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AMENDMENTAND RESTATEMENT

Employee Benefits Plan Agreement

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ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN L.P. | Alliance Capital Management LP

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Title: AMENDMENTAND RESTATEMENT
Governing Law: New York     Date: 11/5/2007

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Exhibit 10.2
 
 

A MENDMENT AND R ESTATEMENT

OF THE

R ETIREMENT P LAN FOR E MPLOYEES

OF

A LLIANCE B ERNSTEIN L.P.



(As Amended through September 1, 2007)



TABLE OF CONTENTS

ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
1
 
   
ARTICLE II
ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTICIPATION
17
     
ARTICLE III
RETI REMENT ON OR AFTER NORMAL RETIREMENT DATE
19
     
ARTICLE IV
VESTING
24
     
ARTICLE V
EARLY RETIREMENT AND DISABILITY BENEFIT
26
     
ARTICLE VI
OPTIONAL METHODS OF PAYMENT
27
     
ARTICLE VII
DEATH BENEFIT
32
     
ARTICLE VIII
DIRECT ROLLOVER DISTRIBUTIONS
34
     
ARTICLE IX
EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION AND FUNDING POLICY
35
     
ARTICLE X
LIMITATIONS ON BENEFITS
36
     
ARTICLE XI
TOP-HEAVY PLAN YEARS
37
     
ARTICLE XII
NON-ALIENABILITY
42
     
ARTICLE XIII
AMENDMENT OF THE PLAN
43
     
ARTICLE XIV
TERMINATION OF THE PLAN
44
     
ARTICLE XV
TRUST AND ADMINISTRATION
48
     
ARTICLE XVI
CLAIM AND APPEAL PROCEDURE
52
     
ARTICLE XVII
MISCELLANEOUS
57
     
ARTICLE XVIII
ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN
59

i


R ETIREMENT P LAN FOR E MPLOYEES

OF

A LLIANCE B ERNSTEIN L.P.

WHEREAS, the Retirement Plan for Employees of AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Plan”) (formerly known as the Retirement Plan for Employees of Alliance Capital Management L.P.) was originally established effective as of January 1, 1980 by the predecessor of Alliance Capital Management L.P.; and

WHEREAS, the Plan was amended and restated from time to time to reflect changes in the predecessor’s business, certain other changes and changes in applicable law; and

WHEREAS, the Plan was amended to comply with the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (“EGTRRA”) and other applicable legislation, and the provisions reflecting EGTRRA are intended as good faith compliance with the requirements of EGTRRA and are to be construed in accordance with EGTRRA and guidance issued thereunder; and

WHEREAS, any Employee of the Company hired on or after October 2, 2000 is not eligible to participate in the Plan; and

WHEREAS, the Plan was amended and restated, effective as of January 1, 2006, to incorporate all Plan amendments adopted since the Plan was last amended and restated and certain additional design changes, changes required to comply with applicable law and to reflect the name change of Alliance Capital Management L.P. to AllianceBernstein L.P.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Plan is hereby amended and restated, as of September 1, 2007, to incorporate certain additional design changes.



ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

The following words and phrases as used herein shall, when initially capitalized, have the following meanings unless a different meaning is required by the context:

1.01         “ACCRUED BENEFIT” as of any specified date, means the Retirement Pension, commencing on his Normal Retirement Date, earned by a Participant as of such date, which shall be equal to the Retirement Pension, computed in accordance with Section 3.02, to which he would have been entitled had he continued as an Employee until his Normal Retirement Date, had been credited with one (1) Year of Service in each year of employment during such period and had the same Average Final Compensation, Final Average Compensation and Past Final Average Compensation, as applicable, at his date of Retirement as that which he would have had if his Average Final Compensation, Final Average Compensation and Past Final Average Compensation, as applicable, had been computed as of the date of computation of his Accrued Benefit, such amounts to be multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is his number of years of Credited Service as of the specified date, and the denominator of which is the number of such years which he would have completed as of his Normal Retirement Date.

