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MANAGEMENT CONTINUITY AGREEMENT

Executive Employment Agreement

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MACERICH CO

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Title: MANAGEMENT CONTINUITY AGREEMENT
Governing Law: California     Date: 2/27/2007
Industry: Real Estate Operations    

MANAGEMENT CONTINUITY AGREEMENT, Parties: macerich co
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Exhibit 10.34


FORM


MANAGEMENT CONTINUITY AGREEMENT

        THIS AGREEMENT is entered into by and between THE MACERICH COMPANY, a Maryland corporation (the "Company") and [    ] (the "Executive"), this      day of                               ,          .

        The Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board") has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to assure that the Company will have the continued commitment and dedication of the Executive, notwithstanding the possibility or occurrence of a Change of Control (as defined in Appendix A), to encourage the Executive's full attention and dedication to the Company currently and in the event of any impending Change of Control, to encourage the Executive's continued objectivity and impartiality in the evaluation of alternative strategies and continued service after a Change of Control, to provide the Executive with security, compensation and benefits arrangements following termination upon a Change of Control that further these objectives and that are competitive with those of other corporations. In order to accomplish these objectives, the Board has approved the Company's entering into this Agreement [which amends and restates the Management Continuity Agreement dated as of March 15, 2002].

        NOW THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

        1.      Certain Definitions .    In addition to terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, the following terms have the following meanings:

        "1994 Plan" means The Macerich Company Amended and Restated 1994 Incentive Plan, as it may be amended from time to time.

        "2000 Plan" means The Macerich Company 2000 Incentive Plan, as it may be amended from time to time.

        "2003 Plan" means The Macerich Company 2003 Equity Incentive Plan, as it may be amended from time to time.

        "Applicable Board" means the Board or, if the Company is not the ultimate parent corporation of the Company and its Affiliates and is not publicly-traded, the board of directors of the ultimate parent of the Company.

        "Affiliate" means any company controlled by, controlling or under common control with the Company.

        "Base Salary" means the annual base rate of compensation payable to Executive by the Company as of the Executive's Date of Termination, before deductions or voluntary deferrals authorized by the Executive or required by law to be withheld from the Executive by the Company. Salary excludes all other extra pay such as overtime, pensions, severance payments, bonuses, stock incentives, living or other allowances, and other perquisites.

        "Cause" means that the Company, acting in good faith based upon the information then known to the Company, determines that the Executive has:

        (1)   failed to perform in a material respect without proper cause his obligations under this Agreement or the written employment agreement with Executive, if any;

        (2)   been convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to a felony; or

        (3)   committed an act of fraud, dishonesty or gross misconduct which is materially injurious to the Company;


 

        Any act, or failure to act, based upon authority given pursuant to a resolution duly adopted by the Applicable Board or upon the instructions of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company or based upon the advice of counsel or independent accountants for the Company shall be conclusively presumed for purposes of this Agreement to be done, or omitted to be done, by the Executive in good faith and in the best interests of the Company. The cessation of employment of the Executive shall not be deemed to be for Cause under clause (1) or (3) above unless and until there shall have been delivered to the Executive a copy of a resolution duly adopted by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the entire membership of the Applicable Board (excluding the Executive and any relative of the Executive, if the Executive or such relative is a member of the Applicable Board) at a meeting of the Applicable Board called and held for such purpose (after reasonable notice is provided to the Executive and the Executive is given an opportunity, together with counsel for the Executive, to be heard before the Applicable Board), finding that, in the good faith opinion of the Applicable Board, the Executive is guilty of the conduct described in clause (1) or (3) above, and specifying the particulars thereof in reasonable detail.

        "Change of Control" shall have the meaning set forth in Appendix A.

        "Change of Control Period" means the period commencing on the Execution Date and ending on the third anniversary of such date; provided, however, that commencing on the date one year after the Execution Date, and on each annual anniversary of such date (such date and each annual anniversary thereafter, the "Renewal Date"), unless previously terminated, the Change of Control Period shall be automatically extended so as to terminate three years from such Renewal Date, unless at least 60 days prior to the Renewal Date, the Company shall give notice to the Executive that the Change of Control Period shall not be so extended.

        "Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

        "Date of Termination" means the date of receipt of a notice of termination from the Company or the Executive as applicable or any later date specified in the notice of termination, which date shall not be more than 30 days after the giving of such notice.

        "Disability" means (1) a "permanent and total disability" within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code, or (2) the absence of the Executive from his duties with the Company on a full-time basis for a period of nine months as a result of incapacity due to mental or physical illness which is determined to be total and permanent by a physician selected by the Company or its insurers and acceptable to the Executive or his legal representative (such agreements as to acceptability not to be unreasonably withheld). "Incapacity" as used herein shall be limited only to a condition that substantially prevents the Executive from performing his or her duties.

