Exhibit 10.2
[AMENDED AND
RESTATED]
CHANGE IN CONTROL
AGREEMENT
THIS [AMENDED AND RESTATED] CHANGE
IN CONTROL AGREEMENT dated as of [ ] (this
“ Agreement ”), is made by and between The Hain
Celestial Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation having its principal
offices at 58 South Service Road, Melville, NY 11747 (the “
Company ”), and [ ] (the
“ Executive ”).
WHEREAS, the Company considers it
essential to the best interest of its shareholders to foster the
continued employment of key executive management personnel;
and
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of
the Company (the “ Board ”) recognizes that, as
is the case with many publicly-held corporations, the possibility
of a Change in Control (as defined below) of the Company exists
from time to time and that such possibility, and the uncertainty,
instability and questions which it may raise for and among key
executive management personnel, may result in the premature
departure or significant distraction of such management personnel
to the material detriment of the Company and its stockholders;
and
WHEREAS, the Board has determined
that appropriate steps should be taken to reinforce, focus and
encourage the continued attention and dedication of key members of
the executive management of the Company and its subsidiaries,
including (without limitation) the Executive, to their assigned
duties without distraction in the face of potentially disturbing or
unsettling circumstances arising from the possibility of a Change
in Control of the Company[; and
WHEREAS, the Executive and the
Company previously have entered into a Change in Control Agreement
(the “ Prior Agreement ”); and
WHEREAS, the Executive and the
Company desire to amend and restate in its entirety the Prior
Agreement to comply with the final Treasury Regulations under
Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended].
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of
the premises and the mutual covenants herein contained, the Company
and the Executive hereby agree as follows:
1. Definitions . For
purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings
set forth below:
1.1 “ Annual Base
Salary ” shall mean the Executive’s rate of regular
base annual compensation prior to any reduction under a salary
reduction agreement pursuant to section 401(k) or section 125 of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time
(the “ Code ”), and shall not include (without
limitation) cost of living allowances, fees, retainers,
reimbursements, bonuses, incentive awards, prizes or similar
payments.
1.2 “ Cause ” for
termination by the Company or any subsidiary of the
Executive’s employment, after any Change in Control, shall
mean (i) the willful and continued failure by the Executive to
substantially perform the Executive’s duties with the
Company, or a subsidiary of the Company, as such duties may
reasonably be defined from time to time by the Board (or a duly
designated and authorized committee thereof), or to abide by the
reasonable written policies of the Company or of the
Executive’s primary employer (other than any such failure
resulting from the Executive’s incapacity due to physical or
mental illness or any such actual or anticipated failure after the
issuance of a Notice of Termination by the Executive for Good
Reason pursuant to Section 4.1) after a written demand for
substantial performance is delivered to the Executive by the Board,
which demand specifically identifies the manner in which the Board
believes that the Executive has not substantially performed the
Executive’s duties or has not abided by any reasonable
written policies, or (ii) the continued and willful engaging
by the Executive in conduct which is demonstrably and materially
injurious to the Company or its subsidiaries, monetarily or
otherwise. For purposes of clauses (i) and (ii) of this
definition, no act, or failure to act, on the Executive’s
part shall be deemed “willful” unless done, or omitted
to be done, by the Executive in bad faith and without reasonable
belief that the Executive’s act, or failure to act, was in
the best interests of the Company or its subsidiaries.
