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EXELIXIS, INC. CHANGE IN CONTROL AND SEVERANCE BENEFIT PLAN

Change of Control Agreement

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EXELIXIS, INC

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Title: EXELIXIS, INC. CHANGE IN CONTROL AND SEVERANCE BENEFIT PLAN
Governing Law: California     Date: 3/10/2009
Industry: Biotechnology and Drugs     Sector: Healthcare

EXELIXIS, INC. CHANGE IN CONTROL AND SEVERANCE BENEFIT PLAN, Parties: exelixis  inc
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Exhibit 10.19

EXELIXIS, INC.

CHANGE IN CONTROL AND SEVERANCE BENEFIT PLAN

SECTION 1. I NTRODUCTION .

The Exelixis, Inc. Change in Control and Severance Benefit Plan (the “ Plan ”), established on December 9, 2005, is hereby amended and restated effective December 23, 2008 (the “ Effective Date ”). The purpose of the Plan is to provide for the payment of severance benefits to certain eligible employees of Exelixis, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries (the “ Company ”) in the event that such employees are subject to qualifying employment terminations and additional benefits if such qualifying employment termination occurs in connection with a Change in Control. This Plan shall supersede any severance benefit plan, contract, agreement, policy or practice maintained by the Company on the Effective Date; provided , however , that if any provision relating to stock options or other awards contained in the Company’s 2000 Equity Incentive Plan, or any successor or similar plan adopted by the Company (the “ Equity Incentive Plan ”) is more favorable to an employee than the corresponding provision or the absence of such corresponding provision in the Plan, then such more favorable provision in the Equity Incentive Plan shall govern, but the remainder of the Plan shall continue in full force and effect. As applicable, this Plan shall constitute an amendment to an employee’s stock option agreement or other agreement under the Equity Incentive Plan. This document also is the Summary Plan Description for the Plan.

SECTION 2. D EFINITIONS .

For purposes of the Plan, except as otherwise provided in the applicable Participation Notice, the following terms are defined as follows:

(a) “Base Salary” means the Participant’s annual base pay (excluding incentive pay, premium pay, commissions, overtime, bonuses and other forms of variable compensation), at the rate in effect during the last regularly scheduled payroll period immediately preceding the date of the Participant’s Covered Termination divided by twelve (12).

(b) “Board” means the Board of Directors of Exelixis, Inc.

(c) “Bonus” means the Participant’s target bonus established by the Company’s Compensation Committee for the year in which the Covered Termination occurs divided by twelve (12).

(d) “Change in Control” means one of the following events or a series of more than one of the following events: (i) when a person, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) acquires beneficial ownership of the Company’s capital stock equal to 50% or more of either (x) the then-outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock or (y) the combined voting power of the Company’s then-outstanding securities to vote generally in the election of directors; (ii) upon the consummation by the

 

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Company of (x) a reorganization, merger or consolidation, provided that, in each case, the persons who were the Company’s stockholders immediately prior to the reorganization, merger or consolidation do not, immediately after, own more than 50% of the combined voting power entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the reorganized, merged or consolidated company’s then outstanding voting securities, or (y) a liquidation or dissolution of the Company or the sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets; or (iii) when the Continuing Directors (as defined below) do not constitute a majority of the Board (or, if applicable, the Board of a successor corporation to the Company), where the term “Continuing Director” means at any date a member of the Board (x) who was a member of the Board on the date of the initial adoption of this Plan by the Board or (y) who was nominated or elected subsequent to such date by at least a majority of the directors who were Continuing Directors at the time of such nomination or election or whose election to the Board was recommended or endorsed by at least a majority of the directors who were Continuing Directors at the time of such nomination or election; provided , however , that any individual whose initial assumption of office occurred as a result of an 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, is excluded from clause (iii)(y) above. For the purposes of this definition, (i) prior to a Change in Control, “Company” shall mean only Exelixis, Inc. or its successor and shall not include (A) its wholly owned subsidiaries or (B) the surviving or controlling entity resulting from a Change in Control or the entity to which the Company’s assets were transferred in the case of an asset sale constituting a Change in Control and (ii) following a Change in Control, “Company” shall mean only Exelixis, Inc. (or its successor) and any surviving or controlling entity resulting from such Change in Control or the entity to which the Company’s assets were transferred in the case of an asset sale constituting such a Change in Control and shall not include any wholly owned subsidiaries.

