii) previously issued shares of Stock reacquired by the Company, including shares purchased on the open market.

 

5.                                      Eligibility; Per Person Award Limitations.

 

(a)                                 Awards may be granted under the Plan only to Eligible Persons.

 

(b)                                 Beginning with the calendar year in which the Transition Period expires and for each calendar year thereafter, a Covered Employee may not be granted Awards intended to be Section 162(m) Awards (i) to the extent such Award is based on a number of shares of Stock (including Awards that may be settled in either cash or shares of Stock) relating to more than 666,667 shares of Stock, subject to adjustment in a manner consistent with any adjustment made pursuant to Section 8, and (ii) to the extent such Award is designated to be paid only in cash and is not based on a number of shares of Stock, having a maximum value determined on the date of grant in excess of $10,000,000, in each case multiplied by the number of full or partial fiscal or calendar years, as applicable, in any performance period established with respect to an Award, if applicable, up to a maximum of five fiscal or calendar years.  If an Award is cancelled, then the cancelled Award shall continue to be counted toward the applicable limitation in this paragraph to the extent required by Section 162(m).

 

(c)                                  In each calendar year during any part of which the Plan is in effect, a non-employee member of the Board may not be granted Awards (i) relating to more than 100,000

 

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shares of Stock, subject to adjustment in a manner consistent with any adjustment made pursuant to Section 8, or (ii) if greater, Awards having a value (determined, if applicable, pursuant to ASC Topic 718) on the date of grant in excess of $1,500,000, in each case multiplied by the number of full or partial calendar years in any performance period established with respect to an Award, if applicable; provided, that, for the calendar year in which a non-employee member of the Board first commences service on the Board only, the foregoing limitations shall be doubled; provided, further that, the limits set forth in this Section 5(c) shall be without regard to grants of Awards, if any, made to a non-employee member of the Board during any period in which such individual was an employee of the Company or of any of its Affiliates or was otherwise providing services to the Company or to any of its Affiliates other than in the capacity as a director of the Company.

 

6.                                      Specific Terms of Awards.

 

(a)                                 General.  Awards may be granted on the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 6.  Awards granted under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone, in addition to, or in tandem with any other Award.  In addition, the Committee may impose on any Award or the exercise thereof, at the date of grant or thereafter (subject to Section 10), such additional terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as the Committee shall determine.

 

(b)                                 Options.  The Committee is authorized to grant Options, which may be designated as either ISOs or Nonstatutory Options, to Eligible Persons on the following terms and conditions:

 

(i)                                     Exercise Price.  Each Award Agreement evidencing an Option shall state the exercise price per share of Stock (the “Exercise Price”) established by the Committee; provided, however, that except as provided in Section 6(j) or in Section 8, the Exercise Price of an Option shall not be less than the greater of (A) the par value per share of the Stock or (B) 100% of the Fair Market Value per share of the Stock as of the date of grant of the Option (or in the case of an ISO granted to an individual who owns stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or its parent or any of its subsidiaries, 110% of the Fair Market Value per share of the Stock on the date of grant).  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Exercise Price of a Nonstatutory Option may be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value per share of Stock as of the date of grant of the Option if the Option (1) does not provide for a deferral of compensation by reason of satisfying the short-term deferral exception set forth in the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules or (2) provides for a deferral of compensation and is compliant with the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules.

 

(ii)                                  Time and Method of Exercise; Other Terms.  The Committee shall determine the methods by which the Exercise Price may be paid or deemed to be paid, the form of such payment, including cash or cash equivalents, Stock (including previously owned shares or through a cashless exercise, i.e., “net settlement”, a broker-assisted exercise, or other reduction of the amount of shares otherwise issuable pursuant to the Option), other Awards or awards granted under other plans of the Company or any Affiliate, other property, or any other legal consideration the Committee deems appropriate (including notes or other contractual obligations of Participants to make payment on a deferred basis), the methods by or forms in

 

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which Stock will be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants, including the delivery of Restricted Stock subject to Section 6(d), and any other terms and conditions of any Option.  In the case of an exercise whereby the Exercise Price is paid with Stock, such Stock shall be valued based on the Stock’s Fair Market Value as of the date of exercise.  No Option may be exercisable for a period of more than ten years following the date of grant of the Option (or in the case of an ISO granted to an individual who owns stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or its parent or any of its subsidiaries, for a period of more than five years following the date of grant of the ISO).

 

(iii)                               ISOs.  The terms of any ISO granted under the Plan shall comply in all respects with the provisions of Section 422 of the Code.  ISOs may only be granted to Eligible Persons who are employees of the Company or employees of a parent or any subsidiary corporation of the Company.  Except as otherwise provided in Section 8, no term of the Plan relating to ISOs (including any SAR in tandem therewith) shall be interpreted, amended or altered, nor shall any discretion or authority granted under the Plan be exercised, so as to disqualify either the Plan or any ISO under Section 422 of the Code, unless the Participant has first requested the change that will result in such disqualification.  ISOs shall not be granted more than ten years after the earlier of the adoption of the Plan or the approval of the Plan by the Company’s stockholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value of shares of Stock subject to an ISO and the aggregate Fair Market Value of shares of stock of any parent or subsidiary corporation (within the meaning of Sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code) subject to any other incentive stock options of the Company or a parent or subsidiary corporation (within the meaning of Sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code) that are exercisable for the first time by a Participant during any calendar year exceeds $100,000, or such other amount as may be prescribed under Section 422 of the Code, such excess shall be treated as Nonstatutory Options in accordance with the Code.  As used in the previous sentence, Fair Market Value shall be determined as of the date the ISO is granted.  If a Participant shall make any disposition of shares of Stock issued pursuant to an ISO under the circumstances described in Section 421(b) of the Code (relating to disqualifying dispositions), the Participant shall notify the Company of such disposition within the time provided to do so in the applicable award agreement.

 

(c)                                  SARs.  The Committee is authorized to grant SARs to Eligible Persons on the following terms and conditions:

 

(i)                                     Right to Payment.  An SAR is a right to receive, upon exercise thereof, the excess of (A) the Fair Market Value of one share of Stock on the date of exercise over (B) the grant price of the SAR as determined by the Committee.

 

(ii)                                  Grant Price. Each Award Agreement evidencing an SAR shall state the grant price per share of Stock established by the Committee; provided, however, that except as provided in Section 6(j) or in Section 8, the grant price per share of Stock subject to an SAR shall not be less than the greater of (A) the par value per share of the Stock or (B) 100% of the Fair Market Value per share of the Stock as of the date of grant of the SAR.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the grant price of an SAR may be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value per share of Stock subject to an SAR as of the date of grant of the SAR if the SAR (1) does not provide for a deferral of compensation by reason of satisfying the short-term deferral exception set forth in

 

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the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules or (2) provides for a deferral of compensation and is compliant with the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules.

 

(iii)                               Method of Exercise and Settlement; Other Terms. The Committee shall determine the form of consideration payable upon settlement, the method by or forms in which Stock (if any) will be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants, and any other terms and conditions of any SAR.  SARs may be either free-standing or granted in tandem with other Awards.  No SAR may be exercisable for a period of more than ten years following the date of grant of the SAR.

 

(iv)                              Rights Related to Options.  An SAR granted in connection with an Option shall entitle a Participant, upon exercise, to surrender that Option or any portion thereof, to the extent unexercised, and to receive payment of an amount determined by multiplying (A) the difference obtained by subtracting the Exercise Price with respect to a share of Stock specified in the related Option from the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of exercise of the SAR, by (B) the number of shares as to which that SAR has been exercised.  The Option shall then cease to be exercisable to the extent surrendered.  SARs granted in connection with an Option shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the Award Agreement governing the Option, which shall provide that the SAR is exercisable only at such time or times and only to the extent that the related Option is exercisable and shall not be transferable except to the extent that the related Option is transferrable.

 

(d)                                 Restricted Stock.  The Committee is authorized to grant Restricted Stock to Eligible Persons on the following terms and conditions:

 

(i)                                     Restrictions.  Restricted Stock shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability, risk of forfeiture and other restrictions, if any, as the Committee may impose.  Except as provided in Section 7(a)(iii) and Section 7(a)(iv), during the restricted period applicable to the Restricted Stock, the Restricted Stock may not be sold, transferred, pledged, hedged, hypothecated, margined or otherwise encumbered by the Participant.

 

(ii)                                  Dividends and Splits.  As a condition to the grant of an Award of Restricted Stock, the Committee may allow a Participant to elect, or may require, that any cash dividends paid on a share of Restricted Stock be automatically reinvested in additional shares of Restricted Stock, applied to the purchase of additional Awards or deferred without interest to the date of vesting of the associated Award of Restricted Stock.  Unless otherwise determined by the Committee and specified in the applicable Award Agreement, Stock distributed in connection with a Stock split or Stock dividend, and other property (other than cash) distributed as a dividend, shall be subject to restrictions and a risk of forfeiture to the same extent as the Restricted Stock with respect to which such Stock or other property has been distributed.

 

(e)                                  Restricted Stock Units.  The Committee is authorized to grant Restricted Stock Units to Eligible Persons on the following terms and conditions:

 

(i)                                     Award and Restrictions.  Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to such restrictions (which may include a risk of forfeiture) as the Committee may impose.

 

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(ii)                                  Settlement.  Settlement of vested Restricted Stock Units shall occur upon vesting or upon expiration of the deferral period specified for such Restricted Stock Units by the Committee (or, if permitted by the Committee, as elected by the Participant).  Restricted Stock Units shall be settled by delivery of (A) a number of shares of Stock equal to the number of Restricted Stock Units for which settlement is due, or (B) cash in an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of the specified number of shares of Stock equal to the number of Restricted Stock Units for which settlement is due, or a combination thereof, as determined by the Committee at the date of grant or thereafter.

 

(f)                                   Stock Awards.  The Committee is authorized to grant Stock Awards to Eligible Persons as a bonus, as additional compensation, or in lieu of cash compensation any such Eligible Person is otherwise entitled to receive, in such amounts and subject to such other terms as the Committee in its discretion determines to be appropriate.

 

(g)                                  Dividend Equivalents.  The Committee is authorized to grant Dividend Equivalents to Eligible Persons, entitling any such Eligible Person to receive cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property equal in value to dividends or other distributions paid with respect to a specified number of shares of Stock.  Dividend Equivalents may be awarded on a free-standing basis or in connection with another Award (other than an Award of Restricted Stock or a Stock Award).  The Committee may provide that Dividend Equivalents shall be paid or distributed when accrued or at a later specified date and, if distributed at a later date, may be deemed to have been reinvested in additional Stock, Awards, or other investment vehicles or accrued in a bookkeeping account without interest, and subject to such restrictions on transferability and risks of forfeiture, as the Committee may specify.  With respect to Dividend Equivalents granted in connection with another Award, absent a contrary provision in the Award Agreement, such Dividend Equivalents shall be subject to the same restrictions and risk of forfeiture as the Award with respect to which the dividends accrue and shall not be paid unless and until such Award has vested and been earned.

 

(h)                                 Other Stock-Based Awards.  The Committee is authorized, subject to limitations under applicable law, to grant to Eligible Persons such other Awards that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, or related to, Stock, as deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan, including convertible or exchangeable debt securities, other rights convertible or exchangeable into Stock, purchase rights for Stock, Awards with value and payment contingent upon performance of the Company or any other factors designated by the Committee, and Awards valued by reference to the book value of Stock or the value of securities of, or the performance of, specified Affiliates of the Company.  The Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of such Other Stock-Based Awards.  Stock delivered pursuant to an Other-Stock Based Award in the nature of a purchase right granted under this Section 6(h) shall be purchased for such consideration, paid for at such times, by such methods, and in such forms, including cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property, as the Committee shall determine.

 

(i)                                     Cash Awards.  The Committee is authorized to grant Cash Awards, on a free-standing basis or as an element of, a supplement to, or in lieu of any other Award under the Plan to Eligible Persons in such amounts and subject to such other terms as the Committee in its discretion determines to be appropriate.

 

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(j)                                    Substitute Awards; No Repricing.  Awards may be granted in substitution or exchange for any other Award granted under the Plan or under another plan of the Company or an Affiliate or any other right of an Eligible Person to receive payment from the Company or an Affiliate.  Awards may also be granted under the Plan in substitution for awards held by individuals who become Eligible Persons as a result of a merger, consolidation or acquisition of another entity or the assets of another entity by or with the Company or an Affiliate.  Such Substitute Awards referred to in the immediately preceding sentence that are Options or SARs may have an exercise price that is less than the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of the substitution if such substitution complies with the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules and other applicable laws and exchange rules.  Except as provided in this Section 6(j) or in Section 8, without the approval of the stockholders of the Company, the terms of outstanding Awards may not be amended to (i) reduce the Exercise Price or grant price of an outstanding Option or SAR, (ii) grant a new Option, SAR or other Award in substitution for, or upon the cancellation of, any previously granted Option or SAR that has the effect of reducing the Exercise Price or grant price thereof, (iii) exchange any Option or SAR for Stock, cash or other consideration when the Exercise Price or grant price per share of Stock under such Option or SAR exceeds the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock or (iv) take any other action that would be considered a “repricing” of an Option or SAR under the applicable listing standards of the national securities exchange on which the Stock is listed (if any).

 

(k)                                 Performance Awards. The Committee is authorized to designate any of the Awards granted under the foregoing provisions of this Section 6 as Performance Awards.  The Committee may use such business criteria and other measures of performance as it may deem appropriate in establishing any performance goals applicable to a Performance Award, and may exercise its discretion to reduce or increase the amounts payable under any Performance Award, except as limited under Section 6(k)(i).  Performance goals may differ among Performance Awards granted to any one Participant or to different Participants.  The performance period applicable to any Performance Award shall be set by the Committee in its discretion but shall not exceed ten years.

