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Exhibit 10.1

TARGETED VARIABLE LONG TERM INCENTIVE PROGRAM

AUGUST 1, 2022

KEY EMPLOYEE AWARD
TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This Key Employee Award Terms and Conditions describes terms and conditions of Restricted Stock Unit Awards, as part of the ConocoPhillips Targeted Variable Long Term Incentive Program (Program), granted under the 2014 Omnibus Stock and Performance Incentive Plan of ConocoPhillips (referred to as the Plan) by ConocoPhillips (the Company) to certain eligible Employees (Employees).  These Terms and Conditions, together with the Award Summary given to each Employee receiving an Award, form the Award Agreement (the Agreement) relating to the Awards described.  The Agreement covers Restricted Stock Units granted under the Program, and the term Employee covers recipients of Awards under the Program.
1.Type and Size of Grant.  Subject to the Plan and this Agreement, the Company grants to certain eligible Employees Restricted Stock Units.  Individual awards will be as set forth in the Award Summary given to each Employee to whom an Award is granted.  The Award Summary for each Employee is made a part of this Agreement with regard to such Employee.
2.Grant Date, Price, and Plan.  The Grant Date and the Grant Price are set forth on the Award Summary given to each Employee to whom an Award is granted.  Awards are made under the 2014 Omnibus Stock and Performance Incentive Plan.
3.Restrictions, Forfeiture, and Lapse of Restrictions.  The Restricted Stock Units subject hereto may be canceled or forfeited as set forth herein.  Except as otherwise noted in this Agreement, the following summary table describes restrictions and terms, forfeiture, and lapse of restrictions, subject to the more detailed provisions set forth in the following:

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Exhibit 10.1

Summary Table
									
	Summary of Termination Rules
	Status	Termination Date	Forfeiture or Lapsing of Restrictions
	Retirement (generally age 65 with at least 5 years of service, see Definitions section)	Prior to 6 months from Grant Date	Canceled upon Termination
	6 months from Grant Date & after	Restrictions lapse on Termination date
	Layoff	Prior to 6 months from Grant Date	Canceled upon Termination
	6 months from Grant Date & after	Award is prorated and restrictions on remaining units lapse on Termination date
	Disability	Prior to 1 month from Grant Date	Canceled upon Termination
	1 month from Grant Date & after	Award is prorated and restrictions on remaining units lapse on Termination date
	Death	Prior to 1 month from Grant Date	Canceled upon death
	1 month from Grant Date & after	Award is prorated and restrictions on remaining units lapse on death
	Divestitures, outsourcing, and moves to joint ventures	Any date after Grant Date	Canceled upon Termination, unless otherwise approved by Authorized Party
	All other Terminations		Canceled upon Termination

(a)Restrictions and Terms.
(i)The Award shall be held in escrow by the Company until the lapsing of restrictions placed upon the Award.  The Employee shall not have the right to sell, transfer, assign, or otherwise dispose of Restricted Stock Units granted in an Award until the escrow is terminated.  Except as set forth below, the Award shall be forfeited and the related Restricted Stock Units canceled upon the Employee’s Termination of Employment with the Company prior to the lapsing of restrictions.  If the Employee has properly accepted the Award in accordance with the process for accepting Awards established by the Administrator from time to time, restrictions shall lapse on one-third of the Restricted Stock Units granted in an Award (rounded down to the nearest whole share) on the first anniversary of the Grant Date; restrictions shall lapse on a further one-third of the Restricted Stock Units granted in an Award (rounded down to the nearest whole share) on the second anniversary of the Grant Date; and restrictions shall lapse on the remaining Restricted Stock Units granted in an Award on the third anniversary of the Grant Date; otherwise, restrictions on the Award shall continue until the Award has been properly accepted in accordance with the process for accepting Awards established by the Administrator from time to time or until cancelled by the Authorized Party, unless otherwise determined by the Authorized Party.  Upon the lapsing of restrictions, the number of shares of unrestricted Stock equal to the number of shares of Restricted Stock Units for which the restrictions have so lapsed shall be registered in the Employee’s name, and the related shares of Restricted Stock Units shall be canceled; provided, however, that in places where it is determined by the Authorized Party that payout in the form of unrestricted Stock is prohibited by law, regulation, or decree, or where the cost of legal compliance to issue the unrestricted Stock would be unreasonably expensive or burdensome, the Fair Market Value of such unrestricted Stock shall be paid in cash instead of settlement of the Award in unrestricted Stock. Cash payouts are only permitted where such legal restrictions exist.  Settlement of the Award in unrestricted Stock or cash payout, if any, shall be made upon the lapsing of restrictions on the Award, but, in any event, shall be made no later than March 15 of the year following the year in which such restrictions lapse.

