Document:

future_bondadv.htm

RUS

	
 

 FOR FFB USE ONLY:

 

 Bond Identifier:

 

 _________________

 

  Purchase Date:

 

 _________________

 

     Bond

     Date           November 10, 2010 

     Place                        

     of 

     Issue          Washington, DC

 

     Last Day

     for an

     Advance (¶3)   October 15, 2013

 

      Maximum

     Principal

     Amount (¶4)    $500,000,000.00

  

  Final

      Maturity

      Date (¶5)      October 15, 2033

                            

FUTURE ADVANCE BOND

 

SERIES D

 

1.           Promise to Pay.

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, NATIONAL RURAL UTILITIES COOPERATIVE FINANCE CORPORATION, a cooperative association existing under the laws of the District of Columbia (the "Borrower," which term includes any successors or assigns) promises to pay the FEDERAL FINANCING BANK ("FFB"), a body corporate and instrumentality of the United States of America (FFB, for so long as it shall be the holder of this Bond, and any successor or assignee of FFB, for so long as such successor or assignee shall be the holder of this Bond, being the "Holder"), at the times, in the manner, and with interest at the rates to be established as hereinafter provided, such amounts as may be advanced from time to time by FFB to the Borrower under this Bond (each such amount being an "Advance", and more than one such amount being "Advances").

	
2.

	
Reference to Certain Agreements.

(a)  Bond Purchase Agreement.  This Bond is the "Bond" referred to in, and entitled to the benefits of, the Series D Bond Purchase Agreement dated as of even date herewith, made by and among FFB, the Borrower, and the Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service, a Rural Development agency of the United 

 

  

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States Department of Agriculture ("RUS") (such agreement, as it may be amended, supplemented, and restated from time to time in accordance with its terms, being the "Bond Purchase Agreement").

(b) Bond Guarantee Agreement.  This Bond is the "Bond" referred to in, and entitled to the benefits of, the Series D Bond Guarantee Agreement dated as of even date herewith, made between RUS and the Borrower (such agreement, as it may be amended, supplemented, and restated from time to time in accordance with its terms, being the "Bond Guarantee Agreement").

(c) Pledge Agreement.  This Bond is the "Bond" referred to in the Pledge Agreement dated as of even date herewith, made among the Borrower, RUS, and U.S. Bank Trust National Association, a national association (such agreement, as it may be amended, supplemented, and restated from time to time in accordance with its terms, being the "Pledge Agreement").

	
3.

	
Advances; Advance Requests; RUS Approval Requirement; Last Day for an Advance.

(a) Subject to the terms and conditions of the Bond Purchase Agreement, FFB shall make Advances to the Borrower from time to time under this Bond, in each case upon delivery to FFB of a written request by the Borrower for an Advance under this Bond, in the form of request attached to the Bond Purchase Agreement as Exhibit A thereto (each such request being an "Advance Request") and completed as prescribed in section 7.3.1 of the Bond Purchase Agreement.

(b) To be effective, an Advance Request must first be delivered to RUS for approval and be approved by RUS in writing, and such Advance Request, together with written notification of RUS's approval thereof (each such notification being an "Advance Request Approval Notice"), must be received by FFB consistent with the advance notice requirements prescribed in sections 7.3.1(c) and 7.3.2(b) of the Bond Purchase Agreement.

(c) FFB shall make each requested Advance on the particular calendar date that the Borrower requested in the respective Advance Request to be the date on which the respective Advance is to be made (such date being the "Requested Advance Date" for such Advance), subject to the provisions of the Bond Purchase Agreement describing certain circumstances under which a requested Advance shall be made on a later date; provided, however, that no Advance shall be made under this Bond after the particular date specified on page 1 of this Bond as being the "Last Day for an Advance."

4.           Principal Amount of Advances; Maximum Principal Amount.

The principal amount of each Advance shall be the particular dollar amount that the Borrower specified in the respective Advance Request as the "Requested Advance Amount" for the 

 

  

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respective Advance; provided, however, that the aggregate principal amount of all Advances made under this Bond shall not exceed the particular amount specified on page 1 of this Bond as being the "Maximum Principal Amount."

	
5.

	
Maturity Dates for Advances.

Subject to paragraph 15 of this Bond, each Advance shall mature on the particular calendar date that the Borrower selected in the respective Advance Request to be the date on which the respective Advance is to mature (such date being the "Maturity Date" for such Advance), provided that such Maturity Date meets all of the criteria for Maturity Dates prescribed in section 7.3.1(a)(5) of the Bond Purchase Agreement.

6.           Computation of Interest on Advances.

(a) Subject to paragraphs 11 and 16 of this Bond, interest on the outstanding principal of each Advance shall accrue from the date on which the respective Advance is made to the date on which such principal is due.

(b) Interest on each Advance shall be computed on the basis of (1) actual days elapsed from (but not including) the date on which the respective Advance is made (for the first payment of interest due under this Bond for such Advance) or the date on which the payment of interest was last due (for all other payments of interest due under this Bond for such Advance), to (and including) the date on which the payment of interest is next due; and (2) a year of 365 days (except in calendar years including February 29, when the basis shall be a 366-day year).

(c) The basic interest rate for each Advance shall be established by FFB, as of the date on which the respective Advance is made, on the basis of the determination made by the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to section 6(b) of the Federal Financing Bank Act of 1973, as amended (codified at 12 U.S.C. § 2281 et seq.) (the "FFB Act"); provided, however, that the shortest maturity used as the basis for any rate determination shall be the remaining maturity of the most recently auctioned  United States Treasury bills having the shortest maturity of all United States Treasury bills then being regularly auctioned.

 

 

           (d) In the event that (1) the Borrower has selected for any Advance a Maturity Date that will occur on or after the fifth anniversary of the Requested Advance Date for such Advance, and (2) the Borrower has elected for such Advance a prepayment/ refinancing privilege described in section 11.3 of the Bond Purchase Agreement, then the interest rate for such Advance shall also include a price (expressed in terms of a basis point increment to the applicable basic interest rate) for the particular prepayment/refinancing privilege that the Borrower selected, which price shall be established by FFB on the basis of a determination made by FFB as to the difference between (A) the 

 

  

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estimated market yield of a notional obligation if such obligation were to (i) be issued by the Secretary of the Treasury, (ii) have a maturity comparable to the maturity of such Advance, and (iii) include a prepayment and refinancing privilege identical to the particular prepayment/refinancing privilege that the Borrower elected for such Advance, and (B) the estimated market yield of a notional obligation if such obligation were to (i) be issued by the Secretary of the Treasury, (ii) have a maturity comparable to the maturity of such Advance, but (iii) not include such prepayment and refinancing privilege.

7.           Payment of Interest; Payment Dates.

Interest accrued on the outstanding principal amount of each Advance shall be due and payable quarterly on January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15 of each year (each such day being a "Payment Date"), beginning on the first Payment Date to occur after the date on which the respective Advance is made, up through and including the Maturity Date of such Advance; provided, however, that with respect to each Advance that is made in the 30-day period immediately preceding any Payment Date, payments of accrued interest on the outstanding principal amount of the respective Advance shall be due beginning on the second Payment Date to occur after the date on which such Advance is made.

8.           Repayment of Principal.

Subject to paragraph 15 of this Bond, the principal amount of each Advance shall be payable on the Maturity Date for the respective Advance.

9.           Fee.

(a)  A fee to cover expenses and contingencies, assessed by FFB pursuant to section 6(c) of the FFB Act, shall accrue on the outstanding principal amount of each Advance for the period from the date on which the respective Advance is made to the date on which the principal amount of such Advance is due, not taking into account any maturity extensions permitted by paragraph 15 of this Bond (such period being the "Advance Period").

(b) The fee on each Advance shall be:

(1) 22.5 basis points (0.225%) per annum of the unpaid principal balance of such Advance for an Advance Period of a year or less;

(2) 27.5 basis points (0.275%) per annum of the unpaid principal balance of such Advance for an Advance Period greater than a year but no more than 5 years; and

  

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(3) 35 basis points (0.35%) per annum of the unpaid principal balance of such Advance for an Advance Period greater than 5 years.

(c) The fee on each Advance shall be computed in the same manner as accrued interest is computed under paragraph 6(b) of this Bond, and shall be due and payable at the same times as accrued interest is due and payable under paragraph 7 of this Bond (adjusted as provided in paragraph 10 of this Bond if a Payment Date is not a Business Day).  The fee on each Advance shall be credited to RUS as required by section 505(c) of the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990, as amended (codified at 2 U.S.C. § 661d(c)).

 

 

10.           Business Days.

(a) Whenever any Payment Date, the Maturity Date for any Advance, or the Final Maturity Date shall fall on a day on which either FFB or the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is not open for business, the payment that would otherwise be due on such Payment Date, Maturity Date, or Final Payment Date, as the case may be, shall be due on the first day thereafter on which FFB and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York are both open for business (any such day being a "Business Day").

(b) In the event that any Payment Date falls on a day other than a Business Day, then the extension of time for making the payment that would otherwise be due on such Payment Date shall be (1) taken into account in establishing the interest rate for the respective Advance, (2) included in computing interest due in connection with such payment, and (3) excluded in computing interest due in connection with the next payment.

(c) In the event that the Maturity Date for any Advance or the Final Maturity Date falls on a day other than a Business Day, then the extension of time for making the payment that would otherwise be due on such Maturity Date or the Final Maturity, as the case may be, shall be (1) taken into account in establishing the interest rate for such Advance, and (2) included in computing interest due in connection with such payment.

11.  Late Payments.

(a) In the event that any payment of any amount owing under this Bond is not made when and as due (any such amount being then an "Overdue Amount"), then the amount payable shall be such Overdue Amount plus interest thereon (such interest being the "Late Charge") computed in accordance with this subparagraph (a).

(1) The Late Charge shall accrue from the scheduled date of payment for the Overdue Amount (taking into account paragraph 10 of this Bond) to the date on which payment is made.

  

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(2) The Late Charge shall be computed on the basis of (A) actual days elapsed from (but not including) the scheduled date of payment for such Overdue Amount (taking into account paragraph 10 of this Bond) to (and including) the date on which payment is made, and (B) a year of 365 days (except in calendar years including February 29, when the basis shall be a 366-day year).

(3) The Late Charge shall accrue at a rate (the "Late Charge Rate") equal to one and one-half times the rate to be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury taking into consideration the prevailing market yield on the remaining maturity of the most recent auctioned 13-week United States Treasury bills.

(4) The initial Late Charge Rate shall be in effect until the earlier to occur of either (A) the date on which payment of the Overdue Amount and the amount of accrued Late Charge is made, or (B) the first Payment Date to occur after the scheduled date of payment for such Overdue Amount.  In the event that the Overdue Amount and the amount of the accrued Late Charge are not paid on or before such Payment Date, then the amount payable shall be the sum of the Overdue Amount and the amount of the accrued Late Charge, plus a Late Charge on such sum accruing at a new Late Charge Rate to be then determined in accordance with the principles of clause (3) of this subparagraph (a).  For so long as any Overdue Amount remains unpaid, the Late Charge Rate shall be re-determined in accordance with the principles of clause (3) of this subparagraph (a) on each Payment Date to occur thereafter, and shall be applied to the Overdue Amount and all amounts of the accrued Late Charge to the date on which payment of the Overdue Amount and all amounts of the accrued Late Charge is made.

(b) Nothing in subparagraph (a) of this paragraph 11 shall be construed as permitting or implying that the Borrower may, without the written consent of FFB, modify, extend, alter or affect in any manner whatsoever (except as explicitly provided herein) the right of FFB to receive any and all payments on account of this Bond on the dates specified in this Bond.

12.           Final Due Date.

Notwithstanding anything in this Bond to the contrary, all amounts outstanding under this Bond remaining unpaid as of the Final Maturity Date shall be due and payable on the Final Maturity Date.

13.           Manner of Making Payments.

(a) For so long as FFB is the Holder of this Bond and RUS is the bond servicing agent for FFB (as provided in the Bond Purchase Agreement), each payment under this Bond shall be paid 

 

  

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in immediately available funds by electronic funds transfer to the account of the United States Treasury (for credit to the subaccount of RUS, as bond servicing agent for FFB) maintained at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York specified by RUS in a written notice to the Borrower, or to such other account as may be specified from time to time by RUS in a written notice to the Borrower.

(b) In the event that FFB is the Holder of this Bond and RUS is not the bond servicing agent for FFB, each payment under this Bond, with the exception of the fee described in paragraph 9 of this Bond, shall be paid in immediately available funds by electronic funds transfer to the account of the United States Treasury (for credit to the subaccount of FFB) maintained at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York specified by FFB in a written notice to the Borrower, or to such other account as may be specified from time to time by FFB in a written notice to the Borrower.  In the event that FFB is the Holder of this Bond and RUS is not the bond servicing agent for FFB, each payment of the fee described in paragraph 9 of this Bond shall be paid in immediately available funds by electronic funds transfer to the account of the United States Treasury (for credit to the subaccount of RUS) maintained at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York specified from time to time by RUS in a written notice delivered by RUS to the Borrower.

