Exhibit 10.10
BARE ESCENTUALS,
INC.
DEFERRED COMPENSATION
PLAN
Effective as of March 12,
2008
As amended on December 3,
2008
The purpose of this Bare Escentuals,
Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan (the “ Plan
”) is to provide additional retirement benefits and income
tax deferral opportunities for a select group of management and
highly compensated employees of the Plan Sponsor and certain of its
Affiliates. The Plan was originally effective as of July 1,
2005. This Plan is intended to be a “top hat plan,”
exempt from certain requirements of ERISA, pursuant to Sections
201(2), 301(a)(3) and 401(a)(1) of ERISA; and the Plan Sponsor
intends that the Plan shall at all times be administered and
interpreted in such a manner as to constitute an unfunded
nonqualified deferred compensation plan for tax purposes and for
purposes of Title I of ERISA. This Plan is not intended to qualify
for favorable tax treatment pursuant to Section 401(a) of the
Code or any successor section or statute.
Bare Escentuals, Inc., a Delaware
Corporation (the “ Plan Sponsor ”), now
wishes to amend and restate the Plan on the terms and conditions
set forth herein. This amendment and restatement of the Plan
incorporates the Plan and the prior amendments thereto (except as
further amended herein) and constitutes a complete amendment,
restatement and continuation of the Plan. This amendment and
restatement of the Plan is intended to comply with the requirements
of Sections 409A(a)(2), (3) and (4) of the Code and the
Treasury Regulations thereunder. As provided in Notice 2007-86,
with respect to an election or amendment to change a time and form
of payment under the Plan made on or after January 1, 2008 and
on or before December 31, 2008, the election or amendment
shall apply only to amounts that would not otherwise be payable in
2008 and shall not cause an amount to be paid in 2008 that would
not otherwise be payable in 2008.
Pursuant to approval by the Board of
the Plan Sponsor, the Plan is hereby amended, restated and
continued, effective as of December 3, 2008, as
follows:
ARTICLE ONE
DEFINITIONS
DEFINITION OF TERMS
. Certain words and phrases are
defined when first used in later Articles of this Plan. Whenever
any words are used herein in the masculine, they shall be construed
as though they were in the feminine in all cases where they would
so apply; and whenever any words are used herein in the singular or
in the plural, they shall be construed as though they were used in
the plural or the singular, as the case may be, in all cases where
they would so apply. In addition, the following words and phrases
when used herein, unless the context clearly requires otherwise,
shall have the following respective meanings:
1.1. Account Balance .
With respect to a Participant, a credit on the records of the
Employer equal to the sum of (i) the Participant’s
Deferral Account balance, and (ii) the Corporate Contributions
Account balance. The Account Balance, and each other specified
account balance, shall be a bookkeeping entry only and shall be
utilized solely as a device for the measurement and determination
of the amounts to be paid to a Participant, or his or her
designated Beneficiary, pursuant to this Plan.
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1.2. Accounts . With
respect to a Participant, as the context indicates, any or all of
his or her Deferral Account and Corporate Contribution
Account.
1.3. Affiliate . Any
corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, or similar
organization or entity, which is a member of a controlled group of
companies which includes, or which is under common control with,
the Plan Sponsor under Section 414 of the Code.
1.4. Annual Corporate
Contribution Amount . For any one Plan Year, the amount
determined in accordance with Section 3.4(b).
1.5. Annual Installment
Method . Annual installment payments over two years,
calculated as follows: 50% of the Account Balance of the
Participant is to be paid on the date set forth in Article 5 and
100% of the Participant’s remaining Account Balance is to be
paid on the first anniversary of such date.
1.6. Base Salary . The
annual cash compensation (excluding bonuses, commissions, overtime,
incentive payments, non-monetary awards, directors fees and other
fees, stock options and grants and any other form of equity-based
compensation, and car allowances) paid to a Participant for
services rendered during the Plan Year, before reduction for
compensation deferred pursuant to all qualified, non-qualified and
Code Section 125 plans of any Employer.
