Document:

Exhibit 10.21

 

FIRST DATA CORPORATION

SENIOR EXECUTIVE INCENTIVE PLAN

(As Amended and Restated Effective January 1, 2014)

 

1. PURPOSE OF THE PLAN.  The First Data Corporation Senior Executive Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is hereby amended and restated effective January 1, 2014 by the joint Governance, Compensation, and Nomination Committees of the Board of Directors of First Data Corporation (the “Company”) and First Data Holdings Inc.  The Plan is designed to advance the interests of the Company by encouraging the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and other senior executive officers to create growth and strong performance for the Company, and rewarding participants based on overall Company results and their contributions to these results.

 

2. DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

 

2.1  “Committee” means the joint Governance, Compensation, and Nomination Committees of the Board of Directors, or any successor thereto or delegate thereof with the authority to act on behalf of the Committee with respect to this Plan.

 

2.2  “Incentive Award” means an incentive compensation award paid to a Participant pursuant to the Plan.

 

2.3  “Participant” means the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and any executive officer of the Company who reports directly to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and who is identified as eligible to participate in this Plan for a given Plan Year by the Committee or who is hired, transferred, or promoted to an eligible position during a Plan Year and is identified as eligible to participate in the Plan by the Committee.

 

2.4 “ Plan Year “ means a period of one year, commencing each January 1 and ending on the following December 31, or such other twelve consecutive month period as may be established from time to time by the Company.

 

3.  ESTABLISHMENT OF PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND DETERMINATION OF INCENTIVE AWARDS.

 

3.1  The payment of Incentive Awards to Participants under the Plan shall be determined in the Committee’s sole and absolute discretion.

 

3.2  As soon as practicable following the end of each Plan Year, the Committee shall determine the amounts of any Incentive Awards payable under the Plan.  The Committee shall authorize the payment of Incentive Awards in accordance with the terms of the Plan.  The Committee shall have the sole and absolute discretion to determine the amount of any Incentive Award payable under the Plan or to determine that no Incentive Award shall be payable to a Participant under the Plan.  Under no circumstances shall any Incentive Award be deemed earned by or payable to a Participant under this Plan with respect to any Plan Year unless and until the Committee

 

 

exercises its discretion to determine whether an Incentive Award shall be paid to each such individual Participant with respect to such Plan Year.

 

4.  PAYMENT OF INCENTIVE AWARDS.  Payment of Incentive Awards,  shall be made only to otherwise eligible Participants who remain employed on date the Incentive Award is paid following the applicable Plan Year. Payment of Incentive Awards, less withholding taxes and other applicable withholdings, shall be made to Participants not later than March 15 following the applicable Plan Year, provided the Committee has determined the amount and approved the payment of the Incentive Award to the Participants.  Funding of Incentive Awards under this Plan shall be out of the general assets of the Company.  Unless otherwise determined by the Committee in its discretion, Incentive Awards shall be paid in cash.

 

5.  ADMINISTRATION.  The Plan shall be administered by the Committee, which shall have full power and authority to interpret, construe and administer the Plan in accordance with the provisions set forth herein. The Committee’s interpretation and construction of the Plan, and actions hereunder, or the amount or recipient of the payments to be made from the Plan, shall be binding and conclusive on all persons for all purposes.  In this connection, the Committee may delegate to any corporation, committee or individual, regardless of whether the individual is an employee of the Company, the duty to act for the Committee hereunder.  No officer or employee of the Company shall be liable to any person for any action taken or omitted in connection with the interpretation and administration of the Plan unless attributable to his or her own willful misconduct or lack of good faith.  The expenses of administering the Plan shall be paid by the Company and shall not be charged against the Plan.

 

6.  PARTICIPATION IN THE PLAN.  Eligible executive officers of the Company may become Participants in accordance with the terms of the Plan at any time during the Plan Year.

 

7. TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT.  Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, a Participant whose employment in his current position with the Company terminates for any reason prior to the end of a Plan Year shall not be entitled to receive an Incentive Award for such Plan Year.

 

8.  DEFERRAL OF INCENTIVE AWARDS.  A Participant may elect to defer receipt of all or any portion of any Incentive Award made under this Plan to a future date as provided in and subject to the terms and conditions of any deferred compensation plan of the Company.

