Document:

Exhibit 10.13

 

WILLSCOT CORPORATION

2017 INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN

 

1.             Purpose.  The purpose of the WillScot Corporation 2017 Incentive Award Plan (the “Plan”) is to provide a means through which the Company and its Affiliates may attract and retain key personnel and to provide a means whereby directors, officers, employees, consultants and advisors (and prospective directors, officers, employees, consultants and advisors) of the Company and its Affiliates can acquire and maintain an equity interest in the Company, or be paid incentive compensation, which may (but need not) be measured by reference to the value of Common Shares, thereby strengthening their commitment to the welfare of the Company and its Affiliates and aligning their interests with those of the Company’s shareholders.

 

2.             Definitions.  The following definitions shall be applicable throughout the Plan:

 

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

 

(b)           “Award” means, individually or collectively, any Incentive Stock Option, Nonqualified Stock Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Unit, Stock Bonus Award, and Performance Compensation Award granted under the Plan.

 

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

 

(d)           “Business Combination” has the meaning given such term in the definition of “Change in Control.”

 

(e)           “Cause” means, in the case of a particular Award, unless the applicable Award agreement states otherwise, (i) the Company or an Affiliate having “cause” to terminate a Participant’s employment or service, as defined in any employment or consulting or similar agreement between the Participant and the Company or an Affiliate in effect at the time of such termination or (ii) in the absence of any such employment or consulting or similar agreement (or the absence of any definition of “Cause” contained therein), (A) the Participant’s indictment for, conviction of or plea of nolo contendere to, a felony (other than in connection with a traffic violation) under any state or federal law, (B) the Participant’s failure to substantially perform his or her essential job functions after receipt of written notice from the Company requesting such performance, (C) an act of fraud or gross misconduct with respect, in each case, to the Company, by the Participant, (D) any material misconduct by the Participant that could be reasonably expected to damage the reputation or business of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or (E) the Participant’s violation of a material policy of the Company.  Any determination of whether Cause exists shall be made by the Committee in its sole discretion.

 

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(f)            “Change in Control” shall, in the case of a particular Award, unless the applicable Award agreement states otherwise or contains a different definition of “Change in Control,” be deemed to occur upon:

 

(i)            Any sale, lease, exchange or other transfer (in one or a series of related transactions) of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company;

 

(ii)           Any “Person” as such term is used in Section 13(d) and Section 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) is or becomes, directly or indirectly, the “beneficial owner” as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act of securities of the Company that represent more than 50% of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding voting securities (the “Outstanding Company Voting Securities”); provided, however, that for purposes of this Section 2(f)(ii), the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in Control:  (I) any acquisition directly from the Company, (II) any acquisition by the Company, (III) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any Affiliate, (IV) any acquisition by any corporation pursuant to a transaction that complies with Sections 2(f)(iv)(A) and 2(f)(iv)(B), (V) any acquisition by TDR Capital LLP, certain of its affiliates, co-investors or syndicates, (VI) any acquisition involving beneficial ownership of less than 50% of the then-outstanding Common Shares (the “Outstanding Company Common Shares”) or the Outstanding Company Voting Securities that is determined by the Board, based on review of public disclosure by the acquiring Person with respect to its passive investment intent, not to have a purpose or effect of changing or influencing the control of the Company; provided, however, that for purposes of this clause (VI), any such acquisition in connection with (x) an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents or (y) any “Business Combination” (as defined below) shall be presumed to be for the purpose or with the effect of changing or influencing the control of the Company;

 

(iii)          During any period of two (2) consecutive years, the individuals who at the beginning of such period constituted the Board together with any individuals subsequently elected to the Board whose nomination by the shareholders of the Company was approved by a vote of the then incumbent Board (i.e. those members of the Board who either have been directors from the beginning of such two-year period or whose election or nomination for election was previously approved by the Board as provided in this Section 2(f)(iii)) cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the Board;

 

(iv)          Consummation of a merger, amalgamation or consolidation (a “Business Combination”) of the Company with any other corporation, unless, following such Business Combination, (A) all or substantially all of the individuals and entities that were the beneficial owners of the Outstanding Company Common Shares and the Outstanding Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such Business Combination beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the then-outstanding shares of common stock (or, for a non-corporate entity, equivalent securities) and the combined voting power of the then-outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (or, for a non-corporate entity, equivalent governing body), as the case may be, of the entity resulting from such Business Combination (including, without limitation, an entity that, as a result of such transaction, owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or

 

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more subsidiaries) in substantially the same proportions as their ownership immediately prior to such Business Combination of the Outstanding Company Common Shares and the Outstanding Company Voting Securities, as the case may be, and (B) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors (or, for a non-corporate entity, equivalent governing body) of the entity resulting from such Business Combination were members of the incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement or of the action of the Board providing for such Business Combination;

 

(v)           The date which is 10 business days prior to the consummation of complete liquidation of the Company.

 

(g)           “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any successor thereto.  Reference in the Plan to any section of the Code shall be deemed to include any regulations or other interpretative guidance under such section, and any amendments or successor provisions to such section, regulations or guidance.

 

(h)           “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board or, if no such committee has been appointed by the Board, the Board.

 

(i)            “Common Shares” means shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (and any stock or other securities into which such ordinary shares may be converted or into which they may be exchanged).

 

(j)            “Company” means WillScot Corporation, a Delaware corporation.

 

(k)           “Confidential Information” means any and all confidential and/or proprietary trade secrets, knowledge, data, or information of the Company including, without limitation, any: (A) drawings, inventions, methodologies, mask works, ideas, processes, formulas, source and object codes, data, programs, software source documents, works of authorship, know-how, improvements, discoveries, developments, designs and techniques, and all other work product of the Company, whether or not patentable or registrable under trademark, copyright, patent or similar laws; (B) information regarding plans for research, development, new service offerings and/or products, marketing, advertising and selling, distribution, business plans and strategies, business forecasts, budgets and unpublished financial statements, licenses, prices and costs, suppliers, customers, customer history, customer preferences, or distribution arrangements; (C) any information regarding the skills or compensation of employees, suppliers, agents, and/or independent contractors of the Company; (D) concepts and ideas relating to the development and distribution of content in any medium or to the current, future and proposed products or services of the Company; (E) information about the Company’s investment program, trading methodology, or portfolio holdings; or (F) any other information, data or the like that is labeled confidential or described as confidential.

 

(l)            “Date of Grant” means the date on which the granting of an Award is authorized, or such other date as may be specified in such authorization.

 

(m)          “Effective Date” means the date on which the Plan is approved by the shareholders of the Company.

 

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(n)           “Eligible Director” means a person who is (i) a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, and (ii) an “outside director” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

(o)           “Eligible Person” means any (i) individual employed by the Company or an Affiliate; provided, however, that no such employee covered by a collective bargaining agreement shall be an Eligible Person unless and to the extent that such eligibility is set forth in such collective bargaining agreement or in an agreement or instrument relating thereto; (ii) director of the Company or an Affiliate; (iii) consultant or advisor to the Company or an Affiliate; provided that if the Securities Act applies such persons must be eligible to be offered securities registrable on Form S-8 under the Securities Act; or (iv) prospective employees, directors, officers, consultants or advisors who have accepted offers of employment or consultancy from the Company or its Affiliates (and would satisfy the provisions of clauses (i) through (iii) above once he or she begins employment with or begins providing services to the Company or its Affiliates).

 

(p)           “Exchange Act” has the meaning given such term in the definition of “Change in Control,” and any reference in the Plan to any section of (or rule promulgated under) the Exchange Act shall be deemed to include any rules, regulations or other interpretative guidance under such section or rule, and any amendments or successor provisions to such section, rules, regulations or guidance.

 

(q)           “Exercise Price” has the meaning given such term in Section 7(b) of the Plan.

 

(r)            “Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of Common Shares determined as follows:

 

(i)            If the Common Shares are listed on any established stock exchange or a national market system will be the closing sales price for such shares (or the closing bid, if no sales were reported) as quoted on such exchange or system on the day of determination, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable;

 

(ii)           If the Common Shares are regularly quoted by a recognized securities dealer but selling prices are not reported, the Fair Market Value of a Common Share will be the mean between the high bid and low asked prices for the Common Shares on the day of determination, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable; or

 

(iii)          In the absence of an established market for the Common Shares, the Fair Market Value will be determined in good faith by the Committee.

 

(s)            “Good Reason” means, if applicable to any Participant in the case of a particular Award, as defined in the Participant’s employment agreement or the applicable Award agreement.

 

(t)            “Immediate Family Members” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 16(b).

 

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

 

(v)           “Indemnifiable Person” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(e) of the Plan.

 

(w)          “Intellectual Property Products” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 15(c) of the Plan.

 

(x)           “Mature Shares” means Common Shares owned by a Participant that are not subject to any pledge or security interest and that have been either previously acquired by the Participant on the open market or meet such other requirements, if any, as the Committee may determine are necessary in order to avoid an accounting earnings charge on account of the use of such shares to pay the Exercise Price or satisfy a withholding obligation of the Participant.

 

(y)           “Negative Discretion” shall mean the discretion authorized by the Plan to be applied by the Committee to eliminate or reduce the size of a Performance Compensation Award consistent with Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

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

 

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

 

(bb)         “Option Period” has the meaning given such term in Section 7(c) of the Plan.

 

(cc)         “Outstanding Company Common Shares” has the meaning given such term in the definition of “Change in Control.”

 

(dd)         “Outstanding Company Voting Securities” has the meaning given such term in the definition of “Change in Control.”

 

(ee)         “Participant” means an Eligible Person who has been selected by the Committee to participate in the Plan and to receive an Award pursuant to Section 6 of the Plan.

 

(ff)          “Performance Compensation Award” shall mean any Award designated by the Committee as a Performance Compensation Award pursuant to Section 11 of the Plan.

 

(gg)         “Performance Criteria” shall mean the criterion or criteria that the Committee shall select for purposes of establishing the Performance Goal(s) for a Performance Period with respect to any Performance Compensation Award under the Plan.

 

(hh)         “Performance Formula” shall mean, for a Performance Period, the one or more objective formulae applied against the relevant Performance Goal to determine, with regard to the Performance Compensation Award of a particular Participant, whether all, some portion

 

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but less than all, or none of the Performance Compensation Award has been earned for the Performance Period.

 

(ii)           “Performance Goals” shall mean, for a Performance Period, the one or more goals established by the Committee for the Performance Period based upon the Performance Criteria.

 

(jj)           “Performance Period” shall mean the one or more periods of time, as the Committee may select, over which the attainment of one or more Performance Goals will be measured for the purpose of determining a Participant’s right to, and the payment of, a Performance Compensation Award.

 

(kk)         “Permitted Transferee” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 16(b) of the Plan.

 

(ll)           “Person” has the meaning given such term in the definition of “Change in Control.”

 

(mm)      “Plan” means this WillScot Corporation 2017 Incentive Award Plan.

 

(nn)         “Qualifying Termination” means the occurrence of either a termination of a Participant’s employment by the Company without Cause or for Good Reason, in either case, occurring on or within the 12-month period following the consummation of a Change in Control.

 

(oo)         “Restricted Period” means the period of time determined by the Committee during which an Award is subject to restrictions or, as applicable, the period of time within which performance is measured for purposes of determining whether an Award has been earned.

 

(pp)         “Restricted Stock Unit” means an unfunded and unsecured promise to deliver Common Shares, cash, other securities or other property, subject to certain performance or time-based restrictions (including, without limitation, a requirement that the Participant remain continuously employed or provide continuous services for a specified period of time), granted under Section 9 of the Plan.

 

(qq)         “Restricted Stock” means Common Shares, subject to certain specified performance or time-based restrictions (including, without limitation, a requirement that the Participant remain continuously employed or provide continuous services for a specified period of time), granted under Section 9 of the Plan.