(c) In the event that FFB is not the Holder of this Bond, then each payment under this Bond, with the exception of the fee described in paragraph 9 of this Bond, shall be made in immediately available funds by electronic funds transfer to such account as shall be specified by the Holder in a written notice to the Borrower.  In the event that FFB is not the Holder of this Bond, each payment of the fee described in paragraph 9 of this Bond shall be made in the manner specified by FFB in the written notice delivered by FFB to the Borrower and RUS as provided in section 15.4.2 of the Bond Purchase Agreement.

14.           Application of Payments.

Each payment made on this Bond shall be applied, first, to the payment of Late Charges (if any) payable under paragraphs 11 and 18 of this Bond, then to the payment of premiums (if any) payable under paragraphs 16 and 17 of this Bond, then to the payment of unpaid accrued interest, then on account of outstanding principal, and then to the payment of the fee payable under paragraph 9 of this Bond.

15.           Maturity Extensions.

(a) With respect to each Advance (1) for which the Borrower has selected a Maturity Date that will occur before the twentieth anniversary of the Requested Advance Date specified in the respective Advance Request, or (2) for which a Maturity Date that will occur before the twentieth anniversary of the Requested 

 

  

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Advance Date specified in the respective Advance Request has been determined as provided in subparagraph (b) of this paragraph 15 (each such Maturity Date being an "Interim Maturity Date"), the Borrower may, effective as of such Interim Maturity Date, elect to extend the maturity of all or any portion of the outstanding principal amount of the respective Advance to a new Maturity Date to be selected by the Borrower in the manner and subject to the limitations specified in this subparagraph (a) (each such election being a "Maturity Extension Election"; each such elective extension of the maturity of any Advance that has an Interim Maturity Date being a "Maturity Extension"; and the Interim Maturity Date that is in effect for an Advance immediately before any such elective Maturity Extension being, from and after such Maturity Extension, the "Maturity Extension Effective Date").

(1) Except under the circumstances described in clause (3) of this subparagraph (a), the Borrower shall deliver to FFB (with a copy to RUS) written notification of each Maturity Extension Election, in the form of notification attached to this Bond as Annex 1-A (each such notification being a "Maturity Extension Election Notice"), making reference to the "Advance Identifier" (as that term is defined in the Bond Purchase Agreement) that FFB assigned to such Advance (as provided in the Bond Purchase Agreement) and specifying, among other things, the following:

(A) the amount of the outstanding principal of the such Advance with respect to which the Borrower elects to extend the maturity; and

(B) the new Maturity Date that the Borrower selects to be in effect for such principal amount after the respective Maturity Extension Effective Date, which date:

(i) may be either (I) a new Interim Maturity Date, or (II) the twentieth anniversary of the Requested Advance Date specified in the original Advance Request (if such twentieth anniversary date is a Payment Date) or the Payment Date immediately preceding such twentieth anniversary date (if such twentieth anniversary date is not a Payment Date); and

(ii) in the event that the Borrower selects a new Interim Maturity Date as the new Maturity Date for any Advance, must meet the criteria for Maturity Dates prescribed in 

 

  

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section 7.3.1(a)(5) of the Bond Purchase Agreement (provided, however, that, for purposes of selecting a new Maturity Date in connection with a Maturity Extension Election, each of the references to the "Requested Advance Date" for the respective Advance in section 7.3.1(a)(5)(D) of the Bond Purchase Agreement shall be deemed to be a reference to the "respective Maturity Extension Effective Date").

(2) To be effective, a Maturity Extension Election Notice must be received by FFB on or before the third Business Day before the Interim Maturity Date in effect for the respective Advance immediately before such Maturity Extension.

(3) In the event that either of the circumstances described in subclause (A) or (B) of the next sentence occurs, then a Maturity Extension Election Notice (in the form of notice attached to this Bond as Annex 1-B), to be effective, must first be delivered to RUS for approval and be approved by RUS in writing, and such Maturity Extension Election Notice, together with written notification of RUS's approval thereof, must be received by FFB on or before the third Business Day before the Interim Maturity Date in effect for the respective Advance immediately before such Maturity Extension.  RUS approval of a Maturity Extension Election Notice will be required under either of the following circumstances:

(A) (i) any payment of any amount owing under this Bond is not made by the Borrower when and as due; (ii) payment is made by RUS in accordance with the guarantee set forth at the end of this Bond; and (iii) RUS delivers notice to both the Borrower and FFB advising each of them that each Maturity Extension Election Notice delivered by the Borrower after the date of such notice shall require the approval of RUS; or

(B) FFB at any time delivers written notice to both the Borrower and RUS advising each of them that each Maturity Extension Election Notice delivered by the Borrower after the date of such notice shall require the approval of RUS.

(b) With respect to any Advance that has an Interim Maturity Date, in the event that FFB does not receive a Maturity Extension Election Notice (and, if required under subparagraph (a)(3) of this paragraph 15, written notification of RUS's approval thereof) on or before the third Business Day before such Interim Maturity Date, then the maturity of such Advance shall be extended automatically in the manner and subject to the limitations specified in this subparagraph (b) (each such automatic extension of the maturity of any Advance that has an Interim Maturity Date also being a "Maturity Extension"; and the Interim Maturity Date that is in effect for an Advance immediately before any such automatic Maturity Extension also being, from and after such Maturity Extension, the "Maturity Extension Effective Date").  The new Maturity Date for such 

 

  

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Advance shall be the immediately following Payment Date.  The amount of principal that will have its maturity extended automatically shall be the entire outstanding principal amount of such Advance on such Maturity Extension Effective Date, less the amount of any payment of principal made on such Maturity Extension Effective Date.

(c) In the event that the maturity of any Advance that has an Interim Maturity Date is extended under either subparagraph (a) or (b) of this paragraph 15, then the basic interest rate for such Advance, from and after the respective Maturity Extension Effective Date, shall be the particular rate that is established by FFB, as of such Maturity Extension Effective Date, in accordance with the principles of paragraph 6(c) of this Bond.

(d) In the event that the maturity of any Advance that has an Interim Maturity Date is extended under either subparagraph (a) or (b) of this paragraph 15, then the fee for such Advance, from and after the respective Maturity Extension Effective Date, shall be the particular fee that is assessed by FFB, as of such Maturity Extension Effective Date, with the new Advance Period being the period from the Maturity Extension Effective Date through the new Maturity Date, in accordance with the principles of paragraphs 9(b) and (c) of this Bond.

(e) In the event that (1) the maturity of any Advance that has an Interim Maturity Date is extended under either subparagraph (a) or (b) of this paragraph 15, and (2) the Maturity Date for such extended Advance is a date that will occur before the fifth anniversary of the respective Maturity Extension Effective Date, then the prepayment/refinancing privilege described in section 11.2 of the Bond Purchase Agreement shall apply automatically to such Advance.

(f) In the event that (1) the Borrower makes a Maturity Extension Election with respect to any Advance that has an Interim Maturity Date, and (2) the Borrower selects as the Maturity Date for such extended Advance a new Maturity Date that will occur on or after the fifth anniversary of the respective Maturity Extension Effective Date, then the Borrower must elect a prepayment/refinancing privilege for such extended Advance from between the options described in sections 11.2 and 11.3 of the Bond Purchase Agreement (provided, however, that each of the references to "the Requested Advance Date for such Advance" in  section 11.3 of the Bond Purchase Agreement shall be deemed to be a reference to "the respective Maturity Extension Effective Date").  The Maturity Extension Election Notice delivered by the Borrower in connection with each such Maturity Extension Election must also specify the particular prepayment/refinancing privilege that the Borrower elects for the respective extended Advance.  In the event that the Borrower elects for any such extended Advance a prepayment/refinancing privilege described in section 11.3 of the Bond Purchase Agreement, then the interest rate for such 

 

  

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extended Advance, from and after the respective Maturity Extension Effective Date, shall include a price (expressed in terms of a basis point increment to the applicable basic interest rate) for the particular prepayment/refinancing privilege that the Borrower elects, which price shall be established by FFB, as of such Maturity Extension Effective Date, in accordance with the principles of paragraph 6(d) of this Bond.

(g) The maturity of each Advance may be extended more than once as provided in this paragraph 15, but upon the twentieth anniversary of the Requested Advance Date specified in the original Advance Request (if such twentieth anniversary date is a Payment Date) or upon the Payment Date immediately preceding such twentieth anniversary date (if such twentieth anniversary date is not a Payment Date), no further Maturity Extensions may occur.

16.  Prepayments.

(a) The Borrower may elect to prepay all or any portion of the outstanding principal amount of any Advance made under this Bond, or to prepay this Bond in its entirety, in the manner, at the price, and subject to the limitations specified in this paragraph 16 (each such election being a "Prepayment Election").

(b) For each Prepayment Election in which the Borrower elects to prepay a particular amount of the outstanding principal of an Advance, the Borrower shall deliver to RUS written notification of the respective Prepayment Election, in the form of notification attached to this Bond as Annex 2-A (each such notification being a "Prepayment Election Notice"), making reference to the Advance Identifier that FFB assigned to the respective Advance (as provided in the Bond Purchase Agreement) and specifying, among other things, the following:

(1) the particular date on which the Borrower intends to make the prepayment on such Advance (such date being the "Intended Prepayment Date" for such Advance), which date:

(A) must be a Business Day; and

(B) for any Advance for which the Borrower has selected a fixed premium prepayment/refinancing privilege that includes a 5-year period during which such Advance shall not be eligible for any prepayment or refinancing (such time period being a "No-Call Period"), may not be a date that will occur before the applicable "First Call Date" determined as provided in section 11.3.2 of the Bond Purchase Agreement (such date being the "First Call Date"); and

(2) the amount of principal of the respective Advance that the Borrower intends to prepay, which amount may be either:

  

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(A) the total outstanding principal amount of such Advance; or

(B) an amount less than the total outstanding principal amount of such Advance (subject to subparagraph (g) of this paragraph 16) (any such amount being a "Portion").

(c) For each Prepayment Election in which the Borrower elects to have a particular amount of funds applied by FFB toward the prepayment of the outstanding principal of an Advance, the Borrower shall deliver to RUS written notification of the respective Prepayment Election, in the form of notification attached to this Bond as Annex 2-B (each such notification also being a "Prepayment Election Notice"), making reference to the Advance Identifier that FFB assigned to the respective Advance (as provided in the Bond Purchase Agreement) and specifying, among other things, the following:

(1) the particular date on which the Borrower intends to make the prepayment on such Advance (such date being the "Intended Prepayment Date" for such Advance), which date:

(A) must be a Business Day; and

(B) for any Advance for which the Borrower has selected a fixed premium prepayment/refinancing privilege that includes a 5-year No-Call Period, may not be a date that will occur before the applicable First Call Date; and

(2) the particular amount of funds that the Borrower elects to be applied by FFB toward a prepayment of the outstanding principal amount of such Advance.

(d) To be effective, a Prepayment Election Notice must be approved by RUS in writing, and such Prepayment Election Notice, together with written notification of RUS's approval thereof, must be received by FFB on or before the fifth Business Day before the date specified therein as the Intended Prepayment Date for the respective Advance or Portion.

(e) The Borrower shall pay to FFB a price for the prepayment of any Advance, any Portion of any Advance, or this Bond in its entirety (such price being the "Prepayment Price" for such Advance or Portion or this Bond, as the case may be) determined as follows:

(1) in the event that the Borrower elects to prepay the entire outstanding principal amount of any Advance, then the Borrower shall pay to FFB a Prepayment Price for such Advance equal to the sum of:

  

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(A) the entire outstanding principal amount of such Advance on the Intended Prepayment Date;

 

(B) all unpaid interest (and Late Charges, if any) accrued on such Advance through the Intended Prepayment Date; and

(C) the amount of the premium or discount credit (if any) that is required under the particular prepayment/refinancing privilege that applies to such Advance as provided in article 11 of the Bond Purchase Agreement;

(2) in the event that the Borrower elects to prepay a Portion of any Advance, then the Borrower shall pay to FFB a Prepayment Price for such Portion that would equal such Portion's pro rata share of the Prepayment Price that would be required for a prepayment of the entire outstanding principal amount of such Advance (determined in accordance with the principles of clause (1) of this subparagraph (e)); and

(3) in the event that the Borrower elects to prepay this Bond in its entirety, then the Borrower shall pay to FFB an amount equal to the sum of the Prepayment Prices for all outstanding Advances (determined in accordance with the principles of clause (1) of this subparagraph (e)).