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Exhibit 10.1

(ii)Restricted Stock Units do not have any voting rights or other rights generally associated with Stock and are merely an obligation of the Company to make settlement in accordance with the terms and conditions applicable to such Restricted Stock Units.  Restricted Stock Units granted to Employees who are resident in the United States or the United Kingdom on the Grant Date and on the United States or United Kingdom payroll on the Grant Date shall accrue a dividend equivalent at such times as cash dividends are paid on the Stock of the Company, which dividend equivalent shall be paid in cash to the Employee to whom the Award was made.  Restricted Stock Units granted to Employees other than those described in the previous sentence shall not accrue a dividend equivalent.  Payment of a dividend equivalent, if any, shall be made on the same day as dividends may be payable to holders of ConocoPhillips Common Stock, and, in any event, shall be made no later than March 15 of the year following the year in which the cash dividend is paid.
(iii)The issuance of the Award does not constitute earnings under any retirement plan sponsored by a ConocoPhillips company.  The value of the Award at the time restrictions lapse also does not constitute earnings under any retirement plan sponsored by a ConocoPhillips company.  Neither the issuance of nor lapsing of restrictions have any impact on any retirement plans or any other compensation plan sponsored by a ConocoPhillips company.

(b)Termination of Employment.
(i)General Rule for Termination.  If, prior to the date on which restrictions lapse in accordance with the schedule set forth in the Award, the Employee's employment with a Participating Company shall be terminated for any reason except death, Disability, Retirement, or Layoff, any Restricted Stock Units remaining in escrow pursuant to such Award shall be canceled and all rights thereunder shall cease; provided, however, that the Authorized Party may, in its sole discretion, determine that all or any portion of an Award shall not be canceled due to Termination of Employment.
(ii)Layoff or Retirement Within Six Months.  If, prior to a date six months from the Grant Date, the Employee's employment with a Participating Company shall be terminated by reason of Layoff or Retirement, such Award shall be canceled and all rights thereunder shall cease.
(iii)Layoff After Six Months.  If, on or after a date six months from the Grant Date, the Employee's employment with a Participating Company shall be terminated by reason of Layoff, the Employee shall retain a prorated number of the Restricted Stock Units of the Award.  The number of Restricted Stock Units retained will be computed by multiplying the original number of Restricted Stock Units granted by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full months of employment from the first day of the month in which the Award was granted until the date the employee is terminated and the denominator of which is 36.  Such calculation shall be rounded down to the nearest whole share.  From this result the number of shares previously settled (or applied to tax withholding) from the Award shall be subtracted to determine the prorated Award.  In such case, the restrictions on the prorated Award shall lapse on the date of Termination of the Employee from the employ of the Company and its subsidiaries, and settlement shall be made in accordance with the settlement provisions above.  The remainder of the Award shall be canceled and all rights thereunder shall cease.
(iv)Retirement After Six Months.  If, on or after a date six months from the Grant Date, the Employee's employment with a Participating Company shall be terminated by reason of Retirement, the Employee shall retain all rights provided by the Award at the time of such Termination of Employment.  In such case, the restrictions on the Award shall lapse on the date of Termination of the Employee from the employ of the Company and its subsidiaries, and settlement shall be made in accordance with the settlement provisions above.

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Exhibit 10.1

(v)Disability.  If, on or after a date one month from the Grant Date, an Employee shall terminate employment following Disability of the Employee, the Employee shall retain a prorated number of the Award shares or units granted.  The number of Award shares or units retained will be computed by multiplying the original number of Award shares or units granted by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full months of employment from the first day of the month in which the Award was granted until the date the employee is terminated and the denominator of which is 36.  Such calculation shall be rounded down to the nearest whole share.  From this result the number of shares previously settled (or applied to tax withholding) from the Award shall be subtracted to determine the prorated Award.  In such case, the restrictions on the prorated Award shall lapse on the date of Termination of the Employee from the employ of the Company and its subsidiaries, and settlement shall be made in accordance with the settlement provisions above.  The remainder of the Award shall be canceled and all rights thereunder shall cease.
(vi)Death.  If, on or after a date one month from the Grant Date, an Employee shall die while in the employ of a Participating Company, the restrictions on a prorated number of the Restricted Stock Units granted in the Award shall lapse on the date of death by the Authorized Party, and settlement shall be made in accordance with the settlement provisions above.  The number of Award shares or units retained will be computed by multiplying the original number of Award shares or units granted by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full months of employment from the first day of the month in which the Award was granted until the date the employee is terminated and the denominator of which is 36.  Such calculation shall be rounded down to the nearest whole share.  From this result the number of shares previously settled (or applied to tax withholding) from the Award shall be subtracted to determine the prorated Award.  The remainder of the Award shall be canceled and all rights thereunder shall cease.  No transfer of an Award, or of the unrestricted Stock or other proceeds of an Award, as a result of the death of the Employee shall be effective to bind the Company unless the Authorized Party shall have been furnished with such evidence as the Authorized Party may deem necessary to establish the validity of the transfer and the acceptance by the transferee or transferees of the terms and conditions of such Award.
(vii)Transfers and Leaves.  Transfer of employment between Participating Companies shall not constitute Termination of Employment for the purpose of any Award granted under the Program.  Whether any leave of absence shall constitute Termination of Employment for the purposes of any Award granted under the Program shall be determined by the Authorized Party, in each case in accordance with applicable law and by application of the policies and procedures adopted by the Company in relation to such leave of absence.
(viii)Divestiture, Outsourcing, or Move to Joint Venture.  If, after the Grant Date, an Employee ceases to be employed by Participating Company as a result of (a) the outsourcing of a function, (b) the sale or transfer of all or a portion of the equity interest of such Participating Company (removing it from the controlled group of companies of which the Company is a part), (c) the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of such Participating Company to another employer outside of the controlled group of corporations (whether the Employee is offered employment or accepts employment with the other employer), (d) the Termination of the Employee by a Participating Company followed by employment within a reasonable time with a company or other entity in which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, at least a 50% interest, or (e) any other sale of assets determined by the Authorized Party to be considered a divestiture under this Program, the Authorized Party may, in its sole discretion, determine that all or a portion of any such Award shall not be canceled.  In such cases, the restrictions on the Award shall lapse on the date of Termination of the Employee from the employ of the Company and its subsidiaries, and settlement shall be made in accordance with the settlement provisions above.