1.7. Beneficiary . The
Beneficiary designated by a Participant under Article 7, or, if the
Participant has not designated a Beneficiary under Article 7, the
person or persons entitled to receive distributions of benefits
under Article 5.
1.8. Beneficiary Designation
Form . The form established from time to time by the Plan
Administrator that a Participant completes, signs and returns to
the Plan Administrator to designate one or more
Beneficiaries.
1.9. Board . The Board
of Directors of the Plan Sponsor.
1.10. Bonus . Any cash
compensation, in addition to Base Salary, paid in respect of a Plan
Year to a Participant as an Employee, as a bonus paid by the
Employer.
1.11. Cause . For
purposes of this Plan, “ Cause ” shall
mean any of the following acts or circumstances: (i) willful
destruction by the Participant of property of the Plan Sponsor or
an Affiliate having a material value to the Plan Sponsor or such
Affiliate; (ii) fraud, embezzlement, theft, or comparable
dishonest activity committed by the Participant (excluding acts
involving a de minimis dollar value and not related to the
Plan Sponsor or an Affiliate); (iii) the Participant’s
conviction of or entering a plea of guilty or nolo
contendere to any crime constituting a felony or any
misdemeanor involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude;
(iv) the Participant’s breach, neglect, refusal, or
failure to materially discharge the Participant’s duties
(other than due to physical or mental illness) commensurate with
the Participant’s title and function or the
Participant’s failure to comply with the lawful directions of
the Board or the Chief Executive Officer of the Plan Sponsor, or of
the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer of the
Affiliate that employs the
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Participant, in any such case that is not cured
within 15 days after the Participant has received written notice
thereof from such Board or Chief Executive Officer; (v) any
willful misconduct by the Participant which may cause economic or
reputational injury to the Plan Sponsor or an Affiliate, including,
but not limited to, sexual harassment, or (vi) a willful and
knowing material misrepresentation to the Board or the Chief
Executive Officer of the Plan Sponsor or to the Board of Directors
or the Chief Executive Officer of the Affiliate that employs the
Participant.
1.12. Change in
Control . “ Change in Control ”
shall mean the occurrence of any of the following:
(a) Any “ Person
” or “ Group ,” as such terms are
defined in Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 (the “ Exchange Act ”) and the rules
and regulations promulgated thereunder, excluding any Excluded
Stockholder, who is or becomes the “ Beneficial
Owner ” (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under
the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the
Plan Sponsor, or of any entity resulting from a merger or
consolidation involving the Plan Sponsor, representing more than
50% of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities
of the Plan Sponsor or such entity.
(b) The individuals who, as of the
Effective Date, are members of the Board (the “
Existing Directors ”), cease, for any reason,
to constitute more than 50% of the number of authorized directors
of the Plan Sponsor as determined in the manner prescribed in the
Plan Sponsor’s Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws;
provided, however, that if the election, or nomination for
election, by the Plan Sponsor’s stockholders of any new
director was approved by a vote of at least 50% of the Existing
Directors, such new director shall be considered an Existing
Director; provided further, however, that no individual shall be
considered an Existing Director if such individual initially
assumed office as a result of either an actual or threatened
“ Election Contest ” (as described in
Rule 14a-11 promulgated under the Exchange Act) or other
actual or threatened solicitation of proxies by or on behalf of
anyone other than the Board (a “ Proxy Contest
”), including by reason of any agreement intended to avoid or
settle any Election Contest or Proxy Contest; or
(c) The consummation of (x) a
merger, consolidation or reorganization to which the Plan Sponsor
is a party, whether or not the Plan Sponsor is the Person surviving
or resulting therefrom, or (y) a sale, assignment, lease,
conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the
assets of the Plan Sponsor, in one transaction or a series of
related transactions, to any Person other than the Plan Sponsor,
where any such transaction or series of related transactions as is
referred to in clause (x) or clause (y) above in this
subparagraph (c) (singly or collectively, a “
Transaction ”) does not otherwise result in a
“ Change in Control ” pursuant to
subparagraph (a) of this definition of “ Change in
Control ”; provided, however, that no such
Transaction shall constitute a “ Change in
Control ” under this subparagraph (c) if the
Persons who were the stockholders of the Plan Sponsor immediately
before the consummation of such Transaction are the Beneficial
Owners, immediately following the consummation of such Transaction,
of 50% or more of the combined voting power of the then outstanding
voting securities of the Person surviving or resulting from any
merger, consolidation or reorganization referred to in clause
(x) above in this subparagraph (c) or the Person to whom
the assets of the Plan Sponsor are sold, assigned, leased, conveyed
or disposed of in any transaction or series of related transactions
referred in clause (y) above in this subparagraph (c), in
substantially the same proportions in which such stockholders held
voting stock in the Plan Sponsor immediately before such
Transaction.
