Exhibit 99.1
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[Name]
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Steven J. Malcolm
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2009 Performance-Based Restricted Stock
Unit Award
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You have been selected to receive a performance-based restricted
stock unit award to be paid if the Company exceeds the Threshold
goal for Total Shareholder Return, as established by the Committee,
over the Performance Period. This award, which is subject to
adjustment under the 2009 Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit
Agreement (the “Agreement”), is granted to you in
recognition of your role as a key employee whose responsibilities
and performance are critical to the attainment of long-term goals.
This award and similar awards are made on a selective basis and
are, therefore, to be kept confidential. It is granted and subject
to the terms and conditions of The Williams Companies, Inc. 2007
Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time, and the
Agreement.
Subject to all of the terms of the Agreement, you will become
entitled to payment of the award if you are an active employee of
the Company on [February 25] of the third year following the
year in which this award is made, and performance measures are
certified for the three-year period beginning January 1 of the year
in which this award is made to you. The termination provisions
associated with this award are included in the Agreement.
If you have any questions about this award, you may contact a
dedicated Fidelity Stock Plan Representative at 1-800-544-9354.
1
2009
PERFORMANCE-BASED RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT
THIS 2009 PERFORMANCE-BASED
RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”),
which contains the terms and conditions for the Restricted Stock
Units (“Restricted Stock Units” or “RSUs”)
referred to in the 2009 Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit
Award Letter delivered in hard copy or electronically to
Participant (“2009 Award Letter”), is by and between
THE WILLIAMS COMPANIES, INC., a Delaware corporation (the
“Company”), and the individual identified on the last
page hereof (the “Participant”).
1. Grant of RSUs . Subject to the terms and
conditions of The Williams Companies, Inc. 2007 Incentive Plan, as
amended from time to time (the “Plan”), this Agreement,
and the 2009 Award Letter, the Company hereby grants to the
Participant an award (the “Award) of [Number] RSUs
effective [Effective Date] (the “Effective
Date”). The Award, which is subject to adjustment under the
terms of this Agreement, gives the Participant the opportunity to
earn the right to receive the number of shares of the Common Stock
of the Company equal to the number of RSUs shown in the prior
sentence if the Target goal, as established by the Committee, is
achieved by the Company over the Performance Period. These shares,
together with any other shares that are payable under this
Agreement, are referred to in the Agreement as
“Shares.” Until the Participant both becomes vested in
the Shares under the terms of Paragraph 5 and is paid such
Shares under the terms of Paragraph 6, the Participant shall have
no rights as a stockholder of the Company with respect to the
Shares.
2. Incorporation of Plan . The Plan is hereby
incorporated herein by reference and all capitalized terms used
herein which are not defined in this Agreement shall have the
meaning set forth in the Plan. The Participant acknowledges that he
or she has received a copy of, or has online access to, the Plan,
and hereby accepts the RSUs subject to all the terms and provisions
of the Plan and this Agreement.
3. Committee Decisions and Interpretations; Committee
Discretion . The Participant hereby agrees to accept as
binding, conclusive and final all actions, decisions and/or
interpretations of the Committee, its delegates, or agents, upon
any questions or other matters arising under the Plan or this
Agreement.
4. Performance Measures; Number of Shares Payable to
the Participant .
(a) Performance measures
established by the Committee shall be based on targeted levels of
both absolute and relative Total Shareholder Return. The Committee
establishes (i) “Threshold,” “Target” and
“Stretch” goals for Total Shareholder Return (both for
absolute and relative Total Shareholder Return) during the
Performance Period and (ii) the designated numbers of Shares
that may be received by a Participant based upon the achievement of
each such goal during the Performance Period, all as more fully
described in Subparagraphs 4(b) through 4(c) below. The number of
Shares that may be received by the Participant if the Target goal
is reached is equal to the number of RSUs set forth in
Paragraph 1 above.