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Exhibit 10.1

(ix)Change of Control.  In the event of a Change of Control, as defined hereafter, unless explicitly provided otherwise in the applicable Award Agreement, all restrictions and other limitations applicable to any Restricted Stock Units granted in any Award shall remain in effect and will lapse in accordance with other provisions of this Award Agreement.  Settlement in unrestricted Stock or cash shall be made at the same times and upon the same events as it would otherwise have been made in accordance with the settlement provisions above.

(x)Specified Employees.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in the event that this Award or the dividend equivalents associated with this Award are includible in income pursuant to section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code, settlement of the Award or any other distribution hereunder due to Separation from Service with the Company and its subsidiaries shall not be made to a “specified employee” (as that term is defined in section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i)) prior to six months after the specified employee’s Separation from Service from the Company and its subsidiaries (or, if earlier, the date of death of the specified employee).
(c)Detrimental Activities and Suspension of Award.
(i)If the Authorized Party determines that, subsequent to the grant of any Award, the Employee has engaged or is engaging in any activity which, in the sole judgment of the Authorized Party, is or may be detrimental to the Company or a subsidiary, the Authorized Party may cancel all or part of the Restricted Stock Units held in escrow pursuant to the Award or Awards granted to that Employee.
(ii)If the Authorized Party, in its sole discretion, determines that the lapsing of restrictions on Restricted Stock Units held in escrow pursuant to any Award has the possibility of violating any law, regulation, or decree pertaining to the Company, any of its subsidiaries, or the Employee, the Authorized Party may freeze or suspend the Employee’s right to settlement or payout of the Award until such time as the lapse of restrictions would no longer, in the sole discretion of the Authorized Party, have the possibility of violating such law, regulation, or decree.
(iii)Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, any Award is subject to forfeiture or recoupment, in whole or in part, under applicable law, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Act.
4.No Assignment of Award Except Upon Death.  Rights under the Plans and this Agreement cannot be assigned or transferred other than as a consequence of the death of the Employee. 
5.Tax Withholding.  In all cases the Employee will be responsible to pay all required withholding taxes applicable to an Award.  Should a withholding tax obligation arise with regard to an Award or the lapsing of restrictions on Restricted Stock Units granted in an Award, the Company may satisfy the withholding tax obligation by withholding shares.  The value of the shares of Stock or units withheld for this purpose shall be an amount consistent with applicable laws and regulations.  In cases where a withholding tax obligation arises prior to the lapse of restrictions on Restricted Stock Units granted in an Award, the Company may instead satisfy the withholding tax obligation by payment of cash by the employee.  Payment of cash shall not be allowed unless the Employee and the Company have agreed to make such payment by payroll withholding.  If any interest is required under local laws, regulations, or decrees to be charged on or imputed against the payroll withholding, the Employee shall be responsible for paying such interest, which shall be withheld from pay. In cases where payment by payroll withholding cannot be made due to circumstances arising after the election or where the Authorized Party has determined that such withholding would violate any applicable law, regulation, or decree, shares of Stock or units shall be withheld instead.  When necessary, lapsing of restrictions may be accelerated by the Authorized Party to the extent necessary to provide shares of Stock or units to satisfy any withholding tax obligation.  This withholding tax obligation includes, but is not limited to, federal, state, and local taxes, including applicable non-U.S. taxes such as U.K. PAYE. If Australian tax law applies to the Employee, then an Award is a scheme to which Subdivision 83A-C of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 of Australia applies (subject to the conditions in that Act).
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Exhibit 10.1