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1.13. Code . The
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
Reference to a section of the Code shall include that section and
any comparable section or sections of any future legislation that
amends, supplements or supersedes such section.
1.14. Compensation .
The Base Salary and Bonus paid to a Participant for the relevant
period.
1.15. Corporate
Contribution . Any contribution made and credited to
Corporate Contribution Accounts by the Plan Sponsor in accordance
with Section 3.4(b).
1.16. Corporate Contribution
Account . The sum of (i) all of a Participant’s
Annual Corporate Contribution Amounts, plus (ii) the
hypothetical deemed investment earnings and losses credited or
charged in accordance with all the applicable provisions of this
Plan that relate to the Participant’s Corporate Contribution
Account, less (iii) all distributions made to the Participant
or his or her Beneficiary pursuant to this Plan that relate to the
Participant’s Corporate Contribution Account. A
Participant’s Corporate Contribution Account shall be divided
into subaccounts as determined by the Plan Administrator to
properly account for distribution elections attributable to a
Participant’s Annual Corporate Contribution Amounts, and the
deemed investment earnings and losses attributable
thereto.
1.17. Deferral Account
. The sum of (i) all of a Participant’s Participant
Annual Deferral Amounts, plus (ii) the hypothetical deemed
investment earnings and losses credited or charged in accordance
with all the applicable provisions of this Plan that relate to the
Participant’s Deferral Account, less (iii) all
distributions made to the Participant or his or her Beneficiary
pursuant to this Plan that relate to his or her Deferral Account. A
Participant’s Deferral Account shall be divided into
subaccounts as determined by the Plan Administrator to properly
account for distribution elections attributable to a Participant
Annual Deferral Amount, and the deemed investment earnings and
losses attributable thereto.
1.18. Disability . A
Participant shall be considered disabled if the Participant:
(i) is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by
reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment
which can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last
for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, or
(ii) is, by reason of any medically determinable physical or
mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or can
be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12
months, receiving income replacement benefits for a period of not
less than 3 months under an accident and health plan, if any,
covering employees of the Participant’s employer.
1.19. Disability Date
shall mean the date on which the Plan Administrator confirms that
the Participant has a qualifying Disability and is eligible to
receive payment hereunder.
1.20. Effective Date
shall mean December 3, 2008.
1.21. Election Form .
The form established from time to time by the Plan Administrator
that a Participant completes, signs and returns to the Plan
Administrator.
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1.22. Eligible
Employee . Any employee of the Plan Sponsor or an Affiliate
who is selected to participate herein in accordance with the
provisions of Section 2.1 hereof.
1.23. Employer(s)
.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in
part (b) of this Section 1.23, any of the Plan
Sponsor’s subsidiaries or Affiliates (now in existence or
hereafter formed or acquired) that have been selected by the Board
to participate in the Plan and have adopted the Plan as a sponsor,
and
(b) For the purpose of determining
whether a Participant has experienced a Separation from Service,
the term Employer shall be as defined in Treasury Regulation
Section 1.409A-1(h)(3) (i.e., using “at least 50%”
instead of “at least 80%”).
1.24. ERISA . The
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from
time to time. Reference to a section of ERISA shall include that
section and any comparable section or sections of any future
legislation that amends, supplements or supersedes such
section.
1.25. Good Reason
means the occurrence, on or after the occurrence of a Change in
Control, of any of the following:
(a) The Plan Sponsor or any of its
Affiliates materially reduces the Participant’s Base
Salary.