(f) Payment of the Prepayment Price for any Advance, any Portion of any Advance, or this Bond in its entirety shall be due to FFB before 3:00 p.m. (Washington, DC, time) on the Intended Prepayment Date for such Advance or Portion or this Bond, as the case may be.

(g) Each prepayment of a Portion shall, as to the principal amount of such Portion, be subject to a minimum amount equal to $100,000.00 of principal.

(h) The Borrower may make more than one Prepayment Election with respect to an Advance, each such Prepayment Election being made with respect to a different Portion of such Advance, until such time as the entire principal amount of such Advance is repaid in full.

17.  Refinancings.

(a) The Borrower may elect to refinance the outstanding principal amount of any Advance (but not any Portion) in the manner, at the price, and subject to the limitations specified in this paragraph 17 (each such election being a "Refinancing Election").

(b) Except under the circumstances described in subparagraph (d) of this paragraph 17, the Borrower shall deliver 

 

  

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to FFB (with a copy to RUS) written notification of each Refinancing Election, in the form of notification attached to this Bond as Annex 3-A (each such notification being a "Refinancing Election Notice"), making reference to the Advance Identifier that FFB assigned to the respective Advance (as provided in the Bond Purchase Agreement) and specifying, among other things, the following:

(1) the particular date on which the Borrower intends to refinance the respective Advance (such date being the "Intended Refinancing Date" for the respective Advance), which date:

(A) must be a Payment Date; and

(B) for any Advance for which the Borrower has selected a prepayment/refinancing privilege that includes a 5-year No-Call Period, may not be a date that will occur before the applicable First Call Date;

(2) the amount of the outstanding principal of the respective Advance that the Borrower elects to refinance (which may not be a Portion); and

(3) the Maturity Date that the Borrower selects to be in effect for such principal amount after such refinancing, which date may be:

(A) the Maturity Date that is in effect for such Advance immediately before such refinancing; or

(B) a new Maturity Date that the Borrower selects in connection with such Refinancing Election, provided that such new Maturity Date meets the criteria for Maturity Dates prescribed in section 7.3.1(a)(5) of the Bond Purchase Agreement (provided, however, that for purposes of selecting a new Maturity Date in connection with a Refinancing Election, each of the references to the "Requested Advance Date" for the respective Advance in section 7.3.1(a)(5)(D) of the Bond Purchase Agreement shall be deemed to be a reference to the "respective Refinancing Effective Date").

(c) To be effective, a Refinancing Election Notice must be received by FFB on or before the fifth Business Day before the date specified therein as the Intended Refinancing Date.

(d) In the event that either of the circumstances described in clause (1) or (2) of the next sentence shall have occurred, then a Refinancing Election Notice (in the form of notice attached to this Bond as Annex 3-B), to be effective, must first be delivered to RUS for approval and be approved by RUS in writing, and such Refinancing Election Notice, together with written notification of RUS's approval thereof, must be received 

 

  

Bond - page 14

  

RUS

by FFB on or before the fifth Business Day before the date specified therein to be the Intended Refinancing Date.  RUS approval of a Refinancing Election Notice will be required under either of the following circumstances:

(1) (A) payment of any amount owing under this Bond is not made by the Borrower when and as due; (B) payment is made by RUS in accordance with the guarantee set forth at the end of this Bond; and (C) RUS delivers notice to both the Borrower and FFB advising each of them that each Refinancing Election Notice delivered by the Borrower after the date of such notice shall require the approval of RUS; or

 

 

(2) FFB at any time delivers written notice to both the Borrower and RUS advising each of them that each Refinancing Election Notice delivered by the Borrower after the date of such notice shall require the approval of RUS.

(e) The Borrower shall pay to FFB a price for the refinancing of any Advance (such price being the "Refinancing Price" for such Advance) equal to the sum of:

(1) all unpaid interest (and Late Charges, if any) accrued on such Advance through the Intended Refinancing Date; and

(2) the amount of the premium (if any) that is required under the particular prepayment/refinancing privilege that applies to such Advance as provided in article 11 of the Bond Purchase Agreement.

In the event that (A) the prepayment/refinancing privilege that applies to the particular Advance being refinanced is the privilege described in section 11.2 of the Bond Purchase Agreement, and (B) the Market Value Premium (or Discount) that is to be included in the Refinancing Price for such Advance is a discount on such Advance, then such discount shall be applied by FFB in the manner requested by the Borrower in a written notice delivered by the Borrower to FFB and approved by RUS in writing.

(f) Payment of the Refinancing Price for any Advance shall be due to FFB before 3:00 p.m. (Washington, DC, time) on the Intended Refinancing Date for such Advance.

(g) In the event that a Refinancing Election Notice (and, if required under subparagraph (d) of this paragraph 17, written notification of RUS's approval thereof) is received by FFB on or before the fifth Business Day before the Intended Refinancing Date specified therein, then the refinancing of the respective Advance shall become effective on such Intended Refinancing Date (in such event, the Intended Refinancing Date being the "Refinancing Effective Date").  In the event that a Refinancing Election Notice (and, if required under subparagraph (d) of this 

 

  

Bond - page 15

  

RUS

paragraph 17, written notification of RUS's approval thereof) is received by FFB after the fifth Business Day before the Intended Refinancing Date specified therein, then the refinancing of the respective Advance shall become effective on the fifth Business Day to occur after the day on which such Refinancing Election Notice (and, if required under subparagraph (d) of this paragraph 17, written notification of RUS's approval thereof) is received by FFB (in such event, the fifth Business Day to occur after the day on which such Refinancing Election Notice (and, if required under subparagraph (d) of this paragraph 17, written notification of RUS's approval thereof) is received by FFB being the "Refinancing Effective Date"), provided that the Borrower shall have paid to FFB, in addition to the Refinancing Price required under subparagraph (e) of this paragraph 17, the interest accrued from the Intended Refinancing Date through such Refinancing Effective Date.

(h) In the event that the Borrower makes a Refinancing Election with respect to any Advance, the basic interest rate for such Advance, from and after the respective Refinancing Effective Date, shall be the particular rate that is established by FFB, as of such Refinancing Effective Date, in accordance with the principles of paragraph 6(c) of this Bond.

(i) In the event that the Borrower makes a Refinancing Election with respect to any Advance, then the fee for such Advance, from and after the respective Refinancing Effective Date, shall be the particular fee that is assessed by FFB, as of such Refinancing Effective Date, with the new Advance Period being the period from the Refinancing Effective Date through the new Maturity Date, in accordance with the principles of paragraphs 9(b) and (c) of this Bond.

(j) In the event that (1) the Borrower makes a Refinancing Election with respect to any Advance, and (2) the Borrower selects as the Maturity Date for such refinanced Advance either (A) the Maturity Date that is in effect for such Advance immediately before such refinancing, and such Maturity Date will occur before the fifth anniversary of the respective Refinancing Effective Date, or (B) a new Maturity Date that will occur before the fifth anniversary of the respective Refinancing Effective Date, then the prepayment/refinancing privilege described in section 11.2 of the Bond Purchase Agreement shall apply automatically to such Advance.

(k) In the event that (1) the Borrower makes a Refinancing Election with respect to any Advance, and (2) the Borrower selects as the Maturity Date for such refinanced Advance either (A) the Maturity Date that is in effect for such Advance immediately before such refinancing, and such Maturity Date will occur on or after the fifth anniversary of the respective Refinancing Effective Date, or (B) a new Maturity Date that will occur on or after the fifth anniversary of the respective Refinancing Effective Date, then the Borrower must elect a 

 

  

Bond - page 16

  

RUS

prepayment/refinancing privilege for such refinanced Advance from between the options described in sections 11.2 and 11.3 of the Bond Purchase Agreement (provided, however, that each of the references to the "Requested Advance Date for such Advance" in section 11.3 of the Bond Purchase Agreement shall be deemed to be a reference to the "respective Refinancing Effective Date").  The Refinancing Election Notice delivered by the Borrower in connection with each such Refinancing Election must also specify the particular prepayment/refinancing privilege that the Borrower elects for the respective refinanced Advance.  In the event that the Borrower elects for any such refinanced Advance a prepayment/refinancing privilege described in section 11.3 of the Bond Purchase Agreement, then the interest rate for such refinanced Advance, from and after the respective Refinancing Effective Date, shall include a price (expressed in terms of a basis point increment to the applicable basic interest rate) for the particular prepayment/refinancing privilege that the Borrower elects, which increment shall be established by FFB, as of such Refinancing Effective Date, in accordance with the principles of paragraph 6(d) of this Bond.

(l) The Borrower may make more than one Refinancing Election with respect to any Advance.

	
18.

	
Rescission of Prepayment Elections and Refinancing Elections; Late Charges for Late Payments.

(a) The Borrower may rescind any Prepayment Election made in accordance with paragraph 16 of this Bond or any Refinancing Election made in accordance with paragraph 17 of this Bond, but only in accordance with this paragraph 18.

(b) The Borrower shall deliver to both FFB and RUS written notification of each rescission of a Prepayment Election or a Refinancing Election (each such notification being an "Election Rescission Notice") specifying the particular Advance for which the Borrower wishes to rescind such Prepayment Election or Refinancing Election, as the case may be, which specification must make reference to both:

(1) the particular Advance Identifier that FFB assigned to such Advance (as provided in the Bond Purchase Agreement); and

(2) the RUS account number for such Advance.

The Election Rescission Notice may be delivered by facsimile transmission to FFB at (202) 622-0707 and to RUS at (202) 720-1401, or at such other facsimile number or numbers as either FFB or RUS may from time to time communicate to the Borrower.

(c) To be effective, an Election Rescission Notice must be received by both FFB and RUS not later than 3:30 p.m. (Washington, DC, time) on the second Business Day before the

 

  

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RUS

 Intended Prepayment Date or the Intended Refinancing Date, as the case may be.

(d) In the event that the Borrower (1) makes a Prepayment Election in accordance with paragraph 16 of this Bond or a Refinancing Election in accordance with paragraph 17 of this Bond; (2) does not rescind such Prepayment Election or Refinancing Election, as the case may be, in accordance with this paragraph 18; and (3) does not, before 3:00 p.m. (Washington, DC, time) on the Intended Prepayment Date or Intended Refinancing Date, as the case may be, pay to FFB the Prepayment Price described in paragraph 16(e) of this Bond or Refinancing Price described in paragraph 17(e) of this Bond, as the case may be, then a Late Charge shall accrue on any such unpaid amount from the Intended Prepayment Date or Intended Refinancing Date, as the case may be, to the date on which payment is made, computed in accordance with the principles of paragraph 11 of this Bond.

19.           Amendments to Bond.

To the extent not inconsistent with applicable law, this Bond, for so long as FFB or its agent is the holder thereof, shall be subject to modification by such amendments, extensions, and renewals as may be agreed upon from time to time by FFB and the Borrower, with the approval of RUS.

20.           Certain Waivers.

The Borrower hereby waives any requirement for presentment, protest, or other demand or notice with respect to this Bond.

21.           Bond Effective Until Paid.

This Bond shall continue in full force and effect until all principal outstanding hereunder, all interest accrued hereunder, all premiums (if any) payable under paragraphs 16 and 17 of this Bond, all Late Charges (if any) payable under paragraphs 11 and 18 of this Bond, and all fees (if any) payable under paragraph 9 of this Bond have been paid in full.

	
22.

	
RUS Guarantee of Bond.

Upon execution of the guarantee set forth at the end of this Bond (the "RUS Guarantee"), the payment by the Borrower of all amounts due and payable under this Bond, when and as due, shall be guaranteed by the United States of America, acting through RUS, pursuant to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, as amended (codified at 7 U.S.C. § 901 et seq.).  In consideration of the RUS Guarantee, the Borrower promises to RUS to make all payments due under this Bond when and as due.

 

 

  

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RUS

 

	
23.

	
Pledge Agreement.

This Bond is one of several Bonds referred to in the Pledge Agreement, wherein the Borrower made provision for the pledge and grant of a security interest in, under certain circumstances described therein, certain property of the Borrower, described therein, to secure the payment of and performance of certain obligations owed to RUS, as set forth in the Pledge Agreement.

24.  Guarantee Payments; Reimbursement.

If RUS makes any payment, pursuant to the RUS Guarantee, of any amount due and payable under this Bond, when and as due, each and every such payment so made shall be deemed to be a payment hereunder; provided, however, that no payment by RUS pursuant to the RUS Guarantee shall be considered a payment for purposes of determining the existence of a failure by the Borrower to perform its obligation to RUS to make all payments under this Bond when and as due.  RUS shall have any rights by way of subrogation, agreement or otherwise which arise as a result of such payment pursuant to the RUS Guarantee.

	
25.

