Document:

Exhibit 10.6

 

	*	Portions of this exhibit have been redacted in compliance
with Regulation S-K Item 601(b)(10)(iv).

 

LOAN AGREEMENT

 

贷款协议

 

This Loan Agreement (the “Agreement”)
is entered on Feb 16, 2022 (the “Effective Date”), by and between [***]
(the “Lender”) and NFT Exchange Limited
(the “Borrower”), collectively “the Parties”.

 

该贷款协议(“协议”)于 2022 年 2 月 16 日(“生效日期”),由[***](“贷款人”)和“NFT Exchange Limited”(“借款人”)共同组成,合起来称为“各方”。

 

WHEREAS, Borrower desires to borrow a
fixed amount of money; and

 

鉴于,借款人希望借用固定金额;和

 

WHEREAS, Lender agrees to lend a fixed
amount of money;

 

鉴于,贷款人同意贷款固定金额;

 

IN CONSIDERATION of, the mutual promises,
covenants, and conditions contained herein, the Parties agree as follows:

 

考虑到本协议中包含的相互承诺、契约和条件,双方同意如下:

 

1. Loan Amount.
The Parties agree Lender will loan Borrower $300,000 (the Loan").

 

贷款金额。双方同意,贷款人将向借款人提供
300,000 美元的贷款(“贷款”)。

 

2. Interest Rate.
The Parties agree the Interest Rate for this loan shall be 5% to be accrued yearly.

 

利率。双方同意,该贷款的年利息为
5%.

 

3. Loan Term. This Loan shall be for a period
of 12 months from February 16, 2022 and will be due on February 15, 2023 (Maturity date).

 

贷款期限。该贷款期限为 12 个月,从 2022 年 2 月 16 日开始,到期日为 2023
年 2 月 15 日(到期日)。

 

4. Repayment.
The Parties agree that the borrower shall pay the principal and interest on the maturity date.

 

偿还。双方同意,借款人应在到期日支付本金及利息。

 

5. Late Payments. Payment shall be considered
late if received by Lender days after its due date. Lender will have the option to charge a late fee of 12%.

 

逾期付款。如果贷款人在到期日后收到付款,则视为逾期付款。贷款人有权选择收取
12%的滞纳金。

 

     

    

    

 

6. Default.
If Borrower defaults on its payments and fails to cure said default within a reasonable amount of time, Lender will have the option to
declare the entire remaining amount of Principal and any accrued Interest immediately due andpayable.

 

违约。如果借款人拖欠其付款且未能在合理的时间内纠正上述违约,贷款人将有权宣布全部剩余本金和任何应计利息立即到期应付。

 

 7. Prepayment. Borrower will not be penalized for early payment.

 

提前还款。借款人不会因提前还款而受到处罚。

 

8. Representations
and Warranties. Both Parties represent that they are fully authorized to enter into this Agreement. The performance and obligations
of either Party will not violate or infringe upon the rights of any third-party or violate any other agreement between the Parties, individually,
and any other person, organization, or business or any law or governmental regulation.

 

陈述和保证。双方表示,他们完全有权签订本协议。任何一方的履行和义务均不得违反或侵犯任何第三方的权利,或违反双方之间的任何其他协议,包括个人、任何其他个人、组织或企业或任何法律或政府法规。

 

9. Severability.
In the event any provision of this Agreement is deemed invalid unenforceable, in whole or in part, that part shall be severed from the
remainder of the Agreement and all other provisions should continue in full force and effect as valid and enforceable.

 

可分割性。如果本协议的任何条款全部或部分被视为无效或不可执行,则该部分应与本协议的其余部分分离,所有其他条款应继续完全有效,视为有效和可执行。

 

10. Waiver. The
failure by either party to exercise any right, power or privilege under the terms of this Agreement will not be construed as a waiver
of any subsequent or further exercise of that right, power or privilege or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.

 

弃权。任何一方未能行使本协议条款下的任何权利、权力或特权,不得解释为放弃随后或进一步行使该权利、权力或特权或行使任何其他权利、权力或特权。

 

11. Legal Fees.In
the event of a dispute resulting in legal action, the successful party will be entitled to get legal fees back from counter-party, including,
but not limited to its attorneys' fees collection fees and the like.

