Exhibit No. 10 (a)
This document constitutes part of
a prospectus covering securities
that have been registered under
the Securities Act of 1933.
Constellation Energy Group, Inc.
2007 Long-Term Incentive Plan
(Plan)
Amended and Restated Effective February 26,
2009
1.
Purpose
. The purpose of this Plan is
to increase shareholder value by providing a long-term incentive to
reward officers and key employees of the Company and its
Subsidiaries, who are mainly responsible for the continued growth,
development, and financial success of the Company and its
Subsidiaries, and for the continued profitable performance of the
Company and its Subsidiaries. The Plan is also designed to
permit the Company and its Subsidiaries to attract and retain
talented and motivated directors, officers, consultants and
employees and to increase their ownership of Company common
stock. The Plan also provides the ability to award long-term
incentives that qualify for federal income tax deduction.
Upon the adoption of this Plan, no new Awards shall be granted
under any prior long-term incentive plan.
2.
Definitions
. All singular terms defined
in this Plan will include the plural and vice versa
. As used herein, the following terms will have the meaning
specified below:
“Award” means
individually or collectively, Cash-Based Award, Restricted Stock,
Restricted Stock Units, Options, Performance Units, Stock
Appreciation Rights, Dividend Equivalents, or Other Equity granted
under this Plan.
“Board” means the Board
of Directors of the Company.
“Cash-Based Award” means
an Award granted to a Participant as described in
Section 12A.
“Change in Control”
means the occurrence of any one of the following events:
(i)
individuals who, on the effective date of the adoption of the Plan,
constitute the Board (the “Incumbent Directors”) cease
for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board,
provided that any person becoming a director subsequent to such
adoption date, whose election or nomination for election was
approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Incumbent
Directors then on the Board (either by a specific vote or by
approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such person
is named as a nominee for director, without written objection to
such nomination) shall be an Incumbent Director; provided ,
however , that no individual initially elected or nominated
as a director of the Company as a result of an actual or threatened
election contest with respect to directors or as a result of any
other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies by or on behalf
of any person other than the Board shall be deemed to be an
Incumbent Director;
(ii)
any “person” (as such term is defined in
Section 3(a)(9) of the 1934 Act and as used in Sections
13(d)(3) and 14(d)(2) of the 1934 Act) is or becomes a
“beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under
the 1934 Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company
representing 20% or more of the combined voting power of the
Company’s then outstanding securities eligible to vote for
the election of the Board (the “Company Voting
Securities”); provided , however , that the
event described in this paragraph (ii) shall not be deemed to
be a Change in Control by virtue of any of the following
acquisitions: (A) by the Company or any corporation with
respect to which the Company owns a majority of the outstanding
shares of common stock or has the power to vote or direct the
voting of sufficient securities to elect a majority of the
directors (a “Subsidiary Company”), (B) by any
employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by
the Company or any Subsidiary Company, (C) by any underwriter
temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of such
securities, (D) pursuant to a Non-Qualifying Transaction (as
defined in paragraph (iii)), or (E) pursuant to any
acquisition by a Participant or any group of persons including a
Participant (or any entity controlled by a Participant or any group
of persons including a Participant);
(iii)
consummation of a merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange
or similar form of corporate transaction involving the Company (a
“Business Combination”), unless immediately following
such Business Combination: (A) more than 60% of the
total voting power of (x) the corporation resulting from such
Business Combination (the “Surviving Corporation”), or
(y) if applicable, the ultimate parent corporation that
directly or indirectly has beneficial ownership of at least 95% of
the voting securities eligible to elect directors of the Surviving
Corporation (the “Parent Corporation”), is represented
by Company Voting Securities that were outstanding immediately
prior to such Business Combination (or, if applicable, is
represented by shares into which such Company Voting Securities
were converted pursuant to such Business Combination), and such
voting power among the holders thereof is in substantially the same
proportion as the voting power of such Company Voting Securities
among the holders thereof immediately prior to the Business
Combination, (B) no person (other than any employee benefit
plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Surviving
Corporation or the Parent Corporation), is or becomes the
beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 20% or more of the
total voting power of the outstanding voting securities eligible to
elect directors of the Parent Corporation (or, if there is no
Parent Corporation, the Surviving Corporation) and (C) at
least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the
Parent Corporation (or, if there is no Parent Corporation, the
Surviving Corporation) following the consummation of the Business
Combination were Incumbent Directors at the time of the
Board’s approval of the execution of the initial agreement
providing for such Business Combination (any Business Combination
which satisfies all of the criteria specified in (A), (B), and
(C) above shall be deemed to be a “Non-Qualifying
Transaction”); or
(iv)
the stockholders of the Company approve a plan of complete
liquidation or dissolution of the Company, or the consummation of a
sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s
assets.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, a
Change in Control of the Company shall not be deemed to occur
solely because any person acquires beneficial ownership of more
than 20% of the Company Voting Securities as a result of the
acquisition of Company Voting Securities by the Company which
reduces the number of Company Voting Securities outstanding;
provided , that if after such acquisition by the
Company such person becomes the beneficial owner of additional
Company Voting Securities that increases the percentage of
outstanding Company Voting Securities beneficially owned by such
person, a Change in Control of the Company shall then
occur.