	
Default and Enforcement.

In case of a default by the Borrower under this Bond or the occurrence of an event of default under the Bond Guarantee Agreement, then, in consideration of the obligation of RUS under the RUS Guarantee, in that event, to make payments to FFB as provided in this Bond, RUS, in its own name, shall have all rights, powers, privileges, and remedies of the holder of this Bond, in accordance with the terms of this Bond, the Bond Guarantee Agreement, and the Pledge Agreement, including, without limitation, the right to enforce or collect all or any part of the obligation of the Borrower under this Bond or arising as a result of the RUS Guarantee, to file proofs of claim or any other document in any bankruptcy, insolvency, or other judicial proceeding, and to vote such proofs of claim.

26.           Acceleration.

The entire unpaid principal amount of this Bond, and all interest thereon, may be declared, and upon such declaration shall become, due and payable to RUS, under the circumstances described, and in the manner and with the effect provided, in the Bond Guarantee Agreement.

  

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RUS

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Borrower has caused this Bond to be signed in its corporate name and its corporate seal to be hereunder affixed and attested by its officers thereunto duly authorized, all as of the day and year first above written.

 

     NATIONAL RURAL UTILITIES

            COOPERATIVE FINANCE CORPORATION

                          (the "Borrower")

 

 

BY:

 

Signature:   _________________________

 

 

Print Name:  Sheldon C. Petersen

 

Title:       Governor and

                        Chief Executive Officer

 

ATTEST:

 

 

Signature:   _________________________

(SEAL)

Print Name:  John J. List

 

Title:       Assistant Secretary-Treasurer

 

  

Bond - page 20

  

RUSexh41-2007eip.htm

EXHIBIT 4.1

 

MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.

2007 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

ARTICLE 1

PURPOSE

 

1.1.           GENERAL.  The purpose of the Micron Technology, Inc. 2007 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is to promote the success, and enhance the value, of Micron Technology, Inc. (the “Company”), by linking the personal interests of employees, non-employee directors and consultants of the Company or any Affiliate (as defined below) to those of Company stockholders and by providing such persons with an incentive for outstanding performance. The Plan is further intended to provide flexibility to the Company in its ability to motivate, attract, and retain the services of employees, non-employee directors and consultants upon whose judgment, interest, and special effort the successful conduct of the Company’s operation is largely dependent. Accordingly, the Plan permits the grant of incentive awards from time to time to selected employees, non-employee directors and consultants of the Company and its Affiliates; provided, however, that no officer, including without limitation the chief executive officer of the Company, is eligible to be a Participant in the Plan.

 

ARTICLE 2

DEFINITIONS

 

2.1.           DEFINITIONS.  When a word or phrase appears in this Plan with the initial letter capitalized, and the word or phrase does not commence a sentence, the word or phrase shall generally be given the meaning ascribed to it in this Section or in Section 1.1 unless a clearly different meaning is required by the context. The following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:

 

(a)           “Affiliate” means (i) any Subsidiary or Parent, or (ii) an entity that directly or through one or more intermediaries controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, the Company, as determined by the Committee.

 

(b)           “Award” means any Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit Award, Deferred Stock Unit Award, Performance Share, Dividend Equivalent Award, Other Stock-Based Award, or any other right or interest relating to Stock or cash, granted to a Participant under the Plan.

 

(c)           “Award Certificate” means a written document, in such form as the Committee prescribes from time to time, setting forth the terms and conditions of an Award. Award Certificates may be in the form of individual award agreements or certificates or a program document describing the terms and provisions of an Awards or series of Awards under the Plan. The Committee may provide for the use of electronic, internet or other non-paper Award Certificates, and the use of electronic, internet or other non-paper means for the acceptance thereof and actions thereunder by a Participant.

 

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

 

(e)           “Change in Control” means and includes the occurrence of any one of the following events:

 

(i)           individuals who, on the Effective Date, constitute the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Incumbent Directors”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of such Board, provided that any person becoming a director after the Effective Date and whose election or nomination for election was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the Incumbent Directors then on the Board shall be an Incumbent Director; provided, however, that no individual initially elected or nominated as a director of the Company as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors (“Election Contest”) or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of any Person other than the Board (“Proxy Contest”), including by reason of any agreement intended to avoid or settle any Election Contest or Proxy Contest, shall be deemed an Incumbent Director; or

 

(ii)           any person is or becomes a “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the 1934 Act), directly or indirectly, of either (A) 35% or more of the then-outstanding shares of common stock of the Company (“Company Common Stock”) or (B) securities of the Company representing 35% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities eligible to vote for the election of directors (the “Company Voting Securities”); provided, however, that for purposes of this subsection (ii), the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in Control: (w) an acquisition directly from the Company, (x) an acquisition by the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company, (y) an acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, or (z) an acquisition pursuant to a Non-Qualifying Transaction (as defined in subsection (iii) below); or

 

(iii)           the consummation of a reorganization, merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange or similar form of corporate transaction involving the Company or a Subsidiary (a “Reorganization”), or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets (a “Sale”) or the acquisition of assets or stock of another corporation (an “Acquisition”), unless immediately following such Reorganization, Sale or Acquisition: (A) all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners, respectively, of the outstanding Company Common Stock and outstanding Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such Reorganization, Sale or Acquisition beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, as the case may be, of the corporation resulting from such Reorganization, Sale or Acquisition (including, without limitation, a corporation which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or stock either directly or through one or more subsidiaries, the “Surviving Corporation”) in substantially the same proportions as their ownership, immediately prior to such Reorganization, Sale or Acquisition, of the outstanding Company Common Stock and the outstanding Company Voting Securities, as the case may be, and (B) no person (other than (x) the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, (y) the Surviving Corporation or its ultimate parent corporation, or (z) any employee benefit plan or related trust) sponsored or maintained by any of the foregoing is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 35% or more of the total common stock or 35% or more of the total voting power of the outstanding voting securities eligible to elect directors of the Surviving Corporation, and (C) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the Surviving Corporation were Incumbent Directors at the time of the Board’s approval of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such Reorganization, Sale or Acquisition (any Reorganization, Sale or Acquisition which satisfies all of the criteria specified in (A), (B) and (C) above shall be deemed to be a “Non-Qualifying Transaction”); or

 

(iv)           approval by the stockholders of the Company of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company.

 

(f)           “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time. Reference to a specific Section of the Code or regulation thereunder shall include such Section or regulation, any valid regulation promulgated under such Section, and any comparable provision of any future law, legislation or regulation amending, supplementing or superseding such Section or regulation.

 

(g)           “Committee” means the committee of the Board described in Article 4.

 

(h)           “Company” means Micron Technology, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or any successor corporation.

 

(i)           “Continuous Status as a Participant” means the absence of any interruption or termination of service as an employee, officer, consultant or non-employee director of the Company or any Affiliate, as applicable; provided, however, that for purposes of an Incentive Stock Option, or a Stock Appreciation Right issued in tandem with an Incentive Stock Option, “Continuous Status as a Participant” means the absence of any interruption or termination of service as an employee of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary, as applicable, pursuant to applicable tax regulations. Continuous Status as a Participant shall not be considered interrupted in the case of any leave of absence authorized in writing by the Company prior to its commencement; provided, however, that for purposes of Incentive Stock Options, no such leave may exceed 90 days, unless reemployment upon expiration of such leave is guaranteed by statute or contract. If reemployment upon expiration of a leave of absence approved by the Company is not so guaranteed, on the 91st day of such leave any Incentive Stock Option held by the Participant shall cease to be treated as an Incentive Stock Option and shall be treated for tax purposes as a Nonstatutory Stock Option.

 

(j)           “Covered Employee” means a covered employee as defined in Code Section 162(m)(3).

 

(k)           “Disability” or “Disabled” has the same meaning as provided in the long-term disability plan or policy maintained by the Company or if applicable, most recently maintained, by the Company or if applicable, an Affiliate, for the Participant, whether or not such Participant actually receives disability benefits under such plan or policy. If no long-term disability plan or policy was ever maintained on behalf of Participant or if the determination of Disability relates to an Incentive Stock Option, or a Stock Appreciation Right issued in tandem with an Incentive Stock Option, Disability means Permanent and Total Disability as defined in Section 22(e)(3) of the Code. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for any Awards that constitute a nonqualified deferred compensation plan within the meaning of Section 409A(d) of the Code, Disability has the meaning given such term in Section 409A of the Code. In the event of a dispute, the determination whether a Participant is Disabled will be made by the Committee and may be supported by the advice of a physician competent in the area to which such Disability relates.

 

(l)           “Deferred Stock Unit” means a right granted to a Participant under Article 11.

 

(m)           “Dividend Equivalent” means a right granted to a Participant under Article 12.

 

(n)           “Effective Date” has the meaning assigned such term in Section 3.1.

 

(o)           “Eligible Participant” means an employee, consultant or non-employee director of the Company or any Affiliate; provided, however, that no officer, including without limitation the chief executive officer of the Company, is eligible to be a Participant in the Plan.

 

(p)           “Exchange” means the New York Stock Exchange or any other national securities exchange or national market system on which the Stock may from time to time be listed or traded.

 

(q)           “Fair Market Value” of the Stock, on any date, means: (i) if the Stock is listed or traded on any Exchange, the closing sales price for such Stock (or the closing bid, if no sales were reported) as quoted on such Exchange (or, if more than one Exchange, the Exchange with the greatest volume of trading in the Stock) for such date, or if no sales or bids were reported for such date, on the last market trading day prior to the day of determination, as reported by Market Sweep, a service from Interactive Data Services, Inc., or such other source as the Committee deems reliable; (ii) if the Stock is quoted on the over-the-counter market or is regularly quoted by a recognized securities dealer, but selling prices are not reported, the Fair Market Value of the Stock shall be the mean between the high bid and low asked prices for the Stock on such date, or if no sales or bids were reported for such date, on the last market trading day prior to the day of determination, as reported by Market Sweep, a service from Interactive Data Services, Inc. or such other source as the Committee deems reliable, or (iii) in the absence of an established market for the Stock, the Fair Market Value shall be determined by such other method as the Committee determines in good faith to be reasonable and in compliance with Code Section 409A.

 

(r)           “Full Value Award” means an Award other than in the form of an Option or SAR, and which is settled by the issuance of Stock.

 

(s)           “Grant Date” of an Award means the first date on which all necessary corporate action has been taken to approve the grant of the Award as provided in the Plan, or such later date as is determined and specified as part of that authorization process. Notice of the grant shall be provided to the grantee within a reasonable time after the Grant Date.

 

(t)           “Incentive Stock Option” means an Option that is intended to be an incentive stock option and meets the requirements of Section 422 of the Code or any successor provision thereto.

 

(u)           “Non-Employee Director” means a director of the Company who is not a common law employee of the Company or an Affiliate.

 

(v)           “Nonstatutory Stock Option” means an Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option.

 

(w)           “Option” means a right granted to a Participant under Article 7 of the Plan to purchase Stock at a specified price during specified time periods. An Option may be either an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonstatutory Stock Option.

 

(x)           “Other Stock-Based Award” means a right, granted to a Participant under Article 13 that relates to or is valued by reference to Stock or other Awards relating to Stock.

 

(y)           “Parent” means a corporation, limited liability company, partnership or other entity which owns or beneficially owns a majority of the outstanding voting stock or voting power of the Company. Notwithstanding the above, with respect to an Incentive Stock Option, Parent shall have the meaning set forth in Section 424(e) of the Code.

 

(z)           “Participant” means a person who, as an employee, non-employee director or consultant of the Company or any Affiliate, has been granted an Award under the Plan; provided that in the case of the death of a Participant, the term “Participant” refers to a beneficiary designated pursuant to Section 14.5 or the legal guardian or other legal representative acting in a fiduciary capacity on behalf of the Participant under applicable state law and court supervision. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Participant shall not include the chief executive officer or any other officers of the Company.

 

(aa)           “Performance Share” means any right granted to a Participant under Article 9 to a unit to be valued by reference to a designated number of Shares to be paid upon achievement of such performance goals as the Committee establishes with regard to such Performance Share.

 

(bb)           “Person” means any individual, entity or group, within the meaning of Section 3(a)(9) of the 1934 Act and as used in Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the 1934 Act.

 

(cc)           “Plan” means the Micron Technology, Inc. 2007 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time.

 

(dd)           “Qualified Performance-Based Award” means an Award that is either (i) intended to qualify for the Section 162(m) Exemption and is made subject to performance goals based on Qualified Business Criteria as set forth in Section 14.10(b), or (ii) an Option or SAR.

 

(ee)           “Qualified Business Criteria” means one or more of the Business Criteria listed in Section 14.10(b) upon which performance goals for certain Qualified Performance-Based Awards may be established by the Committee.