 

(rr)           “Retirement” means except as otherwise determined by the Committee and set forth in an Award agreement, termination of employment from the Company and its Affiliates (other than for Cause) on a date the Participant is then eligible to receive immediate, early or normal retirement benefits under the provisions of any of the Company’s or its Affiliate’s retirement plans, or if the Participant is not covered under any such plan, on or after attainment of age fifty-five (55) and completion of ten (10) years of continuous service with the Company and its Affiliates or on or after attainment of age sixty-five (65) and completion of five (5) years of continuous service with the Company and its Affiliates.

 

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(ss)          “SAR Period” has the meaning given such term in Section 8(b) of the Plan.

 

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

 

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

 

(vv)         “Stock Bonus Award” means an Award granted under Section 10 of the Plan.

 

(ww)       “Strike Price” means, except as otherwise provided by the Committee in the case of Substitute Awards, (i) in the case of a SAR granted in tandem with an Option, the Exercise Price of the related Option, or (ii) in the case of a SAR granted independent of an Option, the Fair Market Value on the Date of Grant.

 

(xx)         “Subsidiary” means, with respect to any specified Person:

 

(i)            any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Outstanding Company Voting Securities (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency and after giving effect to any voting agreement or shareholders’ agreement that effectively transfers voting power) is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person (or a combination thereof); and

 

(ii)           any partnership (or any comparable foreign entity (a) the sole general partner (or functional equivalent thereof) or the managing general partner of which is such Person or Subsidiary of such Person or (b) the only general partners (or functional equivalents thereof) of which are that Person or one or more Subsidiaries of that Person (or any combination thereof).

 

(yy)         “Substitute Award” has the meaning given such term in Section 5(e).

 

3.             Effective Date; Duration.  The Plan shall be effective as of the Effective Date.  The expiration date of the Plan, on and after which date no Awards may be granted hereunder, shall be the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date; provided, however, that such expiration shall not affect Awards then outstanding, and the terms and conditions of the Plan shall continue to apply to such Awards.

 

4.             Administration.  (a) The Committee shall administer the Plan.  To the extent required to comply with the provisions of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act (if the Board is not acting as the Committee under the Plan) or necessary to obtain the exception for performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code, as applicable, it is intended that each member of the Committee shall, at the time he takes any action with respect to an Award under the Plan, be an Eligible Director.  However, the fact that a Committee member shall fail to qualify as an Eligible Director shall not invalidate any Award granted by the

 

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Committee that is otherwise validly granted under the Plan.  The acts of a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present or acts approved in writing by a majority of the Committee shall be deemed the acts of the Committee.  Whether a quorum is present shall be determined based on the Committee’s charter as approved by the Board.

 

(b)           Subject to the provisions of the Plan and applicable law, the Committee shall have the sole and plenary authority, in addition to other express powers and authorizations conferred on the Committee by the Plan, to:  (i) designate Participants; (ii) determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to a Participant; (iii) determine the number of Common Shares to be covered by, or with respect to which payments, rights, or other matters are to be calculated in connection with, Awards; (iv) determine the terms and conditions of any Award; (v) determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances Awards may be settled or exercised in cash, Common Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property, or canceled, forfeited, or suspended and the method or methods by which Awards may be settled, exercised, canceled, forfeited, or suspended; (vi) determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances the delivery of cash, Common Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property and other amounts payable with respect to an Award shall be deferred either automatically or at the election of the Participant or of the Committee; (vii) interpret, administer, reconcile any inconsistency in, correct any defect in and/or supply any omission in the Plan and any instrument or agreement relating to, or Award granted under, the Plan; (viii) establish, amend, suspend, or waive any rules and regulations and appoint such agents as the Committee shall deem appropriate for the proper administration of the Plan; (ix) accelerate the vesting or exercisability of, payment for or lapse of restrictions on, Awards; and (x) make any other determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan.

 

(c)           The Committee may delegate to one or more officers of the Company or any Affiliate the authority to act on behalf of the Committee with respect to any matter, right, obligation, or election that is the responsibility of or that is allocated to the Committee herein, and that may be so delegated as a matter of law, except for grants of Awards to persons (i) subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act or (ii) who are, or who are reasonably expected to be, “covered employees” for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

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

 

(e)           No member of the Board, the Committee, delegate of the Committee or any employee or agent of the Company (each such person, an “Indemnifiable Person”) shall be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken or any determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any Award hereunder.  Each Indemnifiable Person shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company against and from any loss, cost, liability, or expense (including attorneys’ fees) that may be imposed upon or incurred by such Indemnifiable Person in connection with or resulting from any action, suit or proceeding to which such Indemnifiable Person may be a party or in which such Indemnifiable Person may be involved by reason of any

 

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action taken or omitted to be taken under the Plan or any Award agreement and against and from any and all amounts paid by such Indemnifiable Person with the Company’s approval, in settlement thereof, or paid by such Indemnifiable Person in satisfaction of any judgment in any such action, suit or proceeding against such Indemnifiable Person, provided that the Company shall have the right, at its own expense, to assume and defend any such action, suit or proceeding and once the Company gives notice of its intent to assume the defense, the Company shall have sole control over such defense with counsel of the Company’s choice.  The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be available to an Indemnifiable Person to the extent that a final judgment or other final adjudication (in either case not subject to further appeal) binding upon such Indemnifiable Person determines that the acts or omissions of such Indemnifiable Person giving rise to the indemnification claim resulted from such Indemnifiable Person’s bad faith, fraud or willful criminal act or omission or that such right of indemnification is otherwise prohibited by law or by the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws.  The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such Indemnifiable Persons may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any other power that the Company may have to indemnify such Indemnifiable Persons or hold them harmless.

 

(f)            Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Plan, the Board may, in its sole discretion, at any time and from time to time, grant Awards and administer the Plan with respect to such Awards.  In any such case, the Board shall have all the authority granted to the Committee under the Plan.

 

5.             Grant of Awards; Shares Subject to the Plan; Limitations.  (a) The Committee may, from time to time, grant Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Stock Bonus Awards and/or Performance Compensation Awards to one or more Eligible Persons.

 

(b)           Subject to Section 12 of the Plan, Awards granted under the Plan shall be subject to the following limitations: (i)  the Committee is authorized to deliver under the Plan an aggregate of 4,000,000 Common Shares, (ii) the maximum number of Common Shares that may be granted under the Plan to any Participant during any single year with respect to Awards that are Options and SARs shall be 1,500,000 Common Shares, (iii) the maximum number of Common Shares that may be granted under the Plan to any Participant during any single year with respect to Performance Compensation Awards that are intended to be “qualified performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code that are Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units or Stock Bonus Awards shall be 1,500,000 Common Shares, (iv) no “covered employee,” as defined in Section 162(m) of the Code, shall in any single year be granted Performance Compensation Awards denominated in cash with a value exceeding when paid $5,000,000 in cash or in property other than Common Shares, and (v) the maximum number of Common Shares that may be granted under the Plan during any single year to any Participant who is a non-employee director, when taken together with any cash fees paid to such non-employee director during such year in respect of his or her service as a non-employee director, shall not exceed $600,000 in total value (calculating the value of any such Awards based on the grant date Fair Market Value of such Awards for financial reporting purposes); provided that the Board may make exceptions to this limit for a non-executive chair of the Board.

 

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(c)           (c)           In the event that (i) any Option or other Award granted hereunder is exercised through the tendering of Common Shares (either actually or by attestation) or by the withholding of Common Shares by the Company, or (ii) withholding tax liabilities arising from such Option or other Award are satisfied by the tendering of Common Shares (either actually or by attestation) or by the withholding of Common Shares by the Company, then in each such case the Common Shares so tendered or withheld shall be added to the Common Shares available for grant under the Plan on a one-for-one basis.  Shares underlying Awards under this Plan that are forfeited, cancelled, expire unexercised, or are settled in cash are available again for Awards under the Plan.

 

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

 

(e)           Awards may, in the sole discretion of the Committee, be granted under the Plan in assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding awards previously granted by an entity acquired by the Company or with which the Company combines (“Substitute Awards”).  The number of Common Shares underlying any Substitute Awards shall not be counted against the aggregate number of Common Shares available for Awards under the Plan.

 

6.             Eligibility.  Participation shall be limited to Eligible Persons who have entered into an Award agreement or who have received written notification from the Committee, or from a person designated by the Committee, that they have been selected to participate in the Plan.

 

7.             Options.  (a) Generally.  Each Option granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award agreement (whether in paper or electronic medium (including email or the posting on a web site maintained by the Company or a third party under contract with the Company)).  Each Option so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 7, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award agreement.  All Options granted under the Plan shall be Nonqualified Stock Options unless the applicable Award agreement expressly states that the Option is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option.  Incentive Stock Options shall be granted only to Eligible Persons who are employees of the Company and its Affiliates, and no Incentive Stock Option shall be granted to any Eligible Person who is ineligible to receive an Incentive Stock Option under the Code.  No Option shall be treated as an Incentive Stock Option unless the Plan has been approved by the shareholders of the Company in a manner intended to comply with the stockholder approval requirements of Section 422(b)(1) of the Code; provided that any Option intended to be an Incentive Stock Option shall not fail to be effective solely on account of a failure to obtain such approval, but rather such Option shall be treated as a Nonqualified Stock Option unless and until such approval is obtained.  In the case of an Incentive Stock Option, the terms and conditions of such grant shall be subject to and comply with such rules as may be prescribed by Section 422 of the Code.  If for any reason an Option intended to be an Incentive Stock Option (or any portion thereof) shall not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, then, to the extent of such nonqualification, such Option or portion thereof shall be regarded as a Nonqualified Stock Option appropriately granted under the Plan.

 

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(b)           Exercise Price.  The exercise price (“Exercise Price”) per Common Share for each Option shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of such share determined as of the Date of Grant; provided, however, that in the case of an Incentive Stock Option granted to an employee who, at the time of the grant of such Option, owns shares representing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of shares of the Company or any Affiliate, the Exercise Price per share shall not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value per share on the Date of Grant and provided further, that, notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, the Exercise Price shall not be less than the par value per Common Share.

 

(c)           Vesting and Expiration.  Options shall vest and become exercisable in such manner and on such date or dates determined by the Committee and shall expire after such period, not to exceed ten years, as may be determined by the Committee (the “Option Period”); provided, however, that the Option Period shall not exceed five years from the Date of Grant in the case of an Incentive Stock Option granted to a Participant who on the Date of Grant owns shares representing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of shares of the Company or any Affiliate; provided, further, that notwithstanding any vesting dates set by the Committee, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, accelerate the exercisability of any Option, which acceleration shall not affect the terms and conditions of such Option other than with respect to exercisability.  Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in an Award agreement:  (i) an Option shall vest and become exercisable with respect to 100% of the Common Shares subject to such Option on the fourth anniversary of the Date of Grant; (ii) the unvested portion of an Option shall expire upon termination of employment or service of the Participant granted the Option, and the vested portion of such Option shall remain exercisable for (A) two years following termination of employment or service by reason of such Participant’s Retirement, death or disability (as determined by the Committee), but not later than the expiration of the Option Period or (B) 90 days following termination of employment or service for any reason other than such Participant’s Retirement, death or disability, and other than such Participant’s termination of employment or service for Cause, but not later than the expiration of the Option Period; and (iii) both the unvested and the vested portion of an Option shall expire upon the termination of the Participant’s employment or service by the Company for Cause. If the Option would expire at a time when the exercise of the Option would violate applicable securities laws, the expiration date applicable to the Option will be automatically extended to a date that is thirty (30) calendar days following the date such exercise would no longer violate applicable securities laws (so long as such extension shall not violate Section 409A of the Code); provided, that in no event shall such expiration date be extended beyond the expiration of the Option Period.