(b) The Plan Sponsor discontinues
its bonus plan in which the Participant participates as in effect
immediately before the Change in Control without immediately
replacing such bonus plan with a plan that is the substantial
economic equivalent of such bonus plan, or a successor to the Plan
Sponsor fails or refuses to assume the obligations of the Plan
Sponsor under such bonus plan as in effect immediately before the
Change in Control or under a plan that is the substantial economic
equivalent of such bonus plan.
(c) Without the Participant’s
express written consent, the Plan Sponsor or any of its Affiliates
requires the Participant to change the location of the
Participant’s job or office, so that the Participant will be
based at a location more than 100 miles from the former location of
the Participant’s job or office.
(d) Without the Participant’s
express written consent, the Plan Sponsor or any of its Affiliates
reduces the Participant’s responsibilities or directs the
Participant to report to a person of lower rank or responsibilities
than the person to whom the Participant reported before the Change
in Control.
1.26. Measurement Fund
. The investment fund or funds selected by the Plan Administrator
from time to time.
1.27. Participant . An
Eligible Employee satisfies the requirements for participation set
forth in Article 2. A spouse or former spouse of a Participant
shall not be treated as a Participant in the Plan or have an
account balance under the Plan, even if he or she has an interest
in the Participant’s benefits under the Plan as a result of
applicable law or property settlements resulting from legal
separation or divorce.
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1.28. Participant Annual
Deferral Amount . The portion of a Participant’s
Compensation, which he or she elects to defer, and is deferred, for
the Plan Year in question. In the event of a Participant’s
termination from participation in the Plan prior to the end of a
Plan Year, such year’s Participant Annual Deferral Amount
shall be the actual amount withheld prior to such event.
1.29. Plan . This
Plan, together with any and all amendments or supplements
thereto.
1.30. Plan
Administrator . The Board or its designee. A Participant in
the Plan should not serve as a singular Plan Administrator. If a
Participant is part of a group or committee designated as Plan
Administrator, then the Participant may not participate in any
activity or decision relating solely to his or her individual
benefits under the Plan; matters solely affecting the applicable
Participant will be resolved by the remaining committee members or
by the Board.
1.31. Plan Retirement
Date . The date the Participant attains 65 years of
age.
1.32. Plan Year . The
calendar year.
1.33. Retirement . A
Participant’s Separation from Service after the Participant
has reached his or her Plan Retirement Date.
1.34. Separation from
Service . With respect to a Service Provider, his or her
“separation from service,” as defined in
Section 1.409A-1(h) of the Treasury Regulations, with respect
to the Service Recipient. The Plan Administrator shall have full
and final authority, which shall be exercised in its discretion, to
determine conclusively whether a Participant has had a
“Separation from Service,” and the date of such
“Separation from Service.”
1.35. Service Provider
. A Participant or any other “service provider,” as
defined in Section 1.409A-1(f) of the Treasury
Regulations.
1.36. Service
Recipient . With respect to a Participant, the Employer and
all persons considered part of the “ service
recipient ,” as defined in Section 1.409A-1(g)
of the Treasury Regulations, as determined from time to time. As
provided in Section 1.409A-1(g) of the Treasury Regulations,
the “Service Recipient” shall mean the person for whom
the services are performed and with respect to whom the legally
binding right to compensation arises, and all persons with whom
such person would be considered a single employer under
Section 414(b) or 414(c) of the Code.