 

(i)                                     Section 162(m) Awards.  If the Committee determines in its discretion that a Performance Award granted to a Covered Employee shall be designated as a Section 162(m) Award, the grant, exercise, vesting and/or settlement of such Performance Award shall be contingent upon achievement of a pre-established performance goal or goals and other terms set forth in this Section 6(k)(i); provided, however, that nothing in this Section 6(k) or elsewhere in the Plan shall be interpreted as preventing the Committee from granting Performance Awards or other Awards to Covered Employees that are not intended to constitute Section 162(m) Awards or from determining that it is no longer necessary or appropriate for a Section 162(m) Award to qualify as such.

 

(A)                               Performance Goals Generally.  The performance goals for Section 162(m) Awards shall consist of one or more business criteria and a targeted level or levels of performance with respect to each of such criteria as specified by the Committee.  Performance goals shall be objective and shall otherwise meet the requirements of Section 162(m), including the requirement that the level or levels of performance targeted by the Committee must be “substantially uncertain” at the time the Committee actually establishes the performance goal or goals.

 

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(B)                               Business Criteria for Performance Goals.  One or more of the following business criteria for the Company, on a consolidated basis, and/or for specified subsidiaries, business or geographical units or operating areas of the Company (except with respect to the total stockholder return and earnings per share criteria), shall be used by the Committee in establishing performance goals for Section 162(m) Awards: (1) revenues, sales or other income; (2) cash flow, discretionary cash flow, cash flows from operations, cash flows from investing activities, and/or cash flows from financing activities; (3) return on net assets, return on assets, return on investment, return on capital, return on capital employed or return on equity; (4) income, operating income or net income; (5) earnings or earnings margin determined before or after any one or more of depreciation and amortization expense; impairment of inventory and other property and equipment; accretion of discount on asset retirement obligations; interest expense; net gain or loss on the disposition of assets; income or loss from discontinued operations, net of tax; noncash derivative related activity; amortization of stock-based compensation; income taxes; or other items; (6) equity; net worth; tangible net worth; book capitalization; debt; debt, net of cash and cash equivalents; capital budget or other balance sheet goals; (7) debt or equity financings or improvement of financial ratings; (8) selling general and administrative expenses; (9) capital expenditures; (10) operating costs; (11) net asset value; (12) Fair Market Value of the Stock, share price, share price appreciation, total stockholder return or payments of dividends; (13) achievement of savings from business improvement projects and achievement of capital projects deliverables; (14) working capital or working capital changes; (15) operating profit or net operating profit; (16) internal research or development programs; (17) geographic business expansion; (18) corporate development (including licenses, innovation, research or establishment of third party collaborations); (19) performance against environmental, ethics or sustainability targets; (20) safety performance and/or incident rate; (21) human resources management targets, including medical cost reductions, employee satisfaction or retention, workforce diversity and time to hire; (22) satisfactory internal or external audits; (23) consummation, implementation or completion of a Change in Control or other strategic partnerships, transactions, projects, processes or initiatives or other goals relating to acquisitions or divestitures (in whole or in part), joint ventures or strategic alliances; (24) regulatory approvals or other regulatory milestones; (25) legal compliance or risk reduction; (26) market share; (27) economic value added; or (28) cost reduction targets. Any of the above goals may be determined pre-tax or post-tax, on an absolute or relative basis, as compared to the performance of a published or special index deemed applicable by the Committee including the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index or a group of comparable companies, as a ratio with other business criteria, as a ratio over a period of time or on a per unit of measure, on a per-share basis (basic or diluted), and on a basis of continuing operations only. The terms above may, but shall not be required to be, used as applied under generally accepted accounting principles, as applicable.

 

(C)                               Effect of Certain Events. The Committee may, at the time the performance goals in respect of a Section 162(m) Award are established, provide for the manner in which actual performance and performance goals with regard to the business criteria selected will reflect the impact of specified events or occurrences during the relevant performance period, which may mean excluding the impact of one or more events or occurrences, as specified by the Committee, for such performance period so long such events are objectively determinable. The adjustments described in this paragraph shall only be made, in each case, to the extent that such adjustments in respect of a Section 162(m) Award would not

 

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cause the Section 162(m) Award to fail to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m).

 

(D)                               Timing for Establishing Performance Goals.  No later than 90 days after the beginning of any performance period applicable to a Section 162(m) Award, or at such other date as may be required or permitted for “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m), the Committee shall establish (i) the Eligible Persons who will be granted Section 162(m) Awards, and (ii) the objective formula used to calculate the amount of cash or Stock payable, if any, under such Section 162(m) Awards, based upon the level of achievement of a performance goal or goals with respect to one or more of the business criteria selected by the Committee from the list set forth in Section 6(k)(i)(B) and, if desired, the effect of any events set forth in Section 6(k)(i)(C).

 

(E)                                Performance Award Pool.  The Committee may establish an unfunded pool, with the amount of such pool calculated using an objective formula based upon the level of achievement of one or more performance goals with respect to business criteria selected from the list set forth in Section 6(k)(i)(B) during the given performance period, as specified by the Committee in accordance with Section 6(k)(i)(D).  The Committee may specify the amount of the pool as a percentage of any of such business criteria, a percentage in excess of a threshold amount with respect to such business criteria, or as another amount which need not bear a direct relationship to such business criteria but shall be objectively determinable and calculated based upon the level of achievement of pre-established goals with regard to the business criteria.  If a pool is established, the Committee shall also establish the maximum amount payable to each Covered Employee from the pool for each performance period.

 

(F)                                 Settlement or Payout of Awards; Other Terms.  Except as otherwise permitted under Section 162(m), after the end of each performance period and before any Section 162(m) Award is settled or paid, the Committee shall certify the level of performance achieved with regard to each business criteria established with respect to each Section 162(m) Award and shall determine the amount of cash or Stock, if any, payable to each Participant with respect to each Section 162(m) Award.  The Committee may, in its discretion, reduce the amount of a payment or settlement otherwise to be made in connection with a Section 162(m) Award, but may not exercise discretion to increase any such amount.

 

(G)                               Written Determinations.  With respect to each Section 162(m) Award, all determinations by the Committee as to (1) the establishment of performance goals and performance period with respect to the selected business criteria, (2) the establishment of the objective formula used to calculate the amount of cash or Stock payable, if any, based on the level of achievement of such performance goals, and (3) the certification of the level of performance achieved during the performance period with regard to each business criteria selected, shall each be made in writing.

 

(H)                              Options and SARs.  Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 6(k)(i), Options and SARs with an Exercise Price or grant price not less than the Fair Market Value on the date of grant awarded to Covered Employees are intended to be Section 162(m) Awards even if not otherwise contingent upon achievement of one or more

 

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pre-established performance goal or goals with respect to business criteria set forth in Section 6(k)(i)(B).

 

(ii)                                  Status of Section 162(m) Awards.  The terms governing Section 162(m) Awards shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with Section 162(m), in particular the prerequisites for qualification as “performance-based compensation,” and, if any provision of the Plan as in effect on the date of adoption of any Award Agreement relating to a Section 162(m) Award does not comply or is inconsistent with the requirements of Section 162(m), such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such requirements.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 6(k)(i) or elsewhere in the Plan, the Company intends to rely on the transition relief set forth in Treasury Regulation § 1.162-27(f), which may be relied upon until the earliest to occur of (i) the material modification of the Plan within the meaning of Treasury Regulation § 1.162-27(h)(1)(iii); (ii) the delivery of the total number of shares of Stock set forth in Section 4(a); or (iii) the first meeting of stockholders of the Company at which directors are to be elected that occurs after December 31, 2020 (the “Transition Period”), and during the Transition Period, Awards granted to Covered Employees under the Plan shall only be required to comply with the transition relief described in Treasury Regulation § 1.162-27(f).

 

7.                                      Certain Provisions Applicable to Awards.

 

(a)                                 Limit on Transfer of Awards.

 

(i)                                     Except as provided in Sections 7(a)(iii) and (iv), each Option and SAR shall be exercisable only by the Participant during the Participant’s lifetime, or by the person to whom the Participant’s rights shall pass by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 7(a), an ISO shall not be transferable other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.

 

(ii)                                  Except as provided in Sections 7(a)(i), (iii) and (iv), no Award, other than a Stock Award, and no right under any such Award, may be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by a Participant and any such purported assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or any Affiliate.

 

(iii)                               To the extent specifically provided by the Committee, an Award may be transferred by a Participant without consideration to immediate family members or related family trusts, limited partnerships or similar entities or on such terms and conditions as the Committee may from time to time establish.

 

(iv)                              An Award may be transferred pursuant to a domestic relations order entered or approved by a court of competent jurisdiction upon delivery to the Company of a written request for such transfer and a certified copy of such order.

 

(b)                                 Form and Timing of Payment under Awards; Deferrals.  Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, payments to be made by the Company or any of its Affiliates upon the exercise or settlement of an Award may be made in such forms as the Committee shall determine in its discretion, including cash, Stock, other Awards or other

 

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property, and may be made in a single payment or transfer, in installments, or on a deferred basis (which may be required by the Committee or permitted at the election of the Participant on terms and conditions established by the Committee); provided, however, that any such deferred or installment payments will be set forth in the Award Agreement.  Payments 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 or other amounts in respect of installment or deferred payments denominated in Stock.

 

(c)                                  Evidencing Stock. The Stock or other securities of the Company delivered pursuant to an Award may be evidenced in any manner deemed appropriate by the Committee in its sole discretion, including in the form of a certificate issued in the name of the Participant or by book entry, electronic or otherwise, and shall be subject to such stop transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the Plan or the rules, regulations, and other requirements of the SEC, any stock exchange upon which such Stock or other securities are then listed, and any applicable federal, state or other laws, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be inscribed on any such certificates to make appropriate reference to such restrictions.  Further, if certificates representing Restricted Stock are registered in the name of the Participant, the Company may retain physical possession of the certificates and may require that the Participant deliver a stock power to the Company, endorsed in blank, related to the Restricted Stock.

 

(d)                                 Consideration for Grants. Awards may be granted for such consideration, including services, as the Committee shall determine, but shall not be granted for less than the minimum lawful consideration.

 

(e)                                  Additional Agreements.  Each Eligible Person to whom an Award is granted under the Plan may be required to agree in writing, as a condition to the grant of such Award or otherwise, to subject an Award that is exercised or settled following such Eligible Person’s termination of employment or service to a general release of claims and/or a noncompetition or other restricted covenant agreement in favor of the Company and its Affiliates, with the terms and conditions of such agreement(s) to be determined in good faith by the Committee.

 

8.                                      Subdivision or Consolidation; Recapitalization; Change in Control; Reorganization.

 

(a)                                 Existence of Plans and Awards.  The existence of the Plan and the Awards granted hereunder shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Company, the Board or the stockholders of the Company to make or authorize any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in the Company’s capital structure or its business, any merger or consolidation of the Company, any issue of debt or equity securities ahead of or affecting Stock or the rights thereof, the dissolution or liquidation of the Company or any sale, lease, exchange or other disposition of all or any part of its assets or business or any other corporate act or proceeding.

 

(b)                                 Additional Issuances.  Except as expressly provided herein, the issuance by the Company of shares of stock of any class, including upon conversion of shares or

 

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obligations of the Company convertible into such shares or other securities, and in any case whether or not for fair value, shall not affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number of shares of Stock subject to Awards theretofore granted or the purchase price per share of Stock, if applicable.

 

(c)                                  Subdivision or Consolidation of Shares.  The terms of an Award and the share limitations under the Plan shall be subject to adjustment by the Committee from time to time, in accordance with the following provisions:

 

(i)                                     If at any time, or from time to time, the Company shall subdivide as a whole (by reclassification, by a Stock split, by the issuance of a distribution on Stock payable in Stock, or otherwise) the number of shares of Stock then outstanding into a greater number of shares of Stock or in the event the Company distributes an extraordinary cash dividend, then, as appropriate (A) the maximum number of shares of Stock available for delivery with respect to Awards and applicable limitations with respect to Awards provided in Section 4 and Section 5 (other than cash limits) shall be increased proportionately, and the kind of shares or other securities available for the Plan shall be appropriately adjusted, (B) the number of shares of Stock (or other kind of shares or securities) that may be acquired under any then outstanding Award shall be increased proportionately, and (C) the price (including the Exercise Price or grant price) for each share of Stock (or other kind of shares or securities) subject to then outstanding Awards shall be reduced proportionately, without changing the aggregate purchase price or value as to which outstanding Awards remain exercisable or subject to restrictions; provided, however, that in the case of an extraordinary cash dividend that is not an Adjustment Event (defined below), the adjustment to the number of shares of Stock and the Exercise Price or grant price, as applicable, with respect to an outstanding Option or SAR may be made in such other manner as the Committee may determine that is permitted pursuant to applicable tax and other laws, rules and regulations.

 

(ii)                                  If at any time, or from time to time, the Company shall consolidate as a whole (by reclassification, by reverse Stock split, or otherwise) the number of shares of Stock then outstanding into a lesser number of shares of Stock, then, as appropriate (A) the maximum number of shares of Stock available for delivery with respect to Awards and applicable limitations with respect to Awards provided in Section 4 and Section 5 (other than cash limits) shall be decreased proportionately, and the kind of shares or other securities available for the Plan shall be appropriately adjusted, (B) the number of shares of Stock (or other kind of shares or securities) that may be acquired under any then outstanding Award shall be decreased proportionately, and (C) the price (including the Exercise Price or grant price) for each share of Stock (or other kind of shares or securities) subject to then outstanding Awards shall be increased proportionately, without changing the aggregate purchase price or value as to which outstanding Awards remain exercisable or subject to restrictions.