1.02         “ACTUARIAL EQUIVALENT” means, except as provided below, a benefit of equivalent value that is actuarially calculated based on an annual investment rate of 6% compounded annually and mortality determined in accordance with the UP-1984 mortality table with ages set back one year.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of determining actuarial equivalent with respect to any distribution under the Plan after December 31, 1995:

(a)            whether the consent of the Participant (and if applicable, the Participant’s Spouse) is necessary prior to distribution of the Participant’s benefit;

(b)            the single sum value of the Participant’s benefit; and

(c)            the value of a benefit under Option 4 or Option 5 provided for in Section 6.01;

a benefit of equivalent value shall be the greater of that determined in accordance with the assumptions set forth above, and that determined by applying the Applicable Interest Rate for the month of September of the Plan Year immediately preceding the Plan Year with respect to which the benefit is being determined and the Applicable Mortality Table; provided, however, in no event shall the single sum value of the Participant’s benefit distributed during the 1996 calendar year be less than would result by applying the Applicable Interest Rate for January 1996 and the Applicable Mortality Table.

1.03         “ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE” or “COMMITTEE” means the administrative committee appointed by the Board pursuant to Section 15.02.  The term “Investment Committee” shall mean the investment committee appointed by the Board pursuant to Section 18.02.

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1.04         “AFFILIATE” means any corporation or unincorporated business (i) controlled by, or under common control with, the Company within the meaning of Sections 414(b) and (c) of the Code; provided, however, that for all purposes of the Plan, “Affiliate” status shall be determined by application of Section 415(h) of the Code, or (ii) which is a member of an “affiliated service group”, as defined in Section 414(m)(2) of the Code, of which the Company is a member.

1.05         “ANNUITY PURCHASE RATE” means, effective as of July 1, 1994, (a) the interest rate which would be used by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation as of the first day of the Plan Year of the date of the distribution involved for the purpose of determining the present value of a single sum distribution in connection with the termination of the Plan if the present value of the applicable vested Accrued Benefit (using such rate) does not exceed $25,000, or (b) one hundred twenty percent of the rate used by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation for that purpose if the present value of the vested Accrued Benefit, as determined in accordance with clause (a) exceeds $25,000, provided that in no event shall the present value of a Participant’s vested Accrued Benefit determined by application of this clause (b) be less than $25,000; provided that the Annuity Purchase Rate with respect to the Accrued Benefit as of such first day of the Plan Year shall not be larger than the Annuity Purchase Rate which would have been computed under the definition of Annuity Purchase Rate in effect immediately prior to July 1, 1994.

1.06         “APPLICABLE INTEREST RATE” means an annual investment rate equal to the annual interest rate on 30-year Treasury securities as specified by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue.

1.07         “APPLICABLE MORTALITY TABLE” means the mortality table based on the then prevailing standard table (described in Section 807(d)(5)(A) of the Code) used to determine reserves for group annuity contracts issued as of the date as of which the value of the benefit involved is determined (without regard to any other subparagraph of Section 807(d)(5) of the Code) that is prescribed by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue for purposes of determining the value of benefits.

1.08         (a)  “AVERAGE FINAL COMPENSATION” means an amount obtained by totaling the Compensation of a Participant for the five (5) consecutive full calendar years preceding the date of his Retirement or other Termination of Employment, whichever is applicable, in which he received his highest aggregate Compensation (or his Compensation for his consecutive full calendar Years of Service, if less than five (5)), and dividing the sum thus obtained by five (5) (or the number of his full calendar Years of Service if less than five (5)).  Notwithstanding the foregoing, partial calendar Years of Service, other than the year of termination of employment, shall be taken into account in determining Average Final Compensation, if the Participant completed at least 750 Hours of Service in each of such partial years.  If any partial Year of Service is to be taken into account under the preceding sentence, the Compensation for such year shall be included in the calculation of Average Final Compensation as follows:  The Compensation for any such partial Year of Service shall be added to the Compensation for the full calendar years included in calculating Average Final Compensation, and the total of such Compensation shall be divided by the sum of (i) the number of full calendar years included in calculating Average Final Compensation and (ii) the fraction whose numerator is the number of days worked during the partial Year of Service (including any weekends, holiday or vacation that occur during a continuous period of employment) and whose denominator is 365.