 

(ff)           “Restricted Stock Award” means Stock granted to a Participant under Article 10 that is subject to certain restrictions and to risk of forfeiture.

 

(gg)           “Restricted Stock Unit Award” means the right granted to a Participant under Article 10 to receive shares of Stock (or the equivalent value in cash or other property if the Committee so provides) in the future, which right is subject to certain restrictions and to risk of forfeiture.

 

(hh)           “Section 162(m) Exemption” means the exemption from the limitation on deductibility imposed by Section 162(m) of the Code that is set forth in Section 162(m)(4)(C) of the Code or any successor provision thereto.

 

(ii)           “Shares” means shares of the Company’s Stock. If there has been an adjustment or substitution pursuant to Section 15.1, the term “Shares” shall also include any shares of stock or other securities that are substituted for Shares or into which Shares are adjusted pursuant to Section 15.1.

 

(jj)           “Stock” means the $.10 par value common stock of the Company and such other securities of the Company as may be substituted for Stock pursuant to Article 15.

 

(kk)           “Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means a right granted to a Participant under Article 8 to receive a payment equal to the difference between the Fair Market Value of a Share as of the date of exercise of the SAR over the base price of the SAR, all as determined pursuant to Article 8.

 

(ll)           “Subsidiary” means any corporation, limited liability company, partnership or other entity of which a majority of the outstanding voting stock or voting power is beneficially owned directly or indirectly by the Company. Notwithstanding the above, with respect to an Incentive Stock Option, Subsidiary shall have the meaning set forth in Section 424(f) of the Code.

 

(mm)           “1933 Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.

 

(nn)           “1934 Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time.

 

ARTICLE 3

EFFECTIVE TERM OF PLAN

 

3.1.           EFFECTIVE DATE.  The Plan shall be effective as of the date it is approved by both the Board and the stockholders of the Company (the “Effective Date”).

 

3.2.           TERMINATION OF PLAN.  The Plan shall terminate on the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date unless earlier terminated as provided herein, which shall continue to be governed by the applicable terms and conditions of this Plan. The termination of the Plan on such date shall not affect the validity of any Award outstanding on the date of termination. No Incentive Stock Options may be granted more than ten years after the earlier of (a) adoption of this Plan by the Board, or (b) the Effective Date.

 

ARTICLE 4

ADMINISTRATION

 

4.1.           COMMITTEE.  The Plan shall be administered by a Committee appointed by the Board (which Committee shall consist of at least two directors) or, at the discretion of the Board from time to time, the Plan may be administered by the Board. It is intended that at least two of the directors appointed to serve on the Committee shall be “non-employee directors” (within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the 1934 Act) and “outside directors” (within the meaning of Code Section 162(m)) and that any such members of the Committee who do not so qualify shall abstain from participating in any decision to make or administer Awards that are made to Eligible Participants who at the time of consideration for such Award (i) are persons subject to the short-swing profit rules of Section 16 of the 1934 Act, or (ii) are reasonably anticipated to become Covered Employees during the term of the Award. However, the mere fact that a Committee member shall fail to qualify under either of the foregoing requirements or shall fail to abstain from such action shall not invalidate any Award made by the Committee which Award is otherwise validly made under the Plan. The members of the Committee shall be appointed by, and may be changed at any time and from time to time in the discretion of, the Board. The Board may reserve to itself any or all of the authority and responsibility of the Committee under the Plan or may act as administrator of the Plan for any and all purposes. To the extent the Board has reserved any authority and responsibility or during any time that the Board is acting as administrator of the Plan, it shall have all the powers of the Committee hereunder, and any reference herein to the Committee (other than in this Section 4.1) shall include the Board. To the extent any action of the Board under the Plan conflicts with actions taken by the Committee, the actions of the Board shall control.

 

4.2.           ACTION AND INTERPRETATIONS BY THE COMMITTEE.  For purposes of administering the Plan, the Committee may from time to time adopt rules, regulations, guidelines and procedures for carrying out the provisions and purposes of the Plan and make such other determinations, not inconsistent with the Plan, as the Committee may deem appropriate. The Committee’s interpretation of the Plan, any Awards granted under the Plan, any Award Certificate and all decisions and determinations by the Committee with respect to the Plan are final, binding, and conclusive on all parties. Each member of the Committee is entitled to, in good faith, rely or act upon any report or other information furnished to that member by any officer or other employee of the Company or any Affiliate, the Company’s or an Affiliate’s independent certified public accountants, Company counsel or any executive compensation consultant or other professional retained by the Company to assist in the administration of the Plan.

 

4.3.           AUTHORITY OF COMMITTEE.  Except as provided below, the Committee has the exclusive power, authority and discretion to:

 

(a)           Grant Awards;

 

(b)           Designate Participants;

 

(c)           Determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to each Participant;

 

(d)           Determine the number of Awards to be granted and the number of Shares or dollar amount to which an Award will relate;

 

(e)           Determine the terms and conditions of any Award granted under the Plan, including but not limited to, the exercise price, base price, or purchase price, any restrictions or limitations on the Award, any schedule for lapse of forfeiture restrictions or restrictions on the exercisability of an Award, and accelerations or waivers thereof, based in each case on such considerations as the Committee in its sole discretion determines;

 

(f)           Accelerate the vesting, exercisability or lapse of restrictions of any outstanding Award, in accordance with Article 14, based in each case on such considerations as the Committee in its sole discretion determines;

 

(g)           Determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances an Award may be settled in, or the exercise price of an Award may be paid in, cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property, or an Award may be canceled, forfeited, or surrendered;

 

(h)           Prescribe the form of each Award Certificate, which need not be identical for each Participant;

 

(i)           Decide all other matters that must be determined in connection with an Award;

 

(j)           Establish, adopt or revise any rules, regulations, guidelines or procedures as it may deem necessary or advisable to administer the Plan;

 

(k)           Make all other decisions and determinations that may be required under the Plan or as the Committee deems necessary or advisable to administer the Plan;

 

(l)           Amend the Plan or any Award Certificate as provided herein; and

 

(m)           Adopt such modifications, procedures, and subplans as may be necessary or desirable to comply with provisions of the laws of non-U.S. jurisdictions in which the Company or any Affiliate may operate, in order to assure the viability of the benefits of Awards granted to participants located in such other jurisdictions and to meet the objectives of the Plan.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, grants of Awards to Non-Employee Directors hereunder shall be made only in accordance with the terms, conditions and parameters of a plan, program or policy for the compensation of Non-Employee Directors as in effect from time to time, and the Committee may not make discretionary grants hereunder to Non-Employee Directors.

 

Notwithstanding the above, the Board may, by resolution, expressly delegate to a special committee, consisting of one or more directors who may but need not be officers of the Company, the authority, within specified parameters, to (i) designate officers, employees and/or consultants of the Company or any of its Affiliates to be recipients of Awards under the Plan, and (ii) to determine the number of such Awards to be received by any such Participants; provided, however, that such delegation of duties and responsibilities to an officer of the Company may not be made with respect to the grant of Awards to eligible participants (a) who are subject to Section 16(a) of the 1934 Act at the Grant Date, or (b) who as of the Grant Date are reasonably anticipated to be become Covered Employees during the term of the Award. The acts of such delegates shall be treated hereunder as acts of the Board and such delegates shall report regularly to the Board and the Compensation Committee regarding the delegated duties and responsibilities and any Awards so granted.

 

4.4.           AWARD CERTIFICATES.  Each Award shall be evidenced by an Award Certificate. Each Award Certificate shall include such provisions, not inconsistent with the Plan, as may be specified by the Committee.

 

  

  

  

ARTICLE 5

SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN

 

5.1.           NUMBER OF SHARES.  Subject to adjustment as provided in Sections 5.2 and 15.1, the aggregate number of Shares reserved and available for issuance pursuant to Awards granted under the Plan shall be 60,000,000; provided, however, that each Share issued under the Plan pursuant to a Full Value Award shall reduce the number of available Shares by two (2) shares. The maximum number of Shares that may be issued upon exercise of Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan shall be 2,000,000.

 

5.2.           SHARE COUNTING.  Shares covered by an Award shall be subtracted from the Plan share reserve as of the date of grant, but shall be added back to the Plan share reserve in accordance with this Section 5.2.

 

(a)           To the extent that an Award is canceled, terminates, expires, is forfeited or lapses for any reason, any unissued or forfeited Shares subject to the Award will again be available for issuance pursuant to Awards granted under the Plan.

 

(b)           Shares subject to Awards settled in cash will again be available for issuance pursuant to Awards granted under the Plan.

 

(c)           Substitute Awards granted pursuant to Section 14.14 of the Plan shall not count against the Shares otherwise available for issuance under the Plan under Section 5.1.

 

5.3.           STOCK DISTRIBUTED.  Any Stock distributed pursuant to an Award may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Stock, treasury Stock or Stock purchased on the open market.

 

5.4.           LIMITATION ON AWARDS.  Notwithstanding any provision in the Plan to the contrary (but subject to adjustment as provided in Section 15.1), the maximum number of Shares with respect to one or more Options and/or SARs that may be granted during any one calendar year under the Plan to any one Participant shall be 2,000,000. The maximum aggregate grant with respect to Awards of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Deferred Stock Units, Performance Shares or other Stock-Based Awards (other than Options or SARs) granted in any one calendar year to any one Participant shall be 2,000,000.

 

ARTICLE 6

ELIGIBILITY

 

6.1.           GENERAL.  Awards may be granted only to Eligible Participants; except that Incentive Stock Options may be granted to only to Eligible Participants who are employees of the Company or a Parent or Subsidiary as defined in Section 424(e) and (f) of the Code. Eligible Participants who are service providers to an Affiliate may be granted Options or SARs under this Plan only if the Affiliate qualifies as an “eligible issuer of service recipient stock” within the meaning of §1.409A-1(b)(5)(iii)(E) of the final regulations under Code Section 409A.

 

ARTICLE 7

STOCK OPTIONS

 

7.1.           GENERAL.  The Committee is authorized to grant Options to Participants on the following terms and conditions:

 

(a)           EXERCISE PRICE. The exercise price per Share under an Option shall be determined by the Committee; provided that the exercise price for any Option (other than an Option issued as a substitute Award pursuant to Section 14.14) shall not be less than the Fair Market Value as of the Grant Date.

 

(b)           PROHIBITION ON REPRICING. Except as otherwise provided in Section 15.1, the exercise price of an Option may not be reduced, directly or indirectly by cancellation and regrant or otherwise, without the prior approval of the shareholders of the Company.

 

(c)           TIME AND CONDITIONS OF EXERCISE. The Committee shall determine the time or times at which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part, subject to Section 7.1(e). The Committee shall also determine the performance or other conditions, if any, that must be satisfied before all or part of an Option may be exercised or vested.

 

(d)           PAYMENT. The Committee shall determine the methods by which the exercise price of an Option may be paid, the form of payment, including, without limitation, cash, Shares, or other property (including “cashless exercise” arrangements), and the methods by which Shares shall be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants.

 

(e)           EXERCISE TERM. No option granted under the Plan shall be exercisable for more than six years from the Grant Date.

 

(f)           NO DEFERRAL FEATURE. No Option shall provide for any feature for the deferral of compensation other than the deferral of recognition of income until the exercise or disposition of the Option.

 

(g)           SUSPENSION. Any Participant who is also a participant in the Retirement at Micron (“RAM”) Section 401(k) Plan and who requests and receives a hardship distribution from the RAM Plan, is prohibited from making, and must suspend, his or her employee elective contributions to the Plan.

 

7.2.           INCENTIVE STOCK OPTIONS.  The terms of any Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan must comply with the requirements of Section 422 of the Code. If all of the requirements of Section 422 of the Code are not met, the Option shall automatically become a Nonstatutory Stock Option.

 

ARTICLE 8

STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS

 

8.1.           GRANT OF STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS.  The Committee is authorized to grant Stock Appreciation Rights to Participants on the following terms and conditions:

 

(a)           RIGHT TO PAYMENT. Upon the exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right, the Participant to whom it is granted has the right to receive the excess, if any, of:

 

(1)           The Fair Market Value of one Share on the date of exercise; over

 

(2)           The base price of the Stock Appreciation Right as determined by the Committee, which shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of one Share on the Grant Date.

 

(b)           PROHIBITION ON REPRICING. Except as otherwise provided in Section 15.1, the base price of a SAR may not be reduced, directly or indirectly by cancellation and regrant or otherwise, without the prior approval of the shareholders of the Company.

 

(c)           EXERCISE TERM. No SAR granted under the Plan shall be exercisable for more than six years from the Grant Date.

 

(d)           NO DEFERRAL FEATURE. No SAR shall provide for any feature for the deferral of compensation other than the deferral of recognition of income until the exercise or disposition of the SAR.