(e) “Change in Control Termination” means a Covered Termination which occurs within one (1) month prior to or within thirteen (13) months following the effective date of a Change in Control.

(f) “COBRA Period” means (i) in the case of a Change in Control Termination, the number of months set forth in Section 4(a)(iii) and (ii) in the case of a Covered Termination that is not a Change in Control Termination, (x) in the case of an Executive Participant, six (6) months and (y) in the case of a Participant who is not an Executive Participant, zero (0) months.

(g) “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

(h) “Company” means Exelixis, Inc., its wholly owned subsidiaries, any successor to Exelixis, Inc. and, following a Change in Control, the surviving or controlling entity resulting from such a Change in Control or the entity to which the Company’s assets were transferred in the case where the Change in Control is an asset sale.

(i) “Constructive Termination” means a voluntary termination of employment with the Company resulting in a “separation from service” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h) (without regard to any permissible alternative definition of “termination of employment” thereunder) by a Participant after one of the following is undertaken without the Participant’s written consent: (i) reduction of such Participant’s base salary by more than ten

 

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percent (10%) as in effect immediately prior to the time such reduction occurs; (ii) the occurrence of a material diminution in the package of welfare benefit plans, taken as a whole, in which such Participant is entitled to participate immediately prior to the time such material diminution (except that such Participant’s contributions may be raised to the extent of any cost increases imposed by third parties); provided , however , that such material diminution qualifies as an “involuntary separation from service” as provided under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(n)(2)(i) or (ii); (iii) a change in such Participant’s responsibilities, authority or offices that, taken as a whole, result in a material diminution of position; provided , however , that a change in the Participant’s title or reporting relationships shall not by itself constitute a Constructive Termination; (iv) a request that such Participant relocate to a worksite that is more than thirty-five (35) miles from such Participant’s prior worksite, unless such Participant accepts such relocation opportunity; (v) a material reduction in duties; (vi) a failure or refusal of any successor company to assume the obligations of the Company under an agreement with such Participant; or (vii) a material breach by the Company of any of the material provisions of an agreement with such Participant, including, without limitation, a breach of the terms of any agreement or program providing for the payment of bonus compensation. Notwithstanding any provision of this definition of “Constructive Termination” to the contrary, an event or action by the Company shall not give the Participant grounds to voluntarily terminate employment as a Constructive Termination unless the Participant gives the Company written notice within thirty (30) days of the initial existence of such event or action that the event or action by the Company would give the Participant such grounds to so terminate employment and such event or action is not reversed, remedied or cured, as the case may be, by the Company as soon as possible but in no event later than within thirty (30) days of receiving such written notice from the Participant. For the avoidance of doubt, the cessation of employment followed by the immediate commencement of services as an independent contractor for the Company, which does not result in a “separation from service” with the Company within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h), shall not constitute a Constructive Termination.

(j) “Covered Termination” means (x) an Involuntary Termination Without Cause or (y) a Constructive Termination if such Constructive Termination occurs any time after the date that is one (1) month prior to the effective date of the first Change in Control that occurs after the Participant commences participation in the Plan. Termination of employment of a Participant due to death or disability shall not constitute a Covered Termination unless a voluntary termination of employment by the Participant immediately prior to the Participant’s death or disability would have qualified as a Constructive Termination.

(k) “Equity Incentive Plan” means the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan or any successor or similar plan adopted by the Company.

(l) “ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.