“Code” means the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Reference in the
Plan to any section of the Code will be deemed to include any
amendments or successor provisions to such section and any
regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Committee” means the
Compensation Committee of the Board or such other committee as the
Board shall appoint from time to time to administer the Plan and to
otherwise exercise and perform the authority and functions assigned
to the Committee under the terms of the Plan, at least two members
of which qualify as non-employee directors (within the meaning of
Rule 16b-3 promulgated under Section 16 of the 1934 Act),
and as “outside directors” within the meaning of
Treasury Regulation Section 1.162-27(e)(3) and as
“independent” within the meaning of any rules or
regulations promulgated by an applicable stock exchange or similar
regulatory authority.
“Company” means
Constellation Energy Group, Inc., a Maryland corporation, or
its successor, including any “New Company” as provided
in Section 16J.
“Covered Employee” means
a Participant, who at the time of reference, is a “covered
employee”, as described in Code
Section 162(m).
“Date of Grant” means
the date on which the granting of an Award is authorized by the
Plan Administrator or such later date as may be specified by the
Plan Administrator in such authorization.
“Disability” means the
determination that a Participant is “disabled” under
the Company disability plan in effect at that time or, if
applicable to such Participant, a Subsidiary disability plan in
effect at that time.
“Dividend Equivalent”
means an Award granted under Section 11.
“Eligible Person” means
any person who satisfies all of the requirements of
Section 5.
“Exercise Period” means
the period or periods during which a Stock Appreciation Right is
exercisable.
“Fair Market Value”
means the value of the Stock determined by such methods or
procedures as shall be established from time to time by the Plan
Administrator; provided, that to the extent required to avoid the
imposition of a
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tax under Section 409A of the
Code in respect of an Award, such method shall conform to the
requirements of Section 409A.
“Incentive Stock Option”
means an incentive stock option within the meaning of
Section 422 of the Code.
“1934 Act” means the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Option” or “Stock
Option” means either a nonqualified stock option or an
Incentive Stock Option.
“Option Period” or
“Option Periods” means the period or periods during
which an Option is exercisable.
“Other Equity” means an
Award granted under Section 12B.
“Participant” means an
individual who has been granted an Award under this
Plan.
“Pension Plan” means the
Pension Plan of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. as may be
amended from time to time, or other qualified retirement plan of
Constellation Energy Group, Inc. or a Subsidiary designated by
the Committee from time to time.
“Performance-Based
Compensation” means compensation under an award that
satisfies the requirements of Section 162(m) of the code
for deductibility of remuneration paid to Covered
Employees.
“Performance Measures”
means measures as described in Section 13 on which the
performance goals are based and which are approved by the
Company’s shareholders pursuant to the Plan in order to
qualify Awards as Performance-Based Compensation.
“Performance Period”
means the taxable year of the Company or any other period
designated by the Plan Administrator with respect to which an Award
may be granted.
“Performance Target(s)”
means the specific objective goal or goals that are timely set in
writing by the Committee pursuant to Section 13B for each
Participant for the applicable Performance Period in respect of any
one or more of the Performance Measures.
“Performance Unit” means
a unit of measurement equivalent to such amount or measure as
defined by the Plan Administrator which may include, but is not
limited to, dollars or market value shares.
“Plan Administrator”
means, as set forth in Section 4, the Committee or its
designee.
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“Restricted Stock” means
Stock issued in the name of a Participant that bears a restrictive
legend prohibiting sale, transfer, pledge or hypothecation of the
Stock until the expiration of the restriction period as described
in Section 7.
“Restricted Stock Unit”
means a right granted that is denominated in shares of stock, each
of which represents a right to receive the value of a share of
stock (or a percentage of such value, which percentage may be
higher than 100%) upon the terms and conditions set forth by the
Plan Administrator.