1.3 “ Change in Control
” shall mean and be deemed to have occurred if:
(i) The acquisition by any Person of
beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “
Exchange Act ”)) of 50% or more of the combined voting
power of the then outstanding Voting Stock of the Company;
provided, however, that for purposes of this Section 1.3(i),
the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change of
Control: (A) any issuance of Voting Stock of the Company
directly from the Company that is approved by the Incumbent Board
(as defined below), (B) any acquisition by the Company of
Voting Stock of the Company or (C) any acquisition of Voting
Stock of the Company by any Person pursuant to a Business
Combination (as defined below) that complies with clauses (A),
(B) and (C) of Section 1.3(iii) below; or
(ii) individuals who, as of the date
hereof, 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 member
of the Board (a “ Director ”) subsequent to the
date hereof whose election, or nomination for election by the
Company’s stockholders, was approved by a vote of at least
two-thirds of the Directors then comprising the Incumbent Board
(either by a specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of
the Company in which such person is named as a nominee for
director, without objection to such nomination) shall be deemed to
have been a member of the Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this
purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office
occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest
(within the meaning of Rule 14a-11 of the Exchange Act) 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; or
(iii) consummation of a
reorganization, merger or consolidation, a sale or other
disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the
Company, or other transaction
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(each, a “ Business
Combination ”), unless, in each case, immediately
following such Business Combination, (A) all or substantially
all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners
of Voting Stock of the Company immediately prior to such Business
Combination beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 50%
of the combined voting power of the then outstanding shares of
Voting Stock of the entity resulting from such Business Combination
(including, without limitation, an entity which as a result of such
transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the
Company’s assets either directly or through one or more
subsidiaries) in substantially the same proportions relative to
each other as their ownership, immediately prior to such Business
Combination, (B) no Person (other than the Company or such
entity resulting from such Business Combination beneficially owns,
directly or indirectly, 50% or more of the combined voting power of
the then outstanding shares of Voting Stock of the entity resulting
from such Business Combination and (C) at least a majority of
the members of the board of directors of the entity resulting from
such Business Combination were members of the Incumbent Board at
the time of the execution of the initial agreement or of the action
of the Board providing for such Business Combination; or
(iv) the stockholders of the Company
approve (a) the sale or disposition by the Company (other than
to a subsidiary of the Company) of all or substantially all of the
assets of the Company, or (b) a complete liquidation or
dissolution of the Company.
1.4 “ Company ”
shall mean The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. and any successor to its
business and/or assets which assumes (either expressly, by
operation of law or otherwise) and/or agrees to perform this
Agreement by operation of law or otherwise (except in determining,
under Section 1.3 hereof, whether or not any Change in Control
of the Company has occurred in connection with such
succession).
1.5 “ Disability
” shall mean and be deemed the reason for the termination by
the Executive of the Executive’s employment, if, as a result
of the Executive’s incapacity due to physical or mental
illness, the Executive shall have been absent from the full-time
performance of the Executive’s duties for a period of three
(3) consecutive months.
1.6 “ Good Reason
” for termination by the Executive of the Executive’s
employment in connection with or as a result of any Change in
Control shall mean the occurrence (without the Executive’s
prior express written consent) of any one of the following acts, or
failures to act, unless, in the case of any act or failure to act
described in clauses (i), (iv), (v) or (vi) below, such
act or failure to act is corrected by the Company or any subsidiary
prior to the Date of Termination specified in the Notice of
Termination given in respect thereof:
(i) the assignment to the Executive
of any duties or responsibilities inconsistent with the
Executive’s most significant position(s) (including without
limitation status, offices, titles and reporting
responsibilities/rights) as an executive officer of the Company
and/or a subsidiary held during the one hundred eighty
(180) day period immediately preceding any related Potential
Change in Control, or a substantial adverse alteration of the
Executive’s position or title(s) with the Company or any
subsidiary or in the nature of such status, offices, titles and
reporting responsibilities/rights;
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(ii) a reduction in the
Executive’s Annual Base Salary as in effect on the date of
this Agreement or as the same may be increased at any time
thereafter and from time to time;
(iii) the relocation of the
Company’s principal executive offices to a location more than
thirty (30) miles from its location on the date of this
Agreement (or, if different, more than thirty (30) miles from
where such offices are located immediately prior to any Potential
Change of Control) or the Company’s requiring the Executive
to be based anywhere other than the location where the Executive is
performing his duties immediately prior to any Potential Change in
Control, except for required travel on the Company’s business
to an extent substantially consistent with the Executive’s
business travel obligations as of the date of the Potential Change
in Control;
(iv) any failure by the Company to
comply with any of the provisions of this Agreement, other than an
isolated, insubstantial and inadvertent failure not occurring in
bad faith and which is remedied by the Company promptly after
receipt of notice thereof given by the Executive;
(v) the failure by the Company or a
subsidiary to continue in effect any pension benefit or incentive
or deferred compensation plan in which the Executive participates
immediately prior to any Potential Change in Control which is
material to the Executive’s total compensation, unless an
equitable arrangement (embodied in an ongoing substitute or
alternative plan or arrangement) has been made with respect to such
plan, or the failure by the Company or a subsidiary to continue the
Executive’s participation therein (or in such substitute or
alternative plan or arrangement) on a basis not materially less
favorable, both in terms of the amount of benefits provided and the
level of the Executive’s participation relative to other
participants, as existed at the time of the Potential Change in
Control;
(vi) the failure by the Company or a
subsidiary to continue to provide the Executive with health and
welfare benefits substantially similar to those enjoyed by the
Executive under any of the Company’s or a subsidiary’s
retirement, life insurance, medical, health and accident, or
disability or similar plans in which the Executive was
participating at the time of any Potential Change in Control, the
taking of any action by the Company or a subsidiary which would
directly or indirectly materially reduce any of such benefits or
deprive the Executive of any material fringe benefit enjoyed by the
Executive at the time of the Potential Change in Control, or the
failure by the Company or a subsidiary to provide the Executive
with the number of paid vacation days to which the Executive is
entitled in accordance with the Company or a subsidiary’s
normal vacation policy in effect at the time of the Potential
Change in Control;
(vii) any purported termination of
the Executive’s employment which is not effected pursuant to
a Notice of Termination satisfying the requirements of
Section 4.1; and/or
(viii) a termination by the
Executive of his employment for any reason during the Window
Period.