 

(e)           OTHER TERMS. All awards of Stock Appreciation Rights shall be evidenced by an Award Certificate. Subject to the limitations of this Article 8, the terms, methods of exercise, methods of settlement, form of consideration payable in settlement, and any other terms and conditions of any Stock Appreciation Right shall be determined by the Committee at the time of the grant of the Award and shall be reflected in the Award Certificate.

 

ARTICLE 9

PERFORMANCE SHARES

 

9.1.           GRANT OF PERFORMANCE SHARES.  The Committee is authorized to grant Performance Shares to Participants on such terms and conditions as may be selected by the Committee. The Committee shall have the complete discretion to determine the number of Performance Shares granted to each Participant, subject to Section 5.4, and to designate the provisions of such Performance Shares as provided in Section 4.3. All Performance Shares shall be evidenced by an Award Certificate or a written program established by the Committee, pursuant to which Performance Shares are awarded under the Plan under uniform terms, conditions and restrictions set forth in such written program.

 

9.2.           PERFORMANCE GOALS.  The Committee may establish performance goals for Performance Shares which may be based on any criteria selected by the Committee. Such performance goals may be described in terms of Company-wide objectives or in terms of objectives that relate to the performance of the Participant, an Affiliate or a division, region, department or function within the Company or an Affiliate. If the Committee determines that a change in the business, operations, corporate structure or capital structure of the Company or the manner in which the Company or an Affiliate conducts its business, or other events or circumstances render performance goals to be unsuitable, the Committee may modify such performance goals in whole or in part, as the Committee deems appropriate. If a Participant is promoted, demoted or transferred to a different business unit or function during a performance period, the Committee may determine that the performance goals or performance period are no longer appropriate and may (i) adjust, change or eliminate the performance goals or the applicable performance period as it deems appropriate to make such goals and period comparable to the initial goals and period, or (ii) make a cash payment to the participant in amount determined by the Committee. The foregoing two sentences shall not apply with respect to an Award of Performance Shares that is intended to be a Qualified Performance-Based Award.

 

9.3.           RIGHT TO PAYMENT.  The grant of a Performance Share to a Participant will entitle the Participant to receive at a specified later time a specified number of Shares, or the equivalent value in cash or other property, if the performance goals established by the Committee are achieved and the other terms and conditions thereof are satisfied. The Committee shall set performance goals and other terms or conditions to payment of the Performance Shares in its discretion which, depending on the extent to which they are met, will determine the number of the Performance Shares that will be earned by the Participant.

 

9.4.           OTHER TERMS.  Performance Shares may be payable in cash, Stock, or other property, and have such other terms and conditions as determined by the Committee and reflected in the Award Certificate.

 

ARTICLE 10

RESTRICTED STOCK AND RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARDS

 

10.1.           GRANT OF RESTRICTED STOCK AND RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS.  Subject to the terms and conditions of this Article 10, the Committee is authorized to make Awards of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units to Participants in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as may be selected by the Committee. An Award of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units shall be evidenced by an Award Certificate setting forth the terms, conditions, and restrictions applicable to the Award.

 

10.2.           ISSUANCE AND RESTRICTIONS.  Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability and other restrictions as the Committee may impose (including, without limitation, limitations on the right to vote Restricted Stock or the right to receive dividends on the Restricted Stock); provided, however, at a minimum, all Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 14.4 for a period of no less than (a) one year from the date of award with respect to Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units subject to restrictions that lapse based upon satisfaction of performance goals, and (b) three years from the date of award with respect to Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units subject to time-based restrictions that lapse based upon one’s Continuous Status as a Participant. For avoidance of doubt, nothing in the foregoing shall preclude any applicable restriction, including those set forth in Section 14.4 hereof, from lapsing ratably, including, but not limited to, roughly annual increments over three years, with respect to the Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units referred to in Section 10.2(b). Moreover, nothing in the foregoing shall preclude or be interpreted to preclude Awards to Non-employee Directors from containing a period of restriction shorter than that set forth above. Finally, nothing in this Section 10.2 shall be deemed or interpreted to preclude the waiver, lapse or the acceleration of lapse, of any restrictions with respect to Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units in accordance with or as permitted by Sections 14.7 through Section 14.9, respectively, Article 15 or any other provision of the Plan. Subject to the remaining terms and conditions of the Plan, these restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times, under such circumstances, in such installments, upon the satisfaction of performance goals or otherwise, as the Committee determines at the time of the grant of the Award or thereafter. Except as otherwise provided in an Award Certificate or any special Plan document governing an Award, the Participant shall have all of the rights of a stockholder with respect to the Restricted Stock, and the Participant shall have none of the rights of a stockholder with respect to Restricted Stock Units until such time as Shares of Stock are paid in settlement of the Restricted Stock Units.

 

10.3.           FORFEITURE.  Except as otherwise determined by the Committee at the time of the grant of the Award or thereafter, upon termination of Continuous Status as a Participant during the applicable restriction period or upon failure to satisfy a performance goal during the applicable restriction period, Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units that are at that time subject to restrictions shall be forfeited; provided, however, that the Committee may provide in any Award Certificate, subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, that restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units will be waived in whole or in part in the event of terminations resulting from specified causes, including, but not limited to, death, Disability, or for the convenience or in the best interests of the Company.

 

10.4.           DELIVERY OF RESTRICTED STOCK.  Shares of Restricted Stock shall be delivered to the Participant at the time of grant either by book-entry registration or by delivering to the Participant, or a custodian or escrow agent (including, without limitation, the Company or one or more of its employees) designated by the Committee, a stock certificate or certificates registered in the name of the Participant. If physical certificates representing shares of Restricted Stock are registered in the name of the Participant, such certificates must bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions, and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock.

 

ARTICLE 11

DEFERRED STOCK UNITS

 

11.1.           GRANT OF DEFERRED STOCK UNITS.  The Committee is authorized to grant Deferred Stock Units to Participants subject to such terms and conditions as may be selected by the Committee. Deferred Stock Units shall entitle the Participant to receive Shares of Stock (or the equivalent value in cash or other property if so determined by the Committee) at a future time as determined by the Committee, or as determined by the Participant within guidelines established by the Committee in the case of voluntary deferral elections. An Award of Deferred Stock Units shall be evidenced by an Award Certificate setting forth the terms and conditions applicable to the Award.

 

ARTICLE 12

DIVIDEND EQUIVALENTS

 

12.1.           GRANT OF DIVIDEND EQUIVALENTS.  The Committee is authorized to grant Dividend Equivalents to Participants subject to such terms and conditions as may be selected by the Committee. Dividend Equivalents shall entitle the Participant to receive payments equal to dividends with respect to all or a portion of the number of Shares subject to an Award, as determined by the Committee. The Committee may provide that Dividend Equivalents be paid or distributed when accrued or be deemed to have been reinvested in additional Shares, or otherwise reinvested. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Certificate, Dividend Equivalents will be paid or distributed no later than the 15th day of the 3rd month following the later of (i) the calendar year in which the corresponding dividends were paid to shareholders, or (ii) the first calendar year in which the Participant’s right to such Dividends Equivalents is no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture.

 

ARTICLE 13

STOCK OR OTHER STOCK-BASED AWARDS

 

13.1.           GRANT OF STOCK OR OTHER STOCK-BASED AWARDS.  The Committee is authorized, subject to limitations under applicable law, to grant to Participants such other Awards that are payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on or related to Shares, as deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan, including without limitation Shares awarded purely as a “bonus” and not subject to any restrictions or conditions, convertible or exchangeable debt securities, other rights convertible or exchangeable into Shares, and Awards valued by reference to book value of Shares or the value of securities of or the performance of specified Parents or Subsidiaries. The Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of such Awards.

 

ARTICLE 14

PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO AWARDS

 

14.1.           STAND-ALONE AND TANDEM AWARDS.  Awards granted under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with, any other Award granted under the Plan. Subject to Section 16.2, awards granted in addition to or in tandem with other Awards may be granted either at the same time as or at a different time from the grant of such other Awards.

 

14.2.           TERM OF AWARD.  The term of each Award shall be for the period as determined by the Committee, provided that in no event shall the term of any Incentive Stock Option or a Stock Appreciation Right granted in tandem with the Incentive Stock Option exceed a period of ten years from its Grant Date.

 

14.3.           FORM OF PAYMENT FOR AWARDS.  Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable law or Award Certificate, payments or transfers to be made by the Company or an Affiliate on the grant or exercise of an Award may be made in such form as the Committee determines at or after the Grant Date, including without limitation, cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property, or any combination, and may be made in a single payment or transfer, in installments, or (except with respect to Options or SARs) on a deferred basis, in each case determined in accordance with rules adopted by, and at the discretion of, the Committee.

 

14.4.           LIMITS ON TRANSFER.  No right or interest of a Participant in any unexercised or restricted Award may be pledged, encumbered, or hypothecated to or in favor of any party other than the Company or an Affiliate, or shall be subject to any lien, obligation, or liability of such Participant to any other party other than the Company or an Affiliate. No unexercised or restricted Award shall be assignable or transferable by a Participant other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution or, except in the case of an Incentive Stock Option, pursuant to a domestic relations order that would satisfy Section 414(p)(1)(A) of the Code if such Section applied to an Award under the Plan; provided, however, that the Committee may (but need not) permit other transfers where the Committee concludes that such transferability (i) does not result in accelerated taxation, (ii) does not cause any Option intended to be an Incentive Stock Option to fail to be described in Code Section 422(b), and (iii) is otherwise appropriate and desirable, taking into account any factors deemed relevant, including without limitation, state or federal tax or securities laws applicable to transferable Awards.

 

14.5.           BENEFICIARIES.  Notwithstanding Section 14.4, a Participant may, in the manner determined by the Committee, designate a beneficiary to exercise the rights of the Participant and to receive any distribution with respect to any Award upon the Participant’s death. A beneficiary, legal guardian, legal representative, or other person claiming any rights under the Plan is subject to all terms and conditions of the Plan and any Award Certificate applicable to the Participant, except to the extent the Plan and Award Certificate otherwise provide, and to any additional restrictions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee. If no beneficiary has been designated or survives the Participant, payment shall be made to the Participant’s estate. Subject to the foregoing, a beneficiary designation may be changed or revoked by a Participant at any time provided the change or revocation is filed with the Committee.

 

14.6.           STOCK TRADING RESTRICTIONS.  All Stock issuable under the Plan is subject to any stop-transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee deems necessary or advisable to comply with federal or state securities laws, rules and regulations and the rules of any national securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Stock is listed, quoted, or traded. The Committee may place legends on any Stock certificate or issue instructions to the transfer agent to reference restrictions applicable to the Stock.

 

14.7.           ACCELERATION UPON A CHANGE IN CONTROL.  Except as otherwise provided in the Award Certificate or any special Plan document governing an Award, upon the occurrence of a Change in Control, all outstanding Options, SARs, and other Awards in the nature of rights that may be exercised shall become fully exercisable, and all time-based vesting restrictions on outstanding Awards shall lapse. Except as otherwise provided in the Award Certificate or any special Plan document governing an Award, upon the occurrence of a Change in Control, the target payout opportunities attainable under all outstanding performance-based Awards shall be deemed to have been fully earned as of the effective date of the Change in Control based upon an assumed achievement of all relevant performance goals at the “target” level and there shall be prorata payout to Participants within thirty (30) days following the effective date of the Change in Control (or any later date required by Section 17.3 of the Plan) based upon the length of time within the performance period that has elapsed prior to the Change in Control.

 

14.8.           ACCELERATION UPON DEATH OR DISABILITY.  Except as otherwise provided in the Award Certificate or any special Plan document governing an Award, upon the Participant’s death or Disability during his or her Continuous Status as a Participant, (i) all of such Participant’s outstanding Options, SARs, and other Awards in the nature of rights that may be exercised shall become fully exercisable, (ii) all time-based vesting restrictions on the Participant’s outstanding Awards shall lapse, and (iii) the target payout opportunities attainable under all of such Participant’s outstanding performance-based Awards shall be deemed to have been fully earned as of the date of termination based upon an assumed achievement of all relevant performance goals at the “target” level and there shall be a prorata payout to the Participant or his or her estate within thirty (30) days following the date of termination (or any later date required by Section 17.3 of the Plan) based upon the length of time within the performance period that has elapsed prior to the date of termination. Any Awards shall thereafter continue or lapse in accordance with the other provisions of the Plan and the Awards Certificate. To the extent that this provision causes Incentive Stock Options to exceed the dollar limitation set forth in Code Section 422(d), the excess Options shall be deemed to be Nonstatutory Stock Options.

