Exhibit 10.57
December 19, 2007
Susan M.
Ivey
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Re: Special Severance Benefits and Change of Control
Protections |
As consideration for your entering
into the Non-Competition, Non-Disclosure of Confidential
Information and Commitment to Provide Assistance Agreement,
attached hereto as Exhibit A and made a part of this document,
you will be eligible for special severance and certain change of
control protections from Reynolds American Inc. (the
“Company”), the terms and conditions of which are set
forth below. This agreement will amend and supersede the prior
letter agreement regarding Special Severance Benefits and Change of
Control Protections, dated October 7, 2004, between you and
the Company (the “Prior Agreement”) and any other
severance agreements entered into prior to the date hereof. In
addition, Section 3 of this agreement amends the Offer of
Employment Letter between you and the Company, dated July 29,
2004 (the “Offer Letter”) and Section 4 of this
agreement describes the retiree health coverage that is available
to you under the terms of the Offer Letter.
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Special Severance Benefits . |
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(a) |
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If, during the course of your employment with the Company or
any of its affiliates, you incur a Separation from Service other
than (1) by reason of disability or death, (2) by the
Company or any of its affiliates for Cause or (3) by you
without General Good Reason, you will receive: |
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(i) |
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An amount equal to three (3) years’ pay (defined as
base pay and target bonus at the time of your Termination Date (as
defined below)), payable as follows: |
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(A) |
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If your Termination Date occurs prior to January 1, 2010,
such amount shall be paid in cash to you in equal monthly
installments (or more frequent installments as determined by the
Company) over the Severance Period (as defined below) commencing on
the last day of the month after the sixtieth (60th) calendar day
following the Termination Date (the “Payment Date”);
or |
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(B) |
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If your Termination Date occurs on or after January 1,
2010, such amount shall be paid in cash to you in a single lump sum
on your Payment Date. |
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For purposes of this agreement, (x) “Termination
Date” means the date on which you incur a Separation from
Service in accordance with this Section 1(a)(i) and (y)
“Severance Period” means the three (3) year period
following your Termination Date. A “Separation from
Service” shall be deemed to have occurred on the date on
which the level of bona fide |
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services reasonably anticipated to be performed by you is
forty-five percent (45%) or less of the average level of bona fide
services performed by you during the immediately preceding
thirty-six (36) month period (or your full period of service
if you have been providing services for less than thirty-six
(36) months). |
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(ii) |
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An amount equal to the matching contributions and/or retirement
enhancement contributions, if any, that would be contributed by the
Company on your behalf under the Company’s qualified defined
contribution plan (the “CIP”) and nonqualified defined
contribution benefit plans assuming that (A) you had continued
to be employed as an active participant in the CIP throughout the
Severance Period, (B) your pay was equal to the amount
determined in Section 1(a)(i) above and (C) you contributed in
an amount that would have provided for the maximum matching
contributions during the Severance Period (without regard to any
amendment to the CIP made subsequent to your Termination Date which
reduces the matching contributions and/or retirement enhancement
contributions thereunder). The benefit described in this
Section 1(a)(ii) shall be paid in cash to you in a single lump
sum on your Payment Date. |
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(iii) |
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If you are eligible to participate in the Company’s
defined benefit pension plan as of your Termination Date, an
additional pension benefit determined as if your employment with
the Company or an affiliated company had continued throughout the
Severance Period, and calculated as if your base pay and target
bonus for such additional period remained at the level in effect on
your Termination Date, which benefit shall be provided under and
paid pursuant to the terms of the Company’s qualified
retirement plans to the extent permitted thereunder or under a
nonqualified plan established and maintained by the Company or an
affiliated company. |
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(iv) |
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Continuation of the coverage of you (and where applicable, your
eligible dependents) under the Company’s medical, life,
dental and vision insurance benefit plans until the end of the
month in which your Severance Period ends, at the same cost
structure as active employees; provided, however, that following
your Termination Date you will be covered by the fully insured
medical, dental and vision plans maintained by the Company. Your
required payments, if any, towards the cost for such continuation
coverage shall be made on an after-tax basis. |
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(v) |