 

(d)                                 Recapitalization.  In the event of any change in the capital structure or business of the Company or other corporate transaction or event that would be considered an “equity restructuring” within the meaning of ASC Topic 718 and, in each case, that would result in an additional compensation expense to the Company pursuant to the provisions of ASC Topic 718, if adjustments to Awards with respect to such event were discretionary or otherwise not required (each such an event, an “Adjustment Event”), then the Committee shall equitably adjust

 

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(i) the aggregate number or kind of shares that thereafter may be delivered under the Plan, (ii) the number or kind of shares or other property (including cash) subject to an Award, (iii) the terms and conditions of Awards, including the purchase price or Exercise Price of Awards and performance goals, as applicable, and (iv) the applicable limitations with respect to Awards provided in Section 4 and Section 5 (other than cash limits) to equitably reflect such Adjustment Event (“Equitable Adjustments”).  In the event of any change in the capital structure or business of the Company or other corporate transaction or event that would not be considered an Adjustment Event, and is not otherwise addressed in this Section 8, the Committee shall have complete discretion to make Equitable Adjustments (if any) in such manner as it deems appropriate with respect to such other event.

 

(e)                                  Change in Control and Other Events.  Except to the extent otherwise provided in any applicable Award Agreement, vesting of any Award shall not occur solely upon the occurrence of a Change in Control and, in the event of a Change in Control or other changes in the Company or the outstanding Stock by reason of a recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, combination, exchange or other relevant change occurring after the date of the grant of any Award, the Committee, acting in its sole discretion without the consent or approval of any holder, may exercise any power enumerated in Section 3 (including the power to accelerate vesting, waive any forfeiture conditions or otherwise modify or adjust any other condition or limitation regarding an Award) and may also effect one or more of the following alternatives, which may vary among individual holders and which may vary among Awards held by any individual holder:

 

(i) accelerate the time of exercisability of an Award so that such Award may be exercised in full or in part for a limited period of time on or before a date specified by the Committee, after which specified date all unexercised Awards and all rights of holders thereunder shall terminate;

 

(ii) redeem in whole or in part outstanding Awards by requiring the mandatory surrender to the Company by selected holders of some or all of the outstanding Awards held by such holders (irrespective of whether such Awards are then vested or exercisable) as of a date, specified by the Committee, in which event the Committee shall thereupon cancel such Awards and pay to each holder an amount of cash or other consideration per Award (other than a Dividend Equivalent or Cash Award, which the Committee may separately require to be surrendered in exchange for cash or other consideration determined by the Committee in its discretion) equal to the Change in Control Price, less the Exercise Price  with respect to an Option and less the grant price with respect to a SAR, as applicable to such Awards; provided, however, that to the extent the Exercise Price of an Option or the grant price of an SAR exceeds the Change in Control Price, such Award may be cancelled for no consideration;

 

(iii) cancel Awards that remain subject to a restricted period as of the date of a Change in Control or other such event without payment of any consideration to the Participant for such Awards; or

 

(iv) make such adjustments to Awards then outstanding as the Committee deems appropriate to reflect such Change in Control or other such event (including the

 

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substitution, assumption, or continuation of Awards by the successor company or a parent or subsidiary thereof);

 

provided, however, that so long as the event is not an Adjustment Event, the Committee may determine in its sole discretion that no adjustment is necessary to Awards then outstanding.  If an Adjustment Event occurs, this Section 8(e) shall only apply to the extent it is not in conflict with Section 8(d).

 

9.                                      General Provisions.

 

(a)                                 Tax Withholding.  The Company and any of its Affiliates are authorized to withhold from any Award granted, or any payment relating to an Award, including from a distribution of Stock, taxes due or potentially payable in connection with any transaction involving an Award, and to take such other action as the Committee may deem advisable to enable the Company, its Affiliates and Participants to satisfy the payment of withholding taxes and other tax obligations relating to any Award in such amounts as may be determined by the Committee.  The Committee shall determine, in its sole discretion, the form of payment acceptable for such tax withholding obligations, including the delivery of cash or cash equivalents, Stock (including previously owned shares, net settlement, a broker-assisted sale, or other cashless withholding or reduction of the amount of shares otherwise issuable or delivered pursuant to the Award), other property, or any other legal consideration the Committee deems appropriate.  Any determination made by the Committee to allow a Participant who is subject to Rule 16b-3 to pay taxes with shares of Stock through net settlement or previously owned shares shall be approved by either a committee made up of solely two or more Qualified Members or the full Board.  If such tax withholding amounts are satisfied through net settlement or previously owned shares, the maximum number of shares of Stock that may be so withheld or surrendered shall be the number of shares of Stock that have an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of withholding or surrender equal to the aggregate amount of such tax liabilities determined based on the greatest withholding rates for federal, state, foreign and/or local tax purposes, including payroll taxes, that may be utilized without creating adverse accounting treatment for the Company with respect to such Award, as determined by the Committee.

 

(b)                                 Limitation on Rights Conferred under Plan.  Neither the Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as (i) giving any Eligible Person or Participant the right to continue as an Eligible Person or Participant or in the employ or service of the Company or any of its Affiliates, (ii) interfering in any way with the right of the Company or any of its Affiliates to terminate any Eligible Person’s or Participant’s employment or service relationship at any time, (iii) giving an Eligible Person or Participant any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan or to be treated uniformly with other Participants and/or employees and/or other service providers, or (iv) conferring on a Participant any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company unless and until the Participant is duly issued or transferred shares of Stock in accordance with the terms of an Award.

 

(c)                                  Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction.  All questions arising with respect to the provisions of the Plan and Awards shall be determined by application of the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any conflict of law provisions thereof, except to the extent Delaware law is preempted by federal law.  The obligation of the Company to sell

 

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and deliver Stock hereunder is subject to applicable federal and state laws and to the approval of any governmental authority required in connection with the authorization, issuance, sale, or delivery of such Stock.  With respect to any claim or dispute related to or arising under the Plan, the Company and each Participant who accepts an Award hereby consent to the exclusive jurisdiction, forum and venue of the state and federal courts located in Delaware.

 

(d)                                 Severability and Reformation.  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 as to any person or Award, or would disqualify the Plan or any Award under any law deemed applicable by the Committee, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to conform to the applicable law or, if it cannot be construed or deemed amended without, in the determination of the Committee, materially altering the intent of the Plan or the Award, such provision shall be stricken as to such jurisdiction, person or Award and the remainder of the Plan and any such Award shall remain in full force and effect. If any of the terms or provisions of the Plan or any Award Agreement conflict with the requirements of Rule 16b-3 (as those terms or provisions are applied to Eligible Persons who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act), Section 162(m) (with respect to any Section 162(m) Award) or Section 422 of the Code (with respect to ISOs), then those conflicting terms or provisions shall be deemed inoperative to the extent they so conflict with the requirements of Rule 16b-3 or Section 162(m) (unless the Board or the Committee, as appropriate, has expressly determined that the Plan or such Award should not comply with Rule 16b-3 or Section 162(m)) or Section 422 of the Code, in each case, only to the extent Rule 16b-3 and such sections of the Code are applicable.  With respect to ISOs, if the Plan does not contain any provision required to be included herein under Section 422 of the Code, that provision shall be deemed to be incorporated herein with the same force and effect as if that provision had been set out at length herein; provided, further, that, to the extent any Option that is intended to qualify as an ISO cannot so qualify, that Option (to that extent) shall be deemed a Nonstatutory Option for all purposes of the Plan.

 

(e)                                  Unfunded Status of Awards; No Trust or Fund Created.  The Plan is intended to constitute an “unfunded” plan for certain incentive awards. 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 general unsecured creditor of the Company or such Affiliate.

 

(f)                                   Nonexclusivity of the Plan.  Neither the adoption of the Plan by the Board nor its submission to the stockholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board or a committee thereof to adopt such other incentive arrangements as it may deem desirable, including incentive arrangements and awards which do not constitute “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m).  Nothing contained in the Plan shall be construed to prevent the Company or any of its Affiliates from taking any corporate action which is deemed by the Company or such Affiliate to be appropriate or in its best interest, whether or not such action would have an adverse effect on the Plan or any Award made under the Plan. No employee, beneficiary or other person shall have any claim against the Company or any of its Affiliates as a result of any such action.

 

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(g)                                  Fractional Shares.  No fractional shares of Stock shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award, and the Committee shall determine in its sole discretion whether cash, other securities, or other property shall be paid or transferred in lieu of any fractional shares of Stock or whether such fractional shares of Stock or any rights thereto shall be cancelled, terminated, or otherwise eliminated with or without consideration.

 

(h)                                 Interpretation.  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. Words in the masculine gender shall include the feminine gender, and, where appropriate, the plural shall include the singular and the singular shall include the plural. In the event of any conflict between the terms and conditions of an Award Agreement and the Plan, the provisions of the Plan shall control. The use herein of the word “including” following any general statement, term or matter shall not be construed to limit such statement, term or matter to the specific items or matters set forth immediately following such word or to similar items or matters, whether or not non-limiting language (such as “without limitation”, “but not limited to”, or words of similar import) is used with reference thereto, but rather shall be deemed to refer to all other items or matters that could reasonably fall within the broadest possible scope of such general statement, term or matter.  References herein to any agreement, instrument or other document means such agreement, instrument or other document as amended, supplemented and modified from time to time to the extent permitted by the provisions thereof and not prohibited by the Plan.

 

(i)                                     Facility of Payment.  Any amounts payable hereunder to any individual under legal disability or who, in the judgment of the Committee, is unable to manage properly his financial affairs, may be paid to the legal representative of such individual, or may be applied for the benefit of such individual in any manner that the Committee may select, and the Company shall be relieved of any further liability for payment of such amounts.

 

(j)                                    Conditions to Delivery of Stock.  Nothing herein or in any Award Agreement shall require the Company to issue any shares with respect to any Award if that issuance would, in the opinion of counsel for the Company, constitute a violation of the Securities Act, any other applicable statute or regulation, or the rules of any applicable securities exchange or securities association, as then in effect.  In addition, each Participant who receives an Award under the Plan shall not sell or otherwise dispose of Stock that is acquired upon grant, exercise or vesting of an Award in any manner that would constitute a violation of any applicable federal or state securities laws, the Plan or the rules, regulations or other requirements of the SEC or any stock exchange upon which the Stock is then listed.  At the time of any exercise of an Option or SAR, or at the time of any grant of any other Award, the Company may, as a condition precedent to the exercise of such Option or SAR or settlement of any other Award, require from the Participant (or in the event of his or her death, his or her legal representatives, heirs, legatees, or distributees) such written representations, if any, concerning the holder’s intentions with regard to the retention or disposition of the shares of Stock being acquired pursuant to the Award and such written covenants and agreements, if any, as to the manner of disposal of such shares as, in the opinion of counsel to the Company, may be necessary to ensure that any disposition by that holder (or in the event of the holder’s death, his or her legal representatives, heirs, legatees, or distributees) will not involve a violation of the Securities Act, any other applicable state or

 

22

 

federal statute or regulation, or any rule of any applicable securities exchange or securities association, as then in effect.  Stock or other securities shall not be delivered pursuant to any Award until payment in full of any amount required to be paid pursuant to the Plan or the applicable Award Agreement (including any Exercise Price, grant price, or tax withholding) is received by the Company.

 

(k)                                 Section 409A of the Code.  It is the general intention, but not the obligation, of the Committee to design Awards to comply with or to be exempt from the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules, and Awards will be operated and construed accordingly. Neither this Section 9(k) nor any other provision of the Plan is or contains a representation to any Participant regarding the tax consequences of the grant, vesting, exercise, settlement, or sale of any Award (or the Stock underlying such Award) granted hereunder, and should not be interpreted as such.  In no event shall the Company be liable for all or any portion of any taxes, penalties, interest or other expenses that may be incurred by the Participant on account of non-compliance with the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules.  Notwithstanding any provision in the Plan or an Award Agreement to the contrary, in the event that a “specified employee” (as defined under the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules) becomes entitled to a payment under an Award that would be subject to additional taxes and interest under the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules if the Participant’s receipt of such payment or benefits is not delayed until the earlier of (i) the date of the Participant’s death, or (ii) the date that is six months after the Participant’s “separation from service,” as defined under the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules (such date, the “Section 409A Payment Date”), then such payment or benefit shall not be provided to the Participant until the Section 409A Payment Date.  Any amounts subject to the preceding sentence that would otherwise be payable prior to the Section 409A Payment Date will be aggregated and paid in a lump sum without interest on the Section 409A Payment Date.  The applicable provisions of the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules are hereby incorporated by reference and shall control over any Plan or Award Agreement provision in conflict therewith.

 

(l)                                     Clawback.  The Plan and all Awards granted hereunder are subject to any written clawback policies that the Company, with the approval of the Board or an authorized committee thereof, may adopt either prior to or following the Effective Date, including any policy adopted to conform to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 and rules promulgated thereunder by the SEC and that the Company determines should apply to Awards.  Any such policy may subject a Participant’s Awards and amounts paid or realized with respect to Awards to reduction, cancelation, forfeiture or recoupment if certain specified events or wrongful conduct occur, including an accounting restatement due to the Company’s material noncompliance with financial reporting regulations or other events or wrongful conduct specified in any such clawback policy.

 

(m)                             Status under ERISA.  The Plan shall not constitute an “employee benefit plan” for purposes of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.

 

(n)                                 Plan Effective Date and Term.  The Plan was adopted by the Board to be effective on the Effective Date. No Awards may be granted under the Plan on and after the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date, which is           , 2027. However, any Award granted prior to

 

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such termination (or any earlier termination pursuant to Section 10), and the authority of the Board or Committee to amend, alter, adjust, suspend, discontinue, or terminate any such Award or to waive any conditions or rights under such Award in accordance with the terms of the Plan, shall extend beyond such termination until the final disposition of such Award.