 

14.9.           ACCELERATION FOR ANY OTHER REASON.  Regardless of whether an event has occurred as described in Section 14.7 or 14.8 above, and subject to Section 14.11 as to Qualified Performance-Based Awards, the Committee may in its sole discretion at any time determine that all or a portion of a Participant’s Options, SARs, and other Awards in the nature of rights that may be exercised shall become fully or partially exercisable, that all or a part of the time-based vesting restrictions on all or a portion of the outstanding Awards shall lapse, and/or that any performance-based criteria with respect to any Awards shall be deemed to be wholly or partially satisfied, in each case, as of such date as the Committee may, in its sole discretion, declare; provided, however, the Committee shall not exercise such discretion with respect to Full Value Awards comprised of Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units which, in the aggregate, exceed five percent (5%) of the aggregate number of Shares reserved and available for issuance pursuant to Awards granted under the Plan; provided, further, that when calculating whether the five percent (5%) maximum has been reached, the Committee shall not count or consider any Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units granted to Non-Employee Directors or regarding which the Committee accelerated vesting rights, waived restrictions or determined performance-based criteria had been satisfied resulting from an event described in Section 14.7, Article 15, a Participant’s termination of employment or separation from service resulting from death, Disability or for the convenience or in the bests interests of the Company. The Committee may discriminate among Participants and among Awards granted to a Participant in exercising its discretion pursuant to this Section 14.9.

 

14.10.           EFFECT OF ACCELERATION.  If an Award is accelerated under Section 14.7, Section 14.8 or Section 14.9, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, provide (i) that the Award will expire after a designated period of time after such acceleration to the extent not then exercised, (ii) that the Award will be settled in cash rather than Stock, (iii) that the Award will be assumed by another party to a transaction giving rise to the acceleration or otherwise be equitably converted or substituted in connection with such transaction, (iv) that the Award may be settled by payment in cash or cash equivalents equal to the excess of the Fair Market Value of the underlying Stock, as of a specified date associated with the transaction, over the exercise price of the Award, or (v) any combination of the foregoing. The Committee’s determination need not be uniform and may be different for different Participants whether or not such Participants are similarly situated. To the extent that such acceleration causes Incentive Stock Options to exceed the dollar limitation set forth in Code Section 422(d), the excess Options shall be deemed to be Nonstatutory Stock Options.

 

14.11.           QUALIFIED PERFORMANCE-BASED AWARDS.

 

(a)           The provisions of the Plan are intended to ensure that all Options and Stock Appreciation Rights granted hereunder to any Covered Employee shall qualify for the Section 162(m) Exemption; provided that the exercise or base price of such Award is not less than the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the Grant Date.

 

(b)           When granting any other Award, the Committee may designate such Award as a Qualified Performance-Based Award, based upon a determination that the recipient is or may be a Covered Employee with respect to such Award, and the Committee wishes such Award to qualify for the Section 162(m) Exemption. If an Award is so designated, the Committee shall establish performance goals for such Award within the time period prescribed by Section 162(m) of the Code based on one or more of the following Qualified Business Criteria, which may be expressed in terms of Company-wide objectives or in terms of objectives that relate to the performance of an Affiliate or a unit, division, region, department or function within the Company or an Affiliate:

 

	
  

	
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Gross and/or net revenue (including whether in the aggregate or attributable to specific products)

 

	
  

	
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Cost of Goods Sold and Gross Margin

 

	
  

	
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Costs and expenses, including Research & Development and Selling, General & Administrative

 

	
  

	
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Income (gross, operating, net, etc.)

 

	
  

	
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Earnings, including before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (whether in the aggregate or on a per share basis

 

	
  

	
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Cash flows and share price

 

	
  

	
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Return on investment, capital, equity

 

	
  

	
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Manufacturing efficiency (including yield enhancement and cycle time reductions), quality improvements and customer satisfaction

 

	
  

	
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Product life cycle management (including product and technology design, development, transfer, manufacturing introduction, and sales price optimization and management)

 

	
  

	
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Economic profit or loss

 

	
  

	
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Market share

 

	
  

	
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Employee retention, compensation, training and development, including succession planning

 

	
  

	
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Objective goals consistent with the Participant’s specific duties and responsibilities, designed to further the financial, operational and other business interests of the Company, including goals and objectives with respect to regulatory compliance matters.

 

Performance goals with respect to the foregoing Qualified Business Criteria may be specified in absolute terms (including completion of pre-established projects, such as the introduction of specified products), in percentages, or in terms of growth from period to period or growth rates over time as well as measured relative to an established or specially-created performance index of Company competitors, peers or other members of high tech industries. Any member of an index that disappears during a measurement period shall be disregarded for the entire measurement period. Performance Goals need not be based upon an increase or positive result under a business criterion and could include, for example, the maintenance of the status quo or the limitation of economic losses (measured, in each case, by reference to a specific business criterion).

 

(c)           Each Qualified Performance-Based Award (other than an Option or SAR) shall be earned, vested and payable (as applicable) only upon the achievement of performance goals established by the Committee based upon one or more of the Qualified Business Criteria, together with the satisfaction of any other conditions, including the condition as to continued employment as set forth in subsection (g) below, as the Committee may determine to be appropriate; provided, however, that the Committee may provide, in its sole and absolute discretion, either in connection with the grant thereof or by amendment thereafter, that achievement of such performance goals will be waived upon the death or Disability of the Participant, or upon a Change in Control. In addition, the Committee has the right, in connection with the grant of a Qualified Performance-Based Award, to exercise negative discretion to determine that the portion of such Award actually earned, vested and /or payable (as applicable) shall be less than the portion that would be earned, vested and/or payable based solely upon application of the applicable performance goals. Performance periods established by the Committee for any such Qualified Performance-Based Award may be as short as ninety (90) days and may be any longer period.

 

(d)           The Committee may provide in any Qualified Performance-Based Award, at the time the performance goals are established, that any evaluation of performance shall include, exclude or otherwise equitably adjust for any of the following events that occurs during a performance period: (a) asset write- downs or impairment charges; (b) litigation or claim judgments or settlements; (c) the effect of changes in tax laws, accounting principles or other laws or provisions affecting reported results; (d) accruals for reorganization and restructuring programs; (e) extraordinary nonrecurring items as described in Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 30 and /or in management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations appearing in the Company’s annual report to stockholders for the applicable year; (f) acquisitions or divestitures; and (g) foreign exchange gains and losses. To the extent such inclusions or exclusions affect Awards to Covered Employees, they shall be prescribed in a form and at a time that meets the requirements of Code Section 162(m) for deductibility.

 

(e)           Any payment of a Qualified Performance-Based Award granted with performance goals pursuant to subsection (c) above shall be conditioned on the written certification of the Committee in each case that the performance goals and any other material conditions were satisfied. Written certification may take the form of a Committee resolution passed by a majority of the Committee at a properly convened meeting or through unanimous action by the Committee via action by written consent. The certification requirement also may be satisfied by a separate writing executed by the Chairman of the Committee, acting in his capacity as such, following the foregoing Committee action or by the Chairman executing approved minutes of the Committee in which such determinations were made. Except as specifically provided in subsection (c), no Qualified Performance-Based Award held by a Covered Employee or an employee who in the reasonable judgment of the Committee may be a Covered Employee on the date of payment, may be amended, nor may the Committee exercise any discretionary authority it may otherwise have under the Plan with respect to a Qualified Performance-Based Award under the Plan, in any manner to waive the achievement of the applicable performance goal based on Qualified Business Criteria or to increase the amount payable pursuant thereto or the value thereof, or otherwise in a manner that would cause the Qualified Performance- Based Award to cease to qualify for the Section 162(m) Exemption.

 

(f)           Section 5.4 sets forth the maximum number of Shares that may be granted in any one-year period to a Participant in designated forms of stock-based Awards.

 

(g)           With respect to a Participant who is an officer of the Company, any payment of a Qualified Performance-Based Award granted with performance goals pursuant to subsection (c) above shall be conditioned on the officer having remained continuously employed by the Company or an Affiliate for the entire performance or measurement period, including, as well, through the date of determination and certification of the payment of any such Award pursuant to subsection (e) above (the “Certification Date”). For purposes of the Plan, with respect to any given performance or measurement period, an officer of the Company (i) who terminates employment (regardless of cause) or who otherwise ceases to be an officer, prior to the Certification Date, and (ii) who, pursuant to a separate contractual arrangement with the Company is entitled to receive payments from the Company thereunder extending to or beyond such Certification Date as a result of such termination or cessation in officer status, shall be deemed to have been employed by the Company as an officer through the Certification Date for purposes of payment eligibility.

 

14.12.           TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT.  Whether military, government or other service or other leave of absence shall constitute a termination of employment shall be determined in each case by the Committee at its discretion, and any determination by the Committee shall be final and conclusive. A Participant’s Continuous Status as a Participant shall not be deemed to terminate (i) in a circumstance in which a Participant transfers from the Company to an Affiliate, transfers from an Affiliate to the Company, or transfers from one Affiliate to another Affiliate, or (ii) in the discretion of the Committee as specified at or prior to such occurrence, in the case of a spin-off, sale or disposition of the Participant’s employer from the Company or any Affiliate. To the extent that this provision causes Incentive Stock Options to extend beyond three months from the date a Participant is deemed to be an employee of the Company, a Parent or Subsidiary for purposes of Sections 424(e) and 424(f) of the Code, the Options held by such Participant shall be deemed to be Nonstatutory Stock Options.

 

14.13.           FORFEITURE EVENTS.  The Committee may specify in an Award Certificate that the Participant’s rights, payments and benefits with respect to an Award shall be subject to reduction, cancellation, forfeiture or recoupment upon the occurrence of certain specified events, in addition to any otherwise applicable vesting or performance conditions of an Award. Such events shall include, but shall not be limited to, termination of employment for cause, violation of material Company or Affiliate policies, breach of noncompetition, confidentiality or other restrictive covenants that may apply to the Participant, or other conduct by the Participant that is detrimental to the business or reputation of the Company or any Affiliate.

 

14.14.           SUBSTITUTE AWARDS.  The Committee may grant Awards under the Plan in substitution for stock and stock-based awards held by employees of another entity who become employees of the Company or an Affiliate as a result of a merger or consolidation of the former employing entity with the Company or an Affiliate or the acquisition by the Company or an Affiliate of property or stock of the former employing corporation. The Committee may direct that the substitute awards be granted on such terms and conditions as the Committee considers appropriate in the circumstances.

 

ARTICLE 15

CHANGES IN CAPITAL STRUCTURE

 

15.1.           MANDATORY ADJUSTMENTS.  In the event of a nonreciprocal transaction between the Company and its stockholders that causes the per-share value of the Stock to change (including, without limitation, any stock dividend, stock split, spin-off, rights offering, or large nonrecurring cash dividend), the authorization limits under Section 5.1 and 5.4 shall be adjusted proportionately, and the Committee shall make such adjustments to the Plan and Awards as it deems necessary, in its sole discretion, to prevent dilution or enlargement of rights immediately resulting from such transaction. Action by the Committee may include: (i) adjustment of the number and kind of shares that may be delivered under the Plan; (ii) adjustment of the number and kind of shares subject to outstanding Awards; (iii) adjustment of the exercise price of outstanding Awards or the measure to be used to determine the amount of the benefit payable on an Award; and (iv) any other adjustments that the Committee determines to be equitable. Without limiting the foregoing, in the event of a subdivision of the outstanding Stock (stock-split), a declaration of a dividend payable in Shares, or a combination or consolidation of the outstanding Stock into a lesser number of Shares, the authorization limits under Section 5.1 and 5.4 shall automatically be adjusted proportionately, and the Shares then subject to each Award shall automatically, without the necessity for any additional action by the Committee, be adjusted proportionately without any change in the aggregate purchase price therefor.

 

15.2.           DISCRETIONARY ADJUSTMENTS.  Upon the occurrence or in anticipation of any corporate event or transaction involving the Company (including, without limitation, any merger, reorganization, recapitalization, combination or exchange of shares, or any transaction described in Section 15.1), the Committee may, in its sole discretion, provide (i) that Awards will be settled in cash rather than Stock, (ii) that Awards will become immediately vested and exercisable and will expire after a designated period of time to the extent not then exercised, (iii) that Awards will be assumed by another party to a transaction or otherwise be equitably converted or substituted in connection with such transaction, (iv) that outstanding Awards may be settled by payment in cash or cash equivalents equal to the excess of the Fair Market Value of the underlying Stock, as of a specified date associated with the transaction, over the exercise price of the Award, (v) that performance targets and performance periods for Performance Awards will be modified, consistent with Code Section 162(m) where applicable, or (vi) any combination of the foregoing. The Committee’s determination need not be uniform and may be different for different Participants whether or not such Participants are similarly situated.