 

9. MISCELLANEOUS.

 

9.1 NONTRANSFERABILITY.  No Incentive Award payable hereunder, nor any right to receive any future Incentive Award hereunder, may be assigned, alienated, sold, transferred, anticipated, pledged, encumbered, or subjected to any charge or legal process, and if any such attempt is made, or a person eligible for any Incentive Award hereunder becomes bankrupt, the Incentive Award under the Plan which would otherwise be payable with respect to such person may be terminated by the Committee which, in its sole discretion, may cause the same to be held or applied for the benefit of one or more of the dependents of such person or make any other disposition of such award that it deems appropriate.

 

2

 

9.2 CLAIM TO INCENTIVE AWARDS AND EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS.  Nothing in this Plan shall require the Company to segregate or set aside any funds or other property for purposes of paying all or any portion of an Incentive Award hereunder.  No Participant shall have any right, title or interest in or to any Incentive Award hereunder prior to the actual payment thereof, nor to any property of the Company.  Neither the adoption of the Plan nor the continued operation thereof shall confer upon any employee any right to continue in the employ of the Company or shall in any way affect the right and power of the Company to dismiss or otherwise terminate the employment of either Participant at any time for any reason, with or without cause.

 

9.3 INCOME TAX WITHHOLDING/RIGHTS OF OFFSET.  The Company shall have the right to deduct and withhold from all Incentive Awards all federal, state and local taxes as may be required by law.  In addition to the foregoing, the Company shall have the right to set off against the amount of any Incentive Award which would otherwise be payable hereunder, the amount of any debt, judgment, claim, expense or other obligation owed at such time by the Participant to the Company or any subsidiary.

 

9.4 GOVERNING LAW.  All questions pertaining to the construction, validity and effect of the Plan shall be determined in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware.

 

10. AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION.  The Plan may be amended or terminated at any time and for any reason by the Committee.  The Committee may, in its sole discretion, reduce or eliminate an Incentive Award to any Participant at any time and for any reason.  The Plan is specifically designed to guide the Company in granting Incentive Awards and shall not create any contractual right of any employee to any Incentive Award prior to the payment of such award.

 

11. EFFECTIVE DATE. The effective date of this plan is January 1, 2014.

 

3Exhibit 10.31

 

2007 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

FOR KEY EMPLOYEES OF

FIRST DATA CORPORATION AND ITS AFFILIATES

 

1.                                      Purpose of Plan

 

The 2007 Stock Incentive Plan for Key Employees of First Data Corporation and its Affiliates (the “Plan”) is designed:

 

(a)         to promote the long term financial interests and growth of New Omaha Holdings Corporation (the “Company”) and its Subsidiaries by attracting and retaining management and other personnel and key service providers with the training, experience and ability to enable them to make a substantial contribution to the success of the Company’s business;

 

(b)         to motivate management personnel by means of growth-related incentives to achieve long range goals; and

 

(c)          to further the alignment of interests of participants with those of the stockholders of the Company through opportunities for increased stock, or stock-based ownership in the Company.

 

2.             Definitions

 

As used in the Plan, the following words shall have the following meanings:

 

(a)         “Affiliate” means with respect to any Person, any entity directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with such Person.

 

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

 

(c)          “Change in Control” means, in one or a series of transactions, (i) the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of New Omaha Holdings, L.P. or the Company or First Data Corporation to any Person (or group of Persons acting in concert), other than to (x) investment funds affiliated with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (together, the “Sponsor”), any other investor in respect of whom the Sponsor has the power to direct such investor’s vote with respect to the Company’s Common Stock or other equity securities (each an “Investor” and together with the Sponsor, the “Sponsor Group”) or their respective Affiliates or (y) any employee benefit plan (or trust forming a part thereof) maintained by the Company, the Sponsor Group or their respective Affiliates or other Person of which a majority of its voting power or other equity securities is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company, the Sponsor Group or their respective Affiliates; or (ii) a merger, recapitalization or other sale by the Sponsor or its Affiliates (other than through a Public Offering) of Common Stock or other voting securities of the Company that results in more than 50% of the Common Stock or other voting securities of the Company (or any resulting company after a merger) owned, directly or indirectly, by the Sponsor following the Closing Date, no longer being so owned by the Sponsor; and, (iii) in any event of clause (i) or (ii) above, such transaction results in any Person (or group of Persons acting in concert) having the ability to elect more members of the Board than the Sponsor Group;  provided, however, that following an event described in clause (i), a liquidation of, or the declaration of an extraordinary dividend by, the Company or First Data Corporation (or any successor entities) shall also constitute a Change in Control.