“Retirement” means
retirement on or after the earlier of: (i) eligibility to
receive an early retirement benefit under a Pension Plan,
(ii) eligibility to receive retirement benefits under a
Company supplemental retirement plan; or (iii) such time as is
specified in an applicable employment arrangement.
“Stock” means the common
stock, without par value, of the Company.
“Stock Appreciation
Right” means an Award granted under
Section 10.
“Subsidiary” means any
entity that is directly or indirectly controlled by the Company or
any entity, including an acquired entity, in which the Company has
a significant equity interest, as determined by the Plan
Administrator, in its discretion.
“Termination” means
resignation or discharge from employment (or cessation of board
membership in the case of a director or cessation of the
performance of services in the case of a consultant) with the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries except in the event of death,
Disability, or Retirement.
“Year” means a fiscal
year of the Company commencing on or after May 18, 2007 that
constitutes all or part of the applicable Performance
Period.
3.
Effective Date, Duration and
Stockholder Approval .
A.
Effective Date and Stockholder
Approval. Subject
to the approval of the Plan by the Company’s shareholders in
accordance with Maryland law at the Company’s 2007 Annual
Meeting of Stockholders, the Plan will be effective as of
May 18, 2007. The Plan was amended and restated
effective February 21, 2008 and February 26,
2009.
B.
Period for Grants of
Awards. Awards may
be made as provided herein for a period of 10 years after
May 18, 2007.
C.
Termination.
The Plan will continue in
effect until all matters relating to the payment of outstanding
Awards and administration of the Plan have been settled.
4.
Plan
Administration . The Committee is the Plan Administrator
and has sole authority (except as specified otherwise herein) to
determine all questions of interpretation and application of the
Plan, or of the terms and conditions pursuant to which Awards are
granted, exercised or forfeited under the Plan
provisions,
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and, in general, to make all
determinations advisable for the administration of the Plan to
achieve its stated purpose. Without limiting the generality
of the foregoing, on or after the date of grant of an Award the
Plan Administrator may modify, amend, extend, renew or accelerate
the vesting or settlement of outstanding Awards, or accept the
surrender of outstanding Awards and substitute new Awards or
otherwise amend an outstanding Award in whole or in part from
time-to-time in such manner as the Committee determines, in its
sole and absolute discretion, to be necessary or appropriate, which
amendments may be made retroactively or prospectively, provided,
however, that, (i) no modification, amendment or substitution
that results in repricing a Stock Option or Stock Appreciation
Right that is settled in shares to a lower exercise price, other
than to reflect an adjustment made pursuant to Section 14,
shall be made without prior stockholder approval; (ii) except
as provided in Section 14 of the Plan, any modification that
would materially adversely affect any outstanding Award shall not
be made without the consent of the Participant and, (iii) the
Committee shall not have any such authority to the extent that the
grant or exercise of such authority would cause any tax to become
due under Section 409A of the Code). In addition, the
Committee will have the authority to determine whether an
authorized leave of absence, absence in the military or government
service, or other break in the continuous service of an employee or
consultant constitutes a termination of employment (or provision of
services, in the case of a consultant). The employment of an
employee (or provision of services in respect of a consultant) with
the Company shall be deemed to have terminated for all purposes of
the Plan if such person is employed by or provides services to an
entity that is a Subsidiary of the Company and such entity ceases
to be a Subsidiary of the Company, unless the Committee determines
otherwise.
The Plan Administrator’s
determinations under the Plan (including without limitation,
determinations of the persons to receive Awards, the form, amount
and timing of such Awards, the terms and provisions of such Awards
and any agreements evidencing such Awards) need not be uniform and
may be made by the Plan Administrator selectively among persons who
receive, or are eligible to receive, Awards under the Plan, whether
or not such persons are similarly situated. Such
determinations shall be final and not subject to further
appeal.
The Committee may delegate its
authority under the Plan to one or more subcommittees, which may be
comprised of one or more directors, officers or employees of the
Company to the extent permitted by applicable law, with respect to
Participants who are not directors or executive officers of the
Company.
5.
Eligibility
. Each officer, employee,
consultant or director of the Company and its Subsidiaries may be
designated by the Plan Administrator as a Participant, from time to
time, with respect to one or more Awards. No officer,
employee, consultant or director of the Company or its Subsidiaries
shall have any right to be granted an Award under this Plan.
The Plan Administrator may also grant Awards to individuals in
connection with hiring (as an officer, employee, consultant or
director), retention or otherwise[, prior to the date the
individual first performs services for the Company or a Subsidiary;
provided, however, that such Awards shall not become vested or
exercisable prior to the date the individual first commences
performance of such services
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6.
