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WILLIAMS PARTNERS GP LLC LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN

Executive Compensation Plan Agreement

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Williams Partners L.P. | WILLIAMS PARTNERS GP LLC

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Title: WILLIAMS PARTNERS GP LLC LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
Governing Law: Oklahoma     Date: 8/26/2005

WILLIAMS PARTNERS GP LLC LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN, Parties: williams partners l.p. , williams partners gp llc
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Exhibit 10.2

WILLIAMS PARTNERS GP LLC

LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN

     SECTION 1. Purpose of the Plan .

     The Williams Partners GP LLC Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is intended to promote the interests of Williams Partners L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Partnership”), by providing to employees, consultants, and directors of Williams Partners GP LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Company”), and its Affiliates who perform services for the Partnership and its subsidiaries incentive compensation awards that are based on Units for superior performance. The Plan is also contemplated to enhance the ability of the Company and its Affiliates to attract and retain the services of individuals who are essential for the growth and profitability of the Partnership and to encourage them to devote their best efforts to advancing the business of the Partnership and its subsidiaries.

     SECTION 2. Definitions .

     As used in the Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

     “Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, the Person in question. As used herein, the term “control” means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.

     “Award” means an Option, Restricted Unit, Phantom Unit or Unit Appreciation Right granted under the Plan, and shall include any tandem DERs granted with respect to a Phantom Unit, Option or Unit Appreciation Right.

     “Award Agreement” means the written agreement by which an Award shall be evidenced.

     “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

     “Change of Control” means, and shall be deemed to have occurred upon the occurrence of one or more of the following events: (i) any sale, lease, exchange or other transfer (in one transaction or a series of related transactions) of all or substantially all of the assets of the Partnership, the Company or The Williams Companies, Inc. to any Person and/or its Affiliates, other than to the Partnership, the Company and/or any of their Affiliates; or (ii) the consolidation, reorganization, merger or other transaction pursuant to which more than 50% of the voting power of the outstanding equity interests in the Partnership, the Company or The Williams Companies, Inc. cease to be owned by the Persons who own such interests as of the effective date of the initial public offering of Units.

     Solely with respect to any Award that is subject to Section 409A of the Code and to the extent that the definition of change of control under Section 409A applies to limited liability companies, this definition is intended to comply with the definition of change of control under Section 409A of the Code as in effect commencing January 1, 2005 and, to the extent that the

 


 

above definition does not so comply, such definition shall be void and of no effect and, to the extent required to ensure that this definition complies with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, the definition of such term set forth in regulations or other regulatory guidance issued under Section 409A of the Code by the appropriate governmental authority is hereby incorporated by reference into and shall form part of this Plan as fully as if set forth herein verbatim and the Plan shall be operated in accordance with the above definition of Change of Control as modified to the extent necessary to ensure that the above definition complies with the definition prescribed in such regulations or other regulatory guidance insofar as the definition relates to any Award that is subject to Section 409A of the Code.

     “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board or such other committee of the Board appointed by the Board to administer the Plan.

     “Common Unit” has the meaning given to such term in the Partnership Agreement.

     “Consultant” means an individual who performs services for the Partnership and is not an Employee or a Director.

     “DER” means a distribution equivalent right, which is contingent right, granted in tandem with a specific Award of any Unit Appreciation Right, Option or Phantom Unit, to receive an amount in cash equal to the cash distributions made by the Partnership with respect to a Unit during the period such Award is outstanding.

     “Director” means a member of the Board who is not an Employee.

     “Employee” means any employee of the Company or an Affiliate who performs services for the Partnership.

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

     “Fair Market Value” means the closing sales price of a Unit on the date of determination (or if there is no trading in the Units on such date, on the next preceding date on which there was trading) as reported in The Wall Street Journal (or other reporting service approved by the Committee). In the event Units are not publicly traded at the time a determination of Fair Market Value is required to be made hereunder, the determination of Fair Market Value shall be made in good faith by the Committee.

     “Option” means an option to purchase Units granted under the Plan.

     “Participant” means any Employee, Consultant or Director granted an Award under the Plan.

     “Partnership Agreement” means the First Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Williams Partners L.P., as it may be amended or amended and restated from time to time.

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     “Person” means an individual or a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, unincorporated organization, association, governmental agency or political subdivision thereof or other entity.

     “Phantom Unit” means a phantom (notional) Unit granted under the Plan which upon vesting entitles the Participant to receive a Unit or an amount of cash equal to the Fair Market Value of a Unit, as determined by the Committee in its discretion.

     “Restricted Period” means the period established by the Committee with respect to an Award during which the Award remains subject to forfeiture and is either not exercisable by or payable to the Participant, as the case may be.

     “Restricted Unit” means a Unit granted under the Plan that is subject to a Restricted Period.

     “Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3 promulgated by the SEC under the Exchange Act, or any successor rule or regulation thereto as in effect from time to time.

     “SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any successor thereto.

     “UDR” means a unit distribution right, which is a distribution made by the Partnership with respect to a Restricted Unit.