        "Effective Date" means the first date during the Change of Control Period on which a Change of Control occurs; provided, however that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if a Change of Control occurs and if the Executive's employment with the Company was terminated by the Company for no reason or any reason other than death, Disability or for Cause, or by the Executive for Good Reason, after the public announcement of but prior to the consummation of such Change of Control, or such termination or events giving rise to such termination otherwise occurred in specific contemplation of such Change of Control (including, without limitation, at the request of a third party that has taken steps reasonably calculated to effect such Change of Control), then for the purposes of this Agreement, the "Effective Date" shall mean the date immediately prior to the date of such termination of employment.

        "Execution Date" means the date first set forth above.

        "Good Reason" means a termination of employment by the Executive during the Protected Period for any one or more of the following reasons, to the extent not remedied by the Company within

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fifteen (15) business days after receipt by the Company of written notice from the Executive specifying in reasonable detail such occurrence, without the Executive's written consent thereto:

        (1)   the assignment to the Executive of any duties inconsistent in any respect with the Executive's position (including status, offices, titles and reporting requirements), authority, duties or responsibilities, or any other diminution in such position, authority, duties or responsibilities (whether or not occurring solely as a result of the Company's ceasing to be a publicly traded entity), excluding for this purpose an isolated, insubstantial and inadvertent action not taken in bad faith and that is remedied by the Company promptly after receipt of notice thereof given by the Executive;

        (2)   a change in the Executive's principal office location to a location further away from the Executive's home which is more than 30 miles from the Executive's principal office;

        (3)   the taking of any action by the Company to eliminate benefit plans in which the Executive participated in or was eligible to participate in immediately prior to a Change of Control without providing substitutes therefor, to materially reduce benefits thereunder or to substantially diminish the aggregate value of the incentive awards or other fringe benefits; provided that if neither a surviving entity nor its parent following a Change of Control is a publicly-held company, the failure to provide stock-based benefits shall not be deemed good reason if benefits of comparable value using recognized valuation methodology are substituted therefor; and provided further that a reduction or elimination in the aggregate of not more than 10% in aggregate benefits in connection with across the board reductions or modifications affecting similarly situated persons of executive rank in the Company or a combined organization shall not constitute Good Reason;

        (4)   any reduction in the Executive's Base Salary; or

        (5)   any material breach by the Company of this Agreement or the written employment agreement with Executive, if any.

        If the Executive suffers physical or mental incapacity or dies following the occurrence of any of the events described in clauses (1) through (5) above and the Executive has given the Company the requisite written notice but the Company has failed to remedy the situation prior to such physical or mental incapacity or death, the Executive's physical or mental incapacity or death shall not affect the ability of the Executive or his heirs or beneficiaries, as applicable, to treat the Executive's termination of employment as a termination for Good Reason.

        "Protected Period" means the period commencing on the Effective Date and ending on the second anniversary of the Effective Date.

        "Qualified Termination" means a termination of the Executive's employment with the Company during the Protected Period (a) by the Company for no reason, or for any reason other than for Cause, death or Disability or (b) by the Executive for Good Reason.

        2.      Benefits Following a Change of Control.

        (a)    Severance Payments .    Upon a Qualified Termination, the Company shall pay to the Executive an amount equal to three (3) times the sum of (1) Executive's Base Salary and (2) the amount of the highest cash and stock portion of the Executive's annual incentive bonus (including any cash portion of an incentive bonus which the Executive has elected to convert into shares of restricted stock or stock units under the Company's Cash Bonus/Restricted Stock and Stock Unit Award Programs or other comparable express, optional stock-in-lieu of cash benefit programs) awarded to the Executive for each of the three fiscal years preceding the Date of Termination (the "Bonus Amount"). If the annual incentive bonus has not yet been awarded for the fiscal year immediately preceding the Date of Termination, the measurement period will be for each of the

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four fiscal years preceding the Date of Termination. For purposes of calculation of the Bonus Amount the following shall also be included: (i) any supplemental or special cash and/or stock bonus awarded to the Executive for any of the applicable years and (ii) the value of any outstanding LTIP units that vest during the applicable year as provided in the applicable award agreement. The severance amount described in this paragraph shall be paid in cash to the Executive in a single lump sum as soon as practicable after the Date of Termination, but in no event later than 30 days after the Date of Termination, provided that, to the extent required in order to comply with Section 409A of the Code, amounts and benefits to be paid or provided under this Section 2(a) shall be paid or provided to the Executive on the first business day after the date that is six months following the Executive's "separation from service" within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code.

        (b)    Welfare Benefits .    Upon a Qualified Termination, from the Date of Termination until the third anniversary of the Date of Termination or, to the extent required in order to comply with Section 409A of the Code, the end of the second calendar year following the calendar year in which the Date of Termination occurs (the "Benefit Continuation Period"), the Company shall continue welfare benefits for the Executive and/or the Executive's family at least equal to those that would have been provided to them in accordance with the plans, programs, practices and policies as in effect immediately prior to the Change of Control if the Executive's employment had not been terminated or, if more favorable to the Executive, as in effect generally at any time thereafter with respect to other peer executives of the Company and its Affiliates and their families at no cost to the Executive or his family; provided , however , that, if the Executive becomes reemployed with another employer and is eligible to receive such benefits under another employer provided plan, the medical and other welfare benefits described herein shall be secondary to those provided under such other plan, and such other benefits shall not be provided by the Company, during such applicable period of eligibility. The Executive's entitlement to COBRA continuation coverage under Section 4980B of the Code ("COBRA Coverage") shall not be offset by the provision of benefits under this Section 2(b) and the period of COBRA Coverage shall commence at the end of the Benefit Continuation Period.