 

律师费。如因纠纷引起诉讼,胜诉方有权向对方追回律师费,包括但不限于律师费等。

 

12. Legal and Binding Agreement.This
Agreement is legal and binding between the Parties as stated above. This Agreement may be entered into and is legal and binding both
in the United States and throughout Europe. The Parties each represent that they have the authority to enter into this
Agreement.

 

具有法律约束力的协议。如上所述,本协议对双方具有法律约束力。本协议可在美国和整个欧洲签订并具有法律效力和约束力。双方各自声明他们有权签订本协议。

 

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13. Governing Law
and Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by mainland Chinese law.

 

适用法律和司法管辖权。本协议受中国大陆法律管辖。

 

14. Entire Agreement.
The Parties acknowledge and agree that this Agreement represents the entire agreement between the Parties. In the event that the Parties
desire to change, add, or otherwise modify any terms, they shall do so in writing to be signed by both parties.

 

完整协议。
双方承认并同意,本协议代表双方之间的完整协议。
如果双方希望更改、添加或以其他方式修改任何条款,则应以书面形式进行并由双方签署。

 

15. This Contract
is executed in two counterparts each in Chinese and English, each of which shall deemed equally authentic.When there is a conflict between
the two versions, the Chinese version will prevail.

 

本协议用中英文两种文字组成,两种文字具有同等效力。当两个版本有冲突时,
以中文版为主。

 

The Parties agree to the terms and conditions
set forth above as demonstrated by their signatures as follows:

 

双方同意上述条款和条件,下面是双方签字:

 

[Remainder of this page has been intentionally
left blank.]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been executed
as of the date first written above.

 

"LENDER"

 

[***]

 

	Signed: 	/s/ [***]	 
	 	 	 
	By: 	[***]	 
	 	 	 
	Date: 	February 16, 2022	 
	 	 	 
	"BORROWER"	 
	 	 	 
	NFT Exchange Limited	 
	 	 	 
	Signed: 	/s/ Kuangtao Wang	 
	 	 	 
	By: 	Kuangtao Wang	 
	 	 	 
	Date: 	February 16, 2022EXHIBIT 10.1
Servotronics, Inc.
Executive Change in Control Severance Plan
ARTICLE I
PURPOSE
This Executive Change in Control Severance Plan has been established by the Company on April 19, 2022 (the “Effective Date”) to provide Participants with the opportunity to receive severance protection in connection with a Change in Control of the Company. The purpose of the Plan is to attract and retain talent and to assure the present and future continuity, objectivity, and dedication of management in the event of any Change in Control to maximize the value of the Company on a Change in Control. The Plan is intended to be a top hat welfare benefit plan under ERISA.
Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein have the meanings set forth in ARTICLE II.
ARTICLE II
DEFINITIONS
“ACA” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.01(c).
“Administrator” means the Board or any committee thereof duly authorized by the Board to administer the Plan. The Board may at any time administer the Plan, in whole or in part, notwithstanding that the Board has previously appointed a committee to act as the Administrator.
“Applicable Severance Multiplier” means the multiplier contained in a Participant’s Participation Agreement that is used to determine the amount of severance the Participant may receive if a Qualifying Termination occurs.
“Beneficial Owner” has the meaning ascribed to it in Rule 13d-3 and Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act; except that, in calculating the beneficial ownership of any particular Person, such Person shall be deemed to have beneficial ownership of all securities that such Person has the right to acquire by conversion or exercise of other securities, whether such right is currently exercisable or is exercisable only after the passage of time. The term “Beneficial Ownership” has a corresponding meaning.
“Benefit Continuation” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.01(c).
“Benefit Continuation Period” means the earliest of: (a) the end of the time period specified in a Participant’s Participation Agreement during which the Participant may receive continued health coverage following a Qualifying Termination; (b) the date on which the Participant becomes eligible to receive substantially similar coverage from another employer; and (c) the date the Participant is no longer eligible to receive COBRA continuation coverage.
“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
​

