CHANGE IN CONTROL SEVERANCE
AGREEMENT
AS AMENDED AND
RESTATED
THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED CHANGE IN CONTROL
SEVERANCE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made on
December 1, 2008 between Massey Energy Company, a Delaware
corporation (the “Company”), and ______ (the
“Executive”) and amends, restates and supercedes the
Change in Control Severance Agreement between the Company and the
Executive (the “Original Agreement”), effective as of
______ (the “Effective Date”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, Executive is a senior executive of the
Company or one of its Subsidiaries (as defined below) and has made
and is expected to continue to make major contributions to the
short-term and long-term profitability, growth and financial
strength of the Company; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company
(the “Board,” as defined in Section 23) recognizes
that, as is the case with many publicly-held corporations, the
possibility of a Change in Control (as defined in Section 23)
exists and that such possibility, and the uncertainty and questions
which it may raise among management, may result in the departure or
distraction of key management personnel to the detriment of the
Company and its stockholders; and
WHEREAS, the Board has determined that
appropriate steps should be taken to reinforce and encourage the
continued attention and dedication of, and to contract for the
continued rendering of services by, members of the Company’s
management, including Executive, in connection with their assigned
duties without distraction in the face of potentially disturbing
circumstances, and without the Company’s loss of needed
personnel, arising from the possibility of a Change in Control;
and
WHEREAS, in consideration of Executive’s
continued employment with the Company, the Company desires to
provide Executive with certain compensation and benefits set forth
in this Agreement in order to ameliorate the financial and career
impact on Executive in the event Executive’s employment with
the Company is terminated for a reason related to a Change in
Control; and
WHEREAS, the Company and the Executive entered
into the Original Agreement, effective as of the Effective Date;
and
WHEREAS, the Company and the Executive now
desire to amend, restate and supercede the Original Agreement to
reflect provisions of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Service
Code and the final regulations issued thereunder, which amendment
is to be effective as of the Effective Date.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the
foregoing and the mutual covenants and agreements hereinafter set
forth (including definitions of capitalized terms which are set
forth in Section 23 and throughout this Agreement) and intending to
be legally bound hereby, the Company and Executive agree as
follows:
1. Obligations of Executive to Remain
Employed . Executive agrees that in the event any
person or group attempts a Change in Control and he is either
notified by the Board or aware of an attempted Change in Control,
he shall not, without the written agreement of the Board,
voluntarily leave the employ of the Company other than by reason of
a Constructive Termination Associated With a Change in Control (as
defined in Section 23) (i) until such attempted Change in Control
terminates or (ii) if a Change in Control shall occur, until the
occurrence of such actual Change in Control. For
purposes of the foregoing clause (i) and this Agreement,
Constructive Termination Associated With a Change in Control shall
be determined, except as expressly provided in the definition of
the term, as if a Change in Control had occurred when such
attempted Change in Control (which is sometimes referred to herein
as a “potential”, as opposed to an
“actual”, Change in Control) became known to the
Board. For purposes of this Agreement, any decision by
the Board that the person or group has abandoned or terminated his
or its efforts to effect a Change in Control shall be conclusive
and binding on Executive.
2. Termination Associated With a Change in
Control .
(a) Involuntary Termination Associated With a
Change in Control . Executive shall be entitled to the payments
and benefits provided in Section 2(b) in the event
Executive’s employment is terminated after, or in connection
with, a Change in Control, on account of:
(i) an Involuntary Termination Associated With a
Change in Control (as defined in Section 23) within the two-year
period after an actual Change in Control,
(ii) a termination by the Company, other than
for Cause (as defined in Section 23) or other than due to
Executive’s death or Disability (as defined in Section 23),
that (A) occurs not more than three (3) months prior to the date on
which an actual Change in Control occurs or (B) is requested by a
third party who initiates and effects an actual Change in Control,
or
(iii) a termination by Executive that occurs
after a potential Change in Control but before an actual Change in
Control and is considered a Constructive Termination Associated
With a Change in Control.
For purposes of clause (ii)(B) in the preceding
sentence, to be eligible to receive amounts described in Section
2(b) below, a Change in Control must be consummated within the
twelve (12) month period following Executive’s Termination
Date (as defined in Section 23), except in circumstances pursuant
to which the consummation of the Change in Control is delayed,
through no failure of the Company or the third person, by a
governmental or regulatory authority or agency with jurisdiction
over the matter, or as a result of other similar circumstances. In
such a circumstance, the remainder of the twelve (12) month period
shall be tolled and shall recommence upon termination of the
delaying event.
