STOCK UNIT AWARD
AGREEMENT
This
Stock Unit Award
Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is
made by and between Harvest Natural Resources, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the “ Company ”), and
(the “ Employee ”) as of the 18th day of June,
2009 (the “Grant Date” ).
Whereas
, the Company desires to grant to
the Employee the stock unit award specified herein (the “
Award ”), subject to the terms and conditions of this
Agreement; and
Whereas
, the Award is not a “stock
value right” as that term is defined in Treasury Regulation
§ 31.3121(v)(2)-1(b)(4)(ii) so the Award constitutes a
deferral of compensation for purposes of section 3121(v)(2) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; and
Whereas
, the Employee desires to have the
opportunity to hold the Award, subject to the terms and conditions
of this Agreement;
Now,
therefore , in
consideration of the premises, mutual covenants and agreements
contained herein, and other good and valuable consideration, the
receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the
parties hereto, intending to be legally bound hereby, agree as
follows:
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1.
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Grant of Stock Unit
Award . Effective as of the Grant Date, the
Company hereby awards to the Employee
Stock Units. A “ Stock Unit ” is a right to
receive on the Payment Date, after vesting thereof, a cash amount
equal to the Fair Market Value of one share of the Stock on the
Payment Date. For purposes of this Agreement the “ Fair
Market Value of one share of the Stock ” means the means
the closing price per share of the Stock for the applicable date as
reported by the New York Stock Exchange or the principal stock
exchange on which the Stock is then traded. The Stock Units that
are awarded hereby to the Employee shall be subject to the
prohibitions and restrictions set forth herein with respect to the
sale or other disposition of such Stock Units and the obligation to
forfeit and surrender such Stock Units to the Company (the “
Forfeiture Restrictions ”). In accepting the award of
Stock Units set forth in this Agreement the Employee accepts and
agrees to be bound by all the terms and conditions of this
Agreement.
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2.
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Definitions
.
For purposes of this
Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated
below:
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(a)
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“ Affiliate ”
means an Entity that is required to be treated as a single employer
together with the Company for certain benefit plan purposes under
section 414 of the Code.
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(b)
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“ Board ” means
the Board of Directors or other governing body of the Company or
its direct or indirect parent.
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(c)
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“ Change of Control
” means the occurrence of any of the following
events:
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(i)
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the
acquisition by any individual, Entity or group (within the meaning
of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934) (a “ Covered Person ”) of beneficial
ownership (within the meaning of rule
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13d-3
promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) of
50 percent or more of the combined voting power of the then
outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote
generally in the election of directors (the “ Voting
Securities ”); provided, however, that for purposes of
this subsection (i) of this Section 2(c) the following
acquisitions shall not constitute a Change of Control: (i) any
acquisition by the Company, (ii) any acquisition by any
employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by
the Company or any Entity controlled by the Company, or
(iii) any acquisition by any Entity pursuant to a transaction
which complied with clauses (A), (B) and (C) of
subsection (iii) of this Section 2(c); or
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(ii)
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individuals who, as of the date of
this Agreement, constitute the Board (the “ Incumbent
Board ”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a
majority of the Board; provided, however, that any individual
becoming a director after the date of this Agreement whose
election, or nomination for election by the Company’s
stockholders, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the
directors then comprising the Incumbent Board shall be considered
as though such individual were a member of the Incumbent Board, but
excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial
assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened
election contest with respect to the election or removal of
directors; or
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(iii)
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the
consummation of a reorganization, merger or consolidation or sale
of the Company, or a disposition of at least 50 percent of the
assets of the Company including goodwill (a “ Business
Combination ”), provided, however, that for purposes of
this subsection (iii), a Business Combination will not constitute a
change of control if the following three requirements are
satisfied: following such Business Combination, (A) all or
substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the
beneficial owners, respectively, of the Company’s Voting
Securities immediately prior to such Business Combination
beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 50 percent
of the ownership interests of the Entity resulting from such
Business Combination (including, without limitation, an Entity
which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or
substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or
through one or more subsidiaries or other affiliated entities) in
substantially the same proportions as their ownership immediately
prior to such Business Combination, (B) no Covered Person
(excluding any employee benefit plan (or related trust) of the
Company or such Entity resulting from such Business Combination)
beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more
of, respectively, the ownership interests in the Entity resulting
from such Business Combination, except to the extent that such
ownership existed prior to the Business Combination, and
(C) at least a
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majority of the
members of the board of directors of the Entity resulting from such
Business Combination were members of the Incumbent Board at the
time of the execution of the initial agreement, or of the action of
the Board, providing for such Business Combination. For this
purpose any individual who becomes a director after the date of
this Agreement, and whose election or nomination for election by
the Company’s stockholders, was approved by a vote of at
least a majority of the directors then comprising the Incumbent
Board shall be considered as though such individual were a member
of the Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such
individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of
an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the
election or removal of directors.
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(d)
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“ Code ” means
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
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(e)
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“ Committee”
means the Human Resources Committee of the Board.
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(f)
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“ Entity ” means
any corporation, partnership, association, joint-stock company,
limited liability company, trust, unincorporated organization or
other business Entity.
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