 

(d)           Method of Exercise and Form of Payment.  No Common Shares shall be delivered pursuant to any exercise of an Option until payment in full of the Exercise Price therefor is received by the Company and the Participant has paid to the Company an amount equal to any federal, state, local and non-U.S. income and employment taxes required to be withheld.  Options that have become exercisable may be exercised by delivery of written or electronic notice of exercise to the Company in accordance with the terms of the Option accompanied by payment of the Exercise Price.  The Exercise Price shall be payable (i) in cash, check, cash equivalent and/or Common Shares valued at the fair market value at the time the Option is exercised (including, pursuant to procedures approved by the Committee, by means of attestation of ownership of a sufficient number of Common Shares in lieu of actual delivery of such shares to the Company); provided that such Common Shares are not subject to any pledge

 

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or other security interest and are Mature Shares and; (ii) by such other method as the Committee may permit in accordance with applicable law, in its sole discretion, including without limitation:  (A) in other property having a fair market value on the date of exercise equal to the Exercise Price or (B) if there is a public market for the Common Shares at such time, by means of a broker-assisted “cashless exercise” pursuant to which the Company is delivered a copy of irrevocable instructions to a stockbroker to sell the Common Shares otherwise deliverable upon the exercise of the Option and to deliver promptly to the Company an amount equal to the Exercise Price or (C) by a “net exercise” method whereby the Company withholds from the delivery of the Common Shares for which the Option was exercised that number of Common Shares having a fair market value equal to the aggregate Exercise Price for the Common Shares for which the Option was exercised. No fractional Common Shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award, and the Committee shall determine whether cash, other securities or other property shall be paid or transferred in lieu of any fractional Common Shares, or whether such fractional Common Shares or any rights thereto shall be canceled, terminated or otherwise eliminated.

 

(e)           Notification upon Disqualifying Disposition of an Incentive Stock Option.  Each Participant awarded an Incentive Stock Option under the Plan shall notify the Company in writing immediately after the date he makes a disqualifying disposition of any Common Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of such Incentive Stock Option.  A disqualifying disposition is any disposition (including, without limitation, any sale) of such Common Shares before the later of (A) two years after the Date of Grant of the Incentive Stock Option or (B) one year after the date of exercise of the Incentive Stock Option.  The Company may, if determined by the Committee and in accordance with procedures established by the Committee, retain possession of any Common Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option as agent for the applicable Participant until the end of the period described in the preceding sentence.

 

(f)            Compliance With Laws, etc.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall a Participant be permitted to exercise an Option in a manner that the Committee determines would violate the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, if applicable, or any other applicable law or the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission or the applicable rules and regulations of any securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the securities of the Company are listed or traded.

 

8.             Stock Appreciation Rights.  (a) Generally.  Each SAR granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award agreement (whether in paper or electronic medium (including email or the posting on a web site maintained by the Company or a third party under contract with the Company)).  Each SAR so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 8, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award agreement.  Any Option granted under the Plan may include tandem SARs.  The Committee also may award SARs to Eligible Persons independent of any Option.

 

(b)           Exercise Price.  The Exercise Price per Common Share for each SAR shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of such share determined as of the Date of Grant

 

(c)           Vesting and Expiration.  A SAR granted in connection with an Option shall become exercisable and shall expire according to the same vesting schedule and expiration

 

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provisions as the corresponding Option.  A SAR granted independent of an Option shall vest and become exercisable and shall expire in such manner and on such date or dates determined by the Committee and shall expire after such period, not to exceed ten years, as may be determined by the Committee (the “SAR Period”); provided, however, that notwithstanding any vesting dates set by the Committee, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, accelerate the exercisability of any SAR, which acceleration shall not affect the terms and conditions of such SAR other than with respect to exercisability.  Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in an Award agreement:  (i) a SAR shall vest and become exercisable with respect to 100% of the Common Shares subject to such SAR on the fourth anniversary of the Date of Grant; (ii) the unvested portion of a SAR shall expire upon termination of employment or service of the Participant granted the SAR, and the vested portion of such SAR shall remain exercisable for (A) two years following termination of employment or service by reason of such Participant’s Retirement, death or disability (as determined by the Committee), but not later than the expiration of the SAR Period or (B) 90 days following termination of employment or service for any reason other than such Participant’s Retirement, death or disability, and other than such Participant’s termination of employment or service for Cause, but not later than the expiration of the SAR Period; and (iii) both the unvested and the vested portion of a SAR shall expire upon the termination of the Participant’s employment or service by the Company for Cause.

 

(d)           Method of Exercise.  SARs that have become exercisable may be exercised by delivery of written or electronic notice of exercise to the Company in accordance with the terms of the Award, specifying the number of SARs to be exercised and the date on which such SARs were awarded.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if on the last day of the Option Period (or in the case of a SAR independent of an option, the SAR Period), the fair market value exceeds the Strike Price, the Participant has not exercised the SAR or the corresponding Option (if applicable), and neither the SAR nor the corresponding Option (if applicable) has expired, such SAR shall be deemed to have been exercised by the Participant on such last day and the Company shall make the appropriate payment therefor.

 

(e)           Payment.  Upon the exercise of a SAR, the Company shall pay to the Participant an amount equal to the number of shares subject to the SAR that are being exercised multiplied by the excess, if any, of the fair market value of one Common Share on the exercise date over the Strike Price, less an amount equal to any federal, state, local and non-U.S. income and employment taxes required to be withheld.  The Company shall pay such amount in cash, in Common Shares valued at fair market value, or any combination thereof, as determined by the Committee. No fractional Common Shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award, and the Committee shall determine whether cash, other securities or other property shall be paid or transferred in lieu of any fractional Common Shares, or whether such fractional Common Shares or any rights thereto shall be canceled, terminated or otherwise eliminated.

 

9.             Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units.  (a) Generally.  Each grant of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall be evidenced by an Award agreement (whether in paper or electronic medium (including email or the posting on a web site maintained by the Company or a third party under contract with the Company)).  Each such grant shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 9, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award agreement.

 

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(b)           Restricted Accounts; Escrow or Similar Arrangement.  Upon the grant of Restricted Stock, a book entry in a restricted account shall be established in the Participant’s name at the Company’s transfer agent and, if the Committee determines that the Restricted Stock shall be held by the Company or in escrow rather than held in such restricted account pending the release of the applicable restrictions, the Committee may require the Participant to additionally execute and deliver to the Company (i) an escrow agreement satisfactory to the Committee, if applicable, and (ii) the appropriate share power (endorsed in blank) with respect to the Restricted Stock covered by such agreement.  If a Participant shall fail to execute an agreement evidencing an Award of Restricted Stock and, if applicable, an escrow agreement and blank share power within the amount of time specified by the Committee, the Award shall be null and void.  Subject to the restrictions set forth in this Section 9 and the applicable Award agreement, the Participant generally shall have the rights and privileges of a shareholder as to such Restricted Stock, including without limitation the right to vote such Restricted Stock and the right to receive dividends, if applicable.  To the extent shares of Restricted Stock are forfeited, any share certificates issued to the Participant evidencing such shares shall be returned to the Company, and all rights of the Participant to such shares and as a shareholder with respect thereto shall terminate without further obligation on the part of the Company.

 

(c)           Vesting; Acceleration of Lapse of Restrictions.  Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in an Award agreement:  (i) the Restricted Period shall lapse with respect to 100% of the Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units on the fourth anniversary of the Date of Grant; and (ii) the unvested portion of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall terminate and be forfeited upon termination of employment or service of the Participant granted the applicable Award.

 

(d)           Delivery of Restricted Stock and Settlement of Restricted Stock Units.  (i) Upon the expiration of the Restricted Period with respect to any shares of Restricted Stock, the restrictions set forth in the applicable Award agreement shall be of no further force or effect with respect to such shares, except as set forth in the applicable Award agreement.  If an escrow arrangement is used, upon such expiration, the Company shall deliver to the Participant, or his beneficiary, without charge, the share certificate evidencing the shares of Restricted Stock that have not then been forfeited and with respect to which the Restricted Period has expired (rounded down to the nearest full share).  Dividends, if any, that may have been withheld by the Committee and attributable to any particular share of Restricted Stock shall be distributed to the Committee and attributable to any particular share of Restricted Stock shall be distributed to the Participant in cash or, at the sole discretion of the Committee, in Common Shares having a fair market value equal to the amount of such dividends, upon the release of restrictions on such share and, if such share is forfeited, the Participant shall have no right to such dividends (except as otherwise set forth by the Committee in the applicable Award agreement).

 

(ii)           Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in an Award agreement, upon the expiration of the Restricted Period with respect to any outstanding Restricted Stock Units, the Company shall deliver to the Participant, or his beneficiary, without charge, one Common Share for each such outstanding Restricted Stock Unit; provided, however, that the Committee may, in its sole discretion, elect to (i) pay cash or part cash and part Common Share in lieu of delivering only Common Shares in respect of such Restricted Stock Units or (ii) defer the delivery of Common Shares (or cash or part Common Shares and part cash, as the

 

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case may be) beyond the expiration of the Restricted Period if such delivery would result in a violation of applicable law until such time as is no longer the case.  If a cash payment is made in lieu of delivering Common Shares, the amount of such payment shall be equal to the fair market value of the Common Shares as of the date on which the Restricted Period lapsed with respect to such Restricted Stock Units, less an amount equal to any federal, state, local and non-U.S. income and employment taxes required to be withheld.

 

10.          Stock Bonus Awards.  The Committee may issue unrestricted Common Shares, or other Awards denominated in Common Shares, under the Plan to Eligible Persons, either alone or in tandem with other awards, in such amounts as the Committee shall from time to time in its sole discretion determine.  Each Stock Bonus Award granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award agreement (whether in paper or electronic medium (including email or the posting on a web site maintained by the Company or a third party under contract with the Company)).  Each Stock Bonus Award so granted shall be subject to such conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award agreement.

 

11.          Performance Compensation Awards.  (a) Generally.  The Committee shall have the authority, at the time of grant of any Award described in Sections 7 through 10 of the Plan, to designate such Award as a Performance Compensation Award intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code.  The Committee shall have the authority to make an award of a cash bonus to any Participant and designate such Award as a Performance Compensation Award intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the adoption and operation of the Plan and this Section 11 shall not preclude the Board or the Committee from approving other Performance Compensation Awards or short-term incentive compensation arrangements for the benefit of individuals who are Participants hereunder, whether or not such Participants are “covered employees” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code, as the Committee deems appropriate and in the best interests of the Company.

 

(b)           Discretion of Committee with Respect to Performance Compensation Awards.  With regard to a particular Performance Period, the Committee shall have sole discretion to select the length of such Performance Period, the type(s) of Performance Compensation Awards to be issued, the Performance Criteria that will be used to establish the Performance Goal(s), the kind(s) and/or level(s) of the Performance Goals(s) that is (are) to apply and the Performance Formula.  Within the first 90 days of a Performance Period (or, if shorter, within the maximum period allowed under Section 162(m) of the Code, if applicable), the Committee shall, with regard to the Performance Compensation Awards to be issued for such Performance Period, exercise its discretion with respect to each of the matters enumerated in the immediately preceding sentence and record the same in writing.

