Section 280G Matters If the benefits described in Section 2 herein, as applicable, (the "Severance Payment") would otherwise constitute a parachute payment under Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and but for this Section would be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the "Excise Tax"), Executive shall either: (i) pay the Excise Tax, or (ii) have the benefits reduced to such lesser extent as would result in no portion of such benefits being subject to the Excise Tax, whichever of the foregoing amounts, taking into account the applicable federal, state and local income taxes and the Excise Tax, results in the receipt by Executive on an after-tax basis, of the greatest amount of benefits, notwithstanding that all or some portion of such benefits may be taxable under Section 4999 of the Code. Unless the Company and Executive otherwise agree in writing, any determination required under this Section 5 will be made in writing by a national "Big Four" accounting firm selected by the Company or such other person or entity to which the parties mutually agree (the "Accountants"), whose determination will be conclusive and binding upon Executive and the Company for all purposes. For purposes of making the calculations required by this Section 5, the Accountants may make reasonable assumptions and approximations concerning applicable taxes and may rely on reasonable, good faith interpretations concerning the application of Sections 280G and 4999 of the Code. The Company and the Executive shall furnish to the Accountants such information and documents as the Accountants may reasonably request in order to make a determination under this Section. The Company shall bear all costs the Accountants may reasonably incur in connection with any calculations contemplated by this Section 5. Any reduction in payments and/or benefits required by this Section 5 shall occur in the following order: (1) reduction of cash payments; (2) reduction of vesting acceleration of equity awards; and (3) reduction of other benefits paid to Executive. In the event that acceleration of vesting of equity awards is to be reduced, such acceleration of vesting shall be cancelled in the reverse order of the date of grant for Executive's equity awards.
Section 280G Notwithstanding anything in this Award Agreement to the contrary and regardless of whether this Award Agreement has otherwise expired or terminated, unless otherwise provided in your Employment Agreement, in the event that any payments, distributions, benefits or entitlements of any type payable to you (“CIC Benefits”) (i) constitute “parachute payments” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, and (ii) but for this paragraph would be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the “Excise Tax”), then your CIC Benefits shall be reduced to such lesser amount (the “Reduced Amount”) that would result in no portion of such benefits being subject to the Excise Tax; provided that such amounts shall not be so reduced if the Company determines, based on the advice of Golden Parachute Tax Solutions LLC, or such other nationally recognized certified public accounting firm as may be designated by the Company (the “Accounting Firm”), that without such reduction you would be entitled to receive and retain, on a net after tax basis (including, without limitation, any excise taxes payable under Section 4999 of the Code), an amount that is greater than the amount, on a net after tax basis, that you would be entitled to retain upon receipt of the Reduced Amount. Unless the Company and you otherwise agree in writing, any determination required under this Section 17 shall be made in writing in good faith by the Accounting Firm. In the event of a reduction of benefits hereunder, benefits shall be reduced by first reducing or eliminating the portion of the CIC Benefits that are payable under this Award Agreement and then by reducing or eliminating the portion of the CIC Benefits that are payable in cash and then by reducing or eliminating the non-cash portion of the CIC Benefits, in each case, in reverse order beginning with payments or benefits which are to be paid the furthest in the future. For purposes of making the calculations required by this Section 17, the Accounting Firm may make reasonable assumptions and approximations concerning applicable taxes and may rely on reasonable, good faith interpretations concerning the application of the Code, and other applicable legal authority. The Company and you shall furnish to the Accounting Firm such information and documents as the Accounting Firm may reasonably require in order to make a determination under this Section 17, and the Company shall bear the cost of all fees the Accounting Firm charges in connection with any calculations contemplated by this Section 17. In connection with making determinations under this Section 17, the Accounting Firm shall take into account the value of any reasonable compensation for services to be rendered by you before or after the Change of Control, including any non-competition provisions that may apply to you and the Company shall cooperate in the valuation of any such services, including any non-competition provisions.
