9.Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which shall constitute one and the same instrument.
10.Grantee Acknowledgment. The Grantee hereby acknowledges that all decisions, determinations and interpretations of the Company in respect of this Agreement and the Award shall be final and conclusive.
11.Non-Transferability. The Award may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated (a “Transfer”), other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. If any prohibited Transfer, whether voluntary or involuntary, of the Award is attempted to be made, or if any attachment, execution, garnishment, or lien shall be attempted to be issued against or placed upon the Award, the Grantee’s right to the Award shall be immediately forfeited to the Company, and this Agreement shall be null and void.
12.Tax Withholding. The Company or its affiliates may deduct and withhold from the Award such federal, state, local foreign or other taxes as are required to be withheld pursuant to any applicable law or regulation.
13.Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to principles of conflicts of laws of such state.
14.Notices. All notices or other communications provided hereunder must be in writing and mailed or delivered either (a) to the Company at its principal place of business; or (b) to the Grantee at the address on file with the Company, or such other address as the Company or the
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Grantee may provide to the other for purposes of providing notice. Any such notice shall be deemed effective (i) upon delivery if delivered in person; (ii) on the next business day if transmitted by national overnight courier; and (iii) on the fourth business day following mailing by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid.
15.Agreement Not a Contract for Services. Neither the granting of the Award nor this Agreement shall constitute or be evidence of any agreement or understanding, express or implied, that the Grantee has a right to continue to provide services as an officer, director, employee, consultant or advisor of the Company or any of its affiliates for any period of time or at any specific rate of compensation.
16.Representations. The Grantee has reviewed with the Grantee’s own tax advisors the federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The Grantee is relying solely on such advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its agents.
17.Amendments; Construction. The Committee may amend the terms of this Agreement prospectively or retroactively at any time, but no such amendment shall impair the rights of the Grantee hereunder without the Grantee’s consent. Headings to Sections of this Agreement are intended for convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and shall have no effect on the interpretation hereof.
18.Section 409A. The Award is intended to be exempt from the requirements of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Treasury Regulations and other guidance issued thereunder (collectively, “Section 409A”), under the short-term deferral exemption described in Section 1.409A-1(b)(4) of the Treasury Regulations, and this Agreement shall be interpreted and administered consistent with such intention. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company makes no representations that the Award is exempt from or complies with Section 409A, 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 the Grantee on account of non-compliance with Section 409A.
19.Clawback Policy. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, any portion of the Award paid hereunder shall be subject to potential cancellation, recoupment, rescission, payback or other action in accordance with the terms of the Company’s Detrimental Conduct Recoupment Policy, the Company’s Policy for the Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation, as well as any other recoupment or similar policy, if any, that the Company may adopt from time to time (collectively, the “Policies”). The Grantee agrees and consents to the Company’s application, implementation and enforcement of (a) the Policies that may apply to the Grantee; and (b) any provision of applicable law relating to cancellation, rescission, payback or recoupment of compensation, and expressly agrees that the Company may take such actions as are necessary to effectuate the Policies or applicable law without further consent or action being required by the Grantee. To the extent that the terms of this Agreement and any Policy conflict, then the terms of the Policy shall prevail.
[Signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Agreement to be duly executed by its duly authorized officer and the Grantee has hereunto signed this Agreement on the Grantee’s own behalf, thereby representing that the Grantee has carefully read and understands this Agreement as of the day and year first written above.