6.Shareholder Rights for Restricted Stock Units.  The Employee shall not have the rights of a shareholder until the Restricted Stock Unit has been canceled and ownership of shares of Stock has been transferred to the Employee. As described above, the Company may pay dividend equivalents with regard to Restricted Stock Units in certain circumstances.
7.Certain Adjustments.  In the event certain corporate transactions, recapitalizations, or stock splits occur while Restricted Stock Units are outstanding, the Grant Price and the number of Restricted Stock Units shall be correspondingly adjusted. 
8.Relationship to the Plan.  In addition to the terms and conditions described in this Agreement, Awards are subject to all other applicable provisions of the Plan.  The decisions of the Committee with respect to questions arising as to the interpretation of the Plan or this Agreement or as to findings of fact, shall be final, conclusive, and binding.
9.No Employment Guarantee.  No provision of this Agreement shall confer any right upon the Employee to continued employment with any Participating Company.
10.Governing Law.  This Agreement shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware.
11.Amendment.  Without the consent of the Employee, this Agreement may be amended or supplemented (i) to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein, or (ii) to add to the covenants and agreements of the Company for the benefit of an Employee or to add to the rights of an Employee or to surrender any right or power reserved to or conferred upon the Company in this Agreement, provided, in each case, that such changes or corrections shall not adversely affect the rights of the Employee with respect to the grant of an Award evidenced hereby without the Employee’s consent, or (iii) to make such other changes as the Company, upon advice of counsel, determines are necessary or advisable because of the adoption or promulgation of, or change in or of the interpretation of, any law or governmental rule or regulation, including any applicable federal or state securities or tax laws.

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Exhibit 10.1

DEFINITIONS
Capitalized terms not defined below shall have the meanings set forth in the Plan.

“Administrator” means the CEO, who is authorized, with regard to outstanding Awards, to administer the Program and take action under this the Program.  The CEO may delegate such administrative duties and responsibilities as shall be deemed desirable. 

 “Authorized Party” means the person who is authorized to approve an Award, exercise discretion or take action under the Administrative Procedure for the Targeted Variable Long Term Incentive Program and pursuant to the Program.  With regard to Senior Officers, the Committee is the Authorized Party.  With regard to other Employees, the Chief Executive Officer, acting as the Special Equity Award Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company, is the Authorized Party, although the Committee may act concurrently as the Authorized Party.  The Authorized Party may delegate duties and responsibilities regarding the operation of the Program, other than the authority to grant an Award.

“Award” means any Restricted Stock Units granted to an Employee pursuant to such applicable terms, conditions, and limitations as the Authorized Party may establish in order to fulfill the objectives of the Program.

“Change of Control” has the meaning set forth in Attachment A to these Terms and Conditions.

“Chief Executive Officer” or “CEO” means the Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

“Committee” means the Human Resources and Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company, or any successor committee to it.

“Company” means ConocoPhillips, a Delaware corporation.

“Disability” means a disability for which the employee in question has been determined to be entitled to either (i) benefits under the applicable plan of long-term disability of the Company or its subsidiaries or (ii) disability benefits under the Social Security Act.  In the absence of any such determination, the Authorized Party may make a determination that the employee has a Disability.

“Fair Market Value” means, as of a particular date, the mean between the highest and lowest sales price per share of such Stock on the consolidated transaction reporting system for the principal national securities exchange on which shares of Stock are listed on that date, or, if there shall have been no such sale so reported on that date, on the last preceding date on which such a sale was so reported, or, at the discretion of the Committee, the price prevailing on the exchange at a designated time.

“Grant Price” means the Fair Market Value for one share of Stock as of the date of the grant of an Award.  Grant Price is not adjusted for any restrictions applicable to the Award.

“Layoff” means an applicable Termination of Employment due to layoff under the ConocoPhillips Severance Pay Plan, the ConocoPhillips Executive Severance Plan, or the ConocoPhillips Key Employee Change in Control Severance Plan, or layoff or redundancy under any similar layoff or redundancy plan which the Company or its subsidiaries may adopt from time to time.  If all or any portion of the benefits under the redundancy or layoff plan are contingent on the employee’s signing a general release of liability, such Termination shall not be considered as a “Layoff” for purposes of this Award unless the employee executes and does not revoke a general release of liability, acceptable to the Company, under the terms of such layoff or redundancy plan.  In order to be considered a layoff for purposes of this Award, the Termination of Employment must also be considered a Separation from Service.

“Participating Company” includes ConocoPhillips and its 100% owned subsidiaries, including both those directly owned and those owned through subsidiaries, whose participation has been approved by the Authorized Party.

“Restricted Stock Unit” means a unit equal to one share of Stock (as determined by the Authorized Party) that is subject to forfeiture provisions or that has certain restrictions attached to the ownership thereof.

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Exhibit 10.1

“Retirement” means Termination at age 65 or older with a minimum of 5 years of service with a Participating Company with regard to Employees on the United States payroll.  For Employees not on the United States payroll, Retirement means Termination at the earlier of:  a) age 65 or older with a minimum of 5 years of service with a Participating Company, or b) the government or company imposed mandatory retirement age with a minimum of 5 years of service with a Participating Company.  Service is defined by the policies of the Participating Company.

“Senior Officer” means the Chairman of the Board, the CEO, all other executive officers of the Company (determined in accordance with the Company’s custom and practice pursuant to section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), all other employees of the Company who report directly to the CEO and whose salary grade is 23 or higher, and all other employees of the Company whose salary grade is 26 or higher.

“Separation from Service” means “separation from service” as that term is used in section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code.