“Cause” means:
(a)the Participant’s willful failure to perform his or her duties (other than any such failure resulting from incapacity due to physical or mental illness);
(b)the Participant’s willful failure to comply with any valid and legal directive of the Board or the person to whom the Participant reports;
(c)the Participant’s willful engagement in dishonesty, illegal conduct or gross misconduct, which is, in each case, materially injurious to the Company or its affiliates;
(d)the Participant’s embezzlement, misappropriation or fraud, whether or not related to the Participant’s employment with the Company;
(e)the Participant’s conviction of or plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a crime that constitutes a felony (or state law equivalent) or a crime that constitutes a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude; or
(f)the Participant’s material violation of the Company’s written policies or codes of conduct, including written policies related to discrimination, harassment, performance of illegal or unethical activities, and ethical misconduct.
(g)the Participant’s engagement in conduct that brings or is reasonably likely to bring the Company negative publicity or into public disgrace, embarrassment, or disrepute.
For purposes of this definition, no act or failure to act on the part of the Participant shall be considered “willful” unless it is done, or omitted to be done, by the Participant in bad faith or without reasonable belief that the Participant’s action or omission was in the best interests of the Company. For any termination by the Company for Cause that occurs after the occurrence of a Change in Control, termination of a Participant’s employment shall not be deemed to be for Cause unless and until the Company delivers to the Participant a copy of a resolution duly adopted by the affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the Board (after reasonable written notice is provided to the Participant and the Participant is given an opportunity, together with counsel, to be heard before the Board), finding that the Participant has engaged in the conduct described in any of (a)-(f) above.
“Change in Control” means the occurrence of any of the following:
(a)one Person (or more than one Person acting as a group) acquires Beneficial Ownership of stock of the Company that, together with the stock held by such Person or group, constitutes more than 50% of the total fair market value or total voting power of the stock of the Company; provided, that, a Change in Control shall not occur if any Person (or more than one Person acting as a group) owns more than 50% of the total fair market value or total voting power of the Company’s stock and acquires additional stock;
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(b)one Person (or more than one Person acting as a group) acquires (or has acquired during the twelve-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition) Beneficial Ownership of the Company’s stock possessing 30% or more of the total voting power of the stock of the Company;
(c)a majority of the members of the Board are replaced during any twelve-month period by directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the Board before the date of appointment or election; or
(d)one Person (or more than one Person acting as a group), acquires (or has acquired during the twelve-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition) assets from the Company that have a total gross fair market value equal to or more than 40% of the total gross fair market value of all of the assets of the Company immediately before such acquisition(s).
A Change in Control will be deemed to occur: (i) with respect to a Change in Control pursuant to subparagraph (a) above, on the date that any Person or group first becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of stock representing more than 50% of the combined voting power of the Company’s then-outstanding stock entitled generally to vote for the election of directors; (ii) with respect to a Change in Control pursuant to subparagraph (b) or (d) above, on the date the applicable transaction closes; and (iii) with respect to subparagraph (c) above, on the date members of the incumbent board first cease to constitute at least a majority of the Board.
“COBRA” means the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Any reference to a section of the Code shall be deemed to include a reference to any regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Company” means Servotronics, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and any successor thereto.
“Compensation Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board.
“Covered Payments” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.01.
“Covered Period” means the period of time beginning on the first occurrence of a Change in Control and lasting through the eighteen-month anniversary of the occurrence of the Change in Control.
“Effective Date” has the meaning set forth in ARTICLE I.
“Eligible Employee” means any full-time employee of the Company who is an executive officer and any other full-time employee of the Company who is recommended by the chief executive officer to the Administrator to be a key employee who should be eligible to participate in the Plan. Eligible Employees shall be limited to a select group of management or highly compensated employees within the meaning of Sections 201, 301, and 404 of ERISA.
​

