Compliance with Section 409A Any payments or benefits provided under this Agreement that constitute “deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and the regulations and other guidance thereunder and any state law of similar effect (collectively “Section 409A”) shall not commence in connection with the Employee’s termination of employment unless the Employee has also incurred a “separation from service,” as such term is defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h) (without regard to any permissible alternative definition thereunder) (“Separation from Service”). It is intended that each installment of the payments and benefits provided for in this Agreement is a separate “payment” for purposes of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b)(2)(i). For the avoidance of doubt, it is intended that payments of the amounts set forth in this Agreement satisfy, to the greatest extent possible, the exemptions from the application of Section 409A provided under Treasury Regulations 1.409A-1(b)(4), 1.409A-1(b)(5) and 1.409A-1(b)(9). However, if the Employer determines that the payments and benefits provided under this Agreement constitute “deferred compensation” under Section 409A and the Employee is, on the date of the Employee’s Separation from Service, a “specified employee” of the Employer or any successor entity thereto, as such term is defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, then, solely to the extent necessary to avoid the incurrence of the adverse personal tax consequences under Section 409A, the timing of any such payments or benefits shall be delayed as follows: on the earlier to occur of (i) the date that is six (6) months and one (1) day after the Employee’s Separation from Service or (ii) the date of the Employee’s death (such earlier date, the “Delayed Initial Payment Date”), the Employer shall (A) pay to the Employee a lump sum amount equal to the sum of the payments that the Employee would otherwise have received through the Delayed Initial Payment Date if the commencement of the payment of the payments had not been so delayed pursuant to this Section 9.2 and (B) commence paying the balance of the payments in accordance with the applicable payment schedules set forth in this Agreement. If the Employer determines that any payments or benefits provided under this Agreement constitute “deferred compensation” under Section 409A and the Release could become effective in the calendar year following the calendar year in which the Employee’s Separation from Service occurs, the Release will not be deemed effective any earlier than the Release Deadline for purposes of determining the timing of payment of any such payments or benefits.
Section 16 Matters Prior to the Effective Time, the Company shall take all such steps as may be required to cause to be exempt under Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act any dispositions of shares of Company Common Stock (including derivative securities with respect to such shares) that are treated as dispositions under such rule and result from the transactions contemplated by this Agreement by each director or officer of the Company who is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act with respect to the Company immediately prior to the Effective Time.
Section 409A of the Code Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if at the time of the Executive’s termination of employment with the Company, the Company has determined that the Executive is a “specified employee” as defined in Section 409A of the Code and any severance payments and benefits to Executive are considered a “deferral of compensation” under Section 409A of the Code (the “Deferred Payments”), such Deferred Payments that are otherwise payable within the first six months following the Termination Date will become payable on the first business day of the seventh month following the Executive’s Termination Date, or if earlier the date of the Executive’s death. In the event that payments under this Agreement are deferred pursuant to this Section 14(h), then such payments shall be paid at the time specified in this Section 14(h) without interest. The Company shall consult with the Executive in good faith regarding the implementation of the provisions of this Section 14(h) provided, that neither the Company nor any of its employees or representatives shall have any liability to the Executive with respect thereto. Any amount under this Agreement that satisfies the requirements of the “short-term deferral” rule set forth in Section 1.409A-1(b)(4) of the Treasury Regulations will not constitute Deferred Payments for purposes of this Agreement. Any amounts scheduled for payment hereunder when they are ordinarily paid out or when they are made to other executive officers, will nonetheless be paid to Executive on or before March 15th of the year following the year when the payment is no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture. For purposes of Section 409A of the Code, the right to a series of installment payments under this Agreement shall be treated as a right to a series of separate payments, and references herein to the Executive’s termination of employment shall refer to Executive’s separation of services with the Company within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, except to the extent any expense, reimbursement or in-kind benefit provided pursuant to this Agreement does not constitute a “deferral of compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code: (x) the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement or in-kind benefits provided to the Executive during any calendar year will not affect the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement or in-kind benefits provided to the Executive in any other calendar year, (y) the reimbursements for expenses for which the Executive is entitled to be reimbursed shall be made on or before the last day of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the applicable expense is incurred, and (z) the right to payment or reimbursement or in-kind benefits hereunder may not be liquidated or exchanged for any other benefit.