“Stock” means shares of common stock of the Company, par value $.01.  Stock may also be referred to as “Common Stock.”

“Termination” and “Termination of Employment” means cessation of employment with the Participating Companies, determined in accordance with the policies and practices of the Participating Company for whom the Employee was last performing services. 

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Exhibit 10.1

Attachment “A”

“Change of Control”

The following definitions apply to the Change of Control provision in Section 10 of the Plan.
“Affiliate” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, as in effect at the time of determination.
“Associate” shall mean, with reference to any Person, (a) any corporation, firm, partnership, association, unincorporated organization or other entity (other than the Company or a subsidiary of the Company) of which such Person is an officer or general partner (or officer or general partner of a general partner) or is, directly or indirectly, the Beneficial Owner of 10% or more of any class of equity securities, (b) any trust or other estate in which such Person has a substantial beneficial interest or as to which such Person serves as trustee or in a similar fiduciary capacity and (c) any relative or spouse of such Person, or any relative of such spouse, who has the same home as such Person.
“Beneficial Owner” shall mean, with reference to any securities, any Person if:
(a)such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates and Associates, directly or indirectly, is the “beneficial owner” of (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, as in effect at the time of determination) such securities or otherwise has the right to vote or dispose of such securities;
(b)such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates and Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right or obligation to acquire such securities (whether such right or obligation is exercisable or effective immediately or only after the passage of time or the occurrence of an event) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, other rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to “beneficially own,” (i) securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange or (ii) securities issuable upon exercise of Exempt Rights; or
(c)such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates (i) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) with any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) that beneficially owns such securities for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except as set forth in the proviso to subsection (a) of this definition) or disposing of such securities or (ii) is a member of a group (as that term is used in Rule 13d-5(b) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act) that includes any other Person that beneficially owns such securities;
provided, however, that nothing in this definition shall cause a Person engaged in business as an underwriter of securities to be the Beneficial Owner of, or to “beneficially own,” any securities acquired through such Person’s participation in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting until the expiration of 40 days after the date of such acquisition.  For purposes hereof, “voting” a security shall include voting, granting a proxy, consenting or making a request or demand relating to corporate action (including, without limitation, a demand for a shareholder list, to call a shareholder meeting or to inspect corporate books and records) or otherwise giving an authorization (within the meaning of section 14(a) of the Exchange Act) in respect of such security.

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Exhibit 10.1

The terms “beneficially own” and “beneficially owning” shall have meanings that are correlative to this definition of the term Beneficial Owner.
“Board” shall have the meaning set forth in the Plan.
“Change of Control” shall mean any of the following occurring on or after January 1, 2022:
(a)any Person (other than an Exempt Person) shall become the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding or 20% or more of the combined voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company then outstanding; provided, however, that no Change of Control shall be deemed to occur for purposes of this subsection (a) if such Person shall become a Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding or 20% or more of the combined voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company then outstanding solely as a result of (i) any acquisition directly from the Company or (ii) any acquisition by a Person pursuant to a transaction that complies with clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) of subsection (c) of this definition;
(a)individuals who, as of January 1, 2022, constitute the Board (the “Incumbent Board”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to January 1, 2022, whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board shall be considered as though such individual were a member of the Incumbent Board; provided, further, that there shall be excluded, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of any actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Board;
(b)the Company shall consummate a reorganization, merger, statutory share exchange, consolidation, or similar transaction involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or the acquisition of assets or securities of another entity by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (a “Business Combination”), in each case, unless, following such Business Combination, (i) 50% or more of the then outstanding shares of common stock of the corporation, or common equity securities of an entity other than a corporation, resulting from such Business Combination and the combined voting power of the then outstanding Voting Stock of such corporation or other entity are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by all or substantially all of the Persons who were the Beneficial Owners of the outstanding Common Stock immediately prior to such Business Combination in substantially the same proportions as their ownership, immediately prior to such Business Combination, of the outstanding Common Stock, (ii) no Person (excluding any Exempt Person or any Person beneficially owning, immediately prior to such Business Combination, directly or indirectly, 20% or more of the Common Stock then outstanding or 20% or more of the combined voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company then outstanding) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 20% or more of the then outstanding shares of common stock of the corporation, or common equity securities of an entity other than a corporation, resulting from such Business Combination or the combined voting power of the then outstanding Voting Stock of such corporation or other entity, and (iii) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the corporation, or the body which is most analogous to the board of directors of a corporation if not a corporation, resulting from such Business Combination were members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the initial agreement or initial action by the Board providing for such Business Combination; or
(c)the shareholders of the Company shall approve a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company unless such liquidation or dissolution is approved as part of a transaction that complies with clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) of subsection (c) of this definition.
“Common Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in the Plan.
“Company” shall have the meaning set forth in the Plan.
“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

