Gross-Up Payment Payments under Section C.1. and Section C.2. of this Exhibit shall be made without regard to whether the deductibility of such payments (or any other payments or benefits to or for the benefit of Executive) would be limited or precluded by Section 280G of the Code (“Section 280G”) and without regard to whether such payments (or any other payments or benefits) would subject Executive to the federal excise tax levied on certain “excess parachute payments” under Section 4999 of the Code (the “Excise Tax”). If any portion of the payments or benefits to or for the benefit of Executive (including, but not limited to, payments and benefits under this Agreement but determined without regard to this paragraph) constitutes an “excess parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G (the aggregate of such payments being hereinafter referred to as the “Excess Parachute Payments”), the Company shall promptly pay to Executive an additional amount (the “gross-up payment”) that after reduction for all taxes (including but not limited to the Excise Tax) with respect to such gross-up payment equals the Excise Tax with respect to the Excess Parachute Payments; provided, that to the extent any gross-up payment would be considered “deferred compensation” for purposes of Section 409A of the Code, the manner and time of payment, and the provisions of this Section C.3, shall be adjusted to the extent necessary (but only to the extent necessary) to comply with the requirements of Section 409A with respect to such payment so that the payment does not give rise to the interest or additional tax amounts described at Section 409A(a)(1)(B) or Section 409A(b)(4) of the Code (the “Section 409A penalties”); and further provided, that if, notwithstanding the immediately preceding proviso, the gross-up payment cannot be made to conform to the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, the amount of the gross-up payment shall be determined without regard to any gross-up for the Section 409A penalties. The determination as to whether Executive’s payments and benefits include Excess Parachute Payments and, if so, the amount of such payments, the amount of any Excise Tax owed with respect thereto, and the amount of any gross-up payment shall be made at the Company’s expense by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP or by such other certified public accounting firm as the Committee may designate prior to a Change of Control (the “accounting firm”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Internal Revenue Service shall assert an Excise Tax liability that is higher than the Excise Tax (if any) determined by the accounting firm, the Company shall promptly augment the gross-up payment to address such higher Excise Tax liability.