“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Excise Tax” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.01.
“Good Reason” means:
(a)a material reduction in the Participant’s base salary other than a general reduction in base salary that affects all similarly situated executives in substantially the same proportions;
(b)a material reduction in the Participant’s target annual bonus opportunity;
(c)a relocation of the Participant’s principal place of employment by more than 50 miles;
(d)the Company’s failure to obtain an agreement from any successor to the Company to assume and agree to perform the obligations under the Plan in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform, except where such assumption occurs by operation of law; or
(e)a material, adverse change in the Participant’s title, reporting relationship, authority, duties or responsibilities (other than temporarily while the Participant is physically or mentally incapacitated or as required by applicable law).
The Participant cannot terminate his or her employment for Good Reason unless he or she has provided written notice to the Company of the existence of the circumstances providing grounds for termination for Good Reason within 30 days of the initial existence of such grounds and the Company has had at least 30 days from the date on which such notice is provided to cure such circumstances, if curable. If the Participant does not terminate his or her employment for Good Reason within 90 days after the first occurrence of the applicable grounds, then the Participant will be deemed to have waived his or her right to terminate for Good Reason with respect to such grounds.
“Parachute Payments” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.01.
“Participant” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.01.
“Participation Agreement” means the latest participation agreement delivered by the Company to a Participant informing the Eligible Employee of the Eligible Employee’s participation in the Plan.
“Person” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act.
“Plan” means this Servotronics, Inc. Executive Change in Control Severance Plan, as may be amended and/or restated from time to time.
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“Pro-Rata Bonus” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.01(b).
“Qualifying Termination” means the termination of a Participant’s employment during the Covered Period either:
(a)by the Company without Cause; or
(b)by the Participant for Good Reason.
“Reduced Amount” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.01(a).
“Release” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.01(c).
“Severance” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.01(a).
“Specified Employee Payment Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.13(b).
ARTICLE III
PARTICIPATION
Section 3.01Participants. Each Eligible Employee of the Company who (a) is chosen by the Administrator to participate in the Plan; (b) receives a Participation Agreement from the Company; and (c) executes and returns such Participation Agreement to the Company in accordance with the terms of the Participation Agreement shall be a “Participant” in the Plan.
ARTICLE IV
SEVERANCE
Section 4.01Severance. If a Participant has a Qualifying Termination, then, subject to ARTICLE VI, the Company will provide the Participant with the following:
(a)Severance in an amount equal to the product of the Participant’s Applicable Severance Multiplier times the sum of the Participant’s base salary in effect on the Qualifying Termination or, if greater, in effect on the first occurrence of a Change in Control, plus the Participant’s target annual cash bonus for the year in which the Qualifying Termination occurs (“Severance”). Subject to Section 10.13, Severance will be paid in substantially equal installment payments over the two-year period following the Qualifying Termination, payable in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices, but no less frequently than monthly, which payments in the aggregate are equal to the Severance and which shall begin on the 61st day following the Qualifying Termination;
(b)A prorated annual bonus equal to the product of (i) the annual bonus, if any, that the Participant would have earned for the entire calendar year in which the Qualifying Termination occurs at target level; and (ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days the Participant was employed by the Company during the calendar year in which the Qualifying Termination occurs and the denominator of which is the
​