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(b)            If, during any of the calendar years taken into account in determining a Participant’s Average Final Compensation, there was a period during which such Participant was an Inactive Participant, or was on unpaid Leave of Absence, or was compensated for fewer hours than are customary for his job category by reason of disability, the Compensation paid in such period shall be included in his Compensation for such calendar year (solely for the purpose of determining Average Final Compensation) at the rate of Compensation he was receiving immediately preceding such period.

1.09         “BENEFICIARY” means such person or persons as may be designated by a Participant or Retired Participant or as may otherwise be entitled, upon his death, to receive any benefits or payments under the terms of this Plan.

1.10         “BOARD OF DIRECTORS” or “BOARD” means the Board of Directors of the general partner of the Company responsible for the management of the Company’s business or a committee thereof designated by such Board.

1.11         “BREAK IN SERVICE” with respect to any Employee, means any calendar year in which he completes fewer than five hundred and one (501) Hours of Service with Employers or Affiliates.

1.12         “CODE” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.

1.13         “COMPANY” means AllianceBernstein L.P. and any successor thereto; prior to February 24, 2006, known as Alliance Capital Management L.P.; and prior to April 21, 1988, known as Alliance Capital Management Corporation.

1.14         ( a )  “COMPENSATION” means, for any calendar year, an amount equal to a Participant’s base salary; provided that in the case of a Participant whose Compensation from an Employer includes commissions, commissions shall be included only up to the annual amount of the Participant’s draw against actual commissions in effect at the beginning of the Plan Year involved.

(b)             There shall be excluded from Compensation overtime pay, bonuses, severance pay, distributions on Units representing assignments of beneficial ownership of limited partnership interests in the Company, and any amounts paid or payable to or for a Participant or Retired Participant pursuant to any welfare plan or any pension plan, profit sharing plan or any other plan of deferred compensation, or any other extraordinary item of compensation or income.

(c)             Effective as of January 1, 2006, Compensation of a Member in excess of $220,000 (or such other amount prescribed under Code Section 401(a)(17), including any cost-of-living adjustments) shall not be taken into account under the Plan for the purpose of determining benefits.  The increase in the limit provided under Section 401(a)(17) of the Code under the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 shall only be applied with respect to Participants who accrue a benefit under the Plan on or after January 1, 2002.

(d)             For any year for which Compensation is relevant under the Plan, in connection with any Employee who is paid based on an annual rate of salary that applies for only a portion of the year, the Compensation attributable to that portion of the year for such Employee shall be equal to the product of (i) such annual rate of salary, multiplied by (ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of pay periods during such year during which such Employee was paid at that annual rate of salary, and the denominator of which is 26.

3


The determination of eligible Compensation shall be in accordance with records maintained by the Employer and shall be conclusive.

Compensation shall include Deemed 125 Compensation.  “Deemed 125 Compensation” shall mean, in accordance with Internal Revenue Service Revenue Ruling 2002-27, 2002-20 I.R.B. 925, any amounts not available to a Participant in cash in lieu of group health coverage because the Participant is unable to certify that he or she has other health coverage.  An amount shall be treated as Deemed 125 Compensation only if the Employer does not request or collect information regarding the Participant’s other health coverage as part of the enrollment process for the health plan.

1.15         (a)  “CREDITED SERVICE” means, unless excluded by Subsection (b), an Employee’s Years of Service;

(b)            Credited Service shall not include:

(1)            With respect to all Employees, Years of Service ending on or before December 31, 1969; or

(2)            Any Year of Service during any part of which an Employee is an Excluded Employee; provided that if the Employee is employed by an Employer after employment with an Affiliate who during a period  of employment with the Affiliate maintained a “defined benefit plan” within the meaning of Section 414(j) of the Code, the service with the Affiliate while an Affiliate upon which the Employees accrued benefits under the Affiliate’s plan is based shall be considered Credited Service hereunder, but in no event shall any period be counted more than once in computing a Participant’s Credited Service and any retirement pension related to such service shall be taken into account as set forth in Section 3.02(b) of the Plan.

1.16         “DEFERRED RETIREMENT” means an Employee’s continued employment after his sixty-fifth (65th) birthday.

1.17         “DEFERRED RETIREMENT DATE” means the first day of the calendar month coincident with or next following the date of an Employee’s Retirement provided such Retirement occurs after his Normal Retirement Date.

