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EQUITY INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN

Equity Incentive Plan Agreement

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St. Mary Land & Exploration Company

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Title: EQUITY INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN
Governing Law: Colorado     Date: 5/27/2009
Industry: Oil and Gas Operations     Sector: Energy

EQUITY INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN, Parties: st. mary land & exploration company
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EXHIBIT 10.1


 

ST. MARY LAND & EXPLORATION COMPANY

 

EQUITY INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN

 

As Amended and Restated as of March 26, 2009

 

ARTICLE I

ESTABLISHMENT, PURPOSE AND DURATION

 

1.1   Establishment.   St. Mary Land & Exploration Company, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), has established an equity incentive compensation plan formerly known as the 2006 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Plan”). The Plan is hereby renamed and shall be known henceforth as the Equity Incentive Compensation Plan. The Plan permits the grant of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Nonqualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Performance Shares, Performance Units and Stock Based Awards. The Plan became effective upon its approval by the Company’s stockholders on May 17, 2006 (the “Effective Date”) and shall remain in effect as provided in Section 1.3 hereof.

 

1.2   Purpose.   The purpose of the Plan is to promote the success and enhance the value of the Company by linking the personal interests of the Participants to those of the Company’s stockholders, and by providing Participants with an incentive for outstanding performance. The Plan is further intended to provide flexibility to the Company in its ability to attract, motivate, and retain the services of Participants upon whose judgment, interest, and special effort the success of the Company is substantially dependent.

 

1.3   Duration.   The Plan commenced as of the Effective Date, as set forth in Section 1.1 hereof, and shall remain in effect, subject to the right of the Committee or the Board to amend or terminate the Plan at any time pursuant to Article XIV hereof, until the earlier of (i) the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date, or (ii) when all Shares subject to the Plan have been purchased or acquired according to the Plan’s provisions. Any previously granted Awards under this Plan which remain outstanding as of the date of expiration or other termination of the Plan shall not be affected by such expiration or other termination and shall continue in effect in accordance with their respective terms.

 

1.4   Successor Plan.   This Plan shall serve as the successor to the St. Mary Land & Exploration Company Stock Option Plan, the St. Mary Land & Exploration Company Incentive Stock Option Plan, the St. Mary Land & Exploration Company Restricted Stock Plan, and the St. Mary Land & Exploration Company Non-Employee Director Stock Compensation Plan (collectively, the “Predecessor Plans”), and no further grants or awards shall be made under the Predecessor Plans from and after the Effective Date of this Plan. Each outstanding grant or award under a Predecessor Plan immediately prior to the Effective Date of this Plan shall continue to be governed solely by the terms and conditions of the applicable Predecessor Plan and the instruments evidencing such grant or award, and, except as otherwise expressly provided herein or by the Committee, no provision of this Plan shall affect or otherwise modify the rights or obligations of holders of such outstanding grants or awards under the Predecessor Plans. Any Shares reserved for issuance under the Predecessor Plans in excess of the number of Shares as to which grants or awards have been made thereunder shall be transferred into this Plan upon the Effective Date and shall become available for Awards under this Plan. Any Shares related to grants or awards made under the Predecessor Plans that after the Effective Date may lapse, expire, terminate, or are cancelled, are settled in cash in lieu of common stock, are tendered (either by actual delivery or attestation) to pay the option price, or are used to satisfy any tax withholding requirements shall be deemed to be available for issuance or reissuance under Section 4.1 of this Plan; provided, however, that any Shares that from and after May 21, 2008 are tendered (either by actual delivery or attestation) to pay the option price or are used to satisfy any tax withholding requirements shall not be deemed available for issuance or reissuance under Section 4.1 of this Plan.

 

ARTICLE II

DEFINITIONS AND CONSTRUCTION

 

2.1   Definitions.   Whenever used herein, the following terms shall have the respective meanings set forth below, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, and when such meaning is intended the term shall be capitalized.

 

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(a)           “ Affiliate ” shall have the meaning given to such term in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, with reference to the Company, and shall also include any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other entity in which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, at least 50 percent of the total combined voting power of such corporation or of the capital interest or profits interest of such partnership or other entity.

 

(b)           “ Award ” means, individually or collectively, a grant or award under this Plan of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, NQSOs, ISOs, SARs, Performance Shares, Performance Units or Stock Based Awards, in each case subject to the terms of this Plan.