Grant of Awards and Limitation
of Number of Shares Awarded . The Plan Administrator may, from time to time,
grant Awards to one or more Eligible Persons, provided that subject
to any adjustment pursuant to Section 14, the aggregate number
of shares of Stock subject to Awards that may be delivered under
this Plan may not exceed 9,000,000 shares. Shares
delivered by the Company under the Plan may be authorized and
unissued Stock or Stock purchased on the open market (including
private purchases) in accordance with applicable securities
laws.
Any shares of Stock covered by an
Award (or portion of an Award) granted under the Plan that are
forfeited or canceled, expire or are not issued due to the
cash-settlement of such Award, shall be deemed not to have been
delivered for purposes of determining the maximum number of shares
available for delivery under the Plan . Any shares of
Stock covered by an Award (or portion of an Award) granted under a
prior long-term incentive plan that are forfeited or canceled,
expire or are not issued due to the cash-settlement of such prior
long-term incentive plan Award shall be available for delivery
under this Plan.
The maximum number of shares of
Stock that may be issued in conjunction with Restricted Stock
or Restricted Stock Unit Awards under Section 7 of the
Plan, Performance Unit Awards under Section 9 of the
Plan and other Equity Awards under Section 12 of the Plan
shall in the aggregate be 4,500,000. The maximum number of
shares of Stock subject to Awards of any combination that may be
granted during any calendar year under the Plan to any one person
is 2,000,000 and the maximum amount of cash that may be granted
pursuant to an Award during any calendar year under the Plan to any
one person is $20,000,000; provided, however, that to the extent
the maximum permissible award is not made in a year, such amount
may be carried over to subsequent years. Such per-individual
limit shall not be adjusted to effect a restoration of shares of
Stock with respect to which the related Award is terminated,
surrendered or canceled. Shares of Stock covered by
Awards granted pursuant to the Plan in connection with the
assumption, replacement, conversion or adjustment of outstanding
equity-based awards in the context of a corporate acquisition or
merger (within the meaning of Section 303A.08 of the New York
Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual or any successor provision)
shall not count as used under the Plan for purposes of this
Section 6..
The Plan Administrator may permit or
require a recipient of an Award to defer all or part of such
individual’s receipt of the payment of cash or the delivery
of Stock that would otherwise be due to such individual by virtue
of the exercise of, payment of, or lapse or waiver of restrictions
respecting, any Award. If any such payment deferral is
required or permitted, the Plan Administrator shall, in its sole
discretion, establish rules and procedures for such payment
deferrals.
7.
Restricted Stock and
Restricted Stock Unit Awards .
A.
Grants of Restricted Shares or Units. One or more shares of
Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units may be granted to any
Eligible Person. The Restricted Stock may be issued or
Restricted Stock Unit granted to the Participant on the Date of
Grant without the payment of consideration by the
Participant. The Restricted Stock will be issued or
Restricted Stock Unit granted
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in the name of the Participant and
will bear a restrictive legend prohibiting sale, transfer, pledge
or hypothecation of the Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit
until the expiration of the restriction period. Each
Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit Award may have a
different restriction period, at the discretion of the Plan
Administrator.
The Plan Administrator may also
impose such other restrictions and conditions on the Restricted
Stock or Restricted Stock Unit as it deems appropriate including,
without limitation, a requirement that a Participant pay a
stipulated purchase price for each share of Restricted Stock or
Restricted Stock Unit, restrictions based upon the achievement of
specific performance goals, service-based restrictions on vesting
following attainment of performance goals or service-based
restrictions.
Upon issuance to the Participant of
the Restricted Stock the Participant will have the right to vote
the Restricted Stock. Upon issuance to the Participant of the
Restricted Stock or grant of the Restricted Stock Unit and subject
to the Plan Administrator’s discretion, the Participant will
have the right to receive the cash dividends (or Dividend
Equivalents as provided in Section 11) distributable with
respect to such shares or units, with such dividends or Dividend
Equivalents treated as compensation to the Participant. The Plan
Administrator, in its sole discretion, may direct the accumulation
and payment of distributable dividends to the Participant at such
times, and in such form and manner, as determined by the Plan
Administrator.
B.
Forfeiture or Payout of Award. For Awards that are
subject to restrictions based upon achievement of specific
performance goals, as soon as practicable after the end of each
Performance Period, the Plan Administrator will determine whether
the performance objectives and other material terms of the Award
were satisfied. The Plan Administrator’s determination
of all such matters will be final and conclusive.