1.18         “DISABILITY” means the mental or physical incapacity of an Employee which, in the opinion of a physician approved by the Administrative Committee, renders him totally and permanently incapable of performing his assigned duties with an Employer or an Affiliate.

1.18.1      “DOMESTIC PARTNER” means, in the case of a Participant who dies before his Retirement Pension Starting Date, his Domestic Partner (as defined below) on the date of his death if such Domestic Partner satisfied the requirements for being a Domestic Partner as set forth below.  “Domestic Partner” is an individual who, together with the Participant, satisfies the following requirements:  (i) both the Participant and the domestic partner are at least 18 years of age; (ii) both the Participant and the domestic partner are of the same gender; (iii) both the Participant and the domestic partner are mentally competent to enter into a contract according to the laws of the state in which they reside; (iv) each of the Participant and the domestic partner is the sole domestic partner of the other; (v) neither of the Participant nor the domestic partner is legally married to any other individual, and, if previously married, a legal divorce or annulment has been obtained or the former spouse is deceased; (vi) neither of the Participant nor the domestic partner is related by blood to a degree of closeness that would prohibit legal marriage in the jurisdiction in which they legally reside, if they were of the same sex; (vii) the Participant and the domestic partner reside together in the same residence, have done so for a period of no less than the most recent six-month period, intend to do so indefinitely and share the common necessities of life; (viii) the Participant and domestic partner have mutually agreed to be responsible for each other’s common welfare; and (ix) the Participant has designated the domestic partner as his or her domestic partner by completing and returning an ‘Affidavit of Same-Sex Domestic Partnership’ to the appropriate Company person indicated on such affidavit.

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1.19          “EARLY RETIREMENT” means Retirement on or after a Participant’s Early Retirement Date and prior to his Normal Retirement Date.

1.20          “EARLY RETIREMENT DATE” means the first day of the month coincident with or next following the date upon which the Participant shall have attained the age of fifty-five (55) and the sum of the Participant’s age and Years of Service equals eighty (80).

1.21          “ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEE” means any Employee of an Employer other than:

 (a)            any Employee included in a unit of Employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement between an Employer and Employee representatives in the negotiation of which retirement benefits were the subject of good faith bargaining, unless:  (i) such bargaining agreement provides for participation in the Plan, (ii) the Employee representatives represented an organization more than half of whose members are owners, officers or executives of such Employer, or (iii) 2% or more of the Employees who are covered pursuant to that agreement are professionals as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.410(b) - 6(d);

 (b)            Employees whose principal place of Employment is outside the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico;

 (c)            an individual classified by the Employer at the time services are provided as either an independent contractor, or an individual who is not classified as an Employee due to an Employer’s treatment of any services provided by him as being provided by another entity which is providing such individual’s services to the Employer, even if such individual is later retroactively reclassified as an Employee during all or part of such period during which services were provided pursuant to applicable law or otherwise.

 (d)            any individual listed in Section 2.09 of this Plan.

1.22          “EFFECTIVE DATE” means January 1, 1980.

5


1.23          “EMPLOYEE” means an individual described in Sections 3121(d) (1) or (2) of the Code who is employed by an Employer or an Affiliate.

1.24          “EMPLOYER” means the Company and any Affiliate which, with the consent of the Board of Directors, has adopted the Plan as a participant herein and any successor to any such Employer.

1.25          “EMPLOYMENT COMMENCEMENT DATE” means:

 (a)            the first day in respect of which an Employee receives Compensation from an Employer or an Affiliate for the performance of services; or

 (b)            in the case of a former Employee who returns to the employ of an Employer or Affiliate after a Break in Service, the first day in respect of which, after such Break in Service, he receives Compensation from an Employer or Affiliate for the performance of services.

1.26          “ENTRY DATE” means the first day of each Plan Year.

1.27          “ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time.