1.37. Specified
Employee . A Service Provider who, as of the date of the
Service Provider’s Separation from Service, is a “
Key Employee ” of the Service Recipient any
stock of which is publicly traded on an established securities
market or otherwise. For purposes of this definition, a Service
Provider is a “ Key Employee ” if the
Service Provider meets the requirements of
Section 416(i)(1)(A)(i), (ii) or (iii) of the Code
(applied in accordance with the Treasury Regulations thereunder and
disregarding Section 416(i)(5) of the Code) at any time during
the Testing Year. If a Service Provider is a “Key
Employee” (as defined above) as of a Specified Employee
Identification Date, the Service Provider shall be treated as
“ Key Employee ” for the entire twelve
(12) month period beginning on the Specified Employee
Effective Date. For purposes of this definition, a Service
Provider’s compensation for a Testing Year shall mean such
Service Provider’s compensation, as determined under
Section 1.415(c)-2(a) of the Treasury Regulations (and applied
as if the
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Service Recipient were not using any safe harbor
provided in Section 1.415(c)-2(d) of the Treasury Regulations,
were not using any of the elective special timing rules provided in
Section 1.415(c)-2(e) of the Treasury Regulations, and were
not using any of the elective special rules provided in
Section 1.415(c)-2(g)) of the Treasury Regulations, from the
Service Recipient for such Testing Year. The “
Specified Employees ” shall be determined in
accordance with Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code and
Section 1.409A-1(i) of the Treasury Regulations.
1.38. Specified Employee
Effective Date . The first day of the fourth month
following the Specified Employee Identification Date. The Specified
Employee Effective Date may be changed by the Service Recipient, in
its discretion, in accordance with Section 1.409A-1(i)(4) of
the Treasury Regulations.
1.39. Specified Employee
Identification Date . For purposes of
Section 1.409A-1(i)(3) of the Treasury Regulations, shall mean
December 31. The “ Specified Employee
Identification Date ” shall apply to all “
nonqualified deferred compensation plans ” (as
defined in Section 1.409A-1(a) of the Treasury Regulations) of
the Service Recipient and all affected Service Providers. The
“ Specified Employee Identification Date
” may be changed by the Company, in its discretion, in
accordance with Section 1.409A-1(i)(3) of the Treasury
Regulations.
1.40. Testing Year .
The twelve (12) month period ending on the Specified Employee
Identification Date, as determined from time to time.
1.41. Year of Plan
Participation . Each twelve (12) month period during
which the Participant is employed on a full-time basis by an
Employer, with a minimum of 1,000 hours of service, inclusive of
any approved leaves of absence, beginning on the
Participant’s date of entry into this Plan.
ARTICLE TWO
ELIGIBILITY AND
PARTICIPATION
2.1 Selection .
Participation in the Plan shall be limited to each employee of the
Employers who for any Plan Year is expected to be a “
highly compensated employee ” as defined in
Section 414(q) of the Code and a member of a “
select group of management and highly compensated
employees ” within the meaning of Sections 201(2),
301(a)(3) and 401(a)(1) of ERISA, as determined by the Plan
Administrator in its sole discretion.
2.2 Enrollment
Requirements . As a condition to participation, each
Eligible Employee shall complete, execute and return to the Plan
Administrator an Election Form. In addition, the Plan Administrator
shall establish from time to time such other enrollment
requirements as it determines in its sole discretion are
necessary.
2.3 Eligibility; Commencement
of Participation . Provided an Eligible Employee has met
all enrollment requirements set forth in this Plan and required by
the Plan Administrator, including returning all required documents
to the Plan Administrator within the specified time period, that
Eligible Employee shall become a Participant on the day on which
his or her Election Form first becomes effective.
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2.4 Termination of
Participation and/or Deferrals . Once an Eligible Employee
becomes a Participant, he or she shall continue as a Participant
for all future Plan Years unless and until: (a) the
Participant terminates from employment with the Employer in a
manner that constitutes a Separation from Service, (b) is no
longer an Eligible Employee (i.e., no longer meets the eligibility
requirements of this Article 2), or (c) the Plan Administrator
specifically acts to discontinue the Participant’s
participation. If a Participant’s participation is
discontinued, to the extent permissible under Section 409A of
the Code, the Plan Administrator shall (i) terminate any
deferral election the Participant has made for the remainder of the
Plan Year in which the Participant’s membership status
changes and (ii) prevent the Participant from making future
deferral elections or deferrals or receiving any future Company
Contributions (except as expressly provided in Section 3.4(b).
The former Participant’s Accounts shall be held until
distributable under the terms of Article 5.