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If you are eligible for retiree health and life insurance
coverage on your Termination Date, additional age and service
credit towards eligibility for retiree health and life insurance
coverage determined as if your employment with the Company or an
affiliated company had continued throughout the Severance
Period. |
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(vi) |
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If you participate in an executive supplemental payment plan on
your Termination Date, you will continue to receive the annual
executive |
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supplemental payment that you were entitled to receive on your
Termination Date until the end of your Severance Period. Such
annual payment shall be made (A) in January of each year of
the Severance Period if your Termination Date occurs prior to
January 1, 2010, or (B) in a single lump sum on your
Payment Date if your Termination Date occurs on or after
January 1, 2010. |
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(vii) |
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If you are eligible to participate in the Company’s
MedSave Plan as of your Termination Date, an amount equal to the
contributions that would have been credited as Company
contributions to your notional account under the MedSave Plan
assuming that (A) you had continued to be employed as an
active participant in the MedSave Plan throughout the Severance
Period and (B) the Company had credited your notional account
thereunder with the maximum amount of matching contributions each
year during the Severance Period, shall be paid in cash to you in a
single lump sum on your Payment Date. |
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(viii) |
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If you actively participate in any of the Company’s
voluntary, employee pay-all plans or programs on your Termination
Date, you may continue to participate in such plan or program,
pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth therein, until the
end of your Severance Period. |
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(ix) |
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These special severance benefits replace any compensation or
benefits under the Reynolds American Salary and Benefits
Continuation Program (“SBC”). It is intended that you
will not receive any less pay or benefits than provided under the
SBC; provided, however, that any payment or benefit provided under
this Section 1(a) is conditioned upon your execution of the release
described in Section 5(a) and the expiration of any applicable
revocation period occurring on or before your Payment Date. In the
event that you do not execute the release described in
Section 5(a), you will not be entitled to any benefits under
this agreement and will be entitled only to those benefits provided
under the SBC. |
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(x) |
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If you should die during your Severance Period, any cash
amounts under this Section 1(a) that remain unpaid as of the date
of your death shall be paid in cash to your estate in a single lump
sum within ninety (90) days following the date of your death,
provided that your estate shall not have the right to designate the
payment date. |
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(b) |
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For purposes of this agreement, “Cause” means the
occurrence of any one or more of the following : (i) your
criminal conduct; (ii) your deliberate and continual refusal
to perform employment duties on substantially a full time basis;
(iii) your deliberate and continual refusal to act in
accordance with any specific lawful instructions of an authorized
officer or employee more senior than you or a majority of the Board
of Directors of the Company; or (iv) your deliberate
misconduct which could be materially damaging to the Company or any
of its business operations without a reasonable good faith belief
by you that such |
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conduct was in the best interests of the Company. A termination
of employment shall not be deemed for Cause hereunder unless the
senior human resources executive of the Company (or the Chief
Executive Officer of the Company, in the case of the termination of
employment of the senior human resources executive of the Company)
shall confirm that any such termination of employment is for Cause.
Any voluntary termination of employment by you in anticipation of
an involuntary termination of employment for Cause shall be deemed
to be a termination of employment for Cause. |
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(c) |
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Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained herein,
in the event that you are deemed to be a “specified
employee” on your Termination Date, determined pursuant to
procedures adopted by the Company in compliance with
Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended,
and the regulations promulgated thereunder
((“Section 409A”) and (the “Code”),
respectively), and if any portion of the payments or benefits to be
received by you upon separation from service would constitute a
“deferral of compensation” subject to
Section 409A, then to the extent necessary to comply with
Section 409A, amounts that would otherwise be payable pursuant
to this agreement during the six-month period immediately following
your Termination Date and benefits that would otherwise be provided
pursuant to this agreement during the six-month period immediately
following your Termination D |
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