(b) Payments Upon Involuntary Termination
Associated With a Change in Control . Subject to the provisions
of Section 2(c) or Sections 3 and 6 hereof, in the event a
termination described in Section 2(a) occurs, the Company shall pay
and provide to Executive on or beginning, as applicable, the first
business day that occurs following sixty (60) days after his
Termination Date or, where Executive is entitled to benefits under
this Agreement by reason of clause (ii) or (iii) of Section 2(a)
above, the later of as soon as administratively feasible after the
date an actual Change in Control occurs or the first business day
that occurs following sixty (60) days after his Termination Date
(contingent on the execution of the release without revocation as
contemplated in Section 4 hereof):
(i) a lump sum cash payment equal to 1.5 times
Executive’s Base Pay (as defined in Section 23);
(ii) a lump sum cash payment equal to 1.5 times
Executive’s Target Bonus (as defined in Section
23);
(iii) a pro rated payment of his Target Bonus
for the year in which Executive’s Termination Date occurs.
The pro rated payment shall be based on Executive’s Target
Bonus as of Executive’s Termination Date, multiplied by a
fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days during which
Executive was employed by the Company in the year of his
termination and the denominator of which is 365;
(iv) any award under the Company’s
long-term cash and equity incentive program, including stock
option, restricted stock, restricted unit, other equity- or
cash-based incentive awards or other equity- or cash-based
incentive agreements, which by its terms vests in connection with
the Change in Control, provided that payment of such award shall be
determined solely by the terms of such award and any plan, program
or arrangement which controls its determination and payment;
and
(v) for a period of 24 months following his
Termination Date, Executive shall continue to receive on a monthly
basis the medical and dental coverage in effect on his Termination
Date (or generally comparable coverage) for himself and, if
applicable, his spouse and dependents, as the same may be changed
from time to time for employees generally, as if Executive had
continued in employment during such period; or, as an alternative,
the Company may elect to pay Executive cash in lieu of such
coverage in an amount equal to Executive’s reasonable
after-tax cost of continuing comparable coverage, where such
coverage may not be continued by the Company (or where such
continuation would adversely affect the tax status of the plan
pursuant to which the coverage is provided), with any such cash
payments to be made in accordance with the ordinary payroll
practices of the Company (not less frequently than monthly) for
employees generally for the period during which such cash payments
are to be provided.
(A) If Executive does not receive the cash
payment described in the preceding sentence, the Company shall take
all commercially reasonable efforts to provide that the COBRA (as
defined in Section 23) health care continuation coverage period
under section 4980B of the Code (as defined in Section 23) shall
commence immediately after the foregoing 24 month benefit period,
with such continuation coverage continuing until the end of
applicable COBRA health care continuation coverage
period.
(B) If Executive would have been eligible for
post-retirement medical and dental coverage had he retired from
employment during the period of 24 months following his Termination
Date, but is not so eligible as the result of his Involuntary
Termination Associated With a Change in Control, then at the
conclusion of the benefit continuation period described in (A)
above, the Company shall take all commercially reasonable efforts
to provide Executive on a monthly basis with additional continued
group medical and dental coverage comparable to that which would
have been available to him from time to time under the
Company’s post-retirement medical and dental program, for as
long as such coverage would have been available under such program,
or, as an alternative, the Company may elect to pay Executive cash
in lieu of such coverage in an amount equal to Executive’s
reasonable after-tax cost of continuing comparable coverage, where
such coverage may not be continued by the Company (or where such
continuation would adversely affect the tax status of the plan
pursuant to which the coverage is provided), with any such cash
payments to be made in accordance with the ordinary payroll
practices of the Company (not less frequently than monthly) for
employees generally for the period during which such cash payments
are to be provided.
(c) Limitation on Payments and Benefits .
Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the sum
of the maximum amount payable and the value of the benefits
provided to Executive pursuant to this Section 2 and Section 6(a)
shall be limited to 2.99 times the sum of Executive’s Base
Pay and Bonus (as defined in Section 23). In the event a reduction
is required pursuant hereto, unless Executive is permitted by the
Company to choose the order of reduction, the order of reduction
shall be first all cash payments on a pro rata basis, then any
equity compensation on a pro rata basis, and lastly medical and
dental coverage.
