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RUSS BERRIE AND COMPANY, INC. AMENDED AND RESTATED CHANGE IN CONTROL SEVERANCE PLAN

Change of Control Agreement

RUSS BERRIE AND COMPANY, INC.
AMENDED AND RESTATED
CHANGE IN CONTROL SEVERANCE PLAN | Document Parties: Russ Berrie and Company, Inc You are currently viewing:
This Change of Control Agreement involves

Russ Berrie and Company, Inc

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Title: RUSS BERRIE AND COMPANY, INC. AMENDED AND RESTATED CHANGE IN CONTROL SEVERANCE PLAN
Governing Law: New York     Date: 12/29/2008
Industry: Recreational Products     Sector: Consumer Cyclical

RUSS BERRIE AND COMPANY, INC.
AMENDED AND RESTATED
CHANGE IN CONTROL SEVERANCE PLAN, Parties: russ berrie and company  inc
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Exhibit 10.120 RUSS BERRIE AND COMPANY, INC.
AMENDED AND RESTATED
CHANGE IN CONTROL SEVERANCE PLAN
The purpose of this Amended and Restated Change in Control Severance Plan (the "Plan") is to enable Russ Berrie and Company, Inc., a New Jersey corporation (the "Company"), to offer a form of income protection to "Participants" (as defined in Section 7.5 below) in the event their employment with the Company terminates under certain circumstances due to a "Change in Control" (as defined in Section 7.2 below). Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, however, if in connection with any sale of any substantial line of business of the Company, a Participant employed within such line of business is offered and accepts employment by the purchaser of such line of business or its affiliates, no "termination" hereunder shall be deemed to have occurred, no benefits shall be payable hereunder, and the Participant shall cease to be a Participant hereunder. ARTICLE I: BENEFITS 1.1 Eligibility for Benefits; Benefits; Payment; and Rights of Participants . (a) If a Participant’s employment with the Company is terminated by the Company without "Cause" (as defined in Section 7.1 below) or by the Participant for "Good Reason" (as defined in Section 7.4 below) (each, a "Qualifying Termination") during the period commencing six months prior to and ending two years after a Change in Control, such Participant shall be paid the applicable "Severance Benefit" (as defined below) and shall receive the additional benefits described in this Article I. The term "Severance Benefit" shall mean:

 

(i)

 

if the Qualifying Termination occurs during the six-month period preceding or the one-year period following the Change in Control, an amount equal to 150% of the Participant’s "Current Total Annual Compensation" (as defined in Section 7.3 below); and

 

(ii)

 

if the Qualifying Termination occurs during the second year after the Change in Control, an amount equal to 75% of the Participant’s Current Total Annual Compensation.

(b) Any Participant entitled to a Severance Benefit (in accordance with Section 1.1(a) above) whose Qualifying Termination occurs within two years after a Change in Control shall receive his Severance Benefit in the form of a lump-sum payment within 30 business days after his employment with the Company terminates; any Participant entitled to a Severance Benefit (in accordance with Section 1.1(a) above) whose Qualifying Termination occurs prior to a Change in Control shall receive his Severance Benefit in the form of a lump-sum payment six months and one day following his termination of employment with the Company, provided that a Change in Control occurs during such period.

 

 




 

(c) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if the Company determines in good faith that any Participant is a "specified employee" within the meaning of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any regulations or other guidance issued thereunder, or any successor similar provision, regulations or guidance ("Section 409A") when payments hereunder are due him, if all or any portion of such payments (whether alone or in combination with payments from any other plan maintained by the Company) would, in the good faith opinion of the Company, subject such Participant to the excise tax and/or interest provisions under Section 409A if paid in full within six months of such Participant’s termination date, the Company shall reduce the amounts payable to such Participant hereunder (and from any other plan required to be aggregated with this Change in Control Plan pursuant to Section 409A) to the maximum amount payable under Section 409A in such six-month period, and all remaining amounts otherwise payable to such Participant shall be paid (in a lump sum, without interest) to such Participant on the day which is six months and one day after the Participant’s termination of employment. 1.2 Additional Benefits . A Participant entitled to receive a Severance Benefit shall also receive the following additional benefits: (a) The Company shall cause options to purchase Company stock ("Stock Options") held by a Participant that are not fully vested and exercisable on the date of the Qualifying Termination to:

 

(i)

 

if the Qualifying Termination occurs during the six months preceding or the first year following the Change in Control, become fully vested and exercisable as of the date of such Qualifying Termination (or, if later, as of the date on which the Change in Control occurred); and

 

(ii)

 

if the Qualifying Termination occurs during the second year following the Change in Control, become fully vested and exercisable as of the date of such Qualifying Termination as to those Stock Options that would otherwise have vested within one year after the Qualifying Termination.

(b) The Company shall cause unvested restricted shares of Company stock (the "Restricted Shares") held by a Participant on the date of the Qualifying Termination to:

 

(i)

 

if the Qualifying Termination occurs during the six months preceding or the first year following the Change in Control, become fully vested as of the date of such Qualifying Termination (or, if later, as of the date on which the Change in Control occurred) as to those Restricted Shares for which the vesting restrictions would otherwise have lapsed within one year after the Qualifying Termination; and

 

(ii)

 

if the Qualifying Termination occurs during the second year after the Change in Control, become fully vested as of the date of such Qualifying Termination as to those Restricted Shares for which the vesting restrictions otherwise would have lapsed within six months after the Qualifying Termination.