 

(c)           Performance Criteria.  The Performance Criteria that will be used to establish the Performance Goal(s) for Performance Compensation Awards granted on or after the date of the Company’s 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders shall be based on the attainment of specific levels of performance of the Company (and/or one or more Affiliates, divisions, business segments or operational units, or any combination of the foregoing) and shall include the following:  (i) net earnings or net income (before or after taxes); (ii) basic or diluted earnings per share (before or after taxes); (iii) net revenue or revenue growth; (iv) gross profit or gross profit

 

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growth; (v) operating profit (before or after taxes); (vi) return measures (including, but not limited to, return on assets, capital, invested capital, equity, or sales); (vii) cash flow (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow, free cash flow, net cash provided by operations and cash flow return on capital); (viii) financing and other capital raising transactions (including, but not limited to, sales of the Company’s equity or debt securities); (ix) earnings before or after taxes, interest, depreciation and/or amortization; (x) gross or operating margins; (xi) productivity ratios; (xii) share price (including, but not limited to, growth measures and total shareholder return); (xiii) expense targets; (xiv) margins; (xv) productivity and operating efficiencies; (xvi) objective measures of customer satisfaction; (xvii) customer growth; (xviii) working capital targets; (xix) measures of economic value added; (xx) inventory control; (xxi) enterprise value; (xxii) sales; (xxiii) debt levels and net debt; (xxiv) combined ratio; (xxv) timely launch of new facilities; (xxvi) client retention; (xxvii) employee retention; (xxviii) timely completion of new product rollouts; (xxix) cost targets; (xxx) reductions and savings; (xxxi) productivity and efficiencies; (xxxii) strategic partnerships or transactions; and (xxxiii)  objective measures of personal targets, goals or completion of projects.  Any one or more of the Performance Criteria may be used on an absolute or relative basis to measure the performance of the Company and/or one or more Affiliates as a whole or any business unit(s) of the Company and/or one or more Affiliates or any combination thereof, as the Committee may deem appropriate, or any of the above Performance Criteria may be compared to the performance of a selected group of comparison or peer companies, or a published or special index that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate, or as compared to various stock market indices.  The Committee also has the authority to provide for accelerated vesting of any Award based on the achievement of Performance Goals pursuant to the Performance Criteria specified in this paragraph.  To the extent required under Section 162(m) of the Code, the Committee shall, within the first 90 days of a Performance Period (or, if longer or shorter, within the maximum period allowed under Section 162(m) of the Code), define in an objective fashion the manner of calculating the Performance Criteria it selects to use for such Performance Period. Any Performance Criteria that are financial metrics, may be determined in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) or may be adjusted when established (or to the extent permitted under Section 162(m) of the Code, at any time thereafter) to include or exclude any items otherwise includable or excludable under GAAP. For the avoidance of doubt, with respect to Awards that do not constitute “qualified performance-based compensation” for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code, “Performance Criteria” include any of the above criteria, as well as any other objective or subjective criteria that the Committee in its discretion shall determine.

 

(d)           Modification of Performance Goal(s).  In the event that applicable tax and/or securities laws change to permit Committee discretion to alter the governing Performance Criteria without obtaining shareholder approval of such alterations, the Committee shall have sole discretion to make such alterations without obtaining shareholder approval.  The Committee is authorized at any time during the first 90 days of a Performance Period (or, if shorter, within the maximum period allowed under Section 162(m) of the Code, if applicable), or at any time thereafter to the extent the exercise of such authority at such time would not cause the Performance Compensation Awards granted to any Participant for such Performance Period to fail to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code, in its sole discretion, to adjust or modify the calculation of a Performance Goal for such Performance Period, based on and in order to appropriately reflect the following events:  (i) asset write-downs; (ii) litigation or claim judgments or settlements; (iii) the effect of changes in tax laws, accounting

 

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principles, or other laws or regulatory rules affecting reported results; (iv) any reorganization and restructuring programs; (v) unusual and/or infrequently occurring items as described in Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 30 (or any successor pronouncement thereto) and/or in management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations appearing in the Company’s annual report to shareholders for the applicable year; (vi) acquisitions or divestitures; (vii) discontinued operations; (viii) any other specific unusual or infrequently occurring or non-recurring events, or objectively determinable category thereof; (ix) foreign exchange gains and losses; and (x) a change in the Company’s fiscal year.

 

(e)           Payment of Performance Compensation Awards.  (i) Condition to Receipt of Payment.  Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award agreement, a Participant must be employed by the Company on the last day of a Performance Period to be eligible for payment in respect of a Performance Compensation Award for such Performance Period.

 

(ii)           Limitation.  A Participant shall be eligible to receive payment in respect of a Performance Compensation Award only to the extent that:  (A) the Performance Goals for such period are achieved; and (B) all or some of the portion of such Participant’s Performance Compensation Award has been earned for the Performance Period based on the application of the Performance Formula to such achieved Performance Goals.

 

(iii)          Certification.  Following the completion of a Performance Period, the Committee shall review and certify in writing whether, and to what extent, the Performance Goals for the Performance Period have been achieved and, if so, calculate and certify in writing that amount of the Performance Compensation Awards earned for the period based upon the Performance Formula.  The Committee shall then determine the amount of each Participant’s Performance Compensation Award actually payable for the Performance Period and, in so doing, may apply Negative Discretion.

 

(iv)          Use of Negative Discretion.  In determining the actual amount of an individual Participant’s Performance Compensation Award for a Performance Period, the Committee may reduce or eliminate the amount of the Performance Compensation Award earned under the Performance Formula in the Performance Period through the use of Negative Discretion if, in its sole judgment, such reduction or elimination is appropriate.   The Committee may establish factors to take into consideration in implementing its Negative Discretion, including, but not limited to, corporate or business unit performance against budgeted financial goals (e.g., operating income or revenue), achievement of non-financial goals, economic and relative performance considerations and assessments of individual performance.  The amount by which any Performance Compensation Award is so reduced shall not be paid to any other Participant.  The Committee shall not have the discretion, except as is otherwise provided in the Plan, to (A) grant or provide payment in respect of Performance Compensation Awards for “covered employees” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code for a Performance Period if the Performance Goals for such Performance Period have not been attained; or (B) increase a Performance Compensation Award above the applicable limitations set forth in Section 5 of the Plan.

 

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(f)                                   Timing of Award Payments.  Performance Compensation Awards granted for a Performance Period shall be paid to Participants as soon as administratively practicable following completion of the certifications required by this Section 11.

 

12.                               Changes in Capital Structure and Similar Events.  In the event of (a) any dividend (other than ordinary cash dividends) or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Common Shares, other securities or other property), recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, reorganization, merger, amalgamation, consolidation, spin-off, split-up, split-off, combination, repurchase or exchange of Common Shares or other securities of the Company, issuance of warrants or other rights to acquire Common Shares or other securities of the Company, or other similar corporate transaction or event (including, without limitation, a Change in Control) that affects the Common Shares, or (b) unusual or infrequently occurring events (including, without limitation, a Change in Control) affecting the Company, any Affiliate, or the financial statements of the Company or any Affiliate, or changes in applicable rules, rulings, regulations or other requirements of any governmental body or securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system, accounting principles or law, such that in either case an adjustment is determined by the Committee in its sole discretion to be necessary or appropriate, then the Committee shall make any such adjustments in such manner as it may deem equitable, including without limitation any or all of the following:

 

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

 

(ii)                                  providing for a substitution or assumption of Awards, accelerating the exercisability of, lapse of restrictions on, or termination of, Awards or providing for a period of time for exercise prior to the occurrence of such event; and

 

(iii)                               canceling any one or more outstanding Awards and causing to be paid to the holders thereof, in cash, Common Shares, other securities or other property, or any combination thereof, the value of such Awards, if any, as determined by the Committee (which if applicable may be based upon the price per Common Share received or to be received by other shareholders of the Company in such event), including without limitation, in the case of an outstanding Option or SAR, a cash payment in an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value (as of a date specified by the Committee) of the Common Shares subject to such Option or SAR over the aggregate Exercise Price or Strike Price of such Option or SAR, respectively (it being understood that, in such event, any Option or SAR having a per share Exercise Price or Strike Price equal to, or in excess of, the fair market value of a Common Share subject thereto may be canceled and terminated without any payment or consideration therefor); provided, however, that in the case of any “equity restructuring” (within the meaning of the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718), the

 

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Committee shall make an equitable or proportionate adjustment to outstanding Awards to reflect such equity restructuring.  Any adjustment in Incentive Stock Options under this Section 12 (other than any cancellation of Incentive Stock Options) shall be made only to the extent not constituting a “modification” within the meaning of Section 424(h)(3) of the Code, and any adjustments under this Section 12 shall be made in a manner that does not adversely affect the exemption provided pursuant to Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act.  The Company shall give each Participant notice of an adjustment hereunder and, upon notice, such adjustment shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes.

 

13.                               Effect of Change in Control.  Except to the extent otherwise provided in an Award agreement, in the event of a Change in Control, notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, the Committee may provide that, with respect to all or any portion of a particular outstanding Award or Awards:

 

(a)                                 if a Participant experiences a Qualifying Termination, the Participant’s then outstanding Options and SARs shall become immediately exercisable as of the date of the Participant’s Qualifying Termination;

 

(b)                                 if a Participant experiences a Qualifying Termination, any Restricted Period in effect on the date of the Participant’s Qualifying Termination shall expire as of such date (including without limitation a waiver of any applicable Performance Goals);

 

(c)                                  if a Participant experiences a Qualifying Termination, Performance Periods in effect on the date of the Participant’s Qualifying Termination shall end on such date, and the Committee shall (i) determine the extent to which Performance Goals with respect to each such Performance Period have been met based upon such audited or unaudited financial information or other information then available as it deems relevant and (ii) cause the Participant to receive partial or full payment of Awards for each such Performance Period based upon the Committee’s determination of the degree of attainment of the Performance Goals, or assuming that the applicable “target” levels of performance have been attained or on such other basis determined by the Committee.

 

To the extent practicable, any actions taken by the Committee under the immediately preceding clauses (a) through (c) shall occur in a manner and at a time which allows affected Participants the ability to participate in the Change in Control transactions with respect to the Common Shares subject to their Awards.

 

14.                               Amendments and Termination.  (a) Amendment and Termination of the Plan.  The Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue, or terminate the Plan or any portion thereof at any time; provided that (i) no amendment to Section 11(c) or Section 14(b) (to the extent required by the proviso in such Section 14(b)) shall be made without shareholder approval and (ii) no such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuation or termination shall be made without shareholder approval if such approval is necessary to comply with any tax or regulatory requirement applicable to the Plan (including, without limitation, as necessary to comply with any rules or requirements of any securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the Common Shares may be listed or quoted or to prevent the Company from being denied a tax deduction under Section 162(m) of the Code); provided, further, that any such amendment,

 

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alteration, suspension, discontinuance or termination that would materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant or any holder or beneficiary of any Award theretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of the affected Participant, holder or beneficiary.

 

(b)                                 Amendment of Award Agreements.  The Committee may, to the extent consistent with the terms of any applicable Award agreement, waive any conditions or rights under, amend any terms of, or alter, suspend, discontinue, cancel or terminate, any Award theretofore granted or the associated Award agreement, prospectively or retroactively; provided that any such waiver, amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, cancellation or termination that would materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant with respect to any Award theretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of the affected Participant; provided, further, that without shareholder approval, except as otherwise permitted under Section 12 of the Plan, (i) no amendment or modification may reduce the Exercise Price of any Option or the Strike Price of any SAR, (ii) the Committee may not cancel any outstanding Option or SAR where the Fair Market Value of the Common Shares underlying such Option or SAR is less than its Exercise Price and replace it with a new Option or SAR, another Award or cash and (iii) the Committee may not take any other action that is considered a “repricing” for purposes of the shareholder approval rules of the applicable securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the Common Shares are listed or quoted.

 

15.                               Restrictive Covenants.  (a)  Confidentiality.  By accepting an Award under the Plan, and as a condition thereof, each Participant agrees not to, at any time, either during their employment or thereafter, divulge, use, publish or in any other manner reveal, directly or indirectly, to any person, firm, corporation or any other form of business organization or arrangement, and to keep in the strictest confidence any Confidential Information, except (i) as may be necessary to the performance of the Participant’s duties to the Company, (ii) with the Company’s express written consent, (iii) to the extent that any such information is in or becomes in the public domain other than as a result of the Participant’s breach of any of his or her obligations under this Section 15(a), or (iv) where required to be disclosed by court order, subpoena or other government process and in such event, the Participant shall cooperate with the Company in attempting to keep such information confidential to the maximum extent possible.  Upon the request of the Company or an Affiliate, the Participant agrees to promptly deliver to the Company the originals and all copies, in whatever medium, of all such Confidential Information.

 

(b)                                 Non-Disparagement.  By accepting an Award under the Plan, and as a condition thereof, the Participant acknowledges and agrees that he or she will not defame or publicly criticize the services, business, integrity, veracity or personal or professional reputation of the Company, including its officers, directors, partners, executives or agents, in either a professional or personal manner at any time during or following his or her employment.

