Exhibit 10.2
Ameristar Casinos, Inc.
Deferred Compensation Plan
Master Plan Document
AMERISTAR CASINOS, INC.
DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
Amended and Restated Effective January 1, 2008
Purpose
The purpose of this Plan is to
provide specified benefits to a select group of management and
highly compensated Employees who contribute materially to the
continued growth, development and future business success of
Ameristar Casinos, Inc., a Nevada corporation, and its
subsidiaries, if any, that sponsor this Plan. This Plan shall be
unfunded for tax purposes and for purposes of Title I of ERISA. The
Plan is intended to comply with all applicable law including, in
respect of amounts not earned and vested prior to January 1,
2005, Code Section 409A and related Treasury guidance and
regulations.
ARTICLE 1
Definitions
For purposes of this Plan, unless
otherwise clearly apparent from the context, the following phrases
or terms shall have the following indicated meanings:
| 1.1 |
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“Account Balance” shall mean, with respect to a
Participant, a credit on the records of the Employer equal to the
sum of (i) the Deferral Account balance, (ii) the vested
portion of the Company Contribution Account balance, (iii) the
vested portion of the Company Matching Account balance and
(iv) the Rollover Contribution Account, minus (v) the
Rollover Transfers. The Account Balance, and each other specified
account balance, shall be a bookkeeping entry only and shall be
utilized solely as a device for the measurement and determination
of the amounts to be paid to a Participant, or his or her
designated Beneficiary, pursuant to this Plan. The Company may, as
necessary, divide accounts into subaccounts corresponding to
interests vested and earned prior to January 1, 2005
(“Grandfathered Amounts”) and interests vested or
earned after December 3l, 2004 (“409A Subject
Amounts”). |
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| 1.2 |
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“Annual Bonus” shall mean any compensation, in
addition to Base Annual Salary relating to services performed
during any calendar year, whether or not paid in such calendar year
or included on the Federal Income Tax Form W-2 for such calendar
year, payable to a |
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Deferred Compensation Plan
Master Plan Document
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Participant as an Employee under any Employer’s annual
bonus and cash incentive plans, excluding stock options and other
equity-based compensation. |
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| 1.3 |
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“Annual Company Contribution Amount” shall mean,
for any one Plan Year, the amount determined in accordance with
Section 3.5. |
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| 1.4 |
|
“Annual Company Matching Amount” for any one Plan
Year shall be the amount determined in accordance with
Section 3.6. |
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| 1.5 |
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“Annual Deferral Amount” shall mean that portion of
a Participant’s Base Annual Salary and Annual Bonus that a
Participant elects to have, and is, deferred, in accordance with
Article 3, for any one Plan Year. In the event of a
Participant’s Retirement, Disability (if deferrals cease in
accordance with Section 8.1), death or a Termination of
Employment prior to the end of a Plan Year, such year’s
Annual Deferral Amount shall be the actual amount withheld prior to
such event. |
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| 1.6 |
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“Annual Salary Deferral Amount” shall mean that
portion of a Participant’s Base Annual Salary that a
Participant elects to have, and is, deferred, in accordance with
Article 3, for any one Plan Year. In the event of a
Participant’s Retirement, Disability (if deferrals cease in
accordance with Section 8.1), death or a Termination of
Employment prior to the end of a Plan Year, such year’s
Annual Salary Deferral Amount shall be the actual amount withheld
prior to such event. |
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| 1.7 |
|
“Annual Bonus Deferral Amount” shall mean that
portion of a Participant’s Annual Bonus that a Participant
elects to have, and is, deferred, in accordance with
Article 3, for any one Plan Year. In the event of a
Participant’s Retirement, Disability (if deferrals cease in
accordance with Section 8.1), death or a Termination of
Employment prior to the end of a Plan Year, such year’s
Annual Bonus Deferral Amount shall be the actual amount withheld
prior to such event. |
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| 1.8 |
|
“Annual Installment Method” shall mean annual
installments over the number of years selected by the Participant
or Committee in accordance with this Plan, calculated as follows:
The Account Balance of the Participant shall be calculated as of
the close of business on the last business day of the year. The
annual installment shall be calculated by multiplying this balance
by a fraction, the numerator of which is one, and the denominator
of which is the remaining number of annual installments due the
Participant. By way of example, if the Participant elects a
10 year Annual Installment Method, the first annual
installment shall be 1/10 of the Account Balance, calculated as
described in this definition. The following year, the annual
installment shall be 1/9 of the Account Balance, calculated as
described in this definition. Each annual installment shall be
distributed to the Participant in four equal payments, one payment