1.28          (a)  “EXCLUDED EMPLOYEE” means an individual in the employ of an Employer or an Affiliate who:

(1)            is employed by an Affiliate that is not an Employer; or

(2)            is included in a unit of employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement between employee representatives and one or more Employers or Affiliates, if retirement benefits were the subject of good faith bargaining between such employee representatives and such Employer; or

(3)            is not an Excluded Employee under Paragraph (4) of this subsection (a) and is neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States of America, nor receives “earned income”, within the meaning of Section 911(b) of the Code, from an Employer or Affiliate that constitutes income from sources within the United States, within the meaning of Section 861(a)(3) of the Code, unless the individual became a Participant prior to becoming a non-resident alien and the Company stipulates that he shall not be an Excluded Employee; or

(4)            is not a citizen of the United States, unless the individual (A) was initially engaged as an Employee by an Employer or an Affiliate to render services entirely or primarily in the United States or (B) is an Employee of an Employer which is a United States entity, and unless, in the case of an individual referred to in either Subparagraph (A) or (B) of this Paragraph 4, the Company stipulates that he shall not be an Excluded Employee; or

6


(5)            is accruing benefits and/or receiving contributions under a retirement plan of an Affiliate which operates entirely or primarily outside the United States other than this Plan or the Profit Sharing Plan for Employees of AllianceBernstein L.P. unless, in either case, the Company stipulates that he shall not be an Excluded Employee; or

(6)            is compensated on a commission arrangement which does not provide for payment of periodic draws against actual commissions earned; or

(7)            is a “leased employee”.  For purposes of this Plan, a “leased employee” means any person (other than an Employee of the recipient) who pursuant to an agreement between the recipient and any other person (“leasing organization”) has performed services for the recipient (or for the recipient and related persons determined in accordance with Section 414(n)(6) of the Code on a substantially full time basis for a period of at least one year), and such services are performed under primary direction or control by the recipient employer.

(b)            An Excluded Employee shall be deemed an Employee for all purposes under this Plan except that:

(1)            an Excluded Employee may not become a Participant while he remains an Excluded Employee; and

(2)            a Participant shall not receive any Credited Service for any Year of Service during any part of which he remains an Excluded Employee unless the Company specifies otherwise.

1.29          “FINAL AVERAGE COMPENSATION” means an amount obtained by totaling the Compensation of a Participant for the three (3) consecutive full calendar Years of Service (which for any such year cannot exceed the taxable wage base in effect for that year) ending on or on the last day of the calendar year immediately preceding the date of his Retirement or other Termination of Employment, whichever is applicable, (or his Compensation for the number of his full calendar years and fractions thereof then ending if less than three (3)), and dividing the sum thus obtained by three (3) (or such number of full calendar years and fractions thereof if less than three (3)), but limited to Covered Compensation.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, partial calendar Years of Service, other than the year of termination of employment, shall be taken into account in determining Final Average Compensation, if the Participant completed at least 750 Hours of Service in each of such partial years.  If any partial Year of Service is to be taken into account under the preceding sentence, the Compensation for such year shall be included in the calculation of Final Average Compensation as follows:  The Compensation for any such partial Year of Service shall be added to the Compensation for the full calendar years included in calculating Final Average Compensation, and the total of such Compensation shall be divided by the sum of (i) the number of full calendar years included in calculating Final Average Compensation and (ii) the fraction whose numerator is the number of days worked during the partial Year of Service (including any weekends, holiday or vacation that occur during a continuous period of employment) and whose denominator is 365.  “Covered Compensation” for this Section 1.29 means the average of the taxable wage bases for the thirty-five (35) calendar years ending with the year an individual attains social security retirement age.

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1.30          “HIGHLY COMPENSATED EMPLOYEE” means an Employee who, with respect to the “determination year”:

 (a)            owned (or is considered as owning within the meaning of Section 318 of the Code) at any time during the “determination year” or “look-back year” more than five percent of the outstanding stock of the Employer or stock possessing more than five percent of the total combined voting power of all stock of the Employer (the attribution of ownership interest to Family Members shall be used pursuant to Section 318 of the Code); or

 (b)            who received “415 Compensation” during the “look-back year” from the Employer in excess of $80,000 and was in the Top Paid Group of Employees for the “look-back year”.

The “determination year” shall be the Plan Year for which testing is being performed.  The “look-back year” shall be the Plan Year immediately preceding the “determination year.”