 

(c)                                  Post-Employment Property.  By accepting an Award under the Plan, and as a condition thereof, the Participant agrees that any work of authorship, invention, design, discovery, development, technique, improvement, source code, hardware, device, data, apparatus, practice, process, method or other work product whatever (whether patentable or subject to copyright, or not, and hereinafter collectively called “discovery”) related to the

 

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business of the Company that the Participant, either solely or in collaboration with others, has made or may make, discover, invent, develop, perfect, or reduce to practice during his or her employment, whether or not during regular business hours and created, conceived or prepared on the Company’s premises or otherwise shall be the sole and complete property of the Company.  More particularly, and without limiting the foregoing, the Participant agrees that all of the foregoing and any (i) inventions (whether patentable or not, and without regard to whether any patent therefor is ever sought), (ii) marks, names, or logos (whether or not registrable as trade or service marks, and without regard to whether registration therefor is ever sought), (iii) works of authorship (without regard to whether any claim of copyright therein is ever registered), and (iv) trade secrets, ideas, and concepts ((i) — (iv) collectively, “Intellectual Property Products”) created, conceived, or prepared on the Company’s premises or otherwise, whether or not during normal business hours, shall perpetually and throughout the world be the exclusive property of the Company, as shall all tangible media (including, but not limited to, papers, computer media of all types, and models) in which such Intellectual Property Products shall be recorded or otherwise fixed.  The Participant further agrees promptly to disclose in writing and deliver to the Company all Intellectual Property Products created during his or her engagement by the Company, whether or not during normal business hours.  The Participant agrees that all works of authorship created by the Participant during his or her engagement by the Company shall be works made for hire of which the Company is the author and owner of copyright.  To the extent that any competent decision-making authority should ever determine that any work of authorship created by the Participant during his or her engagement by the Company is not a work made for hire, by accepting an Award, the Participant assigns all right, title and interest in the copyright therein, in perpetuity and throughout the world, to the Company.  To the extent that this Plan does not otherwise serve to grant or otherwise vest in the Company all rights in any Intellectual Property Product created by the Participant during his or her engagement by the Company, by accepting an Award, the Participant assigns all right, title and interest therein, in perpetuity and throughout the world, to the Company.  The Participant agrees to execute, immediately upon the Company’s reasonable request and without charge, any further assignments, applications, conveyances or other instruments, at any time, whether or not the Participant is engaged by the Company at the time such request is made, in order to permit the Company and/or its respective assigns to protect, perfect, register, record, maintain, or enhance their rights in any Intellectual Property Product; provided that the Company shall bear the cost of any such assignments, applications or consequences.  Upon termination of the Participant’s employment by the Company for any reason whatsoever, and at any earlier time the Company so requests, the Participant will immediately deliver to the custody of the person designated by the Company all originals and copies of any documents and other property of the Company in the Participant’s possession, under the Participant’s control or to which he or she may have access.

 

For purposes of this Section 15, the term “Company” shall include the Company and its Affiliates.

 

16.                               General.  (a) Award Agreements.  Each Award under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award agreement, which shall be delivered to the Participant (whether in paper or electronic medium (including email or the posting on a web site maintained by the Company or a third party under contract with the Company)) and shall specify the terms and conditions of the Award and any rules applicable thereto, including without limitation, the effect on such Award

 

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of the death, disability or termination of employment or service of a Participant, or of such other events as may be determined by the Committee.

 

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

 

(ii)                                  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, permit Awards (other than Incentive Stock Options) to be transferred by a Participant, without consideration, subject to such rules as the Committee may adopt consistent with any applicable Award agreement to preserve the purposes of the Plan, to:  (A) any person who is a “family member” of the Participant, as such term is used in the instructions to Form S-8 under the Securities Act (collectively, the “Immediate Family Members”); (B) a trust solely for the benefit of the Participant and his or her Immediate Family Members; or (C) a partnership or limited liability company whose only partners or stockholders are the Participant and his or her Immediate Family Members; or (D) any other transferee as may be approved either (I) by the Board or the Committee in its sole discretion, or (II) as provided in the applicable Award agreement. (each transferee described in clauses (A), (B) (C) and (D) above is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Transferee”); provided that the Participant gives the Committee advance written notice describing the terms and conditions of the proposed transfer and the Committee notifies the Participant in writing that such a transfer would comply with the requirements of the Plan.

 

(iii)                               The terms of any Award transferred in accordance with the immediately preceding sentence shall apply to the Permitted Transferee and any reference in the Plan, or in any applicable Award agreement, to a Participant shall be deemed to refer to the Permitted Transferee, except that (A) Permitted Transferees shall not be entitled to transfer any Award, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution; (B) Permitted Transferees shall not be entitled to exercise any transferred Option unless there shall be in effect a registration statement on an appropriate form covering the Common Shares to be acquired pursuant to the exercise of such Option if the Committee determines, consistent with any applicable Award agreement, that such a registration statement is necessary or appropriate; (C) the Committee or the Company shall not be required to provide any notice to a Permitted Transferee, whether or not such notice is or would otherwise have been required to be given to the Participant under the Plan or otherwise; and (D) the consequences of the termination of the Participant’s employment by, or services to, the Company or an Affiliate under the terms of the Plan and the applicable Award agreement shall continue to be applied with respect to the Participant, including, without limitation, that an Option shall be exercisable by the Permitted Transferee only to the extent, and for the periods, specified in the Plan and the applicable Award agreement.

 

(c)                                  Tax Withholding.  (i) A Participant shall be required to pay to the Company or any Affiliate, and the Company or any Affiliate shall have the right and is hereby authorized to

 

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withhold, from any cash, Common Shares, other securities or other property deliverable under any Award or from any compensation or other amounts owing to a Participant, the amount (in cash, Common Shares, other securities or other property) of any required withholding taxes (up to the maximum statutory rate under applicable law) in respect of an Award, its exercise, or any payment or transfer under an Award or under the Plan and to take such other action as may be necessary in the opinion of the Committee or the Company to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such withholding and taxes.

 

(ii)                                  Without limiting the generality of clause (i) above, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, permit a Participant to satisfy, in whole or in part, the foregoing withholding liability by (A) the delivery of Common Shares (which are not subject to any pledge or other security interest and are Mature Shares) owned by the Participant having a fair market value equal to such withholding liability or (B) having the Company withhold from the number of Common Shares otherwise issuable or deliverable pursuant to the exercise or settlement of the Award a number of shares with a fair market value equal to such withholding liability.

 

(d)                                 No Claim to Awards; No Rights to Continued Employment; Waiver.  No employee of the Company or an Affiliate, or other person, shall have any claim or right to be granted an Award under the Plan or, having been selected for the grant of an Award, to be selected for a grant of any other Award.  There is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of Participants or holders or beneficiaries of Awards.  The terms and conditions of Awards and the Committee’s determinations and interpretations with respect thereto need not be the same with respect to each Participant and may be made selectively among Participants, whether or not such Participants are similarly situated.  Neither the Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as giving any Participant any right to be retained in the employ or service of the Company or an Affiliate, nor shall it be construed as giving any Participant any rights to continued service on the Board.  The Company or any of its Affiliates may at any time dismiss a Participant from employment or discontinue any consulting relationship, free from any liability or any claim under the Plan, unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or any Award agreement.  By accepting an Award under the Plan, a Participant shall thereby be deemed to have waived any claim to continued exercise or vesting of an Award or to damages or severance entitlement related to non-continuation of the Award beyond the period provided under the Plan or any Award agreement, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in any written employment contract or other agreement between the Company and its Affiliates and the Participant, whether any such agreement is executed before, on or after the Date of Grant.

 

(e)                                  International Participants.  With respect to Participants who reside or work outside of the United States of America and who are not (and who are not expected to be) “covered employees” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code, the Committee may in its sole discretion amend the terms of the Plan or outstanding Awards with respect to such Participants in order to conform such terms with the requirements of local law or to obtain more favorable tax or other treatment for a Participant, the Company or its Affiliates.

 

(f)                                   Designation and Change of Beneficiary.  Each Participant may file with the Committee a written designation of one or more persons as the beneficiary(ies) who shall be entitled to receive the amounts payable with respect to an Award, if any, due under the Plan upon his death.  A Participant may, from time to time, revoke or change his beneficiary designation

 

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without the consent of any prior beneficiary by filing a new designation with the Committee.  The last such designation received by the Committee shall be controlling; provided, however, that no designation, or change or revocation thereof, shall be effective unless received by the Committee prior to the Participant’s death, and in no event shall it be effective as of a date prior to such receipt.  If no beneficiary designation is filed by a Participant, the beneficiary shall be deemed to be his or her spouse or, if the Participant is unmarried at the time of death, his or her estate.

 

(g)                                  Termination of Employment/Service.  Unless determined otherwise by the Committee at any point following such event:  (i) neither a temporary absence from employment or service due to illness, vacation or leave of absence nor a transfer from employment or service with the Company to employment or service with an Affiliate (or vice-versa) shall be considered a termination of employment or service with the Company or an Affiliate; and (ii) if a Participant’s employment with the Company and its Affiliates terminates, but such Participant continues to provide services to the Company and its Affiliates in a non-employee capacity (or vice-versa), such change in status shall not be considered a termination of employment with the Company or an Affiliate.

 

(h)                                 No Rights as a Stockholder.  Except as otherwise specifically provided in the Plan or any Award agreement, no person shall be entitled to the privileges of ownership in respect of Common Shares that are subject to Awards hereunder until such shares have been issued or delivered to that person.

 

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

 

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that such Award complies with the legal requirements of any governmental entity to whose jurisdiction the Award is subject.

 

(ii)                                  The Committee may cancel an Award or any portion thereof if it determines, in its sole discretion, that legal or contractual restrictions and/or blockage and/or other market considerations would make the Company’s acquisition of Common Shares from the public markets, the Company’s issuance of Common Shares to the Participant, the Participant’s acquisition of Common Shares from the Company and/or the Participant’s sale of Common Shares to the public markets, illegal, impracticable or inadvisable.  If the Committee determines to cancel all or any portion of an Award in accordance with the foregoing, the Company shall pay to the Participant an amount equal to the excess of (A) the aggregate fair market value of the Common Shares subject to such Award or portion thereof canceled (determined as of the applicable exercise date, or the date that the shares would have been vested or delivered, as applicable), over (B) the aggregate Exercise Price or Strike Price (in the case of an Option or SAR, respectively) or any amount payable as a condition of delivery of Common Shares (in the case of any other Award).  Such amount shall be delivered to the Participant as soon as practicable following the cancellation of such Award or portion thereof.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(o)                                 Governing Law.  The Plan shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and performed wholly within the State of New York, without giving effect to the conflict of laws provisions thereof.

 

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

 

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

 

(r)                                    Code Section 162(m) Approval.  If so determined by the Committee, the provisions of the Plan regarding Performance Compensation Awards shall be disclosed and reapproved by shareholders no later than the first shareholder meeting that occurs in the fifth year following the year in which shareholders previously approved such provisions, in each case in order for certain Awards granted after such time to be exempt from the deduction limitations of Section 162(m) of the Code.  Nothing in this clause, however, shall affect the validity of Awards granted after such time if such shareholder approval has not been obtained.

 

(s)                                   Code Section 409A.

 

(i)                                     Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan to the contrary, all Awards made under this Plan are intended to be exempt from or, in the alternative, comply with Code Section 409A and the interpretive guidance thereunder, including the exceptions for stock rights and short-term deferrals. The Plan shall be construed and interpreted in accordance with

 

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such intent. Each payment under an Award shall be treated as a separate payment for purposes of Code Section 409A.

 

(ii)                                  If a Participant is a “specified employee” (as such term is defined for purposes of Code Section 409A) at the time of his or her termination of service, no amount that is nonqualified deferred compensation subject to Code Section 409A and that becomes payable by reason of such termination of service shall be paid to the Participant (or in the event of the Participant’s death, the Participant’s representative or estate) before the earlier of (x) the first business day after the date that is six months following the date of the Participant’s termination of service, and (y) within 30 days following the date of the Participant’s death. For purposes of Code Section 409A, a termination of service shall be deemed to occur only if it is a “separation from service” within the meaning of Code Section 409A, and references in the Plan and any Award agreement to “termination of service” or similar terms shall mean a “separation from service.” If any Award is or becomes subject to Code Section 409A, unless the applicable Award agreement provides otherwise, such Award shall be payable upon the Participant’s “separation from service” within the meaning of Code Section 409A. If any Award is or becomes subject to Code Section 409A and if payment of such Award would be accelerated or otherwise triggered under a Change in Control, then the definition of Change in Control shall be deemed modified, only to the extent necessary to avoid the imposition of an excise tax under Code Section 409A, to mean a “change in control event” as such term is defined for purposes of Code Section 409A.