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Exhibit 10.1

“Exempt Person” shall mean any of the Company, any entity controlled by the Company, any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any entity controlled by the Company, and any Person organized, appointed, or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such employee benefit plan.
“Exempt Rights” shall mean any rights to purchase shares of Common Stock or other Voting Stock of the Company if at the time of the issuance thereof such rights are not separable from such Common Stock or other Voting Stock (i.e., are not transferable otherwise than in connection with a transfer of the underlying Common Stock or other Voting Stock), except upon the occurrence of a contingency, whether such rights exist as of January 1, 2022, or are thereafter issued by the Company as a dividend on shares of Common Stock or other Voting Securities or otherwise.
“Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, association, trust, unincorporated organization, or other entity.
“Voting Stock” shall mean, (i) with respect to a corporation, all securities of such corporation of any class or series that are entitled to vote generally in the election of, or to appoint by contract, directors of such corporation (excluding any class or series that would be entitled so to vote by reason of the occurrence of any contingency, so long as such contingency has not occurred) and (ii) with respect to an entity which is not a corporation, all securities of any class or series that are entitled to vote generally in the election of, or to appoint by contract, members of the body which is most analogous to the board of directors of a corporation.

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 Exhibit 10.1 

BENEFITFOCUS, INC. 

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED 2012 STOCK PLAN 

RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD GRANT NOTICE 

Benefitfocus, Inc. (the “Company”), pursuant to its Third Amended and Restated 2012 Stock Plan (the
“Plan”), hereby grants to Participant an award of Restricted Stock Units (“Units”) as set forth below (“Award”). This Award is subject to all of the terms and conditions as
set forth herein, in the Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement and the Plan, all of which are attached hereto and incorporated herein in their entirety. 
  

			
	Participant:	  	[●]
		
	Date of Grant:	  	[●], 202[●]
		
	Vesting Commencement Date:	  	N/A
		
	 Number of Restricted Stock Units

Subject to Award:
	  	[Number of shares equal to $[●] measured at the time of the grant utilizing a 20-day running average stock price]
	Vesting Schedule:	  	 Subject to accelerated vesting as set forth below or in the Plan, the Units subject to this Award shall vest as follows:

 
 50% of the Units will vest upon the consummation of a Change in Control (as defined
below), subject to the Participant’s Continuous Service through the date of such occurrence.
  

50% of the Units will vest on the six-month anniversary of the consummation of a Change in Control, subject to the
Participant’s Continuous Service (including for this purpose, to the Company successor, as applicable) through such anniversary date.
  

For purposes of this Award, a “Change in Control” will be deemed to have occurred if any of the following conditions have occurred:
(i) the merger or consolidation of the Company with another entity, where the Company is not the surviving entity and where immediately after the merger or consolidation (A) the Company’s stockholders immediately prior to the merger
or consolidation hold less than 50% of the voting stock of the surviving entity or (B) the Company’s directors immediately prior to the merger or consolidation are less than a majority of the directors of the surviving entity;
(ii) the sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets to a third party where immediately subsequent to the transaction (A) the Company’s stockholders immediately prior to the transaction hold less than 50% of the
stock of said third party or (B) the Company’s directors immediately prior to the transaction are less than a majority of the board of directors of said third party; or (iii) a transaction or series of transactions, including a merger
of the Company with another entity where the Company is the surviving entity, whereby (A) 50% or more of the voting stock of the Company immediately after the transaction is owned actually or beneficially by parties who held less than 30% of the
Company’s voting stock, actually or beneficially, immediately prior to the transaction(s) or (B) the Company’s board of directors immediately after the transaction(s) or within 60 days thereof is comprised of less than a majority of
the Company’s directors serving immediately prior to the transaction(s).

			
	Accelerated Vesting:	  	 If the Participant’s Continuous Service is terminated by the Company or its successor without Cause, or by the Participant for Good
Reason, at the time of the consummation of a Change in Control, or at any time thereafter and prior to the six-month anniversary of the consummation of a Change in Control, then all unvested Units will vest
immediately prior to the effectiveness of such termination.
  
 For purposes of this
Award, the term “Cause” means (i) if the Participant is a party to a then-effective employment agreement with the Company or a subsidiary that defines “Cause” or a like term, the meaning set forth in such
agreement at the time of the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service, or (ii) in the absence of such an agreement or definition, means the occurrence of any of the following: (A) the Participant’s violation of any
applicable material law or regulation respecting the business of the Company; (B) the Participant’s conviction of, or plea of nolo contendere to, a felony or any crime involving fraud, embezzlement or any other act of moral turpitude;
(C) the Participant’s act of dishonesty, fraud or misrepresentation made in connection with the Participant’s responsibilities as an employee; (D) the Participant’s gross misconduct that results in a reasonable probability
of material injury (whether tangible or reputational) to the Company; or (E) the Participant’s material breach of any material obligations under any written agreement with the Company or the Participant’s continued failure to
substantially perform the Participant’s material employment duties, which breach or failure is not cured to the Company’s reasonable satisfaction within five business days after notice thereof is delivered to the Participant.