(d) Cessation of Employment on Account of
Disability, Cause or Death . Notwithstanding anything in this
Agreement to the contrary, if Executive’s employment
terminates on account of Disability, Executive shall be entitled to
receive disability benefits under any disability program maintained
by the Company that covers Executive, and Executive shall not be
considered to have terminated employment under this Agreement and
shall not receive payments and benefits pursuant to this Section 2.
If Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company on
account of Cause or because of his death, Executive shall not be
considered to have terminated employment under this Agreement and
shall not receive payments and benefits pursuant to this Section
2.
(e) Beneficiaries . Executive shall be
entitled to select (and change, to the extent permitted under any
applicable law) a beneficiary or beneficiaries to receive any
compensation or benefit payable hereunder following
Executive’s death, and may change such election, in either
case by giving the Company written notice thereof. In the event of
Executive’s death or a judicial determination of his
incompetence, reference in this Agreement to Executive shall be
deemed, where appropriate, to refer to his beneficiary, estate or
other legal representative. If Executive dies without having
designated a beneficiary, or if the beneficiary so designated has
predeceased Executive or cannot be located by the Company within
one year after the date when the Company commenced making a
reasonable effort to locate such beneficiary, then Executive's
surviving spouse, or if none, then Executive's estate shall be
deemed to be his beneficiary.
3. Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan
Omnibus Provisions . Notwithstanding any other provision of
this Agreement, it is intended that any payment or benefit which is
provided pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement which is
considered to be nonqualified deferred compensation subject to
Section 409A of the Code shall be provided and paid in a manner,
and at such time and in such form, as complies with the applicable
requirements of Section 409A of the Code to avoid the unfavorable
tax consequences provided therein for
non-compliance. Notwithstanding any other provision of
this Agreement, the Board is authorized to amend this Agreement, to
amend any election made by Executive under this Agreement and/or to
delay the payment of any monies and/or provision of any benefits in
such manner as may be determined by it to be necessary or
appropriate to comply, or to evidence or further evidence required
compliance, with Section 409A of the Code (including any transition
or grandfather rules thereunder). For purposes of this
Agreement, all rights to payments and benefits hereunder shall be
treated as rights to a series of separate payments and benefits to
the fullest extent allowable by Section 409A of the
Code. Payments or provision of benefits in connection
with a separation from service payment event will be delayed, to
the extent applicable, until six months after the separation from
service or, if earlier, the Executive’s death, if the
Executive is a key employee of a publicly traded corporation under
Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code (the “409A Deferral
Period”). In the event such payments are otherwise
due to be made in installments or periodically during the 409A
Deferral Period, the payments which would otherwise have been made
in the 409A Deferral Period shall be accumulated and paid in a lump
sum as soon as the 409A Deferral Period ends, and the balance of
the payments shall be made as otherwise scheduled. In
the event benefits are required to be deferred, any such benefit
may be provided during the 409A Deferral Period at
Executive’s expense, with Executive having a right to
reimbursement from the Company once the 409A Deferral Period ends,
and the balance of the benefits shall be provided as otherwise
scheduled. For purposes of this Agreement, termination
of employment will be read to mean a “separation from
service” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code where
it is reasonably anticipated that no further services would be
performed after that date or that the level of bona fide services
Executive would perform after that date (whether as an employee or
independent contractor) would permanently decrease to no more than
20 percent of the average level of bona fide services performed
over the immediately preceding thirty-six (36)-month
period.
4. Release . Notwithstanding the
foregoing, no payments shall be made or benefits provided under
Section 2(b) unless Executive executes, and does not revoke, the
Company’s standard written release, substantially in the form
as attached hereto as Appendix A (the “Release”), of
any and all claims against the Company and all related parties with
respect to all matters arising out of Executive’s employment
by the Company (other than any claim or entitlement under an
employee benefit, long term cash or equity compensation plan,
program, arrangement or agreement which is due pursuant to the
terms of such plan, program, arrangement or agreement) or a
termination thereof. Such Release must be provided within sixty
(60) days after Executive’s Termination Date or, where
Executive is entitled to benefits under this Agreement by reason of
clause (ii) or (iii) of Section 2(a) above, the later of the date
an actual Change in Control occurs or within sixty (60) days after
the Executive’s Termination Date.
5. Enforcement . Without limiting the
rights of Executive at law or in equity, except as provided in
Section 6, if the Company fails to make any payment or provide any
benefit required to be made or provided hereunder on a timely
basis, the Company will pay interest on the amount or value thereof
at an annualized rate of interest equal to the so-called composite
“prime rate” as quoted from time to time during the
relevant period in the Eastern Edition of The Wall Street
Journal . Such interest will be payable as it accrues
consistent with the timing of the related payments or benefits to
be provided. Any change in such prime rate will be effective on and
as of the date of such change.