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1.7 “ Person ”
shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 3(a)(9) of
the Exchange Act, as modified, applied and used in Sections 13(d)
and 14(d) thereof; provided, however, a Person shall not include
(i) the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) a
trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee
benefit plan of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (in its
capacity as such), (iii) an underwriter temporarily holding
securities pursuant to an offering of such securities, or
(iv) a corporation or other entity owned, directly or
indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the
same character and proportions as their ownership of stock of the
Company.
1.8 “ Potential Change in
Control ” shall mean and be deemed to have occurred
if:
(i) the Company enters into an
agreement the consummation of which would result in the occurrence
of a Change in Control;
(ii) the Board adopts a resolution
to the effect that, for purposes of this Agreement, a Potential
Change in Control has occurred; and/or
(iii) any Person becomes, after the
date hereof, the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of
securities of the Company representing twenty five percent
(25%) or more of the combined voting power of the
Company’s then outstanding securities, or any Person
increases such Person’s beneficial ownership of such
securities by five (5) percentage points or more over the
percentage so owned by such Person on the date hereof.
1.9 “ Voting Power
” means securities entitled to vote generally in the election
of directors.
1.10 “ Window Period
” shall mean the thirteen (13) month period following a
Change in Control.
2. Term of this
Agreement . This Agreement shall commence on the date
hereof and shall continue in effect as long as the Executive is
employed by the Company, provided, however, that if (i) a
Change in Control shall have occurred during the Executive’s
employment with the Company, this Agreement shall continue in
effect until the termination of the applicable Window Period, or
(ii) if a Potential Change in Control shall have occurred
during the Executive’s employment with the Company, this
Agreement shall continue in effect until one (1) year after
the Executive’s termination of employment with the Company
(the “ Term ”).
3. Severance Payments
.
3.1 Severance . The Company
shall pay the Executive the payments described in
Section 3.1.1 and 3.1.2 (the “ Severance Payments
”) upon the termination of the Executive’s employment
with the Company during the Window Period (including, but not
limited to, the Executive’s termination of employment for
Good Reason, death or Disability), unless such termination is
(i) by the Company for Cause, or (ii) by the Executive
without Good Reason. In addition, the Executive’s employment
shall be deemed to have been terminated immediately following a
Change in Control by the Company without Cause or by the Executive
for Good Reason if (a) the Executive reasonably demonstrates
that the Executive’s employment was
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terminated prior to a Change in Control without
Cause (1) at the request of a Person who has entered into an
agreement with the Company the consummation of which will
constitute a Change in Control (or who has taken other steps
reasonably calculated to effect a Change in Control) or
(2) otherwise in connection with, as a result of or in
anticipation of a Change in Control, (b) the Executive
terminates his employment for Good Reason prior to a Change in
Control and the Executive reasonably demonstrates that the
circumstance(s) or event(s) which constitute such Good Reason
occurred (1) at the request of such Person or
(2) otherwise in connection with, as a result of or in
anticipation of a Change in Control, or (c) the Executive dies
or is terminated due to Disability, in each case, after the
occurrence of a Potential Change in Control and related Change in
Control actually occurs within one (1) year after the Date of
Termination or th