 
 For purposes of this Award, the term “Good Reason” means
(i) if the Participant is a party to a then-effective employment agreement with the Company or a subsidiary that defines “Good Reason” or a like term, the meaning set forth in such agreement at the time of the Participant’s
termination of Continuous Service; or (ii) in the absence of such an agreement or definition, the occurrence of any of the following without the Participant’s written consent: (A) a material diminution in the Participant’s base
salary or targeted annual bonus, or (B) a material diminution in the Participant’s authority, duties, or responsibilities; provided, however, that the Participant may not establish “Good Reason” under this clause (ii) unless
the Participant has provided written notice of the existence of such condition to the Company within 30 days of the event constituting such Good Reason, and the Company fails to reasonably cure such condition within the 30-day period immediately following receipt of such notice and the Participant terminates his/her employment within 30 days after the end of the cure period.

 The undersigned Participant acknowledges receipt of, and understands and agrees to be bound by, the terms of the Restricted
Stock Unit Award Agreement presented and accepted in conjunction with this Award and the Plan. Participant further acknowledges that as of the Date of Grant, this Grant Notice, the Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement and the Plan set forth
the entire understanding between Participant and the Company regarding the grant of Restricted Stock Units under the Award and supersede all prior oral and written agreements on that subject. 

 

									
	PARTICIPANT:	 		 		 		 	BENEFITFOCUS, INC.
	Electronically Accepted on:	 		 		 		 	By:
	Print Name:	 		 		 		 	Name:
	Associate Number:	 		 		 		 	Title:
	Grant Number:	 		 		 		 	

 Electronic Signatures. Each party agrees that the electronic signatures, whether digital or encrypted, of the parties
included in this Agreement are intended to authenticate this writing and to have the same force and effect as manual signatures. Electronic signature means any electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a record
and executed and adopted by a party with the intent to sign such record, including facsimile, signatures on scanned documents or email electronic signatures. 

 BENEFITFOCUS, INC. 

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED 2012 STOCK PLAN 

RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT 

Pursuant to the Restricted Stock Unit Award Grant Notice (the “Grant Notice”) and this Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement
(“Agreement”), Benefitfocus, Inc. (the “Company”) has awarded you (“Participant”) Restricted Stock Units (“Units”) payable when
vested in shares of Common Stock from the Company pursuant to Section 5 of the Company’s Third Amended and Restated 2012 Stock Plan (the “Plan”) for the number of Units indicated in the Grant Notice
(collectively, the “Award”). Defined terms not explicitly defined in the Grant Notice or this Agreement but defined in the Plan shall have the same definitions as in the Plan. 

The details of your Award, in addition to those set forth in the Grant Notice, are as follows:

1. ACQUISITION OF UNITS. By signing the Grant Notice, you are
hereby granted the aggregate number of Units specified in your Grant Notice. Each Unit is convertible to one share of Common Stock that will be delivered to you when you become vested in the Unit in accordance with this
Agreement. 
 2. CONSIDERATION. Unless otherwise required
by law, the shares of Common Stock to be delivered to you when the Units become vested shall be deemed paid, in whole or in part, in exchange for past and future services rendered or to be rendered to the Company or a Related Corporation in the
amounts and to the extent required by law. 
 3. VESTING AND
FORFEITURES. The Units will vest as set forth in the Restricted Stock Unit Award Notice to which this Agreement is attached. Vested Units will be exchanged on a one-to-one basis for shares of Common Stock that shall be delivered to you as provided in Section 4. Except as otherwise provided in the “Accelerated Vesting” section of the Grant Notice,
all Units that have not vested shall be forfeited when your Continuous Service ends. 

4. DELIVERY OF SHARES TO SETTLE VESTED UNITS. When Units become
vested as provided in Section 3, the Units shall be settled promptly following such vesting date by delivering to you the number of shares of Company Stock equal to the number of vested Units. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company elects not
to satisfy its tax withholding obligations by withholding shares from your distribution as provided in Section 9 below, then such shares of Company Stock shall not be issued and delivered until the next business day after you make such adequate
provision in cash for such withholding sums, but in no event later than the fifteenth day of the third calendar month of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the original vesting date occurs. 

5. CAPITALIZATION CHANGES. The number of Units convertible
to shares of Common Stock subject to your Award and referenced in your Grant Notice may be adjusted from time to time for changes in capitalization pursuant to Section 13 of the Plan. 

6. RIGHTS AS STOCKHOLDER. You shall not have any rights and privileges
of a stockholder of the Company with respect to the Units. If you become vested in Units as provided in Section 3, any shares of Common Stock to which you become entitled shall be delivered to you as provided in Section 4,
and you shall have full ownership of the shares of Common Stock on such delivery. 

7. NON-TRANSFERABILITY OF THE
AWARD. Your Award is not transferable by you, except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and it cannot be assigned by you.

8. AWARD NOT A SERVICE CONTRACT. Your Award is not an
employment or service contract, and nothing in your Award shall be deemed to create in any way whatsoever any obligation on your part to continue in the service of the Company or any Related Corporation, or on the part of the Company or any
Related Corporation to continue such service. In addition, nothing in your Award shall obligate the Company or any Related Corporation, their respective stockholders, boards of directors, officers or employees to continue any relationship that
you might have as an employee or consultant of the Company or any Related Corporation. 