 

(c)           “ Award Agreement ” means either (i) a written agreement entered into by the Company and a Participant setting forth the terms and provisions applicable to Awards granted under this Plan; or (ii) a written statement issued by the Company to a Participant describing the terms and provisions of such Award. All Award Agreements shall be deemed to incorporate the provisions of the Plan. An Award Agreement need not be identical to other Award Agreements either in form or substance.

 

(d)           “ Board ” or “ Board of Directors ” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(e)           “ Change of Control ” shall mean any of the following events:

 

(i)           (A) The acquisition by any individual or entity (a “Person”) or Persons acting as a group of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of more than 50 percent of either (1) the then value of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company, or (2) the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors.

 

(B)           For purposes of paragraph (A), Persons will not be considered to be acting as a group solely because they purchase or own stock of the same corporation at the same time, or as a result of the same public offering. However, Persons will be considered to be acting as a group if they are owners of a corporation that enters into a merger, consolidation, purchase or acquisition of stock, or similar business transaction with the Company. If a Person, including an entity, owns stock in both corporations that enter into a merger, consolidation, purchase or acquisition of stock, or similar transaction, such shareholder is considered to be acting as a group with other shareholders in a corporation prior to the transaction giving rise to the change and not with respect to the ownership interest in the other corporation. For purposes of determining stock ownership, see (e)(iv) below.

 

(ii)           A majority of members of the Board is replaced during any 12 month period by Directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the members of the Board prior to the date of the appointment or election; or

 

(iii)           (A) Any one Person, or more than one Person acting as a group (as determined in (e)(iii)(C) below), acquires (or has acquired during the 12 month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such Person or Persons) assets from the Company that have a total gross fair market value equal to or more than 50 percent of the total gross fair market value of all of the assets of the Company immediately prior to such acquisition or acquisitions. For this purpose, gross fair market value means the value of the assets of the Company, or the value of the assets being disposed of, determined without regard to any liabilities associated with such assets.

 

(B)           A transfer of assets by the Company is not treated as a change in the ownership of such assets if the assets are transferred to—

 

(1)           A stockholder of the Company (immediately before the asset transfer) in exchange for or with respect to its stock;

 

(2)           An entity, 50 percent or more of the total value or voting power of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company;

 

(3)           A Person, or more than one Person acting as a group, that owns, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more of the total value or voting power of all the outstanding stock of the Company; or

 

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(4)           An entity, at least 50 percent of the total value or voting power of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by a Person described in (e)(iii)(B)(3). For purposes of this paragraph (e)(iii)(B) and except as otherwise provided, a Person’s status is determined immediately after the transfer of the assets. For example, a transfer to a corporation in which the Company has no ownership interest before the transaction, but which is a majority owned subsidiary of the Company after the transaction, is not treated as a change in the ownership of the assets of the Company.

 

(C)           Persons will not be considered to be acting as a group for purposes of this paragraph (e)(iii) solely because they purchase assets of the Company at the same time. However, Persons will be considered to be acting as a group if they are owners of a corporation that enters into a merger, consolidation, purchase or acquisition of assets, or similar business transaction with the Company. If a Person, including an entity shareholder, owns stock in both corporations that enter into a merger, consolidation, purchase or acquisition of stock or similar transaction, such shareholder is considered to be acting as a group with other shareholders in a corporation only to the extent of the ownership in that corporation prior to the transaction giving rise to the change and not with respect to the ownership interest in the other corporation.

 

(D)           For purposes of determining stock ownership, see (e)(iv) below.

 

(iv)           For purposes of determining whether there has been a Change of Control, Section 318(a) of the Code applies to determine stock ownership. Stock underlying a vested option is considered owned by the individual who holds the vested option (and the stock underlying an unvested option is not considered owned by the individual who holds the unvested option). For purposes of the preceding sentence, however, if a vested option is exercisable for stock that is not substantially vested (as defined by §§1.83-3(b) and (j) of the income tax regulations promulgated by the Internal Revenue Service), the stock underlying the option is not treated as owned by the individual who holds the option.

 

(f)           “ Change of Control Price ” means the highest per share price for Shares offered in conjunction with any transaction resulting in a Change of Control (as determined in good faith by the Committee if any part of the offered price is payable other than in cash) or, in the case of a Change of Control occurring solely by reason of a change in the composition of the Board, the highest Fair Market Value of the Shares on any of the 30 trading days immediately preceding the date on which a Change of Control occurs.

 

(g)           “ Change of Control Termination ” has the meaning set forth in Section 13.2 hereof.