2.5 Reemployment . If
a former employee who was a Participant is rehired by an Employer
and is again selected as an Eligible Employee, he or she shall
reenter the Plan on the first day of any Plan Year commencing after
the date he or she is selected in accordance with the provisions of
Section 2.1, provided that he or she will be treated as
initially eligible to participate in the Plan pursuant to
Section 1.409A-2(a)(7) of the Treasury Regulations as of such
reentry date. Such Eligible Employee’s reentry into the Plan
shall have no impact on any distributions that have been made or
are being made in accordance with Article 5. Any amounts previously
forfeited from the Participant’s Accounts pursuant to this
Plan shall not be restored or reinstated upon the
Participant’s subsequent reentry into the Plan. Upon reentry,
such Participant shall not be credited with any Years of Plan
Participation for years of prior service with any Employer prior to
reentry unless the individual is rehired by an Employer within one
year after the individual’s Separation from
Service.
ARTICLE THREE
CONTRIBUTIONS AND
CREDITS
3.1 Election
to Defer . (a) In General . Except as
otherwise provided in this Section 3.1, in order for a
Participant to make a valid election to defer Base Salary or Bonus,
the Participant must submit an Election Form on or before the
deadline established by the Plan Administrator. Except as otherwise
provided in this Section 3.1, such initial election shall
occur no later than the December 31 st preceding the Plan Year in which
such compensation will be earned. Any deferral election made in
accordance with this Section 3.1(a) shall be irrevocable
except to the extent permitted under Section 409A. If no
Election Form is timely delivered for a Plan Year, no Participant
Annual Deferral Amount shall be withheld for that Plan
Year.
(b) Timing of
Deferral Elections for Newly Eligible Participants .
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 3.1,
and except with respect to individuals described in
Section 2.5 above, an Eligible Employee who first becomes
eligible to participate in the Plan on or after the beginning of a
Plan Year may be permitted to make an election to defer Base Salary
and Bonus attributable to services to be performed after such
election, provided that the Participant submits an Election Form on
or before the deadline established by the Plan Administrator, which
in no event shall be later than 30 days after the Participant first
becomes eligible to participate in the Plan. Any deferral election
made in accordance with this Section 3.1(b) shall become
irrevocable no later than the 30 th day after the date the
Participant becomes eligible to participate in the Plan.
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(c) Timing of Deferral
Elections for Performance-Based Compensation .
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 3.1,
and subject to the limitations below and any terms and conditions
imposed by the Plan Administrator, in the case of any Bonus that
constitutes performance-based compensation (within the meaning of
Section 409A(a)(4)(b)(iii) of the Code) (“
Performance-Based Compensation ”) deferrable
under this Plan, which Bonus is based on services performed over a
period of at least 12 months, an initial election to defer such
Bonus compensation may be made by timely completing and submitting
to the Plan Administrator an Election Form no later than six
(6) months before the end of the service period during such
period as may be established by the Plan Administrator in its
discretion for such elections.
In order for a Participant to be
eligible to make a deferral election for Performance-Based
Compensation in accordance with the deadline established pursuant
to this Section 3.1(c), the Participant must have performed
services continuously from the later of (i) the beginning of
the performance period for such compensation, or (ii) the date
upon which the performance criteria for such compensation are
established, through the date upon which the Participant makes the
deferral election for such compensation. In no event shall a
deferral election submitted under this Section 3.1(c) be
permitted to apply to any amount of Performance-Based Compensation
that has become readily ascertainable.
3.2 Minimum Participant Annual
Deferral Amount . For each Plan Year, the aggregate minimum
Participant Annual Deferral Amount for each Participant is $2,500.
If an election is made for less than such minimum amount, or if no
election is made, the amount deferred shall be zero.
3.3 Maximum Deferral .
For each Plan Year, a Participant may elect to defer, as his or her
Participant Annual Deferral Amount, up to 50% of his or her Base
Salary and up to 100% of his or her Bonus, subject to the
limitations set forth in this Section 3.3. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, a Participant Annual Deferral Amount shall be limited in
any Plan Year, if necessary, to satisfy the Participant’s
income and employment tax withholding obligations (including Social
Security, unemployment and Medicare), and the Participant’s
employee benefit plan contribution requirements, determined on the
first day of the election period for such Plan Year, as determined
by the Plan Administrator.