The term “415 Compensation”  shall mean compensation reported as wages, tips and other compensation on Form W-2 and shall include:  (i) any elective deferral (as defined in Section 402(g)(3) of the Code) and (ii) any amount which is contributed or deferred by the Employer at the election of the Employee and which is not includible in the gross income of the Employee by reason of Sections 125, 132(f)(4), 401(k) or 457 of the Code.  415 Compensation shall include Deemed 125 Compensation, as defined in Section 1.14 of the Plan.

The dollar threshold amount specified in (b) above shall be adjusted at such time and in such manner as is provided in Regulations.  In the case of such an adjustment, the dollar limits which shall be applied are those for the calendar year in which the “determination year” or “look-back year” begins.

In determining who is a Highly Compensated Employee, Employees who are nonresident aliens and who received no earned income (within the meaning of Section 911(d)(2) of the Code) from the Employer constituting United States source income within the meaning of Section 861(a)(3) of the Code shall not be treated as Employees.

Additionally, all Affiliated Employers shall be taken into account as a single employer and Leased Employees within the meaning of Sections 414(n)(2) and 414(o)(2) of the Code shall be considered Employees unless such Leased Employees are covered by a plan described in Section 414(n)(5) of the Code and are not covered in any qualified plan maintained by the Employer.  The exclusion of Leased Employees for this purpose shall be applied on a uniform and consistent basis for all of the Employer’s retirement plans.  Highly Compensated Former Employees shall be treated as Highly Compensated Employees without regard to whether they performed services during the “determination year”.

1.31          “HIGHLY COMPENSATED FORMER EMPLOYEE” means a former Employee who had a separation year prior to the “determination year” and was a Highly Compensated Employee in the year of separation from service or in any “determination year” after attaining age 55.  Highly Compensated Former Employees shall be treated as Highly Compensated Employees.  The method set forth in this Section for determining who is a “Highly Compensated Former Employee” shall be applied on a uniform and consistent basis for all purposes for which the Section 414(q) of the Code definition is applicable.

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1.32          (a)  “HOUR OF SERVICE” means each hour:

(1)            for which an Employee is paid, or entitled to payment, by an Employer or Affiliate for the performance of duties for an Employer or Affiliate, credited for the Plan Year in which such duties were performed; or

(2)            for which an Employee is directly or indirectly paid, or entitled to payment, by an Employer or Affiliate on account of a period of Leave of Absence, credited for the Plan Year in which such Leave of Absence occurs; or

(3)            for which an Employee has been awarded, or is otherwise entitled to, back pay from an Employer or Affiliate, irrespective of mitigation of damages, if he is not entitled to credit for such hour under any other Paragraph of this Subsection (a); or

(4)            during which an Employee is on an unpaid Leave of Absence described in Section 1.34(a) or (b), credited at the rate of which he would have accrued Hours of Service if he had performed his normal duties during such Leave of Absence.

(5)            (A)  solely for purposes of Section 1.11, each hour of an Employee’s absence which commences on or after January, 1985 by reason of a leave pursuant to the FMLA, the pregnancy of such Employee, the birth of a child of such Employee, the placement of a child in connection with the adoption of such child by the Employee or the caring for such child for a period beginning immediately following such birth or placement.

(B)            under this Paragraph (5) an Employee shall be credited with the number of hours which would normally have been credited to him but for such absence, or in any case in which such number cannot be determined, a total of eight (8) Hours of Service for each day of such absence, except that no more than 501 Hours of Service shall be credited to an Employee for any such period of absence and such Hours of Service shall be credited to an Employee only in the Plan Year in which such period of absence began if such Employee would be prevented from incurring a Break in Service in such Plan Year solely because of the crediting of such Hours of Service, or in any other case, in the next succeeding Plan Year.

(C)            Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Employee shall not be credited with Hours of Service pursuant to this Paragraph (5) unless such Employee shall furnish to the Committee on a timely basis such information as the Committee shall reasonably require to establish

9

 
(i)            that the absence from work is for reasons described in Subparagraph (A) hereof; and
 
   (ii)            the number of days which such absence continued.

(b)            Except as provided in Paragraph (a) (5), the number of a Participant’s Hours of Service and the Plan Year or other compensation period to which they are to be credited shall be determined in accordance with Section 2530.200b-2 of the Rules and Regulations for Minimum Standards for Employee Pension Benefit Plans, which section is hereby incorporated by reference into this Plan.