Section 280G of the Code Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, if the Executive would receive (i) any payment, deemed payment or other benefit as a result of the operation of Section 8 or 9 hereof that, together with any other payment, deemed payment or other benefit the Executive may receive under any other plan, program, policy or arrangement (collectively with the payments under Section 8 and 9 hereof, the “Covered Payments”), would constitute an “excess parachute payment” under section 280G of the Code that would be or become subject to the tax (the “Excise Tax”) imposed under Section 4999 of the Code or any similar tax that may hereafter be imposed, and (ii) a greater net after-tax benefit by limiting the Covered Payments so that the portion thereof that are parachute payments do not exceed the maximum amount of such parachute payments that could be paid to the Employee without Employee’s being subject to any Excise Tax (the “Safe Harbor Amount”), then the Covered Payments to the Executive shall be reduced (but not below zero) so that the aggregate amount of parachute payments that the Executive receives does not exceed the Safe Harbor Amount. In the event that the Executive receives reduced payments and benefits hereunder, such payments and benefits shall be reduced in connection with the application of the Safe Harbor Amount in the following manner: first, the Executive’s Severance Payment shall be reduced, followed by, to the extent necessary and in order, (i) the Target Cash Bonus; (ii) any the continuation of medical benefits, (iii) the Unvested RSU Bonus Shares and (iv) the Accrued Obligations. For purposes of determining whether any of the Covered Payments will be subject to the Excise Tax, such Covered Payments will be treated as “parachute payments” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, and all “parachute payments” in excess of the “base amount” (as defined under Section 280G(b)(3) of the Code) shall be treated as subject to the Excise Tax, unless, and except to the extent that, in the good faith judgment of a public accounting firm appointed by the Company prior to the Change in Control or tax counsel selected by such accounting firm (the “Accountants”), the Company has a reasonable basis to conclude that such Covered Payments (in whole or in part) either do not constitute “parachute payments” or represent reasonable compensation for personal services actually rendered (within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(4)(B) of the Code) in excess of the allocable portion of the “base amount,” or such “parachute payments” are otherwise not subject to such Excise Tax, and the value of any non-cash benefits or any deferred payment or benefit shall be determined by the Accountants in accordance with the principles of Section 280G of the Code.
Parachute Payment Limitation If any payment or benefit (including payments and benefits pursuant to this Agreement) Executive would receive in connection with a Change in Control from the Company or otherwise (“Payment”) would (i) constitute a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, and (ii) but for this paragraph, be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the “Excise Tax”), then the Company shall cause to be determined, before any amounts of the Payment are paid to Executive, which of the following two alternative forms of payment shall be paid to Executive: (A) payment in full of the entire amount of the Payment (a “Full Payment”), or (B) payment of only a part of the Payment so that Executive receives the largest payment possible without the imposition of the Excise Tax (a “Reduced Payment”). A Full Payment shall be made in the event that the amount received by the Executive on a net after-tax basis is greater than what would be received by the Executive on a net after-tax basis if the Reduced Payment were made, otherwise a Reduced Payment shall be made. If a Reduced Payment is made, (i) the Payment shall be paid only to the extent permitted under the Reduced Payment alternative, and Executive shall have no rights to any additional payments and/or benefits constituting the Payment, and (ii) reduction in payments and/or benefits shall occur in the following order: (A) reduction of cash payments; (B) cancellation of accelerated vesting of equity awards other than stock options; (C) cancellation of accelerated vesting of stock options; and (D) reduction of other benefits paid to Executive. In the event that acceleration of compensation from Executive’s equity awards is to be reduced, such acceleration of vesting shall be canceled in the reverse order of the date of grant.
Code Section 280G The benefits that the Executive may be entitled to receive under this Agreement and other benefits that the Executive is entitled to receive under other plans, agreements and arrangements (which, together with the benefits provided under this Agreement, are referred to as “Payments”), may constitute Parachute Payments that are subject to Code Sections 280G and 4999. As provided in this Section 13, the Parachute Payments will be reduced if, and only to the extent that, a reduction will allow the Executive to receive a greater Net After Tax Amount than the Executive would receive absent a reduction. The Accounting Firm will first determine the amount of any Parachute Payments that are payable to the Executive. The Accounting Firm also will determine the Net After Tax Amount attributable to the Executive’s total Parachute Payments. The Accounting Firm will next determine the largest amount of Payments that may be made to the Executive without subjecting the Executive to tax under Code Section 4999 (the “Capped Payments”). Thereafter, the Accounting Firm will determine the Net After Tax Amount attributable to the Capped Payments. The Executive will receive the total Parachute Payments or the Capped Payments, whichever provides the Executive with the higher Net After Tax Amount. If the Executive will receive the Capped Payments, the total Parachute Payments will be adjusted by first reducing the amount of any benefits under this Agreement or any other plan, agreement or arrangement that are not subject to Section 409A of the Code (with the source of the reduction to be directed by the Participant) and then by reducing the amount of any benefits under this Agreement or any other plan, agreement or arrangement that are subject to Section 409A of the Code (with the source of the reduction to be directed by the Participant). The Accounting Firm will notify the Executive and the Company if it determines that the Parachute Payments must be reduced to the Capped Payments and will send the Executive and the Company a copy of its detailed calculations supporting that determination. As a result of the uncertainty in the application of Code Sections 280G and 4999 at the time that the Accounting Firm makes its determinations under this Section 13, it is possible that amounts will have been paid or distributed to the Executive that should not have been paid or distributed under this Section 13 (“Overpayments”), or that additional amounts should be paid or distributed to the Executive under this Section 13 (“Underpayments”). If the Accounting Firm determines, based on either the assertion of a deficiency by the Internal Revenue Service against the Company or the Executive, which assertion the Accounting Firm believes has a high probability of success or controlling precedent or substantial authority, that an Overpayment has been made, the Executive must repay to the Company, without interest; provided, however, that no loan will be deemed to have been made and no amount will be payable by the Executive to the Company unless, and then only to the extent that, the deemed loan and payment would either reduce the amount on which the Executive is subject to tax under Code Section 4999 or generate a refund of tax imposed under Code Section 4999. If the Accounting Firm determines, based upon controlling precedent or substantial authority, that an Underpayment has occurred, the Accounting Firm will notify the Executive and the Company of that determination and the amount of that Underpayment will be paid to the Executive promptly by the Company.