6. Tax Limitation on Payments by the
Company . The provisions of this Section 6 shall apply
notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary.
(a) Subject to the limitation in Section 2(c),
in the event that it shall be determined that any Payment would
constitute an “excess parachute payment” within the
meaning of Section 280G of the Code, then the Payments under
Section 2 of this Agreement (“Change in Control
Payments”) shall be reduced (but not below zero) so that the
Present Value of the aggregate of all Payments does not exceed the
Reduced Amount; provided, however, that no such reduction shall be
effected if the Net After-tax Benefit to Executive of receiving all
of the Payments exceeds the Net After-tax Benefit to Executive
resulting from having such Change in Control Payments so reduced.
In the event a reduction is required pursuant hereto, the order of
reduction shall be first all cash payments on a pro rata basis,
then all equity compensation on a pro rata basis, and lastly
medical and dental coverage. For purposes of this Section 6, the
following terms have the following meanings:
(i) “Net After-tax Benefit” shall
mean the Present Value of a Payment net of all federal state and
local income, employment and excise taxes imposed on Executive with
respect thereto, determined by applying the highest marginal
rate(s) applicable to an individual for Executive’s taxable
year in which the Change in Control occurs.
(ii) “Payment” means any payment or
distribution or provision of benefits by the Company to or for the
benefit of Executive, whether paid or payable or distributed or
distributable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or otherwise,
but determined without regard to any reductions required by this
Section 6.
(iii) “Present Value” shall mean
such value determined in accordance with Section 280G(d)(4) of the
Code.
(iv) “Reduced Amount” shall be an
amount expressed in Present Value which maximizes the aggregate
Present Value of Payments without causing any Payment to be subject
to excise tax under Section 4999 of the Code or the deduction
limitation of Section 280G of the Code.
(b) Except as set forth in the next sentence,
all determinations to be made under this Section 6 shall be made by
the nationally recognized independent public accounting firm used
by the Company immediately prior to the Change in Control
(“Accounting Firm”), which Accounting Firm shall
provide its determinations and any supporting calculations to the
Company and Executive within ten days of Executive’s
Termination Date. If determined by the Accounting Firm to be
excludible from parachute payments under Section 280G of the Code,
the value of Executive’s non-competition covenant under
Section 10(a) of this Agreement shall be determined by independent
appraisal by a nationally-recognized business valuation firm
acceptable to both Executive and the Company, and a portion of the
Change in Control Payments shall, to the extent of that appraised
value, be specifically allocated as reasonable compensation for
such non-competition covenant and shall not be treated as a
parachute payment. Any such determination by the Accounting Firm
shall be binding upon the Company and Executive.
(c) If the Accounting Firm determines
that Change in Control Payments should be reduced, the Company
shall promptly give Executive notice to that effect and a copy of
the detailed calculation thereof. All determinations
made by the Accounting Firm under this Section 6 shall be binding
upon the Company and Executive and shall be made within twenty (20)
business days of Executive’s Termination Date.
(d) While it is the intention of the
Company and Executive to reduce the amounts payable or
distributable to Executive hereunder only if the aggregate Net
After-tax Benefit to Executive would thereby be increased in the
manner provided for herein, as a result of the uncertainty in the
application of Section 4999 of the Code at the time of the initial
determination by the Accounting Firm hereunder, it is possible that
amounts will have been paid or distributed by the Company to or for
the benefit of Executive pursuant to this Agreement which should
not have been so paid or distributed (“Overpayment”) or
that additional amounts which will have not been paid or
distributed by the Company to or for the benefit of Executive
pursuant to this Agreement could have been so paid or distributed
(“Underpayment”), in each case, consistent with the
calculation of the Reduced Amount hereunder. In the
event that the Accounting Firm, based either upon the assertion of
a deficiency by the Internal Revenue Service against the Company or
Executive which the Accounting Firm believes has a high probability
of success determines that an Overpayment has been made, any such
Overpayment paid or distributed by the Company to or for the
benefit of Executive shall be treated for all purposes as a loan to
Executive which Executive shall repay to the Company together with
interest at the applicable federal rate provided for in Section
7872(f)(2) of the Code; provided, however, that no such loan shall
be deemed to have been made and no amount shall be payable by
Executive to the Company if and to the extent such deemed loan and
payment would not either reduce the amount on which Executive is
subject to tax under Sections 1 and 4999 of the Code or generate a
refund of such taxes. In the event that the Accounting Firm, based
upon controlling precedent or substantial authority, determines
that an Underpayment has occurred, any such Underpayment shall be
promptly paid by the Company to or for the benefit of Executive
together with interest at the applicable federal rate provided for
in Section 7872(f)(2) of the Code.