(m) “Involuntary Termination Without Cause” means Participant’s involuntary termination of employment by the Company resulting in a “separation from service” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h) (without regard to any permissible alternative definition of “termination of employment” thereunder) for a reason other than Cause. “Cause” means the occurrence of any one or more of the following: (i) the Participant’s

 

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conviction of, or plea of no contest with respect to, any crime involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude; (ii) the Participant’s attempted commission of or participation in a fraud or act of dishonesty against the Company that results in (or might have reasonably resulted in) material harm to the business of the Company; (iii) the Participant’s intentional, material violation of any contract or agreement between the Participant and the Company or any statutory duty the Participant owes to the Company; or (iv) the Participant’s conduct that constitutes gross misconduct, insubordination, incompetence or habitual neglect of duties and that results in (or might have reasonably resulted in) material harm to the business of the Company; provided , however , that the conduct described under clause (iii) or (iv) above will only constitute Cause if such conduct is not cured within fifteen (15) days after the Participant’s receipt of written notice from the Company or the Board specifying the particulars of the conduct that may constitute Cause. For the avoidance of doubt, if, in connection with a Change in Control, an employee is terminated and offered “immediate reemployment” by the surviving or controlling entity resulting from a Change in Control or the entity to which the Company’s assets were transferred in the case of an asset sale constituting a Change in Control, then such termination shall not constitute an Involuntary Termination Without Cause. For purposes of the foregoing, “immediate reemployment” shall mean that the employee’s employment with the surviving or controlling entity resulting from a Change in Control or the entity to which the Company’s assets were transferred in the case of an asset sale constituting a Change in Control, results in uninterrupted employment such that the employee does not suffer a lapse in pay as a result of the Change in Control and the terms of such reemployment, taken as a whole, are not less favorable than the terms of employment with the Company immediately prior to such employee’s termination of employment. For the avoidance of doubt, the cessation of employment followed by the immediate commencement of services as an independent contractor for the Company, which does not result in a “separation from service” with the Company within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h), shall not constitute an Involuntary Termination Without Cause.

(n) “Participant” means an individual (i) who is employed by the Company as its Chief Executive Officer, President, senior vice president, vice president or any other officer with a rank of vice president or above and (ii) who has received a Participation Notice from and executed and returned such Participation Notice to the Company. The determination of whether an employee is a Participant shall be made by the Plan Administrator, in its sole discretion, and such determination shall be binding and conclusive on all persons. “ Executive Participant ” means a Participant who has been designated as an Executive Participant on the Participant’s Participation Notice.

(o) “Participation Notice” means the latest notice delivered by the Company to a Participant informing the employee that the employee is a Participant in the Plan, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto.

(p) “Plan Administrator” means the Board or any committee duly authorized by the Board to administer the Plan. The Plan Administrator may, but is not required to be, the Compensation Committee of the Board. The Board may at any time administer the Plan, in whole or in part, notwithstanding that the Board has previously appointed a committee to act as the Plan Administrator.

 

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SECTION 3. E LIGIBILITY F OR B ENEFITS .

(a) General Rules. Subject to the provisions set forth in this Section and Section 7, in the event of a Covered Termination, the Company will provide the severance benefits described in Section 4 of the Plan to the affected Participant.

(b) Exceptions to Benefit Entitlement. An employee, including an employee who otherwise is a Participant, will not receive benefits under the Plan (or will receive reduced benefits under the Plan) in the following circumstances, as determined by the Company in its sole discretion:

(i) The employee has executed an individually negotiated employment contract or agreement with the Company relating to severance or change in control benefits that is in effect on his or her termination date, in which case such employee’s severance benefit, if any, shall be governed by the terms of such individually negotiated employment contract or agreement.

(ii) The employee voluntarily terminates employment with the Company in order to accept employment with another entity that is controlled (directly or indirectly) by the Company or is otherwise an affiliate of the Company.

(iii) The employee does not confirm in writing that he or she shall be subject to the Company’s Employee Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement.