 

(d)         “Code” means the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

(e)          “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board (or, if no such committee is appointed, the Board).

 

(f)           “Common Stock” or “Share” means the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company, which may be authorized but unissued, or issued and reacquired.

 

(g)          “Employee” means a person, including an officer, in the regular employment of the Company or any other Service Recipient who, in the opinion of the Committee, is, or is expected to have involvement in the management, growth or protection of some part or all of the business of the Company or any other Service Recipient.

 

(h)         “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

(i)             “Fair Market Value” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in the Management Stockholder’s Agreement.

 

 

(j)            “Grant” means an award made to a Participant pursuant to the Plan and described in Section 5, including, without limitation, an award of a Stock Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Other Stock-Based Award or Dividend Equivalent Right (as such terms are defined in Section 5), or any combination of the foregoing.

 

(k)         “Grant Agreement” means an agreement between the Company and a Participant that sets forth the terms, conditions and limitations applicable to a Grant.

 

(l)             “Group” means “group,” as such term is used for purposes of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

(m)     “Investor” means the KKR 2006 Fund L.P. and its affiliated investment funds and certain other co-investors.

 

(n)         “Management Stockholder’s Agreement” shall mean that certain Management Stockholder’s Agreement between the applicable Participant and the Company.

 

(o)         “Participant” means an Employee, non-employee member of the Board, consultant or other person having a service relationship with the Company or any other Service Recipient, to whom one or more Grants have been made and remain outstanding.

 

(p)         “Person” means “person,” as such term is used for purposes of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

(q)         “Public Offering” means any registered public offering of the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq National Market or other nationally recognized stock exchange or listing system.

 

(r)            “Sale Participation Agreement” shall mean that certain Sale Participation Agreement between the applicable Participant and New Omaha Holdings, L.P.

 

(s)           “Service Recipient” shall mean, the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Affiliate of the Company that satisfies the definition of “service recipient” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(g) (or any successor regulation), with respect to which the person is a “service provider” (within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(f) (or any successor regulation).

 

(t)            “Subsidiary” means any corporation or other entity in an unbroken chain of corporations or other entities beginning with the Company if each of the corporations or other entities, or group of commonly controlled corporations or other entities, other than the last corporation or other entity in the unbroken chain then owns stock or other equity interests possessing 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock or other equity interests in one of the other corporations or other entities in such chain.

 

3.             Administration of Plan

 

(a)         The Plan shall be administered by the Committee.  The Committee may adopt its own rules of procedure, and action of a majority of the members of the Committee taken at a meeting, or action taken without a meeting by unanimous written consent, shall constitute action by the Committee.  The Committee shall have the power and authority to administer, construe and interpret the Plan, to make rules for carrying it out and to make changes in such rules.  Any such interpretations, rules, and administration shall be consistent with the basic purposes of the Plan.

 

(b)         The Committee may delegate to the Chief Executive Officer and to other senior officers of the Company its duties under the Plan, subject to applicable law and such conditions and limitations as the Committee shall prescribe, except that only the Committee may designate and make Grants to the Chief Executive Officer and to other senior officers of the Company.

 

(c)          The Committee may employ counsel, consultants, accountants, appraisers, brokers or other persons.  The Committee, the Company, and the officers and directors of the Company shall be entitled to rely upon the advice, opinions or valuations of any such persons.  All actions taken and all interpretations and determinations made by the Committee in good faith shall be final and binding upon all Participants, the Company and all other interested persons.  No member of the Committee, nor employee or representative of the Company shall be personally liable for any action, determination or interpretation made in good faith with respect to the Plan or the Grants, and all such members of the Committee, employees and representatives shall be fully protected and indemnified to the greatest extent permitted by applicable law by the Company with respect to any such action, determination or interpretation.

 

 

4.             Eligibility

 

The Committee may from time to time make Grants under the Plan to such Employees, or other persons having a relationship with Company or any other Service Recipient, and in such form and having such terms, conditions and limitations as the Committee may determine.  The terms, conditions and limitations of each Grant under the Plan shall be set forth in a Grant Agreement, in a form approved by the Committee, consistent, however, with the terms of the Plan; provided, however, that such Grant Agreement shall contain provisions dealing with the treatment of Grants in the event of the termination of employment or other service relationship, death or disability of a Participant, and may also include provisions concerning the treatment of Grants in the event of a Change in Control.