Section 409A Limit “Section 409A Limit” will mean two (2) times the lesser of: (i) Executive’s annualized compensation based upon the annual rate of pay paid to Executive during the Executive’s taxable year preceding the Executive’s taxable year of Executive’s termination of employment as determined under, and with such adjustments as are set forth in, Treasury Regulation 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii)(A)(1) and any Internal Revenue Service guidance issued with respect thereto; or (ii) the maximum amount that may be taken into account under a qualified plan pursuant to Section 401(a)(17) of the Code for the year in which Executive’s employment is terminated.
ERISA Compliance; Excess Parachute Payments The Parent does not, and since its inception never has, maintained, or contributed to any “employee pension benefit plans” (as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA), “employee welfare benefit plans” (as defined in Section 3(1) of ERISA) or any other Parent Benefit Plan for the benefit of any current or former employees, consultants, officers or directors of Parent.
Distributions Upon Income Inclusion Under Section 409A of the Code Upon the inclusion of any portion of the benefits payable pursuant to this Agreement into the Executive’s income as a result of the failure of this non-qualified deferred compensation plan to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, to the extent such tax liability can be covered by the Executive’s vested accrued liability, a distribution shall be made as soon as is administratively practicable following the discovery of the plan failure.
Section 409A Compliance (a) It is intended that any benefits under this Agreement satisfy, to the greatest extent possible, the exemptions from the application of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Section 409A”), provided under Treasury Regulations Sections 1.409A-1(b)(4), and 1.409A-1(b)(9), and this Agreement will be construed to the greatest extent possible as consistent with those provisions, and to the extent not so exempt, this Agreement (and any definitions hereunder) will be construed in a manner that complies with Section 409A. For purposes of Section 409A (including, without limitation, for purposes of Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-2(b)(2)(iii)), the Executive’s right to receive any installment payments under this Agreement (whether severance payments, if any, or otherwise) shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate payments and, accordingly, each installment payment hereunder shall at all times be considered a separate and distinct payment. A termination of employment shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of any provision of this Agreement providing for the payment of any amounts or benefits upon or following a termination of employment unless such termination is also a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A and, for purposes of any such provision of this Agreement, references to a “resignation,” “termination,” “termination of employment” or like terms shall mean separation from service. In no event may Executive, directly or indirectly, designate the calendar year of a payment. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, in no event shall the timing of the Executive’s execution of the Release, directly or indirectly, result in the Executive designating the calendar year of payment of any amounts of deferred compensation subject to Section 409A, and if a payment that is subject to execution of the Release could be made in more than one taxable year, payment shall be made in the later taxable year. The Company makes no representation or warranty and shall have no liability to the Executive or any other person if any compensation under this Agreement constitutes deferred compensation subject to Code Section 409A but does not satisfy an exemption from, or the conditions of, Code Section 409A.
Code Section 409A Compliance (a) The intent of the parties is that payments and benefits under this Agreement comply with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and applicable guidance thereunder (“Code Section 409A”) or comply with an exemption from the application of Code Section 409A and, accordingly, all provisions of this Agreement shall be construed in a manner consistent with the requirements for avoiding taxes or penalties under Code Section 409A.