(c) Termination of Benefits. A Participant’s right to receive the payment of benefits under this Plan shall terminate immediately if, at any time prior to or during the period for which the Participant is receiving benefits hereunder, the Participant, without the prior written approval of the Company:

(i) willfully breaches a material provision of the Participant’s Employee Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement with the Company, as referenced in Section 3(b)(iii); or

(ii) willfully encourages or solicits any of the Company’s then current employees to leave the Company’s employ.

SECTION 4. A MOUNT OF B ENEFITS .

(a) Cash Severance Benefits. Except as provided in the applicable Participant Notice:

(i) Each Executive Participant who incurs a Covered Termination that is not also a Change in Control Termination shall be entitled to receive a cash severance benefit equal to six (6) months of Base Salary. Any cash severance benefits provided under this Section 4(a)(i) shall be paid pursuant to the provisions of Section 5.

 

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(ii) Each Participant (x) who incurs a Change in Control Termination and (y) who was employed by the Company at the position or level set forth in Section 4(a)(iii) below within one (1) month immediately prior to such Change in Control Termination shall be entitled to receive a cash severance benefit equal to the sum of the Participant’s Base Salary plus Bonus for the number of months set forth in Section 4(a)(iii). If a Participant serves in two or more positions set forth in the table below, such cash severance benefit shall be for the position with the greatest number of months of cash severance, with no additional cash severance for the other position(s). Any cash severance benefits provided under this Section 4(a)(ii) shall be paid pursuant to the provisions of Section 5.

(iii) For the purposes of determining the months of severance benefits in the event of a Change in Control Termination, the following periods shall be used.

 

Position or Level

  

Months of Severance Benefit

Chief Executive Officer

  

24 months

Executive Participants other than the Chief Executive Officer

  

18 months

Participants who are not Executive Participants

  

12 months

(b) Accelerated Stock Award Vesting and Extended Exercisability of Stock Options. If a Participant incurs a Change in Control Termination, then effective as of the date of the Participant’s Change in Control Termination, (i) the vesting and exercisability of all outstanding options to purchase the Company’s common stock (or stock appreciation rights or similar rights or other rights with respect to stock of the Company issued pursuant to the Equity Incentive Plan) that are held by the Participant on such date shall be accelerated in full, and (ii) any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by the Company in respect of common stock issued or issuable (or in respect of similar rights or other rights with respect to stock of the Company issued or issuable pursuant to the Equity Incentive Plan) pursuant to any other stock award granted to the Participant by the Company shall lapse.

In addition, if a Participant incurs a Change in Control Termination, the post-termination of employment exercise period of any outstanding option (or stock appreciation right or similar right or other rights with respect to stock of the Company issued pursuant to the Equity Incentive Plan) held by the Participant on the date of his or her Change in Control Termination shall be extended, if necessary, such that the post-termination of employment exercise period shall not terminate prior to the later of (i) the date twelve (12) months after the effective date of the Change in Control or (ii) the post-termination exercise period provided for in such option; provided , however , that such stock right shall not be exercisable after the expiration of its maximum term. Notwithstanding the foregoing, stock rights granted prior to the Effective Date shall not be exercisable after the later of (A) the 15 th day of the third month following the date at which, or (B) December 31 of the calendar year in which, the stock right would otherwise have expired if the stock right had not been extended.

 

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Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 4(b), in the event that the provisions of this Section 4(b) regarding acceleration of vesting of an option or extended exercisability of an option would adversely affect a Participant’s option or other stock award (including, without limitation, its status as an incentive stock option under Section 422 of the Code) that is outstanding on the date the Participant commences participation in the Plan, such acceleration of vesting and/or extended exercisability shall be deemed null and void as to such option or other stock award unless the affected Participant consents in writing to such acceleration of vesting or extended exercisability as to such option or other stock award within thirty (30) days after becoming a Participant in the Plan.