 

5.             Grants

 

From time to time, the Committee will determine the forms and amounts of Grants for Participants.  Such Grants may take the following forms in the Committee’s sole discretion:

 

(a)         Stock Options - These are options to purchase Common Stock (“Stock Options”).  At the time of Grant the Committee shall determine, and shall include in the Grant Agreement, the option exercise period, the option exercise price, vesting requirements, and such other terms, conditions or restrictions on the grant or exercise of the option as the Committee deems appropriate including, without limitation, the right to receive dividend equivalent payments on vested options.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the exercise price per Share of a Stock Option shall in no event be less than the Fair Market Value on the date the Stock Option is granted (subject to later adjustment pursuant to Section 8 hereof).  In addition to other restrictions contained in the Plan, a Stock Option granted under this Section 5(a) may not be exercised more than 10 years after the date it is granted.  Payment of the Stock Option exercise price shall be made (i) in cash, (ii) with the consent of the Committee, in Shares (any such Shares valued at Fair Market Value on the date of exercise) that the Participant has held for at least six months (or such other period of time as may be required by the Company’s accountants but only to the extent required to avoid liability accounting under FAS 123(R) or any successor standard thereto), (iii) through the withholding of Shares (any such Shares valued at Fair Market Value on the date of exercise) otherwise issuable upon the exercise of the Stock Option in a manner that is compliant with applicable law, or (iv) a combination of the foregoing methods, in each such case in accordance with the terms of the Plan, the Grant Agreement and of any applicable guidelines of the Committee in effect at the time.

 

(b)         Stock Appreciation Rights - The Committee may grant “Stock Appreciation Rights” (as hereinafter defined) independent of, or in connection with, the grant of a Stock Option or a portion thereof.  Each Stock Appreciation Right shall be subject to such other terms as the Committee may determine.  The exercise price per Share of a Stock Appreciation Right shall in no event be less than the Fair Market Value on the date the Stock Appreciation Right is granted.  Each “Stock Appreciation Right” granted independent of a Stock Option shall be defined as a right of a Participant, upon exercise of such Stock Appreciation Right, to receive an amount equal to the product of (i) the excess of (A) the Fair Market Value on the exercise date of one Share over (B) the exercise price per Share of such Stock Appreciation Right, multiplied by (ii) the number of Shares covered by the Stock Appreciation Right.  Payment of the Stock Appreciation Right shall be made in Shares or in cash, or partly in Shares and partly in cash (any such Shares valued at the Fair Market Value on the date of the payment), all as shall be determined by the Committee.

 

(c)          Other Stock-Based Awards - The Committee may grant or sell awards of Shares, awards of restricted Shares and awards that are valued in whole or in part by reference to, or are otherwise based on the Fair Market Value of, Shares (including, without limitation, restricted stock units).  Such “Other Stock-Based Awards” shall be in such form, and dependent on such conditions, as the Committee may determine, including, without limitation, the right to receive, or vest with respect to, one or more Shares (or the equivalent cash value of such Shares) upon the completion of a specified period of service, the occurrence of an event and/or the attainment of performance objectives.  Other Stock-Based Awards may be granted alone or in addition to any other Grants under the Plan.  Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall determine to whom and when Other Stock-Based Awards will be made, the number of Shares to be awarded under (or otherwise related to) such Other Stock-Based Awards; whether such Other Stock-Based Awards shall be settled in cash, Shares or a combination of cash and Shares; and all other terms and conditions of such awards (including, without limitation, the vesting provisions thereof and provisions ensuring that all Shares so awarded and issued shall be fully paid and non-assessable).

 

 

(d)         Dividend Equivalent Rights — The Committee may grant Dividend Equivalent Rights either alone or in connection with the grant of a Stock Option or SAR.  A “Dividend Equivalent Right” shall be the right to receive a payment in respect of one Share (whether or not subject to a Stock Option) equal to the amount of any dividend paid in respect of one Share held by a shareholder in the Company.  Each Dividend Equivalent Right shall be subject to such terms as the Committee may determine.