        (c)   Payment of Accrued Obligations.

        Upon a Qualified Termination, the Executive will receive in addition to any other payments that may become due under this Agreement, the following:

        (1)   payment of the sum of (A) the Executive's Base Salary through the Date of Termination, (B) the Executive's accrued vacation pay and (C) the Executive's accrued annual incentive bonus for the fiscal year immediately preceding the year in which the Date of Termination occurs, in each case, to the extent not theretofore paid, which shall be paid to the Executive, subject to any deferral elections then in effect, in a lump sum in cash as soon as practicable after the Date of Termination but in no event later than 30 days after the Date of Termination;

        (2)   payment in an amount equal to the product of (A) the Bonus Amount and (B) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days in the bonus year from the commencement of the bonus year until the Date of Termination and the denominator of which is 365, which shall be paid to the Executive in a lump sum in cash as soon as practicable after the Date of Termination but in no event later than 30 days after the Date of Termination, provided that, to the extent required in order to comply with Section 409A of the Code, such amount shall be paid to the Executive on the first business day after the date that is six months following the Executive's "separation from service" within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code; and

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        (3)   to the extent not theretofore paid or provided, payment or provision of any Other Benefits (as defined in Section 10(b)).

        3.      Equity Awards .    Upon a Change of Control, notwithstanding any provision of any plan or applicable award agreement to the contrary as in effect on the Effective Date, (1) any shares of restricted stock held by the Executive that remain unvested shall immediately vest and shall no longer be subject to any restrictions unless such restrictions are required by any applicable law or regulation; (2) any restricted stock units held by the Executive that remain unvested shall immediately vest and shall no longer be subject to any restrictions unless such restrictions are required by any applicable law or regulation; (3) any stock options held by the Executive, to the extent that they are unvested and unexercisable, shall vest in full and become immediately exercisable; and (4) any outstanding LTIP units shall vest as provided in the applicable award agreement. In the case of a Change of Control under subsection (3) of the Change of Control definition (merger or similar transaction), such restricted stock, stock units or stock options shall vest effective immediately prior to such Change of Control to the extent necessary in order to enable the realization of the benefits of such acceleration. Any stock options held by the Executive that become vested and exercisable under this Section 3 or any other agreement or are otherwise vested shall remain exercisable for a period at least until the first to occur of (1) the expiration of the full term of the option and (2) one year after the date on which the Change of Control occurs, subject only to Section 6.2(b) of the 1994 Plan, the 2000 Plan and the 2003 Plan or any comparable provisions of any plan under which the options are granted; provided that, if Section 409A of the Code requires a shorter exercise period such stock options shall remain exercisable only until the maximum period permitted under Section 409A.

        4.      Soliciting Employees .    Executive agrees that he will not, from the Effective Date through a period of two years following the later of termination of his employment or the expiration of this Agreement, directly or indirectly solicit or recruit any of the Company employees (other than through general advertising not specifically directed at such current or former Company employees) who earned annually $25,000 or more as a Company employee during the last six months of his or her own employment to work for him or any business, individual, partnership, firm, corporation, or other entity, whether for him or such entity, in competition with the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate of the Company.

        5.      Confidential Information.

        (a)   The Executive shall, beginning on the Execution Date and for the term of this Agreement and thereafter in perpetuity, hold in a fiduciary capacity for the benefit of the Company all secret or confidential information, knowledge or data, whether in tangible or intangible form, including but not limited to, information relating to the Company or any of its affiliated companies, or their respective businesses, plans, finances, tenants, customers, partners, properties, processes or means of operation, which shall have been obtained by the Executive during the Executive's employment by the Company or any of its affiliated companies and which shall not be or become public knowledge (other than by acts by the Executive or representatives of the Executive in violation of this Agreement). After termination of the Executive's employment with the Company, the Executive shall not, without the prior written consent of the Company or as may otherwise be required by law or legal process, use (other than in furtherance of the Company's business), or communicate or divulge any such information, knowledge or data to anyone other than the Company and those designated by it.

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        (b)   Executive agrees that all lists, materials, books, files, reports, correspondence, records, and other documents ("Company Material") used, prepared or made available to Executive, shall be and remain the property of the Company. Upon the Executive's termination of employment or the expiration of this Agreement, all Company Materials shall be returned immediately to the Company, and Executive shall not make or retain any copies hereof.

        6.      Certain Additional Payments by the Company.

        (a)    Amount of Section 280G Additional Payment .    Anything in this Agreement or any other agreement between the Executive and the Company (including but not limited to any restricted stock award agreement under the 1994 Plan, the 2000 Plan, and/or the 2003 Plan) to the contrary notwithstanding, if it shall be determined that any payment or distribution by the Company to or for the benefit of the Executive (within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code) (whether paid or payable or distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or otherwise,


 
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