(c)            If the Participant’s compensation while an Employee was not determined on the basis of certain amounts for each hour worked, his Hours of Service need not be determined from employment records, and he may, in accordance with uniform and nondiscriminatory rules adopted by the Committee, be credited with forty-five (45) Hours of Service for each week in which he would be credited with any Hours of Service under the provisions of Subsection (a) or (b).

1.33          “INACTIVE PARTICIPANT” means:

 (a)            an Employee who was a Participant during the preceding Plan Year but who, during the current Plan Year, neither completed a Year of Service nor incurred a Break in Service; and

 (b)            an Excluded Employee who was a Participant or an Inactive Participant during the preceding Plan Year but who, during the current Plan Year, did not incur a Break in Service.

An Inactive Participant shall be deemed a Participant for all purposes under this Plan, except that he shall not accrue any benefit hereunder for any Plan Year during which he is an Inactive Participant.

1.34          “LEAVE OF ABSENCE” means:

 (a)            absence on leave approved by an Employee’s Employer, if the period of such leave does not exceed two (2) years and the Employee returns to the employ of an Employer or an Affiliate upon its termination; or

 (b)            absence due to service in the Armed Forces of the United States, if such absence is caused by war or other national emergency or an Employee is required to serve under the laws of conscription in time of peace, and if the Employee returns to the employ of an Employer or an Affiliate within the period provided by law; or

 (c)            absence for a period not in excess of thirteen (13) consecutive weeks due to leave granted by an Employer, military service, vacation, holiday, illness, incapacity, layoff, or jury duty, if the Employee does not return to the employ of an Employee or Affiliate at the end of such period.

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In granting or withholding Leaves of Absence, each Employer or Affiliate shall apply uniform and non-discriminatory rules to all Employees in similar circumstances.

1.35          “NORMAL RETIREMENT DATE” means the first day of the month coincident with or next following the sixty fifth (65th) birthday of the Participant or Retired Participant.

1.36          “OPTION” means any of the optional methods of payment of a Retirement Pension which a Participant or Retired Participant may elect in accordance with Article VI.

1.37          “PARTICIPANT” means any individual who has become a Participant in the Plan in accordance with Sections 2.01, 2.02 or 2.06 and whose participation has not terminated pursuant to Section 2.05.

1.38          “PAST FINAL AVERAGE COMPENSATION” means the amount which would have been obtained by totaling the Compensation of a Participant for the five (5) consecutive full calendar Years of Service during the last ten (10) calendar year period ending on December 31, 1988 for which the Participant received his highest aggregate Compensation (or his Compensation for the number of his consecutive full calendar Years of Service ending December 31, 1988 if less than five (5)), except that for purposes of Section 3.02(a)(3), the calculation period shall end on December 31, 1989 rather than December 31, 1988; and dividing said aggregate Compensation by five (5) (or such number of consecutive full calendar Years of Service if less than five (5)).

1.39          “PLAN YEAR” means the twelve (12) consecutive month period beginning on January 1 and ending on December 31 in any year commencing on or after January 1, 1980.

1.40          “PRIMARY SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT”

(a)             means the estimated old age retirement benefit payable to a Participant under the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance System upon his Retirement on his Normal Retirement Date or Deferred Retirement Date whichever is applicable; provided, however, that (i) in the event that either his Termination of Employment or December 31, 1989 occurs before his Normal Retirement Date, his Primary Social Security Benefit shall be estimated by computing such benefit, determined without regard to any Social Security benefit increases that become effective after his Termination of Employment or December 31, 1988, whichever is later, as if in each calendar year beginning in the calendar year in which occurred the earlier of his Termination of Employment or 1989, he continued to receive the same Compensation (defined as, Compensation in the calendar year preceding the earlier of his Termination of Employment or 1989, but including overtime, bonuses and commissions otherwise excluded under Section 1.14 (b)), as he received in the Plan Year last preceding the earlier of his Termination of Employment or 1989; and (ii) the Participant’s calendar year earnings in the year of his Employment Commencement Date and for the prior calendar years shall be estimated by applying a salary scale, projected backwards, to the Participant’s Compensation for the calendar year immediately following the calendar year of the Participant’s Employment Commencement Date, such salary scale being the actual change in the average wages from year to year as determined by the Social Security Administration.