 9. WITHHOLDING
OBLIGATIONS. At the time your Award is granted, or at any time thereafter as requested by the Company, you hereby agree to make adequate provision in cash for any sums required to satisfy the federal, state, local and foreign tax
withholding obligations of the Company or any Related Corporation, if any, which arise in connection with your Award. In furtherance of the foregoing, if the Common Stock is publicly traded at the time a tax withholding obligation hereunder arises,
you hereby irrevocably authorize and direct the Company to withhold and cause to be sold, at the market price of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq Global Market when sold, a sufficient number of shares that are due to be delivered hereunder as the
Company determines are necessary to satisfy your obligation pursuant to the preceding sentence. Unless the tax withholding obligations of the Company and/or any Related Corporation are satisfied, the Company shall have no obligation to issue such
shares, and shall have no liability to you for any such delay in the issuance of such shares. 

10. TAX CONSEQUENCES. You agree to review with your own tax
advisors the federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences of this investment and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. You shall rely solely on such advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of
its agents. You understand that you (and not the Company) shall be responsible for your own tax liability that may arise as a result of this investment or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

11. NOTICES. Any notice or request required or permitted
hereunder shall be given in writing to each of the other parties hereto and shall be deemed effectively given on the earlier of (a) the date of personal delivery, including delivery by express courier,
(b) e-mail or facsimile with confirmation of receipt or (c) the date that is five days after deposit in the United States mail (whether or not actually received by the addressee), by registered or
certified mail with postage and fees prepaid, addressed at the following addresses, or at such other address(es) as a party may designate by ten days’ advance written notice to each of the other parties hereto: 

 

			
	COMPANY:	  	Benefitfocus, Inc.
		  	Attn: General Counsel & Chief Legal Officer
		  	100 Benefitfocus Way
		  	Charleston, SC 29492
		
	YOU:	  	Your address as on file with the Company at the time notice is given

 12. MISCELLANEOUS. 

(a) The headings of the Sections in this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute
a part of this Agreement or to affect the meaning of this Agreement. 
 (b) The rights and obligations of the Company under your
Award shall be transferable by the Company to any one or more persons or entities, and all covenants and agreements hereunder shall inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by, the Company’s successors and assigns. Your rights and
obligations under your Award may only be assigned with the prior written consent of the Company. 
 (c) You agree upon
request to execute any further documents or instruments necessary or desirable in the sole determination of the Company to carry out the purposes or intent of your Award. 

(d) You acknowledge and agree that you have reviewed your Award in its entirety, have had an opportunity to obtain the advice of
counsel prior to executing and accepting your Award and fully understand all provisions of your Award. 
 (e) This Agreement shall
be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by any governmental agencies or national securities exchanges as may be required. 

(f) All obligations of the Company under the Plan and this Agreement shall be binding on any successor to the Company, whether the
existence of such successor is the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation, or otherwise, of all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company. 

 13.
CONFIDENTIALITY. The terms of your Award are confidential. You agree that you will not disclose the terms of your Award to any third party, other than your spouse/partner, your attorneys, your accountants, in connection with a
government investigation or proceeding, or as required by law. 
 14.
GOVERNING PLAN DOCUMENT. Your Award is subject to all the provisions of the Plan, the provisions of which are hereby made a part of your Award, and is further subject to all interpretations, amendments, rules and
regulations which may from time to time be promulgated and adopted pursuant to the Plan. In the event of any conflict between the provisions of your Award and those of the Plan, the provisions of the Plan shall control. 

15. CHOICE OF LAW. The interpretation, performance and
enforcement of this Agreement shall be governed by the law of the state of South Carolina without regard to such state’s conflicts of laws rules. 

16. SEVERABILITY. If all or any part of this Agreement or
the Plan is declared by any court or governmental authority to be unlawful or invalid, such unlawfulness or invalidity shall not invalidate any portion of this Agreement or the Plan not declared to be unlawful or invalid. Any Section of this
Agreement (or part of such a Section) so declared to be unlawful or invalid shall, if possible, be construed in a manner which will give effect to the terms of such Section or part of a Section to the fullest extent possible while
remaining lawful and valid. 
 17. OTHER DOCUMENTS. You
hereby acknowledge receipt or the right to receive a document providing the information required by Rule 428(b) (1) promulgated under the Securities Act. 

18. APPLICATION OF SECTION 409A. This
Award is intended to be exempt from the application of Section 409A of the Code (“Section 409A”) pursuant to Treasury Regulation
1.409A-1(b)(4) (or any other applicable exemption). This Award Agreement shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with that intent. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision
of this Agreement to the contrary, to the extent that (a) one or more of the payments or benefits received or to be received by you pursuant to this Agreement would constitute deferred compensation subject to the requirements of
Section 409A, and (b) you are a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A, then such payment or benefit (or portion thereof) will be delayed until the earliest date following your “separation from
service” with the Company within the meaning of Section 409A on which the Company can provide such payment or benefit to you without your incurrence of any additional tax or interest pursuant to Section 409A, with all payments or
benefits due thereafter occurring in accordance with the original schedule.

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