number of days in such year (a “Pro-Rata Bonus”). Subject to Section 10.13, a Participant’s Pro-Rata Bonus shall be paid on the 61st day following the Qualifying Termination; and
(c)During the Participant’s Benefit Continuation Period, the Participant will receive reimbursement for the difference between the monthly COBRA premium paid by the Participant for himself or herself and his or her eligible dependents and the monthly premium amount paid by similarly situated active executives (“Benefit Continuation”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company’s providing Benefit Continuation under this Section 4.01(c) would violate the nondiscrimination rules applicable to non-grandfathered plans, or would result in the imposition of penalties under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, and the related regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder (the “ACA”), the Company shall reform this Section 4.01(c) in a manner as is necessary to comply with the ACA. Subject to Section 10.13, Benefit Continuation reimbursement shall be paid to the Participant on the fifteenth of the month immediately following the month in which the Participant timely remits the premium payment.
ARTICLE V
EQUITY AWARDS
Section 5.01Equity Awards. The Plan does not affect the terms of any outstanding equity awards. The treatment of any outstanding equity awards shall be determined in accordance with the terms of the Company equity plan or plans under which they were granted and any applicable award agreements.
ARTICLE VI
CONDITIONS
Section 6.01Conditions. A Participant’s entitlement to any severance benefits under ARTICLE IV and ARTICLE V will be subject to:
(a)the Participant executing and delivering to the Company his or her Participation Agreement in accordance with the terms thereof;
(b)the Participant experiencing a Qualifying Termination; and
(c)the Participant executing a release of claims in favor of the Company, its affiliates and their respective officers and directors in a form provided by the Company (the “Release”) and such Release becoming effective and irrevocable within 60 days following the Participant’s Qualifying Termination; and
(d)with respect to Benefit Continuation only, the Participant timely and properly electing continuation coverage under COBRA.
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ARTICLE VII
SECTION 280G
Section 7.01Reduction. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or any other plan, arrangement or agreement to the contrary, if any of the payments or benefits provided or to be provided by the Company or its affiliates to a Participant or for a Participant’s benefit pursuant to the terms of the Plan or otherwise (“Covered Payments”) constitute parachute payments (“Parachute Payments”) within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code and would, but for this ARTICLE VII, be subject to the excise tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Code (or any successor provision thereto) or any similar tax imposed by state or local law or any interest or penalties with respect to such taxes (collectively, the “Excise Tax”), then the Covered Payments shall be either:
(a)reduced to the minimum extent necessary to ensure that no portion of the Covered Payments is subject to the Excise Tax (that amount, the “Reduced Amount”); or
(b)payable in full if the Participant’s receipt on an after-tax basis of the full amount of payments and benefits (after taking into account the applicable federal, state, local and foreign income, employment and excise taxes (including the Excise Tax)) would result in the Participant receiving an amount at least ten percent greater than the Reduced Amount.
Section 7.02Order of Reduction. Any such reduction shall be made in accordance with Section 409A of the Code and the following:
(a)the Covered Payments which do not constitute nonqualified deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code shall be reduced first; and
(b)all other Covered Payments shall then be reduced as follows: (i) cash payments shall be reduced before non-cash payments; and (ii) payments to be made on a later payment date shall be reduced before payments to be made on an earlier payment date.
Section 7.03Determinations. Any determination required under this ARTICLE VII, including whether any payments or benefits are Parachute Payments, shall be made by the Company in its sole discretion. The Participant shall provide the Company with such information and documents as the Company may reasonably request in order to make a determination under this ARTICLE VII. The Company’s determination shall be final and binding on the Participant.
ARTICLE VIII
CLAIMS PROCEDURES
Section 8.01Initial Claims. A Participant who believes he or she is entitled to a payment under the Plan that has not been received may submit a written claim for benefits to the Plan within 60 days after the Participant’s Qualifying Termination. Claims should be addressed
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and sent to the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, c/o Servotronics, Inc., 1110 Maple Street, PO Box 300, Elma, NY 14059.
If the Participant’s claim is denied, in whole or in part, the Participant will be furnished with written notice of the denial within 90 days after the Administrator’s receipt of the Participant’s written claim, unless special circumstances require an extension of time for processing the claim, in which case a period not to exceed 180 days will apply. If such an extension of time is required, written notice of the extension will be furnished to the Participant before the termination of the initial 90-day period and will describe the special circumstances requiring the extension, and the date on which a decision is expected to be rendered. Written notice of the denial of the Participant’s claim will contain the following information:
(a)the specific reason or reasons for the denial of the Participant’s claim;
(b)references to the specific Plan provisions on which the denial of the Participant’s claim was based;
(c)a description of any additional information or material required by the Administrator to reconsider the Participant’s claim (to the extent applicable) and an explanation of why such material or information is necessary; and
(d)a description of the Plan’s review procedures and time limits applicable to such procedures, including a statement of the Participant’s right to bring a civil action under Section 502(a) of ERISA following a benefit claim denial on review.
Section 8.02Appeal of Denied Claims. If the Participant’s claim is denied and he or she wishes to submit a request for a review of the denied claim, the Participant or his or her authorized representative must follow the procedures described below:
(a)Upon receipt of the denied claim, the Participant (or his or her authorized representative) may file a request for review of the claim in writing with the Administrator. This request for review must be filed no later than 60 days after the Participant has received written notification of the denial.