 

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

 

(i)           “ Committee ” means the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, or any other duly authorized committee of the Board appointed by the Board to administer the Plan. The Committee shall be comprised of two or more directors, and each member of the Committee shall be a Non-Employee Director, an “outside director” within the meaning of the regulations under Section 162(m) of the Code, and an “independent director” for purposes of the rules and regulations of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (or such other principal securities market on which the Shares are traded).

 

(j)           “ Company ” means St. Mary Land & Exploration Company, a Delaware corporation, and any successor thereto as provided in Article XVII hereof.

 

(k)           “ Covered Employee ” means an Employee who is, or who the Committee expects to become, a “covered employee” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

(l)           “ Director ” means any individual who is a member of the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(m)           “ Dividend Equivalent ” means a right with respect to an Award to receive cash, Shares or other property equal in value and form to dividends declared by the Board and paid with respect to outstanding Shares. Dividend Equivalents shall not apply to Options or Stock Appreciation Rights, and shall not apply to any other type of Award unless specifically provided for in the Award Agreement, and if specifically provided for in the Award Agreement shall be subject to such terms and conditions set forth in the Award Agreement as the Committee shall determine.

 

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(n)           “ Employee ” means any employee of the Company or an Affiliate. Directors who are not otherwise employed by the Company or an Affiliate shall not be considered Employees under this Plan.

 

(o)           “ Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

(p)           “ Fair Market Value ” or “ FMV ” means a value or price that is based on the opening, closing, actual, high, low or average selling prices per Share on the NYSE or other established stock exchange (or exchanges) on the applicable date, the preceding trading day, the next succeeding trading day, or an average of trading days, as determined by the Committee in its discretion. Such definition(s) of FMV may differ depending on whether FMV is in reference to the grant, exercise, vesting, settlement or payout of an Award. If Shares are not traded on an established stock exchange, FMV shall be determined by the Committee based on objective criteria.

 

(q)           “ Fiscal Year ” means the year commencing on January 1 and ending on December 31, or such other fiscal year period as approved by the Board.

 

(r)           “ Freestanding SAR ” means a SAR that is not a Tandem SAR, as described in Article VIII herein.

 

(s)           “ Grant Price ” means the price against which the amount payable is determined upon exercise of a SAR.

 

(t)           “ Incentive Stock Option ” or “ ISO ” means an Option to purchase Shares granted under Article VII herein and that is designated as an Incentive Stock Option and is intended to meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Code, or any successor provision.

 

(u)           “ Non-Employee Director ” means a Director who meets the definition of a “Non-Employee Director” set forth in Rule 16b-3(b)(3) under the Exchange Act, or any successor definition adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

(v)           “ Nonqualified Stock Option ” or “ NQSO ” means an Option to purchase Shares granted under Article VII herein, which is not intended to be an Incentive Stock Option or which otherwise does not meet the requirements for an ISO.

 

(w)           “ Option ” means the conditional right to purchase Shares at a stated Option Price for a specified period of time in the form of an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonqualified Stock Option subject to the terms of this Plan.

 

(x)           “ Option Price ” means the price at which a Share may be purchased by a Participant pursuant to an Option, as determined by the Committee.

 

(y)           “ Participant ” means a participant holding an outstanding Award granted under the Plan.

 

(z)           “ Performance Based Compensation ” means compensation under an Award that is granted in order to provide remuneration solely on account of the attainment of one or more Performance Goals under circumstances that satisfy the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

(aa)           “ Performance Goal ” means a performance criterion selected by the Committee for a particular Award for purposes of Article XI based on one or more Performance Measures.

 

(bb)           “ Performance Measures ” mean measures as described in Article XI, the attainment of one or more of which shall, as determined by the Committee, determine the vesting, monetization, or value of an Award to a Covered Employee that is designated to qualify as Performance Based Compensation.

 

(cc)           “ Performance Period ” means the period of time, which shall not be shorter than 12 months, during which the assigned performance criteria must be met in order to determine the degree of payout and/or vesting with respect to an Award of Performance Shares or Performance Units.

 

(dd)           “ Performance Share ” means an Award granted under Article IX herein, denominated in Shares, the value of which at the time it is payable is determined as a function of the extent to which corresponding performance criteria have been achieved.

 

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(ee)           “ Performance Unit ” means an Award granted under Article IX herein, denominated in units, which may be valued by reference to a designated amount of property other than Shares, the value of which at the time it is payable is determined as a function of the extent to which corresponding performance criteria have been achieved.