to be made each calendar quarter of the Plan Year, on or as soon as
practicable after the first business day of each calendar quarter
of the Plan Year. By way of example, if the annual installment |
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Deferred Compensation Plan
Master Plan Document
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for Plan Year 2002 totals $1,000, $250 shall be paid to the
Participant on or as soon as practicable after January 1,
April 1, July 1 and October 1. |
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| 1.9 |
|
“Base Annual Salary” shall mean the annual cash
compensation relating to services performed during any calendar
year, whether or not paid in such calendar year or included on the
Federal Income Tax Form W-2 for such calendar year, excluding
bonuses, commissions, overtime, fringe benefits, stock options and
other equity-based compensation, relocation expenses, incentive
payments, non-monetary awards, directors’ fees and other
fees, automobile and other allowances paid to a Participant for
employment services rendered (whether or not such allowances are
included in the Employee’s gross income). Base Annual Salary
shall be calculated before reduction for compensation voluntarily
deferred or contributed by the Participant pursuant to all
qualified or non-qualified plans of any Employer and shall be
calculated to include amounts not otherwise included in the
Participant’s gross income under Code Section 125,
402(e)(3), 402(h), or 403(b) pursuant to plans established by any
Employer; provided, however, that all such amounts will be included
in compensation only to the extent that, had there been no such
plan, the amount would have been payable in cash to the
Employee. |
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| 1.10 |
|
“Beneficiary” shall mean one or more persons,
trusts, estates or other entities, designated in accordance with
Article 9, that are entitled to receive benefits under this
Plan upon the death of a Participant. |
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| 1.11 |
|
“Beneficiary Designation Form” shall mean the form
established from time to time by the Committee that a Participant
completes, signs and returns to the Committee to designate one or
more Beneficiaries. |
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| 1.12 |
|
“Board” shall mean the board of directors of the
Company. |
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| 1.13 |
|
A “Change in Control” shall mean the occurrence of
any of the following events: |
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(a) |
|
individuals who, as of the date of this Plan, constitute the
entire Board (“Incumbent Directors”) cease for any
reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board;
provided , however , that any individual becoming a
director subsequent to such date whose election, or nomination for
election by the Company’s stockholders, was approved by a
vote of at least a majority of the then Incumbent Directors (other
than an election or nomination of an individual whose assumption of
office is the result of an actual or threatened election contest
relating to the election of directors of the Company), also shall
be an Incumbent Director; or |
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(b) |
|
any merger, consolidation, or recapitalization of the Company
(or, if the capital stock of the Company is affected, any
subsidiary of the Company) or any sale, lease, or other transfer
(in one transaction or a series of transactions contemplated |
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Deferred Compensation Plan
Master Plan Document
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or arranged by any party as a single plan) of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Company (each of the
foregoing being an “Acquisition Transaction”) where
(1) the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such
Acquisition Transaction do not immediately after such Acquisition
Transaction beneficially own, directly or indirectly, shares
representing in the aggregate more than fifty percent (50%) of
(i) the then outstanding common stock of the corporation
surviving or resulting from such merger, consolidation or
recapitalization or acquiring such assets of the Company, as the
case may be (the “Surviving Corporation”) (or of its
ultimate parent corporation, if any) and (ii) the Combined
Voting Power (as defined below) of the then outstanding Voting
Securities (as defined below) of the Surviving Corporation (or of
its ultimate parent corporation, if any) or (2) the Incumbent
Directors at the time of the initial approval of such Acquisition
Transaction do not immediately after such Acquisition Transaction
constitute a majority of the board of directors of the Surviving
Corporation (or of its ultimate parent corporation, if any);
or |
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(c) |
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the liquidation or dissolution of the Company; or |
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(d) |
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any Person (as defined below) other than a Permitted Holder (as
defined below) shall become the beneficial owner (as defined in
Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), directly or
indirectly, of securities of the Company representing in the
aggregate fifty percent (50%) or more of either (i) the then
outstanding shares of the Company Common Stock or (ii) the
Combined Voting Power of all then outstanding Voting Securities of
the Company; provided , however , that
notwithstanding the foregoing, a Change of Control shall not be