 

10.                               Amendments to the Plan and Awards.  The Committee may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or terminate any Award or Award Agreement, the Plan or the Committee’s authority to grant Awards without the consent of stockholders or Participants, except that any amendment or alteration to the Plan, including any increase in any share limitation, shall be subject to the approval of the Company’s stockholders not later than the annual meeting next following such Committee action if such stockholder approval is required by any federal or state law or regulation or the rules of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which the Stock may then be listed or quoted, and the Committee may otherwise, in its discretion, determine to submit other changes to the Plan to stockholders for approval; provided, that, without the consent of an affected Participant, no such Committee action may materially and adversely affect the rights of such Participant under any previously granted and outstanding Award.  For purposes of clarity, any adjustments made to Awards pursuant to Section 8 will be deemed not to materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant under any previously granted and outstanding Award and therefore may be made without the consent of affected Participants.

 

24Exhibit 10.3

 

TAX RECEIVABLE AGREEMENT

 

by and among

 

CACTUS, INC.

 

CERTAIN OTHER PERSONS NAMED HEREIN,

 

and

 

THE AGENT

 

DATED AS OF            , 2017

 

 

TAX RECEIVABLE AGREEMENT

 

This TAX RECEIVABLE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of       , 2017 and effective as of the date of the initial closing of the IPO, is hereby entered into by and among Cactus, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporate Taxpayer”), the TRA Holders and the Agent.

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, the Corporate Taxpayer is the managing member of Cactus Wellhead, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Cactus LLC”), an entity classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and holds limited liability company interests in Cactus LLC;

 

WHEREAS, Cactus LLC and each of its direct and indirect Subsidiaries that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes will have in effect an election under Section 754 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), for the Taxable Year that includes the IPO and for each Taxable Year in which a Redemption occurs;

 

WHEREAS, on the IPO Date, Cactus LLC will use a portion of the net proceeds of the IPO it receives from the Corporate Taxpayer to repay borrowings outstanding under its term loan facility (the “Debt Payoff”);

 

WHEREAS, Cactus WH Enterprises, LLC is a holder of Units, and certain TRA Holders are members of Cactus WH Enterprises, LLC and may acquire Units hereafter pursuant to Section 8.3 of the Cactus WH Enterprises LLC Agreement;

 

WHEREAS, the TRA Holders currently hold Units or will hold Units in the future and may transfer all or a portion of such Units in one or more Redemptions, and, as a result of such Redemptions, the Corporate Taxpayer is expected to obtain or be entitled to certain tax benefits (including tax benefits relating to the Debt Payoff) as further described herein;

 

WHEREAS, this Agreement is intended to set forth the agreement among the parties hereto regarding the sharing of the tax benefits realized by the Corporate Taxpayer as a result of the Redemptions (including tax benefits relating to the Debt Payoff);

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the respective covenants and agreements set forth herein, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I
  DEFINITIONS

 

Section 1.1           Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the terms set forth in this Article I shall have the following meanings (such meanings to be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of the terms defined).

 

“Accrued Amount” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(b) of this Agreement.

 

“Actual Tax Liability” means, with respect to any Taxable Year, the actual liability for U.S. federal income Taxes of the Corporate Taxpayer; provided that the actual liability for U.S.

 

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federal income Taxes of the Corporate Taxpayer shall be calculated taking into account the amount of Allocable Common Basis calculated as set forth in that definition (for the avoidance of doubt, regardless of the extent to which depreciation, amortization or other deductions arising from the underlying adjustments under Section 734(b) are actually allocated to the Corporate Taxpayer).

 

“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, Controls, is Controlled by, or is under common Control with, such first Person.

 

“Agent” means Cadent Management Services, LLC or such other Person designated as such pursuant to Section 7.6(c).

 

“Agreed Rate” means a per annum rate of LIBOR plus 150 basis points.

 

“Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the preamble to this Agreement.

 

“Allocable Common Basis” means, with respect to each Unit that is the subject of a Redemption, the portion of any adjustment to the Tax basis of each Reference Asset under Section 734(b) of the Code as a result of the Debt Payoff that is allocable to such Unit in the hands of the Corporate Taxpayer, as determined on the relevant Redemption Date and subsequently adjusted for depreciation or amortization of such Tax basis after the Redemption and prior to the relevant Taxable Year.  For this purpose, the portion of any adjustment to the Tax basis of a Reference Asset under Section 734(b) of the Code as a result of the Debt Payoff that is allocable to such Unit shall equal the total adjustment to the Tax basis of such Reference Asset under Section 734(b) of the Code as a result of the Debt Payoff at the time of the relevant Redemption (as adjusted for depreciation or amortization of such Tax basis after the Redemption and prior to the relevant Taxable Year) divided by the total number of Units outstanding immediately after such Redemption, which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall not be subsequently adjusted on account of changes in the number of Units outstanding as a result of issuances or redemptions of Units occurring after the date of the relevant Redemption.

 

“Amended Schedule” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3(b) of this Agreement.

 

“Assumed State and Local Tax Rate” means, with respect to any Taxable Year, (a) the sum of the products of (i) the Corporate Taxpayer’s income and franchise tax apportionment factor(s) for each state and local jurisdiction in which Cactus LLC (or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries that are treated as a partnership or disregarded entity) or the Corporate Taxpayer files an income or franchise tax return for the relevant Taxable Year and (ii) the highest corporate income and franchise tax rate(s) for each state and local jurisdiction in which Cactus LLC (or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries that are treated as a partnership or disregarded entity) or the Corporate Taxpayer files an income or franchise tax return for each relevant Taxable Year, reduced by (b) the product of (i) the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to the Corporate Taxpayer for the relevant Taxable Year (determined based on the calculation of the Hypothetical Tax Liability for the relevant Taxable Year) and (ii) the rate calculated under clause (a).

 

“Attributable” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(b) of this Agreement.

 

3

 

“Basis Adjustment” means any adjustment to the Tax basis of a Reference Asset as a result of a Redemption and the payments made pursuant to this Agreement with respect to such Redemption (as calculated under Section 2.1 of this Agreement), including, but not limited to: (i) under Section 743(b) of the Code (in situations where, following a Redemption, Cactus LLC remains classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes); and (ii) under Sections 732(b) and 1012 of the Code (in situations where, as a result of one or more Redemptions, Cactus LLC becomes an entity that is disregarded as separate from its owner for U.S. federal income tax purposes).  For the avoidance of doubt, the amount of any Basis Adjustment resulting from a Redemption of Units shall be determined without regard to any Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to such Units prior to such Redemption; and, further, payments made under this Agreement shall not be treated as resulting in a Basis Adjustment to the extent such payments are treated as Imputed Interest.

 

“Beneficial Owner” and “Beneficially Own” shall be as defined in Rule 13d-3 of the rules promulgated under the Exchange Act.

 

“Board” means the board of directors of the Corporate Taxpayer.

 

“Business Day” means Monday through Friday of each week, except that a legal holiday recognized as such by the government of the United States of America or the State of Texas shall not be regarded as a Business Day.

 

“Cactus LLC” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals of this Agreement.

 

“Cactus LLC Agreement” means the First Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of Cactus LLC, as amended from time to time.

 

“Cactus WH Enterprises LLC Agreement” means the Amended and Restated Operating Agreement of the Cactus WH Enterprises, LLC dated as of       , 2017.

 

“Call Purchase” has the meaning set forth in the Cactus LLC Agreement.

 

“Change of Control” means the occurrence of any of the following events or series of related events after the IPO Date:

 

(i)               any Person (excluding any Qualifying Owner or any group of Qualifying Owners acting together which would constitute a “group” for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, and excluding a corporation or other entity owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Corporate Taxpayer in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Corporate Taxpayer) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Corporate Taxpayer representing more than 50% of the combined voting power of the Corporate Taxpayer’s then outstanding voting securities; or

 

(ii)            there is consummated a merger or consolidation of the Corporate Taxpayer with any other corporation or other entity, and, immediately after the consummation of such merger or consolidation, the voting securities of the Corporate Taxpayer immediately prior to such merger or consolidation do not continue to represent or are not converted into more than 50% of the combined voting power of the then-outstanding

 

4

 

voting securities of the Person resulting from such merger or consolidation or, if the surviving company is a Subsidiary, the ultimate parent thereof; or

 

(iii)         the stockholders of the Corporate Taxpayer approve a plan of complete liquidation or dissolution of the Corporate Taxpayer or there is consummated an agreement or series of related agreements for the sale or other disposition, directly or indirectly, by the Corporate Taxpayer of all or substantially all of the Corporate Taxpayer’s assets, other than such sale or other disposition by the Corporate Taxpayer of all or substantially all of the Corporate Taxpayer’s assets to an entity, at least 50% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of which are owned by stockholders of the Corporate Taxpayer in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the Corporate Taxpayer immediately prior to such sale.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, except with respect to clause (ii) above, a “Change of Control” shall not be deemed to have occurred by virtue of the consummation of any transaction or series of integrated transactions immediately following which the record holders of the shares of the Corporate Taxpayer immediately prior to such transaction or series of transactions continue to have substantially the same proportionate ownership in, and own substantially all of the shares of, an entity which owns, either directly or through a Subsidiary, all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporate Taxpayer immediately following such transaction or series of transactions.

 

“Class A Shares” means shares of Class A common stock of the Corporate Taxpayer.

 

“Code” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals of this Agreement (or any successor U.S. federal income Tax statute).

 

“Control” means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.

 

“Corporate Taxpayer” has the meaning set forth in the preamble to this Agreement.

 

“Corporate Taxpayer Return” means the U.S. federal income Tax Return of the Corporate Taxpayer (including any consolidated group of which the Corporate Taxpayer is a member, as further described in Section 7.12(a) of this Agreement) filed with respect to any Taxable Year.

 

“Cumulative Net Realized Tax Benefit” for a Taxable Year means the cumulative amount (but not less than zero) of Realized Tax Benefits for all Taxable Years of the Corporate Taxpayer, up to and including such Taxable Year, net of the cumulative amount of Realized Tax Detriments for the same period.  The Realized Tax Benefit and Realized Tax Detriment for each Taxable Year shall be determined based on the most recent Tax Benefit Payment Schedule or Amended Schedule, if any, in existence at the time of such determination.

 

“Debt Payoff” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals of this Agreement.

 

“Default Rate” means a per annum rate of LIBOR plus 550 basis points.

 

5

 

“Determination” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1313(a) of the Code or any other event (including the execution of IRS Form 870-AD) that finally and conclusively establishes the amount of any liability for Tax.

 

“Dispute” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.9(a) of this Agreement.

 

“Early Termination” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1 of this Agreement.

 

“Early Termination Date” means the date of an Early Termination Notice for purposes of determining the Early Termination Payment.

 

“Early Termination Effective Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.4 of this Agreement.

 

“Early Termination Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.4 of this Agreement.

 

“Early Termination Payment” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.5(b) of this Agreement.

 

“Early Termination Rate” means a per annum rate of LIBOR plus 150 basis points.

 

“Early Termination Schedule” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.4 of this Agreement.

 

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as the same may be amended from time to time (or any corresponding provisions of succeeding law).

 

“Expert” means Ernst & Young LLP or such nationally recognized expert in the particular area of disagreement as is mutually acceptable to the Corporate Taxpayer and the Agent.

 

“Hypothetical Tax Liability” means, with respect to any Taxable Year, the liability for U.S. federal income Taxes of the Corporate Taxpayer (using the same methods, elections, conventions, U.S. federal income tax rate and similar practices used on the relevant Corporate Taxpayer Return), but without taking into account (i) any Basis Adjustments, (ii) any Allocable Common Basis, (iii) any deduction attributable to Imputed Interest for the Taxable Year, and (iv) any Post-IPO TRA Benefits.  For the avoidance of doubt, Hypothetical Tax Liability shall be determined without taking into account the carryover or carryback of any U.S. federal income Tax item (or portions thereof) that is attributable to any Basis Adjustments, Imputed Interest, and any Post-IPO TRA Benefits. Furthermore, the Hypothetical Tax Liability shall be calculated using the actual deductions of (and other impacts of) state and local income and franchise Taxes (for the avoidance of doubt, in the same amount and manner used in the calculation of the Actual Tax Liability).

 

“Imputed Interest” means any interest imputed under Section 1272, 1274 or 483 or other provision of the Code with respect to the Corporate Taxpayer’s payment obligations under this Agreement.

 

“IPO” means the initial public offering of shares by the Corporate Taxpayer.

 

6

 

“IPO Date” means the closing date of the IPO.

 

“IRS” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

 

“LIBOR” means during any period, an interest rate per annum equal to the one-year LIBOR rate reported, on the date two (2) calendar days prior to the first day of such period, on the Telerate Page 3750 (or if such screen shall cease to be publicly available, as reported on Reuters Screen page “LIBOR01” or by any other publicly available source of such market rate) for London interbank offered rates for United States dollar deposits for such period.

 

“Majority TRA Holders” means, at the time of any determination, TRA Holders who would be entitled to receive more than fifty percent (50%) of the aggregate amount of the Early Termination Payments payable to all TRA Holders hereunder (determined using such calculations of Early Termination Payments reasonably estimated by the Corporate Taxpayer) if the Corporate Taxpayer had exercised its right of early termination on such date.

 

“Market Value” means the closing price of the Class A Shares on the applicable Redemption Date on the national securities exchange or interdealer quotation system on which such Class A Shares are then traded or listed, as reported by Bloomberg L.P.; provided, that if the closing price is not reported by Bloomberg L.P. for the applicable Redemption Date, then the Market Value means the closing price of the Class A Shares on the Business Day immediately preceding such Redemption Date on the national securities exchange or interdealer quotation system on which such Class A Shares are then traded or listed, as reported by Bloomberg L.P.; provided further that if the Class A Shares are not then listed on a national securities exchange or interdealer quotation system, “Market Value” means the cash consideration paid for Class A Shares, or the fair market value of the other property delivered for Class A Shares, as determined by the Board in good faith.