(b) The RSUs awarded to
Participant and subject to this Agreement as reflected in Paragraph
1 above represents Participant’s opportunity to earn the
right to payment of an equal number of Shares (“Target Number
of Shares”) upon (i) certification by the Committee that
100% of the Target goal for Total Shareholder Return for the
Performance Period has been met and (ii) satisfaction of all
the other conditions set forth in Paragraph 5 below.
(c) Subject to the
Committee’s discretion as set forth in Subparagraph 4(d)
below and to satisfaction of all other conditions set forth in
Paragraph 5 below, the actual number of Shares earned by and
payable to Participant upon certification of Total Shareholder
Return results and satisfaction of all other conditions set forth
in Paragraph 5 below will be determined on a continuum ranging
from 0% (at the Threshold goal) to 200% (at the Stretch goal) of
the Target Number of Shares depending on the level of Total
Shareholder Return certified by the Committee at the end of the
Performance Period.
(d) Notwithstanding
(i) any other provision of this Agreement or the Plan or (ii)
certification by the Committee that targets for Total Shareholder
Return above the Threshold goal have been achieved during the
Performance Period, the Committee may in its sole and absolute
discretion reduce, but not below zero (0), the number of Shares
payable to the Participant based on such factors as it deems
appropriate, including but not limited to the Company’s
performance. Accordingly, any reference in this Agreement to Shares
that (i) become payable, (ii) may be received by a Participant
or (iii) are earned by a Participant, and any similar
reference, shall be understood to mean the number of Shares that
are received, payable or earned after any such reduction is
made.
5. Vesting; Legally Binding Rights .
(a) Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Agreement, a Participant shall not be entitled to
any payment of Shares under this Agreement unless and until such
Participant obtains a legally binding right to such Shares and
satisfies applicable vesting conditions for such payment.
(b) Except as otherwise
provided in Subparagraphs 5(c) – 5(g) below and subject to
the provisions of Subparagraph 4(d) above, the Participant shall
vest in Shares under this Agreement only if and at the time that
both of the following conditions are fully satisfied:
(i) The Participant remains an
active employee of the Company or any of its Affiliates on
[February 25] of the third year following the year that
contains the Effective Date (the “Maturity Date”);
and
(ii) The Committee certifies
that the Company has met Total Shareholder Return targets above the
Threshold goal as defined by the Committee for the three-year
performance period beginning January 1, 2009 (the
“Performance Period”). Certification, if any, by the
Committee for the Performance Period shall be made by the Maturity
Date or as soon thereafter as is administratively practicable.
(c) If a Participant dies,
becomes Disabled (as defined below) or qualifies for Retirement (as
defined below) prior to the Maturity Date while an active employee
of the Company or any of its Affiliates, at but not prior to the
Maturity Date, and only to the extent and at the time that the
Committee certifies that the performance measures for the
Performance Period are satisfied under Subparagraph 5(b)(ii) above,
upon such certification, the Participant shall vest in that number
of Shares the Participant might otherwise have received for the
Performance Period in accordance with Paragraph 4 above pro
rated to reflect that portion of the Performance Period prior to
such Participant’s ceasing being an active employee of the
Company and its Affiliates. The pro rata number of Shares in which
the Participant may become vested in such case shall equal that
number determined by multiplying (i) the number of Shares the
Participant might otherwise have received for the Performance
Period in accordance with Paragraph 4 above times
(ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full
and partial months in the period that begins the month following
the month that contains the Effective Date and ends on (and
includes) the date of the Participant ceases being an active
employee of the Company and its Affiliates, and the denominator of
which is the total number of full and partial months in the period
that begins the month following the month that contains the
Effective Date and ends on (and includes) the Maturity Date.
(d) As used in this Agreement,
the terms “Disabled,” “qualify for
Retirement”, “Separation from Service” and
“Affiliate” shall have the following respective
meanings:
(i) A Participant shall be
considered Disabled if such Participant (A) 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 twelve (12) months, or (B)
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 twelve
(12) months, receiving income replacement benefits for a
period of not less than three (3) months under an accident and
health plan covering employees o