deemed to have occurred for purposes of this clause (d) solely
as the result of: |
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(A) |
|
an acquisition of securities by the Company which, by reducing
the number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock or other
Voting Securities outstanding, increases (i) the proportionate
number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock beneficially
owned by any Person to fifty percent (50%) or more of the shares of
the Company’s Common Stock then outstanding or (ii) the
proportionate voting power represented by the Voting Securities
beneficially owned by any Person to fifty percent (50%) or more of
the Combined Voting Power of all then outstanding Voting
Securities; or |
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(B) |
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an acquisition of securities directly from the Company except
that this paragraph (B) shall not apply to: |
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(1) |
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any conversion of a security that was not acquired directly
from the Company; or |
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Deferred Compensation Plan
Master Plan Document
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(2) |
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any acquisition of securities if the Incumbent Directors at the
time of the initial approval of such acquisition would not
immediately after (or otherwise as a result of) such acquisition
constitute a majority of the Board of Directors of the
Company. |
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(e) |
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For purposes of this Section 1.13: |
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(i) |
|
“Person” shall mean any individual, entity
(including, without limitation, any corporation (including, without
limitation, any charitable corporation or private foundation),
partnership, limited liability company, trust (including, without
limitation, any private, charitable or split-interest trust), joint
venture, association or governmental body) or group (as defined in
Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act and the rules and
regulations thereunder); provided, however, that
“Person” shall not include the Company, any of its
subsidiaries, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any of
its majority-owned subsidiaries or any entity organized, appointed
or established by the Company or such subsidiary for or pursuant to
the terms of any such plan; |
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(ii) |
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“Voting Securities” shall mean all securities of a
corporation having the right under ordinary circumstances to vote
in an election of the Board of Directors of such corporation; |
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(iii) |
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“Combined Voting Power” shall mean the aggregate
votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of directors of
a corporation by holders of then outstanding Voting Securities of
such corporation; and |
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(iv) |
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“Permitted Holder” shall mean (A) the Company
or any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an
employee benefit plan of the Company, (B) to the extent they
hold securities in any capacity whatsoever, the Estate of Craig H.
Neilsen, deceased, and the heirs, ancestors, lineal descendants,
stepchildren, legatees and legal representatives of Craig H.
Neilsen or his Estate, and the trustees from time to time of any
bona fide trusts of which Craig H. Neilsen or one or more of the
foregoing are the sole beneficiaries or grantors thereof, including
but not limited to The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, Ray H. Neilsen
and his estate, spouse, heirs, ancestors, lineal descendants,
stepchildren, legatees and legal representatives, and the trustees
from time to time of any bona fide trusts of which one or more of
the foregoing are the sole beneficiaries or grantors thereof and
(C) any Person controlled, directly or indirectly, by one or
more of the foregoing Persons referred to in the immediately
preceding clause (B), whether through the ownership of voting
securities, by contract, in a fiduciary capacity, through |
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Deferred Compensation Plan
Master Plan Document
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possession of a majority of the voting rights (as directors
and/or members) of a not-for-profit entity, or otherwise. |
| 1.14 |
|
“Claimant” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 14.1. |
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| 1.15 |
|
“Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as it may be amended from time to time. |
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| 1.16 |
|
“Committee” shall mean the committee described in
Article 12. |
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| 1.17 |
|
“Company” shall mean Ameristar Casinos, Inc., a
Nevada corporation, and any successor to all or substantially all
of the Company’s assets or business. |
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| 1.18 |
|
“Company Contribution Account” shall mean
(i) the sum of the Participant’s Annual Company
Contribution Amounts, plus (ii) amounts credited in accordance
with all the applicable crediting provisions of this Plan that
relate to the Participant’s Company Contribution Account,