 

15.3.           GENERAL.  Any discretionary adjustments made pursuant to this Article 15 shall be subject to the provisions of Section 16.2. To the extent that any adjustments made pursuant to this Article 15 cause Incentive Stock Options to cease to qualify as Incentive Stock Options, such Options shall be deemed to be Nonstatutory Stock Options.

 

ARTICLE 16

AMENDMENT, MODIFICATION AND TERMINATION

 

16.1.           AMENDMENT, MODIFICATION AND TERMINATION.  The Board or the Committee may, at any time and from time to time, amend, modify or terminate the Plan without stockholder approval; provided, however, that if an amendment to the Plan would, in the reasonable opinion of the Board or the Committee, either (i) materially increase the number of Shares available under the Plan, (ii) expand the types of awards under the Plan, (iii) materially expand the class of participants eligible to participate in the Plan, (iv) materially extend the term of the Plan, or (v) otherwise constitute a material change requiring stockholder approval under applicable laws, policies or regulations or the applicable listing or other requirements of an Exchange, then such amendment shall be subject to stockholder approval; and provided, further, that the Board or Committee may condition any other amendment or modification on the approval of stockholders of the Company for any reason, including by reason of such approval being necessary or deemed advisable to (i) to comply with the listing or other requirements of an Exchange, or (ii) to satisfy any other tax, securities or other applicable laws, policies or regulations.

 

16.2.           AWARDS PREVIOUSLY GRANTED.  At any time and from time to time, the Committee may amend, modify or terminate any outstanding Award without approval of the Participant; provided, however:

 

(a)           Subject to the terms of the applicable Award Certificate, such amendment, modification or termination shall not, without the Participant’s consent, reduce or diminish the value of such Award determined as if the Award had been exercised, vested, cashed in or otherwise settled on the date of such amendment or termination (with the per-share value of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right for this purpose being calculated as the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value as of the date of such amendment or termination over the exercise or base price of such Award);

 

(b)           The original term of an Option may not be extended without the prior approval of the stockholders of the Company;

 

(c)           Except as otherwise provided in Article 15, the exercise price of an Option may not be reduced, directly or indirectly, without the prior approval of the stockholders of the Company; and

 

(d)           No termination, amendment, or modification of the Plan shall adversely affect any Award previously granted under the Plan, without the written consent of the Participant affected thereby. An outstanding Award shall not be deemed to be “adversely affected” by a Plan amendment if such amendment would not reduce or diminish the value of such Award determined as if the Award had been exercised, vested, cashed in or otherwise settled on the date of such amendment (with the per-share value of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right for this purpose being calculated as the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value as of the date of such amendment over the exercise or base price of such Award).

 

16.3.           COMPLIANCE AMENDMENTS.  Notwithstanding anything in the Plan or in any Award Certificate to the contrary, the Committee may amend the Plan or an Award Certificate, to take effect retroactively or otherwise, as deemed necessary or advisable for the purpose of conforming the Plan or Award Certificate to any present or future law relating to plans of this or similar nature (including, but not limited to, Section 409A of the Code), and to the administrative regulations and rulings promulgated thereunder. By accepting an Award under this Plan, a Participant agrees to any amendment made pursuant to this Section 16.3 to any Award granted under the Plan without further consideration or action.

 

  

  

  

ARTICLE 17

GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

17.1.           NO RIGHTS TO AWARDS; NON-UNIFORM DETERMINATIONS.  No Participant or any Eligible Participant shall have any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan. Neither the Company, its Affiliates nor the Committee is obligated to treat Participants or Eligible Participants uniformly, and determinations made under the Plan may be made by the Committee selectively among Eligible Participants who receive, or are eligible to receive, Awards (whether or not such Eligible Participants are similarly situated).

 

17.2.           NO STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS.  No Award gives a Participant any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company unless and until Shares are in fact issued to such person in connection with such Award.

 

17.3.           SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATED TO SECTION 409A OF THE CODE.

 

(a)           Notwithstanding anything in the Plan or in any Award Certificate to the contrary, to the extent that any amount or benefit that would constitute non-exempt “deferred compensation” for purposes of Section 409A of the Code would otherwise be payable or distributable under the Plan or any Award Certificate by reason of the occurrence of a Change in Control, or the Participant’s Disability or separation from service, such amount or benefit will not be payable or distributable to the Participant by reason of such circumstance unless (i) the circumstances giving rise to such Change in Control, Disability or separation from service meet any description or definition of “change in control event”, “disability” or “separation from service”, as the case may be, in Section 409A of the Code and applicable regulations (without giving effect to any elective provisions that may be available under such definition), or (ii) the payment or distribution of such amount or benefit would be exempt from the application of Section 409A of the Code by reason of the short-term deferral exemption or otherwise. This provision does not prohibit the vesting of any Award upon a Change in Control, Disability or separation from service, however defined. If this provision prevents the payment or distribution of any amount or benefit, such payment or distribution shall be made on the next earliest payment or distribution date or event specified in the Award Certificate that is permissible under Section 409A.

 

(b)           If any one or more Awards granted under the Plan to a Participant could qualify for any separation pay exemption described in Treas. Reg. Section 1.409A-1(b)(9), but such Awards in the aggregate exceed the dollar limit permitted for the separation pay exemptions, the Company (acting through the Committee or the Company’s President) shall determine which Awards or portions thereof will be subject to such exemptions.

 

(c)           Notwithstanding anything in the Plan or in any Award Certificate to the contrary, if any amount or benefit that would constitute non-exempt “deferred compensation” for purposes of Section 409A of the Code would otherwise be payable or distributable under this Plan or any Award Certificate by reason of a Participant’s separation from service during a period in which the Participant is a Specified Employee (as defined below), then, subject to any permissible acceleration of payment by the Committee under Treas. Reg. Section 1.409A-3(j)(4)(ii) (domestic relations order), (j)(4)(iii) (conflicts of interest), or (j)(4)(vi) (payment of employment taxes):

 

(i)           if the payment or distribution is payable in a lump sum, the Participant’s right to receive payment or distribution of such non-exempt deferred compensation will be delayed until the earlier of the Participant’s death or the first day of the seventh month following the Participant’s separation from service; and

 

(ii)           if the payment or distribution is payable over time, the amount of such non-exempt deferred compensation that would otherwise be payable during the six-month period immediately following the Participant’s separation from service will be accumulated and the Participant’s right to receive payment or distribution of such accumulated amount will be delayed until the earlier of the Participant’s death or the first day of the seventh month following the Participant’s separation from service, whereupon the accumulated amount will be paid or distributed to the Participant and the normal payment or distribution schedule for any remaining payments or distributions will resume.

 

For purposes of this Plan, the term “Specified Employee” has the meaning given such term in Code Section 409A and the final regulations thereunder, provided, however, that, as permitted in such final regulations, the Company’s Specified Employees and its application of the six-month delay rule of Code Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) shall be determined in accordance with rules adopted by the Board or any committee of the Board, which shall be applied consistently with respect to all nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements of the Company, including this Plan.

 

17.4.           WITHHOLDING.  The Company or any Affiliate shall have the authority and the right to deduct or withhold, or require a Participant to remit to the Company, an amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state, and local taxes (including the Participant’s FICA obligation) required by law to be withheld with respect to any exercise, lapse of restriction or other taxable event arising as a result of the Plan. With respect to withholding required upon any taxable event under the Plan, the Committee may, at the time the Award is granted or thereafter, require or permit that any such withholding requirement be satisfied, in whole or in part, by withholding from the Award Shares having a Fair Market Value on the date of withholding equal to the minimum amount (and not any greater amount) required to be withheld for tax purposes, all in accordance with such procedures as the Committee establishes. All such elections shall be subject to any restrictions or limitations that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate.

 

17.5.           NO RIGHT TO CONTINUED SERVICE.  Nothing in the Plan, any Award Certificate or any other document or statement made with respect to the Plan, shall interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company or any Affiliate to terminate any Participant’s employment or status as an officer, director or consultant at any time, nor confer upon any Participant any right to continue as an employee, officer, director or consultant of the Company or any Affiliate, whether for the duration of a Participant’s Award or otherwise. Neither an Award nor any benefits arising under this Plan shall constitute an employment contract with the Company or any Affiliate and, accordingly, subject to Article 16, this Plan and the benefits hereunder may be terminated at any time in the sole and exclusive discretion of the Board of Directors without giving rise to any liability on the part of the Company or an of its Affiliates.

 

17.6.           UNFUNDED STATUS OF AWARDS.  The Plan is intended to be an “unfunded” plan for incentive and deferred compensation. With respect to any payments not yet made to a Participant pursuant to an Award, nothing contained in the Plan or any Award Certificate shall give the Participant any rights that are greater than those of a general creditor of the Company or any Affiliate. This Plan is not intended to be subject to ERISA.

 

17.7.           RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER BENEFITS.  No payment under the Plan shall be taken into account in determining any benefits under any pension, retirement, savings, profit sharing, group insurance, welfare or benefit plan of the Company or any Affiliate unless provided otherwise in such other plan.

 

17.8.           EXPENSES.  The expenses of administering the Plan shall be borne by the Company and its Affiliates.

 

17.9.           TITLES AND HEADINGS.  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.

 

17.10.           GENDER AND NUMBER.  Except where otherwise indicated by the context, any masculine term used herein also shall include the feminine; the plural shall include the singular and the singular shall include the plural.

 

17.11.           FRACTIONAL SHARES.  No fractional Shares shall be issued and the Committee shall determine, in its discretion, whether cash shall be given in lieu of fractional Shares or whether such fractional Shares shall be eliminated by rounding up or down.

 

17.12.           GOVERNMENT AND OTHER REGULATIONS.

 

(a)           Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, no Participant who acquires Shares pursuant to the Plan may, during any period of time that such Participant is an affiliate of the Company (within the meaning of the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the 1933 Act), sell such Shares, unless such offer and sale is made (i) pursuant to an effective registration statement under the 1933 Act, which is current and includes the Shares to be sold, or (ii) pursuant to an appropriate exemption from the registration requirement of the 1933 Act, such as that set forth in Rule 144 promulgated under the 1933 Act.

 

(b)           Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, if at any time the Committee shall determine that the registration, listing or qualification of the Shares covered by an Award upon any Exchange or under any foreign, federal, state or local law or practice, or the consent or approval of any governmental regulatory body, is necessary or desirable as a condition of, or in connection with, the granting of such Award or the purchase or receipt of Shares thereunder, no Shares may be purchased, delivered or received pursuant to such Award unless and until such registration, listing, qualification, consent or approval shall have been effected or obtained free of any condition not acceptable to the Committee. Any Participant receiving or purchasing Shares pursuant to an Award shall make such representations and agreements and furnish such information as the Committee may request to assure compliance with the foregoing or any other applicable legal requirements. The Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificate or certificates for Shares under the Plan prior to the Committee’s determination that all related requirements have been fulfilled. The Company shall in no event be obligated to register any securities pursuant to the 1933 Act or applicable state or foreign law or to take any other action in order to cause the issuance and delivery of such certificates to comply with any such law, regulation or requirement.

 

17.13.           GOVERNING LAW.  To the extent not governed by federal law, the Plan and all Award Certificates shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of Delaware.

 

17.14.           ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS.  Each Award Certificate may contain such other terms and conditions as the Committee may determine; provided that such other terms and conditions are not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan.

 

17.15.           NO LIMITATIONS ON RIGHTS OF COMPANY.  The grant of any Award shall not in any way affect the right or power of the Company to make adjustments, reclassification or changes in its capital or business structure or to merge, consolidate, dissolve, liquidate, sell or transfer all or any part of its business or assets. The Plan shall not restrict the authority of the Company, for proper corporate purposes, to draft or assume awards, other than under the Plan, to or with respect to any person. If the Committee so directs, the Company may issue or transfer Shares to an Affiliate, for such lawful consideration as the Committee may specify, upon the condition or understanding that the Affiliate will transfer such Shares to a Participant in accordance with the terms of an Award granted to such Participant and specified by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of the Plan.

 

17.16.           INDEMNIFICATION.  Each person who is or shall have been a member of the Committee, or of the Board, or an officer of the Company to whom authority was delegated in accordance with Article 4 shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company against and from any loss, cost, liability, or expense that may be imposed upon or reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with or resulting from any claim, action, suit, or proceeding to which he or she may be a party or in which he or she may be involved by reason of any action taken or failure to act under the Plan and against and from any and all amounts paid by him or her in settlement thereof, with the Company’s approval, or paid by him or her in satisfaction of any judgment in any such action, suit, or proceeding against him or her, provided he or she shall give the Company an opportunity, at its own expense, to handle and defend the same before he or she undertakes to handle and defend it on his or her own behalf, unless such loss, cost, liability, or expense is a result of his or her own willful misconduct or except as expressly provided by statute. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such persons may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any power that the Company may have to indemnify them or hold them harmless.

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