 

2




 
 

(c) The Company shall for a period of 18 months (in the case of a Qualifying Termination to which Section 1.1(a)(i) applies) or one year (in the case of a Qualifying Termination to which Section 1.1(a)(ii) applies) following the Qualifying Termination continue to provide to the Participant (i) use of an automobile or payment of an automobile allowance in an amount sufficient to compensate the Participant to substantially the same extent as if the Company continued to provide the automobile and (ii) medical and other insurance benefits, in each case to the extent and on substantially the same basis as provided immediately prior to the Qualifying Termination (disregarding any reduction described in clause (B) of the definition of Good Reason). 1.3 Reduction of Payments . If a Participant’s receipt of any payment and/or non-monetary benefit under this Plan (including, without limitation, the accelerated vesting of Stock Options and/or Restricted Shares) (collectively, the "Plan Payments") would cause him or her to become subject to the excise tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), the Company shall reduce his or her Plan Payments to the extent necessary to avoid the application of such excise tax if (i) the required reduction does not exceed 10% of the aggregate amount of the Plan Payments and (ii) as a result of such reduction, the net benefits to the Participant of the Plan Payments as so reduced (after payment of applicable income taxes) exceeds the net benefit to the Participant of the Plan Payments without such reduction (after payment of applicable income taxes and excise taxes). If a reduction in Plan Payments to a Participant in the amount permitted by clause (i) is insufficient to avoid the application of such excise tax, then the provisions of "Exhibit A," attached hereto and incorporated herein, shall apply to that Participant. 1.4 Rights of Participants . Nothing contained herein shall be held or construed to create any liability or obligation on the Company to retain any Participant in its service or in a corporate officer position. All Participants shall remain subject to discharge or discipline to the same extent as if the Plan did not exist. ARTICLE II: FUNDING 2.1 Funding . The Plan shall be funded out of the general assets of the Company as and when benefits are payable under the Plan. All Participants shall be solely general creditors of the Company. ARTICLE III: ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN 3.1 Plan Administrator . The general administration of the Plan shall be placed with the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board") or an administrative committee appointed by the Board (the "Committee"). 3.2 Reimbursement of Expenses of Committee . The Company shall pay or reimburse the members of the Committee for all reasonable expenses incurred in connection with their duties hereunder.

 

3




 

3.3 Action by the Plan Committee . Decisions of the Committee shall be made by a majority of its members attending a meeting at which a quorum is present (which meeting may be held telephonically), or by written action in accordance with applicable law. No member of the Committee may act with respect to a matter which involves only that member. 3.4 Delegation of Authority . The Committee may delegate any and all of its powers and responsibilities hereunder to other persons by formal resolution filed with and accepted by the Board. Any such delegation shall not be effective until it is accepted by the Board and the persons designated and may be rescinded at any time by written notice from the Committee to the person to whom the delegation is made. 3.5 Retention of Professional Assistance . The Committee may employ such legal counsel, accountants and other persons as may be required in carrying out its work in connection with the Plan, and the Company shall pay the fees and expenses of such persons. 3.6 Accounts and Records . The Committee shall maintain such accounts and records regarding the fiscal and other transactions of the Plan, and such other data as may be required to carry out its functions under the Plan and to comply with all applicable laws. 3.7 Compliance with Applicable Law . The Company shall be deemed the administrator of the Plan for the purposes of any applicable law and shall be responsible for the preparation and filing of any required returns, reports, statements or other filings with appropriate governmental agencies. The Company shall also be responsible for the preparation and delivery of information to persons entitled to such information under any applicable law. 3.8 Reimbursement of Expenses . If any contest or dispute shall arise under this Plan involving termination of a Participant’s employment with the Company or involving the failure or refusal of the Company to perform fully in accordance with the terms hereof and the Participant prevails on the merits in such contest or dispute, the Company shall, promptly after the date a court issues a final order from which no appeal can be taken, or with respect to which the time period to appeal has expired, reimburse such Participant for all reasonable legal fees and expenses, if any, paid by the Participant in connection with such contest or dispute (together with interest in an amount equal to the J.P. Morgan Chase Bank prime rate from time to time in effect, such interest to begin to accrue on the dates Participant actually paid such fees and expenses through the date of payment thereof). ARTICLE IV: AMENDMENT 4.1 Amendment . The Company reserves the right to amend, in whole or in part, any or all of the provisions of this Plan by action of the Board at any time; provided , that , no such amendment may reduce the benefits and payments due to any Participant hereunder in the event of a Qualifying Termination.

 

4




 

ARTICLE V: SUCCESSORS 5.1 Successors . The Company shall require any successor or assignee, whether direct or indirect, by purchase or otherwise (and whether or not by operation of law), to all or substantially all the business or assets of the Company, expressly and unconditionally to assume and agree to perform the Company’s obligations under this Plan, in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession or assignment had taken place, provided , that , no such assumption and agreement shall be required from a successor or assignee that becomes obligated for the Company’s obligations hereunder through a merger, consolidation or otherwise by operation of law. In such event, the term "Company," as used in this Plan, shall mean the Company, as applicable, as hereinbefore defined and any successor or assignee to the business or assets which by reason hereof becomes bound by the terms and provisions of this Plan. Any payment or benefit to which a Participant has become entitled under this Plan which remains unpaid at the time of such Participant’s death shall be paid to the estate of such Participant when it becomes due. ARTICLE VI: MISCELLANEOUS 6.1 No Duty to Mitigate/Set-off . No Participant entitled to receive a Severance Benefit shall be required to seek other employment or to attempt in any way to reduce any amounts payable to him pursuant to this Plan. The Severance Benefit payable hereunder shall not be reduced by any compensation earned by the Participant as a result of employment by another employer or otherwise. Subject to Section 6.5, the Company’s obligations to pay the Severance Benefits


 
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