less (iii) all distributions made to the Participant or his or
her Beneficiary pursuant to this Plan that relate to the
Participant’s Company Contribution Account. |
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| 1.19 |
|
“Company Matching Account” shall mean (i) the
sum of all of a Participant’s Annual Company Matching
Amounts, plus (ii) amounts credited in accordance with all the
applicable crediting provisions of this Plan that relate to the
Participant’s Company Matching Account, less (iii) all
distributions made to the Participant or his or her Beneficiary
pursuant to this Plan that relate to the Participant’s
Company Matching Account. |
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| 1.20 |
|
“Deduction Limitation” shall mean the following
described limitation on a benefit that may otherwise be
distributable pursuant to the provisions of this Plan. Except as
otherwise provided, this limitation shall be applied to all
distributions that are “subject to the Deduction
Limitation” under this Plan. If an Employer determines in
good faith prior to a Change in Control that there is a reasonable
likelihood that any compensation paid to a Participant for a
taxable year of the Employer would not be deductible by the
Employer solely by reason of the limitation under Code
Section 162(m), then to the extent deemed necessary by the
Employer to ensure that the entire amount of any distribution to
the Participant pursuant to this Plan prior to the Change in
Control is deductible, the Employer, at the direction of the
Committee, may defer all or any portion of a distribution under
this Plan. Any amounts deferred pursuant to this limitation shall
continue to be credited/debited with additional amounts in
accordance with Section 3.10 below, even if such amount is
being paid out in installments. The amounts so deferred and amounts
credited thereon shall be distributed to the Participant or his or
her Beneficiary (in the event of the Participant’s death) at
the earliest possible date, as determined by the Employer in good
faith, on which the deductibility of compensation paid or payable
to the Participant for the taxable year of the Employer during
which the |
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Deferred Compensation Plan
Master Plan Document
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distribution is made will not be limited by
Section 162(m), or if earlier, the effective date of a Change
in Control. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Plan,
the Deduction Limitation shall not apply to any distributions made
after a Change in Control. |
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| 1.21 |
|
“Deferral Account” shall mean (i) the sum of
all of a Participant’s Annual Deferral Amounts, plus
(ii) amounts credited in accordance with all the applicable
crediting provisions of this Plan that relate to the
Participant’s Deferral Account, less (iii) all
distributions made to the Participant or his or her Beneficiary
pursuant to this Plan that relate to his or her Deferral
Account. |
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| 1.22 |
|
“Disability” or “Disabled” shall mean
shall mean that a Participant is either (a) unable to engage
in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically
determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to
result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period
of not less than 12 months, or (b) by reason of any
medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be
expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a
continuous period of not less than 12 months, receiving income
replacement benefits for a period of not less than three months
under an accident and health plan covering employees of the
Participant’s Employer. For purposes of this Plan, a
Participant shall be deemed Disabled if determined to be totally
disabled by the Social Security Administration. A Participant shall
also be deemed Disabled if determined to be disabled in accordance
with the applicable disability insurance program of such
Participant’s Employer, provided that the definition of
“disability” applied under such disability insurance
program complies with the requirements of this Section. |
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| 1.23 |
|
“Disability Benefit” shall mean the benefit set
forth in Article 8. |
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| 1.24 |
|
“Election Form” shall mean the form established
from time to time by the Committee that a Participant completes,
signs and returns to the Committee to make an election under the
Plan. |
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| 1.25 |
|
“Employee” shall mean a person who is an employee
of any Employer. |
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| 1.26 |
|
“Employer(s)” shall mean |
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(a) |
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the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries (now in existence or
hereafter formed or acquired) that have been selected by the Board
to participate in the Plan and have adopted the Plan as a
sponsor. |
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(b) |
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for purposes of determining whether a Participant has
experienced a Termination of Employment, “Employer”
shall mean: |
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(i) |
|
The entity for which the Participant performs services and with
respect to which the legally binding right to compensation deferred
or contributed under this Plan arises; and |
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Ameristar Casinos, Inc.