(b)The Participant has the right to submit in writing to the Administrator any comments, documents, records or other information relating to his or her claim for benefits.
(c)The Participant has the right to be provided with, upon request and free of charge, reasonable access to and copies of all pertinent documents, records and other information that is relevant to his or her claim for benefits.
(d)The review of the denied claim will take into account all comments, documents, records and other information that the Participant submitted relating to his or her claim, without regard to whether such information was submitted or considered in the initial denial of his or her claim.
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Section 8.03Administrator’s Response to Appeal. The Administrator will provide the Participant with written notice of its decision within 60 days after the Administrator’s receipt of the Participant’s written claim for review. There may be special circumstances which require an extension of this 60-day period. In any such case, the Administrator will notify the Participant in writing within the 60-day period and the final decision will be made no later than 120 days after the Administrator’s receipt of the Participant’s written claim for review. The Administrator’s decision on the Participant’s claim for review will be communicated to the Participant in writing and will clearly state:
(a)the specific reason or reasons for the denial of the Participant’s claim;
(b)reference to the specific Plan provisions on which the denial of the Participant’s claim is based;
(c)a statement that the Participant is entitled to receive, upon request and free of charge, reasonable access to, and copies of, the Plan and all documents, records and other information relevant to his or her claim for benefits; and
(d)a statement describing the Participant’s right to bring an action under Section 502(a) of ERISA.
Section 8.04Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies. The exhaustion of these claims procedures is mandatory for resolving every claim and dispute arising under the Plan. As to such claims and disputes:
(a)no claimant shall be permitted to commence any legal action to recover benefits or to enforce or clarify rights under the Plan under Section 502 or Section 510 of ERISA or under any other provision of law, whether or not statutory, until these claims procedures have been exhausted in their entirety; and
(b)in any such legal action, all explicit and implicit determinations by the Administrator (including, but not limited to, determinations as to whether the claim, or a request for a review of a denied claim, was timely filed) shall be afforded the maximum deference permitted by law.
Section 8.05Attorney’s Fees. The Company and each Participant shall bear their own attorneys’ fees incurred in connection with any disputes between them.
ARTICLE IX
ADMINISTRATION, AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION
Section 9.01Administration. The Administrator has the exclusive right, power and authority, in its sole and absolute discretion, to administer and interpret the Plan. The Administrator has all powers reasonably necessary to carry out its responsibilities under the Plan including (but not limited to) the sole and absolute discretionary authority to:
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(a)administer the Plan according to its terms and to interpret Plan policies and procedures;
(b)resolve and clarify inconsistencies, ambiguities and omissions in the Plan and among and between the Plan and other related documents;
(c)take all actions and make all decisions regarding questions of eligibility and entitlement to benefits, and benefit amounts;
(d)make, amend, interpret, and enforce all appropriate rules and regulations for the administration of the Plan;
(e)process and approve or deny all claims for benefits; and
(f)decide or resolve any and all questions, including benefit entitlement determinations and interpretations of the Plan, as may arise in connection with the Plan.
The decision of the Administrator on any disputes arising under the Plan, including (but not limited to) questions of construction, interpretation and administration shall be final, conclusive and binding on all persons having an interest in or under the Plan. Any determination made by the Administrator shall be given deference in the event the determination is subject to judicial review and shall be overturned by a court of law only if it is arbitrary and capricious.
Section 9.02Duration. Unless earlier terminated pursuant to Section 9.03, if a Change in Control has not occurred, the Plan will expire two years from the Effective Date; provided, that on each anniversary of the date the Plan would otherwise expire, the Plan will be automatically extended for an additional year.
Section 9.03Amendment and Termination. The Company reserves the right to amend or terminate the Plan at any time, by providing at least 90 days advance written notice to each Participant; provided that no such amendment or termination that has the effect of reducing or diminishing the right of any Participant will be effective without the written consent of such Participant.
ARTICLE X
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 10.01At-Will Employment. The Plan does not alter the status of each Participant as an at-will employee of the Company. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to give any Participant the right to remain employed by the Company or to interfere with the rights of the Company to terminate the employment of any Participant at any time, with or without Cause.
Section 10.02Effect on Other Plans, Agreements and Benefits.
(a)Any severance benefits payable to a Participant under the Plan will be: (i) in lieu of and not in addition to any severance benefits to which the Participant would otherwise be entitled under any general severance policy or severance plan maintained by
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the Company or any agreement between the Participant and the Company that provides for severance benefits (unless the policy, plan or agreement expressly provides for severance benefits to be in addition to those provided under the Plan); and (ii) reduced by any severance benefits to which the Participant is entitled by operation of a statute or government regulations.
(b)Any severance benefits payable to a Participant under the Plan will not be counted as compensation for purposes of determining benefits under any other benefit policies or plans of the Company, except to the extent expressly provided therein.
Section 10.03Mitigation and Offset. If a Participant obtains other employment, such other employment will not affect the Participant’s rights or the Company’s obligations under the Plan.
The Company’s obligation to make the payments and provide the benefits required under the Plan will not be affected by any circumstances, including, without limitation, any set-off, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other rights that the Company may have against the Participant.