 

(iii)                               Any adjustments made pursuant to Section 12 to Awards that are subject to Code Section 409A shall be made in compliance with the requirements of Code Section 409A, and any adjustments made pursuant to Section 12 to Awards that are not subject to Code Section 409A shall be made in such a manner as to ensure that after such adjustment, the Awards either (x) continue not to be subject to Code Section 409A or (y) comply with the requirements of Code Section 409A.

 

(t)                                    Expenses; Gender; Titles and Headings.  The expenses of administering the Plan shall be borne by the Company and its Affiliates.  Masculine pronouns and other words of masculine gender shall refer to both men and women.  The titles and headings of the sections in the Plan are for convenience of reference only, and in the event of any conflict, the text of the Plan, rather than such titles or headings shall control.

 

(u)                                 Other Agreements.  Notwithstanding the above, the Committee may require, as a condition to the grant of and/or the receipt of Common Shares under an Award, that the Participant execute lock-up, shareholder or other agreements, as it may determine in its sole and absolute discretion.

 

(v)                                 Payments.  Participants shall be required to pay, to the extent required by applicable law, any amounts required to receive Common Shares under any Award made under the Plan.

 

(w)                               Erroneously Awarded Compensation.  All Awards shall be subject (including on a retroactive basis) to (i) any clawback, forfeiture or similar incentive compensation recoupment policy established from time to time by the Company, including,

 

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without limitation, any such policy established to comply with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, (ii) applicable law (including, without limitation, Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act), and/or (iii) the rules and regulations of the applicable securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the Common Shares are listed or quoted, and such requirements shall be deemed incorporated by reference into all outstanding Award agreements.

 

*     *      *

 

28Exhibit 10.14

 

EXECUTION VERSION

 

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

 

This EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is entered into by and between Williams Scotsman, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Employer”), and Brad Soultz, an individual (the “Executive”).

 

WHEREAS, the Executive is currently employed as the President and Chief Executive Officer; and

 

WHEREAS, the Employer and the Executive desire to enter into this Agreement to set out the terms and conditions for the continued employment relationship of the Executive with the Employer.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which hereby are acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.                                      Employment Agreement. On the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the Employer agrees to continue to employ the Executive and the Executive agrees to continue to be employed by the Employer for the Employment Period set forth in Section 2 and in the positions and with the duties set forth in Section 3. Terms used herein with initial capitalization not otherwise defined are defined in Section 24.

 

2.                                      Term. The initial term of employment under this Agreement shall extend for 36 months from the date hereof (the “Initial Term”). The term of employment shall be automatically extended for an additional consecutive 12-month period (the “Extended Term”) on the last day of the Initial Term and each subsequent anniversary thereof, unless and until the Employer or Executive provides written notice to the other party in accordance with Section 10 hereof not less than 120 days before such anniversary date that such party is electing not to extend the term of employment under this Agreement (“Non-Renewal”), in which case the term of employment hereunder shall end as of the end of such Initial Term or Extended Term, as the case may be, unless sooner terminated as hereinafter set forth. Such Initial Term and all such Extended Terms are collectively referred to herein as the “Employment Period.” Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, if on the date of a Change in Control the remaining term of the Employment Period is less than 12 months, the Employment Period shall be automatically extended to the end of the 12-month period following such Change in Control.

 

3.                                      Position and Duties. During the Employment Period, the Executive shall serve as the President and Chief Executive Officer. In such capacities, the Executive shall report exclusively to the Chairman of the Board and shall have the duties, responsibilities and authorities customarily associated with such position(s) in a company the size and nature of the Employer. The Executive shall devote the Executive’s reasonable best efforts and full business 

 

 

time to the performance of the Executive’s duties hereunder and the advancement of the business and affairs of the Employer; provided that, the Executive may serve on civic, charitable, educational, religious, public interest or public service boards, and manage the Executive’s personal and family investments, in each case, to the extent such activities do not materially interfere with the performance of the Executive’s duties and responsibilities hereunder.

 

4.                                      Place of Performance. During the Employment Period, except for reasonable travel on the Employer’s business consistent with the Executive’s position, the Executive shall be based primarily at the Employer’s executive headquarters, currently located in Baltimore, Maryland, 21231. The Executive has a period of one year from the date hereof (the “Relocation Period”) in which to relocate his principal residence from Atlanta, Georgia to the Baltimore, Maryland metropolitan area.  During the Relocation Period, the Employer will pay or reimburse the Executive’s costs to relocate to Baltimore, Maryland in accordance with the terms of the Employer’s relocation policy.

 

5.                                      Compensation and Benefits; Options.

 

(a)                                 Base Salary. During the Employment Period, the Employer shall pay to the Executive a base salary (the “Base Salary”) at the rate of no less than $600,000 per calendar year, less applicable deductions, and prorated for any partial year. Beginning with the first quarter of 2019, the Base Salary shall be reviewed for increase by the Employer no less frequently than annually, and shall be increased in the discretion of the Employer and any such adjusted Base Salary shall constitute the “Base Salary” for purposes of this Agreement. The Base Salary shall be paid in substantially equal installments in accordance with the Employer’s regular payroll procedures. The Executive’s Base Salary may not be decreased during the Employment Period.

 

(b)                                 Annual Bonus. For each fiscal year of the Employer ending during the Employment Period, the Executive shall be eligible to earn an annual cash performance bonus (an “Annual Bonus”) based on performance against performance criteria determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Committee”). The Executive’s annual target bonus opportunity for a fiscal year shall equal 133% of the Executive’s Base Salary at the beginning of such year (the “Target Bonus”). The Executive’s Annual Bonus for a fiscal year shall be determined by the Committee after the end of the applicable bonus period and shall be paid to the Executive when annual bonuses for that year are paid to other senior executives of the Employer generally, but in no event later than March 15 of the year following the year to which such Annual Bonus relates.

 

(c)                                  Long Term Incentive Equity.

 

(i)                                     Initial Public Offering Award. Upon completion of an Initial Public Offering of Employer shares, the Executive shall receive a one-time equity award consistent with the terms set forth in Annex A.

 

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(ii)                                  Annual Award. With respect to each fiscal year of the Employer ending during the Employment Period, the Executive shall be eligible to receive annual equity awards under the Employer’s long-term equity incentive plan then in effect (“Annual Award”). The level of the Executive’s participation in any such plan, if any, shall be determined in the discretion of the Committee from time to time. The target grant value of the Annual Award is $1,000,000, but the actual value of any grant may be higher or lower based on Committee discretion. Terms and conditions of such awards shall be governed by the terms and conditions of the applicable plan and the applicable award agreements.

 

(iii)                               Initial Annual Award. For the Employer’s 2018 fiscal year, the Executive shall receive an equity award having a grant date fair value (as determined by the Committee) of $1,000,000, 50% of which will be in the form of options and 50% of which will be in the form of restricted stock units, in each case, consistent with the terms set forth in Annex A.

 

(d)                                 Vacation. During the Employment Period, the Executive shall be entitled to four (4) weeks’ vacation annually to be used in accordance with the Employer’s applicable vacation policy.

 

(e)                                  Automobile Allowance. During the Employment Period, the Executive shall be entitled to an automobile allowance of $15,000 annually to be used in accordance with the Employer’s applicable automobile allowance policy.

 

(f)                                   Benefits. During the Employment Period, the Employer shall provide to the Executive employee benefits and perquisites on a basis that is comparable in all material respects to that provided to other similarly situated executives of the Employer. The Employer shall have the right to change insurance carriers and to adopt, amend, terminate or modify employee benefit plans and arrangements at any time and without the consent of the Executive.

 

6.                                      Expenses. The Executive is expected and is authorized to incur reasonable expenses in the performance of his duties hereunder. The Employer shall reimburse the Executive for all such expenses reasonably and actually incurred in accordance with policies which may be adopted from time to time by the Employer promptly upon periodic presentation by the Executive of an itemized account, including reasonable substantiation, of such expenses.

 

7.                                      Confidentiality, Non-Disclosure and Non-Competition Agreement. The Employer and the Executive acknowledge and agree that during the Executive’s employment with the Employer, the Executive will have access to and may assist in developing Employer Confidential Information and will occupy a position of trust and confidence with respect to the Employer’s affairs and business and the affairs and business of the Employer Affiliates. The Executive agrees that the following obligations are necessary to preserve the confidential and proprietary nature of Employer Confidential Information and to protect the Employer and the Employer Affiliates against harmful solicitation of employees and customers, harmful competition and other actions by the Executive that would result in serious adverse consequences for the Employer and the Employer Affiliates:

 

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(a)                                 Non-Disclosure. During and after the Executive’s employment with the Employer, the Executive will not knowingly use, disclose or transfer any Employer Confidential Information other than as authorized in writing by the Employer or within the scope of the Executive’s duties with the Employer as determined reasonably and in good faith by the Executive. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the provisions of this Section 7(a) shall not apply when disclosure is required by law or by any court, arbitrator, mediator or administrative or legislative body (including any committee thereof) with actual or apparent jurisdiction to order the Executive to disclose or make accessible any information or as to information that becomes generally known to the public or within the relevant trade or industry other than due to the Executive’s violation of this Section 7(a).

 

(b)                                 Materials. The Executive will not remove any Employer Confidential Information or any other property of the Employer or any Employer Affiliate from the Employer’s premises or make copies of such materials except for normal and customary use in the Employer’s business as determined reasonably and in good faith by the Executive. The Executive will return to the Employer all Employer Confidential Information and copies thereof and all other property of the Employer or any Employer Affiliate at any time upon the request of the Employer and in any event promptly after termination of Executive’s employment. The Executive agrees to attempt in good faith to identify and return to the Employer any copies of any Employer Confidential Information after the Executive ceases to be employed by the Employer. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, nothing in this Section 7 shall prevent the Executive from retaining a home computer, papers and other materials of a personal nature that do not contain Employer Confidential Information.

 

(c)                                  No Solicitation or Hiring of Employees. During the Non-Compete Period, the Executive shall not solicit, entice, persuade or induce any individual who is employed by the Employer or any Employer Affiliate (or who was so employed within 180 days prior to the Executive’s action) to terminate or refrain from continuing such employment or to become employed by or enter into contractual relations with any other individual or entity and the Executive shall not hire, directly or indirectly, as an employee, consultant or otherwise, any such person.

 

(d)                                 Non-Competition.

 

(i)                                     During the Non-Compete Period, the Executive shall not, directly or indirectly, (A) solicit or encourage any client or customer of the Employer or any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Employer, or any person or entity who was such a client or customer within 180 days prior to Executive’s action to terminate, reduce or alter in a manner adverse to the Employer or any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Employer, any existing business arrangements with the Employer or any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Employer or to transfer existing business from the Employer or any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Employer to any other person or entity, (B) provide services in any capacity to any entity in any geographic area in which the Employer or any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Employer conducts that business, or is actively planning to conduct that business, as of the date of such termination (the “Non-Competition Area”) if (i) the entity competes with the Employer or any direct or indirect 

 

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subsidiary of the Employer by engaging in any business engaged in by the Employer or any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Employer, or (ii) the services to be provided by the Executive are competitive with the Employer  or any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Employer and substantially similar to those previously provided by the Executive to the Employer, or (C) own an interest in any entity, including those described in Section 7(d)(i)(B)(i) immediately above. The Executive agrees that, before providing services, whether as an employee or consultant, to any entity during the Non-Compete Period, the Executive will provide a copy of this Agreement to such entity, and such entity shall acknowledge to the Employer in writing that it has read this Agreement. The Executive acknowledges that this covenant has a unique, very substantial and immeasurable value to the Employer, that the Executive has sufficient assets and skills to provide a livelihood for the Executive while such covenant remains in force and that, as a result of the foregoing, in the event that the Executive breaches such covenant, monetary damages would be an insufficient remedy for the Employer and equitable enforcement of the covenant would be proper.