Deferred Compensation Plan
Master Plan Document
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(ii) |
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All other entities with which the entity described above would
be aggregated and treated as a single employer under Code Section
414(b) (controlled group of corporations) and Code Section 414(c)
(a group of trades or businesses, whether or not incorporated,
under common control), as applicable. In order to identify the
group of entities described in the preceding sentence, the
Committee shall use an ownership threshold of at least 50% as a
substitute for the 80% minimum ownership threshold that appears in,
and otherwise must be used when applying, the applicable provisions
of (A) Code Section 1563 for determining a controlled
group of corporations under Code Section 414(b), and
(B) Treas. Reg. §1.414(c)-2 for determining the trades or
businesses that are under common control under Code
Section 414(c). |
| 1.27 |
|
“ERISA” shall mean the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974, as it may be amended from time to time. |
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| 1.28 |
|
Reserved. |
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| 1.29 |
|
“Participant” shall mean any Employee (i) who
is selected to participate in the Plan, (ii) who elects to
participate in the Plan, (iii) who signs a Plan Agreement, an
Election Form and a Beneficiary Designation Form, (iv) whose
signed Plan Agreement, Election Form and Beneficiary Designation
Form are accepted by the Committee, (v) who commences
participation in the Plan, and (vi) whose Plan Agreement has
not terminated. A spouse or former spouse of a Participant shall
not be treated as a Participant in the Plan or have an account
balance under the Plan, even if he or she has an interest in the
Participant’s benefits under the Plan as a result of
applicable law or property settlements resulting from legal
separation or divorce. |
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| 1.30 |
|
“Plan” shall mean the Company’s Deferred
Compensation Plan adopted originally effective April 1, 2001,
amended and restated effective January 1, 2008, and as
hereafter amended from time to time. |
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| 1.31 |
|
“Plan Agreement” shall mean a written agreement, as
may be amended from time to time, which is entered into by and
between an Employer and a Participant. Each Plan Agreement executed
by a Participant and the Participant’s Employer shall provide
for the entire benefit to which such Participant is entitled under
the Plan attributable to that Employer. Should there be more than
one Plan Agreement in respect of a particular Employer, the Plan
Agreement bearing the latest date of acceptance by the Employer
shall supersede all previous Plan Agreements in their entirety and
shall govern such entitlement. The terms of any Plan Agreement may
be different for any Participant, and any Plan Agreement may
provide additional benefits not set forth in the Plan (to the
extent consistent with Code Section 409A) or limit the
benefits otherwise provided under |
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Deferred Compensation Plan
Master Plan Document
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the Plan; provided, however, that any such additional benefits
or benefit limitations must be agreed to by both the Employer and
the Participant. |
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| 1.32 |
|
“Plan Year” shall mean a period beginning on
January 1 of each calendar year and ending December 31. |
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| 1.33 |
|
“Pre-Retirement Survivor Benefit” shall mean the
benefit set forth in Article 6. |
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| 1.34 |
|
“Retirement”, “Retire(s)” or
“Retired” shall mean, with respect to an Employee |
(a) with respect to Grandfathered
Amounts, severance from employment from all Employers for any
reason other than a leave of absence, death or Disability on or
after the earlier of the attainment of (a) age sixty-five
(65) or (b) age fifty-five (55) with five
(5) Years of Service, and
(b) with respect to 409A Subject
Amounts, severance from employment from all Employees for any
reason other than a leave of absence, death of Disability on or
after the attainment of age fifty-five (55) with five (5)Years
of Service.