 

6.             Limitations and Conditions

 

(a)         The number of Shares available for Grants under this Plan shall be 179,500,000, subject to adjustment as provided for in Sections 8 and 9, unless restricted by applicable law.  Shares related to Grants that are forfeited, terminated, canceled, expire unexercised, withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations, or are repurchased by the Company shall immediately become available for new Grants.

 

(b)         No Grants shall be made under the Plan beyond ten years after September 24, 2007, the effective date of the Plan (the “Effective Date”), but the terms of Grants made on or before the expiration of the Plan may extend beyond such expiration.  At the time a Grant is made or amended in accordance with the terms of the Plan, or the terms or conditions of a Grant are changed in accordance with the terms of the Plan or the Grant Agreement, the Committee may provide for limitations or conditions on such Grant.

 

(c)          Nothing contained herein shall affect the right of the Company or any other Service Recipient to terminate any Participant’s employment or other service relationship at any time or for any reason.

 

(d)         Other than as specifically provided in the Management Stockholder’s Agreement,  Sale Participation Agreement or Grant Agreement, no benefit under the Plan shall be subject in any manner to anticipation, alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance, or charge, and any attempt to do so shall be void.  No such benefit shall, prior to receipt thereof by the Participant, be in any manner liable for or subject to the debts, contracts, liabilities, engagements, or torts of the Participant.

 

(e)          Participants shall not be, and shall not have any of the rights or privileges of, stockholders of the Company in respect of any Shares purchasable in connection with any Grant unless and until certificates representing any such Shares have been issued by the Company to such Participants (or book entry representing such Shares has been made and such Shares have been deposited with the appropriate registered book-entry custodian).

 

(f)           No election as to benefits or exercise of any Grant may be made during a Participant’s lifetime by anyone other than the Participant except by a legal representative appointed for or by the Participant.

 

(g)          Absent express provisions to the contrary, any Grant under this Plan shall not be deemed compensation for purposes of computing benefits or contributions under any retirement or severance plan of the Company or other Service Recipient and shall not affect any benefits under any other benefit plan of any kind now or subsequently in effect under which the availability or amount of benefits is related to level of compensation.  This Plan is not a “Retirement Plan” or “Welfare Plan” under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.

 

(h)         Unless the Committee determines otherwise, no benefit or promise under the Plan shall be secured by any specific assets of the Company or any other Service Recipient, nor shall any assets of the Company or any other Service Recipient be designated as attributable or allocated to the satisfaction of the Company’s obligations under the Plan.

 

7.             Transfers and Leaves of Absence

 

For purposes of the Plan, unless the Committee determines otherwise: (a) a transfer of a Participant’s employment without an intervening period of separation among the Company and any other Service Recipient shall not be deemed a termination of employment, and (b) a Participant who is granted in writing a leave of absence or who is entitled to a statutory leave of absence shall be deemed to have remained in the employ of the Company (and other Service Recipient) during such leave of absence.

 

8.             Adjustments

 

In the event of any stock split, spin-off, share combination, reclassification, recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization, merger, Change in Control, payment of a dividend (other than a cash dividend paid as part of a regular dividend program) or other similar transaction or occurrence which affects the equity securities of the Company or the value thereof, the Committee shall (i) adjust the number and kind of shares subject to the Plan and available for or covered by Grants, (ii) adjust the 

 

 

share prices related to outstanding Grants, and/or (iii) take such other action (including, without limitation providing for payment of a cash amount to holders of outstanding Grants), in each case as it deems reasonably necessary to address, on an equitable basis, the effect of the applicable corporate event on the Plan and any outstanding Grants, without adverse tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code.  Any such adjustment made or action taken by the Committee in accordance with the preceding sentence shall be final and binding upon holders of Options and upon the Company.