(c) Continued Medical Benefits. If a Participant incurs a Covered Termination and the Participant was enrolled in a health, dental, or vision plan sponsored by the Company immediately prior to such Covered Termination, the Participant may be eligible to continue coverage under such health, dental, or vision plan (or to convert to an individual policy), at the time of the Participant’s termination of employment, under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (“ COBRA ”). The Company will notify the Participant of any such right to continue such coverage at the time of termination pursuant to COBRA. No provision of this Plan will affect the continuation coverage rules under COBRA, except that the Company’s payment, if any, of applicable insurance premiums will be credited as payment by the Participant for purposes of the Participant’s payment required under COBRA. Therefore, the period during which a Participant may elect to continue the Company’s health, dental, or vision plan coverage at his or her own expense under COBRA, the length of time during which COBRA coverage will be made available to the Participant, and all other rights and obligations of the Participant under COBRA (except the obligation to pay insurance premiums that the Company pays, if any) will be applied in the same manner that such rules would apply in the absence of this Plan.

If a Participant timely elects continued coverage under COBRA, the Company shall pay the full amount of the Participant’s COBRA premiums on behalf of the Participant for the Participant’s continued coverage under the Company’s health, dental and vision plans, including coverage for the Participant’s eligible dependents, during the number of months equal to the COBRA Period; provided , however , that if the COBRA Period exceeds the length of time that the Participant is entitled to coverage under COBRA (including any additional period under analogous provisions of state law), the Company or any resulting or acquiring entity or transferee entity (in the case of an asset sale) involved in a Change in Control, as applicable, shall be required to provide health, dental and vision insurance coverage for the Participant and his or her eligible dependents for any portion of the COBRA Period that exceeds the length of time that the Participant is entitled to coverage under COBRA (including any additional period under analogous provisions of state law), at a level of coverage that is substantially similar to the continued coverage that the Participant and his or her eligible dependents received under the Company’s health, dental and vision plans; provided further , however , that no such premium payments (or any other payments for medical, dental or vision coverage by the Company) shall be made following the Participant’s death or the effective date of the Participant’s coverage by a medical, dental or vision insurance plan of a subsequent employer. Each Participant shall be required to notify the Company immediately if the Participant becomes covered by a medical, dental or vision insurance plan of a subsequent employer. Upon the conclusion of the COBRA Period (or such shorter period during which the Company is obligated to pay premiums pursuant to this Section 4(c)), the Participant will be responsible for the entire payment of premiums required under COBRA.

 

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For purposes of this Section 4(c), (i) references to COBRA shall be deemed to refer also to analogous provisions of state law and (ii) any applicable insurance premiums that are paid by the Company shall not include any amounts payable by the Participant under an Internal Revenue Code Section 125 health care reimbursement plan, which amounts, if any, are the sole responsibility of the Participant.

(d) Outplacement Services. If a Participant incurs a Change in Control Termination, the Company shall pay, on behalf of the Participant, for outplacement services with an outplacement service provider selected by the Company for the time periods specified below; provided , however , that the payments made by the Company for such outplacement services shall not exceed the maximum amounts set forth below; provided further , however , that such payments qualify for the exception provided by Treasury Regulation Sections 1.409A-1(b)(9)(v)(A) and (C).

 

Position or Level

  

Time Period

  

Maximum Amount

Chief Executive Officer

  

24 months

  

$

50,000

Executive Participants other than the Chief Executive Officer

  

18 months

  

$

30,000

Participants who are not Executive Participants

  

12 months

  

$

20,000

(e) Other Employee Benefits. All other benefits (such as life insurance, disability coverage, and 401(k) plan coverage) shall terminate as of the Participant’s termination date (except to the extent that a conversion privilege may be available thereunder).