| 1.35 |
|
“Retirement Benefit” shall mean the benefit set
forth in Article 5. |
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| 1.36 |
|
“Rollover Contribution(s)” shall have the meaning
set forth in Section 3.7. |
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| 1.37 |
|
“Rollover Contribution Account” shall mean the sum
of (a) a Participant’s Rollover Contribution, plus
(b) amounts credited in accordance with all of the applicable
crediting provisions of the Plan that relate to the
Participant’s Rollover Contribution Account, less all
distribution made from such account pursuant to this Plan. This
account shall be a bookkeeping entry only and shall be utilized
solely as a device for the measurement and determination of the
amounts to be paid to the Participant pursuant to the Plan. |
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| 1.38 |
|
“Rollover Transfer(s)” shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 3.7. |
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| 1.39 |
|
“Short-Term Payout” shall mean the payout set forth
in Section 4.1. |
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| 1.40 |
|
“Termination Benefit” shall mean the benefit set
forth in Article 7. |
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| 1.41 |
|
“Termination of Employment” shall mean the severing
of employment with all Employers, voluntarily or involuntarily, for
any reason other than Retirement, Disability, death or an
authorized leave of absence. |
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| 1.42 |
|
“Trust” shall mean one or more trusts established
pursuant to that certain Master Trust Agreement, dated as of
April 1, 2001, between the Company and the Trustee named
therein, as amended from time to time, or any successor trust. |
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Master Plan Document
| 1.43 |
|
“Unforeseeable Financial Emergency” shall mean a
severe financial hardship of the Participant resulting from
(a) an illness or accident of the Participant, the
Participant’s spouse, the Participant’s Beneficiary or
the Participant’s dependent (as defined in Code
Section 152 without regard to paragraphs (b)(1), (b)(2) and
(d)(1)(b) thereof), (b) a loss of the Participant’s
property due to casualty, or (c) such other similar
extraordinary and unforeseeable circumstances arising as a result
of events beyond the control of the Participant, all as determined
by the Committee based on the relevant facts and
circumstances. |
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| 1.44 |
|
“Years of Plan Participation” shall mean the total
number of full Plan Years a Participant has been a Participant in
the Plan prior to his or her Termination of Employment (determined
without regard to whether deferral elections have been made by the
Participant for any Plan Year). Any partial year shall not be
counted. Also, years in which a Participant is eligible to
participate by reason of a withdrawal under Section 4.4 hereof
shall not be counted. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, a
Participant’s first Plan Year of participation shall be
treated as a full Plan Year for purposes of this definition, even
if it is only a partial Plan Year of participation. |
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| 1.45 |
|
“Years of Service” shall mean the total number of
full years in which a Participant has been employed by one or more
Employers. For purposes of this definition, a year shall mean a
consecutive 365-day period (or 366 days in the case of a leap
year). |
ARTICLE 2
Selection, Enrollment Eligibility
| 2.1 |
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Selection by Committee . Participation in
the Plan shall be limited to a select group of management and
highly compensated Employees of the Employers, as determined by the
Compensation Committee of the Board in its sole discretion. From
that group, the Compensation Committee shall select, in its sole
discretion, Employees to participate in the Plan. Selection of
Employees eligible to participate in the Plan may be made by the
Compensation Committee on an individual basis or in accordance with
uniform criteria established by the Compensation Committee. |
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| 2.2 |
|
Enrollment Requirements . As a condition
to participation, each selected Employee shall complete, execute
and return to the Committee a Plan Agreement, an Election Form and
a Beneficiary Designation Form, all within 30 days after he or
she first becomes eligible to participate in the Plan. In addition,
the Committee shall establish from time to time such other
enrollment requirements as it determines in its sole discretion are
necessary. |
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| 2.3 |
|
Eligibility; Commencement of Participation
. Provided an Employee selected to participate in the Plan
has met all enrollment requirements set forth in this Plan and
required by the Committee, including returning all required
documents to the Committee within the specified time period, that
Employee shall commence participation in the Plan |
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Deferred Compensation Plan
Master Plan Document
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on the first day of the month following the month in which the
Employee completes all enrollment requirements. If an Employee
fails to meet all such requirements within the period required, in
accordance with Section 2.2, that Employee shall not be
eligible to participate in the Plan until the first day of the Plan
Year following the delivery to and acceptance by the Committee of
the required documents. |
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| 2.4 |
|
Termination of Participation and/or Deferrals
. If the Committee determines in good faith that a
Participant no longer qualifies as a member of a select group of
management or highly compensated employees, as membership in such
group is determined in accordance with Sections 201(2),
301(a)(3) and 401(a)(l) of ERISA, the Committee shall have the
right, in its sole discretion, to prevent the Participant from
making future deferrals. |
ARTICLE 3
Deferral Commitments/Company
Matching/Crediting/Taxes
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(a) |
|
Base Annual Salary and Annual Bonus . For
each Plan Year, a Participant may elect to defer, as his or her
Annual Deferral Amount, Base Annual Salary and/or Annual Bonus such
that the aggregate amount of Base Annual Salary and Annual Bonus
deferred is not less than $2,000. If an election is made for less
than $2,000, or if no election is made, the amount deferred shall
be zero. |
| |
| |
(b) |
|
Short Plan Year . Notwithstanding the
foregoing, if a Participant first becomes a Participant after the
first day of a Plan Year, the minimum Base Annual Salary deferral
shall be an amount equal to the minimum set forth above, multiplied
by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of complete
months remaining in the Plan Year and the denominator of which is
12. |
For each
Plan Year, a Participant may elect to defer, as his or her Annual
Deferral Amount, Base Annual Salary and/or Annual Bonus up to the
following maximum percentages for each deferral elected:
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Deferral |
|
Maximum Amount |
|
Base Annual
Salary
|
|
|
90 |
% |
|
Annual Bonus
|
|
|
100 |
% |
11
Ameristar Casinos, Inc.