 

“Material Objection Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.4 of this Agreement.

 

“Net Tax Benefit” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(b) of this Agreement.

 

“Objection Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3(a) of this Agreement.

 

“Payment Date” means any date on which a payment is required to be made pursuant to this Agreement.

 

“Person” means any individual, corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, estate, trust, business association, organization, governmental entity or other entity.

 

“Post-IPO TRA” means any tax receivable agreement (or comparable agreement) entered into by the Corporate Taxpayer or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to which the Corporate Taxpayer is obligated to pay over amounts with respect to tax benefits resulting from any increases in Tax basis, net operating losses or other tax attributes to which the Corporate Taxpayer becomes entitled as a result of a transaction (other than any Redemptions) after the date of this Agreement.

 

7

 

“Post-IPO TRA Benefits” means any tax benefits resulting from increases in Tax basis, net operating losses or other tax attributes with respect to which the Corporate Taxpayer is obligated to make payments under a Post-IPO TRA.

 

“Qualifying Owners” means (i) Scott Bender, or any company of which he is the manager, managing member or he otherwise controls, including, but not limited to, Cactus WH Enterprises, LLC, (ii) any wife, lineal descendant, legal guardian or other legal representative or estate of Scott Bender; (iii) any trust of which at least one of the trustees is a person described in clause (i) or (ii) above, and (iv) Cadent Energy Partners II, L.P. and any affiliated funds or investment vehicles managed by Cadent Energy Partners, LLC.

 

“Realized Tax Benefit” means, for a Taxable Year, the sum of (i) the excess, if any, of the Hypothetical Tax Liability for such Taxable Year over the Actual Tax Liability for such Taxable Year and (ii) the State and Local Tax Benefit for such Taxable Year.  If all or a portion of the Actual Tax Liability for the Taxable Year arises as a result of an audit by the IRS of any Taxable Year, such liability and the corresponding Hypothetical Tax Liability shall not be included in determining the Realized Tax Benefit unless and until there has been a Determination with respect to such Actual Tax Liability.

 

“Realized Tax Detriment” means, for a Taxable Year, the sum of (i) the excess, if any, of the Actual Tax Liability over the Hypothetical Tax Liability for such Taxable Year and (ii) the State and Local Tax Detriment for such Taxable Year.  If all or a portion of the Actual Tax Liability for the Taxable Year arises as a result of an audit by the IRS of any Taxable Year, such liability and the corresponding Hypothetical Tax Liability shall not be included in determining the Realized Tax Detriment unless and until there has been a Determination with respect to such Actual Tax Liability.

 

“Reconciliation Dispute” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.10 of this Agreement.

 

“Reconciliation Procedures” means the procedures described in Section 7.10 of this Agreement.

 

“Redemption” means any transfer of Units by a TRA Holder, or by a permitted transferee of such TRA Holder pursuant to the Cactus LLC Agreement, to Cactus LLC or to the Corporate Taxpayer pursuant to the Redemption Right or a Call Purchase, as applicable.

 

“Redemption Date” means each date on which a Redemption is effective under the Cactus LLC Agreement.

 

“Redemption Notice” has the meaning set forth in the Cactus LLC Agreement.

 

“Redemption Right” means the redemption right of holders of Units set forth in Section 4.6 of the Cactus LLC Agreement.

 

“Redemption Schedule” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1 of this Agreement.

 

“Reference Asset” means, with respect to any Redemption, an asset (other than cash or a cash equivalent) that is held by Cactus LLC, or any of its direct or indirect Subsidiaries that is treated as a partnership or disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes (but only to

 

8

 

the extent such Subsidiaries are not held through any entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes), at the time of such Redemption.  A Reference Asset also includes any asset that is “substituted basis property” under Section 7701(a)(42) of the Code with respect to a Reference Asset.

 

“Schedule” means any of the following:  (i) a Redemption Schedule, (ii) a Tax Benefit Payment Schedule, or (iii) the Early Termination Schedule.

 

“Senior Obligations” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.1 of this Agreement.

 

“State and Local Tax Benefit” means, for a Taxable Year, the excess, if any, of the Hypothetical Tax Liability over the Actual Tax Liability; provided that, for purposes of determining the State and Local Tax Benefit, each of the Hypothetical Tax Liability and the Actual Tax Liability shall be calculated using the Assumed State and Local Tax Rate instead of the rate applicable for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

“State and Local Tax Detriment” means, for a Taxable Year, the excess, if any, of the Actual Tax Liability over the Hypothetical Tax Liability; provided that, for purposes of determining the State and Local Tax Detriment, each of the Actual Tax Liability and the Hypothetical Tax Liability shall be calculated using the Assumed State and Local Tax Rate instead of the rate applicable for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

“Subsidiaries” means, with respect to any Person, as of any date of determination, any other Person as to which such Person, owns, directly or indirectly, or otherwise controls more than 50% of the voting power or other similar interests or the sole general partner interest or managing member or similar interest of such Person.

 

“Tax Benefit Payment” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(b) of this Agreement.

 

“Tax Benefit Payment Schedule” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2 of this Agreement.

 

“Tax Proceeding” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1 of this Agreement.

 

“Tax Receivable Agreements” means this Agreement and any Post-IPO TRA.

 

“Tax Return” means any return, declaration, report or similar statement required to be filed with respect to Taxes (including any attached schedules), including, without limitation, any information return, claim for refund, amended return and declaration of estimated Tax.

 

“Taxable Year” means a taxable year of the Corporate Taxpayer as defined in Section 441(b) of the Code (which, for the avoidance of doubt, may include a period of less than twelve (12) months for which a Tax Return is made), ending on or after the IPO Date.

 

“Taxes” means any and all U.S. federal, state and local taxes, assessments or similar charges that are based on or measured with respect to net income or profits, and any interest related to such Tax.

 

9

 

“Taxing Authority” means the IRS and any federal, national, state, county or municipal or other local government, any subdivision, agency, commission or authority thereof, or any quasi-governmental body exercising any taxing authority or any other authority exercising Tax regulatory authority.

 

“TRA Holder” means each of those Persons set forth on Schedule A and their respective successors and permitted assigns pursuant to Section 7.6(a).

 

“Transferor” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.12(b) of this Agreement.

 

“Treasury Regulations” means the final, temporary and proposed regulations under the Code promulgated from time to time (including corresponding provisions and succeeding provisions) as in effect for the relevant Taxable Year.

 

“Units” has the meaning set forth in the Cactus LLC Agreement.

 

“Valuation Assumptions” means, as of an Early Termination Date, the assumptions that:

 

(i)                                     in each Taxable Year ending on or after such Early Termination Date, the Corporate Taxpayer will have taxable income sufficient to fully utilize the deductions arising from all Basis Adjustments, all Allocable Common Basis and the Imputed Interest during such Taxable Year or future Taxable Years (including, for the avoidance of doubt, Basis Adjustments and Imputed Interest that would result from future Tax Benefit Payments that would be paid in accordance with the Valuation Assumptions, further assuming such future Tax Benefit Payments would be paid on the due date, without extensions, for filing the Corporate Taxpayer Return for the applicable Taxable Year) in which such deductions would become available;

 

(ii)                                  any loss or credit carryovers generated by deductions or losses arising from any Basis Adjustment, Allocable Common Basis or Imputed Interest (including such Basis Adjustment, Allocable Common Basis and Imputed Interest generated as a result of payments under this Agreement) that are available in the Taxable Year that includes the Early Termination Date will be utilized by the Corporate Taxpayer in the Taxable Year that includes the Early Termination Date;

 

(iii)                               the U.S. federal, state and local income and franchise tax rates that will be in effect for each Taxable Year ending on or after such Early Termination Date will be those specified for each such Taxable Year by the Code and other law as in effect on the Early Termination Date except to the extent any change to such tax rates for such Taxable Year have already been enacted into law;

 

(iv)                              any non-amortizable Reference Assets to which any Basis Adjustment or Allocable Common Basis is attributable will be disposed of in a fully taxable transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes on the fifth anniversary of the Early Termination Date for an amount sufficient to fully utilize the Basis Adjustment or Allocable Common Basis, as applicable, with respect to such non-amortizable Reference Asset; provided, that in the event of a Change in Control which includes a taxable sale of such non-amortizable Reference Asset (including the sale of all of the equity interests in an entity classified as a partnership or disregarded entity that directly or indirectly owns such non-amortizable

 

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Reference Asset), such non-amortizable Reference Asset shall be deemed disposed of at the time of the Change in Control; and

 

(v)                                 if, at the Early Termination Date, there are Units that have not been transferred in a Redemption, then all Units shall be deemed to be transferred pursuant to the Redemption Right effective on the Early Termination Date.

 

Section 1.2                                  Other Definitional and Interpretative Provisions.  The words “hereof,” “herein” and “hereunder” and words of like import used in this Agreement shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement.  References to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules are to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules of this Agreement unless otherwise specified.  All Exhibits and Schedules annexed hereto or referred to herein are hereby incorporated in and made a part of this Agreement as if set forth in full herein. Any capitalized terms used in any Exhibit or Schedule but not otherwise defined therein, shall have the meaning as defined in this Agreement.  Any singular term in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the plural, and any plural term the singular.  Whenever the words “include,” “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation,” whether or not they are in fact followed by those words or words of like import.  “Writing,” “written” and comparable terms refer to printing, typing and other means of reproducing words (including electronic media) in a visible form. References to any agreement or contract are to that agreement or contract as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof.  References to any Person include the successors and permitted assigns of that Person. References from or through any date mean, unless otherwise specified, from and including or through and including, respectively.

 

ARTICLE II
 DETERMINATION OF CERTAIN REALIZED TAX BENEFITS

 

Section 2.1                                  Redemption Schedules.  Within ninety (90) calendar days after the filing of the Corporate Taxpayer Return for each Taxable Year in which any Redemption has been effected by a TRA Holder, the Corporate Taxpayer shall deliver to the Agent a schedule (the “Redemption Schedule”) that shows, in reasonable detail necessary to perform the calculations required by this Agreement, including with respect to each TRA Holder participating in any Redemption during such Taxable Year, (i) the Basis Adjustments with respect to the Reference Assets as a result of the Redemptions effected by such TRA Holder in such Taxable Year, (ii) the Allocable Common Basis attributable to the Units that were the subject of a Redemption effected by such TRA Holder in such Taxable Year, and (iii) the period (or periods) over which such Basis Adjustments and Allocable Common Basis are amortizable and/or depreciable.

 

Section 2.2                                  Tax Benefit Payment Schedules.

 

(a)                               Within ninety (90) calendar days after the filing of the Corporate Taxpayer Return for any Taxable Year in which there is a Realized Tax Benefit or Realized Tax Detriment, the Corporate Taxpayer shall provide to the Agent: (i) a schedule showing, in reasonable detail, (A) the calculation of the Realized Tax Benefit or Realized Tax Detriment for such Taxable Year, (B) the portion of the Net Tax Benefit, if any, that is Attributable to each TRA Holder who

 

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has participated in any Redemption, (C) the Accrued Amount with respect to any such Net Tax Benefit that is Attributable to such TRA Holder, (D) the Tax Benefit Payment due to each such TRA Holder, and (E) the portion of such Tax Benefit Payment that the Corporate Taxpayer  intends to treat as Imputed Interest (a “Tax Benefit Payment Schedule”), (ii) a reasonably detailed calculation by the Corporate Taxpayer of the Hypothetical Tax Liability, (iii) a reasonably detailed calculation by the Corporate Taxpayer of the Actual Tax Liability, (iv) a copy of the Corporate Taxpayer Return for such Taxable Year, and (v) any other work papers reasonably requested by the Agent.  In addition, the Corporate Taxpayer shall allow the Agent reasonable access at no cost to the appropriate representatives of the Corporate Taxpayer in connection with a review of such Tax Benefit Payment Schedule.  The Tax Benefit Payment Schedule will become final as provided in Section 2.3(a) and may be amended as provided in Section 2.3(b) (subject to the procedures set forth in Section 2.3(b)).

 

(b)                               For purposes of calculating the Realized Tax Benefit or Realized Tax Detriment for any Taxable Year, carryovers or carrybacks of any U.S. federal income Tax item attributable to the Basis Adjustments, Allocable Common Basis, Imputed Interest, and any Post-IPO TRA Benefits shall be considered to be subject to the rules of the Code and the Treasury Regulations, as applicable, governing the use, limitation and expiration of carryovers or carrybacks of the relevant type.  If a carryover or carryback of any U.S. federal income Tax item includes a portion that is attributable to the Basis Adjustment, Allocable Common Basis, Imputed Interest, or any Post-IPO TRA Benefits, and another portion that is not so attributable, such respective portions shall be considered to be used in accordance with the “with and without” methodology.  The parties agree that (i) any payment under this Agreement (to the extent permitted by law and other than amounts accounted for as Imputed Interest) will be treated as a subsequent upward adjustment to the purchase price of the relevant Units and will have the effect of creating additional Basis Adjustments to Reference Assets for the Corporate Taxpayer in the year of payment, and (ii) as a result, such additional Basis Adjustments will be incorporated into the current year calculation and into future year calculations, as appropriate.

 

Section 2.3                                  Procedure; Amendments.

 

(a)                               An applicable Schedule or amendment thereto shall become final and binding on all parties thirty (30) calendar days from the first date on which the Agent has received the applicable Schedule or amendment thereto unless (i) the Agent, within thirty (30) calendar days after receiving an applicable Schedule or amendment thereto, provides the Corporate Taxpayer with notice of a material objection to such Schedule (“Objection Notice”) made in good faith or (ii) the Agent provides a written waiver of such right of any Objection Notice within the period described in clause (i) above, in which case such Schedule or amendment thereto becomes binding on the date a waiver from the Agent has been received by the Corporate Taxpayer.  If the Corporate Taxpayer and Agent, for any reason, are unable to successfully resolve the issues raised in an Objection Notice within thirty (30) calendar days after receipt by the Corporate Taxpayer of such Objection Notice, the Corporate Taxpayer and Agent shall employ the Reconciliation Procedures under Section 7.10 or Resolution of Disputes procedures under Section 7.9, as applicable.