(b)             (1)  Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection (a), each Participant may have his Primary Social Security Benefit determined on the basis on his actual salary history for the period ending on the earlier of his Termination of Employment or the December 31 applicable to the Participant for purposes of Subsection (a) within ninety (90) days after the later of (A) his Termination of Employment or (B) the date on which he is notified of the benefit to which he is entitled.

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 (2)            As soon as practicable after a Participant’s Termination of employment, the Committee shall mail or personally deliver to the Participant a notice informing him (A) of his right to supply the actual salary history described in Paragraph (b) (1), (B) of the financial consequences of failing to supply such history and (C) that he can obtain such actual salary history from the Social Security Administration.

1.41          “QUALIFIED JOINT AND SURVIVOR ANNUITY” means an annuity for the life of a Participant, with, if the Participant is married to a Spouse on his Retirement Pension Starting Date, a survivor annuity for the life of such Spouse which is one-half (½) of the amount of the annuity payable during the joint lives of the Participant and such Spouse.  Any benefit payable in the form of a Qualified Joint and Survivor Annuity shall be the Actuarial Equivalent of the Participant’s Retirement Pension.

1.42          “QUALIFIED PRERETIREMENT SURVIVOR ANNUITY” means:

 (a)            in the case of a Participant who dies after his Early Retirement Date, a monthly life annuity for a Participant’s Spouse or Domestic Partner equal to fifty percent (50%) of the benefit such Participant would have received had he retired on the day before his death and commenced receiving his Retirement Pension on such date, reduced in accordance with Section 5.01, except that no reduction shall be made for the joint and survivor factor; and

 (b)            in the case of a Participant who dies on or prior to his Early Retirement Date, a monthly life annuity for a Participant’s Spouse  or Domestic Partner equal to fifty percent (50%) of the benefit such Participant would have received if the Participant’s Termination of Employment had occurred on the date of his death, and such Participant had survived to his Early Retirement Date, had retired immediately upon attainment of his Early Retirement Date and immediately commenced receiving his Retirement Pension, reduced as provided in Section 5.01, except that a reduction shall be made for the joint and survivor factor.  The annuity described in this Subsection (b) shall commence to be payable, at the election of such Spouse or Domestic Partner , as of the first day of any month coincident with or next following the date on which the Participant would have attained his Early Retirement Date.

 (c)            in the case of any vested Participant referred to in Section 4.04(a) of this Plan (a “Vested Terminated Participant”) who dies on or prior to his Early Retirement or Normal Retirement, a monthly life annuity for the Vested Terminated Participant’s Spouse or Domestic Partner equal to fifty percent (50%) of the benefit such Vested Terminated Participant would have received if the Vested Terminated Participant’s Termination of Employment had occurred on the date of his death, and such Vested Terminated Participant had survived to his Early Retirement Date, had retired immediately upon attainment of his Early Retirement Date and immediately commenced receiving his Retirement Pension, reduced as provided in Section 5.01, except that a reduction shall be made for the joint and survivor factor.  The annuity described in this Subsection (c) shall commence to be payable, at the election of such Spouse or Domestic Partner , as of the first day of any month coincident with or next following the date on which the Vested Terminated Participant would have attained his Early Retirement Date.

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1.43          “REQUIRED BEGINNING DATE”

(a)             for a Participant who is not a 5-percent owner (as defined in Section 416 of the Code) in the Plan Year in which he attains age 70½ and who attains age 70½ after December 31, 1998, April 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which occurs the later of the Participant’s (i) attainment of age 70½ or (ii) Retirement.

(b)             for a Participant who (i) is a 5-percent owner (as defined in Section 416 of the Code) in the Plan Year in which he attains age 70 1 / 2 , or (ii) attains age 70 1 / 2 before January 1, 1999, April 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the Participant attains age 70 1 / 2 .

1.44          “RETIRED PARTICIPANT” means any Participant or former Participant who is entitled to benefits pursuant to Article III, IV or V.

1.45          “RETIREMENT” means any Termination of Employment, other than by reason of death, on or after an Employee’s Early or Normal Retirement Date.