Application of Internal Revenue Code Section 409A Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, any payments and benefits provided under this Agreement (the “Severance Benefits”) 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 Executive’s termination of employment unless and until Executive has also incurred a “separation from service” (as such term is defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h) (“Separation From Service”), unless Employer reasonably determines that such amounts may be provided to Executive without causing Executive to incur the additional 20% tax under Section 409A. It is intended that each installment of the Severance Benefits payments 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 Severance Benefits set forth in this Agreement satisfy, to the greatest extent possible, the exemptions from the application of Section 409A provided under Treasury Regulation Sections 1.409A-1(b)(4), 1.409A-1(b)(5) and 1.409A-1(b)(9). However, if Employer (or, if applicable, the successor entity thereto) determines that the Severance Benefits constitute “deferred compensation” under Section 409A and Executive is, on the termination of service, a “specified employee” of 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 the Severance Benefit payments shall be delayed until the earlier to occur of: (i) the date that is six months and one day after Executive’s Separation From Service, or (ii) the date of Executive’s death (such applicable date, the “Specified Employee Initial Payment Date”), the Employer (or the successor entity thereto, as applicable) shall (A) pay to Executive a lump sum amount equal to the sum of the Severance Benefit payments that Executive would otherwise have received through the Specified Employee Initial Payment Date if the commencement of the payment of the Severance Benefits had not been so delayed pursuant to this Section and (B) commence paying the balance of the Severance Benefits in accordance with the applicable payment schedules set forth in this Agreement. This Agreement is intended to comply with Section 409A, and it is intended that no amounts payable hereunder shall be subject to tax under Section 409A. Employer shall use commercially reasonable efforts to comply with Section 409A with respect to payments of benefits hereunder.
Compliance with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code Payments and benefits provided under this Agreement as a result of Employee's termination of employment are intended to fall within the exception in U.S. Treasury Regulation 1.409A -1(b)(4) for short term deferrals or other applicable exceptions and will be interpreted and administered accordingly. However, to the extent that any payment under this Agreement is subject to Section 409A of the Code, it is intended to comply with Section 409A and this Agreement shall be interpreted and construed accordingly and in a manner that avoids the imposition of taxes and other penalties under Section 409A (such taxes and other penalties referred to collectively as "409A Penalties"). In the event that Klondex G&S determines that the terms of this Agreement would subject the Employee to 409A Penalties, Klondex G&S and the Employee shall cooperate diligently to amend the terms of this Agreement to avoid such 409A Penalties, to the extent possible; provided, however, that this Section 6.15 shall not create any obligation on the part of Klondex G&S to adopt any such amendment or take any such other action. All references in this Agreement to the Employee's termination of employment shall mean a "separation from service" within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, to the extent required to comply with Section 409A of the Code. Any payment that is "deferred compensation" within the meaning of and subject to Section 409A of the Code that becomes payable as a result of the Employee's separation from service and that is conditioned upon the Employee's execution of a Release will be paid within 90 days following the Employee's separation from service and if such period begins in one taxable year and carries over into a second taxable year, payment shall be made in the second taxable year, and in no event shall the Employee have the ability to influence the year in which payment will occur. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, if on the date of the Employee's "separation from service" the Employee is a "specified employee," as defined in Section 409A of the Code, then to the extent any amount payable under this Agreement upon the Employee's separation from service would be a prohibited distribution under Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, such payment shall be delayed until the earlier to occur of (x) the first day of the seventh month following the Employee's separation from service or (y) the date of the Employee's death.