 

(ff)           “ Plan ” means this Equity Incentive Compensation Plan, as it may be amended from time to time.

 

(gg)           “ Restricted Stock ” means an Award under Article VI of Shares that may be subject to certain restrictions and to a risk of forfeiture as set forth in the Award Agreement.

 

(hh)           “ Restricted Stock Unit ” means an Award under Article VI that is valued by reference to a Share, which value may be paid by delivery of Shares or cash or a combination thereof upon settlement of the Award, subject to the specific terms and conditions of the Award as set forth in the Award Agreement.

 

(ii)           “ Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

(jj)           “ Shares ” means shares of common stock of the Company, $0.01 par value per share.

 

(kk)           “ Stock Appreciation Right ” or “ SAR ” means the conditional right to receive the difference between the FMV of a Share on the date of exercise over the Grant Price, pursuant to the terms of Article VIII herein.

 

(ll)           “ Stock Based Award ” means an equity based or equity related Award granted pursuant to the terms of Article X herein.

 

(mm)           “ Tandem SAR ” means a SAR that the Committee specifies pursuant to Article VIII herein is granted in connection with a related Option, the exercise of which SAR shall require forfeiture of the right to purchase a Share under the related Option (and when a Share is purchased under the Option, the Tandem SAR shall similarly be cancelled), or a SAR that is granted in tandem with an Option but the exercise of such Option does not cancel the SAR, but rather results in the exercise of the related SAR. Regardless of whether an Option is granted coincident with a SAR, a SAR is not a Tandem SAR unless so specified by the Committee at the time of grant.

 

2.2   Construction.   Captions and titles contained herein are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the meaning or interpretation of any provision of the Plan. Except when otherwise indicated by the context, any definition of any term herein in the singular also shall include the plural.

 

ARTICLE III

ADMINISTRATION

 

3.1   General.   The Committee shall be responsible for administering the Plan. The Committee may employ attorneys, consultants, accountants, agents, and other individuals, any of whom may be an Employee, and the Committee, the Company, and the Company’s officers and Directors shall be entitled to rely upon the advice, opinions or valuations of any such persons. All actions taken and all interpretations and determinations made by the Committee shall be final, conclusive, and binding upon the Participants, the Company, and all other interested parties. No member of the Committee shall be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any Award granted under the Plan.

 

3.2   Authority of the Committee.   The Committee shall have full and exclusive discretionary power to (i) interpret the terms and the intent of the Plan, any Award and any Award Agreement or other agreement ancillary to or in connection with the Plan, (ii) determine eligibility for Awards and select those who will become Participants in the Plan, (iii) adopt such rules, regulations, and guidelines for administering the Plan as the Committee may deem necessary or proper, (iv) provide for conditions and assurances deemed necessary or advisable to protect the interests of the Company with respect to the Plan and (v) make all other determinations necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan. Such authority shall include, but not be limited to, selecting Award recipients, establishing all Award terms and conditions and, subject to Article XIV, adopting modifications, amendments or subplans to the Plan or any Award Agreement. Subject to the terms and provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have complete discretion in determining the nature, terms, conditions and amount of each Award. In making such determinations, the Committee may take into account the nature of services rendered by the recipient of the Award, such person’s present and potential contributions to the Company and such other factors as the Committee in its discretion shall deem relevant.

 

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3.3   Delegation.   The Committee may delegate to one or more of its members any of the Committee’s administrative duties or powers as it may deem advisable; provided, however, that any such delegation shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act or Section 162(m) of the Code as to actions to be taken by the Committee in connection therewith.

 

ARTICLE IV

SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN AND MAXIMUM AWARDS

 

4.1   Total Number of Shares Available for Awards.   Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.2 herein, the total number of Shares hereby made available and reserved for issuance to Participants pursuant to Awards granted under the Plan shall be 6,000,000, plus any remaining Shares available for issuance under the Predecessor Plans as set forth in Section 1.4 (with such total number of Shares, including such adjustment and remaining Shares, to be referred to as the “Total Share Authorization”). Any Shares issued in connection with an Option or SAR shall be counted against the Total Share Authorization limit as one Share for every one Share issued. Any Shares issued pursuant to Awards granted on or before May 20, 2009 in connection with an Award other than an Option or SAR shall be counted against the Total Share Authorization limit as two Shares for every one Share issued. Any Shares issued pursuant to Awards granted after May 20, 2009 in connection with an Award other than an Option or SAR shall be counted against the Total Share Authorization limit as 1.43 Shares for every one Share issued. The maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be issued through Nonqualified Stock Options shall be equal to the Total Share Authorization. The maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be issued through Incentive Stock Options shall be 6,000,000.