As soon as practicable after the
date the Plan Administrator makes the above determination, the Plan
Administrator will determine the Award payment for each
Participant. In the event a Participant ceases employment (or
ceases board membership in the case of a director or ceases the
performance of services in the case of a consultant) during a
restriction period, a Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit
Award is subject to forfeiture or payout (i.e., removal of
restrictions) as follows: (a) involuntary Termination by
the Company without cause (as determined in the sole discretion of
the Company) - payout of the Restricted Stock or Restricted
Stock Unit Award is prorated for service during the period;
(b) Retirement, Disability or death - payout of the
Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit Award is prorated for
service during the period; or (c) other Termination -
the Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit Award is completely
forfeited. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Plan
Administrator may modify the above in its sole discretion in the
actual Award.
Any shares of Restricted Stock which
are forfeited will be transferred to the Company.
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C.
Form and Timing of Payment. With respect to
shares of Restricted Stock, upon completion of the restriction
period and satisfaction of any other conditions related to the
Award, all Award restrictions will expire and new certificates
representing the Award will be issued (the payout) without the
restrictive legend described in Section 7A. With respect
to Restricted Stock Units, upon completion of the restriction
period and satisfaction of any other conditions related to the
Award, such Units may be paid out in cash or shares of Stock or in
a combination of cash and Stock, as determined by the Plan
Administrator in its sole discretion. Such payouts will be
made as soon as practicable after the Award payment is
determined.
D.
Waiver of Section 83(b) Election . Unless
otherwise directed by the Plan Administrator, as a condition of
receiving an Award of Restricted Stock, a Participant must waive in
writing the right to make an election under
Section 83(b) of the Code to report the value of the
Restricted Stock as income on the Date of Grant.
8.
Stock Options
.
A.
Grants of Options. One or more Options may be granted
to any Eligible Person on the Date of Grant with or without the
payment of consideration by the Participant.
B.
Stock Option Agreement. Each Option granted under the
Plan will be evidenced by a “Stock Option Agreement”
between the Company and the Participant containing provisions
determined by the Plan Administrator, including, without
limitation, provisions to qualify Incentive Stock Options as such
under Section 422 of the Code if directed by the Plan
Administrator at the Date of Grant; provided, however, that each
Incentive Stock Option Agreement must include the following terms
and conditions: (i) that the Options are exercisable,
either in total or in part, with a partial exercise not affecting
the exercisability of the balance of the Option;
(ii) every share of Stock purchased through the exercise of an
Option will be paid for in full at the time of the exercise;
(iii) each Option will cease to be exercisable, as to any
share of Stock, at the earliest of (a) the Participant’s
purchase of the Stock to which the Option relates, (b) the
Participant’s exercise of a related Stock Appreciation Right,
or (c) the lapse of the Option; (iv) Options will not be
transferable by the Participant except by will or the laws of
descent and distribution and will be exercisable during the
Participant’s lifetime only by the Participant or by the
Participant’s guardian or legal representative; and
(v) notwithstanding any other provision, in the event of a
public tender for all or any portion of the Stock or in the event
that any proposal to merge or consolidate the Company with another
company is submitted to the stockholders of the Company for a vote,
the Plan Administrator, in its sole discretion, may declare any
previously granted Options to be immediately
exercisable.
C.
Option Price. The Option price per share of Stock
will be set by the grant, but will be not less than 100% of the
Fair Market Value at the Date of Grant.
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D.
Form of Payment. At the time of the exercise of
the Option, the Option price will be payable in cash or in shares
of Stock or in a combination of cash and shares of Stock, in a form
and manner as required by the Plan Administrator in its sole
discretion. When Stock is used in full or partial payment of
the Option price, it will be valued at the Fair Market Value on the
applicable date.
E.
Other Terms and Conditions. The Option will become
exercisable in such manner and within such Option Period or
Periods, not to exceed 10 years from its Date of Grant, as set
forth in the Stock Option Agreement upon payment in full.
Except as otherwise provided in this Plan or in the Stock Option
Agreement, any vested Option may be exercised in whole or in part
at any time. In the event of a Change in Control, any vested
option will remain exercisable for the duration of the Option
Period.
F.
Lapse of Option. An Option will lapse upon the
earlier of: (i) 10 years from the Date of Grant, or
(ii) at the expiration of the Option Period set by the
grant. If the Participant ceases employment (or ceases board
membership in the case of a director or ceases the performance of
services in the case of a consultant) within the Option Period and
prior to the lapse of the Option, the Option will lapse as follows:
(a) Retirement (for Awards granted on or after
February&n