Deferred Compensation Plan
Master Plan Document
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Participant first becomes a
Participant after the first day of a Plan Year, the maximum Annual
Deferral Amount, with respect to both Base Annual Salary and Annual
Bonus, shall be limited to the amount of compensation not yet
earned by the Participant as of the date the Participant submits a
Plan Agreement and Election Form to the Committee for
acceptance.
| 3.3 |
|
Election to Defer; Effect of Election Form
. |
| |
(a) |
|
First Plan Year . In connection with a
Participant’s commencement of participation in the Plan, the
Participant shall make an irrevocable deferral election for the
Plan Year in which the Participant commences participation in the
Plan, along with such other elections as the Committee deems
necessary or desirable under the Plan. For these elections to be
valid, the Election Form must be completed and signed by the
Participant, timely delivered to the Committee (in accordance with
Section 2.2 above) and accepted by the Committee. |
| |
| |
(b) |
|
Subsequent Plan Years . For each
succeeding Plan Year, an irrevocable deferral election for that
Plan Year, and such other elections as the Committee deems
necessary or desirable under the Plan, shall be made by timely
delivering to the Committee, in accordance with its rules and
procedures, before the end of the Plan Year preceding the Plan Year
for which the election is made, a new Election Form. If no such
Election Form is timely delivered for a Plan Year, the Annual
Deferral Amount shall be zero for that Plan Year. |
| 3.4 |
|
Withholding of Annual Deferral Amounts .
For each Plan Year, the Base Annual Salary portion of the Annual
Deferral Amount shall be withheld from each regularly scheduled
Base Annual Salary payroll in equal amounts, as adjusted from time
to time for increases and decreases in Base Annual Salary. The
Annual Bonus portion of the Annual Deferral Amount shall be
withheld at the time the Annual Bonus is or otherwise would be paid
to the Participant, whether or not this occurs during the Plan Year
itself. |
| |
| 3.5 |
|
Annual Company Contribution Amount . For
each Plan Year, an Employer, in its sole discretion, may, but is
not required to, credit any amount it desires to any
Participant’s Company Contribution Account under this Plan,
which amount shall be for that Participant the Annual Company
Contribution Amount for that Plan Year. The amount so credited to a
Participant may be smaller or larger than the amount credited to
any other Participant, and the amount credited to any Participant
for a Plan Year may be zero, even though one or more other
Participants receive an Annual Company Contribution Amount for that
Plan Year. The Annual Company Contribution Amount, if any, shall be
credited as of the date selected by the Committee, in its sole and
absolute discretion. If a Participant is not employed by an
Employer as of the last day of a Plan Year other than |
12
Ameristar Casinos, Inc.