 

Any Awards that are not settled in Shares shall not be counted against the Total Share Authorization limit. Any Shares related to Awards (or after the Effective Date, awards granted or issued under the Predecessor Plans) which (i) terminate by expiration, forfeiture, cancellation or otherwise without the issuance of such Shares, (ii) are settled in cash either in lieu of Shares or otherwise, or (iii) are exchanged with the Committee’s approval for Awards not involving Shares, shall be available again for issuance under the Plan. In addition, if the Option Price of any Option granted under the Plan or the tax withholding requirement with respect to any Award granted under the Plan is satisfied by tendering Shares to the Company (by either actual delivery or by attestation), or if a SAR is exercised, only the number of Shares issued, net of the Shares tendered, if any, will be deemed delivered for purposes of determining the maximum number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan; provided, however, that from and after May 21, 2008, Shares tendered as full or partial payment to the Company of the Option Price upon exercise of Options granted under this Plan, Shares reserved for issuance upon grant of SARs, to the extent the number of reserved Shares exceeds the number of Shares actually issued upon exercise of the SARs, and Shares withheld by, or otherwise remitted to, the Company to satisfy a Participant’s tax withholding obligations with respect to any Award granted under this Plan, shall not become available again for issuance under this Plan. The maximum number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan shall be reduced to reflect any dividends or Dividend Equivalents that are reinvested into additional Shares under this Plan or credited as additional Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Shares, Performance Units or Stock Based Awards. The Shares available for issuance under the Plan may be authorized and unissued Shares or treasury Shares. Unless and until the Committee determines that an Award to a Covered Employee shall not be designed to qualify as Performance Based Compensation, the following limits (“Award Limits”) shall apply to grants of Awards to Covered Employees under the Plan:

 

(a)   Restricted Stock/Restricted Units.   The maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be granted in the form of Restricted Stock/Restricted Stock Units in any one Fiscal Year to any one Participant shall be 100,000.

 

(b)   Options and SARS.   The maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be granted in the form of Options or SARs in any one Fiscal Year to any one Participant shall be 200,000.

 

(c)   Performance Shares/Performance Units.   The maximum aggregate Award of Performance Shares or Performance Units that a Participant may receive in any one Fiscal Year shall be 200,000 Shares, and the maximum value of Performance Units that a Participant may receive with respect to Awards in any one Fiscal Year shall be a value of $5,000,000 determined as of the date of vesting or payout, as applicable.

 

(d)   Stock Based Awards.   The maximum aggregate grant with respect to Stock Based Awards in any one Fiscal Year to any one Participant shall be 200,000.

 

4.2   Adjustments in Authorized Shares.   In the event of any corporate event or transaction (including, but not limited to, a change in the Shares of the Company or the capitalization of the Company) such as a merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, separation, stock dividend, extraordinary or special dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, split up, spin off, other distribution of stock or property of the Company, combination of securities, exchange of securities,

 

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dividend in kind, or other like change in capital structure or distribution (other than normal cash dividends) to the stockholders of the Company, or any similar corporate event or transaction, the Committee, in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of Participants’ rights under the Plan, shall make or provide for appropriate proportionate substitutions or adjustments, as applicable, to the number and kind of Shares that may be issued under the Plan, the number and kind of Shares subject to outstanding Awards, the Option Price or Grant Price applicable to outstanding Awards, the application and computation of any Dividend Equivalents that may be provided for in Award Agreements, the Award Limits, the limit on issuing Awards other than Options granted with an Option Price equal to at least the FMV of a Share on the date of grant or Stock Appreciation Rights with a Grant Price equal to at least the FMV of a Share on the date of grant, and any other value determinations applicable to outstanding Awards or to this Plan. Such adjustments shall be made automatically, without the necessity of Committee action, on the customary and appropriate arithmetical basis, in the case of any stock split, including a stock split effected by means of a stock dividend, and in the case of any other dividend paid in Shares, and shall be made in the discretion of the Committee with respect to other corporate events or transactions. The Committee, in its sole discretion, may also make other appropriate adjustments in the terms of any Awards under the Plan to reflect, or related to, such changes or distributions and may modify any other terms of outstanding Awards, including modifications of performance criteria and changes in the length of Performance Periods, as are equitably necessary to prevent dilution or enlargement of Participant’s rights under the Plan that otherwise would result from such corporate event or transaction. The determination of the Committee as to the foregoing adjustments, if any, shall be conclusive and binding on Participants under the Plan. Subject to the provisions of Article XIII and any applicable law or regulatory requirement, without affecting the number of Shares reserved or available hereunder, the Committee may authorize the issuance, assumption, substitution or conversion of Awards under this Plan in connection with any such corporate event or transaction upon such terms and conditions as it may deem appropriate. In addition, the Committee may amend the Plan, or adopt supplements to the Plan, in such manner as it deems appropriate to provide for such issuance, assumption, substitution or conversion as provided in the previous sentence.