 

(b)                               The applicable Schedule for any Taxable Year may be amended from time to time by the Corporate Taxpayer (i) in connection with a Determination affecting such Schedule, (ii) to

 

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correct inaccuracies in the Schedule identified as a result of the receipt of additional factual information relating to a Taxable Year after the date the Schedule was provided to the Agent, (iii) to comply with the Expert’s determination under the Reconciliation Procedures, (iv) to  reflect a change in the Realized Tax Benefit or Realized Tax Detriment for such Taxable Year attributable to a carryback or carryforward of a loss or other Tax item to such Taxable Year, (v) to reflect a change in the Realized Tax Benefit or Realized Tax Detriment for such Taxable Year attributable to an amended Corporate Taxpayer Return filed for such Taxable Year or (vi) to adjust a Redemption Schedule to take into account payments made pursuant to this Agreement (any such Schedule, an “Amended Schedule”).  The Corporate Taxpayer shall provide an Amended Schedule to the Agent within sixty (60) calendar days of the occurrence of an event referenced in clauses (i) through (vi) of the preceding sentence.  For the avoidance of doubt, in the event a Schedule is amended after such Schedule becomes final pursuant to Section 2.3(a), the Amended Schedule shall not be taken into account in calculating any Tax Benefit Payment in the Taxable Year to which the amendment relates but instead shall be taken into account in calculating the Cumulative Net Realized Tax Benefit for the Taxable Year in which the amendment actually occurs.

 

Section 2.4                                  Section 754 Election. In its capacity as the sole managing member of Cactus LLC, the Corporate Taxpayer will ensure that, on and after the date hereof and continuing throughout the term of this Agreement, Cactus LLC and any of its eligible Subsidiaries will have in effect an election pursuant to Section 754 of the Code (and under any similar provisions of applicable U.S. state or local law).

 

ARTICLE III
 TAX BENEFIT PAYMENTS

 

Section 3.1                                  Payments.

 

(a)                               Within five (5) Business Days after a Tax Benefit Payment Schedule delivered to the Agent becomes final in accordance with Section 2.3(a), the Corporate Taxpayer shall pay to each TRA Holder the Tax Benefit Payment in respect of such TRA Holder determined pursuant to Section 3.1(b) for such Taxable Year.  Each such payment shall be made by check, by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the bank account previously designated by the TRA Holder to the Corporate Taxpayer, or as otherwise agreed by the Corporate Taxpayer and the TRA Holder.  For the avoidance of doubt, no Tax Benefit Payment shall be made in respect of estimated Tax payments, including, without limitation, U.S. federal or state estimated income Tax payments.

 

(b)                               A “Tax Benefit Payment” in respect of a TRA Holder for a Taxable Year means an amount, not less than zero, equal to the sum of the portion of the Net Tax Benefit Attributable to such TRA Holder and the Accrued Amount with respect thereto.  The “Net Tax Benefit” for a Taxable Year shall be an amount equal to the excess, if any, of 85% of the Cumulative Net Realized Tax Benefit as of the end of such Taxable Year over the sum of (i) the total amount of payments previously made under this Section 3.1 (excluding payments attributable to Accrued Amounts) and (ii) the total amount of Tax Benefit Payments previously made under the corresponding provision of any Post-IPO TRA; provided, for the avoidance of doubt, that no TRA Holder shall be required to return any portion of any previously made Tax Benefit

 

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Payment. Subject to Section 3.3, the portion of the Net Tax Benefit for a Taxable Year that is “Attributable” to a TRA Holder is the portion of such Net Tax Benefit that it is derived from any (i) any Basis Adjustment or Allocable Common Basis that was attributable, at the time of the  relevant Redemption, to the Units acquired or deemed acquired by the Corporate Taxpayer in a Redemption undertaken by or with respect to such TRA Holder or (ii) any Imputed Interest with respect to Tax Benefit Payments made to such TRA Holder. The “Accrued Amount” with respect to any portion of a Net Tax Benefit shall equal an amount determined in the same manner as interest on such portion of the Net Tax Benefit for a Taxable Year calculated at the Agreed Rate from the due date (without extensions) for filing the Corporate Taxpayer Return for such Taxable Year until the Payment Date.  For the avoidance of doubt, for Tax purposes, the Accrued Amount shall not be treated as interest but shall instead be treated as additional consideration for the acquisition of Units in a Redemption unless otherwise required by law.

 

(c)                                Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, a TRA Holder may elect, by notifying the Corporate Taxpayer in writing in connection with the delivery of the relevant Redemption Notice, to limit the aggregate Tax Benefit Payments to be made to such TRA Holder, with respect to the related Redemption, to (i) a percentage specified by such TRA Holder in its written notification of (ii) the amount equal to the sum of (A) any cash, excluding any Tax Benefit Payments, received by such TRA Holder in the relevant Redemption and (B) the aggregate Market Value of the Class A Shares received by such TRA Holder in such Redemption, provided, for the avoidance of doubt, that such amount shall not include any Imputed Interest with respect to such Redemption. An election made by a TRA Holder pursuant to this Section 3.1(c) may not be revoked.

 

Section 3.2                                  No Duplicative Payments.  It is intended that the provisions of this Agreement will not result in duplicative payment of any amount (including interest) required under the Tax Receivable Agreements.  It is also intended that the provisions of the Tax Receivable Agreements will result in 85% of the Cumulative Net Realized Tax Benefit, and the Accrued Amount thereon, being paid to the Persons to whom payments are due pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreements.  The provisions of this Agreement shall be construed in the appropriate manner to achieve these fundamental results.

 

Section 3.3                                  Pro Rata Payments; Coordination of Benefits with Other Tax Receivable Agreements.

 

(a)                               Notwithstanding anything in Section 3.1 to the contrary, to the extent that the aggregate amount of the Corporate Taxpayer’s tax benefit subject to the Tax Receivable Agreements is limited in a particular Taxable Year because the Corporate Taxpayer does not have sufficient taxable income in such Taxable Year to fully utilize available deductions and other attributes:

 

(i)             the limitation on the tax benefit for the Corporate Taxpayer shall first be allocated among the Tax Receivable Agreements as follows: (A) first among any Post-IPO TRAs (and then among all Persons eligible for payments thereunder in the manner set forth in such Post-IPO TRAs) and (B) then, to the extent of any remaining limitation on tax benefit for the Corporate Taxpayer after the application of clause (A), to this Agreement (and then among all TRA Holders as set forth in Section 3.3(a)(ii) below) (for

 

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the avoidance of doubt, for purposes of this Section 3.3(a)(i), it is intended that in calculating the Corporate Taxpayer’s tax benefit subject to the Tax Receivable Agreements, any available taxable income of the Corporate Taxpayer be first allocated to  this Agreement and any remaining available taxable income will then be allocated to any Post-IPO TRA); and

 

(ii)          if any part of the limitation on the tax benefit is allocated to this Agreement, such allocated limitation shall be further allocated among all TRA Holders in proportion to the respective portion of the Net Tax Benefit that would have been Attributable to each such TRA Holder in such Taxable Year under this Agreement if the Corporate Taxpayer had sufficient taxable income in such Taxable Year so that there was no such limitation; provided that if any portion of the Net Tax Benefit for such Taxable Year results from the carryback of a loss or other Tax item to such Taxable Year from a later Taxable Year (for the avoidance of doubt, carrybacks of losses and other Tax items from more than one later Taxable Year shall be used in the order prescribed in the applicable rules of the Code and the Treasury Regulations), no part of the limitation shall be allocated to the tax benefits set forth on the Schedule prior to its amendment to reflect the carryback and any limitation shall instead be applied to the tax benefits carried back and such limitation shall be further allocated among all TRA Holders in proportion to the respective portion of the Net Tax Benefit that would have been Attributable to each such TRA Holder in the Taxable Year in which such carried back losses or other Tax items arose under this Agreement if the Corporate Taxpayer had sufficient taxable income in such Taxable Year so that there was no such limitation.

 

(b)                               After taking into account Section 3.3(a), if for any reason the Corporate Taxpayer does not fully satisfy its payment obligations to make all Tax Benefit Payments due under the Tax Receivable Agreements in respect of a particular Taxable Year, then (i) the Corporate Taxpayer will pay the same proportion of each Tax Benefit Payment due to each Person to whom a payment is due under each of the Tax Receivable Agreements in respect of such Taxable Year, without favoring one obligation over the other, and (ii) no Tax Benefit Payment shall be made in respect of any Taxable Year until all Tax Benefit Payments in respect of prior Taxable Years have been made in full.

 

(c)                                To the extent the Corporate Taxpayer makes a payment to a TRA Holder in respect of a particular Taxable Year under Section 3.1(a) of this Agreement (taking into account Section 3.3(a) and (b), but excluding payments attributable to Accrued Amounts) in an amount in excess of the amount of such payment that should have been made to such TRA Holder in respect of such Taxable Year, then (i) such TRA Holder shall not receive further payments under Section 3.1(a) until such TRA Holder has foregone an amount of payments equal to such excess and (ii) the Corporate Taxpayer will pay the amount of such TRA Holder’s foregone payments to the other Persons to whom a payment is due under the Tax Receivable Agreements in a manner such that each such Person to whom a payment is due under the Tax Receivable Agreements, to the maximum extent possible, receives aggregate payments under Section 3.1(a) or the comparable section of the other Tax Receivable Agreement(s), as applicable (in each case, taking into account Section 3.3(a) and (b) or the comparable section of the other Tax Receivable Agreement(s), but excluding payments attributable to Accrued Amounts) in the amount it would have received if there had been no excess payment to such TRA Holder.

 

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(d)                               The parties hereto agree that the parties to any Post-IPO TRA are expressly made third party beneficiaries of the provisions of this Section 3.3.

 

ARTICLE IV
 TERMINATION

 

Section 4.1                                  Early Termination at Election of the Corporate Taxpayer.  The Corporate Taxpayer may terminate this Agreement at any time by paying to each TRA Holder the Early Termination Payment due to such TRA Holder pursuant to Section 4.5(b) (such termination, an “Early Termination”); provided that the Corporate Taxpayer may withdraw any notice of exercise of its termination rights under this Section 4.1 prior to the time at which any Early Termination Payment has been paid.  Upon payment of the Early Termination Payment by the Corporate Taxpayer, the Corporate Taxpayer shall not have any further payment obligations under this Agreement, other than for any Tax Benefit Payment previously due and payable but unpaid as of the Early Termination Notice and, except to the extent included in the Early Termination Payment, any Tax Benefit Payment due for any Taxable Year ending prior to, with or including the Early Termination Date.  Upon payment of all amounts provided for in this Section 4.1, this Agreement shall terminate.

 

Section 4.2                                  Early Termination upon Change of Control.  In the event of a Change of Control, all obligations hereunder shall be accelerated and such obligations shall be calculated as if an Early Termination Notice had been delivered on the closing date of the Change of Control and shall include, but not be limited to the following: (a) payment of the Early Termination Payment calculated as if an Early Termination Notice had been delivered on the effective date of a Change of Control, (b) payment of any Tax Benefit Payment previously due and payable but unpaid as of the Early Termination Notice, and (c) except to the extent included in the Early Termination Payment or if included as a payment under clause (b) of this Section 4.2, payment of any Tax Benefit Payment due for any Taxable Year ending prior to, with or including the effective date of a Change of Control.  In the event of a Change of Control, the Early Termination Payment shall be calculated utilizing the Valuation Assumptions and by substituting in each case the terms “the closing date of a Change of Control” for an “Early Termination Date.”

 

Section 4.3                                  Breach of Agreement.

 

(a)                               In the event that the Corporate Taxpayer breaches any of its material obligations under this Agreement, whether as a result of failure to make any payment within three (3) months of the date when due, as a result of failure to honor any other material obligation required hereunder or by operation of law as a result of the rejection of this Agreement in a case commenced under the Bankruptcy Code or otherwise, then if the Majority TRA Holders so elect, such breach shall be treated as an Early Termination.  Upon such election, all obligations hereunder shall be accelerated and such obligations shall be calculated as if an Early Termination Notice had been delivered on the date of such breach and shall include, but shall not be limited to, (i) the Early Termination Payment calculated as if an Early Termination Notice had been delivered on the date of a breach, (ii) any Tax Benefit Payment previously due and payable but unpaid as of the date of the breach, and (iii) except to the extent included in the Early Termination Payment or if included as a payment under clause (ii) of this Section 4.3(a), any Tax

 

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Benefit Payment due for any Taxable Year ending prior to, with or including the date of the breach.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the Corporate Taxpayer breaches this Agreement, if the Majority TRA Holders do not elect to treat such breach as an Early  Termination pursuant to this Section 4.3(a), the TRA Holders shall be entitled to seek specific performance of the terms hereof.