Deferred Compensation Plan
Master Plan Document
| |
|
by reason of his or her Retirement or death while employed, the
Annual Company Contribution Amount for that Plan Year shall be
zero. |
| |
| 3.6 |
|
Annual Company Matching Amount . A
Participant’s Annual Company Matching Amount for any Plan
Year shall be equal to the sum of (i) 100% of the
Participant’s Annual Salary Deferral Amount for such Plan
Year, up to an amount that does not exceed 5% of the
Participant’s Base Annual Salary taken into account hereunder
for such Plan Year and (ii) 100% of the Participant’s
Annual Bonus Deferral Amount for such Plan Year, up to an amount
that does not exceed 5% of the Participant’s Annual Bonus.
The Annual Company Matching Amount, if any, shall be credited as of
the date selected by the Committee, in its sole and absolute
discretion. In the event of Retirement or death, a Participant
shall be credited with the Annual Company Matching Amount for the
Plan Year in which he or she Retires or dies. |
| |
| 3.7 |
|
Rollover Contributions and Rollover Transfers
. If a Participant participates in any other plan or
arrangement maintained by an Employer (other than a plan qualified
under Section 401 of the Code) that provides for the deferral
of income or compensation (an “Other Deferral Plan”),
and the Participant has an account balance under such Other
Deferral Plan that the Participant is not presently entitled to
receive (other than through distributions or withdrawals on account
of hardship or which entail a reduction in such account balance or
the payment of some other penalty), the Committee, in its sole and
absolute discretion, may permit all but not less than all of such
Participant’s account balance in such Other Deferral Plan to
be contributed to this Plan as a Rollover Contribution. The amount
of any such Rollover Contribution shall be deducted from the
Participant’s account balance in such Other Deferral Plan,
shall be credited to the Participant’s Rollover Contribution
Account under this Plan, and shall thereafter be governed by the
terms and provisions of this Plan rather than by the terms and
provisions of such Other Deferral Plan. Conversely, if a
Participant has not become entitled to receive benefits under this
Plan (other than pursuant to Section 4.1 or 4.3 of this Plan)
and the Participant also participates in an Other Deferral Plan,
the Committee may, in its sole and absolute discretion, permit all
but not less than all of the Participant’s Account Balance to
be transferred to such Other Deferral Plan in a Rollover Transfer.
The amount of any Rollover Transfer shall be credited to the
participant’s account in such Other Deferral Plan, and shall
thereafter be governed by the terms and provision of such Other
Deferral Plan rather than by the terms and provisions of this
Plan. |
| |
| 3.8 |
|
Investment of Trust Assets . The trustee
of the Trust shall be authorized, upon written instructions
received from the Committee or investment manager appointed by the
Committee, to invest and reinvest the assets of the Trust in
accordance with the applicable Trust Agreement. |
13
Ameristar Casinos, Inc.
Deferred Compensation Plan
Master Plan Document
| |
(a) |
|
A Participant shall at all times be 100% vested in his or her
Deferral Account and Rollover Contribution Account. |
| |
| |
(b) |
|
A Participant shall be vested in his or her Company
Contribution Account and Company Matching Account as follows:
(i) with respect to all benefits under this Plan other than
the Termination Benefit, a Participant’s vested Company
Contribution Account and vested Company Matching Account shall
equal 100% of such Participant’s Company Contribution Account
and Company Matching Account; and (ii) with respect to the
Termination Benefit, a Participant’s Company Contribution
Account and Company Matching Account shall vest on the basis of the
Participant’s Years of Plan Participation at the time the
Participant experiences a Termination of Employment, in accordance
with the following schedule: |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Years of Plan Participation |
|
Vested Percentage
of |
| at Date of Termination of |
|
Company Contribution
Account |
|
Employment |
|
and Company Matching
Account |
|
Less than 1 year
|
|
|
0 |
% |
|
1 year or
more, but less than 2
|
|
|
20 |
% |
|
2 years or
more, but less than 3
|
|
|
40 |
% |
|
3 years or
more, but less than 4
|
|
|
60 |
% |
|
4 years or
more, but less than 5
|
|
|
80 |
% |
|
5 years or
more
|
|
|
100 |
% |
| |
|
|
Upon a Termination of Employment, any unvested amounts in a
Participant’s Company Contribution Account and Company
Marketing Account shall be forfeited. |
| |
| |
(c) |
|
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained |
|