 

ARTICLE V

ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION

 

5.1   Eligibility.   All Employees, consultants who are natural persons, and members of the Board of the Company and of any Affiliate of the Company shall be eligible to participate in the Plan and be granted Awards under the Plan.

 

5.2   Actual Participation.   Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee may from time to time, in its sole discretion, select from among persons eligible to participate in the Plan those to whom Awards shall be granted under the Plan, and shall determine in its discretion the nature, terms, conditions, and amount of each Award.

 

ARTICLE VI

RESTRICTED STOCK AND RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS

 

6.1   Grant of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units.   Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Committee, at any time and from time to time, in its discretion may grant Shares of Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units to Participants in such amounts and upon such terms as the Committee shall determine.

 

(a)   Restricted Stock.

 

(i)      Nature of Restricted Stock.  Restricted Stock may be issued for services rendered with any or no additional purchase price as shall be determined by the Committee in its discretion, and may be subject to certain restrictions and to a risk of forfeiture as set forth in the Award Agreement. A Participant to whom Shares of Restricted Stock are issued shall have all of the rights of ownership with respect to the Shares subject to such Restricted Stock Award, including the right to vote the same and receive any dividends paid thereon; subject, however, to the terms, conditions and restrictions contained in this Plan and in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

        (ii)     Forfeiture and Vesting.  A Restricted Stock Award Agreement may provide for forfeiture of the Restricted Stock upon termination of the Participant’s employment or other relationship with the Company or nonperformance of specified performance goals or measures established by the Committee. A Restricted Stock Award Agreement may also provide for (i) vesting periods which require the passage of time and/or the occurrence of events in order for the Restricted Stock to vest and become no longer subject to forfeiture and (ii) holding periods during which the Restricted Stock may not be sold or otherwise transferred.

 

       (iii)     Certificates and Settlement.  Upon an Award of Restricted Stock, the Company shall deliver to the Participant a certificate evidencing the Shares subject to the Award, and such certificate shall be imprinted

 

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with an appropriate legend referring to or setting forth the applicable restrictions to which such Shares are subject. After the Shares are no longer subject to such restrictions, the Company shall, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Award Agreement and upon the request of the Participant and the surrender by the Participant of the original certificate, settle the completed Restricted Stock Award by providing the Participant with a new certificate for the Shares with such legend removed.

 

(b)   Restricted Stock Units.

 

        (i)      Nature of Restricted Stock Units; Accounts.  Each Restricted Stock Unit awarded shall represent a right for one Share to be delivered upon settlement of the Award, which right shall be subject to a risk of forfeiture and cancellation and to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Plan and the Award Agreement. The Company shall establish and maintain a Participant account to record Restricted Stock Units and transactions and events affecting such units. Restricted Stock Units and other items reflected in the account will represent only bookkeeping entries by the Company to evidence unfunded obligations of the Company.

 

       (ii)      Deferral Period and Settlement Date.  Restricted Stock Units (if not previously cancelled or forfeited) shall be settled on the date or dates set forth in the Award Agreement. In addition, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, if the Committee reasonably determines that any settlement of Restricted Stock Units would result in payment of compensation to a Participant which is not deductible by the Company under Section 162(m) of the Code, such settlement shall be deferred, subject to compliance with Section 409A of the Code as referred to in Article XX herein, to the extent necessary to avoid payment of such nondeductible compensation, with such deferral continuing only until such date as settlement can be effected without loss of deductibility by the Company under Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

       (iii)     Cancellation and Vesting.  A Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement may provide for cancellation of the Restricted Stock Units upon termination of the Participant’s employment or other relationship with the Company or nonperformance of specifi


 
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