     “Unit” means a Common Unit.

     “Unit Appreciation Right” means an Award that, upon exercise, entitles the holder to receive the excess of the Fair Market Value of a Unit on the exercise date over the exercise price established for such Unit Appreciation Right. Such excess may be paid in cash and/or in Units as determined by the Committee in its discretion.

     SECTION 3. Administration .

     The Board does not initially intend to grant any Award under the Plan; provided however, the Board reserves the right to implement the Plan in the future and upon implementation by resolution of the Board, the Plan shall be administered by the Committee. A majority of the Committee shall constitute a quorum, and the acts of the members of the Committee who are present at any meeting thereof at which a quorum is present, or acts unanimously approved by the members of the Committee in writing, shall be the acts of the Committee. Subject to the following and any applicable law, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may delegate any or all of its powers and duties under the Plan, including the power to grant Awards under the Plan, to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, subject to such limitations on such delegated powers and duties as the Committee may impose, if any. Upon any such delegation all references in the Plan to the “Committee”, other than in Section 7, shall be deemed to include the Chief Executive Officer; provided, however, that such delegation shall not limit the Chief Executive Officer’s right to receive Awards under the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Chief Executive Officer may not grant Awards to, or take any action with respect to any Award previously granted to, a person who is an officer subject to Rule 16b-3 or who is a member of the Board. Subject to the terms of the Plan and applicable law, and in addition to

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other express powers and authorizations conferred on the Committee by the Plan, the Committee shall have full power and authority to: (i) designate Participants; (ii) determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to a Participant; (iii) determine the number of Units to be covered by Awards; (iv) determine the terms and conditions of any Award; (v) determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances Awards may be settled, exercised, canceled, or forfeited; (vi) interpret and administer the Plan and any instrument or agreement relating to an Award made under the Plan; (vii) establish, amend, suspend, or waive such rules and regulations and appoint such agents as it shall deem appropriate for the proper administration of the Plan; and (viii) make any other determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan. Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan, all designations, determinations, interpretations, and other decisions under or with respect to the Plan or any Award shall be within the sole discretion of the Committee, may be made at any time and shall be final, conclusive, and binding upon all Persons, including the Company, the Partnership, any Affiliate, any Participant, and any beneficiary of any Award.

     SECTION 4. Units .

     (a)  Limits on Units Deliverable . Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4(c), the number of Units with respect to which Awards may be granted under the Plan is 700,000. However, there shall not be any limitation on the number of Awards that may be granted and paid in cash. If any Award expires, is canceled, exercised, paid or otherwise terminates without the delivery of Units, then the Units covered by such Award, to the extent of such expiration, cancellation, exercise, payment or termination, shall again be Units with respect to which Awards may be granted. In the event that Units issued under the Plan are reacquired by the Company pursuant to any forfeiture provision, such Units shall again be available for the purposes of the Plan. In the event a Participant pays for any Award through the delivery of previously acquired Units, the number of Units available shall be increased by the number of Units delivered by the Participant.

     (b)  Sources of Units Deliverable Under Awards . Any Units delivered pursuant to an Award shall consist, in whole or in part, of Units acquired in the open market, from any Affiliate, the Partnership or any other Person, or any combination of the foregoing.

     (c)  Adjustments . In the event that the Committee determines that any distribution (whether in the form of cash, Units, other securities, or other property), recapitalization, Unit split, reverse Unit split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, repurchase, or exchange of Units or other securities of the Partnership, issuance of warrants or other rights to purchase Units or other securities of the Partnership, or other similar transaction or event affects the Units such that an adjustment is determined by the Committee to be appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan, then the Committee shall, in such manner as it may deem equitable, adjust any or all of (i) the number and type of Units (or other securities or property) with respect to which Awards may be granted, (ii) the number and type of Units (or other securities or property) subject to outstanding Awards, and (iii) the grant or exercise price with respect to any Award or, if deemed appropriate, make provision for a cash payment to the holder of an outstanding Award; provided, that the number of Units subject to any Award shall always be a whole number and, provided further, that the Committee shall not take any action otherwise

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authorized under this subparagraph (c) to the extent that (i) such action would cause (A) the application of Section 409A or 162(m) of the Code to the Award or (B) create adverse tax consequences under Section 409A or 162(m) of the Code should either or both of those Code sections apply to the Award or (ii) except as permitted in Section7(c), materially reduce the benefit to the Participant without the consent of the Participant.

     SECTION 5. Eligibility .

     Any Employee, Consultant or Director shall be eligible to be designated a Participant and receive an Award under the Plan.

     SECTION 6. Awards .

     (a)  Options . Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have the authority to determine the Participants to whom Options shall be granted, the number of Units to be covered by each Option, whether DERs are granted with respect to such Option, the purchase price therefor and the conditions and limitations applicable to the exercise of the Option, including the following terms and conditions and such additional terms and conditions, as the Committee shall determine, that are not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan.

     (i) Exercise Price . The purchase price per Unit purchasable under an Op


 
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