 

(ii)                                  If the restrictions contained in Section 7(d)(i) shall be determined by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable by reason of their extending for too great a period of time or over too great a geographical area or by reason of their being too extensive in any other respect, Section 7(d)(i) shall be modified to be effective for the maximum period of time for which it may be enforceable and over the maximum geographical area as to which it may be enforceable and to the maximum extent in all other respects as to which it may be enforceable.

 

(e)                                  Enforcement. The Executive acknowledges that in the event of any breach of this Section 7, the business interests of the Employer and the Employer Affiliates will be irreparably injured, the full extent of the damages to the Employer and the Employer Affiliates will be impossible to ascertain, monetary damages will not be an adequate remedy for the Employer and the Employer Affiliates, and the Employer will be entitled to enforce this Agreement by a temporary, preliminary and/or permanent injunction or other equitable relief, without the necessity of posting bond or security, which the Executive expressly waives. The Executive understands that the Employer may waive some of the requirements expressed in this Agreement, but that such a waiver to be effective must be made in writing and should not in any way be deemed a waiver of the Employer’s right to enforce any other requirements or provisions of this Agreement. The Executive agrees that each of the Executive’s obligations specified in this Agreement is a separate and independent covenant and that the unenforceability of any of them shall not preclude the enforcement of any other covenants in this Agreement. In signing this Agreement, the Executive gives the Employer assurance that the Executive has carefully read and considered all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement.  The Executive agrees that these restraints are necessary for the reasonable and proper protection of the Employer and the Employer Affiliates and their Confidential Information and that each and every one of the restraints is reasonable in respect to subject matter, length of time and geographic area, and that these restraints, individually or in the aggregate, will not prevent  the Executive from obtaining other suitable employment during the period in which  the Executive is bound by the restraints. The Executive agrees that, before providing services, whether as an employee or consultant, to any entity during the period of time that the Executive is subject to the constraints in this 

 

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Agreement, the Executive will provide a copy of this Agreement to such entity, and such entity shall acknowledge to the Employer in writing that it has read this Agreement. The Executive acknowledges that each of these covenants has a unique, very substantial and immeasurable value to the Employer and its Affiliates and that the Executive has sufficient assets and skills to provide a livelihood while such  covenants remain in force. The Executive further covenants that he will not challenge the reasonableness or enforceability of any of the covenants set forth in this Agreement, and that the Executive will reimburse the Employer and the Employer Affiliates for all costs (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) incurred in connection with any action to enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement if the Executive challenges the reasonableness or enforceability of any of the provisions of this Agreement. It is also agreed that each of the Employer Affiliates will have the right to enforce all of the Executive’s obligations to that affiliate under this Agreement.

 

8.                                      Termination of Employment.

 

(a)                                 Permitted Terminations. The Executive’s employment hereunder may be terminated during the Employment Period under the following circumstances:

 

(i)                                     Death. The Executive’s employment hereunder shall terminate automatically upon the Executive’s death;

 

(ii)                                  By the Employer. The Employer may terminate the Executive’s employment:

 

(A)                               Disability. If the Executive shall have been substantially unable to perform the Executive’s material duties hereunder by reason of illness, physical or mental disability or other similar incapacity, which inability shall continue for 180 consecutive days or 270 days in any 24-month period (a “Disability”) (provided, that until such termination, the Executive shall continue to receive the Executive’s compensation and benefits hereunder, reduced by any benefits payable to the Executive under any applicable disability insurance policy or plan); or

 

(B)                               Cause. For Cause or without Cause;

 

(iii)                               By the Executive. The Executive may terminate the Executive’s employment for any reason (including Good Reason) or for no reason.

 

(b)                                 Termination. Any termination of the Executive’s employment by the Employer or the Executive (other than because of the Executive’s death) shall be communicated by written Notice of Termination to the other party hereto in accordance with Section 10 hereof. For purposes of this Agreement, a “Notice of Termination” shall mean a notice which shall indicate the specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon, if any, and set forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of the Executive’s employment under the provision so indicated. Termination of the Executive’s employment shall take effect on the Date of Termination. The Executive agrees, in the event of 

 

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any dispute under Section 8(a)(ii)(A) as to whether a Disability exists, and if requested by the Employer, to submit to a physical examination by a licensed physician selected by mutual consent of the Employer and the Executive, the cost of such examination to be paid by the Employer. The written medical opinion of such physician shall be conclusive and binding upon each of the parties hereto as to  whether a Disability exists and the date when such Disability arose. This Section shall be interpreted and applied so as to comply with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act and any applicable state or local laws.

 

9.                                      Compensation Upon Termination.

 

(a)                                 Disability. If the Employer terminates the Executive’s employment during the Employment Period because of the Executive’s Disability pursuant to Section 8(a)(ii)(A), the Employer shall pay to the Executive (i) the Accrued Benefits; and (ii) a pro rata portion (based on the number of days during the applicable fiscal period prior to the Date of Termination) of the Annual Bonus the Executive would have earned absent such termination, with such payment to be made based on actual performance and at the time bonus payments are made to executives of the Employer generally. In addition, any outstanding equity awards granted pursuant to Section 5(c)(i)-(iii) that are subject solely to time-based vesting conditions shall immediately vest. The vesting, if any, upon termination as a result of the Executive’s Disability of any outstanding equity awards that are subject to performance-based vesting conditions shall be determined based on actual performance in the applicable fiscal period in which termination occurs, and the Executive will vest in any such awards to the extent performance metrics are ultimately achieved. Except as set forth herein, the Employer shall have no further obligation to the Executive under this Agreement.

 

(b)                                 Death. If the Executive’s employment is terminated during the Employment Period as a result of the Executive’s death, the Employer shall pay to the Executive’s legal representative or estate, and the Executive’s legal representative or estate shall be entitled to, as applicable, (i) the amounts set forth in Section 9(a); and (ii) one times the Executive’s Base Salary at the time of termination less amounts payable, if any, under any Company provided life insurance policy, payable in a lump sum. Except as set forth herein, the Employer shall have no further obligation to the Executive under this Agreement.

 

(c)                                  Termination by the Employer for Cause or by the Executive without Good Reason. If, during the Employment Period, the Employer terminates the Executive’s employment for Cause pursuant to Section 8(a)(ii)(B) or the Executive terminates his employment without Good Reason, the Employer shall pay to the Executive the Accrued Benefits. Except as set forth herein, the Employer shall have no further obligations to the Executive under this Agreement.

 

(d)                                 Termination by the Employer without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason. Subject to Section 9(e), if the Employer terminates the Executive’s employment during the Employment Period for a reason other than for Cause or due to the Executive’s Disability pursuant to Section 8(a)(ii)(A) or if the Executive terminates his employment hereunder with Good Reason, (i) the Employer shall pay the Executive (A) the Accrued Benefits, (B) a pro rata portion (based on the number of days during the applicable fiscal period prior to 

 

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the Date of Termination) of the Annual Bonus the Executive would have earned absent such termination, with such payment to be made based on actual performance and at the time bonus payments are made to executives of the Employer generally, (C) continued Base Salary for 12 months following the Date of Termination payable in equal installments in accordance with the Employer’s normal payroll  practices (the “Cash Severance Payment”); and (ii) the Executive shall be entitled to additional payments, payable in equal installments in accordance with the Employer’s normal payroll practices, equal to the total costs that would be incurred by the Executive to obtain and pay for continued coverage under the Employer’s health insurance plans for 12 months following the Date of Termination (the “Continued Coverage Payment”). For the purposes of this Agreement, a voluntary termination by the Executive upon the expiration of the Employment Period due to delivery of a non-renewal notice by the Employer pursuant to Section 2 shall be treated as a termination by the Employer without Cause.

 

(e)                                  Change in Control.

 

(i)                                     Section 9(e)(ii) shall apply if there is (A) a termination of the Executive’s employment by the Employer for a reason other than for Cause or due to the Executive’s Disability or by the Executive for Good Reason, in either case, during the 12-month period after a Change in Control; or (B) a termination of the Executive’s employment by the Employer for a reason other than for Cause or due to the Executive’s Disability prior to a Change in Control, if the termination was at the request of a third party or otherwise arose in anticipation of a Change in Control (a termination described in either clause (A) or clause (B), a “CIC Termination”).

 

(ii)                                  If any such termination occurs, (A) the Executive shall receive benefits set forth in Section 9(d), except that the Cash Severance Payment shall be equal to the sum of 1.5x the Executive’s Base Salary at the time of termination and the Executive Target Bonus for the year of termination and, if such Change in Control is a “change in control event” under Section 409A of the Code (a “Qualifying CIC”), shall be paid in a lump sum, and (B) the Continued Coverage Payment shall be paid in a lump sum. In addition, any outstanding equity awards granted pursuant to Section 5(c)(i)-(iii) that are subject solely to time-based vesting conditions shall immediately vest upon a CIC Termination. For the avoidance of doubt, the acceleration, if any, upon a CIC Termination of any outstanding equity awards that are subject to performance-based vesting conditions shall be governed by the terms and conditions of the applicable plan and the applicable award agreements. To the extent the Executive’s CIC Termination is described in Section 9(e)(i)(B) and the Change in Control is a Qualifying CIC, the incremental Cash Severance Payment and any unpaid Cash Severance Payment shall be paid in a lump sum.

 

(f)                                   Liquidated Damages. The parties acknowledge and agree that damages which will result to the Executive for termination by the Employer of the Executive’s employment without Cause or by the Executive for Good Reason shall be extremely difficult or impossible to establish or prove, and agree that the amounts, excluding the Accrued Benefits, payable to the Executive under Section 9(d) or Section 9(e) (the “Severance Benefits”) shall constitute liquidated damages for any such termination. The Executive agrees that, except for 

 

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such other payments and benefits to which the Executive may be entitled as expressly provided by the terms of this Agreement or any other applicable benefit plan, such liquidated damages shall be in lieu of all other claims that the Executive may make by reason of any such termination of his employment and that, as a condition to receiving the Severance Benefits, the Executive must execute a release of claims substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Release”). To be eligible for  Severance Benefits, the Executive must execute and deliver the Release, and such Release must become irrevocable, within 60 days of the Date of Termination. The Cash Severance Payment shall be made, and the continuing health insurance coverage shall commence, promptly after the Release becomes irrevocable; provided that to the extent the 60-day period spans two calendar years and to the extent required to comply with Code Section 409A, such payments shall be made or commence, as applicable, on the 60th day following the Date of Termination.

 

(g)                                  No Offset. In the event of termination of his employment, the Executive shall be under no obligation to seek other employment and there shall be no offset against amounts due to him on account of any remuneration or benefits provided by any subsequent employment he may obtain. The Employer’s obligation to make any payment pursuant to, and otherwise to perform its obligations under, this Agreement shall not be affected by any offset, counterclaim or other right that the Employer or any Employer Affiliate may have against him for any reason.

 

10.                               Notices. All notices, demands, requests, or other communications which may be or are required to be given or made by any party to any other party pursuant to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be hand delivered, mailed by first-class registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, delivered by overnight air courier, or transmitted by facsimile transmission addressed as follows:

 

(i)                                     If to the Employer:

 

General Counsel & Secretary

Williams Scotsman, Inc.

901 South Bond Street, Suite 600

Baltimore, MD 21231

 

(ii)                                  If to the Executive:

 

Brad Soultz

790 Moores Mill Road NW

Atlanta, GA 30327

 

Each party may designate by notice in writing a new address to which any notice, demand, request or communication may thereafter be so given, served or sent. Each notice, demand, request, or communication that shall be given or made in the manner described above 

 

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shall be deemed sufficiently given or made for all purposes at such time as it is delivered to the addressee (with the return receipt, the delivery receipt, confirmation of facsimile transmission or the affidavit of messenger being deemed conclusive but not exclusive evidence of such delivery) or at such time as delivery is refused by the addressee upon presentation.