3.4 Accounts; Crediting of
Deferrals . Solely for record keeping purposes, the Plan
Administrator shall establish a Deferral Account and a Corporate
Contributions Account for each Participant. A Participant’s
Accounts shall be credited with the deferrals made by him or her or
on his or her behalf by his or her Employer under this Article 3
and shall be credited (or charged, as the case may be) with the
hypothetical or deemed investment earnings and losses determined
pursuant to Article 4, and charged with distributions made to or
with respect to him or her.
(a) Participant Annual
Deferral Amounts . For each Plan Year, the Base Salary
portion of the Participant Annual Deferral Amount shall be withheld
from each payroll period in equal amounts from the
Participant’s Base Salary. The Bonus portion of the
Participant Annual Deferral Amount shall be withheld at the time
the Bonus is or would otherwise be paid to the Participant. The
Participant Annual Deferral Amount shall be credited to the
Participant’s Deferral Account.
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(b) Corporate
Contributions . Each Plan Year, the Plan Sponsor may make
contributions (either discretionary, matching or both) to the Plan
as it may determine from time to time and may direct that such
contributions be allocated among the Corporate Contribution
Accounts of those Participants that it may select. The amount so
credited to a Participant may be smaller or larger than the amount
credited to any other Participant, and the amount credited to any
Participant for a Plan Year may be zero. The Corporate
Contribution, if any, shall be credited to Participants’
Corporate Contribution Accounts on the date or dates declared by
the Plan Sponsor. If a Participant is not employed by an Employer
as of a given date of declaration other than by reason of his or
her death while employed, the Discretionary Company Contribution
for such Participant for that date of declaration, and future dates
of declaration, shall be zero. In the event of death, a Participant
shall be credited with all of the Corporate Contribution(s) (if
any) for the Plan Year in which he or she dies. No Participant
shall have a right to compel the Plan Sponsor to make a
contribution under this Section 3.4(b) and no Participant
shall have the right to share in the allocation of any such
contribution for any Plan Year unless selected by the Plan Sponsor,
in its sole discretion.
3.5 Vesting
.
(a) Deferral Account .
A Participant shall at all times be 100% vested in his or her
Deferral Account.
(b) Corporate Contribution
Account . Plan Sponsor contributions credited to a
Participant’s Corporate Contribution Account under
Section 3.4(b) of the Plan and any hypothetical or deemed
investment earnings and losses attributable to these contributions
shall become vested or nonforfeitable based on the
Participant’s Years of Plan Participation according to the
following schedule:
|
|
|
|
Years of Plan Participation
|
|
Percentage Vested
|
|
|
Less than 2
|
|
0
|
%
|
|
2 but less than 3
|
|
25
|
%
|
|
3 but less than 4
|
|
50
|
%
|
|
4 but less than 5
|
|
75
|
%
|
|
5 or more
|
|
100
|
%
|
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a
Participant’s Corporate Contribution Account shall be fully
vested and nonforefeitable upon (i) the Participant’s
Plan Retirement Date, (ii) the Participant’s death,
(iii) the Participant’s Disability, or
(iv) termination of the Plan.
(c) Forfeiture . Upon
a Participant’s Separation from Service, a Participant shall
forfeit any unvested portion of his or her Corporate Contribution
Account, in the amount credited to such Corporate Contribution
Account as of the most recent determination date preceding his or
her Separation from Service with the Employers. Any such unvested
forfeited portion of a Participant’s Corporate Contribution
Account shall cease to be liabilities of the Employer or the Plan.
All such forfeited amounts shall be deducted from the
Participant’s Corporate Contribution Accounts immediately
upon Separation from Service and credited to such Employer. For the
avoidance of doubt, if an individual ceases to be a Participant but
continues to be an employee of any Employer, he or she will
continue to vest in his or her Corporate Contribution Account until
such time as he or she undergoes a Separation from
Service.
10
ARTICLE FOUR
ACCOUNTS AND ALLOCATION OF
FUNDS
4.1 Earnings Credits or
Losses . In a