 

(b)                               The parties agree that the failure of the Corporate Taxpayer to make any payment due pursuant to this Agreement within three (3) months of the date such payment is due shall be deemed to be a breach of a material obligation under this Agreement for all purposes of this Agreement, and that it shall not be considered to be a breach of a material obligation under this Agreement to make a payment due pursuant to this Agreement within three (3) months of the date such payment is due.  Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, except in the case of an Early Termination Payment or any payment treated as an Early Termination Payment, it shall not be a breach of this Agreement if the Corporate Taxpayer fails to make any Tax Benefit Payment when due to the extent that the Corporate Taxpayer has insufficient funds available to make, or to the extent that the Corporate Taxpayer is contractually constrained from making, such payment in the Corporate Taxpayer’s sole judgment exercised in good faith; provided that the interest provisions of Section 5.2 shall apply to such late payment (unless the Corporate Taxpayer does not have sufficient cash to make such payment as a result of limitations imposed by any credit agreement to which Cactus LLC or any subsidiary of Cactus LLC is a party, in which case Section 5.2 shall apply, but the Default Rate shall be replaced by the Agreed Rate); provided further that it shall be a breach of this Agreement, and the provisions of Section 4.3(a) shall apply as of the original due date of the Tax Benefit Payment, if the Corporate Taxpayer makes any distribution of cash or other property (other than Class A Shares) to its stockholders while any Tax Benefit Payment is due and payable but unpaid.  The Corporate Taxpayer shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to maintain sufficient available funds for the purpose of making Tax Benefit Payments under this Agreement and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to avoid entering into loan agreements that could be reasonably anticipated to materially delay the timing of any Tax Benefit Payments under this Agreement.

 

Section 4.4                                  Early Termination Notice.  If the Corporate Taxpayer chooses to exercise its right of early termination under Section 4.1 above, the Corporate Taxpayer shall deliver to the Agent notice of such intention to exercise such right (the “Early Termination Notice”).  Upon delivery of the Early Termination Notice or the occurrence of an event described in Section 4.2 or Section 4.3(a), the Corporate Taxpayer shall deliver (i) a schedule showing in reasonable detail the calculation of the Early Termination Payment (the “Early Termination Schedule”) and (ii) any other work papers related to the calculation of the Early Termination Payment reasonably requested by the Agent.  In addition, the Corporate Taxpayer shall allow the Agent reasonable access at no cost to the appropriate representatives of the Corporate Taxpayer in connection with a review of such Early Termination Schedule.  The Early Termination Schedule shall become final and binding on all parties thirty (30) calendar days from the first date on which the Agent has received such Schedule or amendment thereto unless (x) the Agent, within thirty (30) calendar days after receiving the Early Termination Schedule, provides the Corporate Taxpayer and each other Agent with notice of a material objection to such Schedule made in good faith (“Material Objection Notice”) or (y) the Agent provides a written waiver of such right of a Material Objection Notice within the period described in clause (x) above, in which case such Schedule becomes binding on the date a waiver from the Agent has been received by the

 

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Corporate Taxpayer (the “Early Termination Effective Date”).  If the Corporate Taxpayer and Agent, for any reason, are unable to successfully resolve the issues raised in such notice within thirty (30) calendar days after receipt by the Corporate Taxpayer of the Material Objection  Notice, the Corporate Taxpayer and Agent shall employ the Reconciliation Procedures under Section 7.10 or Resolution of Disputes procedures under Section 7.9, as applicable.

 

Section 4.5                                  Payment upon Early Termination.

 

(a)                               Subject to its right to withdraw any notice of Early Termination pursuant to Section 4.1, within three (3) Business Days after the Early Termination Effective Date, the Corporate Taxpayer shall pay to each TRA Holder its Early Termination Payment.  Each such payment shall be made by check, by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account or accounts designated by the TRA Holder, or as otherwise agreed by the Corporate Taxpayer and the TRA Holder.

 

(b)                               A TRA Holder’s “Early Termination Payment” as of the Early Termination Date shall equal, with respect to each TRA Holder, the present value, discounted at the Early Termination Rate as of the Early Termination Date, of all Tax Benefit Payments that would be required to be paid by the Corporate Taxpayer to such TRA Holder beginning from the Early Termination Date and assuming that the Valuation Assumptions are applied.

 

ARTICLE V
 SUBORDINATION AND LATE PAYMENTS

 

Section 5.1                                  Subordination.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, any Tax Benefit Payment, Early Termination Payment or any other payment under this Agreement shall rank subordinate and junior in right of payment to any principal, interest or other amounts due and payable in respect of any obligations in respect of indebtedness for borrowed money of the Corporate Taxpayer and its Subsidiaries (such obligations, “Senior Obligations”) and shall rank pari passu with all current or future unsecured obligations of the Corporate Taxpayer that are not Senior Obligations.  For the avoidance of doubt, notwithstanding the above, the determination of whether it is a breach of this Agreement if the Corporate Taxpayer fails to make any Tax Benefit Payment or other payment under this Agreement when due is governed by Section 4.3(b). To the extent that any payment under this Agreement is not permitted to be made at the time payment is due as a result of this Section 5.1 and the terms of the agreements governing Senior Obligations, such payment obligation nevertheless shall accrue for the benefit of the TRA Holders and the Corporate Taxpayer shall make such payments at the first opportunity that such payments are permitted to be made in accordance with the terms of the Senior Obligations.

 

Section 5.2                                  Late Payments by the Corporate Taxpayer.  The amount of all or any portion of any Tax Benefit Payment, Early Termination Payment or any other payment under this Agreement not made to any TRA Holder when due under the terms of this Agreement, whether as a result of Section 5.1 and the terms of the Senior Obligations or otherwise, shall be payable together with any interest thereon, computed at the Default Rate  (or, if so provided in Section 4.3(b), at the Agreed Rate) and commencing from the date on

 

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which such Tax Benefit Payment, Early Termination Payment or any other payment under this Agreement was due and payable.

 

ARTICLE VI
 NO DISPUTES; CONSISTENCY; COOPERATION

 

Section 6.1                                  Participation in the Corporate Taxpayer’s and Cactus LLC’s Tax Matters.  Except as otherwise provided herein or in the Cactus LLC Agreement, the Corporate Taxpayer shall have full responsibility for, and sole discretion over, all Tax matters concerning the Corporate Taxpayer and Cactus LLC, including without limitation preparing, filing or amending any Tax Return and defending, contesting or settling any issue pertaining to Taxes.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Corporate Taxpayer shall notify the Agent of, and keep the Agent reasonably informed with respect to, the portion of any audit, examination, or any other administrative or judicial proceeding (a “Tax Proceeding”) of the Corporate Taxpayer or Cactus LLC by a Taxing Authority the outcome of which could be reasonably expected to affect the rights and obligations of the TRA Holders under this Agreement, and shall provide the Agent with reasonable opportunity to provide information and other input to the Corporate Taxpayer, Cactus LLC and their respective advisors concerning the conduct of any such portion of a Tax Proceeding; provided, however, that the Corporate Taxpayer shall not settle or otherwise resolve any part of a Tax Proceeding described in the previous clause that relates to a Basis Adjustment, any Allocable Common Basis or the deduction of Imputed Interest (and, in each case, that is reasonably expected to have a material effect on the TRA Holders’ rights under this Agreement) without the consent of the Agent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed; provided further, that the Corporate Taxpayer and Cactus LLC shall not be required to take any action, or refrain from taking any action, that is inconsistent with any provision of the Cactus LLC Agreement.

 

Section 6.2                                  Consistency.  Unless there is a Determination to the contrary, the Corporate Taxpayer and the TRA Holders agree to report, and to cause their respective Subsidiaries to report, for all purposes, including U.S. federal, state and local Tax purposes and financial reporting purposes, all Tax-related items (including, without limitation, the Basis Adjustments, any Allocable Common Basis and each Tax Benefit Payment), but, for financial reporting purposes, only in respect of items that are not explicitly characterized as “deemed” or in a similar manner by the terms of this Agreement, in a manner consistent with the description of any Tax characterization herein (including as set forth in  Section 2.2(b) and Section 3.1(b) and any Schedule required to be provided by or on behalf of the Corporate Taxpayer under this Agreement, as finally determined pursuant to Section 2.3).  If the Corporate Taxpayer and any TRA Holder, for any reason, are unable to successfully resolve any disagreement concerning such treatment within thirty (30) calendar days, the Corporate Taxpayer and such TRA Holder shall employ the Reconciliation Procedures under Section 7.10 or Resolution of Disputes procedures under Section 7.9, as applicable.

 

Section 6.3                                  Cooperation.  Each TRA Holder shall (i) furnish to the Corporate Taxpayer in a timely manner such information, documents and other materials as the Corporate Taxpayer may reasonably request for purposes of making any determination or computation necessary or appropriate under this Agreement, preparing any Tax Return or contesting or defending any Tax Proceeding, (ii) make itself available to the Corporate Taxpayer and its

 

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representatives to provide explanations of documents and materials and such other information as the Corporate Taxpayer or its representatives may reasonably request in connection with any of the matters described in clause (i) above, and (iii) reasonably cooperate in connection with any such matter.  The Corporate Taxpayer shall reimburse the TRA Holder for any reasonable third-party costs and expenses incurred pursuant to this Section 6.3.

 

ARTICLE VII
 MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 7.1                                  Notices.  All notices, requests, claims, demands and other communications hereunder shall be sufficient in all respects if given in writing, in English and by personal delivery (if signed for receipt), by certified or registered United States mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested), by a nationally recognized overnight delivery service for next day delivery, transmitted via facsimile transmission or transmitted via electronic mail (following appropriate confirmation of receipt by return email, including an automated confirmation of receipt) and shall be deemed to have been made and the receiving party charged with notice, when received except that if received after 5:00 p.m. (in the recipient’s time zone) on a Business Day or if received on a day that is not a Business Day, such notice, request or communication will not be effective until the next succeeding Business Day. All notices hereunder shall be delivered as set forth below, or pursuant to such other instructions as may be designated in writing by the party to receive such notice:

 

If to the Corporate Taxpayer, to:

 

Cactus, Inc. 
 One Greenway Plaza, Suite 200
 Houston, TX 77046
 Attention:  Scott Bender

Telephone:           (713) 396-5750
 Facsimile:                 (713) 626-8800
 Email:                                    Scott.Bender@cactuswellhead.com

 

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

 

Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.
 666 Fifth Avenue

26th Floor

New York, NY 10103-0040
 Attention: Adorys Velazquez

Telephone:           (212) 237-0036
 Facsimile:                 (212) 237-0100
 Email:                                    avelazquez@velaw.com

 

If to the Agent, to:

 

Cadent Management Services, LLC

800 Westchester Avenue

 

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Suite S-436

Rye Brook, NY 10573

Attention:  Bruce Rothstein

Telephone: (203) 638-5000
 Email:                                    rothstein@cadentenergy.com

 

If to a TRA Holder, other than the Agent, that is or was a partner in Cactus LLC, to:

 

The address set forth in the records of Cactus LLC.

 

Any party may change its address or fax number by giving the other party written notice of its new address or fax number in the manner set forth above.

 

Section 7.2                                  Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the parties and delivered to the other parties, it being understood that all parties need not sign the same counterpart. Delivery of an executed signature page to this Agreement by facsimile transmission or otherwise (including an electronically executed signature page) shall be as effective as delivery of a manually signed counterpart of this Agreement.

 

Section 7.3                                  Entire Agreement; No Third Party Beneficiaries.  This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, both written and oral, among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of each party hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns, and nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to or shall confer upon any other Person any right, benefit or remedy of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in Section 3.3.

 

Section 7.4                                  Governing Law.  This Agreement and the rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of Delaware, without regard to the conflicts of laws principles thereof that would mandate the application of the laws of another jurisdiction.

 

Section 7.5                                  Severability.  If any term or other provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced by any law or public policy, all other terms and provisions of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect so long as the economic or legal substance of the transactions contemplated hereby is not affected in any manner materially adverse to any party. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced, the parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible in an acceptable manner in order that the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated as originally contemplated to the greatest extent possible.

 

Section 7.6                                  Successors; Assignment.

 

(a)                               No TRA Holder may assign this Agreement to any person without the prior written consent of the Corporate Taxpayer; provided, however, that

 

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(i)             to the extent Units are transferred in accordance with the terms of the Cactus LLC Agreement, the transferring TRA Holder shall have the option to assign to the transferee of such Units the transferring TRA Holder’s rights under this Agreement with respect to such transferred Units as long as such transferee has executed and delivered, or, in connection with such transfer, executes and delivers, a joinder to this Agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Corporate Taxpayer, agreeing to become a “TRA Holder” for all purposes of this Agreement, and

 

(ii)          the right to receive any and all payments payable or that may become payable to a TRA Holder pursuant to this Agreement that, once a Redemption has occurred, arise with respect to the Units transferred in such Redemption, may be assigned to any Person or Persons as long as any such Person has executed and delivered, or, in connection with such assignment, executes and delivers, a joinder to this Agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Corporate Taxpayer, agreeing to be bound by Section 7.13 and acknowledging specifically the terms of Section 7.6(b).

 

For the avoidance of doubt, if a TRA Holder transfers Units but does not assign to the transferee of such Units the rights of such TRA Holder under this Agreement with respect to such transferred Units, such TRA Holder shall continue to be entitled to receive the Tax Benefit Payments, if any, due hereunder with respect to, including any Tax Benefit Payments arising in respect of a subsequent Redemption of, such Units.

 

(b)                               Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 7.6, no assignee described in Section 7.6(a)(ii) shall have any rights under this Agreement except for the right to enforce its right to receive payments under this Agreement.

 

(c)                                The Person designated as the Agent may not be changed without the prior written consent of the Corporate Taxpayer and the Majority TRA Holders.

 

(d)                               Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, all of the terms and provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon, shall inure to the benefit of and shall be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors, assigns, heirs, executors, administrators and legal representatives.  The Corporate Taxpayer shall cause any direct or indirect successor (whether by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Corporate Taxpayer, by written agreement, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Corporate Taxpayer would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place.

 

Section 7.7                                  Amendments.  No provision of this Agreement may be amended unless such amendment is approved in writing by each of the Corporate Taxpayer and the Majority TRA Holders; provided, however, that no such amendment shall be effective if such amendment would have a disproportionate effect on the payments certain TRA Holders will or may receive under this Agreement unless all such disproportionately affected TRA Holders consent in writing to such amendment.