 

11.                               Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any one or more provisions of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the other provisions of this Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect.

 

12.                               Effect on Other Agreements. The provisions of this Agreement shall supersede the terms of any plan, policy, agreement, award or other arrangement of the Employer (whether entered into before or after the date hereof) to the extent application of the terms of this Agreement is more favorable to the Executive.

 

13.                               Survival. It is the express intention and agreement of the parties hereto that the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20 and 21 hereof and this Section 13 shall survive the termination of employment of the Executive. In addition, all obligations of the Employer to make payments hereunder shall survive any termination of this Agreement on the terms and conditions set forth herein.

 

14.                               Assignment. The rights and obligations of the parties to this Agreement shall not be assignable or delegable, except that (i) in the event of the Executive’s death, the personal representative or legatees or distributees of the Executive’s estate, as the case may be, shall have the right to receive any amount owing and unpaid to the Executive hereunder and (ii) the rights and obligations of the Employer hereunder shall be assignable and delegable in connection with any subsequent merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of the assets or equity interests of the Employer or similar transaction involving the Employer or a successor corporation. The Employer shall require any successor to the Employer to expressly assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Employer would be required to perform it if no such succession had taken place.

 

15.                               Binding Effect. Subject to any provisions hereof restricting assignment, this Agreement shall be binding upon the parties hereto and shall inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective heirs, devisees, executors, administrators, legal representatives, successors and assigns.

 

16.                               Amendment; Waiver. This Agreement shall not be amended, altered or modified except by an instrument in writing duly executed by the party against whom enforcement is sought. Neither the waiver by either of the parties hereto of a breach of or a default under any of the provisions of this Agreement, nor the failure of either of the parties, on one or more occasions, to enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement or to exercise any right or privilege hereunder, shall thereafter be construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach or default of a similar nature, or as a waiver of any such provisions, rights or privileges hereunder.

 

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17.                               Headings. Section and subsection headings contained in this Agreement are inserted for convenience of reference only, shall not be deemed to be a part of this Agreement for any purpose, and shall not in any way define or affect the meaning, construction or scope of any of the provisions hereof.

 

18.                               Governing Law. This Agreement, the rights and obligations of the parties hereto, and any claims or disputes relating thereto, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland (but not including any choice of law rule thereof that would cause the laws of another jurisdiction to apply).

 

19.                               Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties respecting the employment of the Executive, there being no representations, warranties or commitments except as set forth herein.

 

20.                               Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two counterparts, each of which shall be an original and all of which shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument.

 

21.                               Withholding. The Employer may withhold from any benefit payment under this Agreement all federal, state, city or other taxes as shall be required pursuant to any law or governmental regulation or ruling; provided that any withholding obligation arising in connection with the exercise of a stock option or the transfer of stock or other property shall be satisfied through withholding an appropriate number of shares of stock or appropriate amount of such other property.

 

22.                               Section 409A. The intent of the parties is that payments and benefits under this Agreement comply with Section 409A of the Code and the regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder (collectively “Code Section 409A”) and, accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted, this Agreement shall be interpreted to be in compliance therewith. If the Executive notifies the Employer (with specificity as to the reason therefor) that the Executive believes that any provision of this Agreement (or of any award of compensation, including equity compensation or benefits) would cause the Executive to incur any additional tax or interest under Code Section 409A and the Employer concurs with such belief or the Employer (without any obligation whatsoever to do so) independently makes such determination, the Employer shall, after consulting with the Executive, reform such provision to attempt to comply with Code Section 409A through good faith modifications to the minimum extent reasonably appropriate to conform with Code Section 409A. To the extent that any provision hereof is modified in order to comply with Code Section 409A, such modification shall be made in good faith and shall, to the maximum extent reasonably possible, maintain the original intent and economic benefit to the Executive and the Employer of the applicable provision without violating the provisions of Code Section 409A. In no event whatsoever shall the Employer be liable for any additional tax, interest or penalty that may be imposed on the Executive by Code Section 409A or damages for failing to comply with Code Section 409A. With respect to any payment or benefit considered to be nonqualified deferred compensation under Section 409A, a termination of employment shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of any provision

 

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of this Agreement providing for the payment of any amounts or benefits upon or following a termination of employment unless such termination is also a “separation from service” within the meaning of Code Section 409A and, for purposes of any such provision of this Agreement, references to a “termination,” “termination of employment” or like terms shall mean “separation from service.” Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, if the Executive is deemed on the date of termination to be a “specified employee” within the meaning of that term under Code Section 409A(a)(2)(B), then with regard to any  payment or the provision of any benefit that is considered nonqualified deferred compensation under Code Section 409A payable on account of a “separation from service,” such payment or benefit shall not be made or provided until the date which is the earlier of (A) the expiration of the six (6)-month period measured from the date of such “separation from service” of the Executive, and (B) the date of the Executive’s death, to the extent required under Code Section 409A. Upon the expiration of the foregoing delay period, all payments and benefits delayed pursuant to this Section 22 (whether they would have otherwise been payable in a single sum or in installments in the absence of such delay) shall be paid or reimbursed to the Executive in a lump sum, and any remaining payments and benefits due under this Agreement shall be paid or provided in accordance with the normal payment dates specified for them herein. To the extent that reimbursements or other in-kind benefits under this Agreement constitute “nonqualified deferred compensation” for purposes of Code Section 409A, (A) all expenses or other reimbursements hereunder shall be made on or prior to the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which such expenses were incurred by the Executive, (B) any right to reimbursement or in-kind benefits shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit, and (C) no such reimbursement, expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in-kind benefits provided in any taxable year shall in any way affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in-kind benefits to be provided, in any other taxable year. For purposes of Code Section 409A, the Executive’s right to receive any installment payments pursuant to this Agreement shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate and distinct payments. Whenever a payment under this Agreement specifies a payment period with reference to a number of days, the actual date of payment within the specified period shall be within the sole discretion of the Employer. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, in no event shall any payment under this Agreement that constitutes “nonqualified deferred compensation” for purposes of Code Section 409A be subject to offset by any other amount unless otherwise permitted by Code Section 409A.

 

23.                               Indemnification. Employer hereby agrees to indemnify the Executive and provide Directors & Officers Liability Insurance (“D&O Insurance”) coverage to the Executive, in each case, on terms and conditions no less favorable than those provided to members of the Board.

 

24.                               Definitions.

 

“Accrued Benefits” means (i) Base Salary through the Date of Termination; (ii) accrued and unused vacation pay; (iii) any earned but unpaid Annual Bonus; (iv) any amounts owing to the Executive for reimbursement of expenses properly incurred by the Executive prior to the Date of Termination and which are reimbursable in accordance with Section 6; and (v) any other benefits or amounts due and owing to the Executive under the terms of any plan, program or arrangement of the Employer. Amounts payable pursuant to the clauses (i) - (iii) shall be paid 

 

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promptly after the Date of Termination and all other amounts will be paid in accordance with the terms of the applicable plan, program or arrangement (as modified by this Agreement).

 

“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Employer.

 

“Cause” shall be limited to the following events (i) the Executive’s conviction of, or plea of nolo contendere to, a felony (other than in connection with a traffic violation) under any  state or federal law; (ii) the Executive’s failure to substantially perform his essential job functions hereunder after receipt of written notice from the Employer requesting such performance; (iii) a material act of fraud or material misconduct with respect, in each case, to the Employer, by the Executive; (iv) any material misconduct by the Executive that could be reasonably expected to damage the reputation or business of the Employer or any Employer Affiliate, or (v) the Executive’s material violation of a material policy of the Employer.  Any determination of whether Cause exists shall be made by the Committee in its sole discretion. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Executive shall not be terminated for Cause hereunder unless (A) written notice stating the basis for the termination is provided to the Executive, (B) as to clauses (ii), (iii), (iv) or (v) of this paragraph, the Executive is given 15 days to cure the neglect or conduct that is the basis of such claim (it being understood that any errors in expense reimbursement may be cured by repayment), (C) if the Executive fails to cure such neglect or conduct, there is a vote of a majority of the members of the Board to terminate the Executive for Cause.

 

“Change in Control” shall have the meaning set forth in the Double Eagle Acquisition Corp. 2017 Incentive Award Plan as in effect on the date hereof.

 

“Employer Affiliate” means any entity controlled by, in control of, or under common control with, the Employer.

 

“Employer Confidential Information” means information known to the Executive to constitute trade secrets or proprietary information belonging to the Employer or other confidential financial information, operating budgets, strategic plans or research methods, personnel data, projects or plans, or non-public information regarding the terms of any existing or pending lending transaction between Employer and an existing or pending client or customer (as the phrase “client or customer” is defined in Section 7(d)(i) hereof), in each case, received by the Executive in the course of his employment by the Employer or in connection with his duties with the Employer. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the general skills, knowledge and experience gained during the Executive’s employment with the Employer, information publicly available or generally known within the industry or trade in which the Employer competes and information or knowledge possessed by the Executive prior to his employment by the Employer, shall not be considered Employer Confidential Information.

 

“Date of Termination” means (i) if the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Executive’s death, the date of the Executive’s death; (ii) if the Executive’s employment is terminated because of the Executive’s Disability, 30 days after Notice of Termination, provided 

 

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that the Executive shall not have returned to the performance of the Executive’s duties on a full-time basis during such 30-day period; or (iii) if the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Employer pursuant to Section 8(a)(ii)(B) or by the Executive pursuant to Section 8(a)(iii), the date specified in the Notice of Termination, which may not be less than 60 days after the Notice of Termination in the event the Employer is terminating the Executive without Cause or the Executive is terminating employment without Good Reason.

 

“Good Reason” means, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the Executive, (i) any material diminution or adverse change in the Executive’s titles; (ii) reduction in the Executive’s Base Salary or Target Bonus; (iii) a failure to grant the Executive, in any consecutive 12 month period, long term incentive equity awards having a grant date fair value (as determined by the Committee in good faith) of at least $1,000,000; (iv) a requirement that the Executive report to someone other than the Employer’s Chairman of the Board; (v) a material diminution in the Executive’s authority, responsibilities or duties or material interference with the Executive’s carrying out his duties; (vi) the assignment of duties inconsistent with the Executive’s position or status with the Employer as of the date hereof; (vii) a relocation of the Executive’s primary place of employment to a location more than 50 miles from the Employer’s executive headquarters. In order to invoke a termination for Good Reason, (A) the Executive must give written notice of the occurrence of an event of Good Reason within 60 days of its occurrence, (B) the Employer must fail to cure such event within 30 days of such notice, and (C) the Executive must terminate employment within 10 days of the expiration of such cure period.

 

“Non-Compete Period” means the period commencing on the date hereof and ending twelve months after the earlier of the expiration of the Employment Period or the Executive’s Date of Termination.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have duly executed and delivered this Agreement, or have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and delivered on their behalf.

 

	
 
    	
WILLIAMS   SCOTSMAN, INC.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Gerard E. Holthaus
    
	
 
    	
Date:
    	
11/29/2017
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Name:   Gerry E. Holthaus
    
	
 
    	
Title:   Chairman
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
EXECUTIVE
    
	
 
    	
/s/   Brad Soultz
    
	
 
    	
11/29/2017
    
	
 
    	
Brad   Soultz
    

 

15

 

ANNEX A

 

Terms of Long Term Incentive Equity

 

	
Initial Public Offering   Award:
    	
 
    	
50% time-vesting stock options and 50% restricted   stock units vesting ratably over 4 years valued at $1,600,000 at grant. A   minimum of 25% of the Initial Public Offering Award will vest if termination   by the Employer without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason occurs   within the first year of grant.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Initial Annual Award:
    	
 
    	
50% time-vested stock options and 50% restricted   stock units vesting ratably over 4 years valued at $1,000,000 at grant. A   minimum of 25% of the Initial Annual Award will vest if termination by the   Employer without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason occurs within the   first year of grant.

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