(f) Additional Benefits. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may, in its sole discretion, provide additional or enhanced benefits to those benefits provided for pursuant to Sections 4(a), 4(b), 4(c) and 4(d) to Participants or employees who are not Participants (“ Non-Participants ”) chosen by the Company, in its sole discretion, and the provision of any such benefits to a Participant or a Non-Participant shall in no way obligate the Company to provide such benefits to any other Participant or to any other Non-Participant, even if similarly situated. If benefits under the Plan are provided to a Non-Participant, references in the Plan to “Participant” (with the exception of Sections 4(a), 4(b), 4(c) and 4(d)) shall be deemed to refer to such Non-Participants.

 

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SECTION 5. T IME AND F ORM O F S EVERANCE P AYMENTS .

(a) General Rules. Subject to Section 5(b), any cash severance benefit provided under Section 4(a) shall be paid in installments pursuant to the Company’s regularly scheduled payroll periods commencing as soon as practicable following the effective date of a Participant’s Covered Termination and shall be subject to all applicable withholding for federal, state and local taxes. In the event of a Participant’s death prior to receiving all installment payments of his or her cash severance benefit under Section 4(a), any remaining installment payments shall be made to the Participant’s estate on the same payment schedule as would have occurred absent the Participant’s death. In no event shall payment of any Plan benefit be made prior to the effective date of the Participant’s Covered Termination or prior to the effective date of the release described in Section 7(a).

(b) Application of Section 409A.

(i) All payments provided under this Plan are intended to constitute separate payments for purposes of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b)(2).

(ii) If a Participant is a “specified employee” of the Company or any affiliate thereof (or any successor entity thereto) within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code on the date of a Covered Termination, then any cash severance payments pursuant to Section 4(a) (the “ Severance Payments ”) shall be delayed until the date that is six (6) months after the date of the Covered Termination (such date, the “ Delayed Payment Date ”), and the Company (or the successor entity thereto, as applicable) shall (A) pay to Participant a lump sum amount equal to the sum of the Severance Payments that otherwise would have been paid to Participant on or before the Delayed Payment Date, without any adjustment on account of such delay, and (B) continue the Severance Payments in accordance with any applicable payment schedules set forth for the balance of the period specified herein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) Severance Payments scheduled to be paid from the date of a Covered Termination through March 15th of the calendar year following such termination shall be paid to the maximum extent permitted pursuant to the “short-term deferral” rule set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(4); (ii) Severance Payments scheduled to be paid that are not paid pursuant to the preceding clause (i) shall be paid as scheduled to the maximum extent permitted pursuant to an “involuntary separation from service” as permitted by Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii), but in no event later than the last day of the second taxable year following the taxable year of the Covered Termination; and (iii) any Severance Payments that are not paid pursuant to either the preceding clause (i) or the preceding clause (ii) shall be subject to delay, if necessary, as provided in the previous sentence. Except to the extent that payments may be delayed until the Delayed Payment Date, on the first regularly scheduled payroll period following the release described in Section 7(a), the Company will pay the Participant the Severance Payments the Participant would otherwise have received under the Plan on or prior to such date but for the delay in payment related to the effectiveness of the release described in Section 7(a), with the balance of the Severance Payments being paid as otherwise provided herein.

 

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(iii) Benefits provided under Section 4(b) are intended to be provided pursuant to the exception provided by Treasury Regulation Sections 1.409A-1(b)(5)(v)(C)(1) and 1.409A-1(b)(5)(v)(E). Amounts paid under Section 4(c) are not intended to be delayed pursuant to Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code and are intended to be paid pursuant to the exception provided by Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(9)(v)(B). Amounts paid under Section 4(d) are intended to qualify for the exception provided under Treasury Regulation Sections 1.409A-1(b)(9)(v)(A) and (C).

SECTION 6. R EEMPLOYMENT .

In the event of a Participant’s reemployment by the Company during the period of time in respect of which severance benefits pursuant to Section 4(a) or Section 4(f) have been paid, the Company, in its sole and absolute discretion, may require such Participant to repay to the Company all or a portion of such severance benefits


 
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