 

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Section 7.8                                  Titles and Subtitles. The titles of the sections and subsections of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and are not to be considered in construing this Agreement.

 

Section 7.9                                  Resolution of Disputes.

 

(a)                               Any and all disputes which are not governed by Section 7.10, including any ancillary claims of any party, arising out of, relating to or in connection with the validity, negotiation, execution, interpretation, performance or non-performance of this Agreement (including the validity, scope and enforceability of this Section 7.9 and Section 7.10) (each a “Dispute”) shall be governed by this Section 7.9.  The parties hereto shall attempt in good faith to resolve all Disputes by negotiation.  If a Dispute between the parties hereto cannot be resolved in such manner, such Dispute shall be finally settled by arbitration conducted by a single arbitrator in accordance with the then-existing rules of arbitration of the American Arbitration Association. If the parties to the Dispute fail to agree on the selection of an arbitrator within ten (10) calendar days of the receipt of the request for arbitration, the American Arbitration Association shall make the appointment. The arbitrator shall be a lawyer admitted to the practice of law in a U.S. state, or a nationally recognized expert in the relevant subject matter, and shall conduct the proceedings in the English language.  Performance under this Agreement shall continue if reasonably possible during any arbitration proceedings.  In addition to monetary damages, the arbitrator shall be empowered to award equitable relief, including an injunction and specific performance of any obligation under this Agreement.  The arbitrator is not empowered to award damages in excess of compensatory damages, and each party hereby irrevocably waives any right to recover punitive, exemplary or similar damages with respect to any Dispute.  The award shall be the sole and exclusive remedy between the parties regarding any claims, counterclaims, issues, or accounting presented to the arbitral tribunal.  Judgment upon any award may be entered and enforced in any court having jurisdiction over a party or any of its assets.

 

(b)                               Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 7.9(a), the Corporate Taxpayer may bring an action or special proceeding in any court of competent jurisdiction for the purpose of compelling a party to arbitrate, seeking temporary or preliminary relief in aid of an arbitration hereunder, and/or enforcing an arbitration award and, for the purposes of this Section 7.9(b), the Agent and each TRA Holder (i) expressly consents to the application of Section 7.9(c) to any such action or proceeding, (ii) agrees that proof shall not be required that monetary damages for breach of the provisions of this Agreement would be difficult to calculate and that remedies at law would be inadequate, and (iii) irrevocably appoints the Corporate Taxpayer as agent of such party for service of process in connection with any such action or proceeding and agrees that service of process upon such agent, who shall promptly advise such party in writing of any such service of process, shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon such party in any such action or proceeding.

 

(c)                                EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE JURISDICTION OF ANY FEDERAL COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE OR THE DELAWARE COURT OF CHANCERY FOR THE PURPOSE OF ANY JUDICIAL PROCEEDING BROUGHT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SECTION 7.9 OR ANY JUDICIAL PROCEEDING ANCILLARY TO AN ARBITRATION OR CONTEMPLATED ARBITRATION ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING

 

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TO OR CONCERNING THIS AGREEMENT.  Such ancillary judicial proceedings include any suit, action or proceeding to compel arbitration, to obtain temporary or preliminary judicial relief in aid of arbitration, or to confirm an arbitration award.  The parties acknowledge that the fora  designated by this Section 7.9(c) have a reasonable relation to this Agreement, and to the parties’ relationship with one another.

 

(d)                               The parties hereby waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any objection which they now or hereafter may have to personal jurisdiction or to the laying of venue of any such ancillary suit, action or proceeding brought in any court referred to in Section 7.9(c) and such parties agree not to plead or claim the same.

 

Section 7.10                           Reconciliation.  In the event that the Agent and the Corporate Taxpayer are unable to resolve a disagreement with respect to the calculations required to produce the schedules described in Section 2.3, Section 4.4 and Section 6.2 (but not, for the avoidance doubt, with respect to any legal interpretation with respect to such provisions or schedules) within the relevant period designated in this Agreement (“Reconciliation Dispute”), the Reconciliation Dispute shall be submitted for determination to the Expert.  The Expert shall be a partner or principal in a nationally recognized accounting or law firm, and unless the Corporate Taxpayer and the Agent agree otherwise, the Expert shall not, and the firm that employs the Expert shall not, have any material relationship with the Corporate Taxpayer or the Agent or other actual or potential conflict of interest.  If the parties are unable to agree on an Expert within fifteen (15) calendar days of receipt by the respondent(s) of written notice of a Reconciliation Dispute, the Expert shall be appointed by the American Arbitration Association.  The Expert shall resolve (a) any matter relating to the Exchange Schedule or an amendment thereto or the Early Termination Schedule or an amendment thereto within thirty (30) calendar days, (b) any matter relating to a Tax Benefit Payment Schedule or an amendment thereto within fifteen (15) calendar days , and (c) any matter related to treatment of any tax-related item as contemplated in Section 6.2 within fifteen (15) calendar days, or, in each case, as soon thereafter as is reasonably practicable after such matter has been submitted to the Expert for resolution.  Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, if the matter is not resolved before any payment that is the subject of a disagreement would be due (in the absence of such disagreement) or any Tax Return reflecting the subject of a disagreement is due, any portion of such payment that is not under dispute shall be paid on the date prescribed by this Agreement and such Tax Return may be filed as prepared by the Corporate Taxpayer, subject to adjustment or amendment upon resolution.  The costs and expenses relating to the engagement of such Expert or amending any Tax Return shall be borne by the Corporate Taxpayer except as provided in the next sentence.  The Corporate Taxpayer and the Agent shall each bear its own costs and expenses of such proceeding, unless (i) the Expert adopts the Agent’s position (as determined by the Expert), in which case the Corporate Taxpayer shall reimburse the Agent for any reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses in such proceeding, or (ii) the Expert adopts the Corporate Taxpayer’s position (as determined by the Expert), in which case the Agent shall reimburse the Corporate Taxpayer for any reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses in such proceeding.  Any dispute as to whether a dispute is a Reconciliation Dispute within the meaning of this Section 7.10 shall be decided by the Expert.  The Expert shall finally determine any Reconciliation Dispute and the determinations of the Expert pursuant to this Section 7.10 shall be binding on the Corporate Taxpayer and its Subsidiaries and the Agent and the TRA Holders and may be entered and enforced in any court having jurisdiction.

 

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Section 7.11                           Withholding.  The Corporate Taxpayer shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from any payment payable pursuant to this Agreement such amounts as the Corporate Taxpayer is required to deduct and withhold with respect to the making of such payment under the Code or any provision of U.S. federal, state, local or non-U.S. tax law.  To the extent that amounts are so withheld and paid over to the appropriate Taxing Authority by the Corporate Taxpayer, such withheld amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to the relevant TRA Holder.

 

Section 7.12                           Admission of the Corporate Taxpayer into a Consolidated Group; Transfers of Corporate Assets.

 

(a)                               If the Corporate Taxpayer is or becomes a member of an affiliated or consolidated group of corporations that files a consolidated income Tax Return pursuant to Sections 1501 et seq. of the Code or any corresponding provisions of U.S. state or local Tax law, then: (i) the provisions of this Agreement shall be applied with respect to the group as a whole; and (ii) Tax Benefit Payments, Early Termination Payments and other applicable items hereunder shall be computed with reference to the consolidated taxable income of the group as a whole.

 

(b)                               If the Corporate Taxpayer (or any other entity that is obligated to make a Tax Benefit Payment or Early Termination Payment hereunder), Cactus LLC or any of Cactus LLC’s direct or indirect Subsidiaries that is treated as a partnership or disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes (but only to the extent such Subsidiaries are not held through any entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) (a “Transferor”) transfers one or more Reference Assets to a corporation (or a Person classified as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) with which the Transferor does not file a consolidated Tax Return pursuant to Section 1501 of the Code, the Transferor, for purposes of calculating the amount of any Tax Benefit Payment or Early Termination Payment (e.g., calculating the gross income of the entity and determining the Realized Tax Benefit of such entity) due hereunder, shall be treated as having disposed of such Reference Assets in a fully taxable transaction on the date of such contribution.  The consideration deemed to be received by the Transferor shall be equal to the gross fair market value of the transferred Reference Assets.  For purposes of this Section 7.12(b), a transfer of a partnership interest shall be treated as a transfer of the Transferor’s share of each of the assets and liabilities of that partnership.

 

Section 7.13                           Confidentiality.

 

(a)                               The Agent, each TRA Holder and each of the TRA Holder’s assignees acknowledges and agrees that the information of the Corporate Taxpayer is confidential and, except in the course of performing any duties as necessary for the Corporate Taxpayer and its Affiliates, as required by law or legal process or to enforce the terms of this Agreement, such Person shall keep and retain in the strictest confidence and not disclose to any Person any confidential matters, acquired pursuant to this Agreement, of the Corporate Taxpayer and its Affiliates and successors, concerning Cactus LLC and its Affiliates and successors or the TRA Holders, learned by the Agent or any TRA Holder heretofore or hereafter.  This Section 7.13 shall not apply to (i) any information that has been made publicly available by the Corporate Taxpayer or any of its Affiliates, becomes public knowledge (except as a result of an act of the Agent or a TRA Holder in violation of this Agreement) or is generally known to the business

 

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community and (ii) the disclosure of information (A) as may be proper in the course of performing such TRA Holder’s obligations, or monitoring or enforcing such TRA Holder’s  rights, under this Agreement, (B) as part of such TRA Holder’s normal reporting, rating or review procedure (including normal credit rating and pricing process), or in connection with such TRA Holder’s or such TRA Holder’s Affiliates’ normal fund raising, financing, marketing, informational or reporting activities, or to such TRA Holder’s (or any of its Affiliates’) or its direct or indirect owners or Affiliates, auditors, accountants, employees, attorneys or other agents, (C) to any bona fide prospective assignee of such TRA Holder’s rights under this Agreement, or prospective merger or other business combination partner of such TRA Holder, provided that such assignee or merger partner agrees to be bound by the provisions of this Section 7.13, (D) as is required to be disclosed by order of a court of competent jurisdiction, administrative body or governmental body, or by subpoena, summons or legal process, or by law, rule or regulation; provided that any TRA Holder required to make any such disclosure to the extent legally permissible shall provide the Corporate Taxpayer prompt notice of such disclosure, or to regulatory authorities or similar examiners conducting regulatory reviews or examinations (without any such notice to the Corporate Taxpayer), or (E) to the extent necessary for a TRA Holder or its direct or indirect owners to prepare and file its Tax Returns, to respond to any inquiries regarding such Tax Returns from any Taxing Authority or to prosecute or defend any Tax Proceeding with respect to such Tax Returns.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Agent (and each employee, representative or other agent of Agent or its assignees, as applicable) and each TRA Holder and each of its assignees (and each employee, representative or other agent of such TRA Holder or its assignees, as applicable) may disclose to any and all Persons, without limitation of any kind, the Tax treatment and Tax structure of the Corporate Taxpayer, Cactus LLC, the Agent, the TRA Holders and their Affiliates, and any of their transactions, and all materials of any kind (including opinions or other Tax analyses) that are provided to the Agent or the TRA Holder relating to such Tax treatment and Tax structure.

 

(b)                               If the Agent or an assignee or a TRA Holder or an assignee commits a breach, or threatens to commit a breach, of any of the provisions of this Section 7.13, the Corporate Taxpayer shall have the right and remedy to have the provisions of this Section 7.13 specifically enforced by injunctive relief or otherwise by any court of competent jurisdiction without the need to post any bond or other security, it being acknowledged and agreed that any such breach or threatened breach shall cause irreparable injury to the Corporate Taxpayer or any of its Subsidiaries or the TRA Holders and that money damages alone shall not provide an adequate remedy to such Persons.  Such rights and remedies shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other rights and remedies available at law or in equity.

 

Section 7.14                           No More Favorable Terms.  None of the Corporate Taxpayer nor any of its Subsidiaries shall enter into any additional agreement providing rights similar to this Agreement to any Person (including any agreement pursuant to which the Corporate Taxpayer is obligated to pay amounts with respect to tax benefits resulting from any increases in Tax basis, net operating losses or other tax attributes to which the Corporate Taxpayer becomes entitled as a result of a transaction) if such agreement provides terms that are more favorable to the counterparty under such agreement than those provided to the TRA Holders under this Agreement; provided, however, that the Corporate Taxpayer (or any of its Subsidiaries) may enter into such an agreement if this Agreement is amended to make such more favorable terms available to the TRA Holders.

 

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Section 7.15                           Change in Law. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if, in connection with an actual or proposed change in law, a TRA Holder reasonably believes that the existence of this Agreement (a) could cause income (other than income arising from receipt of a payment under this Agreement) recognized by such TRA Holder upon any Redemption that as of the date of this Agreement would be treated as capital gain to instead be treated as ordinary income or to be otherwise taxed at ordinary income rates for U.S. federal income tax purposes or (b) would have other material adverse tax consequences to such TRA Holder and/or its direct or indirect owners, then, in either case, at the election of such TRA Holder and to the extent specified by such TRA Holder, this Agreement (c) (i) shall cease to have further effect, (ii) shall not apply to a Redemption by such TRA Holder occurring after a date specified by it, or (iii) shall otherwise be amended in a manner determined by such TRA Holder to waive any benefits to which such TRA Holder would otherwise be entitled under this Agreement, provided that such amendment shall not result in an increase in or acceleration of payments under this Agreement at any time as compared to the amounts and times of payments that would have been due in the absence of such amendment.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporate Taxpayer, the Agent, and the TRA Holders have duly executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

	
 
    	
CORPORATE   TAXPAYER:
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
CACTUS, INC.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
AGENT:
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
CADENT   MANAGEMENT SERVICES, LLC
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    

 

[The signatures of the TRA Holders are attached in Schedule A.]

 

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SCHEDULE A

TRA HOLDERS

 

Schedule A-1

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