 

9.             Change in Control

 

In the event of a Change in Control: (a) if determined by the Committee in the applicable Grant Agreement or otherwise determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, any outstanding Grants then held by Participants which are unexercisable or otherwise unvested or subject to lapse restrictions may automatically be deemed exercisable or otherwise vested or no longer subject to lapse restrictions, as the case may be, as of immediately prior to such Change in Control and (b) the Committee may, to the extent determined by the Committee to be permitted under Section 409A of the Code, but shall not be obligated to: (i) cancel such awards for fair value (as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee) which, in the case of Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, may equal the excess, if any, of the value of the consideration to be paid in the Change in Control transaction to holders of the same number of Shares subject to such Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights (or, if no consideration is paid in any such transaction, the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to such Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights) over the aggregate option price of such Stock Options or the aggregate exercise price of such Stock Appreciation Rights, as the case may be; (ii) provide for the issuance of substitute awards that will substantially preserve the otherwise applicable terms of any affected Grants previously granted hereunder, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion; or (iii) provide that for a period of at least ten business days prior to the Change in Control, any Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights shall be exercisable as to all Shares subject thereto and that upon the occurrence of the Change in Control, such Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights shall terminate and be of no further force and effect; provided that if the Committee takes the actions set forth in this Section 9(b)(iii), Participants shall have the ability to pay for the shares with respect to which such Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights are being exercised by electing to have the number of Shares that would otherwise be issued to the Participant reduced by a number of Shares having an equivalent Fair Market Value to the payment that would otherwise be made by the Participant to the Company in respect of such exercise and the minimum statutory withholding that would have otherwise had to have been paid to the Company in relation with such exercise.

 

10.          Amendment and Termination

 

(a)         The Committee shall have the authority to make such amendments to any terms and conditions applicable to outstanding Grants as are consistent with this Plan, provided that no such action shall modify any Grant in a manner that adversely impacts, other than in a de minimis manner, a Participant with respect to any outstanding Grants, other than pursuant to Section 8, 9 or 10(c) hereof, without the Participant’s consent, except as such modification is provided for or contemplated in the terms of the Grant or this Plan.

 

(b)         The Board may amend, suspend or terminate the Plan, except that no such action, other than an action under Section 8, 9 or 10(c) hereof, may be taken which would, without stockholder approval, increase the aggregate number of Shares available for Grants under the Plan, decrease the price of outstanding Grants, change the requirements relating to the Committee, or extend the term of the Plan.  However, no such action shall adversely impact, other than in a de minimis manner, a Participant with respect to any outstanding Grants, other than pursuant to Section 8, 9 or 10(c) hereof, without the Participant’s consent, except as otherwise contemplated in the terms of the Grant or the Plan.

 

(c)          This Plan is intended to comply with Section 409A of the Code and will be interpreted in a manner intended to comply with Section 409A of the Code.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (i) if at the time of the Participant’s termination of employment with any Service Recipient the Participant is a “specified employee” as defined in Section 409A of the Code, and the deferral of the commencement of any payments or benefits otherwise payable hereunder as a result of such termination of service is necessary in order to prevent the imposition of any accelerated or additional tax under Section 409A of the Code, then the Company will defer the commencement of the payment of any such payments or benefits hereunder (without any reduction in such payments or benefits ultimately paid or provided to the Participant) until the date that is six months and one day following the Participant’s termination of employment with all Service Recipients (or the earliest date as is permitted under Section 409A of the Code), if such payment or benefit is payable upon a termination of employment and (ii) if any other payments of money or other benefits due to the Participant hereunder would cause the application of an accelerated or additional tax under Section 409A of the Code, such payments or other benefits shall be deferred, if deferral will make such payment or other benefits compliant under Section 409A of the Code, or otherwise such payment or other benefits shall be restructured, to the extent possible, in a manner, reasonably determined by the Board in consultation with the Participant, that does not cause such an accelerated or additional tax or result in an additional cost to the Company (without any reduction in such payments or benefits ultimately paid or provided to the Participant).

 

 

11.          Governing Law; International Participants

 

(a)         This Plan shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware applicable therein.

 

(b)         With respect to Participants who reside or work outside the United States of America, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, amend the terms of the Plan or awards with respect to such Participants in order to conform such terms with the requirements of local law or to obtain more favorable tax or other treatment for a Participant, the Company or any other Service Recipient.

 

12.          Withholding Taxes

 

The Company shall have the right to deduct from any payment made under the Plan any federal, state or local income or other taxes required by law to be withheld with respect to such payment.  It shall be a condition to the obligation of the Company to deliver Shares upon the exercise of a Stock Option that the Participant pays to the Company such amount as may be requested by the Company for the purpose of satisfying any liability for such withholding taxes.

 

13.          Effective Date and Termination Dates

 

The Plan shall be effective on September 24, 2007 and shall terminate ten years later, subject to earlier termination by the Board pursuant to Section 10.

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