Section 10.04Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of the Plan shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of the Plan. If any provision of the Plan is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, invalid, void or unenforceable, such provision shall be deemed modified, amended and narrowed to the extent necessary to render such provision legal, valid and enforceable, and the other remaining provisions of the Plan shall not be affected but shall remain in full force and effect.
Section 10.05Headings and Subheadings. Headings and subheadings contained in the Plan are intended solely for convenience and no provision of the Plan is to be construed by reference to the heading or subheading of any section or paragraph.
Section 10.06Unfunded Obligations. The amounts to be paid to Participants under the Plan are unfunded obligations of the Company. The Company is not required to segregate any monies or other assets from its general funds with respect to these obligations. Participants shall not have any preference or security interest in any assets of the Company other than as a general unsecured creditor.
Section 10.07Successors. The Plan will be binding upon any successor to the Company, its assets, its businesses or its interest (whether as a result of the occurrence of a Change in Control or otherwise), in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be obligated under the Plan if no succession had taken place. In the case of any transaction in which a successor would not by the foregoing provision or by operation of law be bound by the Plan, the Company shall require any successor to the Company to expressly and unconditionally assume the Plan in writing and honor the obligations of the Company hereunder, in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no succession had taken place. All payments and benefits that become due to a Participant under the Plan will inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, assigns, designees or legal representatives.
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Section 10.08Transfer and Assignment. Neither a Participant nor any other person shall have any right to sell, assign, transfer, pledge, anticipate or otherwise encumber, transfer, hypothecate or convey any amounts payable under the Plan prior to the date that such amounts are paid, except that, in the case of a Participant’s death, such amounts shall be paid to the Participant’s beneficiaries.
Section 10.09Waiver. Any party’s failure to enforce any provision or provisions of the Plan will not in any way be construed as a waiver of any such provision or provisions, nor prevent any party from thereafter enforcing each and every other provision of the Plan.
Section 10.10Governing Law. To the extent not pre-empted by federal law, the Plan shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the state of New York without regard to conflicts of law principles. Any action or proceeding to enforce the provisions of the Plan will be brought only in a state or federal court located in the state of New York, county of Erie, and each party consents to the venue and jurisdiction of such court. The parties hereby irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts and waive the defense of inconvenient forum to the maintenance of any such action or proceeding in such venue.
Section 10.11Clawback. Any amounts payable under the Plan are subject to any policy (whether in existence as of the Effective Date or later adopted) established by the Company providing for clawback or recovery of amounts that were paid to the Participant. The Company will make any determination for clawback or recovery in its sole discretion and in accordance with any applicable law or regulation.
Section 10.12Withholding. The Company shall have the right to withhold from any amount payable hereunder any Federal, state and local taxes in order for the Company to satisfy any withholding tax obligation it may have under any applicable law or regulation.
Section 10.13Section 409A.
(a)The Plan is intended to comply with Section 409A of the Code or an exemption thereunder and shall be construed and administered in accordance with Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, payments provided under the Plan may only be made upon an event and in a manner that complies with Section 409A of the Code or an applicable exemption. Any payments under the Plan that may be excluded from Section 409A of the Code either as separation pay due to an involuntary separation from service or as a short-term deferral shall be excluded from Section 409A of the Code to the maximum extent possible. For purposes of Section 409A of the Code, each installment payment provided under the Plan shall be treated as a separate payment. Any payments to be made under the Plan upon a termination of employment shall only be made upon a “separation from service” under Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company makes no representations that the payments and benefits provided under the Plan comply with Section 409A of the Code and in no event shall the Company be liable for all or any portion of any taxes, penalties, interest or other expenses that may be incurred by a Participant on account of non-compliance with Section 409A of the Code.
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(b)Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, if any payment or benefit provided to a Participant in connection with his or her Qualifying Termination is determined to constitute “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and the Participant is determined to be a “specified employee” as defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(b)(i) of the Code, then such payment or benefit shall not be paid until the first payroll date to occur following the six-month anniversary of the Qualifying Termination or, if earlier, on the Participant’s death (the “Specified Employee Payment Date”). The aggregate of any payments that would otherwise have been paid before the Specified Employee Payment Date shall be paid to the Participant in a lump sum on the Specified Employee Payment Date and thereafter, any remaining payments shall be paid without delay in accordance with their original schedule. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, if any payment or benefit is conditioned on the Participant’s execution of a Release, the first payment shall include all amounts that would otherwise have been paid to the Participant during the period beginning on the date of the Qualifying Termination and ending on the payment date if no delay had been imposed.
(c)To the extent required by Section 409A of the Code, each reimbursement or in-kind benefit provided under the Plan shall be provided in accordance with the following: (i) the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in-kind benefits provided, during each calendar year cannot affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in-kind benefits to be provided, in any other calendar year; and (ii) any right to reimbursements or in-kind benefits under the Plan shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit.

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