(e) All of the fees and expenses of the
Accounting Firm in performing the determinations referred to in
this Section 6 shall be borne solely by the Company.
7. Duties upon Termination; Mitigation
Obligation . Upon termination of employment for any reason,
Executive or his estate shall surrender to the Company all
correspondence, letters, files, contracts, mailing lists, customer
lists, advertising materials, ledgers, supplies, equipment, checks,
and all other materials and records of any kind that are the
property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates,
that may be in Executive’s possession or under his control,
including all copies of any of the foregoing. The Company
hereby acknowledges that it will be difficult and may be impossible
for Executive to find reasonably comparable employment following
the Termination Date. Accordingly, the payment and provision of the
severance compensation by the Company to Executive in accordance
with the terms of this Agreement is hereby acknowledged by the
Company to be reasonable, and Executive will not be required to
mitigate the amount of any payment or benefit provided for in this
Agreement by seeking other employment or otherwise, nor will any
profits, income, earnings or other benefits from any source
whatsoever create any mitigation, offset, reduction or any other
obligation on the part of Executive hereunder or
otherwise.
8. Legal Fees and Expenses . If
litigation or arbitration is commenced by either party to enforce
or interpret any provision contained in this Agreement, the Company
will undertake to indemnify Executive for his reasonable attorneys'
fees and expenses associated with such litigation or arbitration if
Executive substantially prevails in such litigation or arbitration
or any settlement thereof. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, if it should appear to Executive that the Company has
failed to comply with any of its obligations under this Agreement
or in the event that the Company or any other person takes or
threatens to take any action to declare this Agreement void or
unenforceable, or institutes any litigation or other action or
proceeding designed to deny, or to recover from, Executive the
benefits provided or intended to be provided to Executive under
Section 2 of this Agreement, the Company will in any event
reimburse Executive for his reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses
incurred in connection therewith up to $10,000 without regard to
the commencement or outcome of any litigation or arbitration in
order for Executive to retain counsel to advise and represent
Executive in connection with any such interpretation, enforcement
or defense, including without limitation the initiation or defense
of any litigation or other legal action, whether by or against the
Company or any director, officer or employee of the Company, in any
jurisdiction. Notwithstanding any existing or prior attorney-client
relationship between the Company and such counsel, the Company
irrevocably consents to Executive’s entering into an
attorney-client relationship with such counsel, and in that
connection, the Company and Executive agree that a confidential
relationship will exist between Executive and such counsel. The
first $10,000 of such expenses will be paid by the Company as they
are incurred by Executive, and any balance thereof due to Executive
shall be paid within thirty (30) days after any final judgment or
decision or settlement in which Executive substantially
prevails. Any reimbursements to be paid by the Company
to the Executive under this Section 8 for the first $10,000 of such
expenses must be paid as soon as administratively feasible after
the Executive incurs the expense and the Executive will be entitled
to receive any balance thereof as soon as
administratively feasible after the termination of such litigation
or arbitration or any settlement thereof under terms on which the
Executive substantially prevails.
9. Confidentiality . Executive hereby
covenants and agrees that, except as specifically requested or
directed by the Company, he will not disclose to any person not
employed by the Company, or use in connection with engaging in
competition with the Company, any confidential or proprietary
information (as provided below) of the Company. For purposes of
this Agreement, the term “confidential or proprietary
information” will include all information of any nature and
in any form that is owned by the Company and that is not publicly
available (other than by Executive’s breach of this Section
9) or generally known to persons engaged in businesses similar or
related to those of the Company. Confidential or proprietary
information will include, without limitation, the Company’s
financial matters, customers, employees, industry contracts,
strategic business plans, product development (or other proprietary
product data), marketing plans, consulting solutions and processes,
and all other secrets and all other information of a confidential
or proprietary nature which is protected by the Uniform Trade
Secrets Act. For purposes of the preceding two sentences, the term
“Company” will also include any Subsidiary (as defined
in Section 23; collectively, the “Restricted Group”).
The foregoing obligations imposed by this Section 9 will not apply
(i) in the course of the business of and for the benefit of the
Company, (ii) if such confidential or proprietary information has
become, through
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